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MARCH 2015
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BORDENTOWNCURRENT.COM
City says goodbye to Ellen Wehrman
PARCC, N.J.’s latest standardized test, is raising the ire of parents statewide
By leXie yearly
By michele alPerin PARCC — the name alone raises angst among residents in New Jersey. Short for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, the PARCC assessments will be administered this month to all New Jersey public school students in grades 3 to 8, and students taking algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2, and English courses in grades 9, 10, and 11. The test will replace the NJASK in elementary grades and HSPA in high school (See graphic on page 6 on the history of standardized testing in New Jersey). “PARCC is a group of states that worked together to develop a set of assessments with the shared goal of finding a more effective approach to measure student achievement under the new academic standards in mathematics and English language arts,” says a PARCC FAQ on the N.J. State Department of Education website. “These new standards, known as the Common Core State Standards, were adopted in 2010 by the N.J. State Board of Education after a thorough process that involved public participation, as well as advice and input from all sectors of New Jersey’s education and business communities.” As the implementation of PARCC draws near, parents and critics are increasingly expressSee PARCC, Page 6
The Bordentown Elks held its first Valentine’s Day wedding fundraiser Feb. 14, 2015. Pictured clockwise from top left: Patti and Mickey DeSantis, John and Donna Poinsett, Linda and Pete DeLucia, and Kelly Monroe and Adam Haviland. (Photos by Suzette J. Lucas.)
Roses are red, vows were said Bordentown Elks hold Valentine’s Day wedding fundraiser Red and white decorations set the scene at the Bordentown Elks lodge on Feb. 14, when the Elks held its first-ever Valentine’s Day wedding and vow renewal fundraiser. A total of 11 couples participated in the event, which began at noon and ended with the last ceremony at 6 p.m. The Elks offered couples the
chance to wed or renew their vows in 15-minute ceremonies officiated by Elks member Heather Cheesman, who was ordained in July 2013 through the Universal Life Church. Of the 11 total couples, six renewed their vows and five celebrated their wedding ceremonies. The event was the first of its kind for the Elks. With a suggested donation of $50 per couple, the event raised $550 for the Elks National Foundation, which supports veterans, schools and youth programs.
Turn to Page 10 to learn more about the event and read the stories of some of the participating couples.
Selfless, thoughtful, upbeat and full of boundless energy were some of the ways friends and family members described Ellen Wehrman, a beloved member of the Bordentown community who passed away at age 80 on Jan. 20. “She was just an extraordinary woman with boundless energy and such a zestful life,” said Bonnie Goldman, a longtime friend of Wehrman’s. “She always wanted to learn more about anything and about everything…and she touched the lives of so many people in so many different areas.” Wehrman had been an active and enthusiastic member of the community since she first moved to the city with her husband, John Wehrman, in 1957 after they were married. At the time, John had served with the U.S. Air Force and was based at McGuire Air Force Base. Wehrman grew up in Scotland, where she graduated from Craiglockhart College in Edinburgh. Teaching was always See WEHRMAN, Page 12
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