Hopewell March 2021
Jessica Grillo
An Emerging Leader Cover photo by Benoit Cortet
A community magazine serving the residents of Hopewell Township, Pennington Borough and Hopewell Borough
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Dermatology Windsor Dermatology Wendy Myers, MD, Board Certified Dermatologist 59 One Mile Road Ext., East Windsor, NJ 609-443-4500 windsordermatology.com I #freezefat
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Financial Advisor Knox Grove Financial LLC. Christina A. Nash, CFP® – President & CEO 2 Tree Farm Rd., Suite B100, Pennington, NJ 609-216-7440 Christina@knoxgrove.com I knoxgrovefinancial.com
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Publisher: Rachel Donington rdonington@bestversionmedia.com Content Coordinator: Catherine Bialkowski cbialkowski@bestversionmedia.com Designer: Micalah Taylor
Medical Center RWJ University Hospital Hamilton 1 Hamilton Way, Hamilton, NJ 08690 609-586-7000 www.rwjbh.org/rwj-university-hospital-hamilton/
Contributing Photographer: Benoit Cortet www.benoitcortet.com Phone: 917-597-6297 benoit@benoitcortet.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
Contributing Writers: Mary Galioto, Kenneth Marples, Lisa Wolff Peter Bialkowski
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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March 2021
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
March is the third month of the year and named after Mars. Many of us think of Saint Patrick’s Day, but March is also an empowering month for women in the United States: it’s Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually since 1987. Our cover story explores the achievements of one outstanding woman, Jessica Grillo, vice president of Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education. In many ways, Jessica embodies what it means to serve your community. We also want to recognize Christina Nash, Founding Partner of Knox Grove Financial and Expert Contributor to this publication, who has built a strong reputation by helping individuals, families, and business owners make informed decisions about their financial future. She is a natural born leader who passionately contributes her time and talents to help our local business community. We applaud Christina and all local female business owners this Women’s History Month. Serving our community is something we can all find ways to do, and we can learn so much from giving back. True leadership comes in many different sizes and forms. Sometimes the qualities are subtle. This month’s feature is about the importance of doing good when good has been done to you. Jessica knew the importance of education for her children, which lead her family back to Hopewell Valley. I hope her story will inspire you to give back and value the importance of leadership and giving back for future generations. Publisher: Rachel Donington, 609-462-6786
It was a pleasure to speak with Jessica Grillo this month and hear about her drive to become involved in a significant way in the Hopewell Valley Community; how fitting that we feature an empowered woman during Women’s History Month! March is also Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month, and I would like to recognize and thank Jen Moog, another strong and empowered woman, for sharing her experience with this disease with us this issue. I hope you learn something from this month’s stories and perhaps get inspired to serve your community, too. Content Coordinator: Catherine Bialkowski
Local businesses need you more than ever. PLEASE SHOP LOCAL. Our advertisers bring you this publication. Please tell them you saw their ad in Hopewell Valley Neighbors.
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Community Spotlight
COVID Can't Stop Community Conservation By Lisa Wolff | Executive Director, FoHVOS
Traumatic Brain Injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are Risk Factors for Dementia By Bruce H. Stern, Esq., Stark & Stark, Attorneys at Law
In March 2020, this Hopewell Valley Neighbors column published details about an ambitious partnership between local schools and community groups to address a serious environmental issue. Unfortunately, their plan did not anticipate the coronavirus pandemic that would lead to schools suspending in-person instruction from March 16th through the end of the school year.
The Hotel also features an interpretive sign detailing the types of bees that will use the hotel, how to maintain bees in your area, the importance of biodiversity, and the story behind the project. The bee hotel will be filled with combinations of individual bee abodes—some made from our original kits and others to be made from repurposed ash trees prepared by volunteers.
Exactly one year later, March 2021, we are happy to share the COVID-friendly solution used to complete the project.
The 2020 bee abode initiative was the latest in a series of FoHVOS Community Conservation projects. Our 2019 project helped kestrels, which are threatened birds that need habitat to thrive. Through an initial grant from NJDEP Conserve Wildlife, we installed 50 birdboxes throughout Hopewell Valley on lands including local schools, The Watershed Institute, Mercer County, and D&R Greenway preserves. Volunteers monitored the boxes for kestrel activity. In 2019, under 10 kestrel fledglings used the new boxes. In 2020, about 30 fledglings returned to use the boxes, and we anticipate this summer that word will spread among our kestrel friends and increased usage will continue. In 2018, Community Conservation involved American Chestnut trees and each year the number of viable chestnut trees continues to increase.
The Environmental Issue: One of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depends on pollinators, especially bees, for a successful harvest. But for decades, global bee populations have declined due to biodiversity losses and habitat destruction. Furthermore, pesticide use is particularly dangerous for honeybees and wild pollinators. If the die-off continues, it will have huge economic and public health consequences. The Original Solution: Local schools and the community members were scheduled to build new bee habitat. The plan was that individuals and small groups would attend free workshops to learn how to assemble individual “bee abodes” and public high school shop classes would build large “bee hotel” structures to house the abodes. Pandemic Challenge: Indoor bee abode workshops needed to be cancelled. High school students could not meet, plan, and build bee hotel housing structures. Sadly, declining pollinator populations could not simply defer their needs until the pandemic was addressed. New Solution: FoHVOS was able to pivot and convert their group workshops to build-at-home individual bee abode kits comprised of repurposed industrial pallets to be filled with upcycled invasive phragmites. The build-at-home kits were a tremendous success as families were happy to help with conservation projects. But while individual abodes were being built, bee hotel alternatives proved elusive.
We anticipate the FoHVOS Bee abode initiative will follow a similar trajectory. If you are interested in monitoring a kestrel box or contributing an individual abode to the hotel, email info@fohvos.org.
Individual Bee Abodes made by community members from BuildAt-Home kits. Abodes will be mounted as rooms inside the hotel.
It appeared that the bee hotel would become another COVID-19 casualty until Matthew Tunkel of Pennington proposed a solution. At the end of April 2020, FoHVOS received his email. Here is an excerpt: “I am in the boy scouts of troop 44 in Pennington NJ. I am currently working on getting my eagle rank which is the last rank in scouting. I am looking for a service project to do that would help out the community, with some of my fellow scouts. My Mom had recently put together one of your bee abodes, it sparked my interest and I wanted to help out. I was wondering if you needed any help with the production of .. a "Bee Hotel". With the approval of the organization, you, and my scoutmaster I would love to help out with the cause and have it be a part of my scouting experience. ” After a process protracted by the pandemic, Matthew’s initiative paid off. With help from fellow scouts, he designed, built, and permanently installed a beautiful bee hotel. You can see it now at the FoHVOS Nayfield Preserve.
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With March being Brain Injury Awareness Month, it is important to understand the life-changing repercussions that follow suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury. Traumatic brain injuries are considered risk factors for other neurologic diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. A recently published, British Journal of Psychiatry article discusses “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Risk Factor for Dementia.” The researchers from the University College of London, UK, Division of Psychiatry, conducted a meta-analysis searching nine electronic databases up to October 25, 2019 for longitudinal studies assessing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the risk of dementia. The researchers’ selection criteria was for adults 18 and older with a similar comparison group of adults without any post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the researchers, “we included studies were a diagnosis of PTSD was based upon: (a) clinical diagnostic criteria (i.e. ICD-9 or ICD-10, DSM-III, DSM-IV or DSM-V or comparable), or (b) a validated self-report scale.” Studies that did not diagnose dementia on the basis of clinical criteria (e.g. NINCDS-ADRA) were excluded. After performing a thorough search of almost 8,000 records from various populations and countries, the researchers found that PTSD is “an important and potentially modifiable risk factor for all-caused dementia. Meta-analyses showed that the risk of being diagnosed with dementia for individuals with a diagnosis of PTSD is 1.61-1.99 times the risk for those without a PTSD diagnosis.” The researchers also conducted subgroup analyses which revealed that the “effect in the general population is larger than the effect in veterans, who have an increased risk of 111% and 61%, respectively. That is, in the general population, the risk of being diagnosed with dementia in individuals with PTSD is more than twice the risk than those with no PTSD diagnosis. In the veteran population with PTSD, however, the risk of dementia is more than 1 ½ times higher to that of veterans without PTSD.” If the smaller risk observed in veterans is because they are more likely to receive treatment for PTSD than the general population, this may indicate that PTSD-related dementia risk could be modified by intervention. A new study published in The Lancet entitled, “Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care: 2020 Report of The Lancet Commission” further establishes that traumatic brain injury is a risk factor for dementia.
Matthew Tunkel, Pennington Boy Scout Troop 44, with his Eagle Scout project -- A Bee Hotel installed at the Nayfield Preserve in Hopewell, NJ
March 2021
Back in 2017, The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care identified nine potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia, including less education, hypertension, hearing impairment, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, and low social contact. In 2020,
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
the Alzheimer’s Disease International partnered with The Lancet Commission to once again review factors based on evidence that could potentially prevent or postpone 40% of all dementias. The 2020 Lancet Commission completed a thorough review and meta-analyses and incorporated the information into an updated 12 risk factor life-course model of dementia prevention. In addition to the nine previously mentioned risk factors, the Commission added three more with newer and convincing evidence. These factors are traumatic brain injury, excessive alcohol consumption, and air pollution. According to the study’s findings, “together the 12 modifiable risk factors account for around 40% of the worldwide dementias, which consequently could theoretically be prevented or delayed.” If you or a loved one have any questions or concerns regarding PTSD and/or a traumatic brain injury, please contact Bruce Stern and the Traumatic Brain Injury group at Stark & Stark at (609) 895-7285 or bstern@stark-stark.com.
Bruce H. Stern, Esq.
Accident & Personal Injury Group bstern@stark-stark.com 609.895.7285 Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney
Get the Compensation You Deserve from Your Traumatic Brain Injury With decades of experience in the area of head and brain injuries, nationally recognized attorney Bruce H. Stern, Esq. devotes himself to obtaining the compensation his injured clients deserve, and to providing them with personal guidance to coordinate and promote the healing process.
www.Stark-Stark.com • 1-800-53-LEGAL 993 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
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Expert Contributor ▶ HEY, SPORTS FANS!
Acne Scarring and Microneedling
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By Alexa Hetzel, Board Certified Physician Assistant | Windsor Dermatology Microneedling is an emerging procedure that is becoming more popular and widely used because it is so versatile. It may help those with scars from acne, areas of hyperpigmentation or over all refining texture. What is also key for this procedure is that it is safe for all skin types, unlike most laser therapies. Microneedling uses small needles to create small micropunctures into the skin while i infusing the skin with hyaluronic acid. This combination allows the skin to stimulate new collagen growth as well as debride dead skin cells. It can be slightly uncomfortable but we do have our patients come in to apply topical numbing for 30 minutes before any treatment to minimize that discomfort. After the procedure most patients skin can range from a light pink to red varying on the depth of the treatment. The patients skin can also feel tight or dry for a few days afterwards. Although we can never guarantee complete resolution our patients do very well. The healing time of the procedure is 5 days where we provide patients with a Post Care Kit which includes a wash, moisturizer, hyaluronic acid and a sunscreen. These prodcuts are
recommended to be used to prevent any discoloration or hyperpigmentation post treatment. These kits will last a patient 3 treatments. For more questions or a consultation give us a call to schedule in person or telehealth appointment at 609-443-4500. Alexa Hetzel, PA-C is a board certified physician assistant. As a physician assistant, she is a licensed health care provider trained to diagnose and treat medical conditions in collaboration with a physician. Alexa graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Kinesiology. She then earned a Master of Science (M.S.) in the Physician Assistant program at Monmouth University, where she was recognized for academic excellence with induction into the Phi Alpha National Honor Society. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the New Jersey State Society of Physician Assistants. Alexa began work at Windsor Dermatology in 2014, and rejoined in 2018 in her new capacity as a physician assistant. She supports the doctors in providing medical and cosmetic dermatology care.
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March 2021
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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Resident Feature
W
hen Jessica Grillo joined the Moravian College Alumni Board in 2011, serving as Secretary, Communications Chair, and President over time, she could not have known how much of an impact this decision would have on multiple aspects of her life. Jessica’s involvement in and dedication to her alma mater would earn her the 2015 Emerging Leader Award for her outstanding service and dedicated leadership to Moravian College; it would also, however, lead her to her husband, Michael, as well as set in motion a desire on her part to play a significant role in her own community of Hopewell Valley. Michael grew up in the community, living in both Trenton and Hopewell; he went to Timberlane Middle School and Hopewell Valley Central High School, coaching soccer when he returned from college. “He’s been in town for a long time,” says Jessica. For the couple, who didn’t know each other while they were in college together but later connected through the Alumni board, moving to Hopewell Valley to start a family was a no-brainer. When they first married, they bought Michael’s family home in historic Hiltonia in Trenton. “There are so many wonderful things about Trenton,” says Jessica. “The culture, the people—there is a loveliness to it.” Jessica, having grown up in nearby Hamilton and attending Catholic school in Trenton, was vaguely familiar with Hopewell Valley her whole life, but learned more about the community when she met Michael. The Hopewell Valley Regional School District, year after year, is named one of the best in New Jersey, and Jessica and Michael had made a conscious decision to move their lives to a community with excellent schools for their children (Archer, 5, was a baby when they moved to Hopewell Borough, and Sloane will be three in April). Michael is Assistant Prosecutor for the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and is required to live in Mercer County, so Hopewell Borough was an ideal fit for the family. “We fell in love with it,” says Jessica. “With the walkability, the warmth of the people, it was a perfect fit for us.” In 2017, the Grillos moved their family to Hopewell Borough.
Once settled in the community, Jessica, who is a Senior Manager and HR Business Partner at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies by day, began to actively look for an opportunity to give back to her community. “I have always felt a deep calling to serve,” she says. “I thought, ‘What can I do to have a broad community impact?’” Jessica attended a meeting at the library attended by various committees throughout Hopewell Valley for community members who wanted to get involved. At this meeting, she discovered there was an open school board position in Hopewell Borough. She did some research into what the position involved, and felt it would satisfy her deep desire to not only serve the community but have a broad impact within it. Jessica also felt she would be an excellent addition to the board as a young parent whose children were not yet in school. “The decisions that we’re making today are going to affect the children attending school five to ten years from now,” says Jessica. That, to her, was the most important reason she wanted to serve on the board. “I felt I could give a voice to these families.” In November of 2019, Jessica was elected to the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education. Only a year later, her peers elected her to the position of Vice President in January of 2020. Jessica is proud of the board and the changes it has made—both within itself and to the surrounding community—during the past two years. One aspect that stands out to her is the diversity reflected within the board members. “We have people who don’t currently have children in the schools, we have educators, we have people who are heavily invested in the community,” she says. “There is diversity in what we are thinking and how we are showing up.” 2020, says Jessica, is an excellent example of how the board has shown diversity of thought, in “everything that has happened with COVID, how quickly our district has had to pivot, and how emotional it has been for families and teachers.” “We have done so much as a board to take all of those emotions and thoughts and make decisions that are broadly good for the community,” says Jessica. At the beginning of this academic school
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An Emerging Leader
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Jodi Viaud, CFP® Partner and Financial Adviser
March 2021
Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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Jessica and Michael with their son, Archer, and daughter, Sloane
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Lose more than just weight. Lose your sleep apnea. year, the board was presented with an opportunity to delay the opening of schools and pursue a few weeks of remote instruction, rather than the hybrid model of both in-person and remote learning. “It was a special meeting that lasted hours,” says Jessica. “What the public saw in that moment was a really thoughtful board of education that was listening to the community and asking questions. We were having these very open public discussions about something that is extremely personal and emotional for a lot of people. It was refreshing to see us challenging each other; I hope the public sees something like a split vote with positivity.” Ultimately, the board, at 5-4, voted to continue the hybrid model of instruction as planned. Thus far, there has been minimal, if any, transmission of the virus in schools, and Superintendent Dr. Tom Smith and his administration have put together an incredible plan, Jessica says. “We are seeing really happy kids back in school.” Jessica says she has learned so much in her two years on the board so far. “Coming from a background where I only spent four years in public school my entire life, I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” she says. “There has been a massive learning curve in under-
standing the operations of the district.” Additionally, because her children are not in school yet, Jessica has taken the time to make connections with the schools and teachers without yet having a personal connection. It is so important to her to get to know the people she represents. “Seeing how Hopewell was a leader in our response to COVID— how agile we were, how quickly we were able to pivot, how thoughtful were in planning, and how we held each other accountable—it would be my hope that Hopewell continues to lead the area in how we approach education. When we talked about it openly, we learned so much from the COVID situation.” Jessica is proud of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education and her fellow members, and looks ahead with optimism at the positive impact it will continue to have on the community. Her son, Archer, will begin first grade at Hopewell Elementary this fall, and Jessica and her peers will continue their hard work to make the school district a place of excellence for him and all current and future students of Hopewell Valley.
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Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact March 2021 Rachel Donington at rdonington@bestversionmedia.com.
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Hopewell Valley Neighbors
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March is Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month By Jen Moog
Thankfully, there have been a lot of advances in the management of myeloma since 2014 when I was diagnosed–and there are many innovations in the pipeline. But while the five-year survival rate for people with myeloma has steadily increased over the last decade, a reflection of all this progress, there is still no cure.
The statistics for all blood cancers are daunting. Every 3 minutes one person is diagnosed with a blood cancer, every 9 minutes someone dies from a blood cancer and 1.2 million people are living with, or are in remission from, a blood cancer.
March is a time to shine a spotlight on multiple myeloma. But even if you have never heard of myeloma, let this serve as a reminder to think about your own health. Be your own advocate. If something doesn’t feel right, slow down and listen to your body. Stop delaying that doctor’s appointment, like I did. Take time for some self-care or just recharge that Fitbit or Apple Watch to make sure you get in your 10,000 steps. Make yourself a priority. Cancer has had some silver linings for me. I do not fit the profile of the typical myeloma patient, who historically had been over 65, African American and male. Sadly, this profile is changing, and, like all cancers, it does not discriminate. Because of this, I feel a responsibility to raise awareness of myeloma. In 2016, my family and I decided we had to help make a difference and became actively involved in trying to find cures for myeloma and all blood cancers. Since then, Team #gameon has raised over $200,000 for blood cancer research. In 2019, I was named the New Jersey Woman of the Year for LLS, ultimately raising over $131,000 during my 10week campaign and was able to direct $100,000 specifically to myeloma research. We were also able to see the magic of our community. It is cliche to say that it takes a village, but there are reasons why cliches are true. From literally the very first day I got sick until today we have been overwhelmed with love and support from our community.
Never heard of Multiple Myeloma? Neither had I—that was until a doctor walked into a hospital room and told me I had it.
malignant myeloma ones, which can eventually crowd out the healthy cells. This can result in bone damage, kidney issues, a weakened immune system as well as other complications.
In October 2014, I was a full-time working wife to my husband Brian and mom to our three kids, Jake, Kate and Shea, at the time ages 7, 6 and 4 respectively. On a Sunday afternoon, Brian took me to the Emergency Room because I had an infection in my eye and what I thought was a cold. That cold developed into full-blown pneumonia and within 36 hours I was unconscious, on breathing and feeding tubes, received dialysis twice and had the bone marrow biopsy that would confirm the unthinkable–I had cancer at the age of 42 years old.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) estimates each year there will be over 32,000 new cases of myeloma and almost 13,000 deaths. African Americans are hit particularly hard by myeloma, which is the most common blood cancer in African Americans. Today, one in five myeloma patients is African American, but by 2034, that number will increase to one in four.
Not only did I have cancer, but I had a rare and incurable blood cancer called multiple myeloma. One of the first things my oncologist, Dr. Roger Strair with The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, told me was that, while multiple myeloma can be highly treatable, there is no cure. According to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), multiple myeloma is a cancer of the blood that develops in the plasma cells found in our bone marrow. Plasma cells are a type of white blood cells that help maintain our immune systems. Myeloma can turn healthy plasma cells into
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In medicine, there is an expression: “When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.” It means that doctors are taught to look for the simplest explanations for symptoms rather than the more rare or exotic answer. Because of this and other reasons, myeloma is very commonly misdiagnosed. Many patients present with a common complaint like bone pain, which is often labeled as arthritis, a sports injury or something else. In my case, I was getting sick often and for very extended periods of time. I assumed this was because I had young children who were in school and bringing home germs. I was also told I was highly anemic, something I ignored addressing because I was “too busy.” I was young and healthy–never once had I considered the possibility that I had cancer.
March 2021
I have been one of the lucky ones living with multiple myeloma. I am grateful to say I have achieved–and am maintaining–a Stringent Complete Response. But these last six years have had their ups and downs. Thankfully for me there have been new treatment options available to me when I’ve needed them but unless we continue to support research, one day those options will run out. We must find a cure. You can follow her story at www.multiplemyelomamom. wordpress.com.
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In The Arts
More to Enjoy in 2021
Women’s History Month
By Carol Lipson | Hopewell Valley Arts Council Board of Trustees
By Peter Bialkowski Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Abigail Adams–the list goes on. Women have been making history in the United States since our country was founded, but have not always been recognized for their achievements. March 2021 will mark the 34th anniversary for the celebratory month, a time when women can reflect on how far they have come in the fight for equality, and a reminder that this fight is still happening. Women, however, did not always have a whole month to celebrate. In fact, they were originally only given a single day. Back in the early 19th century, there was no recognition for women’s rights. Created by the Socialist Party, the first National Women’s Day was established on Feb. 28, 1909, just one year after the women worker strikes in New York City. In just two years, Women’s Day became extremely popular throughout Europe as well. In the United States, feminist activists took issue with history books lacking women contributions throughout history. In 1978, one group of women in southern California proposed a revision in school curriculum, which became “Women’s History Week.” The event spread around schools in the county and became a celebratory event. Essay contests, speeches, and gatherings were held to discuss women’s rights and significance in American History. Eventually, it was deemed an official week by President Jimmy Carter in March 1980. The Women’s National History Project continued to lobby for a longer cause of celebration, and were granted when Congress passed a proclamation in 1987, and Women’s History Month was born. Now, the historic occasion has only grown stronger. Each year, a theme is established for Women’s History Month. In 2019, the theme was “Visionary Women,” highlighting those who were for peace and nonviolence. Other themes celebrated women who worked in labor, fought against discrimination, and the right to vote. 2021 will celebrate “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” In recent years, past U.S. Presidents recognized the significant and critical contributions women have given to the country: Amelia Earheart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo; Rachel Carson, a marine biologist fighting environmental issues; Ada Lovelace, a mathematician who wrote one of the first algorithms; this is just brushing the surface of women who are celebrated during this month.
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Organizations big and small participate in Women’s History Month. The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) is extending the 2020 theme, women’s suffrage, into this year’s theme. The Rose Parade Float is held every year in Pasadena, California to kickstart the occasion. 2021 will be the most unique Women’s History Month to date, as celebrations will have to be confined to the comfort of our homes thanks to COVID-19. With a pandemic still affecting the world’s events, the NWHA is hoping to make up for lost time in 2021 and celebrate the 100th anniversary year until August. Not unlike the battle for women recognition, a virus will not silence the impact of Women’s History Month.
Art enthusiasts, artists, and creative minds will now be able to enjoy ArtConnect Forum four times a year! ArtConnect Forum is a key component of the HV Arts Council’s ongoing program, ArtConnect: Creating Opportunities for Artists, and is a unique opportunity for the community to learn about different aspects of the art world. To date, the Hopewell Valley Arts Council has hosted five Forums -- each meeting featuring speakers who share their work, inspiration, and creative process.
tas, artist, teacher, and art therapist presented “Finding Your Center in the Circle” about the healing art of mandala creation; and Agata May’Kowska who spoke about how turning to art enabled her to overcome serious personal struggles and brought her hope for healing. The next ArtConnect Forum will be held in April as a virtual event. Please visit www.hvartscouncil.org for more info, registration, and what to expect for the rest of 2021!
The most recent forum was the second in a two-part series “The Power of Art to Heal” on Thursday, January 28. Linda Martin-Mills, R.N. patient advocate and patient experience manager at Capital Health, and quilter presented “The Reluctant Quilter” about falling into fiber arts and how it has helped her professionally and personally; and Sarah Berno-
To get involved with the celebration, the NWHA official website has plenty of resources with local and national news. The Wilson Family provides affordable dignified services to the families of Hopewell Valley since 1960.
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