Hamilton Hamilton PPost ost
AUGUST 2020
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Gold standard
Focused on the future
Pollinator project earns Girl Scout organization’s top honor
New school board member wants technology, 21st century skills at forefront
By NiCoLe ViViano
A Hamilton woman put her passion for the environment to good use, improving her region while also earning her Gold Award, the highest award achievable in Girl Scouts. Megan Reger, 18, is a rising sophomore at Purdue University in Indiana, and earned recognition for creating a pollinator-friendly garden and Girl Scout badge class for her project. Her objective for “Project Pollinator,” completed in 2019, included building a garden for pollinators—mainly butterflies and bees—at Camp Ockanickon in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where she has worked as a counselor since she was 14. Reger wanted to leave her mark on the grounds. The second aspect of the project was educating the community on pollinators and their importance. “When it came to my Gold Award project, I really wanted to do something environment based,” Reger said. Reger completed her Bronze and Silver Awards along with her troop, paving the way for her taking on this solo project. For the Bronze Award, her troop helped run and collect donations for a local Hamilton soup kitchen. It was durSee REGER, Page 14
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By Rob Anthes
Hamilton resident Kyle Lang, pictured here in a self portrait, has used grant money to embark on a cross-country photography trip. (Photo by Kyle Lang.)
Their courage and compassion inspire us all.
Dreams made real life from an early age. From to purchase his Ford EconoPhotographer the time he received his first line E150 van, specifically searches the designed for camping, and asaamessage birthdaywritten presentin chalk Onecamera morning, appeared more than 100 rolls of film. to his current analogue phocountry for surrealin front of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words Lang has about seven diftography project “Manifest have been simpler, or more soul fi stirring, ‘Manifest Content’ couldn’t ferent lm cameras packed Content.” or more accurate. “From literally the first day
for this trip with several film that I got my camera I went formats to achieve a variety of out and took pictures of wild- shots. Lang does not use digiand stuff tal cameras in his work, preA local resident’s photog- life, frogs and bugs “Heroes like 13, 14 ferring to use only film. raphy project is taking him like that when I was work here.” The inspiration behind cross country, living out of a years old,” he said. Landscape, nature and the “Manifest Content” comes van fixed with its own kitchen, outdoors still hold Lang’s from Lang wanting to do a bed and work desk, destinaThree words of gratitude and encouragement that dream-related, surrealist projtions plotted out with plenty artistic interest. capture the courage and compassion of health The Mercer County Com- ect. He wanted to pursue the of room for side trips and workers here College and acrossstudent’s America. project, To shareeven yourbefore learning munity adventure. thanks to support Emergency Fund, that he had been awarded the triporis funded our through the Response Kyle Lang, born and raised George Artists Fund. grant money for it. in Hamilton, knew photogravisit Thomas rwjbh.org/heroes phy would be a big part of his The grant money allowed him See LANG, Page 16 By NiCoLe ViViano
The Hamilton Township Board of Education appointed Liam Gonzales July 8 to fill a vacancy created when Cameron Cardinale resigned to attend law school out of state. Gonzales, 27, is a graduate of the Hamilton Township School District. He attended Langtree Elementary School, Crockett Middle School and Steinert High School. At Steinert, he was an accomplished athlete, earning varsity letters in football, lacrosse, tennis, spring track, winter track and wrestling. He is a 2015 graduate of The College of New Jersey. A teacher at Ewing High School, Gonzales has taught special education classes and coached both football and lacrosse. He also is involved with his church, and previously lived in Colombia for a month doing mission work. He took his seat on the board July 22, will serve for the remainder of 2020, and already has decided he will seek re-election in November’s general election. Gonzales has spent the last four years in graduate school, studying administration and See GONZALES, Page 18
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