Current Bordentown
JULY 2020 FREE
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Pastor finds new home in City
Amid crisis, local staple re-opens New management, new practices at Town & Country Diner
BY MICHELE ALPERIN
During Kristin Austew’s search for a new position as a Presbyterian pastor, the first thing she noticed about the First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown was its Sunday school curriculum, which was based on Dr. Seuss. She was hooked. “The more I looked at the ministry they had been doing, the ways they felt called to shine God’s light on the world, I thought, ‘This seems like good fit,’” she says. “One of the big reasons I’m here is because this church has a sense of warmth and welcome to it that is not something you can teach.” And even though the church, like most faith communities these days, has been struggling to make ends meet, and people may disagree about the next step, Austew says, “They love each other through all of it. My goal is to show them they deserve to be loved, are loved, and to bring some renewal and new life and reenergize them.” Before looking to any future changes, Austew says, the church must explore “what’s really important to us and what are the key pieces of who we are as a church, and how do we continue to grow into that and grow through that.” The next step is to prioritize and try out new things. “If you really care about something and it’s not working anymore, you find a new way,” she says. She recalls that upon her See AUSTEW, Page 6
BY NICOLE VIVIANO
Artist Marlon Davila starts work on a new mural, located at Bordentown Beach.
Beautifying the beach New mural spiffs up shipping container that will hold forrent kayaks, canoes BY NICOLE VIVIANO
There is a new addition to the Bordentown Beach scenery: a mural on a 40-foot shipping container. Local artist Marlon Davila started on the project in late May and plans to complete the mural—his largest yet— by July 4. The container will hold a new fleet of kayaks and canoes managed by the D&R Greenway Land Trust. Residents have been able to go down to the river and see the mural’s progress over the last
month, which Davila describes as being broken into three sections: nature, the river and environmental awareness. Working with acrylic paints outdoors, Davila can be found painting in good weather, blending vibrant colors and bringing the landscape to life. Locals frequently visit him at his workspace to inquire about the mural and see its day-to-day progress. “For the most part, there’s people that just stop by to congratulate me and just to say how beautiful it is and how they’re so happy to see something so bright and cheerful and colorful in the park,” Davila said. Having the river as his office space is a dream come true, he said. This mural—his third—is
Davila’s first foray outside of Mercer County, as his art career began in Princeton. His first mural is located on the corner of John Street and Leigh Avenue, “Journey,” and the other is an untitled mural in the office building of Axiom Healthcare Strategies on Hulfish Street in Princeton. The Bordentown Beach mural is inspired by first and secondgeneration high school students from the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund youth program FUTURO. About 30 high school juniors from Trenton, Princeton and Lawrence were involved early on in the process of planning the mural. “The connection with LALDEF…really took it in what I think was a really enthuSee MURAL, Page 5
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The diner at the fork of Routes 130 and 206 in Bordentown has the same name but is a whole new experience. Bordentown landmark Town & Country Diner has undergone major changes, with a focus on higher-quality food and better hospitality, according to the diner’s new owners. The Pamuk family said the move was more than just a business decision. The family has been involved in the food industry for years, bringing with them a wealth of experience. After months of waiting due to the coronavirus pandemic, the family finally gets to show off their changes. The diner reopened June 25, offering outdoor service under a tent and takeout from an adjusted menu. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mehmet Pamuk has been in the restaurant business for nearly 40 years. His son, Saban, runs Pandora Diner on Route 206 in Mount Holly, 15 minutes down the road. Pamuk’s three daughters, Nuray, Senay and Gulay, and granddaughter, Ece, are in charge of Town & Country’s daily upkeep and running. HavSee DINER, Page 8
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