OCTOBER 2019 FREE
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Walk among the stalks
5 up for 3 Board of Ed seats
Battle for the ball
Local corn mazes let people get lost in fall fun
By Bill sanseRVinO
bsanservino@communitynews.org
By lOis leVine Summer has faded fast from the rearview mirror, and with it comes fall and all its predictable signs: Pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, the crunch of dried brown leaves under our feet, and...corn mazes? Yes, corn mazes! One of the most popular family events of the season, a corn maze is simply a series of pathways cut through a corn field. Unlike a labyrinth, which only has one, non-branching path, and only one entry and exit point, there is more than one way to find the exit out of a maze. Here in New Jersey there are several farms that create corn mazes as a fall activity for the public: A. Casola Farms in Holmdel, Etsch Farms in Monroe and K & S Farms in East Windsor. Terhune Orchards in Lawrence has a seasonal corn maze as well. But one of the most wellknown and well-visited corn mazes in Mercer County is at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell. “Mazes are historical,” said farm director Pete Watson, who has been with Howell for 35 years. “The earliest mazes were found on the tombs of Byzantine pyramids, and they were See MAZE, Page 16
Sophomore Emani Ellis fights for possession during the girls’ soccer team’s loss at Nottingham on Sept. 25, 2019. For more coverage of the girls’ soccer team, turn to Page 26. (Photo by Mark Czajkowski.)
Freddie’s redevelopment plan OK’d By Bill sanseRVinO
bsanservino@communitynews.org
The Ewing Planning Board approved a project Sept. 5 that calls for Freddie’s Tavern in West Trenton to be torn down and replaced with a mostly residential mixed-use project. The redevelopment plan was approved over the objections of a large contingent of residents from the surrounding neighborhood who attended the meeting to protest the plan. To be built on the site where
the landmark restaurant currently stands are two new residential buildings, one of which will also contain 3,300 square feet of commercial space. A total of 58 residential units are being proposed. The approval was for a preliminary site plan, and requires Freddie’s owner Bud Patel and the developer, Buildquick Properties LLC, to conduct an environmental study of the site. The board rejected a request to approve the project without the study.
Mathew Posada, the developer’s attorney argued for the plan, stating that the project will “provide affordable housing and replace an old, unused building with a new valuable improvement.” Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann, who voted for the project, said the plan was in line with the Town Center zoning for the parcel. “When there is something new or different being proposed it is human nature to resist change,” Steinmann said. “But this proSee FREDDIE’S, Page 6
Five candidates are running for election to three open seats on the Ewing Township Board of Education in this year’s school election on Nov. 5. Daniel Angebranndt, Deborah Jones and Michael Miller are facing off against incumbents Scott Franks and Stephanie Staub. Winners receive three-year terms. There is one notable absence from this year’s ballot. Longtime board member Bruce White opted not to run for reelection. White has served a total of 33 years on the board since he was first elected in 1984. His term ends on Dec. 31. Angebranndt, 32, has lived in Ewing his entire life. He and his wife, Ellen, have a 16-month-old daughter. A 2005 graduate of Ewing High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in management and an MBA with accounting concentration from LenoirRhyne University. He has worked for the past six years as a tax auditor with the state Division of Taxation. He previously co-owned a small online retail and recruiting business. Franks, 48, is a native of Ewing Township who has worked for the Fleet Management Unit at the state Department of Corrections for 29 years. A graduate of the Ewing High School class of 1990, See ELECTION, Page 8
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