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Sharing a community of stories Literary group focuses on giving all members a voice By Dan auBRey While McCarter Theater Artistic Director and playwright Emily Mann and noted American playwright Ken Ludwig were the guest story tellers at the People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos March 6 fundraiser at the Nassau Club in Princeton, they may be the first to tell you that the real story is that the Lawrenceville-based nonprofit project mixing literature and community has many voices, locations, and stories. And the following story about a visit to a recent session gives a glimpse into the program’s heart. Nancy Brown is the first to arrive for the 2 p.m. Wednesday People & Stories afternoon

gathering at the Lawrence Community Center. She steadily moves with a walker across the room, sits at one of the community room tables, sighs with relief, and says she’s glad the series is starting again. She’s here to gather with others to hear someone read a story, read along with a text, and then discuss the story’s thematic, social, artistic, and personal layers. Just as Brown will be joined by several others, this small group mirrors other such regional and national gatherings. They occur in prisons, immigrant centers, senior centers, residential treatment facilities, homeless shelters, adult education programs, libraries, alternative schools, and other venues. But today it is all Lawrenceville with the Lawrence Town-

ship Community Foundation providing support. “We have about 10 people who come regularly,” says Browns as Judy Briel, Jean Kauffman, Joan Sargo, and Bazey Turner take their seats around two joined kitchen tables in the center’s dun-colored multi-purpose room. Now People & Stories facilitator and Lawrenceville resident Patricia Andres briskly walks in and unloads her armful of photocopied stories, and since this is the first regrouping since the holidays, there is some catching up and calls to others in the building to join in. The women smile happily as Andres hands out the copies of today’s tale—Juan Armando Epple’s “Garage Sale People.” It reflects the Chilean-born contemporary writer and professor’s own experience of immigrating to the United See STORIES, Page 13

Restaurant Week returns April 7 By JenniFeR GOeTz

Malik McKinley and Malashia Carter performed in Lawrence High School’s production of Mamma Mia March 14-16 at the school. For more photos, turn to Page 8. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)

With chain restaurants and fast food joints scattered across New Jersey, it’s special to enjoy one-of-a-kind food from nearby or in your hometown. Those looking to enjoy fresh, local, authentic food while spending a night on the town can look no further than Lawrence. Lawrenceville Main Street Restaurant Week, which is scheduled to run from April 7 to April 12, will allow diners to get a taste of what Lawrenceville Main Street local restaurants have to offer. Four restaurants will be sharing their food with Lawrence residents for a fixed price of $20

for lunch or $35 for dinner. The four local businesses (Acacia, Chambers Walk Cafe, Fedora Cafe and Vidalia) will provide a three-course menu for guests with their latest culinary creations. All restaurants are individually owned and passion projects—and together they’re collaborating to bring their dishes for Lawrenceville residents to try. The Gingered Peach and Wildflour Cafe bakeries will also have special offerings for Restaurant Week, too. Fedora Cafe owner Giovanni Nilli first heard about Lawrenceville Restaurant Week after receiving an email about the idea from Kelly Edelstein,

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LMS executive director. Nilli took over Fedora Cafe and Restaurant two years ago, and is happy to share his food with residents for Restaurant Week. “We feel very happy...we hope to be busy that weekend,” said Nilli. Chef Chris Voigtsberger is the new owner of Acacia, a restaurant that changes its menu every season, and this year they’ll be “getting ready to launch a new spring menu,” for Lawrenceville residents to enjoy, according to wife Lauren Voigtsberger. She shared that the idea for restaurant week was introduced a year or two years before LMS See MAIN STREET, Page 7

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