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Working behind the scenes
District preps for school year
County honors resident for church, HomeFront efforts
BY SAM SCIARROTTA
BY NICOLE VIVIANO
Always working behind the scenes and never seeking recognition are two qualities that ended up including one Bordentown resident in the 2020 Outstanding Women of Burlington County Awards. Doan Tucker was highlighted for her years of community service in Bordentown primarily through her work with Christ Church Parish by the county’s Women’s Advisory Council. She was nominated for and honored this year in recognition for her many accomplishments in community service, including providing meals to homeless families through the HomeFront Project, organizing Valentine’s treats for troops and free monthly laundry days for struggling families. She has lived in Bordentown since 2010, when she married her husband, the Rev. Matthew Tucker of Christ Church Parish. Matthew had been part of the local parish since 2008 so Doan moved from Virginia to join a new community. “When someone who works primarily behind the scenes and works so hard to make the project work, rather than gain notoriety for themselves, so much can be done and Doan is aware of that,” Matthew Tucker said. “So part of her success is really never seeking recognition for herself. And as it turns out, you do that for See TUCKER, Page 11
Emily Wheeler (left) and Alison Wall, both of Bordentown, were officially named Girl Scout Gold Award recipients last month. The pair have been in scouting together since they were kids.
Scout’s (highest) honor Residents earn Girl Scout Gold Awards BY NICOLE VIVIANO
A childhood of scouting ended in achievement for two Bordentown girls. Alison Wall and Emily Wheeler, who have been involved with their local Girl Scout troop together since kindergarten, have completed their Gold Award projects, the highest award achievable in the global leadership development program for girls. The two are entering into their senior year of high school at Bordentown Regional High School and have reflected on their years of hard work and fun with the Girl Scouts. Wheeler was placed in the
Girl Scouts by her mother, following a long tradition of involvement in her family. Her younger sister, mother, grandmothers and great grandmothers have all been involved, she said. Wheeler’s Gold Award project “Smart Wheelers” was completed over a two-year period from the summer leading into her sophomore year to fall 2019. The purpose of her project was to encourage and educate people on bike safety, and promote recycling of unused or older bikes. She decided to delve into this subject because she knows first-hand what the lack of bike safety can mean for a family. Her uncle had sustained two bike accidents, one of which was a hit and run by a vehicle. Although he has recovered from his acci-
dents, Wheeler explained the strain the situation put on the family and that it was “incredibly hard to go through.” “I think my main thing is just having more awareness of, and just sharing the word of how important bike safety is and hopefully that will be able to bring a bigger awareness of how important it is,” Wheeler said. “Because it’s a great exercise. It’s so good for the environment. But if people aren’t doing it safely, then there’s no point really in doing it.” To promote bike safety and awareness, Wheeler organized and participated in five community bike rides with the Bordentown Township Police Bike Patrol. These rides brought in about 20 people per event and focused on See SCOUTS, Page 6
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Parents, students and school staff across the state seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when Gov. Phil Murphy reversed part of the state’s initial back-toschool guidance and decided to allow families to opt for a 100% remote learning option. Bordentown Regional School District superintendent Edward Forsthoffer was one of them. Now, the district will offer a hybrid learning model for the 2020-21 school year, and parents will be able to select a fulltime online model for students. Early on in the reopening process, Forsthoffer, along with 200 other New Jersey superintendents, was concerned enough to sign a letter urging Murphy to change the state’s decision. July 20, he announced the change. “I think, initially, it was a problem,” Forsthoffer said. “We knew that we would have some families who would not be able to send their children due to medical issues. There were also a number of families who were uncomfortable and, if they did not choose to send their children in, they would need to withdraw them. I definitely felt that our students would be better staying with the district than being independent.” It’s also something the district was happy to take into consideration during the reopening planning process. The Bordentown Regional See SCHOOLS, Page 13
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