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Art in a changing era

Tentative school plans set

Ruth Morpeth reflects on galleries and today’s economy

District to focus on hybrid model

BY SAM SCIARROTTA

BY DAN AUBREY

“I will spend the summer figuring how to move forward under the new circumstances,” says Ruth Morpeth through her mask during an interview at Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell.

Then, as if speaking for many in the current economy, Morpeth says, “But I’m not sure how to do it.”

And while people can come to her recently reopened gallery and see art by national and regional painters—including Illia Barger (Byram, NJ), Jody Olcott (Hopewell), Ruthann Perry (Lawrenceville), and Eric Schultz (Hopewell)—she says the fall season is in jeopardy and the entire “year’s schedule has been put on hold.”

But, she says, the current state of “completely unknown circumstances” is not “unlike our business in general.”

Then, pulling from her 23 years of experience of running a professional art gallery, she says, “Every art show doesn’t guarantee a sale. And there is no formula for success in this business. My brother is an accountant and says, ‘I don’t know how you live your life See MORPETH, Page 6

Linda Willimer, the affiliate director of I Support the Girls Central/South New Jersey, sorts bras for the nonprofit.

Offering support, one bra at a time Director donates menstrual products, undergarments and more

BY SAM SCIARROTTA

For people who have periods, menstrual products are invaluable every month. But the need for those products doesn’t stop when the ability to afford them does.

Constant access to pads, tampons and pantyliners is probably something a lot of us take for granted. Not Linda Willimer.

Willimer is the affiliate director of I Support the Girls Cen-

tral/South New Jersey. The I Support the Girls nonprofit collects and distributes bras, underwear and menstrual products to people and facilities in need—prisons, hospitals, LGBTQ+ organizations, those experiencing homelessness, impoverishment or distress, as well as victims of domestic violence, victims of sex trafficking, refugees and those affected by natural disasters.

Purchasing those products often takes a backseat to other essentials for women in need, Willimer said, and that’s why she got involved with the organization.

“If you’re a mother and you’ve got children to feed, you’re going to go buy cereal

and milk and bread and those basic staples before you’re going to buy yourself a pack of pads or tampons,” she said.

“Those are the things that we are aiming to provide for them in their time of need.”

Menstrual products are even harder to access for women experiencing homelessness, though, said Willimer.

Willimer’s chapter covers New Jersey from Bridgewater south. She works with local nonprofits, like HomeFront and the Rescue Mission of Trenton. Willimer and her volunteers collect menstrual products—maxi pads, pantyliners, tampons, hygienic wipes—plus bras and underSee WILLIMER, Page 5

HEALTH

HEADLINES M O N T H LY N E WS F R O M

The Hopewell Valley Regional School District has established a preliminary restart plan for the 2020-21 school year.

Like many districts, HVRSD has opted to utilize a hybrid in-person and remote model, and, also like many districts, Hopewell’s plan is expected to change and grow as September approaches.

“We recognize that there is no perfect solution for our return to school, but we feel our plan works best for our community,” said HVRSD superintendent Thomas Smith. “We are still finalizing several details; we may revise our plan depending on the number of families who select full remote learning, staff members unable to return to school, and decisions made on the state level.”

Students will attend school part-time, though all K-12 families have the option of fulltime distance learning. All students and parents selecting this plan were asked to commit until Thanksgiving break for scheduling purposes.

Students in grades Pre-K to 5 will be in school every day from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Class sizes will be limited to 12 or fewer.

See SCHOOLS, Page 7

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INTROduCING

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Trusting the process SAM SCIARROTTA FROM THE EDITOR

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New Jersey, and that feels so encouraging—but the risk of a resurgence will never really go away as long as people continue to ignore CDC guidelines. The painfully simple act of wearing a mask in a public space has become politicized. No matter how positive New Jersey’s COVID statistics are, we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, and that pandemic has killed over half a million people.

It continues to ravage states both near and far.

Activists have been out in the streets protesting and working for justice every single day for months.

However, these revolutionary, generation-defining protests are happening because social injustice and systemic racism are still ingrained in the fabric of the United States.

It’s difficult to separate the guilt of happiness when all of this is happening. But maybe that’s the point.

What’s comforting to me, though, is that we’re all kind of experiencing this for the first time together. We’re living through a watershed moment in our history. Of course navigating that is going to be a process. We just have to trust it.

Trying to strike the balance between positivity and caution over the last several months has been...a process.

I know I’m not alone in wrestling with the feeling of guilt that has started to accompany any kind of happiness. In some way, we’re all working on finding the sweet spot between creating a little joy for ourselves and staying in-tune with current events. That probably looks different for all of us.

For me, it’s being proactive—following pandemic safety guidelines, engaging in self-reflection, actively consuming news instead of using the privilege to ignore it, at the very least—while also maintaining a level of healthy distraction. But the guilt still creeps its way in.

For example: sports. The MLB and NBA are back, but they probably shouldn’t be—on one hand, I’m excited to watch the Yankees and Sixers this summer and fall, but on the other hand, should players really be risking their health for a few months of entertainment? Does watching the games while still feeling this way Contact SAM SCIARROTTA: ssciarrotta@ make me a hypocrite? communitynews.org, (609) 396-1511, ext.

Coronavirus is slowing down in 121, facebook.com/samsciarrotta1

INTROduCING 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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INBOX Former mayors: prioritize master plan, too We, the undersigned, are eight former Democratic and Republican mayors of Hopewell Township, writing in bi-partisan cooperation and agreement.

Compliance with affordable housing was and remains a key priority for Hopewell Township.

Adherence to the Hopewell Township Master Plan is also a key priority.

Support for one of these two priorities should not, in our view, come at the expense of the other.

The recent settlement with Deer Valley unfortunately included provision for a significant commercial component, a 100+ room hotel, a restaurant with drive-through accessibility, a 16- pump gas station just off I-295, and more, all within 200 feet of a major national gas pipeline. Meeting our affordable housing obligations does not require such commercial development.

The settlement with Deer Valley also brought new lands into Hopewell Township’s sewer service area. These were lands designated as VRC (Valley Resource Conservation) in the 2002 Hopewell Township Master Plan.

These lands rest at the headwaters of two streams and were originally desig-

nated as able to support no more than one house for every six acres.

As significantly, the location of this tract outside the original sewer service area complicates the likelihood of the successful building of affordable housing.

An NJ-DEP approval is now required, as well as approval from the Ewing-Lawrence Sewer Authority (ELSA).

NJ-DEP is confirming that these lands on the West Side of Scotch Road are environmentally sensitive.

It is well known that, although ELSA has excess sewer service capacity, the existing service infrastructure has significant inflow troubles. Repair of these existing facilities would add considerably to the cost of affordable housing in Hopewell Township, and it is most certainly correct that affordable housing should be affordable.

Moreover, the pipeline that brings sewering to Scotch Road crossed I-295 at the Scotch Road interchange and was sized to support Merrill Lynch and nothing more. The Merrill Lynch complex used less sewer capacity than projected, leaving enough for the creation of the Capital Health hospital but not for such additional development

The Scotch Road interchange was also sized (Resolution in 1999) to support Merrill Lynch and nothing more.

There is therefore insufficient traffic infrastructure to support the Deer Valley development.

All of Hopewell Township’s affordable housing approvals ought to be made within the previously existing sewer service area to lessen environmental impacts and to increase the likelihood of approvals from NJ DEP and ELSA. Fran Bartlett, Kathy Bird, Jim Burd, Jon Edwards, Mar ylou Ferrara, John Hart, Har vey Lester and Mike Markulec The writers are all former mayors of Hopewell Township.

Have something to say? Want to make your voice heard? Send your letter to the editor to ssciarrotta@ communitynews.org. Letters not appearing in print will be posted to communitynews.org. The deadline for the next issue is Aug. 15.

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AROUND TOWN Hockey team donates to vets

Members of the Hopewell-Montgomery ice hockey team donated money collected at the annual Salute to Service game July 2, 2020. During the game, community members gather to honor local veterans. This year, HopewellMontgomery defeated the Pennington School 6-0. Bottom: Col. Kenneth Baker (left), president of the Hopewell Veterans Association; Ethan Block, Dan Seamon and Dimitra Bairaktaris, chairwoman of the Montgomery Veterans Memorial Committe. Top: Henry McMahon (left), coach Jeff Radice and Trent Demers.

(Photo by Kathie Rigante.)

County acquires country club

The Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted 7-0 on July 16 in favor of a resolution to purchase the shuttered Hopewell Valley Golf and Country Club for a maximum of $1.9 million.

HVGCC would become the fifth county owned and operated 18-hole golf course, joining Mercer Oaks Golf Club (East and West), Mountain View Golf Club and Princeton Country Club.

HVGCC was founded as a private club in 1927, with a course designed by Thomas Hinton. It was sold to a group of investors, including Mike Attara, general manager and CEO of Spirit Golf Management, in 2016.

In its resolution, the Freeholder Board says the acquisition will be made using a grant from the Green Acres Planning Incentive as well as the Mercer County Open Space Preservation Trust Fund. The county also plans to take over maintenance of the property prior to formally taking ownership, presumably to make it possible to reopen the golf course sooner rather than later.

The resolution states that the property is in foreclosure and the current owners do not have the money to maintain it. A drive-by observation of the course is that is is being minimally maintained, with fairways and greens not in playing condition, but not gone wild either.

In addition to the golf course, HVGCC also has a clubhouse, tennis courts and a pool facility. None of the other Mercer County golf courses has a pool.

—Joe Emanski

4  Hopewell Express | August 2020

PEAC offers outdoor classes

Fitness facilities were among the many businesses to close amid the coronavirus pandemic, but PEAC in Ewing offers a workaround: outdoor exercise classes.

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., the gym hosts free, social distancing-friendly exercise classes in the PEAC parking lot. Current classes include Zumba, barre, spin and specific muscle group workouts.

Other fee-based programs include PEAC Performance sports training for high school and adult athletes and KidsKamp throughout the summer.

“July was kind of our kickoff month to get the community moving,” said owner Michael Briehler. “Because can’t open and have members inside, we’re trying to encourage them to come out, exercise and socialize.”

Facemasks are required, though they may be removed in a designated personal workout space, which will be allocated based on social distancing guidelines. Participants should bring their own water bottles, towels and workout mats. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be provided.

For more information, including registration and schedules, visit peachealthfitness.com.

—Sam Sciarrotta WHAT DID WE MISS? What are you noticing in your community? What stories do you think we should tell? Do you have news to share? We want to hear from you. Send your news or tips to news@communitynews.org.

WILLIMER continued from Page 1 wear for the organizations to either distribute through their facilities or to homeless individuals in public.

And Willimer’s sources are vast.

Most of the materials the chapter collects comes from donations. Some donate directly. Others purchase products from the organization’s Amazon wish list. Donors have hosted drives in the past. The organization also hosts fundraisers, like a trivia night hosted by drag queens, where attendees can donate money, products or both.

The organization also receives donations from companies like Liberte—the lingerie retailer recently boxed up 200 bras and 100 pairs of underwear for I Support the Girls. Soma Intimates also holds a used bra drive for the organization twice a year, which often nets hundreds of bras that Willimer and the volunteers pick up, wash and distribute.

“That’s a mammoth task,” she said.

Online, subscription-based Lola, which sells menstrual and reproductive care products, has donated pads, tampons and liners to the chapter.

Bra retailer Thirdlove also donates all returns, so Willimer and her husband often drive down with an empty van to the company’s headquarters in Maryland and come back to their home in Pennington packed to the gills with undergarments.

Willimer has also started working with the New Jersey Association on Correction, collecting bras, underwear and other items for women coming out of correctional facilities.

“It really does go from my friend Mary packing up an extra package of tampons at the grocery store all the way up to companies who donate exclusively to I Support the Girls,” Willimer said.

Willimer first got involved with I Support the Girls as part of its North Jersey chapter not long after its founding. Willimer and her family moved to the United States 19 years ago from St. Albans, near London, for her husband’s job. Once here, she worked at

the Breast Cancer Resource Center in Princeton as a volunteer and employee on and off for 10 years and was looking for something to do after she left.

The organization, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, was founded by Dana Marlowe in 2015 when she and her friends started collecting gently used undergarments and taking them to a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. “Underwear is one of the things homeless women never get,” Willimer said. “They might come across a coat or a sweater, but they seldom get underwear.”

The same goes for menstrual products.

Shelter staff asked Marlowe about bringing some to the facility, and I Support the Girls was born.

It’s changed a lot over the last five years, Willimer said, especially within the last several months. The coronavirus pandemic has altered the way Willimer and her volunteers operate, though not necessarily in a bad way.

They’ve received more Amazon purchases, for example, because it’s easier for donors to buy online and send products directly to Willimer, rather than going out to the store. She’s also fielded more requests for menstrual products, bras and underwear from local organizations that house food pantries.

And as need has increased, so has the amount of donations.

“I’m very lucky,” Willimer said. “It’s not the same for every director in other parts of the country. Some are really struggling to get stuff. But I have to say that the generosity of some of the local churches, the Girl Scouts, various organizations, we’ve been really lucky that we’ve not only had financial contributions, we’ve had actual donations of

goods, and then we have a really good volunteer base, as well.”

Despite all of the donations—Willimer said they hit about half of last year’s intake in May alone—the organization is still in need. Maxi pads are at the top of the list.

“There are lots of women and girls who don’t use tampons, so they specifically ask for maxi pads,” Willimer said. “What we’re doing at the moment is, say I get a pack of 96 maxi pads. Instead of giving them that pack, we split them. At the moment, we’re repackaging everything into bags of 20. If you’re taking it back to your home or your bathroom or your bedside cabinet or wherever you keep them, having a big pack isn’t such a big deal. But if you’re on the street, or if you’re in temporary accommodation, having a pack of 96 maxi pads takes up a lot of room.”

And Willimer has done all of this while recovering from breast cancer.

She was diagnosed at an early stage in August of 2018 after months of trying to convince her doctors that something was not right.

“I have always been such an advocate of feeling your boobs, if you’ll pardon the expression, and also knowing your body,” she said. “I actually had

Menstrual products are difficult to access for women experiencing homelessness

two mammograms, two ultrasounds, and they couldn’t find anything. I said, ‘I know there’s something wrong.’”

Finally, a thermographic image revealed something deep in her left breast. An MRI confirmed it. She had a lumpectomy and underwent radiation treatment, but she couldn’t quite sit still.

“I have to keep busy,” she said. “I’m either a person who does absolutely nothing or I’m on the go. It was good for me to be on the go, and I was very lucky that I had people who came around and packed and boxed and labeled while I sat.”

Her experience also inspired her to start looking into ways to provide testing to women who may not otherwise have access.

“I’m a huge advocate for testing,” she said. “I’ve been talking to people about helping transient women get mammograms. They’re the ones who don’t, and they’re the ones who wait until the last minute when something’s wrong, and they’re the ones who don’t always survive. It’s all about early diagnosis.”

For those who know Willimer, it’s just another example of her passion for advocacy.

“My husband used to say I would stand on one soapbox, and now I stand on two.”

For more information, visit facebook. com/istgcentralsouthnj or isupportthegirls.org.

Contact SAM SCIARROTTA: ssciarrotta@ communitynews.org, (609) 396-1511, ext.

121, facebook.com/samsciarrotta1

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MORPETH continued from Page 1 without the certainty of a paycheck.’”

But the financial uncertainty is only part of it. “I had a fire, and I had a debilitating illness where I couldn’t work. Then there was the [2008] recession—we lost a lot of income during the recession,” she says.

Then, taking a broad look, she adds, “I probably should have closed several times under different circumstances, but something comes along and saves the day.”

“There is the concept of ‘it takes a village.’ [The gallery] is a business, but it has developed into a community of likeminded artists and clients who are interested in sustaining the place.”

As evidence, she cites artists flexible with sales and exhibitions, offering to watch her gallery during her illness, and generous landlords.

“Without a combination of all of this, I don’t think I’d still be here,” she says.

The New Jersey-born gallery owner’s path to Hopewell began in nearby Cranbury, where her parents moved so her father could work at IBM. When her father died when she was 10, Morpeth says her mother began to stress the need for her children to find practical pursuits and strive for non-dependency.

Despite being a capable art student when she graduated from Hightstown High School in 1984, Morpeth focused on other work.

After a short time at the Rochester Institute of Technology, she briefly studied landscape architecture at Rutgers University. But neither experience helped her settle on a “practical” career path.

However, without realizing it, that path had already started years before when a high school boyfriend took a job at an AlJon’s Pizza shop located next to the DeLann Gallery in Plainsboro. “(Deborah DeHauski) was picture framer and art gallery owner. I was looking for a job and went to her, said I was good with my hands, and I was a decent artist. She hired me and

Ruth Morpeth and Mike Vecchiarelli offer framing services in addition to gallery exhibits and sales of artwork at the Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell. showed me picture framing. She was the only one selling original art in the area. I met a lot of artists and fell in love with the business.

“I am here today solely because of her—taking a young person into the gallery and exposing me to picture framing and selling original art.”

Another person she mentions is prominent regional artist and former Mercer County Community College art instructor Mel Leipzig.

Morpeth says while she worked toward an associate’s degree in graphic design at MCCC, she would attend Leipzig’s art history classes.

She says his love for art reminded her of her own and influenced her 1997 decision to create her first gallery and frame shop in a Pennington cafe.

Then the challenges began. In addition to a strained relationship with her partner, a fire destroyed her workshop

and forced her to find a new location.

“I was looking to move to Lambertville, but the rents were high. Then I saw this shop.”

While she says many people in Hopewell remember the building being Allen’s Flower Shop, at the time it was a gift shop called Voula’s World.

Despite the space’s “high degree of neglect” and “Pepto-Bismol pink shelves,” Morpeth says she saw it as “a great gallery space.”

And with the insurance money from the fire to help her begin again, she says, “I figured let’s give it a try. I just took it. It was a complete crapshoot.”

But she learned one night while vacuuming when an unassumingly dressed woman arrived, looked at the artwork, shared some remarks, and said she wanted to talk to her husband before making a purchase.

Morpeth says she didn’t think much of it, until “five minutes later, a large stretch limousine pulled up” to reveal that the woman was Joyce Johnson, wife of the Johnson & Johnson heir and Grounds For Sculpture’s artistfounder Seward Johnson.

“I didn’t recognize the Johnsons,” says Morpeth. “They were moving to Hopewell at the time. They’re one of the reasons I survived the first year.

The bills were piling up, and there wasn’t a lot of income.”

Morpeth also credits some of her early success from supportive established artists Robert Beck of Solebury, Pennsylvania, and Michael Madigan of Hamilton.

“They helped put me on the map,” she says. “I’m eternally grateful for that.”

She says her selection of artists and works to exhibit is “visceral. It’s more an emotional connection to the piece. I have such a wide aesthetic. I love folk art and outsider art. I love minimal and nonobjective art. I can’t say there’s one thing. Most galleries specialize and tend to have their niche. That’s easier in the greater metropolitan area. I have to keep a broader range.”

She also says her love for creating art and working in the field help her choices. “It’s more of accumulating experience. I’m an artist pragmatic enough to open a business. Maybe if didn’t get into the business side, I would be a fine artist. But look what I’m surrounded by,” she says, gesturing to a filled gallery.

While her thoughts are on as aesthetics and her personal reaction, she wants “to make sure that the value of the art is merited” for her clients—a relationship that grew from her original impulse.

“When I first opened in Pennington, a person would come in, look around, and say, ‘This is nice. But who is going to spend a $1,000 on a piece of art?’

But I thought since I had the picture framing supporting the business, I could put what I wanted on the wall.”

Eventually, she says, the gallery got a reputation, especially for one community.

“One of the reasons I have done as well as I have is the transplanted European clientele, mostly from the pharmaceutical industry. They are much more prone to purchase original arts work.

They are passionate about art. The pharmaceutical industry and Europeans help us to stay in business,” she says.

And while the future may fluctuate, Morpeth says she’s seen it before and adjusts as needed.

For example, while the business had been doing well in early the early 2000s, the 2008 recession caused a financial issue that led to a problem with the building she was renting.

“I told the (property owners) after the recession it was clear that I was not going to be able to sustain the business and can’t keep paying rent. The owners said they wanted to see the gallery remain in Hopewell” and arranged a sale of the property to Morpeth, who can live overtop of the shop rather than maintain another Hopewell property as she has done since 1999.

Now in the midst of a pandemic she is hoping to make a change by following a business pattern and focusing on the framing that initially supported

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the business until artwork sales were able to take over.

“I didn’t promote the framing for years.

I have a small sign that says picture framing. But I didn’t promote it because I didn’t want to do it all,” she says.

But after the recession sales dropped and never regained the prerecession level of approximately 80 percent of the business. “Now we are evolving the frame shop to support the business,” says Morpeth.

“We” includes Mike Vecchiarelli, the company’s 10-year manager and a veteran framer.

Employing the same pluralistic approach used for arts sales for picture framing, the gallery’s clients range from families looking to mount “basic stuff”—diplomas and artwork by children—to collectors looking to reframe works by major artists. And through a reference by a museum, the company also frames the work of internationally known New Jerseybased painter Makoto Fujimura.

And while all this is positive, Morpeth says more framing affects her relationship with new artists and negatively impacts her ability to support the artists in a manner she believes they need.

She also mentions another relationship change: the ability for clients to find artists directly through the internet. “I knew (the relationship) was changing, but I didn’t know it was going to change so fast. And COVID-19 is making it happen it faster,” she says.

Consequently, she says, today’s “artists are better suited to represent themselves.”

To support those artists’ needs, the gallery is providing computer, digital photography, and others services to help artists to have a better online presence— skills Morpeth learned at MCCC. Taking stock of a career that is being transformed, she says “I keep thinking what can I do to make it less emotionally and physically challenging? The frame shop is a lot of physical work.

And there are a lot relationships—I never knew the social aspect of this business when I went into it. Each year I think there has got to be an easier way. But I can’t think of what would be more reliable. And in this COVID-19 world who knows what it would be?”

However, she answers the question with her 23 years of experience.

“There is no formula. You just keep moving forward.”

SCHOOLS continued from Page 1 Students in grades 6 to 12 will alternate in-person days. On “A” days, students with last names beginning with A through L will attend four 50-minute classes from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., while students with M though Z last names will have four 25-minute remote classes from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Schedules will swap on “B” days.

Full-time distance learning will look different from what it was in the spring, the district said. Live remote instruction will take place in every class, every day, on a reduced schedule. Attendance will be taken.

All students, regardless of plan, will receive a working device to access remote services, and the district will ensure that all students are able to access the internet.

On in-person learning days, all students and staff will complete a daily exposure and symptom survey before entering a school building or boarding a bus. Buses will run on reduced

capacity—parents are encouraged to provide alternate transportation if they are able. All students and staff will also be screened daily as they enter the building.

The district will also offer mental health training for staff and social emotional support for students— therapy dogs will work onsite at each school, and counselors will check in with students as needed.

Students on free and reduced lunch will continue to receive deliveries.

Lunch will not be served at Timberlane or the high school, though other lunch options include pre-ordering meals, preparing meals which require less labor and delivery to classrooms or other designated spaces.

HVRSD will continue to update the community via its restart website: hvrsd.org/o/hvrsd/page/ return-to-school-planning--2.

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HEALTH @capitalhealthnj

AUGUST 2020

HEADLINES

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

KEEPING YOU SAFE to Get the Care You Need

Wondering if the time is right to reschedule that doctor’s appointment, lab or imaging test or hospital procedure?

Capital Health is ready to see you again.

All of our hospital and outpatient care locations are open and ready to accept appointments or reschedule any visits you may have canceled or postponed over the past few months. If you suspect you are having a medical emergency like a heart attack or stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE STEPS WE ARE TAKING TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE DURING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES: Everyone must wear a mask when inside our locations.

Everyone must maintain appropriate social distancing. Signage has been placed at all locations to help guide this. Public seating areas have been rearranged. Only four people are permitted per elevator, spaced out to the corners.

Staff regularly clean common areas and high-touch surfaces with hospital-approved disinfectant cleansers.

Patient care areas are cleaned between patients using disinfectant cleansers and portable ultraviolet lights.

All COVID-19 positive inpatients are cared for in one area. Non-positive inpatients are cared for in completely separate areas and are never in the same units as COVID-19 positive inpatients.

Everyone entering our locations is required to have their temperature taken. Some locations use zero contact thermal monitors that take your temperature from a greater distance than the standard temporal thermometer. Anyone with a temperature equal to or greater than 100° F is not allowed to enter.

Visitors are currently restricted. Only one visitor at a time is allowed for each patient in the facility.

Multiple visitors may not enter and gather in lobby or waiting areas. The visitor must wear a mask and clean hands when entering and exiting the patient room. Visitors are strongly encouraged to remain in the room and not travel throughout the facility. Visitors are not permitted in the designated COVID-19 units at Capital Health Regional Medical Center (video visits with these patients can be arranged through our patient advocates).

FOR A FULL LIST OF WAYS WE ARE KEEPING PATIENTS SAFE, VISIT CAPITALHEALTH.ORG. When you’re ready to get back to health, rest assured that Capital Health is ready for you.

Health Headlines by Capital Health | Hopewell Express9

NEW LOCATION FOR CAPITAL HEALTH PRIMARY CARE – BORDENTOWN Capital Health Primary Care – Bordentown, part of Capital Health Medical Group and a trusted provider of pediatric, adult, and geriatric care in Burlington County, New Jersey, has moved to a new location at 100 K Johnson Boulevard N., Suite 101, Bordentown, New Jersey 08505 (on the northbound side of Route 130, across from the Team 85 Fitness & Wellness Center).

Although the office is new, patients receive care from the same board certified physicians they know and trust, including Drs. Jamie Flynn, Janey Hughes, Maria Lugo, Joshua Mleczko, and Natalie Redziniak, as well as nurse practitioner Stephanie Shapiro.

They are all available for appointments to provide check-ups, sick visits and preventive care for children and adults (including care that’s specific for women and older adults).

“Now more than ever, finding a health care provider that inspires confidence and trust is important for anyone who needs care,” said DR. MARIA LUGO, lead physician at Capital Health Primary Care – Bordentown. “We take our role in the community very seriously, and while it’s exciting to be in a brand new building, it’s important for our patients

and anyone looking for a primary care provider to know that the move reaffirms our commitment to safe, convenient care.”

Capital Health Primary Care offices have put into place safety measures to make in-person office visits safer. All individuals are required to wear face masks at our facilities and must have their temperatures taken prior to entering the facility. If they have been exposed to COVID-19 in the last 14 days or have a temperature equal or greater to 100° F, they will not be permitted in the office and will instead be asked to schedule a video visit. Our offices are cleaned with hospital-approved disinfectant on a regular basis, and seating areas have been rearranged to support social distancing. Patients are also encouraged to enter the facilities by themselves whenever feasible or schedule video visit appointments over secure connections on their computers or mobile devices from home.

Office hours at the new Capital Health Primary Care – Bordentown location are Monday and Tuesday ( 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). To make an appointment, call 609.298.2005 or learn more by visiting capitalhealth.org/bordentown.

Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell Receives THIRD CONSECUTIVE CHEST PAIN CENTER ACCREDITATION When you or someone you know is having a heart attack, getting the appropriate treatment in a timely manner greatly increases the likelihood of a better outcome. Through its commitment to an evidence-based, protocoldriven approach to care that can reduce the time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell has earned accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for the third consecutive time.

care and improve heart health by ensuring that participating health care organizations like Capital Health meet systemic quality-of-care measures and implement necessary protocols, processes, and systems in order to earn accreditation.

“Now, more than ever, it’s important for the community we serve to know that when they need us most, we are here and ready to provide care safely and efficiently,” said Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Health. “In addition to reaffirming our role as a leader in providing state-of-the-art care for cardiac emergencies, this shows our community that we remain up to date with the latest best practices for managing heart attacks with increased speed and efficiency, as well as providing education about the early signs of heart attack, all of which leads to better outcomes for our patients.” The goal of the ACC and its Chest Pain Center Accreditation program is to transform cardiovascular

If you think you or someone you know is having a heart attack, calling 9-1-1 should be your first step to talk with a trained dispatcher and have an ambulance sent to your location as quickly as possible. Treatment can begin on site when the ambulance arrives, which saves valuable time when every second counts toward a better outcome.

10Hopewell Express | Health Headlines by Capital Health

“Earning a third consecutive accreditation from the ACC is a great accomplishment and a testament to the unwavering dedication of our entire team,” said Dr. Lara Samson, medical director of Capital Health’s Chest Pain Center. “Implementing rigorous ACC guidelines to provide our patients with the highest quality emergency cardiac care requires a concerted effort and is only possible thanks to the hard work of our experienced doctors, nurses, and other dedicated professionals.”

To learn more about Capital Health’s Chest Pain Center, visit capitalchestpain.org.

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you or someone you know is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

CAPITAL HEALTH OPENS NEW PRIMARY CARE OFFICE IN HAMILTON Capital Health Medical Group, Capital Health’s network of more than 400 physicians and other providers who offer primary and specialty care, has opened Capital Health Primary Care – Nottingham, a new primary care office conveniently located at 1700 Nottingham Way, Hamilton, New Jersey 08619.

The new office features three board certified doctors who are available for appointments to provide check-ups, sick visits and preventive care for children and adults (including care that’s specific for women and older adults). This office accepts most insurances and was previously located at 1235 WhitehorseMercerville Road in Hamilton.

“If you don’t already have a primary care doctor, our office offers daytime and evening appointment hours for routine check-ups and follow-up visits, as well as sick visits for when you’re not feeling well,” said DR. NAILA WASTI, a board certified internist and lead physician at Capital Health Primary Care – Nottingham. Dr. Wasti is

joined by Dr. Rubina Raza, a board certified internist, and Dr. Catherine Cicco, a board certified family medicine physician with experience in providing care for adolescents and adults, including women’s health, men’s health, and geriatric health.

In July, Nurse Practitioners Kathleen Bornhoeft and Neida Hernandez-Lewis joined the practice.

Like all Capital Health Medical Group primary care offices, Capital Health Primary Care – Nottingham offers video visits, in addition to office visits, to safely and conveniently provide patients with the most appropriate care. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and Wednesday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.).

To make an appointment at Capital Health Primary Care – Nottingham, call 609.303.4870 or learn more by visiting capitalhealth.org/nottingham.

INTRODUCING CAPITAL HEALTHY LIVING A New Idea in Senior Living If home is where the heart is, then home is where independent seniors would rather be.

Capital Healthy Living is a new program starting August 10 designed to provide the services that empower seniors to stay independent and in their own homes, for longer. From transportation to scheduling assistance with Capital Health primary and specialty care providers including video visits, engagement and coaching, Capital Healthy Living is available every step of the way.

“Certainly with the COVID-19 crisis, one thing it has taught us is how important it is to have a highly qualified health care team around you, whether for routine care or more acute needs,” said David Dafilou, vice president and chief administrative officer of Clinically Integrated Network at Capital Health. “With two, top-rated health care facilities in our community, more than 40 outpatient locations and more than 400 primary and specialty care physicians, Capital Health has all of the resources to provide seniors with the health care support they need, right here where they live.”

… ENGAGEMENT AND COACHING One-on-one discussions with your LCM on your medical care, including: • Help with chronic disease management • LCM-shared updates with your primary care physician for more coordinated care • Post-discharge and Emergency Room follow up with your LCM to better understand your plan of care and next steps • Availability of LCM to family members or caregivers (upon your approval) … SOCIAL AND WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES • Capital Health hosted social event or wellness/exercise class (four per month) • Free training session with a Capital Health trainer at the Capital Health Wellness Center to develop a customized exercise regimen (one per year) • Linkage to community events • Social media and newsletter • Emotional and cognitive support

CAPITAL HEALTHY LIVING OFFERS: … EASIER ACCESS TO CARE Including a dedicated life care manager (LCM) who assists in scheduling all Capital Health Medical Group physician appointments and helps develop a customized healthy living plan tailored to meet individual needs and goals. … TELEHEALTH SUPPORT AND SCHEDULING Guidance and assistance in scheduling secure telehealth video visits to safely and conveniently provide you with the care you need from home. … TRANSPORTATION Scheduled via UBER Health or Capital

Capital Healthy Living is a new program, with plans to provide non-medical offerings and additional services specifically selected to help make living at home easier and more convenient. All customized, individualized and coordinated by a dedicated Capital Health Life Care Manager. Capital Healthy Living is currently being offered as a pilot program for just $50 a month.

Livery through your LCM, the program includes costs for transportation to all Capital Health Medical Group appointments and Capital Health hospital services, as well as two non-medical roundtrips per month (within 15 miles of your residence) and up to four roundtrips per month to a Capital Health hosted social event or wellness class.

To learn more, call 609.537.7087, email healthyliving@capitalhealth.org or visit www.capitalhealth.org/capitalhealthyliving.

For a limited time, a free two-month trial period is being offered to allow seniors to try this program risk-free.

Health Headlines by Capital Health | Hopewell Express11

HAMILTON STUDENT EDUCATES TEACHERS ABOUT CONCUSSIONS

that I had recovered nicely and could return to school and sports without restrictions.”

Helping children return to play as athletes is important, but their success in school is Dr. Matarese’s top priority. He provides workshops for teachers and other school staff so they can gain a better understanding of concussions and make accommodations that allow students to return to learn. Dr. Matarese was so impressed

by Joseph’s commitment to recovery that he invited his young patient to help with a program for faculty and staff at a Mercer County school.

“This was the first time that I had a middle school student assist me with a presentation for teachers, and Joseph was very motivated to teach others about the need to prevent repeat injuries and permanent brain damage,” said Dr. Matarese. “Learning about concussion from a student’s perspective was particularly powerful, and we were fortunate to have Joseph share his experience.”

To learn more about Capital Health’s Concussion Program, part of the Capital Institute for Neurosciences, visit capitalneuro.org. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Matarese, call 609.537.7300.

Joseph DiClaudio assists Dr. Emil Matarese at a concussion presentation for teachers prior to COVID-19 school closures.

Like many children his age, 12-year-old Joseph DiClaudio of Hamilton, New Jersey enjoys the competition that comes with sports, especially when he’s representing his school on the basketball court. Joseph thrives when he’s part of a team, but after being injured during a game on January 27, 2019, he feared that his season would be cut short.

“The first symptoms that I had were all over head pain and some vision problems,” said Joseph. “I was taken to the ER at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, where they diagnosed me with having a concussion and referred me to Dr. Matarese for follow up.”

Bruises and scrapes are easy to spot, but concussions are unseen injuries that require special care and management to avoid potential long-term consequences. Getting an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible is a crucial first step on the road to recovery. Fortunately for Joseph, Dr. Emil Matarese would be guiding him the rest of the way.

Dr. Matarese is director of the Concussion Program at Capital Health’s Capital Institute for Neurosciences and a regional leader in treating concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. According to Joseph, Dr. Matarese helped everyone understand what they were dealing with the day after his injury.

“Dr. Matarese is very knowledgeable and caring,” said Joseph. “He did a great job explaining my symptoms, like the change in my eye movement and my headaches. My grandfather, who went to the office with me and my mother, was very impressed!”

Impaired eye movement is common after concussions and makes reading or focusing on a computer screen for extended periods of time difficult for the patient. Rest for the body and the brain is the best course of action for recovery. To many adults, keeping all activity to a minimum may sound like a nice break, but brain rest (which includes no texting, no computers or video games, and minimal TV) can be a real challenge for today’s constantly connected young people. “Not resting can make matters worse and extend the time it takes to recover from the concussion,” Dr. Matarese warns.

“Dr. Matarese gave me a note for school excusing me from class work, tests, homework, and gym class,” said Joseph. “Along with resting my eyes as much as possible to allow my brain to heal, he gave my mother massage exercises to do on my neck to help relieve my headaches. At my appointment the next week, he said 12Hopewell Express | Health Headlines by Capital Health

CONCUSSION FACTS What is a CONCUSSION? A concussion is an injury to the brain. A concussion can be from a direct hit to the head or from getting checked or tackled.

Symptoms of a concussion may appear immediately or may not appear for several hours or even days. It’s important not to hide the fact that you are experiencing symptoms of a concussion, and to tell your coach immediately.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS of a Concussion SIGNS ARE THINGS OTHERS SEE:

… Appears confused or dazed … Can’t recall things prior to being injured … Can’t recall things after being injured … Loss of balance or coordination … Loss of consciousness — no matter how long … Seems irritable or other personality changes … Forgets routine plays or position on the field

SYMPTOMS ARE THINGS YOU FEEL: … Headache … Dizziness … Sick to your stomach and/or vomiting … Feeling foggy or confused

… Sensitivity to light or noise … Feeling sluggish or tired … Problems concentrating … Feeling “off” or “don’t feel right”

HAVING ONLY ONE SYMPTOM MAY INDICATE YOU HAVE A CONCUSSION FOR EMERGENCY CARE, Capital Health offers a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell.

Neurology and neuropsychology experts from the Capital Institute for Neurosciences can provide thorough evaluation, follow-up, and treatment for teens and adults at our Hopewell and Langhorne locations.

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ENCORE! ENCORE! Embracing nature at school

Forward thinking public and private schools have planned for outdoor learning for years. Coronavirus simply NATURE IN THE VALLEY hastened those plans. Chris Turnbull, principal of Bear Tavern Elementary School, remarked that in the midst of As fall quickly approaches, the school school reopening, “it’s even more critireopening debate rages on in the media. cal now,” however he was quick to point Will students return school as they had out, “we value that anyway. It’s the right pre-pandemic or will they continue all thing to do and it’s good for kids.”

Mr. Turnbull reinforced that pandemic remote learning? Let’s hope the answer is NO to both and that we refrain from or not, he believes that outdoor learning this polarizing black and white thinking. is a priority and that students retain more That said, simply combining the two and are more engaged in a natural outapproaches indicates a lack of imagi- door setting. After years of building an nation and a missed opportunity to outdoor learning area, his focus now is adding functionality to maximize usabilimprove education quality.

Let’s start with the science—the ity. While exploring nature is important, most likely place to transmit corona- he aims to get the best of both worlds. virus is indoors with groups of people Their outdoor learning areas feature a in close quarters. Conversely, one is pond, walking trails, a butterfly meadow, far less likely to contract COVID-19 gardens, performing and mindfulness outdoors than in. Hence, all the state areas and, he was excited to share that, economic reopening plans began with the most recent component added is the deck. “It will fit a whole class and we outdoor solutions.

Yet, we very rarely hear about increas- intentionally included many elements (of ing opportunities for outdoor education. a traditional classroom) like white boards its 104-page framework to reopening and tables.”

Catch up on the episodes you missed every In According to the CDC, choir pracschools, the NJ Department of Education offered fiveguidelines related to out- tices can be “superspreader events.”

Monday through Thursday at 9 a.m. door learning: inventory outdoor spaces Patricia Riley, principal of Hopewell and mark off areas to ensure separa- Valley Central High School, plans to Listen on air @107.7 FM | Online @1077TheBronc.com tion between students; increase circula- use the outdoors to mitigate that risk. tion of outdoor air as much as possible, “Although we are planning to conOn App @WRRC on Google Play and the Apple App store. for example, by opening windows and tinue our use of outdoor classroom doors; disinfect playground equipment; spaces for group discussions, literawash hands when students come in from ture circles and mindfulness activities, outdoor play or recessl and allow outdoor we’re also expanding our use of these NOT ADVERTISING? classrooms where possible and when spaces to better meet the needs of the THAT’S NUTS! seasonally appropriate. All is good advice performing arts classes.” She emphaCommunity News609.396.1511 Service - Hamilton/Ewing/Hopewell - 8/20 sized, “Since classes like choir and but our valley educators and administra-Crossword tors take it to the next level with their tre- band will require additional space and frequent air circulation to help prevent mendous insights.

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airborne transmission of disease, we’ll be using outdoor rehearsal spaces as often as possible. We’re excited to provide these opportunities for our students, not only as a preventative measure for physical health, but to promote mental health as well.”

Many other educators are also focusing on aspects of mental health and wellness. In Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, he explains that constant exposure to screens indoors can be harmful to children.

Local administrators have similar concerns.

“Outdoor learning will be an essential part of education as we move forward. As screen time increases because of virtual learning, our youngest and most creative minds need constant breaks from the computer,” said Helen Corveleyn, STEM coordinator at Hopewell Elementary School and FOHVOS Board Trustee, “Outdoor learning provides many avenues for developing the whole child. Natural settings offer a multisensory invigoration for the human brain that enhances learning. Fresh air, natural light and open space allow students to create, invent and flourish at school.”

Local private schools are also considering the aesthetics of learning spaces. At The Pennington School a committee comprised of all related stakeholders determined that outdoor classrooms are “a key addition to the campus as we consider our future.”

Bill Hawkey, headmaster, added, “Over the next several years we envision adding 3 to 4 outdoor classrooms in key spots around the campus.

These classrooms would be situated in areas where we can take full advantage of our beautiful campus and our natural outdoor resources. For example, the area around our Lowellden Pond would make an ideal spot to locate an outdoor classroom. Outdoor classrooms can range in size, architectural treatments, to more rustic/ natural finishes. We imagine all types of outdoor classrooms in our future plans. We are strong believers in the aesthetics of learning spaces—from natural lighting to fresh air—and nothing can provide these conditions like an outdoor classroom.”

Headmaster Hawkey also shared plans to meet more immediate needs.

“We decided to add a number of large outdoor tents to the campus to serve as outdoor classrooms, additional Dining space, and room for larger outdoor gatherings. Our plan is to utilize these outdoor tents for as long as possible through the fall to allow for students and teachers to be outdoors and not as much in smaller confined indoor spaces for as much of the day as possible. We will also be De-densifying our campus with students and only essential personnel to allow us to maintain proper social distancing.”

The Cambridge School will also

increase their outdoor classroom usage.

Courtney Peters-Manning, finance director, reports, “Physical education classes at Cambridge for the 2020-21 academic year will be held primarily outdoors to the greatest extent possible. Cambridge also has two outdoor classrooms that will be in use for the 2020-21 school year, and we are working on plans to increase instruction that occurs outdoors.”

Dr. Thomas Smith, Hopewell Valley Regional School District superintendent, shared that the transition to outdoor learning should be seamless due to the rural nature of Hopewell Valley and the district’s prior work with Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space to bring outdoor learning to every school. Smith concluded, “When we began our efforts to develop and expand outdoor classrooms, it was really to expose tech-obsessed students to the natural world around them. FoHVOS was an integral part in the development of these learning spaces. Fast forward to a pandemic— outdoor learning spaces are critical to our return to school plan and a necessity for the health and safety of our staff and students. Luckily, we have been encouraging our staff to use the outdoors so for most it won’t be a huge transition. Other schools may prohibit staff from taking students outside of the classrooms, we are embracing our rural character.”

It is heartening that schools throughout Hopewell Valley know that they won’t “return to normal” and intend to take the opportunity to apply some of the positive lessons we have learned throughout this pandemic.

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Platinum MasterCard� with a

special interest rate for 12 months

gocunj.com/better * Valid on new and used auto loans. Each auto loan closed during this promotion period will make no payments for 90 days. Accepting the terms of “no payment for 90 days offer” will extend the maturity of your loan for at least 90 days but less than 110 days. If accepting the delayed first payment, you will not be eligible for any other skipping/delaying of your payment during 2020. Interest will accrue during this period.

Payments made through payroll deduction or automatic payment will be deposited into your account for the time you are skipping/delaying your payment. Refinances from existing CU of NJ loans do not qualify.

All loans are subject to credit approval. Certain restrictions may apply. This offer can be discontinued at any time.

Federally insured by NCUA | Equal Opportunity Lender

16  Hopewell Express | August 2020