6-20 EO

Page 1

Inside this issue:

SIX09 Check out our new arts and culture publication

JUNE 2020 FREE

COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG

DEP sues over TWW ‘failure’

Alternate graduation plans announced

Flying high

BY BILL SANSERVINO

State says Trenton has not made needed investments BY ROB ANTHES

Years of threats came to fruition in late May, as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced its intention to sue the City of Trenton, citing as the final straw Trenton council’s “inexplicable failure” to properly fund the city’s drinking water utility. In a letter dated May 21, DEP commissioner Catherine McCabe takes Trenton city council to task, saying its May 7 vote to reject millions of dollars in bonds for crucial measures will prevent Trenton Water Works from providing safe drinking water to its customers. “To be clear, the council’s inexplicable failure to adopt these measures will prevent TWW from meeting critically overdue legal requirements of the [Administrative Consent Orders] and the Safe Drinking Water Act,” McCabe wrote. “These requirements are necessary to ensure a safe and reliable water supply, not only for the City of Trenton, but also for the 217,000 people served by TWW in Ewing, Hamilton, Hopewell and Lawrence Townships.” The measures defeated by council would have provided See TWW, Page 4

Ewing resident Todd Cloward photographed U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels (above), as they flew over his home. The Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, performed formation flights over the area on April 28 to honor frontline COVID-19 responders and essential workers. Go to communitynews.org for a slideshow of the Cloward’s photos. (Photo by Todd Cloward, pixelsbytoddc.myportfolio.com)

Mayor talks about Ewing in 2020 INTERVIEW BY BILL SANSERVINO

In March, Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann became the first (and only, so far) mayor in Mercer County to test positive for COVID-19. After a bit of a rough patch where he was hospitalized, Steinmann is now at home and on the mend. “I’m not totally recovered,” he said. “It could take several months, but I’m back at work and just taking my time.”

Steinmann was one of the first people to receive a test when Trenton was setting up its drive-thru test center for first responders. Steinmann said that Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora had asked him to be “a guinea pig” for the testing site, which was about to open. “I said, ‘yeah, I’ll come over.’ It’s probably a good thing I did.” Gusciora called Steinmann a few days later to notify him of the result. “When I saw his

name pop up on my phone, I figured, ‘That can’t be good,’” Steinmann said. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Ewing Observer editor Bill Sanservino sat down with Steinmann to talk about issues confronting the township not only in 2020, but in the coming years. The interview took place before the current health crisis and subsequent lockdown, but the issues disSee STEINMANN, Page 5

Ask The Doctor brought to you by

See our column on page 16

The 2019-20 school year is coming to an end, and despite the unusual circumstances, the seniors at Ewing High School are looking forward to the end of their high school careers. Although the district will not hold in-person commencement exercises this year due to the ongoing pandemic, officials have announced an alternate plan for the students and their families. The Family Commencement Experience will give the graduates the opportunity to wear a gown, walk across a decorated stage, have their name announced and receive a diploma while their families watch. “We wanted to provide [the] experience in a way that is as safe as possible, complying with all social distancing regulations and recommendations, during this challenging time,” said superintendent Michael Nitti and EHS principal Edward Chmielin a joint statement. Pictures from CFE will be featured in the Class of 2020 video graduation ceremony on the district’s communication portals June 18 at 7 p.m. For more information and to register for the CFE, go to ewing. k12.nj.us. To read about this year’s EHS Top 10 academic seniors and their feeling about this year, turn to Page 10.

Jack’s

GREENHOUSE & FARM ANNUALS • PERENNIALS • SHRUBS • TREES

We are OPEN! See Our Ad On Page 17

1179 NEWARK, NJ


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
6-20 EO by Community News Service - Issuu