Current Bordentown
SEPTEMBER 2015
Scout takes part in World Jamboree
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BLL boys win states ‘their way’
Woman’s best friend
By rich FiSher
By nicole Dementri Just like any 15-year-old sophomore, Daniel Comeau is not ready for the school year to start and summer to end. The Bordentown Regional High School student spent his summer vacation across the world in Japan for the 23rd annual World Scout Jamboree. On July 24, Comeau left for a 16 day trip with 800 Boy Scouts from the United States ages 14-17. Although he was the only one that went from his Bordentown troop, he was excited to see Japan and experience the event, which is held every four years. “No one from my troop came with me, but I knew the scout master from going to the National Jamboree in 2013 with him. He was the assistant scout master for the Jamboree. I also knew other guys from different troops and I was excited to meet and make new friends, too,” Comeau said. The Jamboree wasn’t just an amazing experience for Comeau—it is also considered an honor to attend within the Boy Scout community. The process to apply came after his scout master from the National Jamboree that he attended in West Virginia in 2013 contacted him to see if he was interested in going to Japan. “I was interested, so I applied. It was pretty much on a first come first served basis. I signed up about a year before the Jamboree,” Comeau said. The journey to the JamboSee SCOUT, Page 5
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Theresa Hvasta and Bella the Singing Dog enjoy the annual summer sidewalk sale on Aug. 15, 2015 on Farnsworth Avenue. (Photo by Albert Rende.)
New tech and teachers greet students By Samantha Sciarrotta Students walking through the doors of Bordentown Regional High School on Sept. 3 will see some new administrative faces in the halls—and new technology in their classrooms. Principal Rob Walder, who took over for Patrick Lynch last December, is entering his first full year at the helm, and two new vice principals will join him: Teresa Valentin, who comes from the South Brunswick School District, and Amy Jablonski, a former West Windsor-Plainsboro history teacher. Valentin started out as a math teacher at Burlington Township High School, where she taught for nine years. She then moved
into an administrative role as a math and science curriculum supervisor in South Brunswick. She grew up in Burlington County as a Moorestown resident. Jablonski, a West Windsor native, worked in business after college, but decided it wasn’t for her and switched gears to teaching. After getting an education degree, she taught social studies in the WW-P district for a decade. She went back to school again and earned her administrative certificate. Both said they are looking forward to meeting students, parents and their fellow educators. The sense of fellowship in Bordentown is part of what drew both women to the job. “It has this really rich his-
tory to the school and the community,” Jablonski said. “That’s something that is a thread through the kids, parents and faculty. A lot of the faculty either went to school here or are currently residents. That’s something that really ties the community together.” Valentin added that learning the ropes with someone else who is new to the position has made coming into a new school district easier and more enjoyable. “I think we bring similar yet different experiences to the table, so it gives us the opportunity to brainstorm ideas and shoot things back and forth off of one another,” she said. “We can see what worked where See BRHS Page 6
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It’s only fitting the Bordentown Little League 11-year-old All Stars won the New Jersey Little League State Championship in Hoboken, which is the hometown of Frank Sinatra. In listening to the lyrics of “My Way,” one of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ greatest hits, there is one passage that truly defined the Bordentown team: “But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all and I stood tall, And did it my way.” Bordentown did just that. There was plenty of reason for doubt as the locals lived in the loser’s bracket for three straight tournaments. The players shrugged it off, stared down all challenges and won three consecutive championships by doing it their way. The biggest win came on Aug. 17, when BLL defeated Randolph, 3-2, in the state final. It was the third state title in league history and first by an 11-year-old team. It capped a run that can only be termed remarkable, considering Bordentown went 13-0 in must-win games through the District 12, Section 3 and State tournaments. Each tournament was double-elimination and BLL played all but one game with the pressure of having to win or go home. The day after the state final, manager Bob Wood said with a laugh, “Last night the ambulance was on the way, it was rough. Through every tournament it was tough, but with the See CHAMPS, Page 8
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