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Bags bagged

Writing into the light

Carrying a big stick

What to know about New Jersey’s plastic bag and polystyrene foam product ban

Ewing author explores the power dynamics of a relationship in new novel

By RebeKah SchroeDer

When walking into the grocery store and going about your business, many people have likely experienced the frustration of making it to the register, then realizing—”I forgot the reusable bags!” No worries, you think, opting for plastic bags instead, hoping the environment will forgive you as a regular consumer trying to do their best.

Under new statewide legislation enforced from May 4 onwards, New Jersey businesses are now unable to distribute and sell single-use plastic bags, as well as polystyrene foam products, making this moment a figment of the past for what is being described as “the strongest” bag ban in the nation.

Residents cannot receive plastic bags from grocery stores equal to or larger than 2,500 square feet, restaurants, pharmacies, as well as retail and convenience stores. Likewise, polystyrene plates, cups and utensils are no longer going to be See BAN, Page 6

Interview by Joe EMansKi

EHS baseball player Ryan Lear y was batting .385 seven games into the season. Turn to page 19 to read about Lear y and the team. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)

Mercer looks to expand legacy

By RebeKah SchroeDer

years ago, and now the founder and CEO is transitioning out of her leadership position to continue building on her legacy of advocacy.

“The time was right,” Mercer said of the change. “[There’s] a terrific executive management team in place right now. Our funding has been very solid. The community

Jack’s

From a kitchen table to a statewide network, Connie Mercer has seen her Lawrence Township nonprofit, HomeFront, evolve to tackle family homelessness and poverty in central New Jersey.

She started the organization 31

has been very generous during the COVID period.”

Mercer is stepping up on Sept. 30 to support families who are homeless at both the state and national level, while she also assists HomeFront’s Board of Trustees in finding a proper successor. Her replaceSee MERCER, Page 8

In 2015, the Ewing Observer profiled Michelle Hart, a lifelong township resident and then recent graduate of the creative writing program at Rutgers University.

At the time, Hart was hard at work on a literary novel, a “fictional autobiography of sorts,” that she had begun when she was an undergrad in college. Over these past seven years, she has continued to hone the novel, hoping to one day see it finished and in print.

On May 3, that dream will finally come true. We Do What We Do in the Dark will be published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

The novel, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, tells the story of Mallory, a college freshman whose mother has recently died after a long and painful illness. The story begins See HART, Page 4

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2Ewing Observer | May 2022

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EASEL thanks supporters for kitten surgery donations

Blaine recovers from back surgery to correct a hip problem in April. The operation was funded in part with the help of Ewing Observer readers.

Ewing. We are truly grateful for our partnership with the community.

Dr. G.M. Ar vanitis Arvanitis is vice president, director of grants at EASEL Animal Rescue.

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We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Ewing Observer is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Gazette does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. As such, our staff sets out to make our town a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joe Emanski, Rich Fisher, Rebekah Schroeder CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST Helen Kull AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION Stephanie Jeronis

Trademark and U.S. Copyright Laws protect Community News Service LLC Publications. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission of the Publisher.

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EDITOR Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION AND RENOVATION

Woosamonsa Rd.

On behalf of kitten Blaine and EASEL Animal Rescue League, I’d like to thank the community for its overwhelming response to our fundraising campaign.

Just four days after the Ewing Observer’s article appeared last month (April 2022 issue, also see communitynews.org), Blaine’s surgery was fully funded, with dozens of donors contributing to his care.

Now, Blaine is resting up after a successful operation and expected to fully recover in his new “furever” home! There are many other ways to support EASEL and pets like Blaine.

You can subscribe to our newsletter at easelnj.org/newsletter-2, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/EASELNJ), or follow us on Instagram (instagram.com/ easelnj). Donations of pet food and supplies are always appreciated, too. Most importantly, you can adopt a cat or dog from our shelter at 4 Jake Garzio Drive in

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May 2022 | Ewing Observer3

HART continued from Page 1 as she starts an affair with a married woman, chronicling the effects—positive and negative—of this life-changing, power-unbalanced relationship, through Mallory’s college years and beyond.

The tale takes many elements from Hart’s life. Hart, like Mallory, is an only child who grew up in New Jersey and attended college on Long Island, at Hofstra University. The book’s third chapter offers an intimate look at Mallory’s life during and after her mother’s death from cancer, while at the same time Mallory is processing her own queer identity. It is a fictionalized rendition of Hart’s own experience.

But this is fiction, Hart says, and to help separate author and subject, she gave the story a limited third-person narrator point of view—as opposed to the first-person perspective commonly found in memoir.

“Mallory has many thoughts and experiences that I’ve never had,” she says. “So it became vital to the writing of the book to give it that third-person distance.”

Although it took Hart 10 years to write the story, We Do What We Do in the Dark is by no means all that she has been working on in that time. She has held a variety of jobs on the Greater New York literary scene, including working for The New Yorker as a fiction reader, and she spent

four years as an assistant books editor at gram at Rutgers, and that’s when the book O, the Oprah Magazine. She has been an started coming together in a serious way adjunct instructor for the Rutgers writing and I was talking to agents about it. program.

For a while after that, I was kind of lanBut since last July, she has commit- guishing on the book, it was coming very ted fully to the writer’s life. After years very slowly if at all. I started working at of living in Manhattan, she has moved O, The Oprah Magazine as an assistant back home, purchasing a home in Ewing books editor in 2017, and being around with her partner. Here she can be closer books all the time and reading them all to her father, David A. Hart, who is also the time it really sparked me into a minda published author. She is set of, “I can do this, I have currently writing a second to finish it, I want to be part novel, this one set in Bucks of this world.”

County.

Working as a books ediThe Observer chatted with tor was motivating, but Hart last month about her it also came with a bit of novel, life as a writer, what it impostor syndrome. I was was like working for Oprah covering books by and Winfrey, and what comes meeting authors who I next in her career. The interlong admired, and reviewview has been lightly edited ing their books and talking for length and clarity. to them. All the time thinkEwing Obser ver: You ing I can do this, and when Hart talked to the Obser ver in I do my name is going to be 2015 about an autobioslotted next to these people graphical novel that you were writ- whose books are on my shelf. ing, and seven short years later it is EO: Was there a point where in print. What does it feel like to have you thought it might not all come brought the book to fruition? together, or a breakthrough moment Michelle Hart: It’s totally surreal. It’s where you figured out how to comliterally the same book that I was work- plete it? ing on when I talked to you last (in 2015).

MH: There was a lot of time where I I was just graduating from my M.F.A. pro- didn’t think it would happen. I had two stories—one story was of my relationship with my mom and watching her be sick and what that meant to me, and the other was a short story I had originally written for Electric Literature, about this studentteacher affair. I thought both were good, and I didn’t want to commit to either of them and then one day it clicked into place that it actually made sense that they were the same story. Once I had that breakthrough, it was sort of off to the races.

Endings are notoriously hard, of

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course, so I was struggling with the ending, and then in 2018 the #MeToo movement happened. I reread what I had written about this student-teacher affair through the lens of this huge cultural shift of #MeToo, and I thought, that’s what’s at stake here. With that the entire book fell into place and soon it was done.

Most of the #MeToo stories, if not all of them, were about a man and a girl, and I sort of felt like my story participated in this conversation in a way that I hadn’t seen before, between an older woman and a younger woman. The thing about #MeToo that really fascinated me and still sort of fascinates me is the way it recontextualizes a lot of early relationships that young women have with their superiors.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call my book a #MeToo book, but I do think it does thematically relate to looking back at a formative relationship and questioning it.

EO: We Do What We Do in the Dark has a ver y limited point of view—we only rarely get glimpses of how others feel about Mallor y, and always filtered through her perspective. How did you come to develop the stor y’s point of view?

MH: I gravitate toward books where characters are incredibly observant but not at all self aware. It’s really fun to write a character that’s really aware of certain things, but really unaware of other things.

The first few drafts of it were written in first person. But I started writing this book when I was Mallory’s age, when I was 19, and I wrote this book until I was 30, essentially, and by that time, Mallory’s first-person narration felt very claustrophobic to me. One of the interesting things about switching it to third-person narration was that I deleted a lot of the introspection and interiority and it made the book move a lot faster.

EO: Mallor y pursues a relationship with an older woman, a married professor (known in the stor y only as “the woman.”) Though there is clear imbalance in their relationship, Mallor y thinks of the experience as transformative and defining.

Are you interested in how the reader processes this relationship?

MH: It was really tricky to do that because in a lot of ways, the relationship is not great. It’s quite problematic, the difference in power and station in life of these characters. I don’t think anyone would say this relationship was equal, and a lot of it is not on Mallory’s terms.

What’s interesting to me is to find that gray area. The woman is not evil. I’m not even convinced that she’s a bad person. It was important to me to maintain a lot of ambiguity because you could rationalize it: Mallory is overage; she’s not the woman’s student; she is the one who pursues

the woman pretty hard. There are things that Mallory is held accountable for.

The project of the book was to present a really complicated relationship to the reader and say, “What do you think about this?” Those are my favorite books where the author doesn’t tell me how to feel.

The author presents evidence one way or the other, and allows me to make my own mind up.

When my editor was writing jacket copy for the book, she had this phrase: “Mallory is forced to consider her time with the woman for better or worse.” I really liked that phrase because there were positive things to come of the relationship. The woman stoked things in Mallory that were important—encouraging her artistically and sensually, making her more confident in being queer. Those are undeniable positives.

EO: As a books editor with O, you reviewed a wide variety of queer fiction. For most of publishing’s histor y, LGBTQ stories have been shunted from the mainstream. How do you feel about the way things are changing in the industr y?

MH: When I first started there in 2017, there were some queer books on the market, and the “Big 5” publishers (Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, Macmillan and Simon and

Schuster—the largest fiction-publishing conglomerates in the English-language world), were coming out with more. But it was kind of a leaky faucet, a slow drip drip of these stories.

When I first started as an assistant books editor, I worried about rocking the boat. I didn’t want to be seen as pushing any agenda. But it became clear, the longer that I was there, that I had a platform.

We featured a book in the magazine once about queer people in Mississippi written

by Nick White, called Sweet and Low, and I remember thinking that it was a really good book, not just because its characters were queer. The characters were so vibrant and his descriptions of the South were really riveting.

Some time afterward, I went to see the author do a reading, and when I introduced myself to him, he teared up. He had seen the coverage in O and he said, “Michelle, without hyperbole, you changed my life. I never thought a book like mine would be in a magazine like yours.”

Obviously it’s not mine, it’s Oprah’s magazine. But hearing what one single small review could mean to somebody was really eye opening, and in the next few years, I started to make the coverage of LGBTQ books a priority.

I don’t want to pat myself on the back too much, but I had been told that I was

changing things. There weren’t really editors like me at renowned publications.

I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did if I weren’t working for Oprah. When I started and I would listen to publicists pitch their books, they would dance around the fact that their books were queer. The more that I became visible in coverage of queer books, the more publishers would be like, “This book is gay as hell!” That wasn’t true when I started.

I’ve noticed a clear uptick in the prevalence of queer voices and it’s clear that there’s an audience for them. There’s always been an audience for it, but that audience is more vocal. LGBT romance novels are flying off the shelf now, and Netflix and Hulu are making more and more original content centered on queer characters. There’s a sea change that I think I was a part of.

EO: What did your father say after he read the final manuscript?

MH: My dad has been nothing but supportive, both in terms of my lifestyle and my writing. For the 10 years it took me to finish this book, he didn’t read a word of it, and not because he was worried about what he’d read. He just knew that it would be a final product one day. He said, “Michelle, I want to have the experience of being able to crack open your book and read your story.”

It was really cool, and one of the things that kept me going was thinking that, as embarrassing as it might be to have my dad read a sex scene I wrote, I’ve got to give him that experience.

After he first read it, he came over for dinner and he said, “Michelle, this is brilliant.”He had specific lines and scenes that he said he was mesmerized by, and he was quoting lines to me. He believed in me the whole time, and he still believes in me.

EO: What’s next for you?

MH: I left my job at O in July. It was just time to move on to trying to write full time. The new book is about Bucks County politics and a political scandal that erupts. When Trump won in 2016, I was flabbergasted that Bucks County went for him. The book is set just after the 2016 election and is sort of about a politician who, as a reaction to her home area voting for Trump, starts on her own political path.

We Do What We Do in the Dark, a novel

by Michelle Hart, available May 3 and for pre-order from Barnes and Noble, Amazon and other bookstores.

Hart will be at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn May 9 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the novel with author Emily Gould. She also plans to be at the Montclair Literary Festival in Montclair on May 7. Web: michellehart.me.

ARE PLEASED TOBERT PRESENT: MAYOR STEINMANN & THE EWING ARTS COMMISSION MAYOR BERT STEINMANN & THE EWING ARTS COMMISSION MAYOR BERT STEINMANN & THE EWING ARTSCOMMISSION COMMISSION ANMAYOR EVENING OF BERT STEINMANN & THE EWING ARTS ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT: ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT: MAYOR BERT STEINMANN & THE EWING ARTS COMMISSION ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT: ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT: AN EVENING OF AN EVENING OF ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT: ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT: AN EVENING OF AN OF ANEVENING EVENING OF OF AN EVENING

Art & Music Art & Music Art & Music Art & Music THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 FROM 6-8PM THE THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 FROM 6-8PM AT AT THE THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 FROM 6-8PM AT THE EWING TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING EWING TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 FROM 6-8PM AT THE THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 FROMBUILDING 6-8PM AT THE EWING TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL EWING EWINGTOWNSHIP TOWNSHIPMUNICIPAL MUNICIPALBUILDING BUILDING

Join in us in welcoming The Arc Mercer artists back into our space, as partour of our Join Join us us in welcoming welcoming The The Arc Arc Mercer Mercer artists artists back back into into our our space, space,as as part part of of our Join uscontinuing The Arc Mercer artists back into our space, as by part ofofour Featured Artist program.

The show will be headlined a reception continuing Featured Artist program.

The show will be Join usininwelcoming welcoming Mercer artists our space,by part our continuing FeaturedThe ArtistArc program.

The showback willinto be headlined headlined byasaa reception reception continuing Featured Artist program.

The show will be headlined by a reception on May 5 from 6Artist to 8program. pm which will include live dramatic on from include live dramatic performances continuing The show will be headlined byperformances a reception on May May 55Featured from 66 to to 88 pm pm which which will will include live dramatic performances ononby May 5individuals totofrom 88Central pm which will include live dramatic performances by Central Jersey Performing Arts Academy and include individuals Jersey Arts Academy and 5from from66from pm which willPerforming include live byMay individuals from Central Jersey Performing Artsdramatic Academyperformances and include include bybyinterviews individuals from Central Jersey Performing Arts Academy and include interviews with several featured artists from Arc Mercer & CJPAA. Attendees with several featured artists from Arc Mercer & CJPAA. Attendees individuals from Central Jersey Performing Arts Academy and include interviews with several featured artists from Arc Mercer & CJPAA. Attendees will also have a chance to meet the artists, perform themselves via karaoke, interviews with several featured artists from Arc Mercer & CJPAA. Attendees will also have a chance to meet the artists, perform themselves via karaoke, interviews withaseveral artists fromperform Arc Mercer & CJPAA. will also have chance featured to meet the artists, themselves viaAttendees karaoke, and purchase artwork in support of theperform Mercer Arc programs.

Portions of the and purchase artwork in support the Arc programs.

Portions of will also have a achance toto meet the artists, via will also have chance meet theof artists, perform themselves viakaraoke, karaoke, and purchase artwork in support of the Mercer Mercer Arcthemselves programs.

Portions of the the May 5 program will be streamed online on the Ewing Portions Arts Commissions May 55 program will be streamed online on the Ewing Commissions and purchase artwork ininalso support ofofthe Mercer Arc programs. ofofthe and purchase artwork support the Mercer Arc programs. the May program will also also be streamed online on the Ewing Arts ArtsPortions Commissions YouTube channel.

Links to the event can be found on the Ewing Arts website.

YouTube channel.

Links to the event can be found on the Ewing Arts website.

May 5 program will also be streamed online on the Ewing Arts Commissions May 5 program willLinks also be streamed online on the Arts Commissions YouTube channel. to the event can be found onEwing the Ewing Arts website.

YouTube channel.

Links to the event can be found on the Ewing Arts YouTube channel. Links to the event can be found on the Ewing Artswebsite. website.

www.ewingartsnj.com • @ewing_arts www.ewingartsnj.com • @ewing_arts www.ewingartsnj.com • @ewing_arts www.ewingartsnj.com www.ewingartsnj.com• •@ewing_arts @ewing_arts

Interested in being a Featured Artist?

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We always looking for visual and We are are always looking visual and Interested in being a for Artist?

Interested being aFeatured Featured Artist?

We are alwaysinlooking for visual and performing artists with ties to the Ewing performing artists with ties to the Ewing We are always looking for visual and We are always fortovisual and performing artistslooking with ties the Ewing community.

Join our list by registering community. ourwith list ties by registering at at performing artists totothe performingJoin artists theEwing Ewing community.

Join our with list byties registering at ewinggreenteam.org/arts-and-culture. ewinggreenteam.org/arts-and-culture.

This community.

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Join our list by registering at ewinggreenteam.org/arts-and-culture. This registry is in partnership with the Ewing registry is in partnership with the Ewing ewinggreenteam.org/arts-and-culture.

This ewinggreenteam.org/arts-and-culture. registry is in partnership with the Ewing This Green which help Ewing Township Green team, which willwill help Ewing Township registry isteam, partnership with the registry isinin partnership with theEwing Ewing Green team, which will help Ewing Township to Silver Certification with Sustainable Jersey to Silver Certification with Sustainable Jersey Green team, which Ewing toGreen Silver Certification with Sustainable Jersey team, whichwill willhelp help EwingTownship Township again this year. again thisCertification year. to again this year. toSilver Silver Certificationwith withSustainable SustainableJersey Jersey You can also join us at our May 3 meeting You can also join us at our May 3 meeting again this year. again this year.

You can also join us at our May 3 meeting at 7pm a conversation on promoting at 7pm for aforconversation on May promoting ArtsArts You can also join ususatatour 3 3meeting atYou 7pm for a conversation on promoting Arts can also join our May meeting in the Community. in the Community. at 7pm for a conversation on promoting inatthe Community.

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May 2022 | Ewing Observer5

BAN continued from Page 1 available for purchase.

On Nov. 4, 2020, Gov. Murphy signed legislation banning single-use plastic bags.

JoAnn Gemenden is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, a nonprofit organization leading two public outreach campaigns to prepare residents for the changes.

Of their campaigns, Bag Up NJ encouraged customers to have reusable bags, while ‘Skip the Straw’ helped publicize the Nov. 4, 2021 legislation now in effect where plastic straws are granted only upon request of the customer.

Their toolkit for spreading information on NJCCC’s website for Bag Up NJ, bagupnj.com, has recently expanded, going from a few social media posts to a wealth of PSAs, signs, lists, fliers, and even billboards—many of the resources are also available in multiple languages.

“Whether you’re a resident, a business owner or an employer, we have a myriad of graphics and downloads,” Gemenden said. “It’s going to take all of us to share the message to ensure that we’re all prepared for May 4.”

She expected that the platform will continue growing as new events are scheduled, including bag giveaways, which Gemenden noted are more likely to be sponsored locally.

6Ewing Observer | May 2022

JoAnn Gemenden promotes New Jersey Clean Communities’ Council’s Bag Up NJ campaign in 2021.

Eight other states in the country are currently enforcing plastic bans. The Long Branch group Clean Ocean Action recovered about 9,305 shopping bags and 1,057 foam takeout containers from New Jersey beaches in 2021. Plastic in general accounted for 73.87% of the materials vol-

unteers collected, but paper bags are an issue, too, because of the amount of water, energy, wood and other components used in the manufacturing process.

“It’s not an issue of being recyclable, it’s a matter of being sustainable,” Gemenden explained of their environmental impact.

“Paper bags have just as big of a carbon footprint, in some respects.”

Given the pandemic’s effect on global supply chains, paper bags are even “difficult to find,” as Gemenden added. “A lot of retail stores are allowed to use paper under the new law, but they can’t find them.”

Under the May 4 rules, single-use paper bags can be delegated to restaurants, convenience and retail stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores less than 2,500 square feet.

When it comes to shopping from home with delivery or pickup services, though, Gemenden said that each store must come to their own decision. A NJ.com article from April 7, “Online grocery orders would get temporary break from N.J.’s plastic bag ban under bill” by Steven Rodas, states that Stop & Shop and Whole Foods are now opting for reusable bags.

However, ShopRite and Walmart are yet to make a decision. Some counties, like Passaic, are trying to pass legislation that “[gives] grocery stores a reprieve from the bag ban when providing delivery or pickup services” to figure out their future plans.

Exemptions to the plastic bag law in grocery stores are for produce, such as fruits and vegetables, raw meat or fish, flowers, and other items detailed in a full chart at

New Jersey’s plastic bag ban is expected to catch many consumers off guard when it goes into effect on May 4. nj.gov/dep/get-past-plastic.

Gemenden confirmed that it is acceptable for shoppers to bring their own plastic or paper bags with them—grocery stores are just prohibited from providing them to the customer. Residents can opt to bring their own bags, cardboard boxes, or even laundry bins to shop at the grocery store.

“I think we’re going to see a lot of innovation being developed over the next couple of years,” Gemenden said of the creative approaches different companies and groups may take. She predicted that free bag giveaways will be common after the ban as a way to ensure everyone can economically, and environmentally, have the best option.

Gemenden maintained that litter abatement is the ultimate goal.

“If you read the intro to the single use plastics law, you’re gonna learn that it’s really all about litter prevention. They estimate that in 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Plastic really doesn’t go away. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller particles. Then, it gets eaten by fish and then we in turn, eat the fish. We’re just trying to clean up our ecosystem and prevent the litter that we see on our roadways, and in our waterways, and start making a dent in the plastic that’s proliferating our oceans,” she said.

From May 4, NJ’s single-use plastic law will supersede all municipal plastic bag and straw ordinances. Penalties for noncompliance, according to the Bag Up NJ website, are “a warning for a first offense, up to $1,000 for a second offense, and up to $5,000 for a third or subsequent offense.”

After this ban goes into effect, Gemenden said that next on the horizon could be limiting the release of balloons, which turn into litter when they inevitably land somewhere far away.

She remarked that there are other ways to celebrate without harming the environment, advising people to either

blow bubbles or plant trees.

“Many people don’t know that the Mylar balloons can actually lead to a power outage if they get caught in overhead wires,” Gemenden explained. “We’re not trying to be the enforcement police out there, but one of those things people just don’t think about, where the balloon goes after they let it go.”

Another upcoming campaign will focus on ‘skipping the stuff,’ where consumers and businesses can mutually benefit from not giving or receiving utensils, napkins, ketchup and other plastic wares for takeout.

“We have to figure out a way to work with businesses to save them money and to lessen the waste stream every day,” she said.

Gemenden expressed hope that these progressive measures will have a positive influence elsewhere in the United States.

“I hope we are certainly the leader in this campaign, and I know from speaking with other states that they are looking to New Jersey to [see] how the rollout goes.

I think some are envious that they didn’t ban both. Some states have banned thinner plastic, but they’ve allowed a thicker plastic bag which is deemed reusable. So I applaud New Jersey for going the extra mile and sort of pulling the band aid off all at once,” Gemenden said.

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MERCER continued from Page 1 ment will officially embark on the role of CEO on Oct. 1.

“My heart has been aching, lusting to get involved with some of the bigger picture issues, because we’re changing lives one by one here at HomeFront and doing it very, very well. But there are a lot of bureaucratic reforms and legislative reforms that will make a real difference,” Mercer explained.

The initial urge to take action arose when Mercer, aghast with what she saw in a Route 1 motel, helped hungry children and their families living in squalid conditions.

HomeFront’s first volunteers brought food to ensure that the homeless populations were not only adequately nourished, but cared for.

Mercer said that one year, they provided 300,000 meals, the services then encompassing a Meals on Wheels program and preparing food in volunteer, church, and communal kitchens. Restaurants also donated food, and Mercer estimated that the food is given to about 1,200 families a month.

“The more you deliver the food,” she said, “you see that they need so much more than that. You see that it’s the middle of winter and the little girl that comes out to get the food only has flip flops on.”

She added that the children are so young, but they might have depression or carry a weight beyond their years — with circumstances beyond what a single meal could hope to remedy.

“We realized that what we were doing was terribly important, and we did it for a number of years, that people need so much more than just food and some nice people interacting with them — that they’ve got to claw their way out of poverty, they need real programs,” Mercer said.

This is where HomeFront’s “comprehensive wraparound plan” came to be.

HomeFront is run through donations of money and resources, supplying housing, food, daily necessities, training, life skills, prevention services, programs, and more to families in need.

Their sheltering opportunities and outreach continued to develop along with the organization. In 2015, HomeFront revitalized a decommissioned military base across more than eight acres, turning it into its “Family Campus,” which houses its “Family Preservation Center,” a place where all kinds of assistance is administered on-site.

The Ewing-based facility accommodates 38 families in total, complete with dorm suites and social services to uplift, not discourage, disadvantaged households.

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Connie Mercer, founder of HomeFront, which has facilities in Ewing, is stepping down as CEO. occupational opportunities with proper coaching and the career program, Hire Expectations, while children can also receive customized education and care at the Atkinson’s Child Development Center.

This ensures that everyone has an outlet, and a safe space, to develop themselves further.

“We have all the support and services that they need there in one spot,” Mercer said, especially prideful of programs that supply costly items such as diapers.

Beyond the shelters, HomeFront’s sister agency Homes by TLC has created about 120 units of affordable housing.

The nonprofit tries to eradicate the pitfalls that alienate and punish low-income families. Additionally, a focus is put on families being able to leave the shelter and get an apartment or house of their own. To aid the moving process, there is also a HomeFront FreeStore for furniture and goods.

Extending her passion for ensuring others have a roof over their heads, at the start of the pandemic, the HomeFront CEO and founder assembled the New Jersey Shelter Providers Consortium. The entity consists of about 122 statewide shelters “that on any given night, are sheltering about 9,000 people,” according to Mercer.

Prior to this established network, state shelters rarely shared resources or communicated for partnership purposes, Mercer said. But as a team, they are approaching the government about the implementation of mental health services and other needs, with the pandemic a much too difficult cost to handle individually.

“We figured out how to get training into our shelters, which is something that really hadn’t happened very much. We got $9 million of additional money in the bud-

get for frontline workers,” Mercer said.

“We made sure that people in shelters were first in line for shots and PPE. The government had sort of forgotten about us when they were putting together their policies because we never had a voice. Now, we have a voice.”

“There’s strength in numbers, and the shelter consortium is making such a huge difference,” Mercer added. “The work that we do in running shelters is very complicated, from everything dealing with bedbugs, to dealing with people with severe mental health issues, to dealing with a very broken social service system—I just needed colleagues to talk to.”

But Mercer can always come ‘home’ to roost. She is guiding HomeFront through her lifetime of experiences and finding a new person to take her place. She has no doubt she will still be busy, whether it’s with the “two beautiful grandbabies” in Colorado that she is going to prioritize spending time with, or writing a potential book about the HomeFront model.

In terms of national influence, Mercer said that other groups around the country are eager to copy HomeFront’s successes, and may have already done so — thus, spreading the movement with a written guide from the originator herself makes the task easier to accomplish.

Over three decades, Mercer has observed key changes in family dynamics.

Years ago, she said, fathers were often not in the picture for those receiving HomeFront services. Pivoting away from that, a higher percentage of families includes fathers than ever before, with the male figures also being heads of the household or single parents more frequently.

Another shift was that prior to 2020, HomeFront had helped nearly eradicate the presence of homeless children living in Mercer County motels.

“The pandemic has turned everything on its head. Once again, there are hotel families, because there just aren’t enough rooms in my shelter or out in the community,” Mercer said.

“We as a community, and I don’t just mean HomeFront, I mean all of the social service agencies, have worked together very well to set up a system that’s quickly moved folks out of homelessness,” Mercer said.

“But probably the thing I’m proudest of is how HomeFront has really been able to successfully rally our Mercer County community to make a difference, and to care and to continue to care. So many communities across the state, across the country, are angry at homeless families, but here in our community, they want to make sure that the homeless kids have the same chance for a good future as the larger community kids do. I’m very proud of that. We set the groundwork for that,”

she continued.

Just like the crisis at the motel ignited her desire to open HomeFront, there was a moment when Mercer realized she was inspiring something larger than life.

Mercer has seen the growth of countless individuals from youth to adulthood, witnessing firsthand how children directly took control of their lives to pursue bigger dreams.

“These are the kids that were languishing in those motels that other people had written off as being ‘throwaway’ kids. Now, here they are, making a difference in the community. That makes me most proud,” she said.

Mercer is aware of her impact, and others are, too. The latest HomeFront press release said in its overview that she was “honored at the White House during President Obama’s administration, received an honorary doctorate from Princeton University, and was inducted in 2019 into the NJ Hall of Fame for Housing and Economic Development.”

But a large portion of the world does not register how easy it is to cross the line into poverty, particularly during the pandemic, when government agencies closed down and brought about unprecedented complications.

“People out there just generally don’t realize how close to the edge so many people are. When you miss four paychecks because you’re homeless, because you’re home sick, or because one of the two providers loses a job because their restaurant closed down, [they don’t know] how little it takes to throw people off,” Mercer said.

Mary Gay Abbott-Young is the president of the Rescue Mission of Trenton.

For over 100 years, the Rescue Mission of Trenton has been providing services to economically impoverished people in the area via a large emergency shelter, case management networks, supportive housing, and a range of behavioral health and vocational services. They also have a food pantry, thrift store, and clothing boxes throughout New Jersey to collect donations.

930 Spruce Street, Lawrence, NJ 08648 |Main Line: (609)-989-6522 Fax : (609)-278-2713 | BoardofElections@mercercounty.org

Abbott-Young described Mercer as a longtime friend both personally and professionally, continuing that others often remark the pair “fought the good fight 930 Spruce Street, Lawrence, NJ 08648 |Main Line: (609)-989-6522 together,” as Abbott-Young recalled, their Fax : (609)-278-2713 | BoardofElections@mercercounty.org time together dating back to when HomeFront was known as the Exchange Club.

Of her “constant, unwavering advocacy,” Abbot-Young said if need be, Mercer would call somebody to help a client 930 Spruce Street, Lawrence, NJ 08648 |Main Line: (609)-989-6522 no matter the time of day or circumstance, going from emotional support to finding : (609)-278-2713 | NJ BoardofElections@mercercounty.org 930Fax Spruce Street, Lawrence, 08648 |Main Line: (609)-989-6522 legislative solutions that best serve famiFax : (609)-278-2713 | BoardofElections@mercercounty.org lies experiencing homelessness.

“HomeFront is a premier leader in innovation for services to homeless people.

I would say the beauty of Connie’s work is not only that she developed this comprehensive, amazing organization, literally from a couple of volunteers sitting around the kitchen table into…[serving] every single need of a homeless family,” Abbott-Young said. “She has never lost contact with the client, never lost her love Are you eligible to serve? or her ambition to help the families, hasn’t wavered in that one bit in all these years.”

YES! If you are registered to vote in Mercer County.*** “I think all of us would do well to have a YES! If you are able to read and write legibly.

YES! If you can lift at least 50 lbs. (the weight of opening a voting machine) without difficulty. sister or a mother or a friend that has that type of empathy,” she continued.

Mercer acknowledged Margaret Mead, ***YES! If you’re age 16 and older! a cultural anthropologist and author, We participate in a state-wide program that hires high school students for half-day shifts.

Call for more details! whose quote captures what she called HomeFront’s enduring creed, motto and inspiration: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens What is the Compensation?

What do I have to do? can change the world. Indeed, it is the only • Full Day shift is $300 • File application & notify the Board of availability each year thing that ever has.”

AM to 8:00 PM • Attend 2 Hour Training “I believe that firmly, and I’m very Are you eligible to5:15 serve?

Are you eligible to serve?

• Setup and operate voting machines, equipment and • Half Day Shift is $150: proud that HomeFront was able to mobisupplies AM-5:15 AM to 1:00 PM lize those volunteers to make YES!theIf world you are YES! registered to vote in Mercer County.*** YES! If you are registered to vote in Mercer County.*** If you are registered to vote in Mercer County.*** • Process voters using electronic Poll Book PM- 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM a better place,” Mercer said. “I hope for YES! Ifyou you areable able to read and write legibly.

• Pick up and/or return Election Day supplies if selected Ifto are towrite read and write legibly.

Students Hours Vary If youofare YES! able read and legibly.

HomeFront that it always YES! is a model YES! IfIfyou youcan canliftliftat at least weight of opening a voting machine) without difficulty.

YES! least 5050 lbs.lbs. (the(the weight of opening a voting machine) without difficulty. how to help homeless families get through YES! If you can lift at least 50 lbs. (the weight of opening a voting machine) without difficulty.

Board Workers are needed for the…Election Day and Early Voting! the horror of homelessness and move on to self-sufficiency.”

For more information visit ***YES! If you’re age age 16 please and older! ***YES! If you’re 16 and older!

HomeFront, 1880 Princeton Avenue, http://www.mercercounty.org/boards-commissions/board-of-elections We in in a state-wide program thatthat hireshires highhigh school students for half-day shifts.shifts.

Weparticipate participate a state-wide program school students for half-day Lawrence. Donations in Mercer’s honor ***YES! If you’re agedetails!

16 and older!

CallCall for more can be made by credit card or check to the for more details!

We participate in a state-wide program that hires high school students for half-day shifts.

Connie Mercer Fund at homefrontnj.org/ donate-conniefund. 609-989-9417 or homeCall for more details! frontnj.org.

YOUR CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN A PRIMARY & GENERAL ELECTION

Are you eligible to serve?

Are you eligible to serve?

registered to vote in Mercer County.*** able to read and write legibly. lift at least 50 lbs. (the weight of opening a voting machine) without difficulty.

***YES! If you’re age 16 and older!

WhatWhat is theisCompensation?

What dodo I have to do? the Compensation?

What I have to do? rticipate in a state-wide program that hires high school students for half-day shifts.

• Full Day shift is $300 • File application & notify the Board of availability each year • Full Day shift is $300 • File application & notify the Board of availability each year 5:15 AM to 8:00 PM • Attend 2 Hour Training 5:15 AM to 8:00 PM • Attend 2 Hour Training Call for more details!

• Setup and operate voting machines, equipment and What is the Compensation?

What I have to machines, do? equipment and • Setup anddo operate voting supplies supplies voters electronic Poll Book each year • File application••&Process notify theusing Board of availability Process voters using electronic Poll Book • Pick up and/or return Election Day supplies if selected • Pick up and/or return Election Day supplies if selected • Attend 2 Hour Training

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& notify the Board of availability each year Training

• Half Day Shift is $150: • Half Day Shift is $150: AM-5:15 AM to 1:00 PM AM-5:15 AM to 1:00 PM • FullPM-Day $300 1:00shift PM tois8:00 PM PM- 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM Students Hours Vary 5:15 AM to 8:00 PMVary Students Hours

• Setup and operate voting machines, equipment and • Half Day $150:Voting!

Board Workers are needed for the…Election DayShift andisEarly supplies Board are needed for the…Election Day and Early AM-5:15 AM to 1:00Voting!

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For more information please visit • Process voters using electronic Poll Book PM-visit 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM For more information please http://www.mercercounty.org/boards-commissions/board-of-elections • Pick up and/or return Election Day supplies if selected Students Hours Vary • Full Day shift is $300 http://www.mercercounty.org/boards-commissions/board-of-elections

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May 2022 | Ewing Observer9

Commercial real estate at a crossroads due to pandemic Interview by Bill Sanservino

COVID-19 had a major impacts on a number of areas of the economy. As the pandemic eases, some portions—like retail and restaurants—will eventually recover.

But others, like the commercial office market, may be irrevocably changed.

With more employees working from home, companies are finding that their need for space is much lower than before the pandemic hit.

The state of the market and its impact on the township’s tax base, revenues and property valuations were some of the of the topics covered in a recent interview with Mayor Bert Steinmann conducted by Ewing Observer editor Bill Sanservino.

An edited version of the interview runs in the Q&A below.

The first part of the Q&A ran in the March issue of the Observer, and part two ran in April. Both can also be found online at the Observer’s website at communitynews.org. The Q&A will continue in next month’s issue. *** Ewing Observer: The commercial tax base is in a difficult situation.

Can you tell me a little bit about what you’re seeing in the township in terms of the commercial real estate market? You’ve got quite a few office complexes, especially along I-295, right?

Bert Steinmann: So basically, we are seeing the same thing that’s across the country. We have a couple of big complexes. One on Bear Tavern Road that’s only at about 30% occupied, and the rest is vacant.

EO: Which one is that?

BS: Mountain View Office Park.

There’s also the office park on Parkway Avenue and Scotch Road, where Bank of America is located. That’s 60% vacant, but I believe that one was sold to somebody else.

Church & Dwight had a number of employees that are working from home, but they’re not hiring a lot of people back.

They looked at the situation, and they can do more for less. So they asked for a tax break, and they got a one-year tax relief, as did a couple of other places.

We’re bumping them back up to the normal rate (this year), but that has had an impact on this year’s budget.

And then we have the hotels, because of the occupancy—on no occupancy, basi-

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I don’t think that the office space is coming back anytime soon, because things have changed over the years—technology and everything else. There’s more and more people that are working from home and don’t even ever go in the office anymore. So that eliminates space for them.

So as far as that market is concerned, it’s really depressed. What we’re seeing now is that the biggest demand is for warehousing.

I would say 50%, of retail business is ordered online. So they have these warehouses, they store and they ship it out of those warehouses to your home. Retail stores are shutting down. Walmart shut down a couple of their stores. It has an impact.

People’s way of doing things, where you went out and you did your shopping in person, it’s not that way anymore. Personally, I don’t like that. I’d rather just go out and look at what I’m buying and buy it.

But even in the online version of this, if you don’t like what you buy when you get it in the mail, it’s easy to send it back and there’s no charges for that. So it’s convenient for people. But I think people lose

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EO: I remember back in the early 2000s, the commercial market crashed and a lot of businesses filed for tax appeals. Ewing did a revaluation, which reassesed residential and commercial properties, but that was right before COVID. Since then residential has skyrocketed while commercial is depressed. What can be done about that?

BS: The revaluation was done in like 2018 or 2019, I believe—right in that time frame. The county has since come up with an equalization program. When Ewing Township did our revaluation, that was the first one that was done since 1992, and there was a big discrepancy between more modern properties, and nobody was really paying attention to the older neighborhoods in the sense that their taxes weren’t really getting equalized to what the current rate would be.

Where the newer properties—whether it was an apartment complex or condominiums and the all nine yards, they were assessed at market rate.

There was even a discrepancy in the neighborhood where I live. I didn’t see any difference in what we were paying

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(in taxes) until 2018 or 2019. I was paying rates from when I bought my house at very, very low price.

That was not fair to people that were living in houses that were assessed at market value. They were paying way over the amount. So my neighborhood and other neighbors all around me were basically not paying what I believed was their fair share, but the newer complexes were subsidizing the rest of us, the rest of the township.

After we did revaluation we got to a point where everything was equal. So that’s where we are. Now, instead of waiting another 10 to 15 years to do another revaluation, which is very expensive— we spent a little bit over $1 million to do that— the county has come up with an ongoing program.

Basically it’s determined on the house sale. And it’s not just based on one particular house. Say you paid $200,000 for your house and now all of a sudden you are selling it for $500,000? Well, the whole neighborhood is not going to get assessed on that $500,000, but if that’s the going rate for every house that’s being sold down the line, then those are the adjustments that are being made.

EO: So it’s based on neighborhood trends? I guess that would require the township’s tax assessor to be more proactive in terms of monitoring those

transactions?

BS: You’re absolutely correct. The other thing that wasn’t occurring is that when people were putting additions on their house or making renovations, we never sent a tax assessor to look at that.

That’s happening now.

Now I know a lot of individuals don’t like that—and I get it—but at the end of the day, it’s a rate equalization so that everybody fairly shares the burden of taxes.

EO: Are you also doing that with commercial properties? If you have a bunch of the commercial tax base out there filing for lower assessments and paying less, where does the brunt of the taxes end up going?

BS: It would wind up going to the residential taxpayers. And that’s when we look at our budget. We look at things like hiring people and things that maybe we would like to do, but we’re going to have to hold off on.

I mean, everybody’s always talking about, “My street needs to be paved,” and we have a fairly decent program in place, but some years we may just say, “You know what? We’re not going to borrow $1 million or $2 million to pay for it. We can wait another year.”

So in some neighborhoods, instead of paving the road, we’re doing a microchiptype situation. They skim the top, and

then they put down a stone aggregate.

That extends the life of the street for 5 to 6 years.

EO: Microchip? That’s an interesting name for it. I just want to clarify so some people don’t think that the township is putting surveillance chips in the street. It’s a different kind of microchip we’re talking about, right?

BS: Exactly. It’s a fine aggregate that they do. They come down the street and they fix the potholes and the whole nine yards. Then they come up and they put a tar coat down, and then they come over and they have this fine stone dust that they run over the top of it.

It’s not the end-all, but it does save a lot of money, and in the meantime the street will be in pretty good shape. I mean, it has some drawbacks to it. Obviously, it’s not good to skateboard on, or maybe ride your bike, but for traffic, it’s good.

EO: So, I guess you would probably say this is time for all levels of government to do a little bit of belt-tightening due to the financial situation out there?

BS: Correct. You’re absolutely right.

EO: I recall a situation a number of years back where the owner of a large corporate complex went bankrupt and they had a bunch of unpaid taxes. In that case, the town had to set aside a lot of money as a reserve for uncol-

lected taxes. Is that a possibility?

BS: No. Basically what we do now is an accelerated tax lien, and we do it every year. If you’re in default of your taxes, then a tax lien for the property goes up for sale and then other people wind up bidding on the lien.

For example, if you owe $1 million dollars in back taxes, somebody can buy up the lien and then pay the town $1 million dollars. That way we don’t have the problem where we have to put that in reserve.

We had that back, I think it was around 2009 or 2010, just before I came into office.

The law was changed, because people weren’t paying their taxes and they were really taking advantage. Not that they couldn’t afford it, but they were taking advantage of the fact that the interest rates on the money they were saving by not paying their taxes was far greater than the penalty for not paying their taxes.

So, it would almost take a year-and-ahalf or two years before we could collect those taxes. In the meantime, whether it was $2,000, or $1 million, we had to put all of that in reserve and all the other individuals that who were paying taxes were paying the price.

I would say we are probably 98 or 99% compliant now. We do have some tax liens that are still outstanding, but they’re very See STEINMANN, Page 12

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STEINMANN continued from Page 11 minimal and they’re smaller amounts.

EO: What do you think will happen with commercial properties that might not rebound from the current situation, or developable properties that are currently zoned for office use? Do you see, a situation where the township is going to have to re-evaluate the zoning?

BS: We are constantly looking at different zones in the township and see what is best suited for those properties. What was good 20 years ago as a commercial property, may not be that good now, because there is no commercial.

Maybe the property would be better as a condominium-type or residential or other types of things that are current today. We look at those situations and we’ve established zones.

We have the industrial zones, we have commercial zones, we have the Town Center development, and those types of things where we can offer incentives or other things that make it better for individuals to come and develop those particular properties and get them off the non-taxable rolls and onto a tax roll, even though it would be phased in over time. At least something is being done as opposed to the ground sitting there fallow.

EO: You have to keep in mind, I guess, that depending on what type of

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residential you add to the community you might be impacting the school district. You could be adding children to the schools, which is expensive.

Where does the district stand in terms of space in school buildings for additional students?

BS: As we speak today, even with the new developments that are going in, there’s ample room in our school system to handle the situation as far as the number of kids that come into the program. The school district does a study every year to evaluate student projections through Rutgers.

This year there’s going to be a slight uptick in the number of kids that are going to be going to schools, but with the overall graduation rate, the numbers are actually going down.

What has happened because of the population shift from one location to another, the schools they would ordinarily go to may get changed. For example, there might not be room at Lore School, but there’s plenty of room at an Antheil, so that population could shift to that school.

As far as overcrowding, there is none.

So we are in good shape. The township and the school board cooperate with one another. We have meetings on a regular basis., and we’re not in any situation where we have to build a new school or do anything else.

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Women’s Health starts on pg 10 thesix09.com | May 2022

Raise a Glass to Mothers & May New Jersey’s wineries are a perfect place to celebrate Mother’s Day or spend a sunny spring afternoon.

Page 2.

Vegan restaurants find room to grow at the Trenton Farmers Market, page 8.

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what’s happening

A toast to mothers

Kite Day, Sunday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $12 in advance; $15 at the door.

Winery Weekend Music Series, Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence. www.terhuneorchards. com.

through its annual kite-flying festival that is perfect for entertaining more than just families. Guests can make, bring or choose a kite to use while country music, pony rides, games and other activities round out the day.

Animal lovers looking to observe Terhune’s sheep shearer cutting fleece off of the animal may do so on Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. while other farm creatures, including dwarf Nigerian goats, donkeys, and bunnies, mill about leisurely.

If that “shear” amount of fun activities are not enough, for the adults in attendance, the Wine Orchard is open with Terhune’s 18 varieties of wine available by the glass, tasting flights, and in slushies. Light fare will be available for everyone, as well as apple cider donuts and three varieties of apple cider made from the orchard’s own fruit. Children under three are complimentary and parking is free.

“It’s great for all ages,” said Tannwen Mount, who is proud to be the 10th gen-

Take flight with Terhune Orchards

see WINE, Page 4

By ReBekaH ScHROeDeR

As the season changes, welcoming in the sun and blooming flowers, central New Jersey shows its charming, rustic effervescence through a selection of sprawling wineries. Take in the sweet scents of grapes, as well as fun in the open air, while state COVID-19 policies allow for larger, mostly outdoor, gatherings. There are events planned for the entire month of May, as well as specifically for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 8, where it’s only fitting for these important family figures to relax — whether that be with a glass of wine in hand or just to bask in nature’s warmth.

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SIX09

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Working Dog Winery

WINE, continued from Page 2

Erikka Reenstierna-Cates |photographer Richard Termine

eration of the Mount family to farm in the central New Jersey area. “It’s just a fun way to celebrate the renewal season.”

The Mount family has a long lineage dedicated to owning, and running, the farm for more than 45 years, according to Tannwen Mount. The 250-acre property is open all year long, but the warmer months are where the Mount family’s expertise gets to shine.

As part of those plans, Terhune’s Winery Weekend Music Series will see local musicians playing out in the wine orchard, where Mount hopes that their “historic” apple trees will be ready in time for the full visual experience. Reservations are not required.

On Mother’s Day weekend in particular, the lively tunes are set to continue, but mothers will receive $2s off of Terhune’s tasting flights. Mount said that while the orchard is a family friendly place, their goal for May 8 is to help mothers take it easy.

Then, the owner of Terhune, Pam Mount, is set to run her free annual herb and garden class on Saturday, May 14, to help attendees recognize the timely importance of preparing their gardens.

“We’re farmers here at Terhune Orchards, in addition to the winery and

4SIX09 | May 2022

610 Perrineville Road, Hightstown.

Open Fridays, noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. www. workingdogwinerynj.com.

A family enjoys sips and small bites at Terhune Orchards.

other things. We like to share our knowledge with everyone and everyone, after a long winter, is ready to get out and about and get their gardens ready,” Tannwen Mount said.

Terhune’s pick-your-own crop is also back on as soon as their asparagus pokes its head out of the ground, which is set to

happen in early May. The farm grows 46 different crops in total, and about a dozen of them are offered in this “hands-on experience of being their own farmers,” as Tannwen Mount noted. A full list of what crop is next to pop up, from strawberries to pumpkins, can be found via updates on their social media.

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Dog days are far from over at this award-winning winery, which is set to feature live music and food trucks every weekend in May. On Mother’s Day, there will be music by local rock band Spoondrift from 1 to 5 p.m., as well as Lobster Rolls and More, a seafood-oriented food truck.

Working Dog is only for those 21 and older and does not take reservations.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs, pop-up tents, umbrellas and/ or blankets. Outside food, except for pizza and large hoagies, is allowed, and Working Dog has a list of suggested pairings at their website, workingdogwinerynj.com/our-wines. No outside beverages are permitted. Dogs are allowed outside on leashes only.

Wine from Working Dog is featured at Mercer County locations such as Padrino’s Bistro & Italian Steakhouse in Hamilton, Chambers Walk Cafe & Catering in Lawrenceville, and Villa Mannino in Bordentown.

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Hopewell Valley Vineyards

Old York Cellars

46 Yard Road, Pennington. Mother’s Day Brunch, Sunday, May 8, 11 a.m. $38.95 each adult plus gratuity ($46.74) and tax; $13.95 each child 10 and under plus gratuity ($16.74) and tax. Reserve by May 4. Regular Business Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday to Saturday noon to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m. 609-737-4465 or www.hopewellvalleyvineyards.com.

80 Old York Road, Ringoes. Mother’s Day Weekend Celebration Friday through Sunday, May 6 to May 8, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Regular Business Hours: Saturday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 11:30 to 9 p.m. www.oldyorkcellars.com.

Hopewell Valley Vineyards’ menu for this brunch features their famous ricotta pancakes, brick oven breakfast pizzas, baked goods and more. Wine, mimosas and bellinis will be available for purchase.

Children under two are complimentary.

Old york Cellars offers cabanas that can be reserved to enjoy your wine and food.

Unionville Winery 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes. Release weekend Saturdy and Sunday, May 14 and 15. Open noon to 5 p.m. daily. Wine tastings are $20 per person. 908-788-0400 or www.unionvillevineyards.com.

It’s release weekend for the newest edition of Unionville Winery’s three Rhône-inspired wines, the Hunterdon Mistral Series, which have a uniquely French background. General manager

John Cifelli explained that the inspiration came from the term for the intensely frigid, powerful wind that travels through Southern France to the coastland.

“The mistral is a wind that blows through the [Rhône] River Valley every spring, and so we named this collection of wines after the wind,” Cifelli said. The force gives grapes grown during the fierce weather a unique advantage. By

ridding the sky of clouds and the cooled vines of insects, the grapes are less likely to rot, making for a delicious, prized wine.

Tastings are by appointment at noon, 2, and 4 p.m. Guests can enjoy à la carte lunch options made-to-order by Skillman cafe Blawenburg Bistro, and there will also be live guitar music with singersongwriter James Popik on Sunday.

Mingling Spanish cuisine and luxury wine, Old York Cellars prides itself on its diversity, continuing that trend for Mother’s Day weekend. Anthony Rossi, director of B2B & partnerships, recommends that anyone looking to spend the holiday in style make reservations for Old York’s array of wine tasting experiences supplemented by live music acts and numerous culinary options.

For $55, the “Special Mother’s Day Platter & Wine” features an artisan board of Spanish chorizo, serrano ham, gouda and manchego cheese, olives, almonds and grapes. A pair of wine-infused cupcakes from BAM Desserts will be served in two flavors — chocolate with red wine, and vanilla with Old York’s Riesling wine. Also included are two chocolate truffles from The Fudge Shoppe, as well as a choice of a bottle of Old York’s red, white, or blush “What Exit” wine. see WINE, Page 6

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WINE, continued from Page 5

Laurita Winery

cally doing a live cooking paella demo on our patio. There’s music playing, people drinking wine and sangria. It’s a really nice vibe,” Rossi said of the experience, which also includes live music until 9 p.m.

There is wine and live music on Fridays, Saturdays and Memorial Day. Other events include wine and comedy nights on Saturdays, May 7 and 21, as well as the virtual Foreign Language Educators of NJ Wine Tasting Experience on May 13 to raise funds for senior scholarships. Tasting kits are $80 each.

Wine from Old York Cellars is featured at Mercer County restaurants such as Delorenzo’s Pizza in Hamilton and Local Greek in Princeton.

Old York’s online Mother Day’s gifts consist of wine or sangria gift box collections, wine-infused products, and other unique options like customized labels for wine at $20 per bottle.

85 Archertown Road, New Egypt.

SpringFest Food Truck Festival, Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, May 22, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. $12 in advance; $14 at the door. Under 21 free. www.lauritawinery.com.

While Laurita Winery’s Mother’s Day Brunch is sold out, there will be one of the winery’s signature food truck festivals, SpringFest, on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22. With fireworks on Saturday night, live music, and a free souvenir Laurita wine glass, the weekend can be used to spoil anyone, especially mothers.

Children are welcome but must be supervised. No pets or outside food or beverages are allowed, with bags subject to inspection for public safety. “Unique

YEARS

YEARS

The musical acts for Sunday, May 8, are rock singer-songwriter Josh Zuckerman, followed by the Mike Viscel OneMan Band, from noon to 6:30 p.m.

As part of its regular ensemble, “Chef José’s Wine and Tapas Experience” features Spanish tapas created by Old York’s Chef José Diaz in a “treat for the senses” available weekends at 2 p.m. for $40 per person.

“Chef José’s Six Course Pairing Experience” highlights Diaz’s “old world style” of Spanish cooking, taking guests through the courses and explaining “how the unique components of the food and wine create epicurean harmony,” as stated on the Old York website. The menu includes tapas, entrees, desserts and wine, available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 5 p.m. for $70 per person.

The “Wine, Charcuterie and Chocolate Experience” features artisan meats and cheeses, as well as chocolate truffles, on weekends at 12:30 p.m. for $30 per person.

In addition to these tastings, weekend table reservations are open from Friday to Sunday. Old York has cabanas, available for weekday and weekend reservations. The cabanas can seat up to six people as they look over the vineyard, warmed by a fire pit, and guests at both the tables and cabanas may order from the winery food menu. Table reservations are $20 per person, and cabanas are $30 per person. $15 of each purchase is allocated towards credit for purchases while visiting the winery.

Beginning in late May, there are also plans to have “Paella on the Patio” every Friday night from 5 to 7 p.m.

“Chef José gets out the big pan, basi-

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and popular” food trucks in the lineup include: Cousins Maine Lobster, ColdStone Creamery, Shore Good Eats n Treats, Kiersten’s Creations, Mexi-Boys, REDs Pizza Express, Snack Shack, and 5 Sisters Food Co.

Cream Ridge Winery 145 County Road 539, Cream Ridge.

“Mom-Mosas,” Saturday, May 7, noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday, May 8, noon to 5 p.m.

Free admission. Regular Business Hours: Monday to Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m. www.creamridgewinery.com.

On Mother’s Day, kick back with a bubbly cocktail of Cream Ridge Winery’s sparkling Riesling and Seyval wine blend, Sparkling Personality, and tart orange juice. The last call is 30 minutes before closing.

Every weekend in May, like many of the wineries featured, Cream Ridge has live music, their performers playing from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, then 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more sweet treats, Waffle Cabin Monmouth County Food Truck will be serving up hot Belgian waffles made with sugar pearls all of Sunday.

Tastings, glasses, and bottles are avail-

able for purchase. Children are welcome, and pets are allowed outside on leashes only. Coolers are subject to inspection for public safety.

For groups of six people and more, Cream Ridge requests patrons to call ahead, but otherwise, reservations are not required. Outside food is allowed, but no outside alcohol is permitted. Attendees are welcome to bring their own setup of chairs, tables, tents, etc. to get comfortable as they take in the 14 acres of vineyard. *** For other wine trails and Mother’s Day events throughout New Jersey, the Hunterdon Wine Trail goes across the county’s five wineries, which includes two of the Ringoes locations featured in this article — Beneduce Vineyards, Mount Salem Vineyards, Old York Cellars, The Federal Twist Vineyard and Unionville Vineyards — for what the Garden State Wine Growers Association calls “the ‘Napa Valley’ of New Jersey.” Tomasello Winery in Hammonton also has a Mother’s Day Brunch on May 8.

Regardless of if you visit these New Jersey wineries sometime in May or for Mother’s Day, there is little to “wine” about, as this part of the state certainly knows how to keep the celebration going.

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May 2022 | SIX097

what’s cooking?

Fueled by

MERCER EATS

Farmers market b(l)ooming with vegan restaurants

By Jack Deegan

In recent years, the vegan movement has grown considerably, with new restaurants popping up every day as more and more people take to the lifestyle.

“When we first signed the lease for this place there was an article in Forbes about how the vegan movement was blowing up and we didn’t even think that would be a thing. We just wanted to do what we were doing!” says Francesca Avitto, co-owner of Lady and the Shallot. “When this place first opened, there wasn’t another vegan place from here to Princeton. We just want to see more healthy places and more vegan places open.”

Now more than ever, the vegan movement for a healthier lifestyle abstaining from using any animal products is becoming appealing to more people. People of all ages are switching to this lifestyle for health and to try and make the world a safer place.

8SIX09 | May 2022

“We have people from all different walks of life, we have old retired people trying to watch their health and then the young generation who’s gonna change the world, it’s amazing to see the different demographics that come in because it’s all over now,” Avitto says.

Before Lady and the Shallot opened, it would have been difficult to find a vegan restaurant near the Mercer County area.

Now, places like the Trenton Farmers Market is overflowing with healthy eating options that include two vegan restaurants: The Lady and the Shallot and the Savory Leaf Café.

Lady and the Shallot came onto the scene in 2018. Founders Francesca Avitto and Kate Wnek looked to make plant-based comfort foods that not only tasted good, but also made you feel good. It wasn’t always their goal to open up a vegan restaurant though. That came out of the blue on one fateful evening.

Francesca has been vegetarian since

she was 17, and went vegan five years ago. Kate decided to become vegan at the same time. “It was a big turnaround for me, I grew up eating everything, so it was hard for me to stop. But over time we just went with the flow,” she says.

The pair had a catering events company seven years ago, when they weren’t vegan. They cooked upscale catering, and did intimate dinner parties where they cooked in clients’ kitchens in the Princeton area.

“It was pretty cool, but it wasn’t as rewarding as making people feel healthy,” Francesca says.

They still do catering, and while at first their goals for the future were more along the lines of world domination, with locations everywhere making everyone in the world healthy, they have scaled those back a bit to something more realistic. Right now, their big future plan is to go all in on their sauces and to get them sold in stores.

“We really want to do a sauce line,”

Francesca says. “We’re really into our sauces, we think they’re really good, our customers love them. We started selling them and we want to do them wholesale to get them in really good supermarkets and have everyone able to eat a very healthy, limited-ingredient sauce,” Francesca said.

For a long time, the lack of vegan restaurants made it very difficult for people to adopt the lifestyle. “It was very hard to be vegan back then in 1997, you had to either go into Manhattan or cook it yourself! So that was the only thing that stopped me from being fully vegan,” Francesca says.

That same challenge is what led Eduardo Calderon to open up his vegan restaurant, Savory Leaf Cafe, at the Farmers Market back in 2019. For over a decade before opening, Eduardo had been a vegan and always struggled with finding healthy options.

Authentic and flavorful food has always been important to him, and it was

the idea of making good healthy food for good souls to enjoy.

“I’ve been a vegan for about 15 years now, and it was always difficult to find something to eat, so I kinda like, as a joke, said I’m going to open up my own place.

But it actually made sense, so that’s how it came about, out of necessity but it was actually a good opportunity,” Calderon says.

When it came to his vegan lifestyle, there wasn’t an overnight change where he stopped everything in favor of going vegan. It unfortunately came from some food poisoning that would end up changing his life forever.

“I got sick really bad one time from some cold cuts I had had, and from that point, I had stopped eating poultry and then a few months later just only fish and vegetables and then slowly taking one thing out,” he says.

Calderon worked in computer development for 15 years and finance for 20 years before deciding to switch careers again.

He wanted more control over his career, and found that in the restaurant industry.

As for where he learned how to cook, it’s a passion that he has been practicing and perfecting his entire life. Spending his childhood surrounded by food in a home where he was always cooking, he took to it naturally.

“I’ve always grown up cooking. I’m

Left: tacos from Lady and the Shallot. Right: ribs from Savory Leaf Café. Both of these vegan restaurants are in Trenton Farmers Market. (Facebook photos.) fortunate to have been raised in a home where we always were cooking,” he says. “My dad always used to say my last name, Calderon, was for someone who was always cooking!”

Calderon wanted to bring the flavors he grew up with into the vegan industry.

“What I wanted to do was take a lot of the foods that I enjoy already normally and take out all the other stuff, but keep the flavor still in there,” Eduardo said.

This all started with Savory Leaf’s signature dish, the vegan ribs. From there on out, all of the recipes were created by Calderon and his partner, Chris. They

even go as far as to make their own “cold cuts” for the sandwiches.

“My partner Chris and I came up with everything, It started off originally our main thing was ribs, and then we started looking into other kind of foods we could turn vegan, and we came up with it all ourselves,” Eduardo said.

One thing that makes Savory Leaf cafe different is the experimentation in their recipes. Calderon is determined to not let anything go to waste and wants to make the most of what he has, turning it all into something for people to enjoy.

“Right now something that we’re mak-

ing is pork sliders using banana peels.

We make banana bread here, and I was seeing a pile of peels and I started researching and seeing what other people were doing and I started using it and it became a hit!” Eduardo said.

Savory Leaf Cafe also has a food truck.

“People were asking if we could cater here, and from there I got the idea that it would be easier if we had some sort of vehicle to transport stuff around and cook in,” Calderon says.

Calderon wants to continue growing the business. “We’re in the process now of expanding into another location in the Mercer area, keeping this one as well, but in a more commercialized environment to test it out in the open outside of the farmers market,” he says.

Calderon is from Florida. He has been in the Trenton area for over 20 years. “My daughter moved here (for college), so I just kind of followed her up, and she finished school here and moved away and now I’m kind of stuck here! But I like the area a lot. It’s been very nice,” he says.

Both the Savory Leaf Cafe and the Lady and the Shallot are located at the Trenton Farmers Market at 960 Spruce St., Lawrence NJ 08648. More info about each restaurant can be found at either savoryleafcafe.com or facebook.com/ ladyandtheshallot.

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women’s health Why is obesity connected with serious illness from infection?

There’s a significant link between fatty tissue and immune cells, with overweight people being prone to experience an increase in the body’s Obesity and your immune inflammatory response. A certain system amount of inflammation helps the body heal injuries and fight infections.

Although physicians and scientists But too much inflammation or are still collecting and analyzing data inflammation that continues for about people who suffered most severely from COVID-19 infections, a extended periods can lead to numerous health problems—and clear correlation between high body being overweight or obese is a mass index (BMI) and grave illness hyper inflammatory state. Hormonal from the virus emerged early in the changes associated with obesity pandemic. can affect important immune system Often referred to as an epidemic components such as infectionin the U.S., obesity is known to fighting t-cells. Deregulation of certain exacerbate serious health issues like hormones due to obesity weakens the heart disease, cancer and diabetes. immune system and makes the body Ragui Sadek, MD, FACS, director of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery more susceptible to infection.

Why are overweight people more at Robert Wood Johnson University likely to get seriously ill from a viral Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton) infection? and Clinical Assistant Professor of When obese people experience Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood a major respiratory infection, Johnson Medical School, explains how for example, they may lack excess weight affects infection risks.

cardiopulmonary strength in the heart and lungs to battle it. COVID-19 is a perfect example in that overweight people are not as able to fight it off as well as non-overweight people.

But other types of infection pose greater risks to the overweight as well. For example, when overweight people have diabetes or prediabetes, any infection can be significantly worse. Bacterial skin infections in the extremities can occur from something as simple as a pinprick or scratch.

How can a bariatrics program and weight loss surgery help?

Losing weight improves overall health and helps the body fight infection. Bariatric surgery changes the digestive system in ways that foster weight loss and can lower blood sugar, improve or even cure diabetes and boost cardiopulmonary function.

Learn from actual patients & hear about their personal experience at rwjbh.org/patient-stories Learn more at rwjbh.org/weightloss or call 609-249-7510. See ad, page 11.

Ragui W. Sadek, MD, director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University New Brunswick, RWJBarnabas Health. Learn more about Dr. Sadek at rwjbh. org/doctors/ragui-w-sadek-md.

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Hamilton Dental Associates How to Pick the Perfect Pediatric Dentist for Your Kids Your child’s oral health is a complex issue for parents to deal with throughout childhood. Finding a pediatric dentist for your child’s ongoing oral health needs requires careful consideration before committing. If you make a good choice in your child’s pediatric dentist, you can help set the tone for your child’s relationship with their dental health for the rest of their life.

Knowing what to look for when selecting a pediatric dentistry practice can make a difference in your child’s oral health. Here are some of the most important factors to consider before making your child’s first appointment. *** Know the Difference Between a Pediatric and Family Dentist.

When picking a dentist for your child’s first dental checkup, you might do a quick Google search and find a nearby family dentistry practice and

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Finding a good pediatric dentist for you child can help them develop a positive relationship with dental health. call it a day. However, did you know that while a family dentist can treat patients of all ages, they might not have the same level of training as a pediatric dentist?

Not every dentist can practice on children. Dentists have to undergo years of extra training before diagnosing and treating children.

Children’s oral health presents unique challenges that adult dentists don’t have to deal with, so pediatric dentists must undergo specialist training to deal with these factors.

Additionally, the training helps pediatric dentists learn how to better communicate with their young patients and have them feel as

comfortable as possible in what can be an overwhelming situation. *** A Kid-Friendly Atmosphere. For many people, going to the dentist can spark feelings of anxiety and unease from the moment you step through the door. These feelings can get magnified in a child’s mind with their wild imaginations and distrust of new experiences. So when you’re deciding on a pediatric dental office to bring your child to for their next checkup, check out how the vibe of the website and office feels.

If you look online and in the actual building and you’re seeing a healthy dose of kids, bright colors, and a general sense that kids can come in and not feel overwhelmed by the office, it’s generally a good sign. A warm, open, and happy environment can do a lot of good for your child’s experience at our kid’s dentist’s office in Hamilton, NJ. *** Initial Consultations. Building a good rapport between your child and their dentist remains a vital component of their dental experience.

You want your child to be able to trust their dentist and feel comfortable in the chair during the examination.

supporting a healthy pregnancy by helping to relieve symptoms such as morning sickness, digestive concerns, or edema during pregnancy.

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Having an initial consultation sets up a low-stakes atmosphere where the dentist gets the chance to examine your child’s teeth, begin to build a rapport with them, and show that the dentist’s office doesn’t have to be a scary place. Your child also gets the chance to experience the new environment and have a positive experience while you ask the dentist crucial questions. *** Prioritize Preventative Treatment.

The best way to protect their oral health for most children is through preventative treatments instead of waiting for problems to crop up. An excellent pediatric dentist knows the available preventive techniques to help protect your child’s teeth from needing to fill cavities near Mercer County, NJ, and other issues before they start. *** Choose Hamilton Dental Associates for Your Pediatric Dentistry Needs! Hamilton Dental Associates has the perfect mix of a welcoming atmosphere and expertly trained pediatric dentists to help your child’s ongoing oral health needs.

We take the time to ensure your child feels as comfortable as possible throughout their dental visit and ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Contact our team to schedule your child’s first dental care consultation today!

Hamilton Dental Associates, 2929 Klockner Road, Hamilton Square; 609-359-0063. 2501 Kuser Road, Hamilton; 609-403-3217. www. hamiltondental.com. See ad, page 14.

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Saint Peter’s University Hospital has long been recognized as a leader in women’s health. Our services i genetic testing, nutritional counseling, and breast, gynecological and obstetrical care, as well as natura planning education, infertility services, and wellness programs. Plus, Saint Peter’s Women’s Imaging Ce accredited by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, offers mam and other diagnostic breast services, including stereotactic biopsy and needle localization, ultrasound density scanning for osteoporosis.

For expectant moms, Saint Peter’s has the resources to support every delivery — no matter how simple or from The Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, New Jersey’s first and only hospital-owned midwifery-led birth ce state to be accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers, to its state-designated R Perinatal Center and nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

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Saint Peter’s University Hospital has long been recognized as a leader in women’s health. Our services include genetic testing, nutritional counseling, and breast, gynecological and obstetrical care, as well as natural family planning education, infertility services, and wellness programs. Plus, Saint Peter’s Women’s Imaging Center, accredited by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, offers mammography and other diagnostic breast services, including stereotactic biopsy and needle localization, ultrasound, and bone density scanning for osteoporosis.

For expectant moms, Saint Peter’s has the resources to support every delivery — no matter how simple or complex — from The Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, New Jersey’s first and only hospital-owned midwifery-led birth center in the state to be accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers, to its state-designated Regional Perinatal Center and nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

To learn more about women’s health services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, call 732.745.8600 or visit saintpetershcs.com/womenshealth

May 2022 | SIX0913

Paragon Sport Spine & Wellness Resources for Pelvic Health Most of us have heard the term pelvic floor, but do you know what it is and what it does?

The pelvic floor is everything inside the bowl of the bony pelvis. It contains the pelvic organs, the pelvic floor muscles and connective tissue, and all the nerves and blood vessels that supply these structures. The pelvic floor muscles have four main functions: they control your bladder and bowel continence, assist in sexual function, stabilize your pelvis, and provide support to the pelvic organs.

How prevalent is pelvic floor dysfunction and what are common conditions that people seek treatment for?

Some studies have found that more than a third of individuals who identify as a female have pelvic floor dysfunction — so chances are you or someone else you know suffers from this.

You may not think you have pelvic floor dysfunction but do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

• Do you have to cross your legs when you sneeze or avoid running and jumping activities due to leaking urine?

• Do you avoid long car rides or restrict fluid intake in fear of not making the bathroom in time?

Or do you urinate frequently (>10x/day or >1x at night)

• Do you have pain with use of tampons or have pain with intercourse?

• Do you have pain in your pelvic region — genitals, perineum, rectum or tailbone?

• Do you feel like you cannot completely empty your bowels or bladder and have to go back soon after to try again?

What does treatment consist of?

If you experience any of these symptoms a visit to a qualified pelvic floor therapist is recommended. The evidence for pelvic floor therapy is strong. There have been multiple studies and reviews published that demonstrate grade A evidence for pelvic floor rehab as a first line treatment for most of the aforementioned conditions.

Your treatment will be individualized to your specific presentation and goals utilizing a full body approach. Treatment consists of patient education, strategies, and removal of negative barriers to recovery in addition to specific therapies that many include internal release, pelvic repositioning strategies, pelvic floor muscle down training and relaxation, pelvic strengthening exercises, bladder retraining, biofeedback, and core/ hip strengthening.

In addition, Paragon Sport Spine & Wellness offers a full host of orthopedic rehabilitation services including physical & occupational therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture for most all musculoskeletal aches and pains. For more information, visit www.paragonssw.com or call us at 609-686-2050.

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Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute Experts in Compassionate Treatment of Patients in Pain Dr. Ronak Patel MD is the founder and medical director of Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute. Ronak Patel, MD, is a double boardcertified in anesthesiology and pain management. He leads a team of medical professionals dedicated to resolving chronic pain in all its forms.

Dr. Patel specializes in the treatment of back pain, neck pain, joint pain, and facial pain as well as cancer-related pain. While training across the country with leaders in pain management, Dr. Patel acquired advanced skills in innovative spinal cord and peripheral nerve interventions/ablation, fracture repair through vertebral augmentation, state-of-the-art regenerative therapy, and both ultrasound-guided and X-ray guided procedures. He is an active member of several pain societies and has presented several times at national anesthesiology and pain medicine conferences.

Dr. Patel grew up in New Jersey and is excited to return to the area and help serve his community.

Having experienced a sports injury to his spine that required extensive rehabilitation and ultimately spinal injections, he understands what it means to be a patient in pain. Dr. Patel takes great pride in his gentle bedside manner and believes in spending time with his patients in order to fully understand their pain condition, develop an individualized treatment plan, and help regain functionality. His goal as a pain management doctor is to bring expert, comprehensive, safe, and effective pain care to as many patients as possible.

The practice offers an extensive range of non-surgical treatments for a broad spectrum of musculoskeletal disorders. It aims to help patients avoid surgery by embracing a variety of traditional and alternative solutions to long-term pain and using minimally invasive techniques to deliver effective treatments. While their particular focus is on orthopedic

Dr. Ronak Patel MD care for back and neck pain, the Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute providers have expertise in treating conditions as varied as arthritis, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), peripheral neuropathy, and migraines.

The innovative, multimodal approach of Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute targets the source of chronic pain wherever possible, using regenerative medicine methods such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cell, and exosome injections. These natural, biological therapies use the patient’s healing cells in concentrated form to stimulate faster and more vigorous healing of damaged and diseased tissues.

Other treatments available include viscosupplementation for knee pain, peripheral nerve stimulation and spinal cord stimulation, physiotherapy, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, epidural injections and joint injections containing steroid medication, an extensive range of nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablation. Dr. Patel is also a certified prescriber of medical marijuana under the State of New Jersey’s Medicinal Marijuana Program.

Patients of Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute benefit from the availability of same-day or next-day appointments and secure telehealth technology for remote consultations.

Call 609-269-4451 or visit www. njpaindoc.com now to book your first consultation. See ad, page 3.

Dr. Patel specializes in the treatment of back pain, neck pain, joint pain, and facial pain as well as cancer-related pain.

May 2022 | SIX0915

NJ Heart & Vascular Care Kintu Sanghvi MD’s Message for Mother’s Day The women in our lives are so busy taking care of their husbands, their kids, their parents while still using their skills and intelligence in their career that they often ignore their own health. Women present very differently with cardiovascular conditions in comparison to men.

Females with severe heart artery blockage (CAD) do not typically present with the classic angina or chest pain, but present with rather atypical symptoms, particularly with shortness of breath on exertion.

First, they commonly ignore these symptoms and then commonly blame it on lack of exercise or weight gain.

This leads to missed diagnoses and translates into increased suffering. It was my privilege to take care of one such mom, daughter, and wife: Arlette Brown.

Here is her story in her own words: “I was pretty fit till my mid 40s. At that point, work pressures increased, and at the same time as my parents’

health started to decline. And my son was a high level hockey player — I didn’t want to miss anything.

An only child, I’m blessed that my husband and son were a huge help and support, but I got the all-hour phone calls when things weren’t going well.

My mom had first stent in her early 60s, bypass in mid 60s, congestive heart failure at 70. She passed at 77, in 2018.

At that point my 83-year-old dad was worn out from caring for my mom. His physical health wasn’t bad, but he was mentally drained, easily overwhelmed, had early dementia, and took everything out on me. At this point I think I started to get symptoms of high blood pressure that I ignored.

He spent most weekends with us till we finally convinced him to move closer to us in an assisted living facility.

I was fortunate to be able to work from home during COVID, but this ended up being 10-12 hour days sitting. When I tried to work out, I had no energy. I started to get winded just going up a flight of stairs and

by February of this year had a few incidents leaving me completely winded and had what I now realize

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were chest pains. (I’m asthmatic, so having a tight chest wasn’t unusual, but I realized this pain was different) I couldn’t sleep more than two hours without waking to some chest pain. I finally realized something was wrong.

I reached out to my primary care doctor and was quickly referred to Dr. Sanghvi. I was evaluated with utmost attention to the details. I was investigated methodically in a stepwise fashion and diagnosed with a severe 90 percent blockage in my proximal left anterior descending artery (also described as the widowmaker).

This was successfully opened with a stent, in a minimally invasive procedure going through my wrist artery, and I was discharged home the same day after a few hours. Dr. Sanghvi kept me well informed at each step with extensive details.

I felt better immediately and am looking forward to re-focusing on a healthier heart lifestyle. I thought I was strong enough to overcome genetics…not so much!

Pay attention to yourself and your

NJ Heart & Vascular Care patient Arlette Brown. symptoms!”

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Medical Acucare A Personalized Approach to Your Health By focusing on every dimension of your health and well-being, Medical Acucare aims to alleviate, if not reverse, the symptoms and progression of chronic diseases.

Dr. Qingdi Geng, the founder of Medical Acucare, is board certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. She works in the central New Jersey area and draws on over 10 years of clinical experience in treating a variety of medical conditions. Throughout her practice, she discovered that conventional medical treatments are effective in managing most acute conditions — like a broken bone or a stroke — but often fall short in improving chronic diseases.

This motivated her to pursue advanced training in Acupuncture and Functional Medicine. Now, she combines the best of conventional medicine, functional medicine, and acupuncture to identify the root causes of her patients’ chronic issues and optimize their health and wellness.

Promoting Women’s Health. Dr.

Geng has a deep understanding of the unique challenges that women face as they navigate the healthcare system, especially those who are undergoing perimenopause or menopause as well as other difficult transitions. Knowing the frustration of having your symptoms minimized or simply attributed to aging, Dr. Geng pays particular attention to hormone imbalance, digestive dysfunction, autoimmune issues, and other conditions that often afflict women during these periods.

After taking the time to get to know her patients well, she runs comprehensive and tailored lab tests, recommends lifestyle modifications suitable for the individual, and offers personalized treatment plans that help her patients to restore their balance and vitality.

Advocating Cardiovascular Health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

It is well known that high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes put individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease. However, patients with chronic inflammation are also at much higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Dr. Geng has a wealth of experience treating conditions that can potentially lead to systemic inflamma-

tion including obesity, gut dysbiosis, and various autoimmune diseases.

Medical Acucare prioritizes cardiovascular health, working with patients to further assess and lessen their risk through targeted lifestyle modifications and advanced cardiovascular assessments.

Tackling Weight Loss. Since many health issues stem from unwanted weight gain, Dr. Geng takes a holistic approach to assisting in weight loss and alleviating metabolic dysfunction. She focuses on helping people to discover the root causes behind their unwanted weight gain, whether it is unhealthy eating habits, hormonal imbalance, chronic inflammation, or insulin resistance.

Medical Acucare also maintains collaborative partnerships with local and remote health coaches and nutritionists to help our patients form healthy habits, rebuild their confidence, and sustain their weight loss long-term.

Acupuncture. While acupuncture is well known for treating back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis, it is also highly effective in reducing the frequency of tension headaches and migraines. Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence that shows acupuncture can trigger the release of beneficial hormones, including

Dr. Qingdi Geng endorphins.

For more than five years, Dr. Geng has been using acupuncture to treat neck and back pain, weight loss, indigestion, urinary incontinence, insomnia, and anxiety. Since acupuncture rarely has major side effects, like prescribed medications or surgeries, it is a great option for people who want to take a more natural and less invasive treatment approach.

Medical Acucare, 2087 Klockner Road, Suite 5, Hamilton www.medical­ acucare.com. See ad, page 15.

After practicing practicing ininaalegendary academic teaching hospital for After legendary academic teaching 11 years in New Jersey, acquiring experience of over 10,000 hospital for 11 years in New Jersey, acquiring experience cardiovascular publishing multiple publishing research of over 10,000procedures, cardiovascular procedures, articles, book chapters, and training over 100 cardiologists, multiple research articles, book chapters, and training Dr. Sanghvi has opened NJ Heart & Vascular Care to over 100 cardiologists, Sanghvi has opened NJ and provide what is missing: ADr. personalized, compassionate Heart & Vascular Carecardiovascular to provide what missing: comprehensive tertiary careislocally with A easy personalized, compassionate, and comprehensive access.

tertiary cardiovascular care locally with easy access.

“It is truly a privilege to provide cutting edge, evidence “It is truly a privilege to provide cutting edge, evidence based, comprehensive cardiovascular care to each based, comprehensive cardiovascular care to each patient, one at a time."

patient, one at a time.”

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their 30s and 40s.

Endometriosis can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the outer surface of the uterus, the lining of the pelvic cavity, the vagina, the cervix Endometriosis Treatment and other parts of the body including with Robotic Precision the bowel, bladder and rectum.

Saint Peter’s University Hospital Symptoms include inflammation and has long been acknowledged as scar tissue that can cause pelvic a leader in women’s health for its pain and infertility. Sometimes the nationally recognized obstetrical endometrial tissue binds organs and gynecological care, including together or grows into the ovaries or the diagnosis and treatment of blocks fallopian tubes. Endometriosis endometriosis. Dusan Perisic, MD, may be found in up to half of women FACOG, the director of Minimally with significant pelvic pain or painful Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Saint periods and up to 70 percent of Peter’s and the associate program women with infertility. director of the hospital’s Obstetrics To treat endometriosis, women and Gynecology Residency Program, can undergo robotic surgery where is skilled in treating endometriosis endometriotic lesions are excised, through robotic-assisted surgery via endometriotic cysts are removed from the da Vinci® Surgical System. the ovaries and scar tissue in the Endometriosis is a disease of pelvis is broken and removed. With the women’s reproductive system. this type of conservative surgery, It occurs when endometrium — the women can gain relief while also tissue that lines the uterus or womb retaining their fertility. Endometriosis — grows outside of the uterus on can also be treated with a robotic other organs of the body. More than hysterectomy, where the uterus is five million women in the U.S. have removed. Robotic surgery can also endometriosis. While it can occur be used to remove the fallopian tubes during the teen years and in any and ovaries, eliminating the disease. woman who still has a menstrual The da Vinci Surgical System period, it is most common in women in puts a surgeon’s hands at the

Saint Peter’s University Hospital

controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform, enabling them to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision.

It is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery.

The surgeon makes small incisions in the patient to introduce miniaturized instruments with wrist-like movements and a high-definition 3D camera.

Seated at the da Vinci console, Dr. Perisic views a magnified, highresolution 3D image of the surgical site. At the same time, state-of-the-art robotic and computer technologies scale, filter and seamlessly translate Dr. Perisic’s hand movements into precise micro-movements of the wristed instruments. The system cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own. All movements are performed by the surgeon at the console.

Women who undergo robotic surgery for endometriosis experience less pain and less bleeding and can expect to go home the same day and return to work in one week.

To learn more about gynecologic surgery at Saint Peter’s, visit

Dusan Perisic, MD, FACOG, the director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. saintpetershcs.com/gynsurgery. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Perisic, call 732-339-7762.

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Community News Service 11/21 VE Sudoku

sudoku

crossword

Community News Service 5/22 V-Easy Sudoku

mmunity News Service 5/22 Crossword

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20 Stroke 21 Suffix with lion 22 Carved 23 CD predecessors 25 Landing craft (Abbr.)

26 Spires 31 Refines, as ore 35 Millinery 36 1961 space chimp 38 Venerate 39 “Now I get it!”

40 Leather works 42 Relief 43 Back biter 45 Wing (Fr.) 46 ___ meridiem 47 Came across as 49 Detergent 51 Compass pt.

52 Cousin of “Phooey!”

53 Light source 56 Some name suffixes 58 Bank letters

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61 Justice of the peace 63 Highlands hillside 64 Hopped off 65 Buenos ___ 66 Gumbo ingredient 67 Gambit 68 Meager 69 Attention-getter

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

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Coral reefs Booted out Cheese nibblers “Beowulf” beverage Saddler’s tool Consternation Psychic power Anatomical foot Pillow covers Western resort lake Thompson of Howard the Duck Sicilian resort Kind of boom Usurers Shopworn Passover feast Peddle Fashions

Puzzle solutions on pg 22

46 Santa ___, Calif.

48 Some river features 50 Bodybuilder’s pride 53 Summon 54 Exchange premium 55 Speed skater Heiden 56 “Nana” star Anna 57 Medical advice, often 59 Swabbies 60 Cold cuts, e.g.

61 Blueprint 62 Coach Parseghian 63 Conk

5 7 1 9 4 3

3 4 6 5 6 PuzzleJunction.c 2

Copyright ©2022 PuzzleJunction.com

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box Sudoku Puzzle B must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

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Solution

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May 2022 | SIX0921

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8 1 5 2 6 7 4 9 3

7 9 3 1 8 4 5 6 2

8 5 7 2 9 6 4 1 3

1 4 6 7 8 3 5 2 9

3 9 2 4 1 5 7 8 6

7 3 1 9 5 8 2 6 4

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9 6 4 3 7 2 8 5 1

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4 8 3 6 2 9 1 7 5

2 1 9 5 3 7 6 4 8

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To book a classified ad in this section, please email your text and any other information to mdurelli@communitynews.org. Classifieds run at 75 cents per word with a $20 minimum per month. For more information, call 609-396-1511, ext. 105.

classified HELP WANTED Dog walker wanted.

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LEGAL SERVICES -Wills, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Federal and NJ Taxes, Education Law. House calls available. Bruce Cooke, Esq. 609-7994674.

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WANTED TO BUY Wanted: Baseball, football, basketball, hockey.

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24SIX09 | May 2022

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W. Reed Gusciora, Mayor

May 2022 | Ewing Observer13

sports

Ryan Leary the ‘glue’ for Blue Devils baseball team But the lure of Division I baseball ing to play; with him and Dom playing proved too great to resist, making that next year,” Angebranndt. “Just to have It was a simple, high chop grounder grounder one of the most important in Ryan come out and be the leader on the toward second base, and Ryan Leary Leary’s career. Ewing coach Dave Ange- field at shortstop the last four years; it unwittingly turned it into his college branndt feels his shortstop has what it has been incredible that I can rely on that baseball future. kind of play every day.” takes to play at the next “It’s crazy,” the Ewing High senior level.

Leary played basketshortstop said. “I was at a Showcase ball, soccer and baseball “He’s a great player,” Tournament and there was a ground ball Dave Angebranndt said. growing up. He started in Leary played up the middle. It was a little slow roller, I “(Mike) Salvatore was a the Ewing Little League basketball, think it bounced off the pitcher’s mound. great defensive shortstop but quickly jumped to I came in pretty quick with my hands and (who graduated in 2015) Dave Gallagher travel soccer and chucked it over to first. It was the first and to have a guy like this ball and decided to solely play of the game.” focus on baseball. For come in a couple of years baseball And it showed one spectator all he later and solidify that role a while he played all growing up. needed to see. over the field, including in the field is good for us.

“The infield coach at Wagner, Andrew He struggled a little early pitcher and catcher. He Turner, saw me make it,” Leary contin- in his career, but he got found his position while ued. “He went up to one of my coaches mentally tough, matured. playing with the Gallaand said ‘Who’s that?’ A month later I was And he was able to become a very suc- gher at Newtown organization. with Wagner.”

“One of the infield guys said ‘Why cessful shortstop in the county.”

Leary did not jump right to Staten He and Dominic Yancey, who is headed don’t you just try shortstop for a little bit?’

Island, as he checked out some Division for New Jersey City State, are the glue and we’ve been training there ever since II schools in Pennsylvania and some Divi- that holds an improved Ewing team then,” Leary said. “I had played it before sion III programs in New Jersey. but I was mainly a second baseman. I just together.

“It was pretty stressful,” he said.

“It all starts with the mentality of want- started to realize how much power I had in my arm; and I move efficiently.”

It would take more than that to become a stellar middle infielder. Once Leary was plugged in at short, he did everything possible to improve himself.

“Range is hard to come by,” he said.

“It’s just strength training in the gym, getting stronger, getting faster. In order to get better, you take a massive, massive amount of ground balls. And then there are all the different drills that you can take from any D 1 college or professional ball. Just invest in it. Go on YouTube.”

During the winter, Leary goes to the Gallaghter facility and takes nearly 1,000 TH ground balls during each session.

“I tend not to throw during the winter to save my arm,” he said. “I go for a month without throwing and then I start Vendors and Food Concessions! to work my way back up to long ball.”

Leary always had a good glove; and this year his bat has heated up as well.

TH TH Through the Blue Devils 3-4 start, Ryan Conformation was hitting .385 with three doubles, two (on the Festival Grounds) triples, four walks and a team-high six runs scored.

Best of Breed judging starts at 8:30 am “He is hitting the ball better; I think he Group judging starts at 2:30 pm found himself a better approach,” AngeBest in Show approximately 5:00 pm branndt said. “He’s seeing balls that he th th th can hit in the gaps better; and he’s taking swings on balls he can hit in the gap betLure Coursing Ability Tests (near the Dog Park) ter; rather than trying to just protect himself and swing if it’s a strike.”

Leary also made a few technical Mercer County Park, West Windsor NJ adjustments.

Rich Fisher

Trenton Kennel Club’s 100 DOG SHOW

BRING THE FAMILY! Enjoy the day at the park!

May 8

and 9

May 6 , 7 and 8

Mercer 14Ewing ObserverCounty | May 2022

Park, West Windsor NJ

“I actually changed a lot of stuff in my swing,” he said. “I‘ve relaxed my shoulders a lot. I’m out a little wider, I’m getting more of my back hip in it.”

As a freshman, Ryan hit .269 in 26 atbats, scored three runs and had four walks. After Covid-19 wiped out his sophomore year, Leary batted .250 last season with six RBI, 11 runs scored, five doubles, a triple and nine walks.

With his penchant for finding the gaps, Leary was moved to the three-hole this season. He feels that has made a positive impact.

“I was always a leadoff guy, so this is a little different with the three-hole,” he said. “At leadoff you kind of want to work pitches, see pitches. Any way to get on.

The three-hole you kind of get a rest, you get to see what pitches you’re getting, and drive your pitch pretty much. I just try to hit the ball hard.”

Angebranndt feels one of the biggest differences in Leary’s bat this year is that he is not swinging at balls just because they are over the plate. He is swinging with a purpose.

“You get to a certain point where you don’t just want a kid swinging at strikes; you want them swinging at pitches they can drive,” the coach said. “When they get to that level where they’re that experienced as a hitter, they can kind of dial in where they’re gonna hit the ball and where they’re not. So he’s doing a better job of pitch selection, getting himself pitches he can drive.”

Much of Leary’s improvement can be traced back to how much he loves baseball and how hard he wants to work at it.

He puts as much mental work into it as physical.

“From a baseball standpoint, the IQ that he brings is just that of a kid who’s got experience,” Angebranndt said.

“He’s come a long way in four years, from a little freshman who was starting on the varsity program to now being that guy who we rely on. He’ll have days where things don’t go his way, but his ability to bounce back and maintain his positivity is what is gonna make him successful at the next level.”

Leary is just happy to be playing at the next level, as baseball is something he truly cherishes.

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s exciting,” he s aid. “Some minutes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. But one little play can change that and you’re back in the game.”

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INRAGTS EEW MOC   20

FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY Responsible GROWTH Increased RATABLES Improved BOND RATING

VOTE COLUMN

IMPROVED SERVICES ROAD PAVING Program Renovated REC FACILITIES EMERGENCY SERVICES Investment

A

COMMUNITY FOCUS FAMILY PROGRAMS SUPPORT for those in NEED SUSTAINABLE TOWN

TUESDAY, JUNE 7TH

Paid for by Ewing Township Democratic Committee, Larry Ganges, Treasurer

May 2022 | Ewing Observer15

GOODNEWS June May

Adopt-a-Survivor Program EHS Girls Basketball's Begins at Ewing High School Allen-Threadgill Wins Nearly sixty years since Allied forces liberated the O'Gorman Scholarship

Nazi concentration camps, the now elderly survivors EHS Girls Basketball's Jamie of the Holocaust are turning to a new generation Allen-Threadgill was honored to preserve their testimony about their wartime as this year’s female recipiexperiences for futureent generations. of the prestigious George Holocaust survivors are steadily dwindling in O’Gorman Scholarship Award. number. Many have made it their mission to educate As a sports reporter for both the world that anti-Semitism andand racism lead The Times The easily Trentonian, to murder, and to speak about the horrors they George O’Gorman covered and high their families suffered.school With the passing of time,for it has girls’ basketball six become urgent to finddecades. a new generation Although to he continue reported the survivors’ missiononand tellcompetitive their storiesCVC, afterPrep, the many survivors no longer do so.

MCT, andcan NJSIAA games and championships involvOn local Aprilteams, 12, O’Gorman the Adopt-a-Survivor ing the is best known(AAS) for approgram to the at weren’t Ewing preciatingwas andintroduced highlighting theTrenton playersarea who High School. were adopted necessarily theSix statHolocaust leaders or survivors stars of their teams. byMr. twelve Ewing High adopted O’Gorman’s gamesophomores. stories oftenThe detailed the survivors—Moshe Gimlan,ofVera Goodkin, efforts and contributions players knownMarion as unsung heroes for their grit and selfless performances, Lewin, Ruth Lubitz, Charles Rojer and Jack Zaifman— and Allen-Threadgill that role with aplomb were originally from filled Germany, Czechoslovakia, for the and BlueBelgium.

Devils, who finished the year as county Poland and The sectional champions anda asurvivor Top 20with teamone in the AAS program pairs or statewide rankings. more students. The students embark on a joint journey As the a senior leader on adiscussions young squad, with survivor through aboutAllenlife Threadgill was a steady inside presence and a key before, during and after the Holocaust. Participating part of the Devils' high-powered offenseand and students willBlue be able to represent the survivor stingy defense.

She also turned in some key perfortell the survivor’s story with accuracy and feeling in mances the Blue Devils tournament and the yearsduring to come.

In addition, each studentruns makes always demonstrated composure and sportsmanship. a commitment to tell the survivor’s story in a public "Jamie‘s attitude and outstanding venue in theamazing year 2045, a hundred years aftercharthe acter reflect the very essence of this honor," Ewing liberation of Auschwitz.

Athletic Director Kyle Kaminskas stated. "I'm sure The twelve student adopters are DaveAngebranndt, Jamie will continue to make her family, teammates, Tyler Barnes, Annie Cook, Liz Dunham, Emily Everett, coaches, school, and community extremely proud."

Curtis Fornarotto, Vildana Hajric, Devon Jones, "All of us who have been around Mercer County Jen Meade, Billy O’Callaghan, Nikyta Sharma and scholastic sports for a while know what a kind, and Melysa Wilson. continued on page A2 good person George O'Gorman was," Ewing Superintendent Michael Nitti commented. "He truly cared about the student-athletes of the area. It is an honor June 30Ewing - JulyHigh 11 School students for us to have one of our garner such Contact: a great award named after a great man."

Jean Conrad

Safety Town

The Ewing Public Schools Schools

2005 2022

TeacherEHS of the YearMonkey Recipients are Honored Mighty Wrenches FIRST Robotics Team Wins 1st Place

Congratulations to our Mighty Monkey Wrenches FIRST Robotics Team for winning 1st place in the Bensalem District Competition and for receiving the Excellence in Engineering Award which celebrates the team that demonstrates a professional approach to the engineering design process for their robot's construction!

The team traveled to Lehigh University to compete in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District competition and qualified to compete for the FIRST Championship competition in Houston, Texas April 20th through April 23rd. Congratulations!

FMS Celebrates Music in Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) At Fisher Middle School, Fisher Middle School Librarian, Mrs. Jodie Bauer and Fisher Middle School Orchestra Director, Ms. Colleen Ferry collaboratedThe andrecipients hostedof athe“Music in the Library” during 2005 Teacher of the Year Awards were honored at a luncheon on April 29th. Jan Fay, 2004 Mercer County Teacherto of conclude the Year, wasMusic a guest speaker. row (L to Month R): Joan ®Zuckerman, Principal Antheil; Sharon Solomon, Lore; Jan Fay, 2004 lunch in Our1stSchools Mercer County ® Teacher of the Year; Inetta Emery, Principal Parkway; Danielle Miller, EHS; Superintendent Ray Broach. 2nd row: Darrell (MIOSM ). The library was set up like a coffee Jackson, Principal FMS; Donna Andreas, Antheil; Don Barnett, FMS; Betsy Turgeon, Parkway; Rodney Logan, Principal EHS. house and musicians were invited to play in front of a small audience. Did you know eating with music improves digestion, as it providesWhitney a positive Lewis, EHS Freshman and more relaxed environment? Digestion is much On April 18, 2005 Ms. Chiavuzzo, Mrs. Walker of Perestroika. His policies reopened churches, heavier when stressed, so listening to music can and 30 Ewing High School freshmen joined several released political prisoners, and lifted bans on help your body and mind relax.

Mercer County high school and college students, previously censored books.

The 20th anniversary of Perestroika was and politicians to hear a presentation given by one of the essential themes of Gorbachev’s Mikhail Gorbachev at the Sovereign Bank Arena. presentation. The policy’s main goal was to Gorbachev was the last communist leader of the Second graders in Mrs. Lardieri's classDuring at Parkway make the Soviet economic system more efficient.

Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. his School practiced writing friendly letters by writing to Perestroika involved the transfer of control from term he instituted various policies including his their school mascot.

They received the best surprise the government to the business owners. This policy political policy of Glasnost and economic policy when Parkie came in person to deliver a special letter continued on page A2 in return! The students were so excited that Parkie read Due to budget restraints their letters and listened to their requests to visit them!

NO Summer School Programs They were overjoyed to receive his letter and give ParGoodNews resume kie some high fives until hewill had to return to his den! will be offered by the

Ewing High Students Attend Gorbachev Presentation

Parkway Panther Delivers Special Letter

Have a Happy Summer!!

with the September 609-538-9800 x1302 Ewing Public Schools issue of the Observer for application Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/TheEwingSchools during the Summer of 2005.

16Good News | May 2022

The Ewing Public Schools

Parkway Panthers Turned Paleontologists

During the Spring of 2021, Mrs. Tink's 3rd Grade class proudly built a dinosaur garden in Parkway's Courtyard. The garden was meant to provide students with interactive and sensory learning opportunities.

However, due to the Covid restrictions at the time, the garden became more observational than interactional.

Now a year later with Covid cases on the decline, Mrs. Tink's current 3rd Grade class is revitalizing the project with the goal of making the garden truly interactive. Students are adding more plants, rocks, and dinosaurs to the garden.

In addition to the Dinosaur Garden, a Fossil Dig has been added where students can dig up and examine real-looking fossils and dinosaur bones.

In the days ahead as students learn and interact with the dinosaur and fossil activities, these Parkway Panthers will soon feel like Parkway Paleontologists!

LORE'S TITLE I LEGO CLUB IS A HIT WITH STUDENTS

Thanks to Title I grant funding, the 3rd and 4thgrade students at Lore School were offered the opportunity to learn and explore Next Generation Science Standards through the STEM Lego Club.

Students who signed up to join the Lego Club met before school once each week to think critically and solve problems through the creative use of Lego structures. Interest was so high that Lore teachers Mrs. Colt and Mrs. Gehret added a second session for students.

PBIS Committee Hosts ‘Classroom Feud’ Gameshow at Antheil

Antheil Elementary School's Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) Committee put on a 'Classroom Feud' gameshow styled after the popular TV game show, 'The Family Feud'. Student contestants were nominated by their teachers when representing the Four R's of Antheil; Respect, Responsibility, Resourceful, and being Ready to Learn. The K-2 program occurred in the morning while the Grades 3-5 program occurred after lunch.

Questions included: What is your favorite subject?

What is something students might forget to bring to class? What is the best lunch served in the cafeteria?

The game show was designed and implemented by PBIS Committee Chairperson, Mr. Nick DeFroscia.

Racing to Zero!

Antheil Elementary School’s Ms. Tirrell and Mrs. Hartigan’s Math class are having FUN playing Race to Zero!

They are using base 10 materials to subtract. Using manipulatives and playing games makes Math more meaningful and builds better understanding.

Ewing Excels at Special Olympics Bowling Tournament

On Saturday, March 19, 2022 Ewing Schools Special Olympics bowling team competed in a bowling tournament. Our athletes had fun, bowled some great games, and left with medals. Gold medals were awarded to Nicholas Davila, Makai Hill, Vanessa Leggio, Hunter Matzer, Trent Steever, Yahya Zahdi, and Mohammed Zahdi. Taking home silver were Carson Brill, Cesar Davila, Trevon Nelson, Divy Patel and Maksym Pavskyy. Tre' Clemons took home a bronze medal. The athletes continue to make their coaches and school district proud.

mmmmm …“Calm Spot” at Antheil!

Mrs. Alicia Beachem was awarded a grant from First Day of School Foundation to create a "Calm Spot" in her classroom to help students with emotional dysregulation. Students LOVE the new space! When they enter the calm spot they have a task board where they identify how they are feeling and make a plan for WHAT they are going to do in the space. Some of the options include breathing exercises, using a sensory solution (from the green bin), journaling, or drawing. They have a weighted lap blanket, Chromebook lap desk, and a HUGE comfy bean bag. They really are so happy to have this ZEN place in the classroom!

Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/TheEwingSchools

May 2022 | Good News17

The Ewing Public Schools Thank You Ewing Kiwanis!

The EWING KIWANIS CLUB visited each of the Ewing Elementary Schools to present a check for four hundred dollars to each of the parent organizations to support the Book Mobile Programs.

For more than twenty years the EWING KIWANIS CLUB has sponsored the Book Mobile program to support students and expand their reading. The EWING KIWANIS CLUB during the last twenty-plus years has supported the Ewing elementary schools’ parent associations with a total of more than $25,000.

Pictured below are the presentations at each of the elementary schools:

Parkway School (pictured left to right): Mrs. Michelle Conway, Principal; Acting President, Ms. Debbie Calle; PTA President, Mrs. Amanda Howell; Ms. Nicole Valenza, Parkway PTA Executive Board: Ms. Heather Morley, Board of Director EWING KIWANIS.

Lore School (pictured left to right): EWING KIWANIS; Mr. Bill Tuttle; Mr. Carl Reasoner, EWING KIWANIS TREASURER; Mrs. Jaime Trafford, President Lore Parent Association; Ms. Sherries Anderson, Secretary Lore Parents Association and Mrs. Kelly Kawalek, Principal Lore School.

Antheil School (pictured left to right): Principal Clifford "Kip" Harrison; Mrs. Debbie Calle, Acting President EWING KIWANIS; Ms. Kathy Knight.

President of Antheil PTO; Ms. Christine Janecek, Antheil PTO Executive Board; Ms. Kaitlian Kaber, Vice President Ewing Kiwanis & Carl Reasoner, Treasurer Ewing Kiwanis.

Senior Spotlight: Meet Yeshem Imam What would you like people to know about Ewing High School? I would like people to know that Ewing High School is a very diverse and accepting community where people from all walks of life work and study and support each other. It is a place where everyone feels comfortable and accepted.

What has been your favorite class to date and why would you encourage another student to take that class? Although I truly appreciate all of my classes which I hold near and dear to my heart, my favorite class to date that I look back upon fondly was my first ever class at Ewing High, which was Journalism taught by Ms. Masterson. I encourage it because it gave me the chance to explore and express myself in writing and also gave me the opportunity to work with others in a very fun fashion.

What is Ewing High School’s best-kept secret?

Ewing High School’s best-kept secret is that the school chose to have a clock tower to be built rather than a pool, and it has represented us and is a symbol for not just Ewing High School, but all schools in the district.

What awards or acknowledgments have you received in school and/or outside of school? In school, I have been awarded Student of the Month for January of 2022.

Who is your favorite teacher and why? I have a deep respect for all of my teachers at Ewing High School and value all that they have taught me as they have made me wiser and given me a deeper respect for my education, but my favorite teacher would have to be Ms. Masterson. She has helped me out in many ways, whether it would be advice, preparing for a test, or just sharing a joke with the class and me.

How do you define success? I define success as a state in which a person is living comfortably and happily and is satisfied with who they are and their place in the world.

What are your plans after you graduate from Ewing High School? I plan to attend The College of New Jersey as I have been accepted there with the Presidential and Lions’ Pride scholarship, a merit-based scholarship, and I will major in Biology. After that I plan to attend medical school and eventually become a doctor.

What is an extracurricular activity at Ewing High School students should not skip? An extracurricular activity at Ewing High School that students should not skip would be the Art Club which will allow students to stretch their creative wings as well as give them some volunteer work.

In which activities do you participate in school?

I enjoy attending the Anime Club on Fridays whenever it is open after school. We all share the love of anime, especially shows such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

What activities do you participate in outside of school? I go to the gym nearby the school, Urge Fitness, and also work at Marrazzo’s Market over the weekend. This keeps me busy and adds experience to public dealing. During the summer of 2021 I attended the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. which was hosted on the campus of American University. I gained experience in the medical field by performing mock surgeries, attending lectures, and going on field trips. I also made many friends from different backgrounds.

Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/TheEwingSchools

18Good News | May 2022

The Ewing Public Schools May 2022 Schedule in Ewing Schools May 2-6

National Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3

SCHOOL CLOSED – Ed al-Fitr and Staff Development Day National Teacher Appreciation Day

May 7

POAC Walk-a-Thon @ FMS - 11am-2pm

May 10

FMS - FPA Meeting @ 6:30pm

May 12

National School Nurses’ Day Elementary Schools 4th Marking Period Parent Progress Reports

May 13

EHS - Semester 2/ Term 2/ Quarter 3 Parent Progress Reports FMS - 4th Marking Period Parent Progress Reports

May 16-20 Antheil - PTO BOGO Book Fair May 17

FMS - Spring Orchestra Concert @ 7pm

May 18

EHS - National Honor Society Induction @ 6:30pm

May 19

Parkway - Spring Vocal Music, Band & Orchestra Concert @ 6:30pm Antheil - PTO BOGO Book Fair Family Night @ 6pm Antheil - Literary Festival @ 6:30pm

May 20

EHS - Prom Night

May 23

Board of Education Meeting @ 7pm (Public Session @ 8pm)

May 25

Lore - 5th Grade Spring Vocal, Band & Orchestra Concert @ 7pm

May 26

FMS - Spring Band Concert @ 7pm

May 27

SCHOOL CLOSED

May 30

SCHOOL CLOSED – Memorial Day

May 31

Antheil - Field Day Kindergarten-2nd Grade EHS - Spring Vocal Music Concert @ 7pm

EHS Students Looking for a Job? If you are looking for a part-time after-school or summer job, please visit the Ewing High School Counseling Office or the Google sheet for a current list of employment opportunities.

Employers are looking for you!

For questions or information, please contact the Superintendent's Office: 609-538-9800 ext. 1102

www.ewing.k12.nj.us

thullings@ewingboe.org

Dear Ewing Public Education Foundation, Since my first year teaching at the Ewing Public Schools, the Ewing Public Education Foundation has always supported my innovative curricular projects and I am truly grateful to them for giving my students the opportunity to expand their STEM knowledge. I would like to thank the Ewing Public Education Foundation for their generous financial support in funding our classroom projects!

The students and I were extremely grateful to have access to the proper materials for the teaching and learning of various STEM concepts! The materials inspired and engaged my students to explore new topics and develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Over the past few years my students and I have been the fortunate recipients of the following EPEF grants: Antheil's Makerspace Fostering Creativity, Problem Solving, Innovation Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $1,500.00 September, 2020 Sensory Integration & Positive Reinforcement for Students with Special Needs Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $400.00 September, 2020 Getting Interactive with Nearpod Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $2,000.00 September, 2020 The Power of Simple Machines Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $1,112.00 May, 2019

Havin’ A Ball Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $558.00 May, 2019 Technology Integration for Preschool Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $421.00 May, 2019 STEM Robotics New Jersey Manufacturers (NJM) $1,180.00 May, 2017 Bristle Bot Invasion!

Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF) $1,550.00 May 2017

Thank you again for your generous financial support!

Sincerely, Joanna Papadopoulos, Ph.D. Ewing Public Schools STEM / Engineering & Robotic Teacher “Staying Strong - Moving Forward”

Design and Layout by Daniella Crescente GoodNews is an official publication of The Ewing Public Schools. ©2022 GoodNews

May 2022 | Good News19

workers here and across America. To share your thanks or to support our Emergency Response Fund,

Coping with leakage and other pelvic problems visit rwjbh.org/heroes

And please, for them, stay home and safe.

tant to distinguish because their causes is best for the patient. It’s all about how bothersome patients find a condition and and treatments are different.

Stress- or activity-related incontinence what their priorities are.

Learn how physical therapy can occurs when activities like laughing, coughing, sneezing or exercises cause improve pelvic health in women and Seeurine our ads in men on June 16, from 10-11 to leak. Urgency SIX09 section a.m. Explore what the pelincontinence is associated pgs 5 and 7 vic floor muscles are and with sudden urges to use The pelvic floor may be one of the most the bathroom with little how they can affect condioverlooked areas of the body—until it warning due to bladder tions like bladder urgency, Heroes Work Here_4.313x11.25_HAM.indd 1 4/17/20 1:21 PM not stops RWJ-104 working properly.

A collection of nerves and muscles incontinence, constipation, muscles and connective tissues, the pel- working properly. It’s genpain with intimacy and vic floor holds in place organs such as the erally associated with age more with class educator, bladder, rectum, bowels and uterus.

Michele Dela Rosa, PT, but also neurodegenerative “What can happen in women over time conditions.

DPT, PRPC. is that—as a result of factors such as This free community Why do some women aging, being pregnant, having vaginal or hold back from care? education event is spontraumatic delivery, going through multi- Issues like leakage have sored by Robert Wood Dr. Dalal ple deliveries or having a genetic predis- been normalized. Women Johnson University Hospiposition—the pelvic floor can weaken and are conditioned to live with tal Hamilton and is an innot function as well,” says Kunali Dalal, incontinence and compensate by wearing person class held at RWJ Health & WellMD, Gynecology, OB/GYN at Robert pads, changing undergarments, minimiz- ness Center at 3100 Quakerbridge Road Wood Johnson University Hospital Ham- ing water intake or limiting social activ- in Hamilton. Call the Health Connection ilton. “That dysfunction can manifest as ity. Lack of awareness also contributes at 609-584-5900 or visit rwjbh.org/events several conditions.” to making some problems seem taboo. to register online.

Unfortunately, women often dismiss Women may not want to bring the subject To schedule an appointment at RWJ these conditions or find them embarrass- up with a doctor.

Rehabilitation Hamilton, Pelvic Floor ing. “There’s not enough awareness that What can women do? Pelvic floor and Incontinence physical therapy, treatments are available,” Dr. Dalal says. exercises can improve or halt progres- visit: rwjbh.org/treatment-care/pelvicShe explains what can go wrong—and sion of activity-related incontinence and floor-and-incontinence-therapy or call what to do. pelvic organ prolapse. But many women 609-584-6640.

What problems can result from a don’t know how to do them properly, so weak pelvic floor? Three are especially they could benefit from consulting a phy- Coming up this month at common. One is pelvic organ prolapse, sician or pelvic floor physical therapist.

RWJU Hospital Hamilton in which weakened muscles allow one Intravaginal devices can help with pelTo register for a program or for schedule or more pelvic organs to drop or press vic organ prolapse and activity related changes call (609) 584-5900. For more informainto the vagina. This often causes vaginal leakage. Medication can help with tion, go to rwjbh.org/hamilton. pressure and a palpable vaginal bulge. It’s urgency incontinence. And a variety of not dangerous, but it is progressive and procedures can be used to treat all three TUESDAY, MAy 10 may worsen over time. Then there are conditions. I take a shared decision-mak- The Spa Within: A Meditation Experience for Everyone. 6:30 to 8 p.m. We will feed two types of incontinence. They’re impor- ing approach to decide which method the body with a few simple movements

Ask The Doctor

DON’T LET THE STATE TAKE YOUR ESTATE

Kathleen Scott Chasar, Esq.

Elder and Family Law Asset Protection

- Wills - Living Wills - Trusts - Power of Attorney - Probate - Real Estate Closing - Divorce (609) 882-2200 • 903 Parkway Avenue • Ewing, NJ 08618 Kschasar.law@gmail.com 20Ewing Observer | May 2022

to clear and ground us. We feed the mind with a poem, then lead on a guided meditation to beauty, ease and peace. We round it off with tones of singing bowls. Carol Ann Meier $15. Coordinated by Patti McDougall, Integrative RN.

Thursday, MAy 12

“Love Your Heart” Discussion Group. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Difficult emotions, like depression, as well as unhealthy nutrition can put us at risk for heart disease. Join us to explore the connection between food and mood. Recipe tasting and discussion.

Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM and Patti McDougall, Patti McDougall, Integrative RN.

Friday, MAy 13

The Science of Flavor. A Virtual Program.

10 to 11 a.m. Enjoy this program from the comfort of your home. Have you ever caramelized onions or roasted garlic? How delicious! But why? Discover how different ingredients and cooking methods can influence the outcomes of some of our basic favorite foods. Based on science! Alyssa Luning, RD, CSOWM.

TUESDAY, MAy 17

Private Reiki Sessions. Also June 21 and July 19, 3 to 7 p.m. by appointment only. Enjoy the profound relaxation of a private Reiki session. Reiki is a form of Energy Medicine to help relax the body and soothe the soul. $60/hr. Patti McDougall, Integrative RN, Reiki Master/Teacher.

Dementia and Hearing Loss - Can Early Correction Improve the Incidence of Dementia? 10 to 11 a.m. Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing older adults. Delaying treatment can cause feelings of depression, anxiety, frustration, and social isolation. Join Audiologist, Dr. Lorraine Sgarlato, Au.D. and understand the link between hearing loss and dementia.

Thursday, MAy 19

Tapping Into Natural Healing with the Eden Method. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Experience how simply tapping, touching, massaging different points on the body can help to destress, re-balance, and re-energize the mind, body, and spirit. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques and Donna Eden Energy Medicine, learn practical applications for daily living for you and your loved ones. Siobhan Hutchinson, MAHolistic Health. $15 Coordinated by Patti McDougall, Integrative RN.

TUESDAY, MAy 24

Sports and Orthopedic Health for Athletes of All Ages. 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. LIGHT DINNER INCLUDED. Join Michael R. Duch, MD, board certified Orthopedic surgeon, fellowship-trained in Sports Medicine, as he discusses proper orthopedic care of athletes of all ages. Prevention, injury and healing.

Better Health Programs There’s no better time to be 65+ years old, and there’s no better place to experience it than at the Better Health Program at RWJUH. This complimentary program will engage your mind, encourage you to move and help you reflect. To register for a program below or to learn about complimentary membership call (609) 584-5900 or visit rwjbh.org/ HamiltonBetterHealth.

TUESDAY, MAy 10

Acupuncture, Benefits from a Medical Doctor’s Perspective. 1 to 2 p.m. Please join us for an engaging conversation with Cindy Geng, MD discussing the benefits of combining acupuncture with medical treatment.

Vertigo, Causes, Symptoms & Treatments.

10 to 11 a.m. Discuss vertigo with audiologist Lorraine Sgarlato, AuD.

Thursday, MAy 12

Spring Fling. 2 to 5 p.m. Let’s celebrate Spring together with music, fun, and snacks. Must be a Better Health Member to attend. Registration Required.

Wednesday, MAy 18

Successful Aging 4-Part Series. Also May 25, June 1 and 8. 10 to 11 a.m. Studies have shown that we are in control of 70% of how we age! Kelly Astbury from The Landing will share how we can make a positive impact on our aging experience.

FREE UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

@capitalhealthnj

Building Better Bones Thursday, May 12, 2022 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting Osteoporosis is a common condition in which the bones become brittle and more likely to fracture or break, but there are a lot of things you can do to keep your bones healthy and strong. In this informative lecture, DR. DEBORAH SIEGEL-ROBLES, a physician at Capital Health Primary Care – Princeton, and JANICE PESCO, director of Capital Health Rehabilitation Services, will discuss medications and diet options to help maintain your bone health and offer exercise advice for beginners and experienced exercisers.

When is Back Pain More Than Just Back Pain?

Thursday, May 19, 2022 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting With more than half of all adults suffering daily, back pain affects most of us as we age. Join DR. DAVID KAYE, a spine surgeon from Rothman Orthopaedics Institute and director of the Orthopedic Spine Center at Capital Health, to learn effective solutions for managing pain when your back is telling you it’s time for something more.

May 2022 | Ewing Observer21

Senior Corner May 2022

(HB: HOLLOWBROOK COMMUNITY CENTER, ESCC: EWING SENIOR & COMMUNITY CENTER) BALANCE CLASS-BOB KIRBY @ ESCC THURSDAYS 1:00-2:00 PM SENIOR EXERCISE CLASS-KAREN MARTIN @ HB MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS 10:00 AM LINE DANCING-JOANNE KEEPHART @ ESCC FRIDAYS, 9:30-10:15 AM BEGINNERS, 10:15 AM-11AM ADVANCE CHAIR YOGA - LISA CARUSO @ ESCC WEDNESDAYS 11:00 AM CARDS/PINOCHLE @ESCC THURSDAYS 12:30 PM CROCHETT/KNITTING @ESCC WEDNESDAYS 9:30-11 AM WATER COLOR—ALY LYONS@ ESCC WEDNESDAYS 10:30 AM-1 PM CIRCUIT TRAINING—JEFF PRUNETTI @ ESCC FRIDAYS 1:30 PM ( $5.00 SESSION ) RUMMIKUB @ ESCC THURSDAYS 1 PM BINGO @ ESCC TUESDAYS 12:30 to 2:30 PM MAH JONGG­—CHRISTINE KAMPH @HB WEDNESDAYS 2:30-4 PM.

(NEW BEGINNERS CLASS 5/18-6/22 $10 CARD, SIGN UP AT THE SENIOR OFFICE/ CALL 609-883-1776)

JEWELRY/CRAFT @ ESCC MONDAYS 1-3 PM MEXICAN TRAIN @ ESCC WEDNESDAYS, 12:30-3 PM ADULT COLORING @ ESCC WEDNESDAYS 10:30-NOON WALKING CLUB @ESCC MONDAYS 10-11 FREE WEIGHT ROOM @ ESCC MON-FRI 8:30-NOON BILLIARDS @ ESCC MON-FRI 8:30 AM-5 PM, SATURDAYS to 4:45 PM BID WHIST @ ESCC THURSDAYS 1-6PM @ ESCC SENIOR GARDEN CLUB TUESDAYS 10-11:00 (REGISTER SENIOR DEPT) Senior luncheon show, Noon-2 pm featuring Joe Grillo “Joe Blo” on sax and vocals, Young At Heart Dancers. Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Dr. $8 pp/$13 couple. Sign up by 5/16.

Senior Citizen Advisory Commission, 3rd Thursday of the month, General Body. 10 am. Open to the public.

Club meeting held once a month: Club A Off site; Livewires-11 am, 2nd Thursday; Busy C’s-11 am, 3rd Tuesday; Club D-11 am, 1st Thursday; HB Seniors-1 pm, 2nd Friday.

Birthday celebration: Come celebrate your birthday with the Senior Office (999 Lower Ferry Rd) every 3rd Wednesday of the month, 1-2 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Also bring in your baby photo Must RSVP. 609-883-1776.

Ewing senior center looking for: Substitute van driver. Must have CDL/P Certification Volunteer senior choir director Contact- senior department 609-883-1776 MUST CALL TO REGISTER FOR ALL PROGRAMS QUESTIONS: 609-883-1776. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS WILL BE FOLLOWED. Senior Corner is paid content by Ewing Township.

22Ewing Observer | May 2022

Famous last five-letter words not bothered to read anything about it because, come on, how hard can this game be? Yeah. Wrong. I failed miserBETTING ON BLACK ably and cursed the game, swearing to never again play it. And I didn’t. For Wordle. I bet you’ve heard of it, played about 2 days. it, failed at it, triumphed over it, cursed at This time I actually read the explanait and maybe even cheated on it. It’s the tion for the game. Ah, yes, it all makes latest online word game that has everysense now. I think I got the word in 5 one captivated. Dare I say obsessed? I tries. I felt triumphant and a bit cocky. studiously avoided the game like the Until I saw other people posting their plague. At first. NOW? I am a Wordle results on Facebook. Some had gotten fanatic. the word in 3 tries and a few had 4. I was The first time I saw it posted on deflated but not defeated. my friend Sharon’s Facebook page, I Oh, yeah, one more thing. You can thought, “Nope. Not interested.” (Sorry, only play Wordle once every 24 hours.

Sharon!) The next day, I saw that she So I had a full day to contemplate my had posted it again. She was very good strategy. My mind was filled with 5 letat the doggone game. My curiosity was ter words. Instead of counting sheep, I piqued. But I still did not try it. I avoided counted letters. I figured I should use a involvement in Wordle for about a week. vowel-heavy starting word, thereby narThen I succumbed to its lure. rowing down the possibilities.

Let me digress a bit. Wordle is an I hit on a good starting word and used online word puzzle that uses a grid of it for quite a while, achieving mixed six lines containing five spaces (tiles) in results. The best I ever got was 3 tries. which to type words. Six tries to get the Not bad, but in comparison to others, not ending Wordle word, which, by the way, fabulous. Not fireworks-inducing. “Gotta is sometimes a word that I’ve never in do better.” It had now become a vendetta, my life used in a sentence. You type in a a challenge, a personal battle for Wordle 5-letter word and hit Enter. Like Wheel supremacy. Or at least competency! of Fortune, an invisible Vanna White I kept using my same starting word, slooooowly turns over your spaces to which was beginning to be ineffective. reveal how well (or how poorly) you have Let’s face it – it let me down. It disapguessed. If a letter you guess is in the pointed me. I decided to fire it. It had magic ending word and in the correct only one consonant and I was finding place, that tile is green. If the letter is that to NOT be helpful. So I said adieu to contained in the word but in the wrong that word. place, you get a yellow tile. If it’s not in Our friends Chuck and Liz are masters the word at all, the tile is an ominous and of Wordle. Chuck made the grave error slightly accusing gray or black. of sharing his starting word with me. Liz So, anyway. The first time I tried it, uses the same word and they both slay I had no idea how it was played. I had the game. Every day. So I started using their starting word.

Eureka! I was getting 3’s! (And the occasional 4). But still, I was doing better with this magic word. And today, I’m proud to say, I got the word in 2 tries. I feel like I won the lottery. Except I didn’t.

Fully Insured But it’s a mental win!

Free Estimates Wordle has taught me several things: 1) there’s a TON of 5 letter words out there, 2) Even if you have a good vocabulary, Wordle can be a spiteful little scalawag, 3) I am not a good logical thinker (my husband affirms this), and 4) Wordle can ruin your day.

So if you’ve jumped on the Wordle craze, enjoy it and good luck to you. If you have not, what are you waiting for?

ILENE BLACK

Ewing, NJ 609-468-0585

Handyman Services

All Home Repairs And Renovations

Ilene Black has been a resident of Ewing for most of her life and lives across the street from her childhood home. She and her husband, George, have two sons, Georgie and Donnie.

Celebrating treasures in this county. With foresight he planted this avenue of beautiful Lindens in 1897, a living memorial to his name. Dedicated 1932.”

EWING THEN & NOW John Stockton Hough was born in Yardley in 1845, and in 1850 the family May 2022. Mother Nature continues relocated to the old “Doc Olden” farm in to awaken from her winter rest, and is “Ewingville,” south of the Presbyterian festively adorning herself in bright colors Church and west of Scotch Road. and dancing among a limitless palette of Apparently gifted with a highly inquisitive greens. Unfortunately we still find ourselves mind, John attended no less than seven working our way through the thorny Covid educational institutions, ranging from brambles, trying desperately to finally arrive his elementary schooling in Ewing back at “normal.” It’s May, but it’s not quite a from 1850-1858, through several other normal May yet. academic institutions, and eventually One upcoming highlight of this May earning a Bachelors in Chemistry however will be a special concert May 1 at 2 (while also studying civil engineering) pm at the 1867 Sanctuary on Scotch Road to at Polytechnic College of Philadelphia in celebrate Ewing/Trenton native and world- 1867. Concurrently he studied medicine class jazz alto sax-man Richie Cole. If you and received an MD from the University see this in time, I encourage you to attend of Pennsylvania 1868, and an MS from the the concert if it is not sold out. It is being Polytechnic College in Chemistry in 1870. lovingly produced by his daughter Annie, According to several biographies, and features several musicians playing the he lectured in botany, chemistry and music and stylings of Richie Cole. Richie physiology; practiced medicine; and unfortunately passed in May of 2020, and engaged in microbiological research, this is the first opportunity to musically pay among other endeavors. He also invented tribute and celebrate the man, his music, a plan for fire-proofing buildings, and and legacy. He was our own home-town several surgical instruments. His life’s major treasure! work however was the compilation of a May 1 also marks an anniversary for bibliography of the world’s existing medical the Sanctuary as well, marking ten years literature. He traveled the world for months since the signing of a lease giving complete at a time, mastering the languages, and control and oversight of the former church collecting and noting rare medical books, building to the state-wide non-profit historic journals, etc. He gathered a world-renown preservation organization, Preservation personal library, much of which was left to New Jersey. After several years of site the University of Pennsylvania. improvements, and several more years of But while in Europe, he studied the activity as a cultural hub, Covid completely construction and care of stone roads. Finally ceased operations there for a time. During settling in Ewing in 1890, he devoted his that hiatus, some personnel formerly time to improving the local road system, associated with the building changed: and those at the county and state levels. leaders of the local steering committee; Ironically, he died in 1900 from injuries board and executive members of the caused in a carriage accident. Called “one of non-profit; associated members from the the best-known men” in NJ in his NY Times congregation; even the entity serving as obituary, he is buried in Ewing Church “landlord.” Now, as a new decade begins, Cemetery. other directions take hold.

His local legacy is still the majestic beauty Yet May still surrounds us with of the 40+ aging linden trees he planted increasing warmth and simple beauty. One along Carlton Avenue leading to the family special spot that always touches me at this farm in 1897, a stunning tribute in May or time of year is the “tree tunnel” on Carlton any month.

Avenue. I wrote about this stunning canopy *** of trees in a column eight years ago, and I The Ewing Township Historic now revisit it again, as the display never fails Preservation Commission is looking to please, and the man responsible is also a for a resident who would be interested in “home-town treasure”! volunteering for a seat on the Commission The inscription on the stone plaque at who has a degree in the study of history, the top of Carlton Avenue describing this archeology, architecture, or similar field of passageway and its creator reads: study, as well as full time experience in the “As a memorial to Dr. John Stockton same. Email your resume to Linda Brown, Hough, this boulder and tablet has been chair of the ETHPC, at ethpcbrown@ erected by the Shade Tree Commission of gmail.com, no later than June 1.

Mercer County.

Helen Kull is an adviser to the Ewing TownHe labored incessantly and with success ship Historic Preservation Society. to establish the first system of stone roads

HELEN KULL

Ewing Recreation May 2022

The Moody Park Summer Basketball League is accepting registration for boys in 4th – 8th grade, Register at communitypass.net. deadline is May 17th. The season starts Wednesday, June 8. For more info go to the league website at www.moodyparkbb. com.

Ewing Girls’ Basketball League for 4th – 8th grade girls is taking registration at communitypass.net. Games and practices will be held at ESCC. Season starts June 20th.

The Ewing Community Pools System offers two pools for seasonal members and daily patrons. The Hollowbrook Pool located at 320 Hollowbrook Drive, has been totally renovated and is scheduled to open on weekends & Memorial Day on Sunday, May 29th. Operating hours are Sunday – Friday 12:00pm – 8:00pm. Saturdays can be rented for private events, email Raquel at rince@ewingnj.org to schedule an event. The ESCC pool will open on weekends & Memorial Day starting Saturday, May 28 and both pools will open full time starting on Monday, June 20 from 12:00 noon – 8:00pm. Swim lessons start with evaluations on Saturday, June15th and space is limited, stop by ESCC to register. Senior Swim and Senior Water Aerobics are offered and will start on Monday, June 20, seniors register at the Senior Office for these programs.

Online registration for seasonal memberships is required at communitypass.net.

Ewing Recreation Basketball Camp is scheduled for Monday, June 27 – Friday, July 1 at Ewing High School, from 9:00am – 3:00pm. The camp is for kids in grades 4 – 8, and will be directed by Shelly Dearden, she will be assisted by other staff members and players. Daily sessions will include work on individual skills, drills, 3 v 3 and full court games, competitions, daily prizes, guest DRY CLEAN

speakers and end of camp championships.

Cost is $95 and includes a camp shirt and more. Register at communitypass.net.

The Ewing Recreation Summer Camp will run from June 27 – August 26 for grades K – 7 and is held on the grounds of the Ewing Sr. & Community Center (ESCC) 999 Lower Ferry Rd. Hours are from 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday – Friday. Early hours are from 7:30am-8: 30am and late hours are from 4:30pm-6:00pm. Online registration is required at communitypass.net. Teen Travel will not be held.

Ewing Recreation Department is taking applications for picnic area permits at the following parks, John Watson on Upper Ferry Rd., Betor Park behind the Municipal Building, Banchoff on Mt. View Rd., Higgs Park on Summerset St., ESCC Picnic area behind building. Email Nancy at npappano@ewingnj. org or contact the office for more information or to reserve a date.

The Hollowbrook Community Center, 883-1199 and ESCC, 883-1776, have rooms available for rent for small groups to large parties. Kitchen facilities are available.

ESCC Gym & Weight Room hours Monday – Thursday 6am – 9pm; Fridays & Sundays 6am – 5pm Saturdays 9am – 5pm; Sundays 6:00am – 1:00pm. Seniors can work out for free from 8:30am – 12:00pm.

For more information you can contact the Recreation Office at (609) 883-1776, online at www.ewingnj.org/communityaffairs. The Recreation Office is located at ESCC and is open Monday – Thursday 8:30 am – 9:00pm; Fridays 8:30am – 5:00pm, Saturdays 9:00am – 5:00pm.

The Ewing Recreation column is paid content provided by Ewing Township.

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May 2022 | Ewing Observer23

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24Ewing Observer | May 2022