APRIL 2020
Tracey Gates
A Few Kind Words
Cover photo by Benoit Cortet
A community magazine serving the residents of Hopewell Township, Pennington Borough and Hopewell Borough
Expert Contributors
Home Design and Construction A&E Home Design and Construction Greg Fontaine – Owner 2479 Pennington Rd, Pennington, NJ I 609-737-4425 greg.aeconstruction@gmail.com AEconstructionNJ.com
Dermatology Windsor Dermatology Alexa Hetzel, Board Certified Physician Assistant 59 One Mile Road Ext., East Windsor, NJ 609-443-4500 windsordermatology.com I #freezefat
Medical Center RWJ University Hospital Hamilton 1 Hamilton Way, Hamilton, NJ 08690 609-586-7000 www.rwjbh.org/rwj-university-hospital-hamilton/
Lawn and Landscaping Cutting Edge Lawn and Landscaping, LLC Nick Pirone - Owner 1652 Reed Road, Pennington, NJ I 609-356-3465 nick@ce.land I ce.land.com
Orthodontics DeSimone Orthodontics Dr. Karen DeSimone, DDS 2 Tree Farm Road, Suite B-200, Pennington NJ 08534 609-737-8000 info@desimoneorthodontics.com www.desimoneorthodontics.com
Real Estate Gloria Nilson & Co. Real Estate Hopewell Valley 800 Denow Road, Suite N, Pennington, NJ 609-737-9100 www.glorianilson.com
Financial Advisor Knox Grove Financial LLC. Christina Nash – President & CEO 2 Tree Farm Rd., Suite B100, Pennington, NJ 609-216-7440 Christina@knoxgrove.com I knoxgrovefinancial.com
To learn more about becoming an expert contributor, contact Hopewell Valley Neighbors publisher: Rachel Donington: 609-462-6786 rdonington@bestversionmedia.com.
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April 2020
Dear Residents,
Publisher’s Letter
If something looks different about this issue of Hopewell Valley Neighbors, but you can’t put your finger on it—well, you already have. We’ve freshened up our design, but it’s more of a spring-cleaning than a top-to-bottom renovation. And, we hope you like our new look as much as we do! Publisher: Rachel Donington rdonington@bestversionmedia.com Content Coordinator: Catherine Bialkowski cbialkowski@bestversionmedia.com Designer: Dale Ver Voort Contributing Photographer: Benoit Cortet www.benoitcortet.com Phone: 917-597-6297 benoit@benoitcortet.com Contributing Writers: Mary Galioto, Kenneth Marples, Lisa Wolff Advertising Contact: Rachel Donington Phone: 609-462-6786 rdonington@bestversionmedia.com Feedback/Ideas/Submissions Have feedback, ideas or submissions? We are always happy to hear from you! Deadlines for submissions are 25th of each month. Go to www. bestversionmedia.com and click “Submit Content.” You may also email your thoughts, ideas and photos to rdonington@bestversionmedia.com. Content Submission Deadlines: Content Due: Edition Date: November 25.................................... January December 25.................................. February January 25............................................March February 25............................................ April March 25.................................................. May April 25...................................................June May 25......................................................July June 25............................................... August July 25.......................................... September August 25.........................................October September 25 ������������������������������ November October 25................................... December Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability or timeliness of any content submitted. All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party. ©2020 Best Version Media. All rights reserved.
To learn more about becoming an expert contributor, contact Hopewell Valley Neighbors publisher Rachel Donington: 609-462-6786 rdonington@bestversionmedia.com. Hopewell Valley Neighbors
But the best is what’s inside. This month, our feature is about Tracey Gates, a wellness and life coach who took on the journey of a lifetime last year when she endeavored to write a letter of kindness to a different person every single day for a year—365 letters, one letter each and every day. This story is extraordinarily inspiring, as it shows us the power of “a few kind words,” as Tracey calls her project. One woman’s few kind words transformed over 365 lives, and the legacy continues on as the recipients of her letters continue to “pay it forward” by writing their own letters in turn. If that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is. I want this issue to inspire you, too, to think about the power of kindness. Next time you have a good thought about someone, take the time to share it—as Tracey tells us, these small moments are gifts designed to be shared, and they can change a life. There are a lot of things that can provide inspiration, I hope our stories do! Publisher: Rachel Donington, 609-462-6786
Speaking with Tracey about “A Few Kind Words” was an incredible experience. Our society seems to discourage us from sharing encouraging statements with each other for fear of the reaction we might receive; we never want to come across as “too much” or overdramatic. But Tracey teaches us that sometimes, hearing a few kind words about ourselves is exactly what we need to improve our moods, our days, our lives. Life is too short to be concerned with what others think of us. Next time I have the opportunity to tell someone, even a stranger, a “few kind words,” I am going to do it; and you should, too! Content Coordinator: Catherine Bialkowski
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Are You Making Informed Decisions About Your Financial Future? April is Financial Literacy Month and a perfect time to make sure you understand financial preparedness and how to set your own, unique path to financial security. We take a hands-on approach to ensure you understand your overall financial situation, then put a plan in place to help you meet your life and financial goals.
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April 2020
Did You Know
April Fool! By Rachel Donington
April Fool’s Day occurs every year on April 1st. Also known as All Fool’s Day or Foolish Day, this is a day to play practical jokes and pranks on your friends and family. A tradition that is celebrated in several countries, April Fool’s Day origins remain mysterious until today, and it is unlikely that we will ever know its true history. However, there are a few theories about where this day comes from: In the year of 1582, France officially changed their calendars from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. It is believed that the news of this change didn’t travel to everyone, and also some people weren’t too happy with the change, thus many continued to celebrate the new year at the end of March into April 1st, instead of on the date that marked the new year, January 1st. These people became the target of many jokes and pranks, and others would begin to mock them when they saw them. The most popular one was that of the “April Fish”, where a person would have a fish taped to their backs, to symbolize that they were a young and gullible person.
Some argue that April Fool’s comes from the festival of Hilaria in Ancient Rome, which took place at the end of March. In these celebrations, people would disguise themselves, and play practical jokes on others, such as sending them on Fool’s Errands, a task that would have no purpose other than to deceive. Others believe that this day originates in the Vernal Equinox, which would mark the arrival of spring. In those days, people thought that Mother Nature was fooling them, with the unpredictable weather that they would receive. In recent times, April Fool’s remains quite a popular day still, with people enjoying taking part in it for a good laugh during this happy day. Even the media, such as newspapers and TV and brands take part in the practical jokes, by reporting fictional news, or advertising products that don’t exist. In 1989 during a BBC Sports news broadcast, a fake fight could be seen breaking out behind the anchorman. More
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recently, in 2019 the popular fast food brand McDonald’s announced that they were releasing milkshake sauce for people to dip their fries in, and Starbucks announced a drive-thru for dogs. In 1997 the Museum of Hoaxes was created in San Diego, California, to depict everything to do with deceit, pranking, and joking throughout history. It has a Gallery of April Fool’s Hoaxes dedicated to honoring the jokes played on this day. People like to celebrate this day by pranking their friends and family. Some popular pranks involve children telling their friends their shoelaces are untied, changing sugar for salt, and even putting vaseline on doorknobs, among others. It is common to shout out “April Fool!” at the person who has just been pranked.
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Community Event
Hopewell Valley YMCA Annual Spring Fundraiser
Honoring Michael Markulec and Kevin Ryan By Dana Zissman | Hopewell Valley YMCA Hopewell Valley YMCA has announced its annual “Spring for the Y” fundraising event will be held on April 25, 2020, at the Brick Farm Tavern in Hopewell. This year’s event will honor Michael Markulec with the 2020 Larry Rothwell Social Responsibility Award, named for Larry Rothwell of Pennington Quality Market, and Kevin Ryan with this year’s prestigious Community Leadership Award.
Olympics programming. Through the Hopewell Valley Chapter of the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce, Kevin started a high school scholarship program and to this day continues to help Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Mercer County who recognized him as the Big Brother of the year in 2016. Kevin contributes to the local community through the Pennington Business and Professionals Association, Pennington Borough Economic Development Committee, and the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance. Kevin prides himself as a “connector of people and businesses” as a Senior Financial Advisor and Managing Partner at Main Street Private Advisors in Pennington. The YMCA will also be honoring our Social Responsibility Award recipient, Community Leadership Award recipient as well as the Tom Jackson Wrestling Scholarship winner and the Youth Development Scholarship winner.
Michael Markulec is a former mayor of Hopewell Township, where he was instrumental 10 years ago in working with Kim Bruno to start the “teen center” with the YMCA. The Youth Activity Center has been an integral part of the YMCA’s mission supporting over 20 teens each day providing them a safe haven to gather with friends. Michael was liaison to the Hopewell Township Youth Advisory Board. He is a long-time volunteer and champion of Hopewell Valley Wrestling and Football Clubs. Michael is a “retiring” member of the Hopewell Valley Regional Schools Board of Education where he served two terms. Michael is a partner and cofounder of Harbor Technology Group, a cybersecurity consulting firm. Kevin Ryan is being honored with this year’s prestigious Community Leadership Award. Kevin Ryan has been an active member of the Hopewell Community for over 33 years through many local sports associations including the Hopewell Valley YMCA sports and Special
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The event will take place on April 25, 2020 from 6:30 – 10:30pm at the Brick Farm Tavern and will be Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of the Hopewell Valley YMCA. Proceeds from the event support the Hopewell Valley YMCA’s Annual Campaign which provides financial assistance to families for critical before and after school programming, summer camp and youth sports and allows the YMCA to offer free Mental Health First Aid classes to the community, Special Olympics programming, and a free teen center for Hopewell Valley teens. Tickets are available to the public at hvymca.org.
vvv The Hopewell Valley YMCA is a charitable organization dedicated to building a healthy spirit, mind, and body through programs which promote good health, strong families, youth leadership and community development. Open to everyone regardless of economic circumstances, the Hopewell Valley YMCA provides financial assistance so that every family can partake in our numerous programs and services such as childcare, summer camp, sports, and Special Olympics programming. Through programs like the YMCA’s free Youth Activity Center for teens, family camping trips, Safety Town camp for area kindergarteners and community health and safety trainings, our Y is making a difference in the lives of Hopewell Valley families every day. For more information, please visit www.hvymca.org.
April 2020
Recipe
The Best Brownies Come From a Box and I Will Not Apologize By Rachel Donington The instructions on the box of Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate brownie mix couldn’t be simpler: Place water, oil, and an egg in a medium bowl and stir until fully mixed. Finally, stir in the brownie mix—and Voilã! All you need is a bowl, a spatula, an 8x8 glass baking dish and these brownies really can’t get any better. As a mom of four kids, I always stock our pantry with boxes of this brownie mix. Not the reasonable 20-ounce package but the 7-pound pack from Costco. Somehow these brownies hit both ends of the spectrum, fudgy and chewy. I don’t know how they do it, but the contrast between the thin crispy-chewy edges and the dense fudgy interior, studded with bittersweet chips, and an ultra-shiny crackly top, is so much more extreme than in any homemade brownie.
Jazz them up with these brownie topping ideas 3 Black forest: cherry pie filling + dark chocolate squares 3 Tahini: swirl in raw tahini + sesame seeds (halva optional) 3 Oreo: mix with crushed oreos 3 Salted pretzel: top with pretzels and sea salt flakes, add melted caramel too 3 Granola: top with your favorite granola 3 Smores: top with chocolate chips and crushed graham crackers. After baking, add marshmallows and broil until browned. I don’t make Ghirardelli’s box mix brownies because they’re easy (which they totally are). I make them because they’re the best. And, my kids would agree too!
You can find the bulk packs at Costco, or Ghirardelli’s Brownie Mix in a variety of selections are available at Pennington Quality Market. Go get a box today!
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Resident Feature
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April 2020
Tracey Gates A Few Kind Words
By Catherine Bialkowski I Photos by Benoit Cortet
T
racey Gates always felt a deep drive to find out what she was meant to do in life. In her thirties, she began to worry she hadn’t yet found it; as the years continued to pass, she began to wonder if she had just missed it altogether. She was the Director of Alumni at Princeton Day School for many years, and completed hours upon hours of fulfilling volunteer work with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Throughout her life, Tracey has always had a giving heart. But it wasn’t until she happened upon life and health coaching that she felt she had discovered her true calling. As Tracey conducted her own research into what it means to be a life coach, she realized she had, without knowing it, been one her entire life. She may not have had official training or clients, but she had always enjoyed hearing people’s stories, connecting with them, and offering sincere and loving support. “It is the greatest joy of my life,” says Tracey, referring to life coaching. “People think it’s about food and exercise, but for me it’s holistic.” Once Tracey was certified, she found peace and satisfaction in helping her clients. And she used creative techniques in her practice. “I would have my clients write an unexpected letter of appreciation as an exercise to get out of their own head,” she says. “Over my own lifetime, I have always written letters to people. As I continued as a life coach, I realized there is so much power in the written word.” We all want to know that we matter, Tracey says. “We crave that. When people unexpectedly tell us that they appreciate us, it stops us in our tracks.” Tracey was on a plane a little over a year ago, on her way to visit her son and his family in Oregon, when the idea of a lifetime presented itself to her out of the blue. As she sat in her tiny seat, she decided she would spend the next 365 days writing an unexpected letter of appreciation to a different person somehow connected to her life. The first letter would be to her grandson, Hudson, and the last would be to her father. The rest would be to friends, acquaintances, even strangers. It would be life-changing. When Tracey was growing up, her beloved father, on his birthday and Christmas, would ask only for “a few kinds words” in place of a material gift. It drove her and her family crazy. “We bought him monogrammed golf ties, even a puppy,” she says. They didn’t believe all he wanted was a few kind words. “His language of love was words of affirmation,” she realized later. “He was brave enough to ask for that.” When Tracey was 24 and engaged, her father died suddenly. “I never got to give him a few kind words.” She has carried the weight of this with her through the years. But with her year-long letter-writing project, she could give a few kind words to more people than she had ever imagined she would. The project, naturally, was called “A Few Kind Words,” and Tracey completed it earlier this year. Every single day, she wrote a handwritten letter to someone in her life—anyone from a close relative to her barista at a coffee shop. Tracey says she could have never imagined what the journey would be like. It was rewarding beyond description. “It made me realize, from the hundreds of responses I received, how much people need to know that they matter.” She heard the phrase “You made my day” close to 200 times. “All I did was write a few lines on what I admired about someone.” People who received Tracey’s letters generally said that their day was turned around after reading her kind note; and she, of course, had no way of knowing if her recipient was even feeling down. Often people would say, “No one has ever spoken to me like this before.”
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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Resident Feature Tracey & Tom Gates
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April 2020
Resident Feature One of the most memorable moments from Tracey’s journey came when she went to Eclair Cafe in Pennington one day. “I’m always on the hunt for the best chai latte,” says Tracey. So she decided to order one. After Tracey ordered, the barista, Cynthia, whom Tracey did not know at the time, said “I’ll make you the best chai latte you’ve ever had.” “We had this banter; she was hilarious!” says Tracey. And, she says, Cynthia did not break her promise; it really was the best chai latte she’d ever had. Tracey had really appreciated the banter and friendliness Cynthia had shown in the coffee shop. So she wrote a letter to Cynthia offering a few kind words, dropping it off when Cynthia wasn’t working. Two weeks later, Tracey returned. Cynthia was behind the counter with her back turned. “I’ll have the best chai latte ever,” Tracey said. When Cynthia saw who was in the cafe, she was overcome with emotion and stepped around the counter to enfold Tracey in a hug. The two women had been strangers, but a few kind words had brought them together. Tracey has turned this year-long project into an ongoing workshop; her philosophy is that if you have something nice to say to someone, you should say it! “If you can’t write it, speak it.” She presents her workshop at homes, businesses, nonprofits, churches and anywhere there is a group of people who want to feel empowered by her message of positivity and encouragement.” “A kind thought about someone is a gift,” she says. “We need to share this. Don’t withhold making someone feel amazing.”
And writing a few kind words to someone has tremendous benefits for the writer as well. “One of the most powerful parts about it is it makes you feel great, too.” Authentic letters of this kind don’t ask for a response—they expect nothing in return. One becomes fully present, peaceful, and mindful when sitting down to reflect and then write a letter. Tracey wrote her last letter to her father. It contained things she had never gotten a chance to say to him. In February of this year, she decided she wanted to read the letter out loud to him, in the beautiful serenity of the woods behind her home. It was a clear, calm, beautiful day. “I stood out there and read it out loud. The second I stopped, a huge gust of swirling wind
came. It was like a hug from my father.” Her letter had, in a sense, brought him back to life to spend this special moment with her. The power of a few kind words is astounding; written lines can brighten a day, transform a mood, even alter a life. “There’s nothing better than kindness,” says Tracey. “It’s a universal theme.”
vvv Please reach out to learn more about Tracey Gates Life and Wellness Coach and A Few Kind Words Workshop by visiting Tracey’s websites afewkindwords. net and traceygates.com or email Tracey to talk at traceygateswellnesscoach@gmail.com.
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact Rachel Donington at rdonington@bestversionmedia.com.
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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April 2020
Community Spotlight
Earth Day 50th Anniversary By Lisa Wolff | Executive Director of FoHVOS The mission of Earth Day is simple --To build the world’s largest environmental movement to drive transformative change for people and planet. The execution is far more difficult. Yet everything Earth Day has accomplished is truly amazing when you consider that the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, over a decade before the internet was even a concept, a handful of grassroots activists inspired a bipartisan movement of 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. According to the Earth Day website, “Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment.”
nonprofit organization of their choice. (They also receive a cool t-shirt.) Hopewell Borough will plant their Salem Oak at Borough Park. “Borough residents will not only be recognizing Earth Day but it will be the first day of the new plastic bag free Hopewell,” A great new beginning for our environment on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day” stated Paul Anzano, Mayor of Hopewell Borough.
In 1990, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage and paved the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. At the state level Catherine McCabe, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner shared, ”I’m so excited to tell you that in celebration of New Jersey DEP 50th birthday and the 50th anniversary of America’s first Earth Day, we will be giving the gift of a Salem oak seedling to each of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities.” With an eye toward the future, McCabe added, ”In 50 years these trees will have removed over two million pounds of carbon dioxide from our air. They will conserve over 143 years’ worth of household electricity, and they will reduce the damaging effects of over 27 million gallons of stormwater and so much more.” Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) will be partnering with Hopewell Valley municipalities to plant the special Salem Oak seedling at properties meaningful to each. The adage, ‘Think Globally, Act Locally,’ suggests that positive changes we initiate in our own communities can ripple throughout the world. Joe Lawver, Mayor of Pennington Borough said, “Earth Day reminds us that now is the time for us to individually and collectively take action to reduce our impact on our one and only home planet.” In addition to the new Salem Oak seedling, Pennington Borough has big plans for more trees including the restoration of Howe’s Arboretum and a partnership with Tollgate Grammar to enhance outdoor learning. As part of their ongoing beautification plans, Hopewell Township will plant their Salem Oak seedling in Woolsey Park. Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space has been maintaining the Woolsey trails. FoHVOS administered and The Watershed Institute sponsored the new Community Conservation meadow near the Public Works building. “We are so fortunate to live in this beautiful valley with people who also value our open spaces, clean air, clean water and the many trails and parks which give us the opportunity to get outside to connect to nature,” said Kristin McLaughlin, Mayor of Hopewell Township, “We are also fortunate to have environmental partners like FOHVOS to help us steward these lands so our grandchildren can continue to enjoy them into the future. Take time on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day to get outside!” Another earth-friendly activity that Hopewell Township and FoHVOS share is Clean Communities. On April 18th, individuals and groups meet at Public Works and are assigned areas throughout Hopewell Valley to clean. Time spent is rewarded by not only supporting a cleaner community, but also is compensated with money for a
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
A photograph of the Salem Oak Tree taken in October 1916 (photo credit to the NJ DEP)
In addition, on April 25th the Borough continues the celebration by inviting the community out to meet by the gazebo to celebrate with local nonprofit and community organizations. Hopewell Borough Councilman Ryan Kennedy, reminds visitors to do their part. “Please join me in thanking our many shops, antique stores, artisans and restaurants for their leadership by bringing your own reusable bag when you shop downtown Hopewell.” No Earth Day celebration would be complete without participation from our youth. The students have helped plant trees and meadows at all schools and Toll Gators will experience the Salem Oak seedlings first hand. In addition, Superintendent of School Dr. Thomas Smith, shared, “I am really encouraged by the interest our students have taken in the environment and particularly by what we are doing in our schools. We have Green Teams in every school with agendas driven by our students. The decrease in waste in our cafeterias and classrooms is attributable to our students asking us to change our practices. At the high school level, our students are raising awareness about food packaging and the plastic flatware that is used by our food service provider. More than ever young people are interested and concerned about the environment and their own carbon footprint. I am hopeful that they will continue to push us to make the world a better place.”
vvv Lisa Wolff is the executive director of Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. She can be reached by email at lwolff@fohvos.org.
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April 2020
Real Estate
Hopewell Valley Market Activity FEBRURY SOLDS - Homes ADDRESS
BEDS
154 Province Line Rd
5
6 Fairway Dr 8 Nelson Ridge Rd
BATHS/HALF
SOLD PRICE
5/1
$950,000
5
4
$860,000
4
3/1
$825,000
8 East Shore Dr
5
4.5 & .5
$740,000
63 N Main St
4
3/1
$685,000
84 Crusher Rd
4
3
$682,500
23 Nathaniel Green Dr
5
2/1
17 Blackwell Ave
3
2
5 Dunwald Ln
4
85 Columbia Ave
3
207 Pennington Rocky Hill Rd 24 E Broad St
303 Carter
2
2
$260,000
306 Pennington Harbourton Rd
2
1
$213,500
RENTALS
BEDS
BATHS/HALF RENT PRICE
30 Poor Farm Rd
4
4
$4,250
7 Voorhees Ct
3
2/1
$2,990
72 Lexington Dr
3
2/1
$2,700
$555,000
227 Brinley Dr
3
2/1
$2,600
$550,000
59 Heath Ct
3
2/1
$2,400
3/1
$540,000
1 Miller Cir
3
2/1
$2,400
2/1
$482,500
105 Tuxford Ct
2
2/1
$2,250
4
2/2
$463,000
4
1/1
$412,000
27 Hart Ave
3
2/1
$406,000
10 Hart Ave
3
2
$393,000
1451 Trenton Harbourton Rd
3
2
$385,000
63 Taylor Ter
4
2
$367,000
303 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd
5
3
$355,000
468 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd
4
2/1
$340,000
247 Concord Pl
3
2/1
$340,000
604 Pebble Creek Ct
3
2/1
$332,000
1625 Reed Rd
3
1/1
$310,000
LAND SALES
SALE PRICE
0 Harbourton Woodsville Rd
$1,450,000
Best Version Media does not guarantee the accuracy of the statistical data on this page. The data does not represent the listings of any one agent or agency but represents the activity of the real estate community in the area. Any real estate agent’s ad appearing in the magazine is separate from the statistical data provided which is in no way a part of their advertisement.
800 Denow Rd Suite N, Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-9100 I foxroach.com
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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Calendar of Events
Happenings Every Tuesday at Pennington Public Library Story Time with Ms. Kim! Treat your child and yourself to a morning out with rhymes, music, and a read aloud that brings books to life! @ Pennington Public Library, 30 North Main Street Time: 11-11:30am Wed., April 1 April Fool’s Day Also known as All Fool’s Day or Foolish Day, this is a day to play practical jokes and pranks on your friends and family. Wed., April 1 Color Me Calm – Adult Coloring @ Pennington Public Library, 30 North Main Street Coloring books and art supplies available all day. Sat., April 4 Hopewell Borough Children’s Easter Egg Hunt The family friendly event includes goodie bags for the children and a non-competitive Easter Egg Hunt in three age groups: 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9. @ Hopewell Borough Park, South Time: 9am Children should bring their own baskets. Special appearance by the Easter Bunny. Sun., April 5 Palm Sunday Christian observance on the Sunday before Easter, marking the beginning of Holy Week. Sun., April 5 Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
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Hopewell Borough Ladies Auxiliary and Fire Department transform the Borough Fire Station into a “diner” with many volunteers serving up sausage, bacon, eggs, juice, coffee, and, of course, pancakes. @ Hopewell Borough Fire Station Time: 8am-12pm Mon., April 6 – Fri., April 10 Spring Break Hopewell Valley Regional School District All Schools CLOSED Wed., April 8 – Thurs., April 16 Passover Passover lasts from sundown on April 8, 2020 to sundown on April 16, 2020. Fri., April 10 Good Friday
Thurs., April 23 Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day National event in the United States organized by the Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation. Fri., April 24 Sourland Mountain Spirits: Mountain Music Series Featuring local area musicians @ Sourland Mountain Spirits Distillery, 130 Hopewell Rocky Hill Rd, Hopewell Borough Time: 7-9pm Cocktails, no cover! This Month At Hopewell Valley Vineyards: Visit www.hopwellvalleyvineyard.com for full listing of Artists
Sat., April 11 Every Sunday Pennington Borough’s Easter Egg Hunt Jazzy Sundays @ Kunkel Park, King George Road Time: 3-6pm Time: 10am Every Friday & Saturday Evening Sun., April 12 Night Music & Merlot Easter Sunday Enjoy live music, award winning HVV wine, delicious brick-oven pizza & light fare menu Sun., April 19 Live Music Cyber Threat Awareness Training Time: 6-9pm Join speaker Joshua Dill, RnD Consulting LLC, for awareness training session to identify cyber threats such as viruses, SPAM e-mail, and phishing/spear-phishing. vvv @ Pennington Public Library, 30 North Main St. Time: 3-4pm Registration: kha@penningtonlibrary.org Wed., April 22 Earth Day As a global observance, it sometimes extends to a week-long celebration, aptly named Earth Week.
Let us help promote your local community event! Please join our Hopewell Happenings Page by sending us your Event Listing. Open to all Hopewell Valley organizations, clubs and local businesses. You can email your submissions to rdonington@bestversionmedia.com.
April 2020
Expert Contributor
Welcome Spring! Your Gardening Checklist By Nick Pirone | Cutting Edge Lawn & Landscaping Now that spring is in full swing, it’s time to spend more time in the garden. The barrenness of winter is replaced with blooming, fragrant flowers and plants, and it’s finally warm enough to take a walk and admire beautiful landscaping. Here’s an April gardening checklist for what you should start to do to ensure your yard thrives all spring and summer long. Do your research on soil: Different plants grow better in different kinds of soil, so make sure you’ve done some reading or spoken to a professional about what type of soil to use for what you’re growing. Stock up on tools: Make sure you have the correct tools on hand to take the best care of your yard so you can prune, rake, dig, and weed easily and quickly. (Make sure tools are sharpened when necessary!) Do some spring cleaning: Throughout winter your yard has probably gathered some unwanted debris from fallen branches to old leaves. Take an afternoon to do a thorough sweep of your yard, clearing it of anything that’s out-of-place.
Hook up your hose: The last thing you’d want is to prepare to water your plants, only to find you can’t! Lay down some mulch: Mulch not only helps to minimize weeds, but also helps to keep the soil moist and moderate its temperature. Be sure to pull out any weeds in the area you plan to mulch first. Early planting: Make sure you are keeping track of what you want to plant and the ideal time to do so, so you don’t miss out. A quick Google search on perennials, bulbs, trees, shrubs, and the like will tell you the ideal window of time to start planting.
vvv And finally: Call Nick to help you with your gardening needs—he’s an expert at what he does! You can reach Nick and Cutting Edge Lawn and Landscape at 609-356-3465.
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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In The Arts
Art In The Everyday
Hopewell Valley Arts Council By Carol Lipson | Hopewell Valley Arts Council Board of Trustees Calling All Creative Members of the Community…. The Hopewell Valley Arts Council is seeking a wide-range of artists and creative community members to decorate ash wood “art spires” for our art-initiative Out of the Ashes: Art Emerging from Fallen Trees. The art spires commemorate the loss of our beautiful native ash tree due to the ravages of the emerald ash borer beetle. Participants can be enthusiastic individuals, teams, or families. Ash wood spires will be available in two sizes: 5” x 5” x 6’ and 8” x 8” x 8’. There are also full ash trunks reserved for experienced woodworkers with tools and ability to safely handle extremely heavy wood. The decorated spires and carved trunks will be installed at various locations throughout Hopewell Valley, displayed for the community through the summer and fall. The spires will then be auctionedoff to the public with proceeds shared by the artists and the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. Registration Deadline: April 30, 2020 Art Spire Completion Date: June 22, 2020 Fee: Eligible artists/teams who are non-members may receive one ash wood spire to decorate for a non-refundable registration fee of $25. No fee for Hopewell Valley Arts Council Members. Become a member today! www.hvartscouncil.org. Come to one of three information sessions to hear more and sign-up: Wednesday, April 15, 2020 – 7pm at the Pennington Public Library Saturday, April 18, 2020 – 10am at the Hopewell Train Station For details visit www.hvartscouncil.org.
Lose more than just weight. Lose your sleep apnea. The Center for Weight Loss at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, instead of emphasizing short-term goals like reducing the size of your waist, we focus on long-term benefits like reducing your risk of Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and hypertension. Beginning with a navigator, every aspect of the program, including bariatric surgery, will be clearly presented so you can make the right choice.
rwjbh.org/weightloss * Results are not guaranteed and may vary by individual
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April 2020
Resident Submitted
Let’s Get Lit
Pennington Economic Development Commission launches “Get Lit” initiative Michelle Needham | Pennington Borough Economic Development Commission The Economic Development Commission of Pennington Borough announces a new “Get Lit” initiative to encourage downtown businesses and storefronts to implement exterior and interior night time lighting throughout the year. Consistent lighting enhances a downtown district by encouraging window shopping and walk in’s during and after operating hours. It adds personality to our streetscape and will assist in illuminating the historical character and features of our Main Street and Delaware Avenue crossroads. An additional benefit is that overall safety and security are improved by lighting up the downtown. The program started just before the 2019 holiday season, with great success. In support of this initiative, Pennington Borough will initially be adding decorative string lighting to eight lamp posts in the downtown business district and hopes to continue the “Get Lit” initiative with additional lighting in the near future. The members of the Pennington Economic Development Commission are Co-Chairpersons Christina Nash and Kevin Ryan, Lee Dickstein, Reba Holley, Jason Meyer, Michelle Needham, Janice Mintz, and Chris Murphy. Catherine Chandler is the Council Representative. For more information, please contact edc@penningtonboro.org.
The Hunt for Delicious Food is Over! Hop on over and join us at either of our two locations! 938 Bear Tavern Rd., Ewing 609-493-4495 M-TH 7am-10pm Fri-Sat 7am-11pm • Sun 7am-10pm
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
Both locations offer full bar with triple 5 happy hour: 5 hours per day, $5 food, $5 drinks.
7 Tree Farm Rd ., Pennington 609-303-0625 M-TH 11:30am-9pm Fri-Sat 11:30am-10pm • Sun 4-9pm
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1925
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