WWP Proof 1

Burying the hatchet

WW resident to compete in World Axe Throwing Championships

By Justin Feil

Joe Hovemeyer grew up in Hamilton dreaming about playing a professional sport.

Now, decades later, he’s at the highest level of a sport he never expected. Hovemeyer is headed to the World Axe Throwing Championships for the second straight year.

Tulsa, Oklahoma will host this year’s world championships at the WeStreet Ice Center from April 18-21, and while Hovemeyer has made all the arrangements already, he’s also accepting any financial support for his world championships encore.

“For this year, I’m going to try to be as relaxed as possible and take everything in stride,” Hovemeyer said. “I’ve found that thinking too much about it gets to your head, and then you can kind of play mind games with yourself, and that’s not ideal for anything or for anyone in that position. So I’ll try to be as relaxed and open-minded as possible.”

Hovemeyer, 36, works as senior partner specialist with an IT services and consulting company. He grew up playing traditional sports

like baseball and soccer. He continued with those sports recreationally while attending Steinert High School, where he was a pole vaulter on the Spartan boys track and field team.

“I was subpar or average,” Hovemeyer said of his high school track career.

But when he got into axe throwing, he found a sport in which he has been able to excel, something that has taken a significant spot in his life. He threw an axe for the first time at a friend’s birthday party, and now he’ll be competing against the best in the world.

“I grew up playing baseball, soccer, and I always thought growing up it would be cool to become a professional baseball player or whatever. As I got older, that never materialized,” said Hovemeyer, who now lives in Plainsboro. “I never thought six years later I’d be throwing axes and having fun and making money off it. That’s unheard of. I’m grateful for where I’m at and all the people who I have met and have taught me different things over the years. It’s definitely something I never thought would happen.”

Once Hovemeyer started to get more interested in axe throwing, though, he found himself getting serious fast. He invested in the tools needed, upgrading to better and more expensive axes, and put in the time to improve his throw-

See AXE, Page 13

WW Arts goes on a jazz-filled journey in Space and Time

By ReBeKAH SCHROeDeR

Jazz has distinct origins in blues and ragtime, but the genre’s ever-evolving melodies change shape across the continuum of music and exert a multidimensional pull unique to each performance.

But every soulful leap into sound finds its groove again at West Windsor Arts, which presents “A Musical Journey in Space and Time,” a live concert experience featuring John Henry Goldman of StraightJazz Productions and his new band JOSITOBO on Friday, April 5, from 7:30 to 9:30

p.m. at the West Windsor Arts building, 952 Alexander Road, in Princeton Junction.

Overseen by Goldman, a jazz trumpeter and West Windsor resident, StraightJazz Productions has been combining musical performance and education

See JAZZ, Page 5

Wilbo Wright (left), Tom Tallitsch and John Henry Goldman will be performing at West Windsor Arts on Friday, April 5. Wright and Goldman are from West WIndsor.

You have no family history of colon cancer. You still need a colon cancer screening.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Along with eating healthy and regular exercise, your best bet for good colon health is to get a colon cancer screening. Individuals at average risk for colorectal cancer should begin screening at age 45. Individuals at higher risk should speak to their doctor about getting screened sooner. Regular screening can detect and prevent colorectal cancer in its earliest stages, which is when the cancer is most treatable. Should your screening indicate the need for treatment, we offer the latest options, from complex surgical procedures and radiation therapy to clinical trials and precision medicine. The best screening is the one that gets completed, so schedule yours now at rwjbh.org/colonscreening

Let’s beat cancer together.

in the tri-state area for more than 20 years. Its latest project is JOSITOBO, a quartet composed of Goldman and three other Mercer County musicians, including Sim Cain of Princeton on percussion, Tom Tallitsch of Hopewell on tenor saxophone, and Wilbo Wright of West Windsor on upright bass.

The recently formed group—whose name is an eight-letter acronym of its members’ first names with the “Jo” from John Henry, “Si” from Sim, “To” from Tom, and “Bo” from Wilbo—plans to record and produce an album together in the future, but has decided to start with a trio of live performances instead.

The upcoming WWA show is the second of three JOSITOBO concerts scheduled for spring, which sounded off with a strong debut on March 16 at Live@Lew’s in Princeton and will wrap up on Saturday, May 11, at Salon 33 in Princeton Junction, both of which are two locally-based home concert venues.

Tickets range in price from $10 for WWA members to $12 for the public. Goldman said that he intentionally arranged the show with WWA so that once the musicians received “modest” compensation, all proceeds from sponsorship and attendance will support the nonprofit arts council. To register in advance, see the page for

See JAZZ, Page 7 JAZZ

the event on the WWA website, westwindsorarts.org.

The program features both original compositions and handpicked pieces from the libraries of legendary composers, Goldman said.

Jazz icons Thelonious Monk (“Brilliant Corners”) and Ornette Coleman (“Congeniality”), for example, are recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, while Wayne Shorter (“Witch Hunt”) earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, according to the concert materials. Others like Herbie Hancock (“Dolphin Dance”), he continued, have won 14 Grammy Awards, while Cedar Walton (“I’m Not So Sure”) was honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master.

These figures, Goldman explained, are those whose creative contributions to the craft have catapulted them to stardom with a program “rooted in the genius of the great composers of music.”

To hear the group rehearse “Swaziland” by Jamaican composer and ska pioneer Ernest Ranglin, stay tuned until the end of Goldman’s YouTube video highlighting two decades of StraightJazz Productions performances on his channel, youtube. com/@johnhenrygoldman1851.

Ranglin notably played guitar in many of the genre’s earliest recordings, and

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

SENIOR COMMUNITY EDITOR

Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Justin Feil, Rebekah Schroeder

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Paul Ligetti

AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION

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Community News Service

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NOTICE TO PERSONS WANTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS

If you are a qualified and registered voter of New Jersey who wants to vote by mail in the Primary Election to be held on June 4, 2024, the following applies:

• You must be registered as a Democrat or Republican by no later than May 28, 2024 to be able to receive a mail-in ballot.

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

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

• No person may serve as an authorized messenger

or bearer for more than three qualified voters in an election but a person may serve as such for up to five qualified voters in an election if those voters are immediate family members residing in the same household as the messenger or bearer.

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

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

• Voters who want to vote by mail in all future

elections will, after their initial request and without further action on their part, be provided with a mail-in ballot until the voter requests otherwise in writing.

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

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

Dated: April 9, 2024, Mercer County Clerk, Paula Sollami Covello, 209 S. Broad St., Election Dept., P.O. Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650, 609-989-6495

like all the other artists featured in the JOSITOBO concert lineup, these musical contributions earned him considerable acclaim, including an Order of Distinction from the Jamaican government.

JOSITOBO has intentionally included works by masters of the genre that can be “very challenging” to perform, Goldman added, but encourages the audience to “relate” to the quartet during the show, establishing a dialogue unique to the concert experience.

This warm environment is fostered by the back-and-forth interaction between the performers and the audience, as Goldman says in a statement on the WWA website, where the two forces share an experience of sonic expression that transcends the physical boundaries between stage and crowd.

“We’ll joke amongst ourselves or make little comments or witticisms, before or after, with the audience,” he said. “It’s relaxed, and it’s playful, and we like to laugh, and we like when the people who are there laugh, and so that type of repartee is typical.”

Audiences can also expect the program’s unorthodox yet free-flowing framework to encompass short stories, prose, and poetry. According to Goldman, this could mean sharing an anecdote about an original song’s name or inspiration, as well as providing context for another work by quoting its famous creator.

As a writer himself, Goldman admitted that he is prone to launching into what he described as “prose-try,” or prose-poetry, which communicates a theme of the concert to introduce the piece.

The band members will also get to showcase their individual talents through improvisational solo stages towards the end of the concert, where the audience “can just concentrate and see one person playing their instrument,” Goldman explained, in a very “intimate” and “direct” experience.

While the section itself is planned as part of the program, Goldman says the performances are always spontaneous, with the artists able to riff off of an existing song or create something new.

The JOSITOBO members’ featured original compositions are Tallitsch’s “Slippery Rock,” “Rain,” “Rust Belt,” and “La Tortuga,” Goldman’s “The Wind River Mountains of Wyoming,” and Wright’s “Scrawl.” For more information and the full set list, visit the StraightJazz Productions website at straightjazz.com.

Goldman, who has lived in West Windsor for nearly 50 years, has taken on many roles in the community in addition to being a longtime jazz trumpeter, such as music teacher, basketball coach, and even a Pilates instructor, according to his biog-

raphy on the WWA website.

Described as a “veteran organizer and producer of concerts,” Goldman’s decision to form a quartet with the members of JOSITOBO, all of whom have ties to Central New Jersey, came from a growing desire to explore new musical territory.

Just as he had worked with these local musicians in various configurations over the course of their careers, Goldman considered how a performance might change without the use of typical chord instruments like the piano or guitar, which, according to his biography on the WWA website, “produce a density of sound by playing many notes at the same time.”

In the absence of other instruments, Goldman could create a project “founded in the art of listening and the creative impulses found in space and time.”

With that openness in mind, Goldman envisioned a concert in which he could actively listen and hear the juxtaposition of instruments onstage, especially the saxophone—and fortunately, having first played with Tallitsch last year in Hopewell bandleader James Popik’s “festival jazz” project, Supernova, Goldman had just the person for the role.

Goldman explained that jazz often uses show tunes and popular music as its foundation, and JOSITOBO plans to embrace that while emphasizing the importance of sharing the members’ original compositions with the crowd.

“Jazz improvisation, to me, represents the highest form of musical application and composition,” Goldman said. “That’s for me, personally, as a musician. But even if I’m just playing something that I’ve played 100 times, every time I’ve played it, it’s as if I’m playing it for the first time. I’m never just letting it roll off unconsciously or automatically; I’m investing everything I have

See JAZZ, Page 8

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into it. Whether I’m playing somebody else’s music composition note for note or making something up on the spot, that’s entirely my own. The way it feels inside is the same. It’s a complete immersion, and sharing, and opening up of something that comes from the inside. It’s always in the present moment.”

Compositions like the ones featured in the program have “beautiful” melodies and harmonies, Goldman said. “They’re great material to play and to share, and then also to use as a springboard for improvisation—which by definition is spontaneous composition—and the improvisation can and should at times let the listener remember what melodies’ gave birth to it, and the harmonies in and of themselves will give birth to new melodies,” he added.

Relationships between the group vary— some, like Wright and Cain, have played together for 40 years, while others previously crossed paths or ran in similar circles. Yet to achieve this vision of harmonious horns, “the interweaving pulse of bass and drums, gospel, funk, blues, reggae, the cutting edge of jazz, the enchantment of ballads,” according to the program, JOSITOBO relies on each other to forge these connections in rhythm.

Named one of the state’s 12 “greatest drummers” by the Asbury Park Press in

2016, Cain most notably toured with former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins as a member of the now-defunct hard rock group the Rollins Band from 1987 to 1997.

The London-born percussionist grew up in Princeton from the age of three, where he and bassist Andrew Weiss attended Princeton High School and first formed the instrumental act “Regressive Aid” with the late guitarist William Tucker.

Later reborn as “Scornflakes,” the band regularly played at venues like the City Gardens, Trenton’s prime punk rock nightclub that closed in 2001. Regressive Aid paved the way for Weiss and Cain to team up with Black Flag founder Greg Ginn for the punk-jazz trio “Gone.”

After Black Flag broke up, Rollins recruited the two, as well as guitarist Chris Haskett, to complete the Rollins Band in 1987. The Grammy-nominated group fused alternative metal, jazz, punk, and funk influences with songs like “Liar” and “Low Self Opinion” before dissolving, then returning with several lineup changes.

Tallitsch, a Cleveland native who lived in Hamilton Township for over a decade before moving to Hopewell, is a multiinstrumentalist, composer, and educator. Although he has 11 albums to his name as a performing saxophonist, Tallitsch’s other tools of the trade include woodwinds like clarinet and flute, piano, guitar, and drums.

Tallitsch teaches music both privately and at a multitude of regional institutions, such as Mercer County Community College—where he hosts “The Modern Jazz Radio Show” on the WWFM station JazzOn2—the Westminster Conservatory, and currently at both the Princeton Junior School and the Princeton Child Development Institute.

Described as a “genre-hopping bass player” with skills on both the upright and electric versions of the instrument, Willard “Wilbo” Wright is a bandleader, composer, and teacher who grew up on his family’s tree farm in Dutch Neck, West Windsor, which he continues to operate today.

Wright went on to graduate from the Berklee College of Music and moved to Trenton, where he helped organize the Trenton Avant Garde Festival for the experimental arts scene. Wilbo Wright joined the post-rock, funk, and electronica band Ui (pronounced “ooo-ee”) in 1993, and although the group officially disbanded, they recently reunited for a performance at their record label, the Numero Group’s, 20th Anniversary Music Festival in Los Angeles last year.

Wright is also a DJ at WPRB Princeton 103.3 FM, where he has hosted the weekly freeform radio station program “The Clothesline,” which plays on Tuesdays at noon, since 1988.

The original members, including Cain, reunited briefly in 2006, but the group is now on an indefinite hiatus. Never wavering in his commitment to rhythm, Cain has continued to play and tour with musical acts such as Hubert Sumlin, the Billy Hector Band, Ween, Golden Smog, and others in the years since.

After attending Princeton High School for one year, Wright transferred to what is now known as West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South and was named the class president of the institution’s first graduating class in 1976, according to a U.S. 1 feature story by Richard Skelly in November 2012.

In the program materials, Goldman reiterates that JOSITOBO “aspires to spin gold out of straw, to make something new and spontaneous, to stand on the unmatchable creativity and lifetimes of work of our predecessors and fill the air with the spirit of sound and beat, consonance and struggle, teamwork and individuality, unbridled originality and exploration.”

But the jazz quartet, no matter the metal spun or mettle used, will take the West Windsor Arts audience on a melodic voyage through the steady beats of bass, horns, and drums bonded in space and time. JAZZ

West Windsor Township Public Works

70 Southfield Road, West Windsor

“Spring Clean Up Day”

Saturday, May 4, 2024 8am – 2pm

RECYCLE:

Propane Tanks, Car Batteries, Scrap Metals, Air Conditioner, Lawn Mowers, Fridge/Freezers, Exercise Equipment, Dehumidifiers, Tires (on/off rims), Used Motor Oil, Anti-Freeze, BBQ Grills, UNBOXED Electronics ; Laptop, Computers, Fax Machine, Copiers, Printers, VCRs, Cell Phones, Keyboards, Cables & Wiring and Televisions.

Open to West Windsor Residents ONLY – Proof of Residency Required

DUMPSTER ITEMS:

Broken Items, Wood Fencing, Outdoor Play Toys, Outdoor Furniture, Small Furniture, Area Rugs

NO Mattresses NO

Donate your unwanted bike.

NJ Bike Exchange will fix it up and give it new life. Let your bike ride on!

WHATNOT TOBRING:

DECLUTTER DONATE DUMPSTER

Hazardous materials (aerosol cans, pesticides & herbicides, paint thinner, oil based paint, stains & varnishes, gasoline, driveway sealer, thermostats/mercury, fluorescent & CFL bulbs, insect repellents) liquids, heating oil, infectious waste, radioactive materials, explosives, munitions, railroad ties, asbestos, acetylene tanks, mattresses, latex paint

Thank you for keeping West Windsor clean! 

BI-MONTHLY NEWS FROM CAPITAL HEALTH

U.S. News & World Report Recognizes Capital Health on Best Hospitals for Maternity List

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, home to the most complete maternity facility in the Greater Mercer County, New Jersey area, was named among the best in the nation for maternity services, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals for Maternity list. Capital Health is one of 19 hospitals in New Jersey and the only hospital in the Greater Mercer County area to earn this recognition.

To be recognized among the Best Hospitals for Maternity, Capital Health’s Maternity Services Program excelled on multiple quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including complication rates, C-sections, whether births are scheduled too early in pregnancy, how successfully each hospital supports breastfeeding, and transparency on racial/ethnic disparities, among other measures. “High Performing” status, the highest ranking U.S. News awards for that type of care.

For the very first time, U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care evaluation recognized “Maternity Care Access Hospitals” across the nation. Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell was one of 73 essential hospitals to earn this designation by providing quality care to expectant parents who wouldn’t otherwise have access to maternity care and serve communities that would otherwise be maternity care deserts. This new category is based on a number of measures including geographic isolation, number of obstetric providers per 10,000 births and hospital quality.

“We’re extremely proud to have earned two important designations from U.S. News & World Report for our Maternity

Services Program,” said Kira Przybylko, medical director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Capital Health. “For the outstanding teams at our Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center, being named a high performing hospital validates their commitment to providing the highest level of care to expectant mothers. On an organizational level, the ‘Maternity Care Access’ recognition goes a long way to demonstrate our broader commitment to the community by assuring growing families in Trenton and other nearby underserved neighborhoods that we’re here to help them get off to the healthiest and safest start possible.”

“Hospitals that receive a High Performing designation as part of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care meet a high standard in caring for parents with uncomplicated pregnancies,” said Jennifer Winston, health data scientist at U.S. News. “These hospitals have C-section rates that are 26% lower, and newborn complication rates that are 37% lower than unrecognized hospitals. Parents-to-be can research their local hospitals’ performance metrics for free at health.usnews.com to help them choose where to have their baby.”

The Maternity Services Program at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell makes up the most complete maternity facility in the area. From routine deliveries to high-risk needs, staff at the Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center provide a full range of prenatal, obstetrical, postpartum, and neonatal care options so newborns have the greatest chance for a healthy start. The designated Regional Perinatal Center provides neonatal care, including Mercer County’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at-risk births. To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org/maternity.

While you can’t completely avoid allergens, being aware of these facts can help you prepare:

… Tree, grass, and ragweed pollen surges during seasons of warm days and cold nights.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS… AND ALLERGY SEASON

… Pollen counts are higher on warm, windy days, and in the spring, they are generally highest during evening. Rainfall offers temporary relief, but pollen counts often soar afterward.

… Molds thrive in high heat and humidity.

While it’s exciting to see trees, lawns, and flowers begin to stir, spring fever can give way to “hay fever,” or what is commonly known as seasonal allergies. The itchy eyes, runny noses, and coughing that come with seasonal allergies can stop the most enthusiastic optimists in their tracks.

The main cause of seasonal allergies is pollen from plants, the yellowish, powdery grains released by male plants as part of their reproductive process. “There is a lot of pollen in the air this time of year, and if you’re allergic, your body’s immune system releases histamine to fight it,” said DR. KATHRYN HAMILTON, a board certified family medicine physician with Capital Health – Virtual Primary Care. “This can cause inflammation, overproduction of mucous and other common symptoms of allergies. Allergens like pollen, mold, and dust mites are everywhere, but the severity of symptoms can vary, depending on the person and the location.”

… Look to local news and weather outlets for daily pollen counts.

… Keeping windows and doors shut at home and in your car on high pollen count days can help reduce exposure.

“Millions of adults and children live with seasonal allergies, so you’re not alone,” said Dr. Hamilton. “If you’re not sure what’s causing your allergies, schedule a visit with your doctor to identify your triggers and develop a plan for treatment.” Nasal sprays or rinses can ease symptoms, but your doctor might suggest anti-histamines or steroids. For more long-term relief, allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, may be recommended. Spring is a season for new beginnings, so don’t let seasonal allergies hold you back. Contact your primary care provider to develop a plan that will help you spring forward to better health. Capital Health Virtual Primary Care is a team of more than 35 primary care providers who can address a wide range of health conditions, including (but not limited to) seasonal allergies, the common cold, flu, symptoms of COVID-19, upper respiratory infection, and more. For details, or to request an appointment, visit capitalvirtualcare.org.

Wednesday, April 10 to May 29, 2024 | 4 – 5 p.m.

Location: Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists

100 K Johnson Boulevard N., Suite 201, Bordentown, NJ 08505

Connecting with others who have also experienced a loss can be comforting and helpful. Join Licensed Clinical Social Worker Meredith Kudrick as she leads you through an in-person eight week support and psychotherapy group.

To sign up, call 609.689.5725. This group therapy program will be billed to your health insurance.

Understanding Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common forms of cardiac arrhythmia, a range of cardiac conditions in which the heart beats in an irregular way (either too fast or too slow). AFib is indicated by a rapid heart rate due to uncoordinated electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. While a normal heart rate is around 60 to 100 beats per minute, a person with AFib can have a heart rate that ranges from normal to extremely rapid.

AFib can be caused by many different issues including heart conditions or other contributing causes such as high blood pressure, pneumonia, obstructive sleep apnea, infections from viruses, thyroid problems, high alcohol intake or other drug use, and age. AFib symptoms can include fatigue, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

“In addition to its underlying causes, AFib also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications,” said DR. SCOTT BURKE, medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology and a board certified, fellowship trained cardiac electrophysiologist at Capital Health Cardiology Specialists. “Anyone having any symptoms of atrial fibrillation should make an appointment with a cardiologist to get a diagnosis and learn more about which treatment option is right for them. Medication is typically the first line of therapy, but the highly trained physicians in our Cardiac Electrophysiology Program also offer the latest minimally invasive options when more advanced care is needed that result in less pain, shorter hospital stays, and less risk for complications.”

The Watchman device is an option for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, which can lead to blood pooling and forming a clot in a part of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). In a minimally invasive procedure, the Watchman device is guided through a narrow tube inserted into a vein in the patient’s leg and implanted into the LAA to permanently close it. During recovery, the patient’s own heart tissue grows over the Watchman device to prevent clots from developing in the heart and dramatically reduce the risk of stroke for certain AFib patients.

A pacemaker is a small device usually implanted in the chest with thin wires (or leads) that connect to the heart through blood vessels to monitor and deliver electrical impulses that stabilize the heart’s electrical system. Capital Health cardiac

electrophysiologists offer leadless pacing options, which eliminate the wires and allow a miniaturized device to be placed directly into the heart and perform like a traditional pacemaker. Catheter ablation is the elimination of electrically active abnormal tissue that uses recording, imaging, and mapping tools guided through thin catheters into the bloodstream to allow physicians to localize the sources of cardiac arrhythmias like AFib. After the specific location is revealed, the area triggering the arrhythmia can usually be treated with radiofrequency ablation (heat energy) or cryoablation (cold energy).

To make an appointment with one of the cardiac arrhythmia specialists at Capital Health, call 215-860-3344 or visit capitalhealthcardiology.org for more information.

Mindful Yoga

FREE UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS

Register by calling 609.394.4153 or register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Please register early. Class size is limited. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Location: Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

NJ PURE Conference Center, One Capital Way, Pennington, NJ 08534

Join certified yoga instructor Marsha Rudolph to experience a gentle, slow yoga practice that links breath and body awareness to increase calm, promote peace of mind, and lift your mood along with many other health benefits. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat or large towel and two yoga blocks (if you have them) for additional bliss.

Fitness Options for Aging Well

Monday, April 15, 2024 | 6 p.m.

Location: Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell

NJ PURE Conference Center, One Capital Way, Pennington, NJ 08534

There are many exercise options available as we age. The important thing is to learn how to do them safely and to find out what type works best for you. Cheryl Ann McGinnis, manager of Rehabilitation Services at Capital Health, will demonstrate how to properly stretch and review options for fitness programs that are individualized to each person’s needs.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS:

THE SHOULDER: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Thursday, May 2, 2024 | 6 p.m. Zoom Meeting

NUTRITION TIPS FOR THRIVING AS YOU AGE

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 6 p.m. Zoom Meeting

STROKE: PREVENTABLE, TREATABLE, BEATABLE

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ing while training frequently out of his home venue, Jersey Axe House in Nutley.

“For me, it’s all about practice,” Hovemeyer said. “Practice is huge for me. If I can’t go up to Nutley to get practice in, I’ll go to the local Bury the Hatchet and ask the coaches there can I get a couple hours in there during the week.”

Hovemeyer typically practices one or two hours three times a week to stay sharp. “A lot of people can just show up and throw, but for me it’s all about practice,” he said. “Those repetitive motions, making sure that I’m getting my technique into top shape. Anything to help me go that extra mile.”

Hovemeyer was introduced to axe throwing with heavy estwing hatchets. Not long after, he bought a more manageable hatchet and started to practice.

“As time went on, I evolved my throw from a step to no step,” Hovemeyer said. “I ended up buying my first Ace of Spades hatchet from the World Axe Throwing League, which is the organization I throw with. I started throwing the Ace of Spades, and from there I’ve probably changed up my throw about 100 times, always trying to find the type of throw that will feel comfortable for me.”

It has taken time and experimentation to get to that point. There is a big range of styles, though many of the top throwers

use a similar technique, and Hovemeyer has worked tirelessly to find his style, going from a baseball throwing technique early to his current style.

“Long story short, it’s been a developed throw,” he said. “It’s developing the mind and body, one step at a time.”

Hovemeyer looked online for pointers, and he has studied other throwers. When he joined a Facebook group for axe throwing, one of his first questions to the group was: Where to find the sharp-looking jerseys that some wore in pictures. The answer?

“You have to qualify to earn a bid to go to Worlds,” Hovemeyer remembered the answer he got back. “I was like, ‘Game on, I’ll try my best throughout the year to gain enough circuit points to get to that point.’”

Hovemeyer travels to tournaments on the circuit to build qualifying points. The Jersey Axe House in Nutley held a rules preparation tournament on Mar. 24 to help those going to Worlds, and Hovemeyer was in Pennsylvania for another competition just two days earlier. Competitions have taken him near and far, going around the country.

“Last summer in June, I drove all the way out to Iowa — 17 hours one way, 17 hours back,” Hovemeyer said. “It was a tier-one tournament, but I was also part of a team at that point. In order for us to go to our team worlds, we had to take part in two different tier one tournaments, and my second one

was there. I couldn’t fly because the prices were outrageous. But I’ll probably never do that again, because that drive was too long.”

There are four disciplines in axe throwing. Hovemeyer is qualified to compete in hatchet and big axe, not in duals or knives this year. Worsening carpel tunnel syndrome makes the flicking motion used for knives difficult, and Hovemeyer and his partner didn’t qualify in time for duals.

Now, he’s putting his focus into the hatchet and big axe, for which he feels best suited. Hovemeyer is calling on his previous big tournament experience to help his second time through the worlds. His first time was surreal.

“I get out there and I’m around the champions from the past years, and it was a great experience to get out there and be around people that care about throwing,” Hovemeyer said. “The community is a great community of throwers, spectators, competitors. Everyone wants to see you do better, everyone wants to see you take your game to the next level.”

He had to win a regional competition to gain entry into the big axe category. “I went in there with an open mind. I knew I wasn’t going to go far, but I surprised myself in big axe going a lot further than I thought I was. And it just opened my eyes to how welcoming everyone is,” he said.

Hovemeyer continues to improve with

his practice and dedication. He competed in the U.S. Pro-Am in Appleton, Wisconsin, in November. Appleton also hosted last year’s world championships.

Hovemeyer finished in the top 16 at the pro-am out of field of more than 200 throwers. “The top four guys got onto ESPN2 for the filming,” he said. “I was that close, but I didn’t quite hit the mark.”

Hovemeyer is looking to be on target at the world championships. Qualifying again is affirmation that his dedication and practice are paying off. Axe throwing has become a big part of his life. He is looking for sponsors to continue to support his competition trips, and he is so invested that he is exploring possibly opening his own axe throwing venue in Mercer County so he can share his passion for the sport even more.

“It all depends on interest from the community and interest from other people as well,” Hovemeyer said. “It’s tough. It’s a growing sport, but at the same time you have to get that interest from people in the community. I coach at Stumpy’s Hatchet House in Princeton every once in a while, so I’m able to coach people, let them know about my techniques. As long as they’re having fun and it’s putting a smile on their face, I think my job’s done.”

Anyone wishing to support Hovemeyer’s axe throwing career can send email to jhovemeyer11@gmail.com.

travel talk with Caryn and Aron savor the moment

Delve Deeper Into Every destination: While fast-paced, whirlwind travel is exciting (and exhausting!), more and more travelers are opting for a slower, more immersive experience that delves deeper into the cultures and traditions of their favorite destinations. Embracing the slower pace means taking longer trips, opting for more leisurely itineraries and choosing accommodations that cater to relaxation and mindfulness.

Four tips for an immersive adventure:

• Reduce your daily itineraries to just a few landmarks or sites, leaving gaps for exploring lesser-known parts of town and wandering into shops and cafés. You never know what you might find!

• Instead of hustling from one city to the next, try booking multiple nights in the same place and get to know your destination more intimately.

• Give back to your favorite places by taking part in a community program, like Trafalgar’s Make Travel Matter experiences which support sustainable development goals around the world.

• Get up early and avoid standing in long lines. It’s impossible to see EVERYTHING, so be realistic and make your experience more about quality than quantity.

Tour companies like Collette and Tauck feature amazing itineraries that focus on hyper-local activities and multinight stays in the same place, allowing

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Around town Hu has high hopes for herself and WW-P softball

By Justin Feil

Deana Hu is hopeful that the West Windsor-Plainsboro softball team and she can do more this year. Those goals will be easier for the team than Hu, the sophomore center fielder who had an outstanding first high school season.

“She had an incredible season for a freshman, or any stage of high school,” said WW-P head coach Mark Lee.

Hu hit .541 with 40 hits, 24 runs and 27 stolen bases last spring. She was named team Most Valuable Player and named to the Carpenter Cup all-star team that represented Mercer County. WW-P finished 10-14 with only one senior starter.

Hu said: “I’m hoping to do even better this year, but I thought it was really fun. I’m looking to improve.”

An encore to last year’s eye-opening debut could be tough for Hu. She was nominated for New Jersey Freshman of the Year, and was a second-team All-Colonial Valley Conference selection in a league that boasts Notre Dame, Steinert and Robbinsville— three of the best programs in the state. WW-P opens the season April 2 against Robbinsville, an early test for Hu and the team.

“I could always hit harder, run faster, just do whatever I can to help my team,” Hu said. “We’re trying to get more wins this year. I’ll try to do whatever I can to get that goal.”

Hu is humble about her accomplishments, but she’s also driven. She’s seen her statistics, but she tries not to dwell on them. She is motivated to strive for her potential. “I feel like everyone around you is getting better, so you can’t just slack off. I try to put in as much work as possible so I’m not left behind.”

Hu gives WW-P a good starting point for the returning players. She can help in multiple areas both with her offense and defense.

“She’s been in center field predominantly, and she’s every bit as good defensively as she is offensively,” Lee said. “And just a great teammate. Having tryouts, you hear her encouraging the other girls. You can’t teach that. She does it naturally. It’s been great having her in the field and at the top of our lineup. She sets our offense up and really she sets the defense up, up the middle as well.”

For the third year in a row, the WW-P team is playing United with players from both high schools North and South pooling together to get the numbers to play. Lee says the best measure of how well the players mesh is that he can’t tell who goes to which school.

“I go to South but a lot of North kids I

grew up playing with,” Hu said. “It’s definitely good to get to play with them again.”

Ruby Madia, who graduated and is playing for Babson College, is the lone starter gone. With a larger and deeper group than they’ve had in the last three years, optimism is high that the United squad will be even more competitive.

“We didn’t lose that many seniors,” Hu said. “We have a lot of returning seniors and they’re a really great group of kids. And we also have a big freshman class incoming so we have a lot more kids this year than we did last year.”

Hu has an infectious excitement about the game. She plays year-round travel softball for the NJ Ruthless Hersh U18, but also plays soccer and basketball for High School South. She is an outstanding student as well who balances school with her sports. As the spring approaches, though, she can’t help but look forward to her top sport.

“I try to enjoy each sport and each season,” Hu said. “But by the time it hits January/February, I’m waiting and the excitement is really building.”

Hu showed up to last year’s tryouts beaming with excitement. It showed in her play as well and even how she conducted herself with the team as a freshman.

“She came in from Day One and has an innate ability of leadership and smiling the whole time,” Lee said. “Just to start off, you know this is a special player and a special talent.”

Hu has confidence in her abilities, but she wasn’t sure what to expect from the high school league. There is a wide range of talent in the CVC, and she showed that she could play with anyone.

“I’ve looked back a few times and I wasn’t too confident and I wasn’t too surprised,” Hu said. “I was trying to play and let whatever happened happen. I think if I put in the work and do my best I’ll see some good results.”

Hu put together plenty of good results last spring. A slap hitter, she put a lot of pressure on defenses with her ability to make contact and her speed. She finished among the top hitters in the CVC. She was third in hits in the conference and tops in stolen bases.

“I like where my batting average was at the end of the season,” she said. “That might be very statistics based and make me sound kind of bad, but I didn’t really know what to expect coming into high school. I didn’t know how I would do. I was really nervous, but I was happy with the way it ended.”

Following the season, Hu was selected for the Carpenter Cup team. She joined the allstar group of young Mercer County players.

“I was really honored,” she said. “I’ve seen the stats and I know the other girls in the conference who are my age who are also insane. I was really grateful to get the chance to play with them.”

The Mercer County team won all three of its bracket play games in the Carpenter Cup. In the semifinals, they held the lead on TriCape before the eventual champions rallied to knock them out of the tournament.

“I thought it was a great experience,” Hu said. “The fun-est thing I think was I got to meet a lot of the girls from the conference that I had looked at their stats on paper, but I never met them personally. I got to meet all these girls from different schools that are also at the highest level.”

Being named to the Mercer all-star group acknowledged her level of play. It affirmed just how good she has gotten, even if she tries not to think that way.

“That really showed me that I could compete with them and I could be at that level,” Hu said. “But every time I get too cocky, the game of softball likes to humble me.”

Her big debut season sets the stage for high expectations for this year, and every CVC will be trying to counter her strengths. That pressure could be an obstacle, but Hu approaches the game looking to have as much fun playing as possible.

“I always find that I perform better when try not to think about all the pressure,” she said. “When I’m just trying to have fun is when I always do best. And then I’m actually having fun.”

Lee isn’t worried about a sophomore slump. Hu fits the bill of other top talents that he has seen manage just fine.

“I’ve seen players that are pretty special over the years, and one of the things about is they’re resilient,” Lee said. “Her makeup is resilient. Even if she had a slump, she would excel in other areas. I anticipate another great season out of her and taking it to another level.”

Hu is looking at continuing to play at a higher level after WW-P. She has spent parts of the offseason at college clinics, and she has started to explore the opportunity to play beyond high school.

“I would love to play in college,” she said. “I’m looking to go to a high academic. I’m trying not to focus too much on that and focus on the season. Hopefully I’ll think about college later on after the season ends.”

She started to consider the college option last year. She talked to Madia a little about that step, and then she started to hear more about college prospects. It seemed like a real possibility.

“As you get to high school, my teammates on my travel team, they’re talking about colleges,” Hu said. “It seemed like something that would be really cool. I’m just going with the flow and trusting the process.”

Her top priority for now is helping WW-P win more games. She is confident that the United team has a chance to be better, and they are approaching this spring with higher expectations.

Said Hu: “We had our first practice and we talked about how this year we’re going to try to be more competitive. We have so many returners, we have some good freshmen coming up, and we didn’t lose too many pitchers or anything, so I think we have the potential to make a better run this year.”

Having a player of Hu’s caliber helps. She has a contagious enthusiasm for the game and her balanced approach between fun and driving to be the best is healthy for all.

“Her play alone helps elevate everyone else’s game,” Lee said. “They see how good she is and the potential that she has to excel at this sport. And she’s a better person than a player, which says a lot about her. She is the consummate teammate.”

Kevin Donovan

Donna Lucarelli