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Protecting the pride
RHS grad’s film explores South African sanctuary’s mission to save lions INTERVIEW BY BILL SANSERVINO
When Robbinsville native Nathan Oliva set out to make his senior thesis film at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), he didn’t plan on following lions through the South African bush. But one conversation changed everything — a friend in Cape Town mentioned that her father ran a wildlife sanctuary where rescued lions roamed free. Within weeks, Oliva was on a plane, camera in hand, ready to capture a story
Robbinsville senior Justin Schreyer anchors the defense during a late-season match. (Photo by Julie Lawandy.)
Schreyer becomes Raven’s defensive cornerstone BY RICH FISHER
One of the best moves Robbinsville High soccer coach Jeff Fisher made this season was moving Nico Matthews from defender to forward for more offense. Matthews starred in his new role and earned headlines with his 23 goals entering the NJSIAA Group II semifinals. What few people knew about is the rela-
Finding the perfect tree Some Christmas tree traditions have Mercer County roots
BY BILL SANSERVINO
tively anonymous player who made that change possible. “We wouldn’t have been able to move Nico up,” Fisher said, “if we didn’t have Justin Schreyer.” When the senior slid over from left back to center back, RHS was languishing with a 3-6 record. Since the move, Robbinsville went 13-1-1 enroute to its fourth See SCHREYER, Page 14
that would alter the course of his young career. The resulting short documentary, Cornellskop: Freedom From Fear, introduces viewers to the world of Luke Cornell, founder of the Cornellskop Animal Sanctuary in Bot River, South Africa. Set against the rugged beauty of the Van der Stel Pass Valley, the film exposes the brutal realities of South Africa’s captive-bred lion industry — animals raised for tourism and trophy hunts, then killed and sold into the global bone trade. Oliva captures Cornell’s resolve and tells a story of resilience and redemption that unfolds far from the spotlight. Shot over six days in November 2024, See OLIVA, Page 6
For New Jersey’s many tree farms, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas bring the crowds they work toward all year — people who come not just to buy a tree, but to take part in something that feels like the official start of the season. What many don’t know is that Mercer County has bragging rights when it comes to this tradition. The first commercial Christmas
tree farm in the United States took root in Hamilton Township, where William V. McGalliard began planting Norway spruces in 1901. Hoping to turn rocky farmland into profit, he instead helped spark a holiday custom that swept the nation. He planted 25,000 spruce seedlings and 5,000 saplings from Charles Black of Hightstown. When the first trees matured around 1907, McGalliard sold them for $1 each, long before choosing a tree became the familycentered excursion we know today. Born in 1857, McGalliard spent his life in White Horse, where he farmed, served on local boards, and See TREE, Page 10
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