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Town shares vision for Miry Run
Theater gone virtual RHS Players reflect on changing landscape
Sports facilities, gardens slated for space
By Sam Sciarrotta
Robbinsville High School theater director Alison Sussman and her students were a little overwhelmed this summer. Like millions of other people, there was a lot to be overwhelmed by—COVID19, the coming school year, a lot of uncertainty. So they decided to channel that into their work. “The pandemic, our spring shutdown, the ongoing protests in response to systemic racism, all the negativity on social media, the rise in hate crimes...we knew we couldn’t ignore the world around us as we approached our show, if for no other reason than the fact that we had no idea how or when we’d be able to produce it,” Sussman said. Enter a classic. With a twist. The RHS Players decided to produce William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The students performed the play virtually last month. “It gave us the flexibility to deal with all of our uncertainties while also offering us the ability to explore the nature of hatred versus love and acceptance,” Sussman said. “The play turned out to be exactly what we needed on both counts. The themes of the play gave us an opporSee THEATER, Page 10
By Sam Sciarrotta
Their courage and compassion Ravens areinspire regional champs us all.
The Robbinsville High School girls’ soccer team captured the Central West A Regional title this season.
bling appeared to a 1-2-1 start with two morning, a message written in chalk RHS girls’ soccer Onechampionship. “We called this season straight losses to Princeton in front of an RWJBarnabas Health facility. The words ‘rides the wave’ to acouldn’t ‘Riding the wave’ and we just and Hopewell Valley. simpler, or more But soul Robbinsville stirring, caught a kept have ridingbeen the wave as long title or more accurate. as we could,” the Ravens big one with a victory over
coach said. “It was a good Allentown and proceeded analogy for this year. We felt to win eight of its final nine we could have “Heroes potentially games to claim its first title by here.” waves, at the state level since claimCaitlyn Curran admits to kept getting hitwork taking surfing lessons as whether it be a teammate ing a 2016 sectional title a youngster, but also con- getting sick or the season (this year’s tournament was cancelled or games divided into regions rather fesses “I’m not much of Three a being words of gratitude and encouragement that being cancelled. We had to than sections due to COVIDsurfer.” capture the courage and compassion of health make sure we stayed on top ravaged schedules throughHer Robbinsville girls’ socworkers herekept andriding acrossit America. To share your the state). of it and as long out cer team proved quite the thanks or to support our Emergency Response Fund, “It was awesome,” said as we could.” opposite, however, in hanging They slipped off the board senior Brynn Hopkins, widely 10 all the way to an NJSIAA visit rwjbh.org/heroes Central West A Regional early in the season, stumSee SOCCER, Page 6 By Rich Fisher
Another hurdle has been cleared in the Miry Run saga. A preemptive plan was set at the Dec. 3 Robbinsville Township Council meeting, laying the groundwork for a multipurpose recreation and community center, gardens and other spaces. Township administrator Joy Tozzi instituted a virtual suggestion box in September, several months after a March town hall meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19. The meeting was set to gain community input about the Miry Run space. “We wanted to ensure a public process and be as inclusive as possible with passive recreation as the focus,” Tozzi said. “We received perspectives from the senior community, the school community and multiple civic organizations. We have reached out to every age and nationality in the community, in addition to our professionals and staff. We have done our due diligence, and anyone we may have missed were encouraged to write to our virtual mailbox...and they did so in very encouraging numSee MIRY RUN, Page 8
And please, for them, stay home and safe.
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