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JULY 2020
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One final hurrah
Mighty fine debut
Arm & Hammer Park to host Class of 2020’s in-person graduation July 29
Gianna Harris lands first film role in Paramount’s ‘Mighty Oak’
By Rob Anthes
By Nicole Viviano
The Class of 2020 technically graduated June 17, but the Hamilton Township School District has planned one last in-person get-together for this year’s high school seniors. All three public high schools—Hamilton West, Nottingham and Steinert—will have their own graduation ceremony Wednesday, July 29 at Arm and Hammer Park on Route 29 in Trenton, home stadium of the Trenton Thunder. The district has secured a July 30 rain date. The Hamilton Township Education Association has sponsored a live stream of each graduation ceremony, via WBCB. Those at the stadium will need to practice social distancing and abide by health requirements, such as wearing masks. Each family will be limited to four tickets. The district said it has started to develop a seating chart and will provide additional tickets to families, if possible. The Hamilton Post marks this occasion by honoring the seniors at each public high school with the 10 best gradepoint averages in their class. To see the 30 Hamilton Township students recognized this year, turn to Page 14.
A teen singer and actress from Hamilton is the star of a film that was one of the first movies to be released in theaters since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Gianna Harris, 15, plays the role of Emma Biggs in Mighty Oak, a story about family, reincarnation and finding oneself. The film is directed by Soul Surfer’s Sean McNamara and was released by Paramount in North America. The film was released June 5 in select theaters and drive-ins around the country. It is Harris’ first role in a feature-length film. It’s the culmination of a process that started for Harris 18 months ago. Harris found out she had landed the co-starring role of Emma just a few days after sending in an audition tape in January 2019. The audition process was relatively short, Harris said, because the movie was searching to fill her role fast. Soon Harris and her regular traveling partner—her mother, Linda—were on a flight to San Diego for filming on Jan. 29, 2019. It was eyeopening for Harris, who only started pursuing acting about See HARRIS, Page 8
Their courage and compassion ‘A space for Black voices’ inspire us all.
Protestors march down Mercer Street in Hamilton Square June 10, 2020 during a Black Lives Matter rally. (Staff photo by Sam Sciarrotta.)
Lives Matter movement follow- at the restaurant with signs Anti-racism and appeared marched down Kuser the death of George Floyd,in chalk Oneing morning, a message written who was killed by Minneapolis Road June 11. A second protest protests held acrossin front of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words police officer Derek Chauvin was held the following week. township demand couldn’t been more Then, soul stirring, just a few days later, after have he knelt onsimpler, Floyd’s or neck or more accurate. more racist posts cropped for nearly nine minutes during equality, justice
up—this time by Michael an arrest in May. That same day as the march, Sciabbarrisi, whose family racist Facebook “Heroes posts made owns Vincent’s Pizza on Nottingham Way. An impromptu The second week of June by Stone Terrace workexecutive here.” seemed to start a sort of reck- chef Joe Russo started to cir- protest grew as residents culate on social media, ending gathered outside the pizzeria oning in Hamilton. in Russo’s firing and the tem- that night. It was a week of Protesters gathered at Sayen Three words of gratitude and encouragement that Gardens on June 10 to speak porary removal of the restau- Hamilton residents making capture the courage and compassion of health rant’s social media pages. Mul- their voices heard. out against the loss of Black workers andgrew across America. ToThe share your first rally—organized tiple here protests organically lives to police brutality. The thanks or to support our Emergency by Tiyon,Fund, Peira, Thelma and through Facebook, starting Response protest came on the heels of calls to boycott the eat- Kristina (the women chose national and local demonstravisit with rwjbh.org/heroes tions in support of the Black ery—hundreds of people met See PROTESTS, Page 10 By SaM SciaRRotta
And please, for them, stay home and safe.
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