5-21 TD by Community News Service

downtowner Trenton’s City Paper

May 2021 |

communitynews.org

Suit Yourself Evan Harris and Lisa Wilson bring modern menswear to Trenton. Page 6. Todd Evans on the Trenton arts scene, 8; World Labyrinth Day, 10; Summer Camps inside

STROKE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, but many people don’t realize it is both preventable and treatable. Join DR. DANIEL LANDAU, a board certified and fellowship trained vascular neurologist from Capital Institute for Neurosciences, for an informative discussion of the signs and symptoms of stroke, how you can decrease your risk, and why time is critical if you or a loved one have a stroke.

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.

@capitalhealthnj

capitalhealth.org/cancer

MAINTAINING YOUR ACTIVE LIFESTYLE:

Fitness and Joint Replacement Surgery Monday, May 10, 2021 | 9 a.m. Location: Zoom Meeting Arthritis can slow you down if you let it, but there are ways to stay active as you age. Join DR. ARJUN SAXENA, director of the Marjorie G. Ernest Center for Joint Replacement and a fellowship trained and board certified orthopaedic surgeon from Rothman Orthopaedics Institute, to discuss how exercise can help and learn about the latest joint replacement surgery options that are available to help you maintain your active lifestyle. 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. 2Trenton Downtowner May 2021

@capitalhealthnj

UP FrOnT Princeton Hydro moves to Roebling carpentry shop

rinceton Hydro and Hx2 Development announced the signing of a lease, where the firm will relocate its headquarters from Ringoes to Trenton and occupy the Roebling Carpentry Shop, an approximately 9,000-square-foot section of Building 110 in Trenton’s Wirerope District. Construction has been kicked off, with move-in slated for January, 2022. Princeton Hydro’s decision to move into Trenton will result in the relocation of more than jobs, bring life to a building that has been vacant for more than 25 years, and adapt its use from industrial to transit-oriented, modern office space. Princeton Hydro is a water resources engineering and natural resources management small business committed to changing ecosystems, quality of life, and communities for the better. The firm was formed in 1998 with the specific mission of providing integrated ecological and engineering consulting services and offers expertise in natural resource management, water resources engineering, geotechnical design and investigation, and regulatory compliance throughout the Northeast. The project, being constructed by Trenton-based Hx2 Development and designed by Trenton-based architecture and planning firm Clarke Caton Hintz has received support and encouragement from the City of Trenton and Greater Trenton, the local organi-

zation dedicated to advancing revitalization efforts in the city. The completion of Building 110 represents ongoing efforts in the redevelopment of Roebling Center, which includes five historic industrial buildings on Block 3 of the John A. Roebling’s Sons Company. Phase 1, completed in 2018, included the opening of Roebling Lofts, a 138-unit loft apartment building located in Building 101 of the Roebling Complex.

LALDEF Names New Executive Director

he Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund announced the appointment of Cecilia JiménezWeeast as its permanent executive director. Patricia Fernández-Kelly, chair of the Board of Trustees at LALDEF, said of the appointment that “Cecilia Jiménez-Weeast — known as Cecy — is the former director of Latinas Unidas at the YWCA and comes to us with more than 25 years of experience. She is well connected to our Latino/a community, speaks Spanish fluently, and has a stellar trajectory in management, accounting, and public relations. We are excited to have her join our LALDEF community.” Lorraine Goodman, previously LALDEF’s interim executive director, will stay on as associate director in charge of development and communications. LALDEF’s mission is to promote the rights of all immigrants (with a fo-

DOWNTOWNER

cus on the Latin American community in the Mercer County area); facilitate access to health care, education, and legal representation; advocate for the integration of immigrants; and foster intercultural communication that strengthens our communities. For more information LALDEF: www.laldef.org.

about

I Am Trenton grants awarded to community projects

Am Trenton Community Foundation recently announced grant awards totaling $50,000 to grassroots community programs bringing together youth and local artists, telling important community stories and acknowledging shared struggles through its Citywide grant program. The 2021 awards support efforts to celebrate and improve the city and advance social justice, particularly in the context of the ongoing pandemic. The grants were awarded to the fol-

An image from Jeﬀrey Stewart’s ‘American Summer’ documentary, for which he received an I Am Trenton foundation grant. lowing individuals and groups: Adam Nawrot for the Trenton Makes Video Series, a collection of short films dedicated to showcasing the craftspeople of Trenton, New Jersey. Caitlin Fair, Council Cliff Notes, a series of short videos about various aspects of local government aiming to raise civic engagement in the city of Trenton. Chosen Inspiration Association, a self-esteem enrichment, suicide prevention program that deters self-harm and helps teens view obstacles as challenges intended to maximize their full potential. G-MOMS-MCSAP’s Living Our Best Life, a picture book about ladies over 60, living in Trenton area being See UP FRONT, Page 4

Phone: (609) 396-1511 Fax: (609) 844-0180 Website: communitynews.org SENIOR EDITOR Dan Aubrey MANAGING EDITOR Sara Hastings SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Steﬀen (Ext. 113) ADMINISTRATIVE ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Gina Carillo

Community News Service 15 Princess Road, Suite K Lawrence, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 396-1511 News & Letters: dan@princetoninfo.com Events: events@communitynews.org Website: communitynews.org Facebook: facebook.com/trentondowntowner Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace 3,000 copies of the Trenton Downtowner are bulk distributed in Trenton 12 times a year.

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UP FRONT, continued from Page 3

DO YOU SUFFER FROM

healthy and happy growing stronger in the Community. Garden State Agrihood Project’s Capital City Farm Urban Youth Environmental Stewards, a community development initiative to expose Trenton’s youth to agriculture, environmental science through a social justice lens. Habiyb Ali Shu’Aib’s “Time Is Still” FREE photography project to create posi15 Minute tive images of Trenton residents and consultation install them on abandoned buildings. for the first Jeffrey Stewart’s “American Sum30 callers! mer” film documentary about the BLM/police brutality protests in Trenton during the summer of 2020. KinderSmile Foundation’s Access DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS? to Oral Health Care Center providing access to oral health education and Numbness Pain when you walk Sharp, electrical-like pain dental care to underserved and uninBurning or tingling Difficulty sleeping from leg or foot discomfort sured children and adults. Muscle weakness Sensitivity to touch? Mighty Writers’s bilingual learning loss prevention providing online PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE NERVE DAMAGE? programming for young bilingual PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY is a condition that affects millions of Americans, commonly resulting in pain, Peripheral neuropathy is the consequence of damage to your peripheral nerves. students to support them in their virtingling, numbness, and other painful symptoms in the hands, legs and feet. This There are over 100 different kinds of peripheral nerve disorders or pain your life andthat affects affects how you work, how you playof andAmericans,commonly how you live. is changes a condition millions resulting inofpain, neuropathies – some are the result a diseasetingling, like diabetes, while others can tual learning. Developed with Urban be triggered by a viral infection. Still others are the result of an injury or numbness, and other painful symptoms in the hands, legsonand feet.NoThis compression the nerves. matterpain where changes the problems begin, it is Promise Trenton. imperative nerve disorders are resolved as soon as possible to prevent NEW TREATMENTS HOPEyou play and yourFDA-CLEARED life and affects how youPROVIDE work, how how you live. permanent damage. Many people suffer with pain for years, not realizing that Passage Theatre Company’s The AllCure Spine and Sports Medicine is pleased to announce their new program for their symptoms may be due to Peripheral Neuropathy. Symptoms start treating Peripheral Neuropathy, which includes a combination of advanced Project, develgradually, then get worse, including numbness, burning or tingling sensations Hedgepeth-Williams FDA-cleared with breakthrough technology thatTREATMENTS aids in healing the NEWtreatments FDA-CLEARED HOPE and sharp,PROVIDE electrical-like pain. Treatment options have been limited to a small damaged nerves. The effects of this program can be felt on the first few visits. assortment of pain medications, which can lead to further issues. Ignoring the oped in partnership with HedgepethThis treatment restores, stabilizes, and rebuilds the nerves in your extremities. problem or masking the symptoms has never been a viable solution. If you AllCure Spine and Sports isofpleased to announce their new program for Treatment has also been effective in addressingMedicine painful symptoms arthritis, Williams Middle School of the Arts, to suffer from any of the aforementioned symptoms, we can help. MS, and other forms of chronic pain. Patients generally feel relief physically treating Peripheral Neuropathy, which includes a combination of advanced FDA-cleared create and produce a new play about throughout the treatment period and even feel better emotionally after experiencing a reduction in pain. treatments with breakthrough technology that aids in healing the damaged nerves. the history of the school’s name and The DO effectsYOU of this program can be felt OF on theTHESE ﬁrst few visits. This treatment restores, its effect on the racial integration of HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS? NEW CBD OILand TREATMENTS AVAILABLE! stabilizes, rebuilds NOW the nerves in your extremities. Treatment has also been effective school systems throughout the United CBD oils Have had successful results with treating patients with Inflammation, Pain whenof you walk Sharp, electrical-like pain inNumbness addressing painful symptoms arthritis, muscle, joint, and nerve related pains. CBD is a especially promising due to its MS, and other forms of chronic pain, Patients States. lack of any intoxicating effects and lower potential for side effects compared to generally feel relief physically throughout the treatment period and even feel better many other pain medications. At AllCure, we want to maximize patients efforts Burning or tingling Difficulty sleeping from leg or foot discomfort Healthy Damaged Play Soccer Nonprofit Internain getting them back to the quality of life that they want and deserve, and CBD Nerve Cell emotionally after experiencing a reduction in pain. Nerve Cell treatment is the newest tool to help us do so. Please call us today and we will tional (PSNI)’s Trenton Youth Soccer Muscle weakness Sensitivity to touch? be happy to answer any questions League efforts to provide free afterNEW CBD OIL TREATMENTS NOW AVAILABLE! FREE school and summer program and 15 minute CBD oils Have had successful results with treating patients with IF InﬂYOU ammation, muscle, PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY HOW DO YOU KNOW HAVE NERVE DAMAGE? work with partner organizations to consultation is a condition that affects of Americans, joint, andmillions nerve relatedcommonly pains.resulting CBDinispain, a especially promising due to its oflack oftoany Peripheral neuropathy is the consequence damage your nerves. forperipheral the first develop a holistic after school / sumtingling, numbness, and other painful symptoms in the hands, legs and feet. This There are over 100 different kinds of peripheral nerve disorders or 30 callers! 350youForsgate Monroe–compared Township, NJ andhowlower for sideDr, effects toof08831 many pain pain changesintoxicating your life and affectseffects how you work, you playpotential and how live. neuropathies some are the result a diseaseother like diabetes, while others can mer recreation effort. triggered byefforts a viral infection. Still others are the result to of an injury or medications. At AllCure, we want to maximize be patients in getting them back the compression on the nerves. No matter where the problems begin, it is Todd Evans’s “poetry through winallcurespineandsports.com We accept most major insurances and medicare! nerve disordersisare as soon as possible prevent quality of life that they want and HOPE deserve, and imperative CBD treatment theresolved newest tool to helpto us NEW FDA-CLEARED TREATMENTS PROVIDE permanent damage. Many people suffer with pain for years, not realizing that dows,” a memorial poetry tribute to AllCure Spinedo andso. SportsPlease Medicine is call pleasedus to announce their new program for todayMEDICINE and we will be happy answer any their to symptoms may be duequestions to Peripheral Symptoms start INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT • SPORTS • ACUPUNCTURE • PHYSICAL THERAPY • CHIROPRACTIC SERVICESNeuropathy. • POST-SURGICAL REHABILITATION treating Peripheral Neuropathy, which includes a combination of advanced gradually, then get worse, including numbness, burning or tingling sensations late Trenton educator and poet Doc FDA-cleared treatments with breakthrough technology that aids in healing the and sharp, electrical-like pain. Treatment options have been limited to a small damaged nerves. The effects of this program can be felt on the first few visits. of pain medications, which can lead to further issues. Ignoring the Long, featuring poems in Trenton’s HOW DOandYOU IF YOU assortment HAVE PERIPHERAL NERVE This treatment restores, stabilizes, rebuilds theKNOW nerves in your extremities. problem or masking the symptoms has never been a viable solution. If you Treatment has also been effective in addressing painful symptoms of arthritis, windows. suffer from any of the aforementioned symptoms, we can help. MS, and other forms of chronic pain. Patients generally feel relief physically DAMAGE? throughout the treatment period and even feel better emotionally after Latin American Legal Defense and experiencing a reduction in pain. Peripheral neuropathy is the consequence Education Fund’s efforts to improve of damage to your peripheral nerves. equitable access to education by supNEW CBD OIL TREATMENTS NOW AVAILABLE! Symptoms start gradually, then get worse, porting promising high school seniors CBD oils Have had successful results with treating patients with Inflammation, numbness, burning or tingling muscle, joint,including and nerve related pains. CBD is a especially promising due to its with their college applications/fees. lack of any intoxicating effects and lower potential for side effects compared to sensations sharp, electrical-like pain. many other pain medications. Atand AllCure, we want to maximize patients efforts Healthy Damaged Trenton Animals Rock’s plan to in getting them back to the quality of life thathave they want and deserve, and CBD Nerve Cell Nerve Cell Treatment options been limited to a treatment is the newest tool to help us do so. Please call us today and we will team with a local mural artist and crebe happy to small answer any questions assortment of pain medications, which ate a mural painting day at the Trencan lead to further issues. Ignoring the problem or masking the symptoms has never been FREE ton Animal Shelter. a viable solution. If you suffer from any of the aforementioned symptoms, we can help. 15 minute consultation Trenton Cycling Revolution’s D&R for the first Canal Trail Bike Fixing Station project 30 callers! 350 Forsgate Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831 that installs a public bicycle repair station and pump alongside a sculptural allcurespineandsports.com We accept majorDrive, insurances and medicare! 100most Cabot Suite A kiosk and wayfinding station adjacent Hamilton, 08691 ERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT • SPORTS MEDICINE • ACUPUNCTURE • PHYSICAL THERAPY • CHIROPRACTICNJ SERVICES • POST-SURGICAL REHABILITATIONto the D&R Canal, providing free tools community. allcurespineandsports.com to the Trenton Music Makers’s Juneteenth Collaboration project that inACUPUNCTURE • PHYSICAL THERAPY • CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES volves Trenton DJ Ahmad Shakir, musician Josue Lora, and filmmaker

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to produce original musical performances. And United Front’s youth-led youth empowerment initiatives. I Am Trenton Community Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit raising funds for citywide grants from individual donors and private funders and has partnered with Isles since 2014 to administer grants in three Trenton neighborhoods as part of their respective revitalization plans, funded by the state’s Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (NRTC) Program. To learn more about I Am Trenton, visit www.iamtrenton.org.

Trenton Cycling Revolution becomes nonprofit

he 22-year-old Trenton Cycling Revolution (TCR), Trenton’s primary organizer of biking events, has recently reorganized itself as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and elected the following as its board of trustees officers: Jacque Howard, president; Kathleen Dieal, vice president; Ed Adams, treasurer; and Bernard McMullan, secretary. The other trustees include Jim Simon, Helen Dudar, and Jun King. The board also appointed Wills Kinsley as director of operations, and Sonia Szczesna as outreach coordinator. Both were recognized for their leadership in leading TCR activities and initiatives. According to press materials, the TCR promotes safe biking for all and advocates at the local and county level for increased attention to bike lanes and the creation of more bike trails throughout the region. In addition, TCR is known for its annual Tour de Trenton, the Ciclovia Open Streets event, Canal Path cleanups, as well as countless bike repair and bike giveaways focused on Trenton children and families. It works closely with the Bike Exchange of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Mercer’s to help ensure that youth and adults who want to ride have a safe vehicle. TCR was recently awarded grants to install a biking information, tire pump, and repair kiosk in partnership with the Trenton Historic Development Collaborative. Input on the project was collected during a community meeting discussing the purpose and design with Trenton residents living near the Delaware Raritan Trail. Other spring/summer plans include kids bike giveaways in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club Bike Exchange and City of Trenton and developing garage shop space where bike repair clinics and “do it yourself” repairs can take place. More information about Trenton Cycling Revolution can be found at www.trentoncycling.org.

Business Spotlight

Ways

For nearly 12 years, the Sunrise Luncheonette has been the place to go in Downtown Trenton for great conversation, a made-to-order breakfast or lunch, and a big cup of Joe. It still is! They’ll even make you a “Jim Special,” the salad with chopped eggs named after one of their regular customers. Have it with a side of home fries.

May

to Celebrate

It’s a joyful time of the year. The flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining, more businesses are staying open longer, and many events are happening outdoors.

26 S. Warren St., Trenton, NJ

Call 609-278-8994

Restaurants like Sunrise that depend on regulars who come in to hang out (“It’s like a family here,” says the owner) were especially hard hit during the coronavirus shutdowns.

Open at 8am, 7 days a week

So why not support local the next time you eat a great breakfast!

Focus on Community

1. Buy Love Local Gift Cards: With

Mother’s Day, graduations and weddings on the calendar, gift giving is easy with the Love Local Gift Card.

2. Take Mom Out to Eat! Breakfast in bed

is nice, but lunch on the patio is even nicer! Fabio’s, City Deli, Delia’s, NJ Weedman’s Joint, Big Easy, 1911 Smokehouse … they all feature outdoor dining options.

3. Get Your Hair Cut or Styled: You know you need it. Joe the Barber is waiting! And so is Lucy at Beauty World.

4. Take a Walk: You don’t need fancy

We work closely with organizations like Isles to make Downtown Trenton a stronger community not only for our businesses but our residents as well.

Isles may be best known for its community gardening programs, but the nonprofit also offers job trainings, healthy home assessments, money management and first-time homeowner resources, and community planning and development, among other services.

“There’s great synergy between Isles and TDA. When organizations align, so much more gets done.”

equipment to stay healthy. But a great new pair of sneakers from Snipes would sure be nice!

5. Plant a Garden: Not sure where to

Trenton Downtown Association knows that you get more done when you forge strong partnerships within your community.

– Michael Nordquist, Managing Director, Community Planning and Development, Isles, Inc.

start? The Tucker Street Garden serves as a demonstration, production and training site for gardeners of all skill levels.

Read about Isles in “The Trenton Blog” on our website, and find out how you can get involved in initiatives that make our lives better.

Isles, Inc. • 10 Wood Street, Trenton, NJ • Isles.org • 609-341-4700

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Visit Trenton-downtown.com for a list of businesses open in the downtown Trenton area.

May 2021 | Trenton Downtowner5

BeSuited is dressing up in Downtown Trenton By Dan Aubrey

‘H

ere’s an example with the mannequin (black polo and burgundy pants). Casual wear to low lunch and office. It’s more trendy,” says Evan Harris about some of the offerings at his new shop, BeSuited. Sporting a tie and jacket, the 21-year-old haberdasher continues, “Like today I’m more casual. I have causal shoes. They look like a wingtips but have sneaker bottoms. That’s how we’re doing it. It’s like a mix of both.” It’s a Friday afternoon in the 1,200-square-foot shop that Harris operates at 127 North Broad Street, the former home of Byer’s Mens Shop — the longtime center for downtown sartorial needs — and Harris is talking about products and services. “We do off-the-rack suits as well as customized options. It takes four weeks turnaround, and we do casual clothes and accessories.” The latter includes chinos, sweaters, polo shirts, and casual pants. “We also do our own T-shirts and masks. They’re the only things that say BeSuited on them.” With suits the main focus, Harris says he deals mainly with three pieces

and that the range is from $350 off the rack to $1,100 custom. Adapting a contemporary approach of limited inventory, Harris says they deal with vendors for wholesale and use computer software to send measurements to a source in Tennessee. In-store tailoring is also an option through Byer’s tailor. He says what is unique to the store is that he is aiming on a newer and more youthful approach to men’s clothing in Trenton. “We bring a newer product here, a lot cutting edge too,” he says, explaining that he wants the shop to have a newer look and an aesthetic. “I wanted it to have a New York vibe,” he says, calling the city the fashion center, and fine tuning as he goes. “When we first started I wanted to do He says the deal was sewn up darker colors, once I start to move on, through the friendship his realtor I know people want to wear brighter mother and partner, Lisa Wilson, had clothes.” with the principal of 3MN managehe impetus for opening the shop ment, which had purchased the Byer came last year when COVID- property and owns Just Steaks nearby related layoffs ended his six years of on Perry Street. Besides working since he was 16 work at Men’s Warehouse on Route 1. in clothing retail, Harris says, “I was He had also worked at Guess Jeans. always into clothes. I was an aspirAlthough he started selling clothes ing model. My friends were photogonline, he says, “If you asked me a raphers and we took a lot of pictures year ago if I would open I store I would for Instagram. I did 10.Deep photos have said no, but I prepped myself into — streetwear. My cousin in New York it.”

Evan Harris sought a contemporary vibe for BeSuited, his new menswear shop on North Broad Street. was a model. I looked up to him.” Another cousin, Rodney Washington, is also important. The former Byer’s employee “knows the clientele and is very outgoing. He’s here on the weekends. I need the extra help because it is just me and my mom here during the day. A Trenton resident, Harris says he

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SIX09 Arts > food > culture

The American menu Author David Page talks “Food Americana,” Page 4

thesix09.com | May 2021

what’s happening

HomeFront’s Free Store open for business A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 22 to celebrate the grand reopening of HomeFront’s newly renovated FreeStore, located at 1000 Division Street. HomeFront celebrated with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, who cut the ribbon. In a press release, the organization said it was grateful to the City of Trenton for its support. Thanks to a Community Development Block Grant awarded from Trenton’s Housing and Economic Development Department, HomeFront’s FreeStore will now have a brighter interior, an improved HVAC system, and handicap accessibility. HomeFront’s Celia Bernstein, who oversaw the renovation project, spoke to the importance of the FreeStore in a community where housing costs are high: “For a local family to afford a modest two-bedroom home, they must earn an hourly wage of $28 [per hour],” Bernstein said. “If housing is this difficult to afford, where do you find money for clothing for your growing children or work clothes for a job interview, or sheets and towels?” Stocked with donations of gently

used clothing and household goods, the FreeStore provides community members the opportunity to shop for essential items at no cost. As many continue to face financial challenges during the pandemic, the FreeStore offers a crucial lifeline for local low-income families. The FreeStore has seen over 78,000 visits since its inception in 1999. Consistent with HomeFront’s mission of helping families achieve independence, the FreeStore prioritizes work and school appropriate clothing, including plus-sizes. Through the tireless efforts of FreeStore Manager Maria Sierra and her crew of amazing volunteers, the FreeStore will now greet HomeFront’s families with a beautiful, welcoming interior. Much like a department store, the FreeStore offers a wide variety of clothing and other items every household needs. In addition to work and school attire, the FreeStore provides clothing for job interviews and special occasions. The bedding and linens department provides towels, sheets, blankets and pillows, while the housewares department has kitchen items such as pots and pans and small appliances.

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Anthony J. Destribats A.Avenue, Campbell, 247 White Horse Avenue Bernard 795 Parkway Suite A3 Jr. Hamilton, NJ 08610 Ewing, NJC. 08618 Raymond Staub Phone (609) 585-2443 • www.destribatslaw.com David P. Schroth Kimberly A. Greenberg Adam Lipps ••• Jay G. Destribats (1969-2015) 247 White Horse Ave • Hamilton • NJ • 08610

(609) 585-2443 • www.destribatslaw.com 2SIX09 | May 2021

trenton Mayor reed Gusciora cuts the ribbon at Homefront’s newly refurbished freestore on thursday, april 22, joined by Homefront chief operating oﬃcer sarah steward, freestore manager Maria sierra and Homefront director of construction celia Bernstein. (Photo by Meg cubano.) “When you think about a family in Trenton—half of which live under the poverty line—they need a place after they finish buying food for their families, after they’ve found a home, they need to furnish it and they need to get clothing,” Gusciora said. “The FreeStore really is the place for so many families, particularly in the Chambersburg area, that just need a lifting hand.” For families struggling with home-

lessness or living in its shadow, the FreeStore provides a sense of ownership and control that comes with choosing items for themselves and their families. Your donations give HomeFront’s families the security and stability they need to live with dignity. For information on how to volunteer or donate, send an e-mail to getinvolved@homefrontnj.org or call (609) 989-9417.

SIX09

EDITOR Sam Sciarrotta (Ext. 121) ARTS EDITOR Dan Aubrey FOOD & DINING COLUMNIST Joe Emanski AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Stacey Micallef SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Steﬀen (Ext. 113)

An award-winning publication of Community News Service, LLC © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved. Trademark and U.S. Copyright Laws protect Community News Service LLC Publications. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission of the Publisher.

CO-PUBLISHER Jamie Griswold

CO-PUBLISHER Tom Valeri

MANAGING EDITOR, METRO DIVISION Sara Hastings ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Thomas Fritts

PRODUCTION MANAGER Stacey Micallef DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL INITIATIVES Joe Emanski

Community News Service 15 Princess Road, Suite K Lawrence, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 396-1511 News: news@communitynews.org Events: events@communitynews.org Letters: ssciarrotta@communitynews.org Website: communitynews.org Facebook: facebook.com/mercereats Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace Six09 is inserted into each of Community News Service’s nine hyperlocal monthly publications. Over 125,000 copies are distributed each month in the Greater Mercer County, N.J. area.

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Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute Taking the Fight Against Chronic Pain to New Levels 27 different therapies available to patients, Dr. Patel offers a range of treatments, often combined to attack highly specific causes of pain. Among the most promising and innovative treatments:

otox for migraines. Stem cell injections to regenerate tissue and organs. Gummy Bears infused with THC. Platelet-Rich Plasma to treat conditions from sports injuries and wounds to hair loss from chemotherapy. These are just a few of the cutting-edge therapies used by Dr. Ronak Patel, the founder and medical director of Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute in Plainsboro. “Many of these treatments may come as a surprise to patients suffering from chronic pain, especially those who think that their pain — and poor quality of life — is something they have to endure,” Dr. Patel notes. A double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, Dr. Patel focuses on treating pain in the back, neck, face, and joints as well as pain related to cancer and chemotherapy. With so many different pain-causing illnesses, injuries, and conditions, treatments must be carefully customized to fit the needs of each individual patient. Dr. Patel partners with orthopedists, physical and occupational therapists, and chiropractors to provide a variety of approaches and treatments. With

Regenerative Medicine/ Stem Cell Therapy. Regenerative medicine is a fastgrowing, highly developed treatment that helps the body heal or rebuild itself. Dr. Patel uses stem cell therapy to treat ailments, particularly low back or neck pain, caused by degenerative vertebral discs or joint pain in the shoulders, hips, or knees caused by osteoarthritis. The patient’s stem cells are removed, purified, concentrated, and injected into the injured or weakened tissue. Stem cell therapy can also speed recovery and help avoid surgery. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). A favorite treatment for sports injuries, PRP uses the patient’s blood to produce a platelet-rich plasma that targets a host of chronic and acute pain conditions, including muscle strain, arthritis, tendinosis, cartilage injuries, joint inflammation, and wound care. The treatment is also used in orthopedic and plastic surgery. By synthesizing platelets and releasing proteins, PRP can aid in generating new tissue. And it has helped chemotherapy patients grow back hair faster and thicker.

Cannabis Therapy. The legalization of medical marijuana has brought new treatment options. “We are very excited by the potential of cannabis-based treatments and we comply fully with New Jersey’s evolving regulations,” says Dr. Patel. He uses a local dispensary to provide treatments, which include edibles such as gummy bears and cannabis-based rubbing and vaping oils. Minimally Invasive Therapy. Dr. Patel offers a wide variety of minimally invasive therapies. These include epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, and spinal cord stimulation for patients suffering from chronic neck and back pain stemming from herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or spinal stenosis. His goal is to help his patients avoid surgery and at the same time regain functionality. Thanks to these and other game-changing treatments, pain levels can be greatly reduced or eliminated and quality of life enhanced. Says Dr. Patel, “Stop your pain. Start your life.”

Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute 666 Plainsboro Road, Suite 100D Plainsboro. 609-269-4451 www.njpaindoc.com

(609) 269-4451 | info@njpaindoc.com | 666 Plainsboro Road Suite #100D Plainsboro, NJ 08536

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May 2021 | SIX093 MARCH/APRIL 2020

from the cover

Discovering American cuisine Writer takes readers on cross-country food journey in book By Sam Sciarrotta

David Page has a long history of going places. The writer and producer has followed jobs to Wichita, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix and Chicago. As a news producer for NBC, he bounced between London and Frankfurt, Budapest and Berlin, Africa and the Middle East. His travels eventually led him back to the States, where he formed his own production company and did work for Al Roker on the Food Network—but he’d soon be back on the road. Page pitched and created Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the Guy Fieri road trip-style food reality show. Now, though, the Long Beach Island resident is following a new path. Page’s book, Food Americana, is out this month. It covers his crosscountry journey to find out what dishes and recipes make up the Amer-

ican menu—what we eat as a country and why we eat it. Six09 editor Sam Sciarrotta talked to Page about his career, food and the perfect Jersey tomato. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Six09: What is “Food Americana “to you? What is American cuisine? David Page: Well, as I say in the book, American cuisine is a bit of many other cultures’ or countries’ cuisines modified to our palates or preferences and melded together. Six09: That also kind of sounds like an accurate description of just New Jersey, too. I think the intersection of food and New Jersey culture is pretty powerful. DP: It is, although day-to-day cuisine in New Jersey actually goes in many cases far beyond what I’m defining as American cuisine. New Jersey eaters, in many cases, I think are more adventurous and are open to cuisines from other countries that have not yet been accepted as a day-to-day part of ours. I refer specifically, for example, to the Ironbound area of Newark, where the Portugese food is terrific,

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David Page pivoted from producer to author to write Food Americana, a book about what we eat as a country and why we eat it.

food from Peru. Those remain in the minds of most Americans, I think, still “other,” as opposed to sushi or Chinese food or something along those lines, that are so common all across the country that they’re now thought of as American. Six09: Have you always been interested in food on this level? It seems to be kind of a central theme of your career. DP: I didn’t get into food in this way until NBC sent me to Europe. I worked in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and began to realize the national and especially regional differences in food based on tradition and societal makeup and, of course, the availability of specific ingredients. It was there, as I was trying to understand a number of other cultures, that I realized that the gateway to those other cultures is the food. I had some amusing experiences, such as, on my first trip to Vienna, I asked the support staff there to take me where they like to go and eat. And they took me to a Texas ribs joint. Six09: Why were you in Europe to begin with? DP: I’ve been a journalist in one form or another since I was 15 or 16. I started working on the radio when I was in high school. I followed jobs around the country—went from radio to television in Wichita, Kansas, worked in a number of local television stations in Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, and eventually got picked up by NBC and placed in their Chicago bureau as a producer. After a couple of years there, they sent me to Europe, first to London and then, at my request, I moved to Frankfurt. The London bureau was awfully big and, frankly, one plane flight too far from the action. In Frankfurt, which was a smaller bureau, it was easier to get things done. We could

call New York and say “We’re on the way” before London could get someone to Heathrow to get to us to get to where we were going. I worked in Frankfurt for quite awhile, and then I moved to Budapest in advance of what were clearly going to be the impending communist revolutions. I covered the Hungarian revolution and the collapse of the government of Czechoslovakia. Then, I moved back to the states and became a show producer on the weekend Today Show. I ended up as the senior investigative producer of 20/20 over at ABC, and then as a line producer at GMA. While I was there in the lifestyle arena of Good Morning America, I ended up putting a number of food segments on the air, including segments with Emeril (Lagasse). I enjoyed it very much. When I ended up leaving network television and forming my own production company to try to make a buck or two, on the one hand, I had taken a great new step. On the other hand, I was technically unemployed. So, I called Al Roker who had actually worked for me when I ran the weekend Today Show. He had a production company, so I called and asked if he needed any freelance work. I ended up doing work for him for the Food Network and later began to pitch them directly for projects of my own. Six09: Is that how you ended up with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? DP: At first, I got absolutely nowhere. It was a festival of rejection, until one day, I’m on the phone with a development executive who was kind enough to take my calls but kept saying “No.” She said to me, “Don’t you have anything else on diners?” I had done a documentary on diner history for Al, and I said, “Sure, I’m developing this show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” She said, “We have a development meeting on Tuesday. Get me a writeup by Monday.” The problem was I was not developing a show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I had just pulled that phrase out of whatever part of my anatomy. I spent the next few days working feverishly, pitched the show, and they picked up a one-hour special, I think to keep Guy Fieri’s face on the air while they tried to figure out what to do with him in primetime. He had won their Food Network Star competition. They wanted to try to make something of him. They had a couple of very big names working on proposals for a primetime vehicle for him. Much to their surprise, when those proposals came in, they didn’t like them. The specials had done well, and they decided to take a chance

Poached black cod with Jiu Nian Lee’s spring asparagus is served at the Eight Tables restaurant, which is featured in the “Made in America—Our Love Affair with Chinese Food” chapter of Food Americana. (Photo by Robert Birnbach.)

on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as a series, although they told me in the first couple of weeks when the first couple of episodes scored very well, they did confide in me, “This thing’s not going to have legs. There just aren’t that many restaurants.” Six09: Did you ever imagine that it would explode the way that it did? DP: I had no idea. I had been trying for quite awhile to land a show of my own. At that point, the initial feeling of success was just getting something bought and put on the air. I did not expect it to become the national phenomenon it did, although, at the risk of sounding egotistical, I had a deep belief in doing the show in a certain way, a way that held to my editorial standards, the same ones that I used when I was running investigations on 20/20. I had a certain vision for how to cut it, how to put it together, how to make it look. The fact that it became such a big hit in retrospect, some of it is lightning in a bottle. Some of it is that Guy is an incredible television character. But I’m very delighted to see that the show that became hit was the show that I put together according to a certain vision. Six09: It does seem that the show and Food Americana kind of share some common themes. Did the show help you segue into writing? Did you take anything from the show with you while you were writing the book? DP: Yes—a continually growing appreciation for the role that real food plays in America, and the role it plays, especially brought out doing this pandemic, in bringing us together. It’s been more than a year now, and I think people are yearning to sit across a table with each other and just talk. More than anything, I think I was pleasantly surprised by the nature of people who put their all into independently owned restaurants. That community has just been massively hit by lack of business, and many, many independent restaurants have gone out of business.

Six09: Tell me a little bit about the intersection of food and pop culture. Why do you think people are so fascinated with shows like Triple D, things like your book, firing off hot takes about food? What allows that to really grab people? DP: The invention of the smartphone. We all have cameras. There has been a “foodie culture” for sometime, not a word I like, but there’s been a core group of people who use food to make them part of the cool crowd. “I understand the difference between this dish and that.” as we spend more of our lives talking to people online, it makes perfect sense to start posting our pictures. As for interest in it on television, clearly, that was the creation of the celebrity chef because, at its heart, TV is about hanging out with people you want to hang out with. Food is a constant in our lives. We have to eat. We have to interact with food. I think it’s a topic that has continual legs. Six09: What was the research process for Food Americana? Were you inter viewing people? I’m sure you tried a lot of amazing dishes. DP: First, I read more than 200 books. That number is not a joke. I read some cover-to-cover. Others I used as references for specific points. I talked to a remarkable number of people, and it started with food historians and academics, because I really wanted to understand the structure behind each food and how each food developed to the place it is today without making it a boring history lesson. To make sure it wasn’t a history lesson, I sought out people vibrantly involved in where food stands today and told the stories through them as much as possible. Six09: Did you travel? DP: I did some traveling—one big trip, especially, to San Francisco, where I was able to meet Cecilia Chiang, probably the most influential voice in Chinese cooking in America over the last century, in her home just months before she passed away. She was 100. See AMERICANA, Page 6

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Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival, took place before COVID broke out. Once COVID was here, big events were over. Six09: Did you have any favorite inter views, recipes that you discovered or interactions with people throughout this process? DP: Sure. To mention one or two is to slight all the others, but meeting Cecilia Chiang was a pretty remarkable thing. I walked into her apartment, high up in a building in Pacific Heights in San Francisco with a glorious view out the window. This 100-year-old woman, put together like a fashion model, greets me wearing pearls. I had messed up the interview time, so she didn’t realize I was coming on this day, and she had a lunch ahead of her that had been scheduled, and yet, she graciously invited me in, and we talked for quite awhile. She went into the other room and came back with a manila envelope and pulled out an original menu from her restaurant, The Mandarin, show-

AMERICANA continued from Page 5

YEARS

I also went to pizza school out there. I went to a $1,000 Chinese dinner which, thankfully, we had been invited to by the owner of the restaurant, Eight Tables, which is an example of the developments in Chinese food in America right now. What he does is a sort of hybrid of the tastes and flavors of China reworked into incredible new dishes. It’s phenomenal. I went to an oyster farm on the Delaware Bay. I went to the 2019 Memphis in May barbecue competition, which many in the barbecue world consider the Super Bowl, to shadow a team that had won the previous year and was trying to repeat—the folks from The Shed down in Mississippi. If you want to find out if they won, you can buy the book. In many other places, I used freelance journalists to experience things that I could not get to, such as going out on a lobster boat or visiting a sushi restaurant in an Oklahoma gas station. I was lucky that most of the big events, like Memphis in May and the

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ing the blue pen strikeouts and additions as she was compiling what would become the most influential menu in Chinese food history in America. Pizza school with Tony Gemignani, he is a remarkable figure and one of the leading lights in american pizza. That was eye-opening and absolutely delightful. I also enjoyed Memphis in May. The Orrison family, owners of The Shed, have been delightful, really lovely people since we first talked to them for Diners early on. I was welcomed with open arms and got to eat some of the finest pork I’ve ever had in my life. Six09: What are some of your favorite Jersey restaurants or dishes? DP: I actually included LaBamba, a Mexican restaurant here on LBI, because they make an incredible mole. The owners are from Puebla, which is one of the mole centrals in Mexico. Their mole on chicken is unbelievable. I love the pizza at the Star Tavern in Orange. I used to live up in Glen Ridge. It is a perfect example of what a bar pie should be. It’s just something special. I love the various international restaurants in Newark. I love going to that area and deciding what kind of food I’m going to have. There’s another restaurant here on LBI that’s extraordinary, The Gables. It’s in an old house, and they do food that would be competitive with the priciest restaurant in New York City. Just remarkable, high-end, not prohibitively expensive, really, really fine cooking. Six09: How long have you lived on LBI? DP: We’ve had a house here for 25 years or so. When my daughter went to college, which was about 10 years ago, we moved here fullt-ime because it’s a great place to live, especially in the winter when the traffic lights are blinking and the speed limit goes back up. Six09: Did you grow up in New Jersey? DP: I was born in New York, grew up in western Massachusetts. I will admit something ugly. When my wife and I were newly married and living in New York City, she said, “We need to go someplace for vacation this summer. How about the Jersey Shore?” I said, “New Jersey?” My only view of New Jersey was driving into New York to see my grandparents and passing refinery after refinery. The air smelled like something noxious. I said, “What are you talking about?” She said, “You don’t know New Jersey.” We came down here to LBI and rented half a house for a couple of weeks, and I was hooked. I also firmly believe, having been lucky enough to dine all over Europe, Africa and the Middle East, that Long Beach Island still produces one of the finest single food items on the face of the Earth. I believe that the scallops brought in here are absolutely the pinnacle. They’re remarkable. Six09: What about the scallops makes them so good? DP: Well, they’re sweet as hell, firm, if you cook them up nice and simple, just

The pulled pork sandwich from The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, which David Page says is the best he’s ever had. (Photo courtesy of The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint.)

a little butter. By the way, people flip scallops. You shouldn’t flip scallops. They’re small enough that once you’ve gotten enough heat to caramelize a crust on one side, take them out of the pan. They’ll continue cooking on their own. One of the things I hope people get a sense of from the book is that the best food is the food of a place. When I go somewhere, I want to eat what they produce, that they have been cooking for years. We have great food on LBI. Tuna, monkfish, terrific crab. Locality has become a buzzword of food trendiness, but it isn’t trendiness, in my view, if you’re smart enough to eat what’s best where it came from. For example, most people eat tomatoes that have been genetically modified to be perfectly round so they can fit into uniform packing containers. I prefer an ugly, misshapen Jersey tomato, which came out of the ground not that far from me and which I will put up against any of the best tomatoes from Italy. A good Jersey tomato, which is only available around a certain time of year, is a remarkable experience. Six09: That’s exactly why my mom and stepdad grow their own. DP: You get a good Jersey tomato, some fresh mozzarella, olive oil, basil, and you’ve got a caprese to kill for. It’s just a wonderful thing. I was in Iraq for NBC before the first Gulf War, and not a lot of people wanted to go in. The hours were long, the work was very difficult, the conditions were terrible. By the time the government kicked me out, I was fried. I asked the Rome bureau to book me back to Frankfurt with a layover in Rome, specifically at the Hassler Hotel. It was the kind of place that was used to odd requests. I asked the bureau to tell them that I hadn’t had a fresh vegetable in weeks, and that after I checked in, could they please deliver a caprese to my room. Nanoseconds after checking in, there’s a rap on the door. Room service comes in with a massive silver tray. He puts it down and takes off an equally massive cover, and there must be 30 pieces of caprese. I said to myself, “I’ll never eat all of this.” And guess what, I did. There was tomato glop dripping down my chin, but I felt like I was back in the world.

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what’s cooking?

Fueled by

MERCER EATS

Tipple and Rose brings tea time to Pennington By Joe Emanski

Pennington got a welcome and unexpected jolt last summer when Doria Roberts and Calavino Donati popped up with The Pig + the Pit, a new restaurant offering a unique mix of southern and vegan cuisine. The response was so strong at times that they sometimes had to take the phone off the hook — or more accurately, disable the online ordering form — to keep up with the high demand. The Pig + the Pit was the first business that the couple opened after they moved from Atlanta to New Jersey at the end of 2019. This year they have introduced a second, and this time it’s a concept that they brought with them. Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Some of the many varieties of tea on display and available for purchase Apothecary, at 12 N. Main St., opened at Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary. in February, just a few doors down from The Pig + the Pit. In Atlanta, Tipple and Rose became the country for traditional English-style day when she can recreate the tea parlor experience for customers in the new known for its selection of whole and afternoon tea service. Because of the ongoing coronavirus space. loose leaf teas and its scones and macarUntil that day, Tipple and Rose is ons, as well as for its tea-brewing acces- pandemic, Tipple and Rose isn’t seating sories, honey, candles, bath and body customers for afternoon tea. However, it offering take-out as well as tea-service products and more. It also gained rec- does have just about everything else it catering. For special occasions, like ognition from Travel and Leisure maga- had become known for in Atlanta — and Mothers Day, the store will have gift zine in 2018 as one of the best places in Roberts says she looks forward to the boxes and other specials.

8SIX09 | May 2021

Everything available in the shop skews toward the artisanal and the small-batch. Roberts makes the scones herself. Honey comes from Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm in Hunterdon County or Savannah Bee Company in Savannah, Georgia. Candles come from Yo Soy Candle of Portland, Oregon and Wax Apothecary of Idyllwild, California, among other purveyors. There are handmade kitchen towels from The Coin Laundry in Bozeman, Montana and room sprays from Commonwealth Provisions of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Also popular has been their selection of nonalcoholic gins and whiskeys. Roberts sees herself as a curator, filling the store with boutique items that she likes that make homes homier or that would make great gifts. But the heart of the business remains the teas, of which they are some 140 kinds available for purchase. There are black teas, green teas, white teas, oolong teas, herbal teas, fruit teas, chai — basically any kind of tea one could want. Each tea on the shelves is accompanied by an ingredient list with tasting notes, and customers are welcome to take a whiff of any that they think might be to their liking.

anybody was going to come. I thought I’d be sitting in the corner, drinking tea and writing in my journal. But we ended up getting really busy, really fast.” Afternoon tea service — often (improperly) referred to as high tea by Americans — turned out to be just what Atlanta was looking for. As is traditional, Tipple and Rose’s afternoon tea would be served with three courses on a tiered platter. One tier for savories and sandwiches, one for scones and one for sweets, including macarons. “I have to say it was a lot of fun, just a nice afternoon,” Roberts says. “You could come in and have a quiet lunch in an elegant space. That’s what we wanted, to create something a little different, but still affordable and accessible.” By 2018, the tea parlor was successful enough to gain national recognition from Travel and Leisure Magazine as an afternoon tea destination. But in December 2019, after Roberts’ mother had suffered a heart attack and a stroke, RobCandles and teapots on display at erts and Donati closed all their Atlanta restaurants and moved north to be Tipple and Rose. nearer to her. Only once Roberts’ mother was sufGreg Powers The store also sells a variety of tea- ficiently recovered did Roberts and pots, tea presses, infusers and other Donati start looking for a place in the HIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 supplies designed to help make the per- area suitable for starting their restauCOMPLETED STONEsays FIREPLACE rant group back up OUTDOOR again. Roberts fect cup of tea. Occupancy is limited toRECENTLY 10 customers because of the pandemic, that after they took a look at the culiand masks are also required, but Rob- nary landscape in the area, they decided erts says it is possible to smell the teas that Tipple and Rose would be the easithrough any but the most heavy-duty of est concept to transition from Atlanta to New Jersey. They even trucked all the masks. Shoppers who do not feel knowledge- decor up from Georgia with plans to re• ReNew Masonry Patio design and construction able enough to choose teas on their own create the old shop. Then Covid-19 hit, throwing everycan ask for assistance from a member • 25 years doing the same work-masonry design, construction, of Tipple and Rose’s trained staff. “We thing up in the air. Instead of going restoration, and repair always tell people there’s somebody ahead with Tipple and Rose, Donati • Our patios and brick paver driveways are guaranteed not to settle here willing to follow you around, or not, and Roberts chose to sublet the former and if you have a question or need a little Eclair Café at 20 N. Main St., which had and backed by our LIFETIME WARRANTY help, everyone is well versed in every- closed at the start of the pandemic. • Outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, private courtyards, lighted There they created an entirely new thing, so just ask.” concept, The Pig + the Pit, which will cel*** pillars Roberts grew up in Mercer County ebrate a year in business in July and has • We offer a huge selection of concrete pavers for patios & driveways and graduated from Princeton Day been successful enough that they have School in 1989. She went on to attend the officially taken over the lease. • We offer over 30 varieties of natural stone for unique patios Though they are planning a special University of Pennsylvania, then spent • 99% of the time, you call me and get me live...no answering many years on the road as a singer-song- event to mark the anniversary, Roberts machines! If I’m on the phone, you get an immediate call back. I’m writer, performing on her own and with says it is too early to provide any details. headliners like John Mayer, Indigo Girls However, she says that customers can punctual and on time! look forward to some new things from and Sarah McLachlan. • View some of our work and customer testimonials at ReNewMason.com She met Donati, already an estab- The Pig + the Pit this summer, possibly lished chef-restaurateur, in Atlanta, and including barbecued meats in bulk. • I have long term employees for over 20 years. As they plan for parties and new prodin 2008, she took a step back from music • We love what we do and would love to hear your ideas! and a step into Atlanta’s highly competi- ucts at The Pig + the Pit, they also continue to develop and refine Tipple and tive culinary scene. After seven years of that, during Rose as it settles into its new home. We fix all masonry problems... “It took a lot of time to curate what’s which Roberts and Donati had opened, operated and expanded several popu- here, and we are still learning about the it’s our passion! lar and well reviewed restaurants, she neighborhood and the market, still seewas ready to try something a little less ing what people want,” Roberts says. MASONRY RENOVATION REPAIR Repair | Rebuild AND | Restore “We have pretty merchandise and peointense. “I was like, ‘I just don’t want to do ple are finding lots of interesting and We fix all masonry problems... it’s our passion! another restaurant,’” Roberts says. “I unique stuff. Folks have been enjoying Repair | Rebuild | Restore had transitioned from full-time music to finding a little bit of something to get as doing the restaurants and found it wasn’t gifts for family and friends.” Steps • Walls • Patio • Concrete Greg Powers Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and really my personality.” Loose Railings • Blue Stone Specialists They opened in the Virginia-Highland Apothecar y, 12 N. Main St., PenningHIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 Basement Waterproofing neighborhood in 2015. Roberts wasn’t ton NJ 08534. Web: tippleandrose.com. Brick Driveways • Belgian Block RECENTLY COMPLETED OUTDOOR STONE FIREPLACE 303-0277. Open Tuesday certain that Tipple and Rose would be Phone: (609) Walkways and Patio Construction a smash, and she also wasn’t especially through Thursday, from noon to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 concerned if it was. Replacement of Cracked Limestone Steps “I wanted it to be a calm sort of por- p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tion of our restaurant group, something Customers at Tipple and Rose get disGreg Powers that I could find emotionally manage- counts on orders at The Pig + the Pit, HIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 able,” she says. “Honestly, I didn’t think and vice versa. RECENTLY COMPLETED OUTDOOR STONE FIREPLACE

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Loaves, sandwiches and more at Bread Boutique By Joe Emanski

Princeton’s carbohydrate-indulging population welcomed Eclair Café when it opened on Witherspoon Street in July 2019. Not a year later, the French-inspired bakery-bistro was gone, a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. Owner-operator couple Marie-Mathilde Laplanche and Ron Suzuki shuttered both their Princeton and Main Street Pennington locations after the pandemic began, never to reopen. Both locations are once again occupied: the Pennington store is now The Pig and the Pit barbecue (see story, page 8), and since February the Witherspoon Street location has been the home of Bread Boutique, the latest venture from the steadily growing Genesis Hospitality Group suite of restaurants, bakeries and cafés. Hamilton-based Genesis is the force behind Bread Boutique, Chez Alice in Palmer Square, the Perch at Peacock Inn, Proof Pizza on Nassau Street, DiBartolo Bakery in Collingswood, and more. Genesis is also the owner of the building at 41 Witherspoon Street vacated by Eclair Café. But Eben Copple, culinary director of Genesis, says that after Eclair Café closed, the group decided to make use of the storefront rather than lease it out again. Genesis operates a central commissary in Hamilton where baked goods are made every day for all their restaurants, under the watchful eye of lead baker Ernesto Gonzalez, formerly of Eataly in New York.

Bread Boutique on Witherspoon Street in Princeton offers 12 to 15 different loaves of bread and eight types of rolls each day. “Ernesto is very talented. He makes great bread. We knew we could handle more production than we could produce for the restaurants. Eclair Café left due to Covid, so we found the space empty, and thought it would be the right size for us to put together a retail front,” Copple says. Bread Boutique sells a variety of bread loaves and rolls, including regular baguettes, seeded baguettes, sourdough bread, focaccia, multigrain and more. “Every day, we probably have 12 to 15 varieties of whole loaves of bread

and eight varieties of rolls,” Copple says. “It changes as the week goes on, but there’s a pretty steady core of products that we have regularly.” The café rotates in other breads like zucchini bread, challah and babka, seasonally or on weekends. Also regularly on offer are their viennoisseries like croissants, pain au chocolat, and cheese danish, which Copple says have been very popular. Bread Boutique also does a brisk sandwich business. The shop has 10 to 12 different sandwiches available for purchase

every day, including breakfast sandwiches like pork roll, egg and cheese on a croissant ($7). Other sandwiches on offer include roast beef and cheddar on baguette ($9), cured meats and mozzarella on focaccia ($10), pastrami on rye ($10) and egg salad on brioche ($7). Soups, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad are also available by the half pint and pint. Witherspoon Street has become quite the destination for carb loaders in the past decade. Terra Momo Bread Company (formerly Witherspoon Bread Company), House of Cupcakes and Olive’s of Princeton already offered a wide variety of baked goods and have loyal followings. But Copple says business has been steady, especially on weekends, and he says more than 40% of customers return. “It’s humbling to see,” he says. “We had an idea for something that we liked and it’s really great to see people enjoying what we’re putting out there.” Copple says this may be just the start of something as far as both Bread Boutique and Genesis’ baking operations go. “I was a chef for many years in the area, and there aren’t really any local bread wholesalers selling high quality artisan bread any more,” he says. “That’s something that we’re really looking into, because we have the capacity to do it.” Bread Boutique, 41 Witherspoon St., Princeton NJ 08540. Web: bread-boutique.com. Phone: (609) 423-2096. Open Saturday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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mercercamps The Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre Great Dance Instruction in a State-of-the-Art Studio How do you make a great dance academy even greater? Create a premier space where dancers, performers, and dreamers can soar even further. The Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre has done just that and is proud to announce summer at its state-of-the-art location at 221 Broad Street, Florence. This year CNJBT will be offering three exciting summer programs! Dance Camp for ages 6 to 12 years, July 12 through 23, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Summer Intensive for the intermediate to advanced dancers in August with three weeks to choose from: August 2 through 6 and August 9 through 13, 5:15 to 9 p.m., and August 16 through 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students can sign up for one, two or all three weeks! Master instructors from national-level companies from

Philadelphia and New York! For the levels offered CNJBT is the LEAST EXPENSIVE in the area! Last year our master teachers were Pennsylvania Ballet principals Sterling Baca and Lillian DiPiazza, some of the best dancers in the country! This year’s musical theater camp

is Disney’s The Lion King Musical for ages 6 1/2 to 14, August 2 through 13, Monday through Friday day camp! All camps are at limited enrollment, are socially distanced, and follow the CDC guidelines to keep all campers safe! Auditions for lead roles for Lion King will be on Saturday, May 15, starting at 3 p.m. at the CNJBT. Students are to contact the CNJBT if they wish to audition, though everyone registered will receive a role! Can’t make the audition? Video auditions are welcome! The musical will be performed on Friday, August 13, in Florence. For both the Disney’s Lion King and Dance Camp, there is before and aftercare available for an extra cost. Dance Camp will consist of classes in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop, and more! Summer Intensive will have a variety of instructors from world-renowned companies and programs teaching ballet, pointe,

contemporary, and more! Owner and Artistic Director Alisha Cardenas expresses the excitement that the new space has created. “The 4,500-squarefoot space, in Florence, allows us to expand and improve our programs and still be local to our core community of Bordentown, Chesterfield, Hamilton, Hamilton Square, Trenton, Princeton, Burlington Township and City, Yardville, Mount Laurel, Mount Holly, and Columbus. We are in the heart of town and now have a 4,500-square-foot room that can be opened into a state-of-the-art performance space. The studio is convenient to both the NJ Turnpike, I-295, Highway 206, Highway 130, and the Pennsylvania state line via the Turnpike Bridge. “There will be something offered for everyone! Our new facility is dedicated to my late mother, who was my inspiration, naming it the Christine Cardenas Center for Performing Arts Education. She encouraged so many artists, dancers, and dreamers,” says Cardenas. “We are particularly proud to have one of the area’s only professional-quality sprung dance floors. For the summer intensive we bring in professional dancers from major companies that are based out of New York City and Philadelphia!” CNJBT is also registering for fall dance! For more information and to register please call the CNJBT at 609-424-3192 or through the website: www.cnjballet.com. Central NJ Ballet Theatre 221 Broad Street, Florence 08518. 609-424-3192 www.cnjballet.com. See ad, page 13.

Summer is for Singing at Camp Westrick!

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Choir Camp for rising 4th-9th Graders who love to sing. One week only August 2-6. Each day features singing, musical theater, and fun activities to stimulate your camper’s musical interests. All in a safe setting led by WMA’s children’s choir directors. Daily 9 am-12 pm. In-person/hybrid. Family Celebration, Friday, August 6.

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12SIX09 | May 2021

Camp College Register now for Mercer County Community College’s Camp College Summer Youth Camp! Camp College’s summer camp program is located on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey. Camp will begin June 21 with in-person camp activities for children ages 6 to 16. Mercer County Community College’s Camp College mission is to provide the finest camp experience for children — one that will be remembered for a lifetime. Camp College’s top priority is to keep everyone healthy and safe while having fun. They are prepared to follow the Board of Health safety guidelines to make this the best summer possible! Camp College created a NEW and exciting Campus Kids Pods program format this summer. The pods include a variety of courses sure to please every camper. The Campus Kids Pods Program is divided into two sessions and operating MondayThursday (four days per week) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. First session is from June 28 to July 15 and second session is July 19

to August 12. Campers will choose a specific age-appropriate pod per session, while staying together in small groups throughout the day. The new Specialty Camp model is scheduled to specifically pair courses to create a weekly (Monday- Friday) full day experience, with some limited programs offered as a half-day option. Campers combine study in a variety of stimulating subject areas that emphasize intellectual growth and skills development with the fun of recreational activities. A sampling of Specialty Camp courses being offered this summer include: DIY MOSAIC TABLETOP What could be better than learning

a ton of different painting styles and then creating your very own ceramic table? We will be working on a variety of ceramic and mosaic techniques as we create this awesome side table. We will use specialty painting techniques and work on creating a theme that brings all pieces into a coordinated finished piece. MINECRAFT® REDSTONE ENGINEERS Take the next step beyond simply “playing” Minecraft and become a true Redstone engineer. Expand your Redstone knowledge by constructing your own carnival with a variety of mini-games, roller coasters, and attractions powered by Redstone. Learn how to use Command and Structure blocks to incorporate them

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into your builds. Activate your skills and take your Minecraft structures to the next level! PHYSICS, FLIGHT, ROCKETRY & MINI DRONES Have fun playing with all things having to do with the science of flight, physics and rocketry. We will build a variety of strange flying gadgets using household materials, make gliders, helicopters, paper airplanes, and unique toys that fly. We will learn about the forces of flight by flying minidrones. Students will build, launch, and experiment with water, air, and other types of rockets. All students will take home a mini-drone, balloonpowered rocket buggy, and flying “things” made in class. And don’t forget Counselor-inTraining, Acting, Music, Culinary, Academic Prep and so much more! Space is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment! Come join Camp College for an amazing and safe summer. Visit www. mccc.edu/campcollege to learn more!

Camp College 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor 08550. 609-570-3311 www.mccc.edu/ campcollege. See ad, page 14.

THE C EN TR AL N J

Ballet Theatre

Ballet Theatre CNJBT 2021 MUSICAL THEATER SUMMER CAMP!

SUMMER DANCE AT THE CNJBT! TO SOCIALLY DISTANCED, SAFE AND FUN! IN PERSON ANDTODAY VIRTUAL OPTIONS! ENROLL SIBLING DISCOUNTS! FOR FALL! REGISTER AND PAY BEFORE MAY 1ST BoysSTUDENT! and Girls! & TAKE $50 OFF PER Ages 3 and up Ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop,

Beginning thru advanced!

Musical Theatre Summer Camp for ages 6 to 14! August 2nd thru 13th Day Camp Mon-Friday • 9 am to 3pm

ENROLL TODAY FOR FALL! *before and aftercare available

contemporary and acting!

Dance Camp! Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary & Jazz! The Central NJ 6Ballet Theatre presents Beginners Ages thru 12 The Nutcracker 2017! July 12th thru 23rd AMonday traditional holiday ballet for all ages! thru Friday 9am to 3pm Cost:1 week $399 • 28th weeks $499 December @ 7pm Villa Victoria Academy Theater, Ewing, NJ

Summer Tickets Intensive $20 adults, $15 kids Ballet, Pointe,Variations and Contemporary Intermediate to Advanced Ages 10 and up Master Instructors from National Level Companies Cost: 1 week $549 • 2 weeks $699 • 3 weeks $799

Socially Distance! Safe! Fun! No experience required! Boys and Girls! Agesto3act, and Learn singup and dance! Be in a fun show! Week 1: August 2nd thru 6th, 5:15pm to 9pm Ballet, hop, A2:Special Community Show!to 9pm Siblingthru Discount! • Register by May 1st pointe, $50 oﬀ jazz, tap, hip Week August 9th thru 13th 5:15pm Beginning advanced! contemporary and acting! Week 3: August 16th 10th thru @ 20th 9 am to 2pm Cost: $499 and $299 each additional sibling! December 2pm Carslake Community Center, Bordentown, NJ Sponsored by Bordentown Home for Funerals

609.424.3192 • W: www.cnjballet.com • 221 Broad St, Florence, NJ 08518 Group tickets available though Central NJ TheP:Central NJ Ballet Theatre presents Ballet Theatre or Donations at theMay door!2021 | SIX0913 The Nutcracker 2017! Proceeds of the 50/50 will go towards

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CAMP COLLEGE IS OPERATING INPERSON THIS SUMMER AND ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN! NEW this year at Camp College: “Campus Kids Pods” includes courses sure to please every camper. ‘Pods’ stay together in small groups throughout the day. “Specialty Camp” speciﬁcally pairs courses to create a full-day experience, with some limited programs oﬀered as a half-day option. Camp College’s top priority is to keep everyone healthy and safe this summer. We are following the College, CDC and Board of Health safety guidelines/precautions to make this the best summer possible!

Summer 2021 Youth Programs Registration Now Open! www.mccc.edu/campcollege 609.570.3311

14SIX09 | May 2021

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classified HELP WANTED Compassionate caregiver needed! Elderly male and female needing care with meal prep, bathing, dressing and companion care. Ideal candidate will be a CHHA or CNA but will train the right person! Hourly rate of $15 an hour. Contact Angel Torres at 609-756-9089. Frank’s Detail in Bordentown, NJ, is hiring experienced auto body professionals. Open positions include Auto Body Technicians, Preppers, Tapers, R/I (Remove & Install), Buffers, & Painters. Applicants must have experience working in an Automotive Collision Repair Shop, a flexible work schedule (weekends and some holidays may be required), a valid Driver’s License, a great attitude, and be motivated to earn top dollars. We offer competitive compensation, stable work environment, experienced MGT team, full health insurance package, ancillary benefits, retirement plan 401(k), free life insurance, paid vacations (start accruing on day 1), & advancement opportunities. Send your resume to jobs@ franksdetail.com, apply on Indeed.com, or via fax to 407-955-4580. Visit www.franksdetail. com or call 689-205-7446 or 609-286-3704 for more details. EOE. M/F/ Disability/Veteran/DrugFree Workplace. WANTED TO BUY HappyHeroes used books looking to buy old Mysteries, Science Fiction, Children’s Illustrated, Signed books, kids series books (old Hardy boys-Nancy Drew-Judy Bolton-Dana girls, ect WITH DUST JACKETS in good shape), old postcards, non-sports cards, good conditioned pre 1975 paperbacks, old COSMOPOLITAN 1920’s-1940’s. Call 609-619-3480 or email happyheroes@gmail. com. Cash paid for World War II military items. Helmets, swords, medals, etc. Call 609-581-8290 or email lenny3619@gmail.com.

Cash paid for SELMER SAXOPHONES and other vintage models. 609-581-8290 or email lenny3619@gmail.com. BURIAL PLOT FOR SALE Double Crypt in Magnificent, Granite Mausoleum in Historic Ewing Church Cemetery. Open to All Faiths. Prime location in Mercer County. Just off Exit 73-b on I-295. Motivated Seller. Call for details 609-323-7565. LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES Wills, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Federal and NJ Taxes, Education Law. House calls available. Bruce Cooke, Esq. 609799-4674. VACATION RENTALS Florida Beach Rental: Fort Myers Beach 1br vacation condo on the beach, flexible dates available. Call 609-577-8244 for further information. COMMERCIAL SPACE COMMERCIAL WAREHOUSE FOR LEASE: Mercer County, Ewing, NJ. 17,000 SF Warehouse, 5 tailgates/1 oversized drive-in. 609883-7900/ 201-488-400 Mercer County, Ewing, NJ 14,000 SF (11,000 SF Ofc/3,000 SF Whse) FREE RENT 201-488-4000/609883-7900. BUSINESS FOR SALE Salon for saleexcellent opportunity. Priced to sell. Relocating out of state. Large space, great potential. Call 609462-0188. PERSONAL Are you single? Try us first! We are an enjoyable alternative to online dating. Sweet Beginnings, 215-9490370. NOTICE David Glassco, O.D. has retired from eyecare. Patient records can be obtained by phone at any of the following phone numbers: Lasikplus Mt Laurel 856-231-9977, Lasikplus Edison 732750-1000, Or the national Lasikplus 866-755-2026. National Ads Donate your car to kids. Your donation helps fund

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Hamilton Township restaurants have picked their favorite signature dishes and fan-favorites to share with diners from May 17 - 24. You can connect and enjoy Hamilton's local food scene and support our small business community in whatever way you prefer -- dining in, picking up, via delivery, or outside dining. With great choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert we encourage Hamilton residents to have fun, try something new, and enjoy amazing meals.

1440 Parkside Avenue, Ewing, NJ 08638|Main Line: (609)-989-6522 Fax: (609)-278-2713 | BoardofElections@mercercounty.org

was born in South Jersey and “lived in Hainesport. Once my parents divorced, I lived in Philly for some time. I ended up moving back to Trenton where my mom is from. I went to Trenton Catholic from fifth to eighth grade and then four years at Notre Dame.” He also attended Mercer County Community College. In addition to suits, Harris says he also works “at a group home for SERVE Behavioral health. I work overnight there a few days a week. I was doing this before I did this. It kept me afloat.”

Harris with his mother and business partner, Lisa Wilson. he gets inspiration from digital or physical visits to other shops and looking for ways to make the shop “cozy and not filled up. I try to offer drinks, champagne sometimes. You spend more when you’re more comfortable.” He’s also thinking about how to be more versatile with clothing and not cater to one group. Looking at the space, he muses, “I was thinking of a fashion show, modeling my own stuff. I want to do events, even a (photo) studio. A lot of people like to have professional pictures to put on Instagram.” But that’s all brainstorming. What isn’t is his desire to stay focused on men’s wear. “People were asking about women’s clothes, but there are so many clothes shops for women,” adding that there is no other place in downtown Trenton for men. So what’s the current trend in men’s fashion? “It’s less formal. Men aren’t wearing ties anymore. They are wearing turtlenecks with jackets — mixing causal and informal. No one is dressing head to ttoe anymore.” That said, he says, “Prom and weddings are coming up. Everyone gets married in the summer. Come visit us — and if people can’t come into the store, they can come online.

lthough the store had its official opening in March, Harris says he is getting traffic from the older men who frequented Byer’s or who saw the NJ.com article about him. “I’ve been getting clients form New York and DC. People are willing to drive. Someone came from Newark just to get a suit.” He says part of the appeal is that “people like coming because of my age. My confidence (in how they look) is going to rub off on them.” An unanticipated boast also came from how the pandemic gave the opening a boost. Saying that people see it as “a breath of fresh air,” Harris and Wilson add, “People are interested in something happening (downtown) and that a young man is doing it.” That young angle is also part of Harris’s goal to get a “younger generation, BeSuited, 127 North Broad Street. my age, to just dress nicer.” 609-508-6267 or www.besuited. Considering strategies, Harris says online.

Are you eligible to serve? YES! If you are registered to vote in Mercer County.*** YES! If you are able to read and write legibly. YES! If you can lift at least 25 lbs. (the weight of a voting machine) without difficulty. ***YES! If you’re age 16 and older! We participate in a statewide program that hires high school students for half-day shifts. Call for more details!

What do I have to do? • File application & notify the Board of availability each year • Attend a Training Class • Setup and operate voting machines, equipment and supplies • Process voters • Pick up and/or return Election Day supplies if selected (Additional pay of $12.50 each way per bag)

What is the Compensation? • Full Day shift is $200 5:15 AM to Closing (after 8:00 PM) • Half Day Shift is $100: AM-5:15 AM to 1:00 PM or PM- 1:00 PM to Closing (after 8:00 PM) Students Hours Vary

To Apply Visit:

https://www.mercercounty.org/boardscommissions/board-of-elections/boardworker-application May 2021 | Trenton Downtowner7

Todd Evans serving Trenton art family style By Dan Aubrey

‘I

am an open mic host, community artistic event organizer, a bit of a poet, and run a community theater group — most, if not all, of my events are free,” says Todd Evans. A ubiquitous presence at poetry readings and spoken word events from Trenton to Princeton, Evans says, “I have been doing this for quite a few years.” Then the 56-year-old father of two biological sons, three foster sons, and four grandchildren adds, “I was looking to ‘retire’ from it, but when COVID came on and shut so much down artistically, the fire was lit to press on.” While Evans resides in Willingboro with his wife of 34 years, Debbie (aka “a saint and the wisest person I know”), he was born in Trenton to a noted arts family and maintains that connection with the Capital City. His mother, Francis Evans, was a Trenton teacher and a mezzo-soprano who had performed at the White House. His father, Don Evans, was a nationally noted playwright whose work examined the lives of Americans of African heritage and included such titles as “Mahalia” (a musical biography of Mahalia Jackson), “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” and “A Love Song For Miss Lydia,” the latter televised by New Jersey Network. He was also a Princeton High School English instructor and an adjunct professor at Princeton University and Rutgers University, where he taught and collaborated with the founders of Crossroads Theater. Additionally Evans’ brother is Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Orrin Evans. His sister, Rachel Evans, is a poet/educator. Although he calls his parents “a huge influence” and graduated from Notre Dame High School, he dropped out of Morgan State University, a historically Black institution in Baltimore, Maryland. “I tried to follow them but somehow got distracted in a bad addiction and street life that neither of them exposed me to.” As tells it, he remembers his father producing new and classic Black plays in Trenton through the Players Company, seeing “all different kinds of folks coming together,” and recalling “the family vibe and unity,” and wanted to reconnect with that life. “It took me quite some time to get back to ‘here,’ but I am back and have been serving the community ever since.” The road back included a stint in the U.S. Army, an associate’s degree from Burlington County College, and a culinary certificate from Burlington County Institute of Technology — he’s a fulltime chef.

He says his reentry into the art world was helped by being “mentored and pushed” by Trenton artists who knew his parents. That included the late nationally known poet Doc Long, noted Cool and Gang trombonist Clifford Adams, influential Trenton music teacher and saxophonist Tommy Grice, and the late Players Company actor and director — and Evans’ godfather — Ken McClain. “They saw (the potential) in me and guided me,” he says. “The only obstacle is being wary of my own lack of confidence and low self-esteem. I suffer greatly there, but I learned how to ‘fake it ‘till I make it,’ plus I have seen young people achieve from my events, so that is a great push as well.” Recently included in a NorthJersey. Com newspaper article on influential Black leaders, Evans pays tribute to his father through the Don Evans Theater Company, recently presenting a reading of “A Love Song for Miss Lydia” at the Trenton City Museum. His stage name, Son of Black, also references his father. The elder Evans was a pipe smoker fond of Captain Black tobacco. Brother Orrin also uses the reference for the name of his band. About his own work, Evans says, “My writing themes started out always being about the horrors of addiction and the freedom of recovery. I wanted to send a message about how bad addiction is and how good recovery can be. But that has broadened into poems about growing up, getting old, and my (grandchildren). “The underlying intent of my events is for folks to be able to express themselves affordably, and avoid the dreadful ‘cliquishness’ of some events. You don’t have to be the best at my events, but you can be. All are welcome.”

vans says some of the events coming up include “The Doc Long Poetry Through Windows Festival,” the month of May I Am Trenton grant supported tribute to the poet that uses the posting of poems in the windows of Trenton establishments and a weekly Saturday open mic readings in front of Trenton’s Classic Books (noon to 2 p.m.). “We are looking for interested establishments, please call 609 346-4329 if you’re interested in hosting a poem for a month,” he says. There is also the monthly free Friday open mic at the Ellarslie, the Trenton City Museum, in Cadwalader Park. Evans says, “It is streamed live off (the museum’s) Facebook page, but the artists come and perform.” The next event takes place Friday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m. To attend, visit www.facebook.com/watch/Ellarslie.

8Trenton Downtowner May 2021

Todd Evans, right, with his brother, Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Orrin Evans.

Old----ER By Todd C.C. Evans — The Son of Black

You ain’t really old….but your old . . . ER If you eat this, then this goes up, If you eat that then that goes down If you drink this and that, This and that go up and down, Trying to lose weight as you gain weight’ Arguing with those about shit you KNOW u KNOW cuz you were there. But they too young to remember . . . or even care Not always wanting or appreciating what you worked hard to have. Constantly wanting what you don’t have and probably wont get, To confused to know whats good or bad for you, but u know u cant keep on going like u use to. Missing so much when you was young and strong But now you cool and usually right Back then u was oh so wrong Finally realizing what a long road memory lane can be People you know dying left and right Now YOU say them prayers for you go to bed at night, Body starting not to do or even look like it use to Gaining wisdom while losing patience, things change, but stay the same ..and you don’t know why, but politicians still lie, we smoke drink and get high till we die You have live long enough to see a brother in the white house to bozo da clown in da white house half the star trek gadgets become real, facebook and how you can download your upload to your mpwhatchamacalit after you tone down your cyberipod or whatever the frick young folk be talking about. The whole covid19roots 2020 scene Watched YOUR music become THEIR music…and it’s o.k. cuz you aint really old…just old . . . ER, changing graciously every day

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Book is a product of love and T.A.S.K.

‘W

elcome, everyone, to my first poetry book,” writes Deborah Kisela on the opening pages of “Poems of My Own: Love and Life.” “I’m now 54 years of age and finally getting a poetry book published! Yeah!! Thank you, Lord Jesus!!” exclaims the writer who saw her book recently printed by the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (T.A.S.K.), where she participates in sessions conducted by the A-Team artists. Kisela says her first 12 years of life were spent in Hamilton, “moving from one area to another. The later years of my life were spent in Trenton, Freehold, and Cranbury.” Married at the age 19, with two grown children and four grandsons, and now raising two of her grandchildren, Kisela notes she has been writing poems from the age of 12 and that each are “like a story in themselves (and) published in a few anthologies. “Now after many years, I am finally getting a book published. Thank you, T.A.S.K., and my creative writing group at T.A.S.K.” Here the poet shares a seasonally appropriate work:

Spring II Spring has come upon us in a flash. I’m glad we haven’t had much of a Winter blast of snow!!

It is wonderful to see new life appearing on the trees, also amongst the ground all around, as the flowers are blooming with new life, proving to me, that “The Lord,” is all over our Earth!! You can see and hear the songbirds sing, such a wonderful sight to see. The bright red cardinal a-glow in the warm sun, a beautiful bird indeed, singing his glorious song, in search of a partner to love and also raise a family of their own. The days are growing long and the nights shorter, in no time at all the children will be playing until sunset comes along and the summer will follow right along. Spring brings new life in the World all around, You even see it amongst the ground, “What a glorious season of the year!!” “Poems of my Life,” by Deborah Kisela, published by Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. www.trentonsoupkitchen.org.

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Circle this date to visit a labyrinth near you — right in Trenton By Lynn Robbins

‘W

e are not going in circles. We are going upwards. The path is a spiral. We have already climbed many steps.” When Bernard McMullan came across these words in Hermann Hesse’s 1922 novel of spiritual growth, “Siddhartha,” he knew he had found what he was looking for: a greeting for the entrance to the labyrinth at Trenton’s Trinity Cathedral on West State Street. McMullan, who built the labyrinth with his son and several community members, sees it as a walking meditation, an invitation to look deeper into oneself. Public interest in labyrinths has been growing over the past several years, according to the World Labyrinth Society, an organization that provides education and resources on the topic. A recent society survey estimated that over 5,000 people participated in Word Labyrinth Day (WLD) in more than 23 countries. On Saturday, May 1, the society celebrates its annual WLD with the theme of world peace. The society’s website includes a link to a labyrinth locator interactive database where users can find labyrinths around the world. It also includes a link that offers suggestion for things you can do on May 1 and throughout the year, including instructions for making your own labyrinth. Creating a labyrinth can be as simple as making a drawing with pen and paper or using a smartphone or tablet app, and following it by tracing your finger along the path. But building a walking course that you expect to last for years requires a bit more planning and usually involves team effort. For McMullan, the process of building Trinity’s labyrinth was a personal hands-on experience. About 20 years ago, Dean Dianne Nancekivell introduced the idea of installing one at Trinity when McMullan was the volunteer head of property and maintenance.

A sign points visitors to Trinity Cathedral’s labyrinth, which is open to the public year-round. After convincing a few skeptics that a Scout Troop 33, and Trinity church walking meditation was not a new age members. His commitment involved designing fad, church members were willing to the path, leading a fund raising project consider an installation. and budget plan, McMullan, who clearing a plot of had visited the land, laying the labyrinth at RingBernard McMullan, walking stones ing Rocks Park who built Trinity with help from with his son Zak, his troop, his was keen on the Cathedral’s labyrinth three siblings, idea, but there were practical with his son, sees it as a and community members. Bematters to adwalking meditation, an cause Zak was dress. How would legally old it be paid for and invitation to look deeper not enough to operwho would build ate the heavy it? It wasn’t long into oneself. stone cutting mabefore he found chinery, McMulthe answer. After lan took on the consulting with his son, the two came up with a plan job. “It was a long month,” he says. The finished project — a seven cirthat would provide a labyrinth for the church and an Eagle Scout project for cuit Medieval, Ravenna, Italy, style labyrinth, 30 feet in diameter — is Zak. To make their vision a reality, Zak comprised of about 450 stone pavers, had to present the project and gain bricks, and a marble center. Colored approval from both the West Trenton deep grayish blue with random white streaks, the marble design reminded

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Zak and McMullan of photos from outer space with wisps of swirling stardust, and it seemed to have a meditative quality. The project cost was close to $15,000 and included machine rental materials, and marble purchased from Stone Tech Fabrication in Trenton. Upon completion in June, 2004, Zak participated in the opening ceremony, wrote a final report presented to scout leaders, and was awarded the status of Eagle Scout. McMullan, still an active church member, has worked with community groups to make the labyrinth a part of a walking trail that circles around the church property. In addition to McMullan’s handson work and planning, he created a brochure that includes a brief history of labyrinths. The reader is informed that the labyrinth is a unicursal — one path — design leading to its center. Unlike a maze, there are no false turns or dead ends. Individuals, formal cultures, and traditions have used spiral and labyrinth designs as symbols of their search for meaning and guidance since ancient times. Archeologists have found them embossed and etched on coins and pottery and carved into rocky hillsides. Labyrinths discovered in the Mediterranean lands date back to 2500 to 2000 BCE, and an early Christian labyrinth dates back to the fourth century at a basilica in Algeria. One of the most famous labyrinths is from the 13th century and consists of 11 circuits inlaid into the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France. McMullan’s work with Trinity Cathedral isn’t the only way he serves the community. Through his company, Bernard J. McMullan Consulting, he works with not-for-profit organizations in education and social services providing program evaluation design and execution. McMullan became interested in social work growing up in a Catholic family in Norwich, Connecticut. His father, who moved to the U.S. from Ireland, was a baker, and his mother, who moved here from England, was the family matriarch. McMullan studied sociology and history at Connecticut College. After earning a master’s and doctorate in sociology at Indiana University in Bloomington, he moved back east, settled in New Jersey, married in 1982 and adopted four children. His partner, Sam, is the director of child care and early education research connections at Columbia’s National Center for Children in Poverty. Trinity Cathedral, Diocese of New Jersey, 801 West State Street. Labyrinth open to the public. No appointment needed for individual walks. www.trinitycathedralnj.org.

may Headliners The Old Barracks Museum Greyscale Economics reopens

Project

renton’s historic Old Barracks, built in 1758 as a winter quarters for British soldiers fighting first in the French and Indian War and then in the historic Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War, reopens to visitors on Tuesday, May 4. Attractions include 18th century tradespeople showcasing skills required for army life, history galleries, musket firings, and tours of rooms where soldiers slept, officers dined, and medics performed surgery. Visitors also can visit the Quartermaster’s Shop for souvenirs as well as items from local artisans. The Trenton landmark closed its doors on March 14 as a precautionary measure to help control the spread of COVID-19. While opening briefly during summer, 2020, it was necessary to close the museum’s doors once again in November. Since then, the museum has brought its programming to a virtual platform. Consequently, the loss of visitor revenue has created a financial challenge, and the historic landmark’s board of trustees is asking people to consideration making a donation at www.barracks.org/donate. The museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday and tickets must be pre-purchased online at least one day prior to visiting. As per State of New Jersey requirements, masks must be worn by visitors, staff, and volunteers at all times, and visitation is limited to one group of no more than 10 people at a time. Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barrack Street. $6 to $8. For reservations, go to www.barracks.org.

‘G

reyscale Economics Project” (Phase One) is currently being exhibited at the JKC Gallery on the MCCC Kerney Campus through May 22. The project combines data journalism, story-telling, and photography to highlight the stories of individuals who work in non-traditional economies. “‘Greyscale Economics’ is focused on promoting the stories of individuals who are typically left out of labor reports and census data, which determines the resource allocation/ funding, legal protection and broader civil awareness many of these groups could widely benefit from,” says project coordinator Brass Rabbit. This first iteration features data directly from members of non-traditional economies, such as sex workers, childcare providers, street vendors, residential cleaners, scammers, and others. The exhibition also uses quotes, photographs, and other materials to represent the individuals and economic practices. Brass Rabbit is a documentary photographer and writer working in Trenton who started out capturing the home lives of gang members and others involved with illicit economies. In addition to exhibiting in East Coast galleries, the artist has also participated with the SAGE Coalition and OMN7 Arts Collection and coordinated Trenton arts events and installations. JKC Galler y, Mercer County Community College, Trenton Hall Annex, 137 North Broad Street. 609-586-4800. www.mccc.edu/community_galler y_jkc.shtml.

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12Trenton Downtowner May 2021