P P Hamilton ton ost Hamilton ost MAY 2025
Community Educa�on and Be�er Health Programs located on page 2
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Volunteers keep Signal 22 canteen unit rolling
Community remembers a diamond standout Motorcycle accident claims life of former Steinert hurler Casey Navarro, 23
BY THOMAS KELLY Fire fighters and other first responders work around the clock. When they are called, they go and fight fires, aid in rescues, assist in accident scenes and natural disasters. They do not know if they will be on a site for two hours or overnight. Many firefighters work 24-hour shifts. To aid the army of first responders for these events, is the volunteer squad of Signal 22 Canteen Unit. The name came from the number 22 being sounded to announce a two-alarm fire. Two alarms are when the emergency is large enough to warrant two fire companies to respond. In summer 1941 in Trenton, a lumberyard fire drew multiple fire companies to South Broad Street to combat it. Some concerned bystanders saw the need and provided sandwiches and cold drinks for the fire fighters. The group organized and aided more emergency scenes going forward. The organization that was born that hot day is still on the job today, 85 years later. Signal 22 Canteen Unit is staffed by volunteers, many with ties to the fire companies themselves. Signal 22 President Peg Beyrouty is mother to Trenton Fire Department Battalion Chief Kevin Beyrouty. See SIGNAL 22, Page 14
FREE
BY RICH FISHER
Mick Chorba, Ron Bechamps, Rob Martin and Pete Smith are The Successful Failures, a locally based band that performs at venues throughout the area.
The Successful Failures: succeeding for 20 years BY EDDIE YOUNG On March 4, The Successful Failures celebrated their 20th anniversary together as a band. Twenty years after their first practice, the New Jersey-based band with ties to the Mercer County community is still going strong, continuing to play original music with the passion and desire of a new band trying to make themselves known. Nowadays, a band sticking together for
as long as The Successful Failures has is almost unheard of. However, for Mick Chorba, Ron Bechamps, Rob Martin and John Williams, similar goals and a friendship that has developed over the 20 years together has kept the band intact with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The Successful Failures all started on the back of Chorba. Chorba is a current Chesterfield resident, but he grew up in Mercerville, graduating from Nottingham See SUCCESSFUL, Page 10
Leaders in emergency and elective angioplasty
As mourners approached Casey Navarro’s family at his Apr. 15 viewing, they struggled to find the right words. Even in their grief, mother Carol, father Len and sister Ashley tried to make it easy for everyone by politely telling them “There’s nothing you can really say.” At that moment, there was not. What can anyone say about the tragic motorcycle accident that ended Casey’s life at age 23? Who can make sense of why this would happen? Trying to find words when there aren’t any made it fruitless. But when it comes to talking about Casey Navarro’s life, there is plenty to say. And all of it’s good. Talk to those who knew him either as a Steinert/Hamilton Post 31 baseball pitcher, as a student or just as a person, the theme was constant – he loved to have fun, he loved people and people loved him. Here are some examples: See NAVARRO, Page 21
Academy Dental CHILDREN & ADULTS Complete Dentistry for the Whole Family
rwjbh.org/heart
AcademyDentalNJ.com
Currently Open for Emergency Dental Care See our ad on page 11
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SPRINGFIELD,1179 MA NEWARK, NJ PERMIT NO. 142