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The season of giving

Peterson rewrites record books for Bulldogs’ defense

Local nonprofits adapt to provide during pandemic

BY RICH FISHER

Terrance Peterson owns numerous school defensive records, which makes it hard to envision him doing what he did at the start of his football career.

“My first position was at quarterback, but I can’t throw the ball,” the Hopewell Valley Central High senior said with a laugh. “For any praise anyone might give me, it’s not for the way I throw a football.

The minute they saw me, they knew that career path was done.”

Peterson can, however, throw ball carriers to the ground with tremendous authority.

He did it frequently enough last year to win the 12th Man TD Club’s Charles J. “Fuzzy” Falzone Memorial Award as the Non-Prep Lineman of the Year as a junior. The honor — which came on the heels of Bulldog Patrick Allex winning it in 2018 — came after Peterson had 71 tackles (18 for loss) and four sacks while forcing five fumbles. He also blocked two punts and two kicks.

Peterson owns CHS records for tackles for loss in a game (5.5), season (24.5) See PETERSON, Page 13

BY ROB ANTHES, JOE EMANSKI AND SAM SCIARROTTA

Artist Jarryd Pezzillo blows glass in the driveway of his parents home in Hopewell. Pezzillo started his new business, Pezz Glassworks, this summer.

Area artists give holiday gift givers reasons to shop local

BY JOE EMANSKI

If the weather is nice, and you know where Jim and Sandy Pezzillo live, you might think about cruising past their house one of these days. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a glassblower at work in the driveway.

The artisan in question would be Jim and Sandy’s son Jarryd, founder of Pezz Glassworks, who has been turning molten glass into pieces of art — with the aid of a fiery furnace he built himself — since

he started his new venture at the end of the summer.

Or even if the weather is not that great, you might head over to the Mountain View section of Ewing, where potter Caryn Newman of Willowood Pottery has a studio and showroom in her garage.

You will need an appointment (and a mask), but once those things are squared away, she would be happy to show you some of the many wheelthrown or hand-built items she has for sale.

Pezzillo and Newman are

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just two of the hundreds of artists and craftspeople in the area who spend their days making unique and beautiful objects by hand. And whether they are decorative, functional or both, objects like these can make for memorable gifts, perhaps never more than in 2020, a year turned upside down by the global coronavirus pandemic (among many other things).

In a time when shoppers carry instant purchasing devices in their pockets and See GLASS, Page 4

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Since 2010, Christine’s Hope For Kids has raised more than $1 million in its mission to help less fortunate children and to support local community agencies whose own missions are to help children in need. Longtime Hopewell Valley residents and Christine’s Hope founders Jean and John Gianacaci believe that every child deserves the chance to be a kid, regardless of their circumstances.

One major focus of the organization through the years has been literacy. Christine’s Hope regularly holds book fairs around the area to help raise funds, and every year around Christmastime, Christine’s Hope volunteers often pack books in bags along with pajamas, blankets and other necessities to be donated to children at local shelters.

This year, there will be a new book going into those bags: Always Better Together: A Story of Acceptance, FriendSee GIVING, Page 6

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Ho Val Arts Council’s ArtSpires go up for auction Want to own a piece of public art?

Now’s your chance.

As part of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council’s community art project and exhibition, ArtSpires consisting of 63 colorful sculptures — have popped up in 19 clusters this fall throughout Hopewell Valley. These unique pieces have been created by local artists and community members.

The spires are being auctioned to the public to benefit the artists and the HV Arts Council through Dec. 19.

Visit hvartscouncil.org/artspires for auction details, exhibition photos, and to download the ArtSpires map. You can place auction bids by scanning the QR next to each work of art.

Art spires are milled from American ash wood felled by Hopewell Township Public Works and transformed into art. The ArtSpires project commemorates the loss of native ash trees to the emerald ash borer beetle as part of the organization’s ongoing initiative, “Out of the Ashes: Art Emerging from Fallen Trees.”

Artists Robin Wolf and Palmer Uhl said they were honored to produce an art spire from a fallen ash tree. Their spire and dozens more will be available for public purchase via online auction that started on Nov. 19.

The auction will close on Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. with a live online event featuring trivia and a sing-a-long.

The arts spires will remain on display until April 2021 to provide community viewing through the winter and spring months. Spires will be delivered to their new owners in the late spring.

Organizers say proceeds from the auction will benefit the individual artists and support the mission of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council to increase art awareness and appreciation in the greater Hopewell Valley.

“We have watched sadly as the ash trees have been silently invaded by the emerald ash borer. We have tried to save a few ourselves, hoping to reverse the damage. Some have survived. Others have been able to hang in there for a few more years. And some have fallen. Whatever their end, their testimony is inspiring as they don’t seem to give up easily,” said artist Deborah Allen, who created a spire named “Beauty.”

Valley Regional Board of Education in November’s vote.

Adam Sawicki will return to the board for a fourth term. Elected to sit on the school board with him were Anita Williams-Galiano and Andrea Driver. Driver received the most votes, with 5,112, followed by Sawicki (4,760) and Williams-Galiano (4,627).

Jacquie Genovesi came in fourth, with 4,233 votes. Ross Gordon, who ran on a slate with Driver and Williams-Galiano, was fifth with 3,571.

CHS freshman wins $10K STEM award

Charlotte Michaluk, a freshman at Hopewell Valley Central High School and a Mercer Science and Engineering Fair participant for the past five years, won first place in the Junior (middle school) Division of the 2020 Mercer Science and Engineering Fair last Spring.

That qualified Charlotte to enter the Broadcom MASTERS competition where she advanced to the top 300, more than 3,400 entrants who Incumbent, 2 newcomers among had already won top honors in local to join HoVal school board science fairs. In October, Michaluk Puzzle Spire by Scott Fulmer, one of 63 Two newcomers and one incum- learned that she had won one of the ArtSpires in the Hopewell Valley. bent won election to the Hopewell top 5 Broadcom MASTERS prizes, the $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award.

The Broadcom Masters competition “Math, Applied Science, Technology normally takes place in Washington, and Engineering for Rising Stars.” It but was virtual this year, as was the was founded by the Society for SciMSEF, both because of the pandemic. ence and the Public and is sponsored Her project was “Simulating Slip- by the Broadcom Foundation. Web: ping Snails: Mitigating Climate broadcomfoundation.org.

Change and Ocean borne Invasive Michaluk is the younger sister of Species Transport with Biomimicry.” Sonja Michaluk, who was the Senior A volunteer at the MSEF Grand Prize winlocal Watershed Instiner in 2018, 2019 and tute and a SCUBA diver, 2020.

Michaluk has acquired a special concern for Toll Gate the aquatic world. A centuries-long problem Thanksgiving for ships has been bioTASK continues fouling, whereby algae, bacteria, and barnacles For more than 35 accumulate on the hull years, the Toll Gate where they increase Grammar School in the ship’s drag and Pennington has come ROBERT M. DIFALCO, RICP® thus increase the fuel together to provide a Associate Vice President, Investments required for propulsion. complete ThanksgivMichaluk Traditional anti-fouling meal for patrons of robert.difalco@raymondjames.com ing has employed toxic the Trenton Area Soup chemicals or coatings. Charlotte’s Kitchen. project examined natural ways that While the COVID-19 pandemic sea creatures resist biofouling with is changing some elements of this slimy coatings or tooth-like scales annual tradition, the fundamentals Financial Planning • Longevity Planning called denticles found on shark skins. remain the same.

Michaluk hypothesized that some“Covid has led to increased food Investment Strategies • Retirement Planning thing similar could work on ship hulls. insecurity this year and the soup Fixed Income Services Her research and experiments kitchen expects to be serving more showed that PDMS, a silicone com- families than ever before,” wrote Missy pound coating with skin-like denticles Cappucci, Toll Gate TASK co-chair worked best. It even reduced the drag in an email to the school community. of a clean hull. The results can be of “TASK will be creating grab and go din4 Caufield Place, Suite 101 // Newtown, PA 18940 // O 215.497.7490 // TF 877.279.3590 great benefit to shipping as well as to ner bags as they are unable to serve Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. 20-BR37W-0123 TA 10/20 the marine environment. dinner in the cafeteria this year. They Broadcom MASTERS stands for are counting on our donations to make

EVERY STAGE OF LIFE IS ITS OWN JOURNEY

2  Hopewell Express | December 2020

Long-time Toll Gate Grammar School TASK co-chairs Dawn Berman and Missy Cappucci collecting donations in front of the school this Thanksgiving dinner a success.”

In November, Toll Gate families dropped off boxes of stuffing, canned green beans, corn, cranberry jelly and turkey gravy, as well as frozen turkeys at the school. The TASK committee is also working with remote learning families to make arrangements to pick-up donations.

While the school’s annual pie baking and roasted turkey carve-a-thon were not possible this year, the community is encouraged to donate frozen turkeys to TASK. Community members can also help by making a taxdeductible monetary donation to help pay for pies and supplement any shortfalls in TASK’s food collections.

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GIFTS continued from Page 1 porches fill up with boxes of stuff day after day, these artists and artisans give gift givers opportunities to do something a little different — and stimulate the local economy at the same time. *** Jarryd Pezzillo went to Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Arts because he wanted to study woodworking. There was just one problem with his plan: RIT did not accept him into its woodworking program.

The school did admit him into its glass program, even though his portfolio contained no glass. So he decided to go. “The plan was that I was going to be a glass major for one year, and then transfer over to wood,” Pezzillo says.

“But then I did glass for one year, fell in love with it and decided to stick with it.”

Pezzillo backpacked across Europe for a while after graduating from RIT. After returning home to New Jersey, he moved down to Millville and joined the residential program at the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, home to the Museum of American Glass. It was there that he assembled his furnace out of material he found in the center’s scrapyard.

“The old boss was a hoarder so they had so much material for building furnaces and other glass equipment,” says Pezzillo, who is now 24. “The new boss was trying to get rid of it all, so they donated what I needed to me to build my furnace.”

For the winter season, glass artist Jarryd Pezzillo is crafting plenty of snowmen and Christmas tree ornaments.

He spent about a year in Millville honing his craft before moving back to Hopewell last winter. Since glassblowing is outdoor work, and winter is not a good time to work with glass, he took on odd jobs, delivering pizzas, landscaping and even doing some telephone pole restoration work.

Pezzillo spent some time this summer in Kansas City working at Monarch Glass Studio with renowned glass artist Tyler Kimball before returning home to start up Pezz Glassworks. He got a permit to set up his mobile furnace in his parents’ driveway. He started out making glass pumpkins with the idea of selling them at craft fairs.

One of the first fairs that he did — and there have not been many fairs this year because of the pandemic —

was at the 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing, where he will return on Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a glassblowing demonstration. The event will be a fundraiser for the Sanctuary. For more information, go to 1867sanctuary.org.

“I love making pumpkins,” he says.

“A lot of glassblowers hate it because you’re just making them to make money. But I still love it because you get into the flow and you can start cranking them out. I’ve been blowing glass for a while, but I hadn’t been making stuff to sell because in art school, it was always just, ‘make weird funky art stuff.’ Now I’m trying to figure out what stuff I can do for production.”

After Halloween, Pezzillo stopped making pumpkins and started making winter-themed items like snowmen, icicles, and ornaments. “With pumpkins it doesn’t really matter if they’re off center. But ornaments have be perfectly round spheres which is quite the change of pace, and enjoyable, because I feel like I’m using my skills,” he says.

Pezzillo’s routine involves getting up around 6 a.m. to light the furnace, which needs four hours to get up to the temperature needed to keep the glass in molten form until he is ready to work with it. If the forecast is for rain or extreme cold, he doesn’t start the furnace, because he can’t work in those conditions.

Around 10 or 11 he starts working, and he isn’t done until all the glass in the furnace is gone. “If you shut it off with glass still in there, it can cause parts of the furnace to start breaking,”

he says.

When he is at work in the driveway, he sometimes attracts curious neighbors, and that curiosity sometimes has even led a few times to sales. (While Pezzillo does not have a permit to sell items from the driveway, he can take orders via phone or Facebook message, which can be delivered or mailed at a later time.) Items range in price from $15 to $55, with most things selling for $25 to $35.

Pezzillo grew up in Hopewell, attending Stony Brook Elementary School, Timberlane Middle School and Hopewell Valley Central High School. He has three siblings: older sister Brittany, older brother Logan, and younger sister Kylie. His parents are both environmental engineers.

“I am very lucky that I have parents that let me blow glass in their driveway and trust me not to blow anything up or light it on fire,” he says.

Pezz Glassworks is on Facebook (search for Pezz Glassworks). Email: jarryd47@gmail.com. Phone: (609) 468-2781. *** Caryn Newman is a master potter and owner of Willowood Pottery studio in Ewing, where she produces stoneware and porcelain and teaches classes. She describes her work as “refined, yet very functional.”

Her website, willowoodpottery. com, is full of photos of dishes, bowls and mugs, trays, vases and more.

While many of the items she makes are intended for household use, she

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has also seen many of her creations accepted into juried art exhibitions.

In past years, Newman has held a holiday sale in early December at her home on Willowood Drive. In this extraordinary year, she decided to move the sale up to October.

She says it was the best holiday sale she’s ever had, and thinks that people have at least one good reason to shop locally for gifts this year.

“I’ve heard that people are worried about being able to ship things, that the carriers are saying now that if you don’t ship out gifts by Dec. 1, that they can’t guarantee delivery by christmas,” she says. “So we’re using that as a way to say shop early and we’ll ship it for you and help you get it done.”

Many artisans like Newman and Pezzillo depend on craft fairs to reach customers, and they have been hurt by the fact that most fairs this year have been canceled out of concerns for people’s safety. Sugarloaf Craft Festival, since 1975 one of the largest organizers of craft fairs in the country, went out of business in June.

Newman doesn’t do many craft fairs these days. She prefers selling out of her home — usually by appointment — or through co-op galleries like Red Tulip Gallery (redtulipcrafts.com) in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where she regularly has items are on display.

Business has been decent despite the restrictions caused by the coronavirus, but only because artists have adapted to new business conditions.

Newman will still accommodate visi-

tors to her studio if they make appointments and agree to wear masks and social distance. She is also in the process of overhauling her website to offer point-of-sale service directly from the site.

But she says one key tactic both for her own studio and for the gallery has been buffing up their email lists and sending out email to the lists more frequently.

Newman says that Red Tulip Gallery has begun offering virtual shopping, where shoppers can make video calls to the gallery and get a personalized tour. And she has personally sold a number of items via Facetime this year.

“I’ve had Facetime with someone in Hawaii, someone in New Mexico,” she says. “I can show them different glazes, I can show them different shapes. I sold dinnerware to someone that way and she just contacted me — she wants more. And we haven’t been face to face. Artists have got to adjust to this situation.”

Willowood Potter y, 7 Willowood Drive, Ewing. Phone: (609) 203-7141.

Web: willowoodpottery.com. *** Craft fairs may be few and far between this year, but that does not mean there are no ways to find artists and get a look — virtually or in person — at what they have to offer.

HomeFront is still hosting ArtJam 2020 this year at its family campus in Ewing. Shoppers can browse online at artjamnj.org and at the gallery by appointment.

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GIVING continued from Page 1 ship and Love. It’s a children’s book commissioned by the organization and written by Christine’s Hope board member Linda Martin, a Ewing resident and the shopkeeper of the recently closed Flutter Boutique in Pennington.

Always Better Together tells the story of Ella and Sara, who meet and become best friends after Sara moves to Ella’s neighborhood one summer.

The friendship is tested once school starts because Sara’s friends don’t immediately accept Sara, who is a stutterer. Through the experience, Ella learns important lessons about accepting other people for their differences.

“The books we buy (to put in the bags) are great, but I really wanted a book with a message of kindness and acceptance,” Jean Gianacaci says.

“And to make it so that every child received the same book. Linda is an excellent writer, and she has done an amazing book for us.”

The Gianacacis founded the nonprofit to honor their daughter, Christine, who died while on a humanitarian mission to Haiti in January 2010. Christine was one of 12 Lynn University students who were in Port-au-Prince when a massive earthquake struck, causing the hotel where the group was staying to collapse. Two professors and four students, including Christine, were killed in the disaster.

Gianacaci says it has long been a dream of hers to have a book written in memory of Christine, who, like the

character of Sara in the story, dealt with some challenges growing up.

When she was 11, Christine was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome, and because of tics that she had that are associated with Tourette’s, she was sometimes bullied or excluded.

“She felt the impact of sitting alone in the cafeteria, or not being invited to a party because of a tic,” Gianacaci says.

“And throughout her challenges, she was always kind. She always sought out the kid who was being ignored.

Her kindness and compassion for others always came through.”

Martin says she wanted to write a story that kids would be able to see themselves in.

“There were themes we wanted to come through in the story, like bullying,” Martin says. “People think of bullying as someone pushing someone against a locker, but there are other kinds of bullying: peer pressure, exclusion. I think it’s going to be a wonderful tool that can open up a dialog between a parent and a child, and also for teachers to open up that same dialog with students.”

The 40-page hardcover book, written by Martin and illustrated by Anita Barghigiani, is on sale now for $24.95.

Gianacaci says all proceeds from sales of the book will go toward the organization’s various initiatives.

“It’s been a challenging year for everybody (because of the Covid-19 pandemic) but I think you just learn to go in different directions,” Gianacaci says. “We usually get a lot of toys

“Always Better Together,” a book by Linda Martin and illustrated by Anita Barghigiani, has been a dream of Christine’s Hope for Kids co-founder Jean Gianacaci for many years. donated to us (for distribution around the holidays). This year that hasn’t been possible, but we’re very fortunate that we can afford to purchase the toys we’ll be giving away this year. The kids are still there, no matter what we’re going through. The kid still need us.”

For more information, to order copies of the book, or to donate to Christine’s Hope For Kids, go online to christineshope.org or call (609) 406-7681.

Christine’s Hope For Kids is just one nonprofit in the area attempting to serve patrons this holiday season amid the heightened demands of the coronavirus pandemic. Across Mercer County, dozens of organizations continue to serve their mission despite new challenges. What follows is a few of their stories. *** Every year, Meals on Wheels of Mercer County partners with The Church of St. Ann in Lawrence and the Trenton Kiwanis Club to provide Thanksgiving day meals to seniors who are spending the holiday alone.

That was true even in this year of COVID-19, although the coronavirus forced the organizations—and their volunteers—to adapt to the constraints of the pandemic.

In ordinary times, volunteers from St. Ann’s and the Kiwanis gather at the church to make the food before

it is delivered by Meals on Wheels to those in need. This year, Leonardo’s, the Lawrence restaurant, agreed to prepare the meals in their kitchen to limit volunteers’ exposure to the virus.

More than a third of Meals on Wheels of Mercer County’s 325 clients opted into this year’s Thanksgiving Day program. MOW volunteers picked up fully prepared meals on Thanksgiving morning and delivered them to 120 clients throughout the area.

While Meals on Wheels volunteers won’t be going out on Christmas day to deliver meals, they will be providing the nonprofit organization’s homebound senior clients with traditional Christmas meals earlier in the week that they will be able to heat and eat on the holiday. This month they will also be distributing “Blizzard Bags” to their clients—care packages full of nonperishable items intended to help the clients get through any winter emergencies that might arise.

Meals on Wheels continues to fulfill its mission of providing nutritious meals and easing social isolation for homebound individuals despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. Many volunteers who had regular delivery routes were themselves seniors, and Sasa Olessi Montaño, MOWMC’s chief executive officer, says that many have reluctantly stepped away out of concern for their own health.

She estimates that she has lost 65 to 70 percent of her regular delivery team. “If somebody came and offered me either a million dollar check or a million volunteers, I would take the volunteers, because the volunteers are like money for us,” she says.

Montaño and her staff have been able to keep meal deliveries going out the standard five days a week — even if it means handling some routes themselves — but she says the Meals on Wheels mission encompasses more than just food. For some clients, the daily visit from their deliverers is the only human contact they will have all week.

“The pandemic is upending all our lives—it’s making all of us homebound,” Montaño says. “But for the people we’re serving, being homebound is nothing different than what they are used to.

Our model is to have regular deliver-

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ers with permanent routes, so they can develop relationships with the people they serve, week after week. That’s where the magic happens.”

The sight of a familiar face can be really important in terms of helping clients feel safe. “They look forward to seeing the volunteers, they’re so grateful when they come. That three minutes of checking in, of conversation, can make all the difference.

Adding to the challenge is that many Meals on Wheels clients have seen their already fragile social networks diminished further. “Maybe a neighbor or a friend or even family members that were helping, they’re now staying away to stay safe,” Montaño says. “That consistency of seeing the same people— even at a safe distance—has become even more important now.”

So while Meals on Wheels of Mercer County is always looking for new volunteers, the need is greater now than ever. Training is provided to all new volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the volunteer coordinator at (609) 695-3483, or email questions to info@mealsonwheelsmercer.org. Meals on Wheels of Mercer County can be found on the web at mealsonwheelsmercer.org. *** Last holiday season, Ewing residents Kelly and Chris Stevens had extra reasons to be thankful.

They had moved into a new apartment with their two sons, age 15 and 8, thanks to a security deposit from Lawrence-based nonprofit HomeFront.

This ended a period of homelessness for their family, during which they stayed in a low-budget hotel and their oldest son tried to run away.

They said the move was a fresh start. Kelly and Chris had jobs they liked at local restaurants. Their children benefited from the stability of having a home of their own.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. Slowly, everything unraveled.

Chris and Kelly lost their jobs and got several months behind on rent.

Chris got a new position at a shipping company and worked night shifts at a restaurant, but it wasn’t enough.

Afraid, they called HomeFront, and received help with back rent and groceries. Their boys were placed on a list to be sponsored so that they might receive presents this Christmas.

HomeFront has provided these kinds of services to local families for 30 years.

But it has found surging demand during the pandemic. The nonprofit has distributed more than double the number of groceries and other basic essentials in 2020 than in a normal year, and six times the number of diapers and baby wipes.

The pandemic also hasn’t lessened the need for other services provided

by HomeFront, such as emergency shelter for 38 families at its Family Campus in Ewing, managing 115 lowcost apartments and helping families with education, job training and placement and life skills.

Each holiday season, it also puts on its Christmas Wishes program, where individuals, churches and businesses purchase gifts for children. Homefront supplies the child’s gender, age and a wish list so that each child will have presents to open on Christmas Day. In 2019, the community supported 3,300 homeless or formerly homeless children through Homefront.

The nonprofit always has relied on help from the community in order to provide relief to local people. This remains true as it attempts to meet the increased need in the area.

Much of this support comes in the form of volunteering. More than 3,000 people volunteer at Homefront every year. Volunteers, in conjunction with in-kind donations and financial support from the community, have allowed Homefront to help 32,000 local people just this year.

In May, Lawrence residents Alexander and Eric Xia dropped off some donations for the food pantry at HomeFront’s main office on Princeton Avenue. They were shocked by the long lines of people needing help.

A month later, in June, the Xias organized a GoFundMe campaign they called “Lawrenceville HomeFront Donation.” They are still receiving donations, and have raised nearly $1,200 to date.

With the money, they purchased non-perishable foods and some personal hygiene products.

“I wanted to help those in the Lawrenceville community, most of whom have only recently been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Alexander Xia said. “I always want to help those who do not have the privileges or resources as I do...When I wanted to help the families of the local Lawrenceville community, I knew where to go.”

For more information, go online at homefrontnj.org or email getinvolved@homefrontnj.org.

The print version of this article has been abridged due to space limitations.

To read about more organizations in our area, go online to communitynews.org.

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HomeFront volunteer Steve Phelan of Hopewell, shown here helping to sort donations, helps the nonprofit meet twice the normal level of demand from local families for groceries and essentials.

December 2020 | Hopewell Express7

HOPEWELL VALLEY SOCCER ASSOCIATION

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8  Hopewell Express | December 2020

HEALTH

DECEMBER 2020

@capitalhealthnj

HEADLINES

B I - M O N T H LY N E W S F R O M C A P I TA L H E A LT H

RIDER UNIVERSITY, CAPITAL HEALTH AND ROTHMAN ORTHOPAEDICS Partner to Support Health, Well-Being of Rider Students and Employees

An innovative partnership between Rider University, Capital Health and Rothman Orthopaedics will provide health care services for students and staff on the school’s campus in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. As the official health care partner of Rider University, Capital Health will oversee the University’s student health center and provide primary care health services.

Rothman Orthopaedics, in its role as official sports medicine provider for Rider Athletics, will provide orthopaedic and sports medicine and support athletic training services.

To help students and staff manage their care and ensure they have access to the appropriate services and health education resources, Capital Health and Rothman Orthopaedics will provide a health and wellness navigator who will act as a liaison between Rider University and its new clinical partners.

“I am very pleased that through this new partnership, our students and employees will collectively benefit from the quality services, expert staff and advanced technology of Capital Health and Rothman Orthopaedics now and into the future,” said Rider’s president, Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D. “In today’s pandemic environment, protecting the health and safety of our campus community is more important than ever.”

“We’re very happy to join Rothman Orthopaedics in providing important medical services to the students and staff at Rider University,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Health. “In light of current events, finding health care that is safe and convenient is more important than ever, and our network of primary care providers are known throughout the region for delivering the highest quality care. In addition to making those services easily accessible on campus, our new partnership will also give our neighbors at Rider access to Capital Health emergency services and the growing number of specialty practices in our Capital Health Medical Group when they need us most.”

“This partnership will be great for all parties involved, and we are thrilled to partner with Capital Health on providing high-quality

orthopaedic care to Rider University student-athletes,” said Alexander R. Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A, President of Rothman Orthopaedics, Richard H. Rothman Professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics, and Professor of Neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals. “Additionally, we look forward to educating the athletes on the latest evidence-based recommendations, prevention and treatment options which are essential for keeping all athletes safe.”

“Health care and education institutions are important pillars for any community, which makes this agreement particularly exciting,” said Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., chairman of Capital Healthcare, Inc. Board of Trustees. “We’ve enjoyed a successful relationship with Rothman for several years now, and we couldn’t be happier to be joined with a partner like Rider University.

These highly respected organizations align perfectly with Capital Health’s values of integrity, excellence, and compassion and reaffirm our mission of improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”

Rothman Orthopaedics will work with Rider’s sports medicine staff to provide orthopaedic evaluations and surgical services (as needed), training room services, and game coverage to address sports medicine and orthopaedic issues at all home wrestling matches, all home men’s and women’s basketball games, and all home hosted championships. Rothman Orthopaedics will also provide a certified athletic trainer (ATC) to better serve Rider student athletes, and supplement the already strong training staff that Rider employs, in addition to providing education programs for Rider Sports Medicine staff. Capital Health will support the Rothman Orthopaedics Sports Medicine program at Rider by providing preseason medical evaluations, primary care and care at Capital Health’s Emergency Room when necessary. Capital Health and Rothman Orthopaedics will also coordinate wellness and preventative health sessions for club and intramural students to discuss concussion management and other topics of interest.

To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org.

Health Headlines by Capital Health | Hopewell Express9

Capital Health Surgeon Receives International Recognition for

EXCELLENCE IN ROBOTIC SURGERY

DR. CATALDO DORIA, medical director of the Capital Health Cancer Center and physician director of Capital Health’s Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, was designated as a Surgeon of Excellence in Robotic Surgery (SOERS) by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the safety, efficacy, and efficiency of surgical care worldwide. The SOERS program recognizes surgeons who demonstrate an unparalleled commitment and ability to consistently deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care.

With this designation, Dr. Doria joins a distinguished network of surgeons and hospitals worldwide performing robotic-assisted surgeries. In addition to serving as medical director of the Capital Health Cancer Center, he is a hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon specializing in the treatment of benign conditions and cancers related to the liver, pancreas, and bile duct.

“Since joining us in 2018, Dr. Doria has worked tirelessly to advance Capital Health’s robotic-assisted surgery program,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Heath. “In 2019, he began offering robotic-assisted Whipple procedures to treat pancreatic cancer at Capital Health, giving us the distinction of being the only hospital in central New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia region to offer this innovative treatment. This was another major step forward in delivering innovative health care to the community, and Dr. Doria and our other surgeons who offer robotic-assisted surgery continue to build upon these advances.”

Robotic-assisted surgery allows surgeons to use miniaturized instruments and a 3-D camera for high-resolution images of

the surgical site. The platform seamlessly translates the surgeon’s hand movements into precise micromovements. The system cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own — it requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from a surgeon.

Throughout his career, Dr. Doria has pioneered new techniques for conditions that were once considered untreatable. He has helped develop and introduce a number of innovative procedures to treat patients that were not previously available, including bloodless liver surgery, liver auto-transplantation and robotic-assisted minimally invasive hepatobiliary surgery.

The volume of robotic-assisted surgeries is expanding as new surgical techniques and procedures are introduced and refined.

Considered minimally invasive surgery, it offers patients many benefits, including smaller incisions, lower risk of infection, less pain, and a faster recovery.

Capital Health remains unwavering in its commitment to provide patients cutting-edge health care and advanced cancer treatment.

It was among one of the first hospital systems to adopt robotic technology with the purchase of the da Vinci® Xi surgical system.

Dr. Doria was also recently named a winner in the Innovation Hero – Individual category of the NJBIZ 2020 Healthcare Heroes Awards Program.

To learn more Capital Health’s Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery or the da Vinci® surgical platform, visit capitalhealth.org/davinci or call 609.537.6000.

CAPITAL HEALTH EARNS INTERNATIONAL HONOR FOR LACTATION SERVICES Capital Health recently earned recognition from the International on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) for excellence in lactation breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and care. Lactation Services at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell continuing to support them as their baby grows. Capital Health received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition of its work to protect, IBCLCs are available seven days a week for inpatient care, phone promote, and support breastfeeding through staff education and support after discharge, and outpatient visits. training, and for staffing professionals who hold the prestigious Capital Health’s Lactation Center is part of Maternity Services at International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, the most comprehensive certification. As a twice-designated Baby-Friendly Hospital, Capital maternity program in the area. In addition, the Regional Perinatal Health continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing the Center at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell provides highest level of breastfeeding care. neonatal care, including Mercer County's only Level III Neonatal “Supporting our new families as they learn how to feed their babies is Intensive Care Unit for at-risk births. To learn more, visit a unique privilege,” said Melanie Miller, Lactation Services coordinator capitalhealth.org/maternity. at Capital Health and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. “Our goal at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ Designates Capital Health is to provide compassionate and Capital Health a 2020 Blue Distinction Center + Program comprehensive support and education to all The Maternity Services Department at Capital Health Medical Center of our families. This international recognition – Hopewell was recently designated as a 2020 Blue Distinction demonstrates that our staff meets the highest Center + program for Maternity Care by Horizon Blue Cross Blue standards in lactation and clinical breastfeeding Shield of New Jersey. This designation is awarded by the Blue care. From the prenatal period through their Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) to providers that meet hospital stay and beyond, our families can feel quality-focused criteria that emphasize patient safety and outcomes. confident we are prepared to support them in meeting their individual goals.”

The BCBSA considers quality, cost, and access when awarding this designation in order The IBCLCs at Capital Health focus on to provide consumers with meaningful measures of expertise and value when selecting preventive care, so they are available during specialty care. By earning the Blue Distinction Center + designation, Capital Health pregnancy to assess and provide information demonstrates that it meets nationally established quality standards in maternity care.

10Hopewell Express | Health Headlines by Capital Health

STATE-OF-THE-ART LUNG CENTER OPENS AT CAPITAL HEALTH As part of its commitment to providing leading-edge care, Capital Health has announced the launch of its comprehensive, state-of-the-art Lung Center located at Capital Health Medical Center — Hopewell.

The program is designed to address the need for integrated, comprehensive lung services in the region.

“The launch of the Lung Center is an another example of Capital Health’s commitment to providing the highest level of specialized care,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Health. “We are delivering

extraordinary, patient-centered care for a broader range of patients and lung conditions — from asthma to COPD, emphysema, pulmonary hypertension, tumors and lung cancers. The Lung Center also gives patients access to a range of specialists who have significant experience and extensive training with the most advanced medical diagnostic tools and technology.”

As co-leads in the development of Lung Center, DR. DIANA KOLMAN, director of Interventional Pulmonology, and DR. AFRICA WALLACE, director of Thoracic Surgery, share a common goal — to identify and treat potentially life-threatening lung conditions early, when they are most treatable. “We know that getting a fast and accurate diagnosis of a particular condition and receiving timely treatment can be critical, especially when it comes to cancer,” said Dr. Wallace.

Comprehensive care at the Lung Center includes a multidisciplinary team of experts focused on each patient and their specific condition. The team includes physicians from

surgery, pulmonology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology as well as nurse practitioners, clinical researchers, and support staff. “Our goal is to provide the most effective treatment pathway with a holistic, integrated approach in order to achieve the best possible outcome,” said Dr. Kolman.

The Lung Center offers a full range of lung disease care, including lung cancer screenings, a lung nodule clinic, thoracic surgery, interventional pulmonology, pulmonary rehabilitation, and smoking cessation. To learn more about Capital Health’s Lung Center, visit capitalhealth.org/lung. To schedule an appointment or for more information on the Lung Cancer CT Screening, lung nodule clinic, pulmonary rehabilitation, or smoking cessation, call 1.844.303.5864.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kolman, call 609.815.7390. For an appointment with Dr. Wallace, call 609.537.6000.

From left, Dr. Africa Wallace, director of Thoracic Surgery; Gina Petrone Mumolie, senior vice president, Hospital Administration; Dr. Diane Kolman, director of Interventional Pulmonology; and Rona Remstein, director, Oncology Services, officially open the new Capital Health Lung Center.

Capital Health Awarded National Honors for Breast Care Center for Comprehensive Breast Care earns third consecutive accreditation for high-quality care Capital Health’s Center for Comprehensive Breast Care has been granted accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons. This is the third consecutive NAPBC accreditation awarded to the Center.

The NAPBC is a consortium of national, professional organizations focused on breast health and dedicated to the improvement of quality outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast through evidence-based standards and patient and professional education.

NAPBC accreditation is granted only to those centers that are voluntarily committed to providing the best possible care to patients with diseases of the breast.

To achieve NAPBC accreditation, a breast center must meet the highest levels of breast care, quality standards, and proficiency in center leadership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement.

“Because of this accreditation, patients can have confidence in our comprehensive, integrated program and ability to diagnose and treat a wide range of breast conditions,” said DR.LISA ALLEN, a fellowship trained breast surgeon and medical director of Capital Health’s Center for Comprehensive Breast Care. “Capital Health was the first hospital in New Jersey to offer molecular breast

imaging (MBI), an advanced imaging technology for the screening and diagnosis of breast cancer. We continue to make investments in advanced technologies and clinicians treating benign and cancerous conditions.”

The Center for Comprehensive Breast Care offers the full scope of breast care, from cancer to cysts, abscesses, lesions, breast pain and other breast-related disorders, and although the discovery of a breast abnormality can be shocking, Capital Health is focused on treating the whole patient, not just the disease. Highly trained and experienced physicians provide specialized, care such as nipple sparing surgery, hidden scar surgery, reverse lymphatic mapping to spare unnecessary removal of lymph nodes, and targeted treatment for the diverse types of breast cancer.

Breast cancer patients are cared for by a multidisciplinary team that collaborates closely to ensure they develop a personalized treatment plan that achieves the best possible outcome. A patient’s health care team may include a breast surgeon, radiologist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, plastic surgeon, genetics counselor, nutritionist, social worker, rehabilitation services, and more. Each cancer patient has a personal, certified breast nurse navigator, from the initial diagnosis through every phase of treatment. For patients, the NAPBC accreditation provides an extra level of confidence as they navigate the process of choosing a treatment provider. For more information, visit capitalbreast.org.

Health Headlines by Capital Health | Hopewell Express11

Capital Health Regional Medical Center Earns NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE IN STROKE CARE Capital Health Regional Medical Center (RMC) has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Award. This award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines and the latest scientific evidence.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of adult disability.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and more than 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Capital Health Regional Medical Center earned the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke

treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidencebased guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions Additionally, RMC received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

If you or a loved one is experiencing signs and symptoms of a stroke, call 911 immediately.

To learn more about Capital Health’s commitment to providing advanced care for stroke patients and those with other complex disorders of the brain and spine, visit capitalneuro.org.

RADIATION ONCOLOGIST WITH EXPERTISE IN ADVANCED TREATMENT JOINS CAPITAL HEALTH CANCER CENTER DR. KHANH NGUYEN, a board certified radiation oncologist with nearly 20 years of experience providing state-ofthe art treatments for patients with prostate, lung, breast, and central nervous system tumors and other adult malignancies, has joined Capital Health Cancer Center, located at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell.

Dr. Nguyen joins a highly trained team of experienced radiation oncologists at Capital Health that includes Dr. Timothy H. Chen, medical director of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, and Dr. Shirnett K. Williamson, medical director of Radiation Oncology Services.

“Our mission to bring expert physicians, advanced medical technology, and worldclass patient care close to home is driving tremendous growth at our Cancer Center,” said Dr. Cataldo Doria, medical director of Capital Health Cancer Center. “This expansion allows us to provide care for a broader range of patients, which is why we’re so excited to have Dr. Nguyen join our team. He brings significant experience and training in radiation oncology from some of the most respected institutions in the country right here to our community.

Now, our patients who require his services can receive the best possible care without having to travel across the country or to a large city like New York or Philadelphia.”

“Capital Health is well known in the region for its commitment to advancing patient care, but as an organization it recognizes that having the latest technology is just one part of the equation,” said Dr. Nguyen.

“I’m thrilled to be part of a team that doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach but instead blends technological expertise with compassion to provide care that is tailored to the specific needs of each person.”

Dr. Nguyen is an expert in advanced radiation oncology treatment modalities, including accelerated partial breast irradiation, stereotactic radiosurgery/ stereotactic body radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy/image guided radiation therapy, magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and positron emission tomography/ computed tomography.

After completing undergraduate and graduate studies in physics at Harvard University, Dr. Nguyen received his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine (UCSD), where he completed a thesis with one of the pioneers in tumor immunology.

His internship in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia

12Hopewell Express | Health Headlines by Capital Health

was followed by a residency in radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, where he trained with world leaders whose clinical research set the standards of care in breast and prostate cancer management.

Before joining Capital Health, Dr. Nguyen was a radiation oncologist at Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover, Delaware, where he implemented programs in high dose rate brachytherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery/ stereotactic body radiation therapy, as well as a multidisciplinary neuro-oncology clinic.

In academic settings, Dr. Nguyen served as an assistant professor in the Division of Radiation Oncology at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. He also worked with Dr. David Townsend, inventor of the PET-CT scan, in the Cancer Imaging & Tracer Development Program at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dr. Nguyen has published research in peer-reviewed journals and presented lectures at national and international medical conferences. He is a member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Radium Society, and the American Brachytherapy Society.

Capital Health Cancer Center, located at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell, is the area’s most advanced provider of cancer treatment. To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org/cancer.

PETERSON continued from Page 1 and career (42.5); career sacks (15), forced fumbles in a season (5) and blocked kicks/punts in a season (3).

With two games remaining he was second to current Villanova player Drew Wiley (209 tackles) in career tackles with 192.

Asked where Peterson ranked among Bulldogs defensive players, coach Dave Caldwell said, “When we had the Wileys (Jeff and Drew), and (Mike) Gies and some other guys, they were great, and they were on the same team so we were more successful. But I think maybe Terrance had the most impact on any one single team defensively.”

That defensive talent is likely the reason he can’t throw the ball.

“My dad and I didn’t throw the football in the backyard,” Peterson recalled. “He would say ‘Get in a threepoint stance, get off the ball.’ That’s why my get-off is the way it is.”

Terrance took that defensive talent to the Pop Warner League in Hamilton, where he grew up, and then to Bordentown in the West Jersey Youth Football League. He played with Mercer County stars such as Notre Dame’s Ricky Spruill and Cortaz and Cole Williams and Hamilton West’s Kevin Boswell.

“You can go down the line who is the best players in the county now, and I played with all of them,” Peterson said.

He actually is one of them, although for one frightful year things did not look promising. In his first high school game for the Hopewell freshman team, Peterson felt someone fall on his leg while trying to thwart a 2-point conversion.

“I fell backwards and felt the snap immediately,” he said. “I went to the hospital that night and they said it was a clean break.”

Surgery was required for the insertion of metal plates in his leg. Peterson came down with an infection, and a second surgery was done to remove the plates.

“Breaking my leg and what came after that was probably one of the most heart-breaking things of my life,” Peterson said. “I went from thinking maybe I’ll play some JV as a freshman to not playing a whole year.”

Caldwell mused that he would have gotten varsity time as a freshman if he hadn’t broken his leg.

“I thought my future in football was pretty much over,” Peterson said. “I thought I would be riding the bench for the rest of my career. Going into that summer and training camp it was all mental. Everything had healed up physically so it was just about me going out and believing in myself.”

His belief returned on the first day of full pads when the hitting began. He felt like he was back in Pop Warner with absolutely no drop-off. Still, his only expectation was to be a JV starter as a sophomore.

By season’s end, he led the Bulldogs varsity with 58 tackles and nine sacks along with four forced fumbles.

He has gotten better ever since.

The 6-0, 210-pound Peterson was

Terrance Peterson was 17 tackles shy of the CHS career record with two games to go. (Photo by Rich Fisher.) moved to linebacker this year after two seasons on the line and has been just as good. Through Hopewell’s first five games he led the team in tackles (70) and sacks (2) despite being on every opponent’s radar.

“Teams are always game planning for him,” Caldwell said. “He understands that and he’s able to put himself in a situation where he’s gonna be successful. He’s got a high football IQ, he watches a lot of film and he’s played a lot of football.

Peterson, who is still mulling what college he will attend, says he likes playing linebacker. “I like being able to see everything and being able to act on what I see and shoot and have a head start,” he said.

As he winds up his high school career, Terrance looks back with pride on his Lineman of the Year award as well as the school records he has set.

It was something he aspired to as youngster.

“Freshman year we had probably one of the biggest icons in Hopewell history with Drew Wiley,” Peterson said. “I spent a lot of time looking up to Drew and Jeff. I looked at Drew’s name in the record books and thought, ‘Man I’d really like to be in that company.’ I just hoped to live up to that expectation.”

He has done all that and more, having also rushed 35 times for 246 yards, including a 171-yard effort against Lawrence, although Caldwell is reluctant to put his star defender on offense too often.

“It would be tough to go both ways every game,” Caldwell said. “When teams game plan toward him it becomes a pretty physical challenge. ” After the angst of his freshman year, Peterson is more than happy to be playing one way.

“Honestly, it’s a shock to me,” he said of his success. “When football got stopped I thought ‘This is one of the things I love to do and this is gonna get shot down for me.’ I thought I wouldn’t be able to recover from it. I’m happy I even got to this point and have been able to play at all.”

Let alone, play like a stud.

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December 2020 | Hopewell Express13

The paradox of social distancing LISA WOLFF NATURE IN THE VALLEY

Pandemic Fatigue is real. It’s draining to stay on high alert month after month (after month!) Couple that with unending polarizing political dialogue, and let’s face it… who wouldn’t feel exhausted?

Early in the year, when we first learned about Coronavirus, it almost felt patriotic to follow “safer at home” orders knowing that your actions (or inaction as the case may be) were keeping you and others safe. But soon the novelty wore off and the restrictions became more tiresome.

The announcements of potential vaccines intensified the temptation to relax compliance. Yet, at the time of this writing, the weekly increase in new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Hopewell Valley alone is five times the level of its previous high. Therefore, the interim period between widespread infection and immunity is literally measured in lives.

The well-known precautions associated with limiting virus spread are wearing a mask, washing your hands, distancing, and avoiding crowds.

While the mask wearing gets the most controversial media coverage, social distancing seems to be a bigger challenge for most people.

Distancing is a challenge and a paradox. Staying physically isolated from others will obviously allow you to avoid contact with their germs. Unfor-

tunately, that isolation may also result in avoiding contact with their love and affection.

In other words, we need to take precautions like distancing to stay healthy, yet prolonged social isolation can cause loneliness which also has a tangible impact on mental and physical health.

Since my column is called Nature in The Valley, it’s not surprising that my recommendation to this dilemma is finding a solution in nature. Braving the weather and getting outdoors with a small number of friends and family may be a good option.

According to the CDC, COVID is most commonly spread by people in close contact with one another and the odds increase with prolonged contact and poor ventilation (i.e. indoors.)

While it’s best to limit indoor gatherings to the immediate family, get your fix for seeing others at a distance in the outdoors.

The Lawrence Hopewell Trail offers a great opportunity to get some exercise. Much of it is wheelchair accessible so it’s a perfect option for folks with limited mobility.

D&R Greenway Children’s Discovery Trail provides a local place to keep children entertained. If you want to travel a bit further the South Mountain Fairy Trail features mystical miniature houses that bring a touch of magic to the New Jersey woods in any weather.

Visit the Hopewell Valley Arts Council website for a map to ArtSpires throughout Hopewell Valley. They are designed by local artists and

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14  Hopewell Express | December 2020

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FoHOVS land stewart Beth Craighead, 5th from left, with HVCHS students Ben Thomas, Grayson Lewis, Garrett Zimmerman, Alex Maria, Sarah Yancey and Harriet Strunk, who earned Honor Society service hours by training in trail maintenance at Fiddler’s Creek Preserve. Training for additional volunteers will be Dec. 5. Contact lhorvath@fohvos.org for information. commemorate the loss of native ash trees from the harmful effects of the emerald ash borer beetle as part of the organization’s ongoing initiative Out of the Ashes: Art Emerging from Fallen Trees. My favorite is Spire 48: “To all Trees with Thanks.”

Visit mercercountyparks.org under #OptOuside for a map of a selfguided 5-mile hike through Baldpate Mountain.

The D&R Canal and Washington Crossing State parks are also excellent options.

The new 2020 FoHVOS Guide to Walking Trails in the Hopewell Valley features 100 miles of 25 walking trails throughout Hopewell Valley. The

guide offers previously unavailable info on new properties like the Woosamonsa Ridge Preserve. Look for newly introduced QR codes throughout the book that provide Interactive GPS to point out special features and ensure you won’t get lost. Visit fohvos. org to download it free.

Finally, there are volunteer opportunities to monitor and maintain trails, plant trees and more. Stay safe and healthy this holiday season. We’re all looking forward to health and hugs in 2021.

We look forward to helping you through whatever flooring or remodeling projects are on your to do list.

Thank you for your understanding and for supporting local business.

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Lisa Wolff is the executive director of Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space.

Email: lwolff@fohvos.org.

FoHVOS adds Jaquan Levons to board of trustees The Friends of Hopewell Valley embrace our outdoor spaces,” Levons Open Space board of trustees is has says.

Levons serves as an elder at Cenannounced the addition of its newest member, Jaquan Levons of Titusville. tral-A Christ Centered Church, and was the most recent Levons has worked Director of Men’s Minat Bristol Myers Squibb istry. He lives near the for 17 years, and is curFoHVOS headquarters rently a principal sciatop Baldpate mounentist leading a team tain, and his kids have focused on exploring attended the camps that how digital technology share the location. can be applied to tomorFoHVOS is a nonrow’s drug products. He profit land trust that is received his bachelor’s dedicated to preservdegree in chemical engiing Hopewell Valley neering from Princeton through open space and University and holds farmland preservation, several formulation patand natural resource ents in drug product protection. FoHVOS has development.

Levons partnered with private “Working with FoHlandowners, governVOS is a great opportunity to perpetuate the great work pre- ment and nonprofit organizations to serving the lands in our area, to be an preserve over 7,800 acres.

To volunteer, donate, or learn example to others in my community of the relevance to people of color, and to more about FoHVOS preserves and highlight excellent spaces for kids and programs, visit fohvos.org or call families of color to come together and (609)730-1560.

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Hopewell Crossing Shopping Center 800 Denow Rd, Pennington, NJ 08534

December 2020 | Hopewell Express15

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16  Hopewell Express | December 2020