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Weyrich sets up HoVal volleyball success ‘Born setter’ helps Bulldogs to first winning record and first state tournament victory in school history

By RiCH FisHeR

Latin Bites is one of several popular food trucks that have regularly set up shop at Rosedale Mills in the past year.

Keep on truckin’ Rosedale Mills customers show that they have an appetite for a daily dose of food trucks

By Joe Emanski

Many shoppers in Hopewell Valley think of Rosedale Mills on Route 31 as one of those stores where you can go to get a lot of different things — something for your pets here, something for your home and garden there. You may even know someone whose life

partner ran over to Rosedale Mills for some birdseed one day and came home with a chicken coop.

And for the past 10 years, the Hart family’s 71-year-old business has also been known as the seasonal home of the Pennington Farmers Market, which is getting ready to start up again on Saturday, May 29.

But since last year, Rosedale Mills has been attracting customers for a whole new reason — one that is unrelated to the farmers market or its core business.

Since last spring, it has become known throughout the area as a place to pick up

some great food from one of the many food trucks that now serve the area.

This year Rosedale Mills plans to host a rotation of food trucks six days a week throughout the warmer months. On the docket for May are a mix of familiar favorites and first-time visitors (a complete schedule is on page 6).

While the coronavirus pandemic may have played a role in the unexpected success of food trucks at Rosedale Mills, the idea to invite them was a pre-pandemic brainstorm.

Manager Elizabeth Schreiber See TRUCKS, Page 6

When Corrinna Weyrich entered into the world, one of her missions in life was already decided, according to Dan Williams.

“Some people are born setters,” the Hopewell Valley Central High girls’ volleyball coach said. “She is definitely a born setter.”

A setter in volleyball is akin to a basketball point guard.

Weyrich must know her teammates’ strengths and opponents’ weaknesses and deliver a precise ball to a fellow Bulldog in an area where they can do the most damage.

The senior has been at it for five years, having started in eighth grade when Timberlane Middle School added girls’ volleyball.

“We didn’t have set positions, especially when everybody was just learning how to play,” Weyrich said. “But I was designated the setter and I thought ‘OK, I’ll go with it.’

It was something I just kind of fell into and it seemed like I was good at it.

“When I started playing club my freshman year I worked more at it and thought I was better at it than other positions. I could run plays and see what was going to

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work best for the team. I think it came naturally but I really had to work at it in the beginning. But I’m really glad they put me as setter because I loved it.”

Weyrich played it to perfection this season; averaging nearly 11 assists per match in helping Hopewell to its first winning record (8-7), first state tournament appearance and first state tournament victory.

The Bulldogs were secondseeded in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II tournament and earned a first-round bye before defeating Rumson-Fair Haven in the second round.

They fell to Voorhees, 2-1, in the semifinals after winning the first set.

“I thought the season went really well,” Weyrich said.

“I didn’t expect it to go that well especially since we lost a lot of seniors from last year who were really good players.

But I’m really proud of all the girls this year. We went further than any of the other programs for our school in girls’ volleyball, and especially having a few players who have never played before it’s a big accomplishment.”

The season was moved from fall to winter/spring this year due to the pandemic.

Because of that, several expected returnees were playing other sports, while some declined to play this year because of Covid. So Weyrich said she would have been satisfied with a .500 season.

“I was a little worried because we didn’t have as See WEYRICH, Page 8

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To prove that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” the Hopewell Valley Arts Council seeks daring and innovative artists, artisans, and creatives ready for an eco-art challenge at its newest community event: The Junkyard, an upcycle art exhibition.

The Junkyard is set to run from Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25 at Woolsey Park in Titusville, and feature artwork created out of discarded or unwanted items destined for the landfill by Team Challenge participants, as well as established professional and eco-artists.

Additional features include The Kids Zone for artwork created by children and youth; The Green Zone for informative and educational environmentally-related displays; and The Marketplace, where vendors will sell artisanal and environmentally related items.

Team Challenge participants will be invited to create imaginative original upcycled artwork in four categories specified by the HV Arts Council.

Established artists will be invited to display artwork and sculpture made primarily from upcycled items.

Displayed pieces must be sturdy

enough to be displayed outdoors under a tent and remain in place for the entire exhibition. Artwork will be judged by a panel of artists and will be awarded first, second, third, and honorable mention for their entire display.

Individual special awards will also be given to the best entry in each of the four challenge categories.

Registrations will be accepted from May 1 to June 30. Registration is online at hvartscouncil.org/thejunkyard. There is no residency requirement for participation. There is a participation fee for nonmembers.

Team Challenge opportunities are limited, and participants will be considered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Exhibitors participating in The Gallery will include invited eco-artists and other established artists from the area. To be considered for The Gallery, artists should submit representative work with registration for review and acceptance.

Artists are encouraged but not required to be present during public viewing hours as much as possible to promote the artwork and answer visitors’ questions.

See NEWS, Page 4

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The Express is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Hopewell Express does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another.

As such, our staff sets out to make our region a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood.

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2  Hopewell Express | May 2021

EDITOR Joe Emanski (Ext. 120) CONTRIBUTING WRITER Rich Fisher CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Reba Holley, Lisa Wolff AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION Stacey Micallef

Community News Service 15 Princess Road, Suite K Lawrence, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 396-1511 News: news@communitynews.org Events: events@communitynews.org Sports: sports@communitynews.org Letters: jemanski@communitynews.org Website: hopewellexpress.com Facebook: facebook.com/hopewellexpress Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace

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May 2021 | Hopewell Express3

NEWS continued from Page 2

May 14 Brown Bag Lunch to focus on brain health

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“Building blocks of better brain health” is the topic for the next Brown Bag Lunch Program presented by the Older Adult Ministry Committee of the Pennington Presbyterian Church.

Kevin Jameson, founder of the Dementia Society of America, is scheduled to discuss the top 10 peerreviewed interventions for improving the health of the brain.

Jameson will discuss the positive, science-based steps a person can easily take to increase the likelihood of mitigating the effects of aging, disease, and decades-old lifestyle choices. He will give an entirely different program from the one he gave the last time he was a Brown Bag Program guest.

Participants will be invited to gather on Zoom at 12:45 p.m. on Friday, May 14, with the program beginning promptly at 1 p.m. All are welcome.

To register and receive the Zoom link, contact the church at (609) 737-1221, Ext. 10.

Spring is for Planting!

Pennington School junior Daisy Hutnik has been accepted into the New Jersey Scholars Program, a highly selective summer program that brings together rising high school seniors for a five-week interdisciplinary learning experience.

NJSP selects 39 of the most motivated and high-achieving students in New Jersey to gather at the Lawrenceville School to learn from college professors.

The theme of this year’s program is “Mind and Body: The Future of Being Human,” a discussion-based, experiential environment. “I hope I can walk away from this program having gained more confidence to make the choices which inform my own future,” Hutnik.

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Pennington School junior Daisy Hutnik is one of 39 students accepted into the New Jersey Scholars Program. said in a media release.

Hutnik, a Hopewell resident, sees the program as a great opportunity to be pushed out of her comfort zone. “I believe that there’s no better way to do that than to surround yourself with new viewpoints and positions which you hadn’t previously considered,” she said. “With any luck, my beliefs will be broken down and changed countless times over the course of the program.”

Reusable bag program to benefit Contact of Mercer During the month of May, shoppers who purchase reusable bags at the Pennington Stop and Shop will be contributing Contact of Mercer County, the non-profit organization that trains volunteers to actively listen to those in crisis or contemplating suicide.

For every reusable bag sold to shoppers, Stop & Shop will donate $1 to Contact.

For 45 years, Contact has been fulfilling a critical mission throughout Mercer County and beyond by listening and providing non-judgmental, emotional support, strength, and compassion to people in crisis and helping to empower them as they seek to develop a strong sense of well-being and desire to live.

“In addition to helping us raise operating funds, the reusable bag donation program helps raise awareness about suicide prevention and crisis intervention by informing the public about an organization like Contact, which continues to fill a vitally important need,” said Eleanor Letcher, Contact of Mercer County executive director, in a media release.

As part of this ongoing program, every month a different local nonprofit is selected to benefit from the sale of the reusable Stop and Shop bags. The Stop and Shop is located at 800 Denow Road.

For more information about the reusable bag donation program, visit Contact of Mercer County at contactofmercer.org.

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Location: Zoom Meeting Arthritis can slow you down if you let it, but there are ways to stay active as you age. Join DR. ARJUN SAXENA, director of the Marjorie G. Ernest Center for Joint Replacement and a fellowship trained and board certified orthopaedic surgeon from Rothman Orthopaedics Institute, to discuss how exercise can help and learn about the latest joint replacement surgery options that are available to help you maintain your active lifestyle.

This event will be taking place virtually using Zoom. Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address.

Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2-3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

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May 2021 | Hopewell Express5

TRUCKS continued from Page 1 came up with the idea.

“She just thought it would be great fun to have different trucks come here and have something available for our customers for lunch,” says Daria Williams, the Rosedale Mills staff member who does all the booking for the trucks. “And then with Covid, it turned out to be something safe people could do. They weren’t eating out at restaurants, but they could come here.”

They set out to bring a truck to the store five days a week. But it was challenging at first.

Food trucks like to set up someplace where they can expect to serve enough customers to make at least a modest profit. With no track record, Rosedale Mills had to convince them that a country store was that kind of place.

Williams says that the store initially used a consultant to help them connect with food truck operators and convince them to give Rosedale Mills a try.

Some of those trucks had enough success that they agreed to return, and Williams says others were convinced by the store’s active social media campaigns online.

By late summer, the script was flipped.

“We started advertising that we had food trucks at the store and other trucks saw what a great job we were doing promoting it, and after a while they started reaching out to us,” Williams says.

It helped that truck operators were looking for new opportunities after Covid shut down many markets, festivals and entertainment venues.

“The food trucks had lost all their business for concerts and other events,” Williams says. “They were struggling and they had to change their business models completely,

doing their business at smaller venues like this.”

Williams adds that the arrangement has not merely been good for the food trucks’ business; the food trucks have also been good for Rosedale Mills.

Both the trucks and the Pennington Farmers Market have introduced many new customers to the store in recent years.

“It has definitely helped increase business,” Williams says.

“People driving by will just pull in because they see the trucks in the parking lot, and also people waiting in line start thinking of something they need to get from the store while they are there.

We’ve had a lot of new people come in the store. They have lunch, come in the store and they say, ‘Oh, we never knew you had such a variety of products.’”

Trucks come from throughout the general area. One popular truck, Latin Bites, is based in Manalapan, and serves Cuban and Puerto Rican food.

Dan’s Waffles is out of Pennsauken, and Doughnut Evolution, which fries its sweet treats to order, is based in Aberdeen Township.

And many trucks are based right here in Mercer County. The Savory Leaf Café is based in Lawrence, and D&D Catering in Hamilton.

Big Sid’s Southern Cuisine is one food truck that started going to Rosedale Mills last year, and is returning for another season. Sid Johnson of Big Sid’s can sometimes be found at the Paketeria Food Market on South Olden Avenue in Trenton. And when he isn’t there, he’s on the road serving his seafood and southern comfort food specialties.

“I’d never been up that way to do anything,” Johnson says. “After they called me, I rode up there prior to when we started, just to see how it

‘We started advertising that we had food trucks at the store, and other food trucks saw what we were doing and started reaching out to us.’

May food truck schedule at Rosedale Mills Thursday, May 13: Latin Bites Friday, May 14: Dan’s Backyard BBQ Saturday, May 15: Sweet Concessions Sunday, May 16: Dan’s Waffles Tuesday, May 18: Latin Bites Saturday, May 1: Latin Bites Wednesday, May 19: Latin Bites Sunday, May 2: Dan’s Waffles Friday, May 21: The Savory Café Tuesday, May 4: D&D Catering Saturday, May 22: TBA Wednesday, May 5: D&D Catering Sunday, May 23: Dan’s Waffles Thursday, May 6: Playa Bowls Tuesday, May 25: Cousin’s Lobster Friday, May 7: Smokin’ Addiction BBQ Wednesday, May 26: D&D Catering Saturday, May 8: Smokin’ Addiction Thursday, May 27: D&D Catering Sunday, May 9: Doughnut Evolution Friday, May 28: Big Sid’s Southern Cuisine Tuesday, May 11: Cousin’s Maine Saturday, May 29: Big Sid’s Lobster Sunday, May 30: Maui Lu Hawaiian BBQ Wednesday, May 12: Latin Bites

Food trucks are always onsite from at least 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To get the latest updates, follow Rosedale Mills on Facebook.

6  Hopewell Express | May 2021

The Smokin’ Addiction BBQ food truck will be at Rosedale Mills on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. was, and it was pretty busy out there.”

Johnson says he saw Rosedale Mills as a good opportunity to reach new customers. “I said, ‘Well I’ll give it a shot, why not, I had nothing to lose,’” he says.

He says customers responded well to his scratch-made dishes.

“It’s a good spot,” he says. “How it works out is what we make of it. If we bring quality food, they’ll support us, and if we don’t, we won’t see them anymore. So far we have had a lot of customers returning to us, so I guess they like the quality of what we’re doing.”

Johnson says he has seen his Trenton customers at Rosedale Mills, and he has also seen people he first served at Rosedale Mills at the Paketeria.

Big Sid’s will be at Rosedale Mills on May 28 and 29. The truck is known for its seafood dishes, like grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, fish po’boys, crab balls (“they’re really crab bakes, but they’re balls so we call them crab balls,” Johnson says), and Johnson’s house specialty, seafood rice.

But Johnson says that pulled pork always sells really well when he goes to Hopewell, so he always makes sure

to have pulled pork on hand when he’s there.

“I think it’s a nice place to work at, the people are friendly, the staff is nice,” he says. “I like to fish, so I go into the store to get some stuff for fishing from time to time. I use them to get my propane. It’s really convenient for me, and I think it’s good for them because by us having good quality food, not only do people come up from Trenton to see us, but they also go into their store, which is a good thing.”

For now, Rosedale Mills only books one truck a day, Tuesday through Sunday. Their permit allows for two trucks at a time, but Williams says they don’t want to pit trucks against one another for customers.

But she adds that in the future, the store could book a savory truck and a sweet truck at the same time, so customers can get both a lunch and a dessert.

Rosedale Mills, 101 State Route 31, Pennington NJ 08534. Web: rosedalemills.com. Phone: (609) 737-2008.

Daria Williams also books food trucks for other venues and events. For more information, call (908) 328-2177 or email dariawilliams@hotmail.com.

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The other day I waited my turn as I dutifully stood six feet away from the checkout counter. The sign at the cashier read: “Please wait until you are asked to checkout.”

The masked cashier, standing behind plexiglass, looks up and says something to me that I could not understand.. “I’m sorry, would you like me to place my items on the counter?” I ask, hoping I guessed correctly. . Apparently I didn’t. As she stops me from placing any more items on the conveyor belt, she repeats her statement from behind the mask and takes out her disinfectant spray and paper towel to wipe down the counter. It only took two verbal cues, a written sign, and overt hand gestures for me to finally understand that she wanted me to wait until she wiped down the counter first.

During this covid epidemic, a lot of us are experiencing what it’s like to be someone who is hearing impaired. This new world order of social distancing now requires us to wear masks that muffle our speech. With the addition of background noise and a six foot distance to muffled speech, we find it increasingly difficult to understand what a cashier or even a loved one is saying while we are out in public. I can tell you that as an audiologist, this is a nightmare for many of my patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Over time, an inability to hear people’s words with repeat communication breakdown leads to social isolation and withdrawal from friends, family and events.

We may not have realized how often we use lip reading and facial expressions to make sense of a conversational exchange, especially with background noise, until now. I certainly experienced this at the checkout counter, even with normal hearing.

It is easy to imagine how this comes to play with hearing loss. Visual cues supplement what a hard of hearing person misses auditorily, even when hearing devices are utilized.

Many refer to this as lip reading or speechreading. I call this “visual hearing,” and it is real. In fact, it is so real, many of my patients remark that they actually hear better when they wear their glasses. We all use our visual cues to understand the entirety of communication exchange to some extent. With facial expressions and lips covered, it is that much more difficult to understand others, and especially for those who are hard of hearing. One patient with severe hearing loss mentioned how challenging it was for her to hear masked people while out shopping- not entirely knowing if someone was speaking to her because she couldn’t see their lips move.

“It’s nerve-wracking, walking around not knowing who is actually talking to you, or not being sure of how to respond because you don’t know they are actually talking to you in the first place,” she said.

Although modern technology has provided us with the ability to conduct office meetings, learn distantly, as well as video chat with friends and family, it actually creates many hardships for those who are hard of hearing. Consider how challenging holding a conversation is when the phone or computer’s audio doesn’t work properly, disconnects, or poorly projects sound while on a video chat. One becomes reliant on a grainy video at best to make sense of what is being said. Unlike watching television, there is no real-time closed caption option for live video sessions. How easily can we continue a conversation with little to no audio on a video conference? Now we can imagine how those with hearing loss struggle on live video chats.

Repeat breakdowns in communication, whether it be in person or online, lead to less social engagement over time. Over time, a hearing-impaired person loses the ability to engage in conversation confidently, or does not want to burden the speaker by having them repeat several times. We have all experienced a situation in which we did not understand someone because it was too noisy. We may even nod in agreement or nervously laugh when we do not understand what was said. People with hearing loss do this all the time. A smile here, a nod there, and not really knowing what their kids laughed at over Thanksgiving dinner but laughing anyway. At some point they may choose not to engage altogether because it’s an awful lot of work, and at times, embarrassing. Little by little they withdraw from friends, family, and events.

We now know how real social isolation is through our stay at home order, and we’re seeing it lead to greater levels of anxiety and depression. It is evident that human connection feeds our sense of purpose and levels of hope.

Now that we have experienced some of these struggles, I am hoping we can use this time to find compassion for those struggling with communication and connection.

Unlike vision loss, hearing loss is invisible. It is difficult to imagine how hard a person with hearing loss struggles because we don’t see it. Helen Keller wrote, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.”

In the meantime, speak slowly and distinctly. Project your voice if necessary. Be kind. If they can’t see your smile, remember to smile with your eyes. We all deserve to be heard.

Dr. Yasmin Battat earned her Master’s Degree Audiology at Hofstra University and her doctorate degree at Salus University. Dr. Battat is licensed through the State of New Jersey and maintains membership in the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists and the American Academy of Audiology. She has over 18 years of experience of treating hearing needs with individualized, whole person care.

She is a believer in knowing her patients’ stories and joining them on their journey to hearing wellness. She is the founder and owner of Oracle Hearing Center in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. For more information, go to www.oraclehearingcenter.com or email her at info@oraclehearingcenter.com.

8  Hopewell Express | May 2021

Senior setter Corrinna Weyrich is a key component of the Hopewell Valley volleyball team. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)

WEYRICH continued from Page 1 many people coming out,” she said.

“But when we started playing games, we won our first scrimmage and I thought ‘OK, this is gonna go better than I had planned.’ It took a while for the team to start to gel. But once we got there we started playing really well.”

As the team’s only senior, Weyrich was the leader on and off the court.

She was surrounded by some strong underclassmen such as juniors Sofie Ragins, Emilie Sawicki, Mea Allex and Megan Silberberger and sophomore Michaela Kwak.

But hitters are only as good as the setter getting them the ball, which is what made Weyrich so valuable.

“They can swing it as hard as they want to, but if your setter can’t get you the ball, it’s null and void,” Williams said. “She’s the commander out there. She’s very studious as far as the game is concerned. She always wants to push herself, always wants the team to be better. Our motto is ‘Team first, player development second, and winning third.’ She believes in that ‘team first’ and that’s what makes the difference.”

Weyrich played field hockey through seventh grade. After undergoing knee surgery for an overuse injury, she decided to take on a new challenge when volleyball was introduced at Timberlane.

After falling in love with it, Weyrich began club in ninth grade and played for the Bulldogs freshman team before moving to JV as a sophomore.

She took over the starting varsity job as a junior.

“Last year she had her struggles,” Williams said. “But she found her way, and she became a real leader on our team. She’s a very vocal leader, she understands the game and she’s very studious. I’m gonna miss her.

“This season she was putting the ball in the right place. She knows what hitters to go to; she knows what the

defense is doing on the other side.”

As a “born setter” much of that ability is innate, but Weyrich also had to work at it both mentally and physically.

“It’s a little bit of both,” she said. “I would look at the other teams before we played them and I said, ‘OK I know this team has a good block, so I’m going to set the middle slightly outside of the block so we can get around it.’ Or I’ll see that they’re not good defensively in a particular spot so if I set the outside (hitter) I’ll let them know where to go in that sense.”

It is not surprising that intelligence played a major part in Weyrich’s volleyball success, as she has a 4.0 unweighted grade point average and 4.4 weighted GPA. Weyrich is leaning toward attending Northeastern University to enroll in its Explorer Program, which would allow her to partake in various majors in order to find an interest.

As a four-year member of the school paper, Weyrich was one of this year’s senior editors and was responsible for handing out assignments, editing and layout. She also joined Panorama, a literary arts magazine, and gave lessons at Timberlane as a member of PANDA, which focuses on prevention of alcohol and drug abuse.

And finally, Weyrich was part of “Bulldogs Bite Back,” a group that raised over $50,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Since Northeastern is a Division I school, Weyrich will not attempt to play varsity volleyball if she decides to attend.

“But they have a really good club program, so I’m planning to play club,” she said. “It’s still really competitive; it’s just not as big of a time commitment.”

If her college career is anything like high school, Weyrich will need all the time she can get to partake in a wide variety of activities.

And it should be no problem to ‘set’ it all up.

Superintendent Smith leaving HoVal for Pennsbury District set to resume fullday schedule on May 17

By Joe Emanski

Superintendent Thomas Smith sent a letter to Hopewell Valley Regional School District parents on April 6 revealing that he was the lone finalist for the open position of superintendent in the nearby Pennsbury school district.

The Pennsbury board of education confirmed Smith’s appointment on April 15. He is expected to resign in Hopewell Valley at the conclusion of this school year with plans to start in Pennsbury on or before Aug. 1.

“I am very excited to join the Pennsbury School community. Pennsbury has a strong reputation, and from the comprehensive interview experience with the board, I know that we share the same vision of providing a world-class education for Pennsbury students,” Smith said in a statement released by the school district. “I look forward to working very hard for the community and partnering with the outstanding staff in Pennsbury to promote student achievement in academics, the arts, activities, and athletics.”

Smith, who grew up in Ewing and lives in Upper Freehold, has been superintendent of Hopewell Valley schools for 12 years. Before that, he was an assistant superintendent in the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district, where he had previously worked as a special education teacher.

He has been president of the Mercer County Administrators Association for the past seven years, and was named Mercer County Superintendent of the Year in 2018.

Pennsbury’s current superintendent, William Gretzula, announced in the fall that he would retire at the end of the school year. In January, Pennsbury conducted a survey of 1100 respondents asking what goals, priorities, and other feedback the board should consider when choosing its next superintendent. Twenty-two candidates applied for the job, of which five advanced to the in-person interview stage.

Pennsbury has more than $140 million in capital investment planned for the coming decade, including a proposed $72.4-million renovation project for Pennsbury High School.

The district also announced that it will return to the pre-pandemic, fullday school schedule five days a week as of May 17, at all levels.

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Caterer Max Hansen planning 2022 opening for The Princeton Farmhouse Max Hansen, the chef/owner for coronavirus protocols.

“I believe that our farmhouse venue of Max Hansen Caterer based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, has com- will provide a world-class event space pleted the purchase of the 82-acre worthy of the community,” Hansen property that will become The Princ- said in a statement.

The venue is being designed by eton Farmhouse, the future headquarPrinceton-based Studio ters of his catering operHillier. Construction will ation in Mercer County. begin late summer 2021, The 25,000 square foot, with the hope of being multimillion dollar propcompleted by summer erty, with a full-service 2022. liquor license, is located Hansen said that the at 328 Carter Road in property will not only be Hopewell. used for private affairs, The Princeton Farmbut will have the flexibilhouse will include a fullity to host conferences, service catering and seminars, meetings, event facility, a comcorporate events and missary kitchen, and charitable fundraisers. offices. The design will Hansen added that he have what Hansen refers will also be partnering to as “the look and feel Hansen with several local farms, of a New England farm including Cherry Grove compound with a PrincFarms, Terhune Orchards and Blue eton aesthetic.”

Plans are for the venue to be able to Moon Acres, to provide fresh, preaccommodate up to 300 guests for sit- mium local ingredients for his menus.

“The Princeton Farmhouse is the down affairs post-Covid. A large deck will allow for outdoor entertaining, fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me and the grounds of the building will and for my team,” Hansen said. “I’ve be landscaped with native and sustain- been working my entire career to able plants. A pre-existing approved build this type of premier facility, and plan for the property is being revised I cannot wait to serve our guests from to accommodate new requirements Princeton and beyond next summer.”

May 2021 | Hopewell Express9

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SIX09 Arts > food > culture

The American menu Author David Page talks “Food Americana,” Page 4

thesix09.com | May 2021

what’s happening

HomeFront’s Free Store open for business A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 22 to celebrate the grand reopening of HomeFront’s newly renovated FreeStore, located at 1000 Division Street.

HomeFront celebrated with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, who cut the ribbon. In a press release, the organization said it was grateful to the City of Trenton for its support. Thanks to a Community Development Block Grant awarded from Trenton’s Housing and Economic Development Department, HomeFront’s FreeStore will now have a brighter interior, an improved HVAC system, and handicap accessibility.

HomeFront’s Celia Bernstein, who oversaw the renovation project, spoke to the importance of the FreeStore in a community where housing costs are high: “For a local family to afford a modest two-bedroom home, they must earn an hourly wage of $28 [per hour],” Bernstein said. “If housing is this difficult to afford, where do you find money for clothing for your growing children or work clothes for a job interview, or sheets and towels?”

Stocked with donations of gently

used clothing and household goods, the FreeStore provides community members the opportunity to shop for essential items at no cost.

As many continue to face financial challenges during the pandemic, the FreeStore offers a crucial lifeline for local low-income families. The FreeStore has seen over 78,000 visits since its inception in 1999. Consistent with HomeFront’s mission of helping families achieve independence, the FreeStore prioritizes work and school appropriate clothing, including plus-sizes.

Through the tireless efforts of FreeStore Manager Maria Sierra and her crew of amazing volunteers, the FreeStore will now greet HomeFront’s families with a beautiful, welcoming interior. Much like a department store, the FreeStore offers a wide variety of clothing and other items every household needs. In addition to work and school attire, the FreeStore provides clothing for job interviews and special occasions.

The bedding and linens department provides towels, sheets, blankets and pillows, while the housewares department has kitchen items such as pots and pans and small appliances.

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trenton Mayor reed Gusciora cuts the ribbon at Homefront’s newly refurbished freestore on thursday, april 22, joined by Homefront chief operating officer sarah steward, freestore manager Maria sierra and Homefront director of construction celia Bernstein. (Photo by Meg cubano.)

“When you think about a family in Trenton—half of which live under the poverty line—they need a place after they finish buying food for their families, after they’ve found a home, they need to furnish it and they need to get clothing,” Gusciora said. “The FreeStore really is the place for so many families, particularly in the Chambersburg area, that just need a lifting hand.”

For families struggling with home-

lessness or living in its shadow, the FreeStore provides a sense of ownership and control that comes with choosing items for themselves and their families.

Your donations give HomeFront’s families the security and stability they need to live with dignity.

For information on how to volunteer or donate, send an e-mail to getinvolved@homefrontnj.org or call (609) 989-9417.

SIX09

EDITOR Sam Sciarrotta (Ext. 121) ARTS EDITOR Dan Aubrey FOOD & DINING COLUMNIST Joe Emanski AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Stacey Micallef SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)

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May 2021 | SIX093 MARCH/APRIL 2020

from the cover

Discovering American cuisine Writer takes readers on cross-country food journey in book

By Sam Sciarrotta

David Page has a long history of going places.

The writer and producer has followed jobs to Wichita, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix and Chicago. As a news producer for NBC, he bounced between London and Frankfurt, Budapest and Berlin, Africa and the Middle East.

His travels eventually led him back to the States, where he formed his own production company and did work for Al Roker on the Food Network—but he’d soon be back on the road. Page pitched and created Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the Guy Fieri road trip-style food reality show.

Now, though, the Long Beach Island resident is following a new path. Page’s book, Food Americana, is out this month. It covers his crosscountry journey to find out what dishes and recipes make up the Amer-

ican menu—what we eat as a country and why we eat it.

Six09 editor Sam Sciarrotta talked to Page about his career, food and the perfect Jersey tomato. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Six09: What is “Food Americana “to you? What is American cuisine?

David Page: Well, as I say in the book, American cuisine is a bit of many other cultures’ or countries’ cuisines modified to our palates or preferences and melded together.

Six09: That also kind of sounds like an accurate description of just New Jersey, too. I think the intersection of food and New Jersey culture is pretty powerful.

DP: It is, although day-to-day cuisine in New Jersey actually goes in many cases far beyond what I’m defining as American cuisine. New Jersey eaters, in many cases, I think are more adventurous and are open to cuisines from other countries that have not yet been accepted as a day-to-day part of ours. I refer specifically, for example, to the Ironbound area of Newark, where the Portugese food is terrific,

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4SIX09 | May 2021

David Page pivoted from producer to author to write Food Americana, a book about what we eat as a country and why we eat it.

food from Peru. Those remain in the minds of most Americans, I think, still “other,” as opposed to sushi or Chinese food or something along those lines, that are so common all across the country that they’re now thought of as American.

Six09: Have you always been interested in food on this level?

It seems to be kind of a central theme of your career.

DP: I didn’t get into food in this way until NBC sent me to Europe.

I worked in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and began to realize the national and especially regional differences in food based on tradition and societal makeup and, of course, the availability of specific ingredients.

It was there, as I was trying to understand a number of other cultures, that I realized that the gateway to those other cultures is the food.

I had some amusing experiences, such as, on my first trip to Vienna, I asked the support staff there to take me where they like to go and eat. And they took me to a Texas ribs joint.

Six09: Why were you in Europe to begin with?

DP: I’ve been a journalist in one form or another since I was 15 or 16.

I started working on the radio when I was in high school. I followed jobs around the country—went from radio to television in Wichita, Kansas, worked in a number of local television stations in Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, and eventually got picked up by NBC and placed in their Chicago bureau as a producer.

After a couple of years there, they sent me to Europe, first to London and then, at my request, I moved to Frankfurt. The London bureau was awfully big and, frankly, one plane flight too far from the action. In Frankfurt, which was a smaller bureau, it was easier to get things done. We could

call New York and say “We’re on the way” before London could get someone to Heathrow to get to us to get to where we were going.

I worked in Frankfurt for quite awhile, and then I moved to Budapest in advance of what were clearly going to be the impending communist revolutions. I covered the Hungarian revolution and the collapse of the government of Czechoslovakia. Then, I moved back to the states and became a show producer on the weekend Today Show. I ended up as the senior investigative producer of 20/20 over at ABC, and then as a line producer at GMA. While I was there in the lifestyle arena of Good Morning America, I ended up putting a number of food segments on the air, including segments with Emeril (Lagasse). I enjoyed it very much. When I ended up leaving network television and forming my own production company to try to make a buck or two, on the one hand, I had taken a great new step. On the other hand, I was technically unemployed. So, I called Al Roker who had actually worked for me when I ran the weekend Today Show.

He had a production company, so I called and asked if he needed any freelance work. I ended up doing work for him for the Food Network and later began to pitch them directly for projects of my own.

Six09: Is that how you ended up with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

DP: At first, I got absolutely nowhere. It was a festival of rejection, until one day, I’m on the phone with a development executive who was kind enough to take my calls but kept saying “No.” She said to me, “Don’t you have anything else on diners?” I had done a documentary on diner history for Al, and I said, “Sure, I’m developing this show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

She said, “We have a development meeting on Tuesday. Get me a writeup by Monday.” The problem was I was not developing a show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I had just pulled that phrase out of whatever part of my anatomy. I spent the next few days working feverishly, pitched the show, and they picked up a one-hour special, I think to keep Guy Fieri’s face on the air while they tried to figure out what to do with him in primetime.

He had won their Food Network Star competition. They wanted to try to make something of him. They had a couple of very big names working on proposals for a primetime vehicle for him. Much to their surprise, when those proposals came in, they didn’t like them. The specials had done well, and they decided to take a chance

Poached black cod with Jiu Nian Lee’s spring asparagus is served at the Eight Tables restaurant, which is featured in the “Made in America—Our Love Affair with Chinese Food” chapter of Food Americana. (Photo by Robert Birnbach.)

on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as a series, although they told me in the first couple of weeks when the first couple of episodes scored very well, they did confide in me, “This thing’s not going to have legs. There just aren’t that many restaurants.”

Six09: Did you ever imagine that it would explode the way that it did?

DP: I had no idea. I had been trying for quite awhile to land a show of my own. At that point, the initial feeling of success was just getting something bought and put on the air. I did not expect it to become the national phenomenon it did, although, at the risk of sounding egotistical, I had a deep belief in doing the show in a certain way, a way that held to my editorial standards, the same ones that I used when I was running investigations on 20/20.

I had a certain vision for how to cut it, how to put it together, how to make it look. The fact that it became such a big hit in retrospect, some of it is lightning in a bottle. Some of it is that Guy is an incredible television character.

But I’m very delighted to see that the show that became hit was the show that I put together according to a certain vision.

Six09: It does seem that the show and Food Americana kind of share some common themes. Did the show help you segue into writing? Did you take anything from the show with you while you were writing the book?

DP: Yes—a continually growing appreciation for the role that real food plays in America, and the role it plays, especially brought out doing this pandemic, in bringing us together.

It’s been more than a year now, and I think people are yearning to sit across a table with each other and just talk.

More than anything, I think I was pleasantly surprised by the nature of people who put their all into independently owned restaurants. That community has just been massively hit by lack of business, and many, many independent restaurants have gone out of business.

Six09: Tell me a little bit about the intersection of food and pop culture. Why do you think people are so fascinated with shows like Triple D, things like your book, firing off hot takes about food? What allows that to really grab people?

DP: The invention of the smartphone. We all have cameras. There has been a “foodie culture” for sometime, not a word I like, but there’s been a core group of people who use food to make them part of the cool crowd.

“I understand the difference between this dish and that.” as we spend more of our lives talking to people online, it makes perfect sense to start posting our pictures.

As for interest in it on television, clearly, that was the creation of the celebrity chef because, at its heart, TV is about hanging out with people you want to hang out with. Food is a constant in our lives. We have to eat. We have to interact with food. I think it’s a topic that has continual legs.

Six09: What was the research process for Food Americana? Were you inter viewing people? I’m sure you tried a lot of amazing dishes.

DP: First, I read more than 200 books. That number is not a joke. I read some cover-to-cover. Others I used as references for specific points.

I talked to a remarkable number of people, and it started with food historians and academics, because I really wanted to understand the structure behind each food and how each food developed to the place it is today without making it a boring history lesson. To make sure it wasn’t a history lesson, I sought out people vibrantly involved in where food stands today and told the stories through them as much as possible.

Six09: Did you travel?

DP: I did some traveling—one big trip, especially, to San Francisco, where I was able to meet Cecilia Chiang, probably the most influential voice in Chinese cooking in America over the last century, in her home just months before she passed away. She was 100.

See AMERICANA, Page 6

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Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival, took place before COVID broke out. Once COVID was here, big events were over.

Six09: Did you have any favorite inter views, recipes that you discovered or interactions with people throughout this process?

DP: Sure. To mention one or two is to slight all the others, but meeting Cecilia Chiang was a pretty remarkable thing. I walked into her apartment, high up in a building in Pacific Heights in San Francisco with a glorious view out the window.

This 100-year-old woman, put together like a fashion model, greets me wearing pearls. I had messed up the interview time, so she didn’t realize I was coming on this day, and she had a lunch ahead of her that had been scheduled, and yet, she graciously invited me in, and we talked for quite awhile. She went into the other room and came back with a manila envelope and pulled out an original menu from her restaurant, The Mandarin, show-

AMERICANA continued from Page 5

YEARS

I also went to pizza school out there. I went to a $1,000 Chinese dinner which, thankfully, we had been invited to by the owner of the restaurant, Eight Tables, which is an example of the developments in Chinese food in America right now. What he does is a sort of hybrid of the tastes and flavors of China reworked into incredible new dishes. It’s phenomenal. I went to an oyster farm on the Delaware Bay. I went to the 2019 Memphis in May barbecue competition, which many in the barbecue world consider the Super Bowl, to shadow a team that had won the previous year and was trying to repeat—the folks from The Shed down in Mississippi.

If you want to find out if they won, you can buy the book. In many other places, I used freelance journalists to experience things that I could not get to, such as going out on a lobster boat or visiting a sushi restaurant in an Oklahoma gas station. I was lucky that most of the big events, like Memphis in May and the

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ing the blue pen strikeouts and additions as she was compiling what would become the most influential menu in Chinese food history in America.

Pizza school with Tony Gemignani, he is a remarkable figure and one of the leading lights in american pizza.

That was eye-opening and absolutely delightful.

I also enjoyed Memphis in May. The Orrison family, owners of The Shed, have been delightful, really lovely people since we first talked to them for Diners early on. I was welcomed with open arms and got to eat some of the finest pork I’ve ever had in my life.

Six09: What are some of your favorite Jersey restaurants or dishes?

DP: I actually included LaBamba, a Mexican restaurant here on LBI, because they make an incredible mole. The owners are from Puebla, which is one of the mole centrals in Mexico. Their mole on chicken is unbelievable.

I love the pizza at the Star Tavern in Orange. I used to live up in Glen Ridge. It is a perfect example of what a bar pie should be. It’s just something special. I love the various international restaurants in Newark. I love going to that area and deciding what kind of food I’m going to have.

There’s another restaurant here on LBI that’s extraordinary, The Gables.

It’s in an old house, and they do food that would be competitive with the priciest restaurant in New York City.

Just remarkable, high-end, not prohibitively expensive, really, really fine cooking.

Six09: How long have you lived on LBI? DP: We’ve had a house here for 25 years or so. When my daughter went to college, which was about 10 years ago, we moved here fullt-ime because it’s a great place to live, especially in the winter when the traffic lights are blinking and the speed limit goes back up.

Six09: Did you grow up in New Jersey?

DP: I was born in New York, grew up in western Massachusetts. I will admit something ugly. When my wife and I were newly married and living in New York City, she said, “We need to go someplace for vacation this summer.

How about the Jersey Shore?” I said, “New Jersey?” My only view of New Jersey was driving into New York to see my grandparents and passing refinery after refinery. The air smelled like something noxious. I said, “What are you talking about?” She said, “You don’t know New Jersey.” We came down here to LBI and rented half a house for a couple of weeks, and I was hooked.

I also firmly believe, having been lucky enough to dine all over Europe, Africa and the Middle East, that Long Beach Island still produces one of the finest single food items on the face of the Earth. I believe that the scallops brought in here are absolutely the pinnacle. They’re remarkable.

Six09: What about the scallops makes them so good?

DP: Well, they’re sweet as hell, firm, if you cook them up nice and simple, just

The pulled pork sandwich from The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, which David Page says is the best he’s ever had. (Photo courtesy of The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint.)

a little butter. By the way, people flip scallops. You shouldn’t flip scallops. They’re small enough that once you’ve gotten enough heat to caramelize a crust on one side, take them out of the pan. They’ll continue cooking on their own. One of the things I hope people get a sense of from the book is that the best food is the food of a place.

When I go somewhere, I want to eat what they produce, that they have been cooking for years. We have great food on LBI. Tuna, monkfish, terrific crab.

Locality has become a buzzword of food trendiness, but it isn’t trendiness, in my view, if you’re smart enough to eat what’s best where it came from. For example, most people eat tomatoes that have been genetically modified to be perfectly round so they can fit into uniform packing containers. I prefer an ugly, misshapen Jersey tomato, which came out of the ground not that far from me and which I will put up against any of the best tomatoes from Italy. A good Jersey tomato, which is only available around a certain time of year, is a remarkable experience.

Six09: That’s exactly why my mom and stepdad grow their own.

DP: You get a good Jersey tomato, some fresh mozzarella, olive oil, basil, and you’ve got a caprese to kill for. It’s just a wonderful thing. I was in Iraq for NBC before the first Gulf War, and not a lot of people wanted to go in. The hours were long, the work was very difficult, the conditions were terrible. By the time the government kicked me out, I was fried. I asked the Rome bureau to book me back to Frankfurt with a layover in Rome, specifically at the Hassler Hotel.

It was the kind of place that was used to odd requests.

I asked the bureau to tell them that I hadn’t had a fresh vegetable in weeks, and that after I checked in, could they please deliver a caprese to my room.

Nanoseconds after checking in, there’s a rap on the door. Room service comes in with a massive silver tray. He puts it down and takes off an equally massive cover, and there must be 30 pieces of caprese. I said to myself, “I’ll never eat all of this.” And guess what, I did. There was tomato glop dripping down my chin, but I felt like I was back in the world.

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Tipple and Rose brings tea time to Pennington

By Joe Emanski

Pennington got a welcome and unexpected jolt last summer when Doria Roberts and Calavino Donati popped up with The Pig + the Pit, a new restaurant offering a unique mix of southern and vegan cuisine.

The response was so strong at times that they sometimes had to take the phone off the hook — or more accurately, disable the online ordering form — to keep up with the high demand.

The Pig + the Pit was the first business that the couple opened after they moved from Atlanta to New Jersey at the end of 2019. This year they have introduced a second, and this time it’s a concept that they brought with them.

Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Some of the many varieties of tea on display and available for purchase Apothecary, at 12 N. Main St., opened at Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary. in February, just a few doors down from The Pig + the Pit. In Atlanta, Tipple and Rose became the country for traditional English-style day when she can recreate the tea parlor experience for customers in the new known for its selection of whole and afternoon tea service.

Because of the ongoing coronavirus space. loose leaf teas and its scones and macarUntil that day, Tipple and Rose is ons, as well as for its tea-brewing acces- pandemic, Tipple and Rose isn’t seating sories, honey, candles, bath and body customers for afternoon tea. However, it offering take-out as well as tea-service products and more. It also gained rec- does have just about everything else it catering. For special occasions, like ognition from Travel and Leisure maga- had become known for in Atlanta — and Mothers Day, the store will have gift zine in 2018 as one of the best places in Roberts says she looks forward to the boxes and other specials.

8SIX09 | May 2021

Everything available in the shop skews toward the artisanal and the small-batch. Roberts makes the scones herself. Honey comes from Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm in Hunterdon County or Savannah Bee Company in Savannah, Georgia. Candles come from Yo Soy Candle of Portland, Oregon and Wax Apothecary of Idyllwild, California, among other purveyors.

There are handmade kitchen towels from The Coin Laundry in Bozeman, Montana and room sprays from Commonwealth Provisions of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Also popular has been their selection of nonalcoholic gins and whiskeys. Roberts sees herself as a curator, filling the store with boutique items that she likes that make homes homier or that would make great gifts.

But the heart of the business remains the teas, of which they are some 140 kinds available for purchase. There are black teas, green teas, white teas, oolong teas, herbal teas, fruit teas, chai — basically any kind of tea one could want. Each tea on the shelves is accompanied by an ingredient list with tasting notes, and customers are welcome to take a whiff of any that they think might be to their liking.

anybody was going to come. I thought I’d be sitting in the corner, drinking tea and writing in my journal. But we ended up getting really busy, really fast.”

Afternoon tea service — often (improperly) referred to as high tea

by Americans — turned out to be just what Atlanta was looking for. As is traditional, Tipple and Rose’s afternoon tea would be served with three courses on a tiered platter. One tier for savories and sandwiches, one for scones and one for sweets, including macarons.

“I have to say it was a lot of fun, just a nice afternoon,” Roberts says. “You could come in and have a quiet lunch in an elegant space. That’s what we wanted, to create something a little different, but still affordable and accessible.”

By 2018, the tea parlor was successful enough to gain national recognition from Travel and Leisure Magazine as an afternoon tea destination. But in December 2019, after Roberts’ mother had suffered a heart attack and a stroke, RobCandles and teapots on display at erts and Donati closed all their Atlanta restaurants and moved north to be Tipple and Rose. nearer to her.

Only once Roberts’ mother was sufGreg Powers The store also sells a variety of tea- ficiently recovered did Roberts and pots, tea presses, infusers and other Donati start looking for a place in the HIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 supplies designed to help make the per- area suitable for starting their restauCOMPLETED STONEsays FIREPLACE rant group back up OUTDOOR again. Roberts fect cup of tea. Occupancy is limited toRECENTLY 10 customers because of the pandemic, that after they took a look at the culiand masks are also required, but Rob- nary landscape in the area, they decided erts says it is possible to smell the teas that Tipple and Rose would be the easithrough any but the most heavy-duty of est concept to transition from Atlanta to New Jersey. They even trucked all the masks.

Shoppers who do not feel knowledge- decor up from Georgia with plans to re• ReNew Masonry Patio design and construction able enough to choose teas on their own create the old shop.

Then Covid-19 hit, throwing everycan ask for assistance from a member • 25 years doing the same work-masonry design, construction, of Tipple and Rose’s trained staff. “We thing up in the air. Instead of going restoration, and repair always tell people there’s somebody ahead with Tipple and Rose, Donati • Our patios and brick paver driveways are guaranteed not to settle here willing to follow you around, or not, and Roberts chose to sublet the former and if you have a question or need a little Eclair Café at 20 N. Main St., which had and backed by our LIFETIME WARRANTY help, everyone is well versed in every- closed at the start of the pandemic.

• Outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, private courtyards, lighted There they created an entirely new thing, so just ask.” concept, The Pig + the Pit, which will cel*** pillars Roberts grew up in Mercer County ebrate a year in business in July and has • We offer a huge selection of concrete pavers for patios & driveways and graduated from Princeton Day been successful enough that they have School in 1989. She went on to attend the officially taken over the lease.

• We offer over 30 varieties of natural stone for unique patios Though they are planning a special University of Pennsylvania, then spent • 99% of the time, you call me and get me live...no answering many years on the road as a singer-song- event to mark the anniversary, Roberts machines! If I’m on the phone, you get an immediate call back. I’m writer, performing on her own and with says it is too early to provide any details. headliners like John Mayer, Indigo Girls However, she says that customers can punctual and on time! look forward to some new things from and Sarah McLachlan.

• View some of our work and customer testimonials at ReNewMason.com She met Donati, already an estab- The Pig + the Pit this summer, possibly lished chef-restaurateur, in Atlanta, and including barbecued meats in bulk.

• I have long term employees for over 20 years.

As they plan for parties and new prodin 2008, she took a step back from music • We love what we do and would love to hear your ideas! and a step into Atlanta’s highly competi- ucts at The Pig + the Pit, they also continue to develop and refine Tipple and tive culinary scene.

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“It took a lot of time to curate what’s which Roberts and Donati had opened, operated and expanded several popu- here, and we are still learning about the it’s our passion! lar and well reviewed restaurants, she neighborhood and the market, still seewas ready to try something a little less ing what people want,” Roberts says.

MASONRY RENOVATION REPAIR Repair | Rebuild AND | Restore “We have pretty merchandise and peointense.

“I was like, ‘I just don’t want to do ple are finding lots of interesting and We fix all masonry problems... it’s our passion! another restaurant,’” Roberts says. “I unique stuff. Folks have been enjoying Repair | Rebuild | Restore had transitioned from full-time music to finding a little bit of something to get as doing the restaurants and found it wasn’t gifts for family and friends.”

Steps • Walls • Patio • Concrete Greg Powers Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and really my personality.”

Loose Railings • Blue Stone Specialists They opened in the Virginia-Highland Apothecar y, 12 N. Main St., PenningHIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 Basement Waterproofing neighborhood in 2015. Roberts wasn’t ton NJ 08534. Web: tippleandrose.com.

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Replacement of Cracked Limestone Steps “I wanted it to be a calm sort of por- p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tion of our restaurant group, something Customers at Tipple and Rose get disGreg Powers that I could find emotionally manage- counts on orders at The Pig + the Pit, HIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 able,” she says. “Honestly, I didn’t think and vice versa.

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Loaves, sandwiches and more at Bread Boutique

By Joe Emanski

Princeton’s carbohydrate-indulging population welcomed Eclair Café when it opened on Witherspoon Street in July 2019.

Not a year later, the French-inspired bakery-bistro was gone, a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. Owner-operator couple Marie-Mathilde Laplanche and Ron Suzuki shuttered both their Princeton and Main Street Pennington locations after the pandemic began, never to reopen.

Both locations are once again occupied: the Pennington store is now The Pig and the Pit barbecue (see story, page 8), and since February the Witherspoon Street location has been the home of Bread Boutique, the latest venture from the steadily growing Genesis Hospitality Group suite of restaurants, bakeries and cafés.

Hamilton-based Genesis is the force behind Bread Boutique, Chez Alice in Palmer Square, the Perch at Peacock Inn, Proof Pizza on Nassau Street, DiBartolo Bakery in Collingswood, and more. Genesis is also the owner of the building at 41 Witherspoon Street vacated by Eclair Café.

But Eben Copple, culinary director of Genesis, says that after Eclair Café closed, the group decided to make use of the storefront rather than lease it out again.

Genesis operates a central commissary in Hamilton where baked goods are made every day for all their restaurants, under the watchful eye of lead baker Ernesto Gonzalez, formerly of Eataly in New York.

Bread Boutique on Witherspoon Street in Princeton offers 12 to 15 different loaves of bread and eight types of rolls each day.

“Ernesto is very talented. He makes great bread. We knew we could handle more production than we could produce for the restaurants. Eclair Café left due to Covid, so we found the space empty, and thought it would be the right size for us to put together a retail front,” Copple says.

Bread Boutique sells a variety of bread loaves and rolls, including regular baguettes, seeded baguettes, sourdough bread, focaccia, multigrain and more. “Every day, we probably have 12 to 15 varieties of whole loaves of bread

and eight varieties of rolls,” Copple says.

“It changes as the week goes on, but there’s a pretty steady core of products that we have regularly.”

The café rotates in other breads like zucchini bread, challah and babka, seasonally or on weekends. Also regularly on offer are their viennoisseries like croissants, pain au chocolat, and cheese danish, which Copple says have been very popular.

Bread Boutique also does a brisk sandwich business. The shop has 10 to 12 different sandwiches available for purchase

every day, including breakfast sandwiches like pork roll, egg and cheese on a croissant ($7). Other sandwiches on offer include roast beef and cheddar on baguette ($9), cured meats and mozzarella on focaccia ($10), pastrami on rye ($10) and egg salad on brioche ($7).

Soups, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad are also available by the half pint and pint.

Witherspoon Street has become quite the destination for carb loaders in the past decade. Terra Momo Bread Company (formerly Witherspoon Bread Company), House of Cupcakes and Olive’s of Princeton already offered a wide variety of baked goods and have loyal followings.

But Copple says business has been steady, especially on weekends, and he says more than 40% of customers return.

“It’s humbling to see,” he says. “We had an idea for something that we liked and it’s really great to see people enjoying what we’re putting out there.”

Copple says this may be just the start of something as far as both Bread Boutique and Genesis’ baking operations go.

“I was a chef for many years in the area, and there aren’t really any local bread wholesalers selling high quality artisan bread any more,” he says. “That’s something that we’re really looking into, because we have the capacity to do it.”

Bread Boutique, 41 Witherspoon St., Princeton NJ 08540. Web: bread-boutique.com. Phone: (609) 423-2096. Open Saturday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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May 2021 | SIX0911

mercercamps The Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre Great Dance Instruction in a State-of-the-Art Studio How do you make a great dance academy even greater? Create a premier space where dancers, performers, and dreamers can soar even further. The Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre has done just that and is proud to announce summer at its state-of-the-art location at 221 Broad Street, Florence.

This year CNJBT will be offering three exciting summer programs!

Dance Camp for ages 6 to 12 years, July 12 through 23, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Summer Intensive for the intermediate to advanced dancers in August with three weeks to choose from: August 2 through 6 and August 9 through 13, 5:15 to 9 p.m., and August 16 through 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students can sign up for one, two or all three weeks! Master instructors from national-level companies from

Philadelphia and New York! For the levels offered CNJBT is the LEAST EXPENSIVE in the area!

Last year our master teachers were Pennsylvania Ballet principals Sterling Baca and Lillian DiPiazza, some of the best dancers in the country!

This year’s musical theater camp

is Disney’s The Lion King Musical for ages 6 1/2 to 14, August 2 through 13, Monday through Friday day camp! All camps are at limited enrollment, are socially distanced, and follow the CDC guidelines to keep all campers safe!

Auditions for lead roles for Lion King will be on Saturday, May 15, starting at 3 p.m. at the CNJBT. Students are to contact the CNJBT if they wish to audition, though everyone registered will receive a role! Can’t make the audition?

Video auditions are welcome!

The musical will be performed on Friday, August 13, in Florence.

For both the Disney’s Lion King and Dance Camp, there is before and aftercare available for an extra cost. Dance Camp will consist of classes in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop, and more! Summer Intensive will have a variety of instructors from world-renowned companies and programs teaching ballet, pointe,

contemporary, and more!

Owner and Artistic Director Alisha Cardenas expresses the excitement that the new space has created. “The 4,500-squarefoot space, in Florence, allows us to expand and improve our programs and still be local to our core community of Bordentown, Chesterfield, Hamilton, Hamilton Square, Trenton, Princeton, Burlington Township and City, Yardville, Mount Laurel, Mount Holly, and Columbus. We are in the heart of town and now have a 4,500-square-foot room that can be opened into a state-of-the-art performance space. The studio is convenient to both the NJ Turnpike, I-295, Highway 206, Highway 130, and the Pennsylvania state line via the Turnpike Bridge.

“There will be something offered for everyone! Our new facility is dedicated to my late mother, who was my inspiration, naming it the Christine Cardenas Center for Performing Arts Education.

She encouraged so many artists, dancers, and dreamers,” says Cardenas. “We are particularly proud to have one of the area’s only professional-quality sprung dance floors. For the summer intensive we bring in professional dancers from major companies that are based out of New York City and Philadelphia!”

CNJBT is also registering for fall dance!

For more information and to register please call the CNJBT at 609-424-3192 or through the website: www.cnjballet.com.

Central NJ Ballet Theatre 221 Broad Street, Florence 08518.

609-424-3192 www.cnjballet.com.

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Camp College Register now for Mercer County Community College’s Camp College Summer Youth Camp!

Camp College’s summer camp program is located on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey. Camp will begin June 21 with in-person camp activities for children ages 6 to 16.

Mercer County Community College’s Camp College mission is to provide the finest camp experience for children — one that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Camp College’s top priority is to keep everyone healthy and safe while having fun. They are prepared to follow the Board of Health safety guidelines to make this the best summer possible!

Camp College created a NEW and exciting Campus Kids Pods program format this summer. The pods include a variety of courses sure to please every camper. The Campus Kids Pods Program is divided into two sessions and operating MondayThursday (four days per week) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

First session is from June 28 to July 15 and second session is July 19

to August 12. Campers will choose a specific age-appropriate pod per session, while staying together in small groups throughout the day.

The new Specialty Camp model is scheduled to specifically pair courses to create a weekly (Monday- Friday) full day experience, with some limited programs offered as a half-day option. Campers combine study in a variety of stimulating subject areas that emphasize intellectual growth and skills development with the fun of recreational activities.

A sampling of Specialty Camp courses being offered this summer include: DIY MOSAIC TABLETOP What could be better than learning

a ton of different painting styles and then creating your very own ceramic table? We will be working on a variety of ceramic and mosaic techniques as we create this awesome side table. We will use specialty painting techniques and work on creating a theme that brings all pieces into a coordinated finished piece.

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And don’t forget Counselor-inTraining, Acting, Music, Culinary, Academic Prep and so much more!

Space is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment!

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CAMP COLLEGE IS OPERATING INPERSON THIS SUMMER AND ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN! NEW this year at Camp College: “Campus Kids Pods” includes courses sure to please every camper. ‘Pods’ stay together in small groups throughout the day.

“Specialty Camp” specifically pairs courses to create a full-day experience, with some limited programs offered as a half-day option.

Camp College’s top priority is to keep everyone healthy and safe this summer. We are following the College, CDC and Board of Health safety guidelines/precautions to make this the best summer possible!

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14SIX09 | May 2021

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Hamilton Township restaurants have picked their favorite signature dishes and fan-favorites to share with diners from May 17 - 24. You can connect and enjoy Hamilton's local food scene and support our small business community in whatever way you prefer -- dining in, picking up, via delivery, or outside dining.

With great choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert we encourage Hamilton residents to have fun, try something new, and enjoy amazing meals.

HVRSD HIGHLIGHTS

Issue #2

hvrsd.org

Equity in HVRSD

Several years ago, our Board of Education made a commitment to identify and address issues of equity in our school district. This work is manifesting itself through changes in our curriculum, the books our students read, equitable access to our programs, and in our workforce. Our goal is for the history and culture of African American, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and others to be infused into our curriculum and discussed every month, not just during a month of recognition.

This work, and our District’s continuing commitment to equity and developing a more culturally sensitive school community, is also evident in our school calendar. When the Board approved the calendars for school years 2019-2024, they included the additions of Diwali and Lunar New Year to recognize the changing demographics in our community. This year, for the first time, our schools closed in recognition of the Lunar New Year.

Our school-based equity work, led by our Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rosetta Treece, in coordination

with Dr. Lauren Kelly of Rutgers University, is focused on developing a more culturally sensitive school community. In addition to our school-based meetings, we are proud to have hosted four community conversations on equity and diversity. We encourage any in terested parents, staff, and students to join these efforts.

Our next district-wide conversation on equity will take place on May 6, when HVRSD welcomes back CHS alumna Emily X.R. Pan, in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month. Ms. Pan is the New York Times bestselling author of THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER, which won the APALA Honor Award and the Walter Honor Award, and received six starred reviews.

Ms.Pan will be presenting to our students about her experiences as an Asian American student in HVRSD, promoting diversity and allyship. Members of our greater school community are invited to join Ms.Pan for an evening webinar on May 6 at 6:30pm. Please feel free to invite friends and members from our neighboring communities. You can register for the May 6th event at www.hvrsd.org

Hopewell Students return to full days on May 17, 2021!

HVRSD will return to our traditional (pre-pandemic) full-day schedule, five days a week on all levels!

We recognize the importance of this move and would like to assure you that this decision was made with the guidance of our school physician and the department of health, and was made with the best interests of our students and staff in mind. We have led the way on many items related to the pandemic and as we enter our final phase, we want to be confident that our students and staff are safe. As we move forward, we realize that this move will require some adjustment for students, their families, and our staff members. Supports are available to assist any student or staff member through this transition.

Plans for September We anticipate the full reopening of schools in September. The ability to begin the 2021-2022 school year with familiarity and confidence will be critical for everyone. Returning to five full days a week of school in May will provide everyone the opportunity to get reacclimated to a normal schedule after more than a year of shifting calendars. It will also allow time to work through potential challenges to returning, be they of a practical or social-emotional nature.

Heard of

?

Helpwell is a district-wide volunteer program set up to capitalize on the many talents and skills of our parents and extended community. By formalizing the means of recruiting and tracking community volunteers, Helpwell is able to match potential volunteers with opportunities that enable them to utilize their skills within the district.

May 2021

The Hopewell Valley Education Foundation is a notfor-profit organization serving the needs of the public schools that make up the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Our mission is to enhance the educational experience in Hopewell Valley schools through the identification and development of community partnerships and resources.

The goals of the HVEF are: • To develop a viable network of businesses and residents to support and promote the efforts of the Foundation through financial contributions or other resources.

• To identify “people resources” (employees, business leaders, educators, mentors, etc.) who are willing to share their expertise with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.

• To conduct and support community events and activities that promote the Foundation’s efforts.

• To offer grants to further the mission of the Foundation.

• To achieve the mission in collaboration with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.

1. How can I get involved?

We’re always on the lookout for individuals like you wanting to get involved. Visit our How To Help section on our website: www.HVEF.org to find out ways to donate or volunteer.

2. If I were to donate funds, how is my money used?

We have a responsibility to our community and our donors and work hard to ensure long-term sustainability of the organization. We make our IRS Form 990 available for review, as required by law. Visit our Financials page to learn more.

HelpWell is...Learning for Everyone Community Members Shares their expertise

Teachers Bring their curriculum to life

Students Gain real-world, practical learning

Why Helpwell?

• A great way to give back to your community and set a great example for the kids • Beyond helping the community, volunteering with Helpwell will connect you to people and ideas that will positively impact your perspective for the rest of your life.

• And its for the kids!

How do you get involved?

For more information on volunteering, contact Helpwell at Helpwell@hvrsd.org or check our website at myhelpwell.com.

Imagine what we could do, if just 100 families donated $100 or more?! Join our 2020-21 Power of 100 with an online one time donation of $100, $300, $500, $1,000, or $2,500 or a monthly donation. You may also donate through venmo @hvedfd or go to our website to find a form to donate by check or to donate less than $100. All size gifts directly impact our students and teachers.

Thank you for all you do to support Hopewell Valley students and teachers.

HVRSD HIGHLIGHTS | Hopewell Express11

HVRSD BOARD OF EDUCATION IS PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE 2020-2021 GOVERNOR’S EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR Bear Tavern Elementary - Mrs. Betsy Finnegan. According to Principal Chris Turnbull, what makes Mrs. Finnegan special is not what she does, but the manner in which she does it. She is one of the most dependable and thoughtful individuals and can always solve a problem with grace and kindness, making everyone feel valued and special. She is a uniter, who can garner support for any project, who has the innate ability to lead people, while not being afraid to roll up her sleeves and work. Some of Mrs. Finnegan’s nominators pointed out that, “She is dedicated to the Bear Tavern community in every way imaginable. There is no one more deserving of this award,” and “Mrs. Finnegan cares about our school, our students and our community. She goes above and beyond the classroom by helping wherever she is needed in our school.” The BT community could not be more proud of Mrs. Finnegan, and is grateful for her many contributions to the school.

Hopewell Elementary School - Mrs. Vikki Obst. In the words of Principal David Friedrich, Mrs. Obst is the HES technology teacher who not only provides support to hundreds of students but is regularly found going above and beyond to assist our staff. During this pandemic, she has worked non-stop. The HES community is humbled by her desire and ability to connect with the entire school population on a regular basis. She is a great educator, who also provides students with a daily reminder of how much she cares for each and everyone of them. She truly transforms lives.

Stony Brook Elementary School - Mrs. Khara Levy Mrs. Levy, as recognized by Principal Steve Wilfing, is a graduate of Rider University’s School of Education and first joined the HVRSD staff in 2004. She made a wonderful first impression with her students, parents, and her colleagues through her creativity, organization and professionalism. Khara stepped away from the classroom to be home with her children in 2008. In 2013, the stars and planets aligned, and when an opening became available at SBES, Ms. Levy was ready to return. In the eight years since her return, Khara has continued to shine among our All Star staff. The Stony Brook Family is made better and stronger by having Khara as a part of it.

Toll Gate Grammar School - Ashton Sands Principal Jane Ellen Lennon spoke in recognition of Ms. Sands, who came to the Hopewell Valley in 2012 and began her career as a paraprofessional in the IPI classroom, working with the youngest special education students and as a Kindergarten Extension Teacher. She has since fulfilled a wide variety of assignments within the department including in-class resource, resource room, and special class. Miss Sands also became the head high school cheerleading coach in 2017. She is an exceptional model for inclusivity and a positive approach to varsity cheerleading. Comments from parents and staff speak to Ashton’s caring and nurturing manner which is why she has been so successful this year as Toll Gate’s first PEECH teacher. Toll Gate is so lucky to have Ashton Sands!

Math can often be a difficult subject for students. But Timberlane Middle School’s Tammy Pegrem, according to Principal Nicole Gianfredi, approaches instruction in a way that students not only learn the concepts, but develop confidence. As one student said in the nomination, “She is an excellent math teacher and a great person. She has taught us to always try our best and always helps when we need it. She makes math fun.” Beyond math instruction, Tammy plays an integral role in helping TMS sixth grade students adjust to a new school. Her patient, kind and caring manner helps make her students instantly feel comfortable as they learn to navigate middle school. It is a treat to visit Tammy’s classroom. It is a nurturing environment where all students are engaged in learning. It is a pleasure to watch her students develop independence and confidence. There is differentiation and creativity, but mostly a feeling of fun and love.

Carolyn McGrath, in the words of Principal Patricia Riley, is a talented visual arts educator who has had a positive impact on thousands of students during her time at Hopewell Valley Central High School. She encourages the individual development of her students by enabling them to relate art to the world around them. From drawing portraits of animals to raising money for an animal shelter, to creating tapestry pieces in the style of artists in other countries, Ms. McGrath is adept at creating projects that allow her students to make meaningful connections between the curriculum and more global concepts. Ms.McGrath’s passion for education extends beyond the classroom through her involvement in student activities such as the Photography Club, the Re Imagine Club, and SPECTRUM; she is described as “having an open door and an open heart to whatever need may arise”.

Her ability to connect with a wide range of students is widely recognized; her colleagues laud her ability to inspire “despite barriers in language, ability, behavior, and otherwise.”

Melina Guarino, a paraprofessional in the autism program at Bear Tavern Elementary, and has been with the District since 2018. As related by Principal Turnbull, she is an incredibly hard worker, who is not afraid to put her all into every task that she does. Melina makes everyone around her better and has become an absolutely indispensable part of our program. She brings the best out of every child with whom she works and is a creative, flexible and dedicated member of our team. She is humble, reliable and consistently works for the best interests of every child in her class. Melina is a special person and an incredible paraprofessional.

Stanley (“Ken”) Bialota, in the words of Facilities Director Tom Quinn, has been with the District for 26 years serving as a tradesperson/carpenter in our Maintenance Department. Ken is a dedicated member of the District staff, ensuring our building structures are safe and secure for the school community. Ken went above and beyond this past summer, working diligently to produce all of the PPE that is found in our schools and classrooms.

His colleagues have much respect for him, stating, “He does his best, and with a smile.” He “gave up weekends to make sure the classrooms had what was needed prior to the first day.” With “lots of requests, without any complaints; [he] just went to work to get what was needed done!” Thank you Ken!

Jason Bowers, also recognized by Mr. Quinn, is also a member of the Maintenance Department, and has been with the District since 2006. Jason started as a groundskeeper, taking pride in the beautification of our schools’ grounds, before moving to the Maintenance Department. He is always polite and respectful with anyone he works with and always does his best to get the job done His colleagues remark that “Jason goes above and beyond with special requests from staff all year long.” “He has been making custom plexiglass barriers for staff and students so they feel comfortable returning to work and school.

12Hopewell Express | HVRSD HIGHLIGHTS

HVRSD ATHLETICS UPDATE Even during a pandemic, the Hopewell Valley Athletic program, thanks to the support of our amazing school board and district administration hasn’t missed a beat and has been able to safely run all of our 27 high school athletic programs and 16 of our middle school athletic programs. To date, the high school has had 623 student-athletes play at least one or more sports this year and 343 middle school student-athletes.

A word from our senior athletes...

“We have all had to adjust to the new normal that comes with ever-changing restrictions, and it is hard to believe that our athletic program will ever return to normalcy. However, unlike many seniors of the previous graduating class, we are still able to go out and play the sport that we love, which puts a lot in perspective. As a captain of the varsity lacrosse team, I am beyond grateful to spend my remaining months of high school beside my teammates and coaches that have been there since the beginning. I am thankful for the opportunity to go out on the Ackerson turf field and finish off my high school athletic career the right way. Personally, sports have always been a coping mechanism for academic stress and fatigue, so I appreciate the effort put forth by the district to accommodate for my senior lacrosse season.” - Pauline Brillouet senior lacrosse and tennis player.

As a senior who's a member of sports in all three seasons, it's been truly amazing to be able to participate in each season that was played to its completion and that didn't differ greatly from one's in the past. As a result of losing my baseball season last year, I have become more grateful for the privilege to compete in sports programs at HVCHS and cherish each moment with my teammates that I took for granted in the past. Paul Myers, Grade 12

Playing this season was special because we were fortunate to have a season at all. Going into it, we knew that at any point games could be canceled shut down for two weeks, so I treated every game and practice like it was going to be my last one. Even though it was a truncated season, I appreciated every opportunity I had to represent Hopewell during my senior year.

Francesca Gomez, 12th grade

HVRSD ARTS UPDATE HVCHS student Barron Brothers was selected as a finalist in the NJ Music Educators Association Young Composers Competition Contest. All works submitted in the competition must be 100% original. Barron’s original composition titled ‘Tribute to the Trail of Tears’ for choral ensemble was selected for inclusion in the NJ-YCC Finals. Barron said he wrote this piece in memoriam of a tragic event in history, the Trail of Tears, which was important to him because he has Choctaw ancestors in his family. Being selected to the finals is an honor, congratulations to Barron!

HVRSD students excelling in the arts

Artwork created by Juniors - Brianna Fish and Sofia Venezia have been recognized through multiple venues for their artistic talent and were most recently accepted into the @NAEA National Art Honor Society. In January, Sofia was awarded a Silver Key by the South NJ Region Scholastic Awards in Art and Writing.

It might have looked a little different, but CHS held a Virtual Choir Concert last month. Bravo to all the students and Choir Director, Mr. White for producing this wonderful event!

The Spring Play is coming!

For me, I am so grateful to be able to do the sports I love despite our current situation. I have never valued my friends, coaches, and teammates as much as I do now. We are all thankful to have one final chance to do the sports we love before we graduate while many others are not getting the same opportunities as us.

Even though our sports seasons are a little different than expected, being able to practice and participate in meets has been really beneficial to our emotional and physical well-being. Thanks again! -Kristen McDonough, Grade 12

The cast and crew of CHS’s production of Little Women have been hard at work, trying to navigate putting together a show in this very challenging time. Rehearsals for the show have looked very different this year, with students wearing masks and socially distancing, but the spirit of a group of performers coming together to create a show is alive and well! Little Women will be filmed on the PAC stage in early May with full sets, lights and costumes, with the final production being streamed on Showtix4u.com June 4th and 5th at 7pm. Tickets and more information can be found on that site when tickets go on sale May 21st. Little Women is a show about the importance of family and working through difficult times together, which is a heartwarming message that can be shared by all during these days.

From left to right, top to bottom, Elliot Block (Laurie), Piper Ward (Amy), Gretchen Cole (Jo), Molly Higgins (Meg), Olivia Levin (Beth). Photo Credit: Maria O’Leary

On April 10, 2021 The Central High School Bulldog Wrestling program held its first-ever outdoor wrestling match against Steinert! In front of 75 COVID compliant spectators. The Bulldogs had a great experience. Special thanks to our Athletic Director, Tripp Becker and Coach Harpel, Coach Guise and Coach Resnick for this unique opportunity for our wrestling program.

Congratulations to Joontae Hwang, CHS Orchestra violinist, for receiving a Silver Award in the ArtsEdNJ All State Solo Competition. Evaluated by a world-class panel of adjudicators across the country, Joontae participated along with 1000 other instrumentalists!

HVRSD HIGHLIGHTS | Hopewell Express13

HVRSD STUDENT ECOWARRIORS ROLE MODELS IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT One student from each school was selected through a nomination by peers, teachers, and the community, as an EcoWarrior who is a role model for their environmentally friendly actions within the schools or the greater Hopewell community.

“We are so proud that students in every school are actively making a difference outside our classroom walls.” said Superintendent Thomas Smith. “Our ultimate district goal is to prepare students to be happy, successful, global citizens; and our EcoWarriors prove they are applying lessons they learned in school to improve our earth.”

To further improve our earth, Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) will plant a tree and provided tribute certificates in honor of each of the six EcoWarrior winners. Tribute winners are also offered the opportunity to help plant their trees at the next semi- annual planting at a FoHVOS preserve this October.

The following students will be recognized by HVRSD Board of Education at their May 17th meeting: Nathan Borgos Nadia Chasalow and Akhansha Arvind Ada Everett Tabitha Webster and Lilian Brennan Ethan King Phoebe Schoene

Bear Tavern Central High School Toll Gate Timberlane Stony Brook Hopewell Elementary

“EcoWarrior is one of many initiatives of which the district has partnered with FoHVOS.” added Dr. Smith. “We are thrilled that this enduring collaboration provides meaningful opportunities for students to interact with and appreciate nature.”

FoHVOS is an accredited non-profit land trust that is dedicated to preserving the Valley’s character by partnering with the community to preserve land, protect natural resources, and inspire a new generation of conservation. To learn more about FoHVOS, visit www.fohvos.org, or call 609-730-1560.

What is HVRSD doing to promote environmental stewardship?

Despite the challenges of the last school year, sustainability in our buildings, homes, and communities has continued to be a focus of our building-based and District Green Teams: • TMS students Tabitha Webster and Lilian Brennan have been sharing tips for sustainable fashion in their monthly newsletter.

• Members of the CHS Junior Class and the Re-Imagine Club collected trash as part of Clean Communities Day, an event organized locally by FoHVOS. • CHS, Bear Tavern and Hopewell Elementary have been participating in the TREX plastic film recycling challenge, and CHS students have been running a campaign to promote reusable utensils.

• Every school in our district is currently working with the Watershed Institute to obtain River-Friendly Certification.

• FoHVOS received a grant through the Xerces Society to implement native plant pollinator gardens at each elementary school.

• Our District Green Team received multiple grants through Sustainable Jersey for Schools to ensure future school events are low- or no-waste.

We appreciate your support of our district and community environmental efforts and we look forward to sharing more about this work with you in the following weeks and months.

Recognizing a few HVRSD grads who are making a difference in the world of literature.

HVRSD Graduate, Peter Brown is an author and illustrator of children’s books.

Since then Peter has written and illustrated many books for children and earned numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award and multiple New York Times bestsellers. His titles include New York Times bestsellers like The Wild Robot, The Curious Garden, Children Make Terrible Pets, and Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Peter received a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations in the picture book Creepy Carrots! Find him at http://www.peterbrownstudio.com/ HOPEWELL VALLEY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 259 Pennington-Titusville Road Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-4003 HOURS: 7:30 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M.

TIMBERLANE MIDDLE SCHOOL 51 S. Timberlane Drive Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-4004 HOURS: 7:30 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M.

14Hopewell Express | HVRSD HIGHLIGHTS

HVRSD graduate, Emily HVRSD graduate Tyler X.R. Pan is the New York Longo’s book, co-written Times bestselling author with his father, teaches of THE ASTONISHING its readers to become COLOR OF AFTER, which financially literate won the APALA Honor through 100 tips from Award and the Walter Warren Buffett, perhaps Honor Award, and received the greatest investor ever. six starred reviews. It was Translating decades of also an L.A. Times Book Buffett’s writings and Prize finalist, longlisted for media appearances into the Carnegie Medal, and featured on over a dozen 100 straightforward tips and strategies anyone best-of-the-year lists, among other accolades. Her can follow for enhanced financial literacy and next novel will be published by Little, Brown in independence. Available on Amazon.com April 2022. Visit Emily online at exrpan.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @exrpan

BEAR TAVERN SCHOOL 1162 Bear Tavern Road Titusville, NJ 08560 (609) 737-4005 HOURS: 8:30 A.M. TO 3:45 P.M.

HOPEWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 35 Princeton Avenue Hopewell, NJ 08525 (609) 737-4007 HOURS: 8:30 A.M. TO 3:45 P.M.

STONY BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 20 Stephenson Road Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-4006 HOURS: 8:30 A.M. TO 3:45 P.M.

TOLL GATE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 275 South Main Street Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-4008 HOURS: 8:30 A.M. TO 3:45 P.M.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 425 South Main Street Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-4000 HOURS: 8:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

Meet Horacio Hernandez, new township outreach coordinator

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Horacio Hernandez has been serving as outreach coordinator for Hopewell Township for two months.

By Reba Holley

New outreach coordinator Horacio Hernandez has been working with the Hopewell Township Health Department for two months now, and has begun to meet the community.

He has visited local restaurants and community organizations and met with residents at the Covid-19 vaccine clinics.

Horacio’s grew up in Trenton, and still calls the city home. His parents come from Guatemala, and they ensured that he was fluent in Spanish.

He graduated from Trenton Central High School and The College of New Jersey, earning a bachelor of arts double major in sociology and public health.

He has a long community service background, and served in AmeriCorps before coming to Hopewell. He says he chose this path after seeing the statistics and stories early in the pandemic and felt this was his “call to action.”

His concern for the health of the community made him aspire to use his skills to play a role in addressing Covid-19, in the country and in Mercer County. His experience taught him that working from within the community would create the strong relationships that would allow him to be a part of positive change, now and in the future, work he finds very rewarding.

Horacio says that his short term goals include getting to know the community, and to connect with commu-

nity- and faith-based organizations to learn about their needs and the people they serve. His next steps would be to make plans for future health programming that will address those needs.

“I hope to be interconnected with the Hopewell Township/Valley community, to understand the elements that make Hopewell the place it is, and to use that knowledge to serve all residents for a better quality of life,” he says.”

In the future, Horacio plans to continue his education to “better equip his Public Health toolkit,” and to address the long-term effects of Covid-19 and other health issues that may arise in the Valley.

Horacio says he has had a great start in Hopewell Township. He is enjoying the social connection and the obvious love the residents have for the Valley. He is especially enjoying the views!

In his spare time, Horacio enjoys music, long car rides (he has driven from NJ to New Orleans four times!), movies, video games, and art museums. He loves to try new foods. Since he can’t have his favorite animal, the sloth, as a pet, he currently has no pets at home.

If you see him coming, have his favorite iced coffee ready!

To contact Horacio Hernandez, email hhernandez@hopewelltwp.org or call 609-537-0216.

Reba Holley is communications and outreach coordinator for Hopewell Township, which provided this content.

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Native wildflower programs a boon for butterflies and schools LISA WOLFF NATURE IN THE VALLEY

Expires: 5-31-21

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16  Hopewell Express | May 2021

Expires: 5-31-21

Say it with me, “Zer Sees.” It’s spelled “Xerces.” People look really awkward when they see that word in writing and need to pronounce it. So now that we have that out of the way…

Who or what is Xerces and why are we dedicating a full column to them?

Xerces is a science-based conservation nonprofit formed in 1971. Their full name is “The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.” It is named after the now-extinct Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces), the first butterfly known to go extinct in North America as a result of human activities.

The Xerces folks announced that they would provide thousands of native wildflower plants in a kit to create butterfly and pollinator habitat for projects that fit their criteria.

“Free” seemed a little too good to be true, so FoHVOS emailed Kelly Gill, the Xerces senior pollinator conservation specialist for the northeast region. Kelly confirmed that kits would be provided to all who applied and met rubric scores that projected a successful implementation.

This was a perfect opportunity for our schools. Prior to the pandemic, Hopewell Valley was Embracing Nature at School, and since the pandemic, schools were heavily using these spaces as outdoor classrooms.

Sure enough, FoHVOS shared the news with school principals at Bear Tavern, Hopewell, and Stony Brook elementary schools who immediately welcomed the chance to apply. All three applied on Jan. 30, and six weeks later, all three were approved!

Each school got to select a native plant kit customized to their projects.

In total the native wildflowers will cover about 11,000 square feet, much of it existing lawn that provide limited benefit to our environment.

Although all three projects are very different, each school has significant experience to ensure a successful rollout. Both Bear Tavern and Stony Brook got started with outdoor learning work in 2018. At the same time, Hopewell Elementary made great strides on both indoor and outdoor gardens. So, this ain’t their first rodeo.

Bear Tavern Elementary, the furthest along in their outdoor learning journey, are implementing Biodiversity in the Wetlands. They are augmenting their existing outlearning space with a new meadow that makes better use of a wet area behind the school.

Principal Chris Turnbull, STEM coordinator Tina Overman and 2021 teacher of the year Betsy Finnegan are the implementation team for the program. They sent this statement: “The flow of water in the back fields

of our property makes it very difficult to use the space and as mowed space, there are not many benefits to the environment. This meadow restoration will give wildlife a new habitat, enable our students and community to discover the diversity of life in a new learning space, and beautify our property.

“We have worked so hard over the last few years to restore the property with a pollinator meadow and plot as well as planting trees. This immense project is the perfect addition to continue our mission to provide students with flexible learning spaces in order to experience nature and science in a hands-on, engaging manner.

“While the immediate benefit will be the beautification of our space and the creation of habitat for the eastern monarch butterfly, it will also help us to instill in our students a sense of wonder and stewardship for the natural world. Students will be involved in the planning and implementation of the space and will explore the birds, insects and plant life that will be enhancing our grounds.

“Bear Tavern Elementary School is thrilled to partner with the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space to participate in the Xerces Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kit Program in order to restore a large portion of our school’s property to its most natural state.”

In education, some of the best lessons are from learning from our mistakes. Stony Brook Elementary are implementing Lessons Learned: Recovering from Deer Damage. The team will replace portions of their existing outlearning space with new native wildflowers. Their 10,000 square foot Stony Brook meadow was one of the most ambitious Community Conservation school projects. The original project employed a landscape architect to design plans that were believed to include deer-proof selections. Unfortunately, the deer did not get the memo.

Principal Steve Wilfing, STEM coordinator Susan Hammill and FoHVOS stewardship director Mike Van Clef make up the implementation team for the project. They sent this statement: “The Brandon Farms/Stony Brook Elementary School Meadow area established in 2018 serves as an outdoor learning space where Stony Brook students can actively participate in scientific discovery. Students engage in several citizen science projects that foster connections between their local environment and the larger scientific community. They have been involved in planting the original meadow, designing and building bird and butterfly houses, and taking part in lessons that take curriculum to realworld experiential learning.

“The meadow met with some challenges including overabundant deer, severely compacted soils that were underlying the previous grass turf cover, and unexpectedly aggressive

native Indian Grass. As a result, the meadow was less effective for many pollinators and had reduced aesthetic appeal. Our goal for this project is to reinvigorate the area by controlling Indian Grass and adding new native plantings that will establish a successful, pollinator-friendly meadow.

“The Stony Brook community is looking forward to continuing their partnership with FoHVOS by assisting in planting the new plants as well as being partners in monitoring, caring for, and enjoying the meadow.”

Hopewell Elementary is designing a brand-new outdoor learning space known as The Nature Harmony Project. They began designing the new project in 2020 with a phased in approach due to funding limitations.

The Xerces plants fit perfectly within their plans and allowed them to step up their implementation.

Principal David Friedrich and STEM coordinator, FoHVOS Board Trustee, and 2020 Mercer County teacher of the year Helen Corveleyn make up the implementation team for the project, and sent this statement: “The Nature Harmony Project is a program developed to utilize an extensive outdoor space to be built on the grounds of Hopewell Elementary School. Designed by Nectars Landscapes, the space will feature decking around existing old growth trees called the “treehouse,” an infinity mindfulness pathway for wildlife viewing and mindful walking, a rock labyrinth, and a natural parts playground

for early childhood learners.

“Native plants selected by FoHVOS will be highlighted as part of the conservation programming taught in the STEM curriculum. All students will receive education around the importance of native plants, creating pollinator habitats and integrating a foundational appreciation for the pollinators that contribute to New Jersey’s biodiversity. The Nature Harmony Project will focus on promoting positive mental health strategies through outdoor learning and mindfulness interventions.

“Natural settings are a wonderful unifier within the world of education.

When students are outside the classroom walls and immersed in nature, studies show that they are more apt to create community connections, are better problem solvers and they have increased ability to think critically.

“The NHP will incorporate preschool to fifth grade students and teachers, and will service over 400 students with diverse learning needs.

Due to the variety of cultural connections to nature, this project helps facilitate lifelong skills for students of any background. NHP will help meet the needs of all learners in our publicschool setting by promoting emotional well-being, outdoor education, positive self-imaging, awareness of mental health needs, and a connectedness to community and the environment.”

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