Advance Robbinsville
MARCH 2020 FREE
Cooking for a cause
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Green Machine, green thumb
Under the sea
RHS student creates crowdsourced recipe book
New coordinator starts at hydroponic farm
By LOis LeVine Amanda Steele loves to volunteer in the Robbinsville community, but she always felt that she wanted to do more. So she got cooking. Steele, a 16-year-old Robbinsville High School student, is currently working on the Robbinsville Community Cookbook, a crowdsourced book for recipes by residents. The book will be sold at this year’s Community Day celebration, and proceeds will go to Ability Tree NJ, based in Robbinsville. Ability Tree has become one of Steele’s favorite charities. She learned about the group through her community church in Robbinsville and decided to get involved with the organization. She started working at the nonprofit’s Respite Nights, an evening where parents who have a child with a disability can leave their son or daughter with volunteers (siblings without disabilities can also attend), so that the parents can have a night out. The children play with each other, along with the volunteers, during the course of the evening. “After that, I volunteered as much as I was able to,” Steele said. But, for Steele, that wasn’t See COOKBOOK, Page 10
By LOis LeVine
Aanya Tammala (left) and Ella Daly (right) as Flotsam and Jetsam flank Allyson Wolochuk as Ursula in the Pond Road Middle School production of “The Little Mermaid.” Students performed the musical Feb. 7-8, 2020 at Robbinsville High School. For more photos, turn to Page 11. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)
Ward drives Meals on Wheels Resident named Irish Person of the Year, to be honored March 21 By JenniFer GOeTZ John Ward grew up with a grandmother who gave back to her community. It’s no wonder he has dedicated his life to doing the same. Ward, the executive director of Meals on Wheels for Robbinsville Township, will serve as the Robbinsville Irish Heritage Association’s Irish Person of the Year for his contributions
to the community. RIHA celebrates its Irish roots every year with an annual parade on the third Saturday in March—this year’s parade is set for March 21. In addition to his work with Meals on Wheels, Ward is also part of the Robbinsville Township Senior Advisory Committee, volunteers with Robert Wood Johnson Hospital as a patient relations representative and serves on the hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council. In 2018, Ward received the Rotary Club of RobbinsvilleHamilton Vern Applegate Community Service Award. Ward’s dedication to his com-
munity, coupled with his Irish heritage, made him a perfect candidate for the award. While RIHA celebrates Irish culture, and Irish residents in the community, the organization is inclusive, said RIHA president Jim O’Donnell. O’Donnell said that the organization first started looking for candidates and accepting nominees in March or April of 2019. RIHA was set on honoring a member of the community who has played a role in helping support the Robbinsville area and beyond. “One of the criteria of being Irish person of the year is that See WARD, Page 7
A hydroponic farm, in the middle of a municipal center? Well, it all started in 2016, when Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried found out about hydroponic farming in freight containers. “He loved the idea and thought it would be beneficial to the township in terms of feeding programs and education on how to grow greens and learn more about nutrition,” said Kevin Holt, recreation manager for the Robbinsville Township. Now, the farm has a new coordinator—Hope Cahill, who took over for original caretaker Kyle Clement in January. “We can grow anything that is a leafy green,” Cahill said. “Here we are growing butterhead, oak leaf and lollo lettuce, as well as spring mix.” The farm also grows some herbs, basil and cilantro. Cahill, 25, is certified in aquaponics, an off-breed of hydroponics. After graduating high school, she got certified in a variety of different area of agriculture, and before taking this position worked as a naturalist at various garden centers, as well as with the Monmouth County Park system. Born and raised in TinSee CAHILL, Page 8
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