Inside this issue:
SIX09
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Top 10 seniors reflect on 2020
Fighting for their girl Hopewell woman pens bill in honor of daughter
By SAM SCiARRoTTA
By Lois Levine
When Kinsley Geurds was born in Hopewell six years ago, she was just like so many children, a happy, healthy baby girl. But things started changing fast. “At about two months old, we noticed she began to start turning blue, and from then on, it was a whole list of medical issues, from seizure disorder to dismobility, and more,” said Kinsley’s mother, Pat. Then began a series of visits to hospitals all over the countr y—Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia. “Seven or eight top specialists–neurologists—concurred that they had never seen a brain formed like this,” Pat said. “They did all kinds of genetic testing, and there is no diagnosis. They actually said that whatever she has, she may be one-of-a-kind.” And though Kinsley loves going to school and is a positive and spirited little girl, the medical issues the family contends with are troublesome; many times, it has been an uphill battle with insurance companies. That’s what inspired Pat to write a bill, introduced into state legislature early this year. “I write children’s books, See KINSLEY, Page 11
Thomas Fillebrown (center) waves to a well-wisher during a parade in honor of his 100th birthday May 15, 2020. (Photo by Todd Cloward/Pixels by Toddc Photography.)
A century in the making Well-wishers join for former Boro chief’s 100th birthday By NiCoLe ViviAno
Thomas Fillebrown has seen a lot in his years. He resident served in World War II, was police chief in Hopewell Borough for more than a decade, volunteered as a fireman and a EMT, and even arranged New Jersey’s first EMT class for volunteer first aid squads. He organized the Hopewell Borough Memorial Day parade. He has long been active in the community, both with various American Legion posts and with Hopewell Presbyterian Church.
Fillebrown, now a Hamilton resident, has helped a lot of people, so on his 100th birthday May 15, many of those people decided to attempt to return the favor. “In his life, in his amazing 100 years of life, there’s a commitment to serving the wider community, both through the church and then at large,” Hopewell Presbyterian Church pastor Melissa Martin said. Local Hopewell and Hamilton police and fire departments, and first aid squads, Hopewell Presbyterian Church members and friends and family of Fillebrown honored his life’s work with a surprise birthday drive-by parade. When original party plans were canceled due to COVID19, Fillebrown’s family and
church of over 60 years pulled together the alternate plan to drive past his home in Evergreen at Hamilton, a 55-andolder community located across from RWJ University Hospital Hamilton. Fillebrown received a framed certificate of appreciation signed by Hopewell Borough Mayor Paul Anzano, a certificate from Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin, a letter from Congressman Chris Smith, a letter from the Mercer County Police Chiefs Association and a hat from the Notre Dame High School Patriots Club. He has been around the world, but his life started 100 years ago in Raritan Township on his family’s farm. He worked there with his See FILLEBROWN, Page 5
HEALTH
HEADLINES M O N T H LY N E WS F R O M
As the 2019-2020 school year wraps up, Hopewell Valley Central High School seniors are looking ahead to college, their future plans and post-high school life— and, as we do every year, the Express sent each of the Class of 2020’s Top 10 students a questionnaire about CHS life and their post-Hopewell plans. This year’s interview questions included the usual fare, like what college they plan to attend, CHS extracurriculars and favorite quotes. The Class of 2020 was active at CHS, to say the least. They participated activities like varsity sports, Diversity Council, National Honor Society, Girl Up, Science Olympiad, The Bulldog Reporter and Vox Central. They will attend colleges like Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, UCLA, Princeton University, Boston College and the University of Maryland, where they will study computer science, biology, neuroscience, music and computer engineering. And the students were able to decide all of this as their senior years—and lives—were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each student was asked about their school experiences during isolation and how the virus affected their final semester of high school. To see their responses, turn to Page 4.
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