February 2023: The Current of Linwood, Northfield & Somers Point

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When we relaunched The Current this past October, we made a commitment to bringing hyperlocal, unbiased news to our communities. Delaney Crawford, our dedicated Editor, writes all of our content as a means by which to ensure that quality control. Though many of the topics we cover are supported or refuted passionately by members of our community, we do our very best to stick to the facts in our reporting. Your trust in us is essential to our success. Thank you for supporting The Current.

Allison Altobelli, PubLISHER

In this issue, we focus on a topic of utmost importance to our community: our schools. The cover story provides an in-depth look at the new health and sex ed standards required by the state and the curriculum our schools are implementing to meet those standards. Following the cover story, you can find two pages of school test results from Grades 4 and 11. In this issue you will also find information about a lot of the new faces working in our community. As always, we hope you enjoy and thank you for reading The Current!

Delaney Crawford, EDITOR

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The Current is published by Lee BHM Corp. (c) Lee BHM Corp. All rights Reserved. All property rights for the entire contents of this publication shall be the property of Lee BHM Corp. No part thereof may be reproduced without prior consent.

NOW OPEN

planet Fitness

This highly anticipated spot opened after two months of construction. Planet Fitness has taken over the two empty store fronts next to the Acme in the Somers Point Plaza and transformed the space into a full-service gym.

214 new road, somers point plaza #218, somers point

ring donut

Mochi Ring Donut, located in the Linwood Exchange, will remain open for some time longer. Head in during regular operating hours and grab a sweet doughnut ring while you still can.

2110 new road, linwood

This spot in the Exchange is also keeping its doors open a while longer. Head in soon and enjoy some great Peruvian cuisine.

2110 new road, linwood

’80s costume dance party

Charlie’s Bar is hosting an ’80s night out with D.J. Tommy T-Bone. There will be plenty of dancing, drink specials, specially made Charlie’s merch, cash prizes and gift certificates given out to winners in select categories. So grab your leg warmers and boombox and head to Charlie’s, located at 800 Shore Road in Somers Point for a long night of dancing and fun, from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Furry buddies

The Linwood Library hosts a furry buddies hour from 4 to 5 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month. Those who come can settle in, grab a book and join local dog trainer Donna Downs along with her German shepherds and her English chocolate lab. This event kicks off in the children’s section of the library, located at 301 Davis Ave., Linwood.

a valentine sip & paint

Linwood PTO is hosting a Sip and Paint with Seaview’s own teacher, Mr. Andrews. This event takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Sal’s Coal Fired Pizza located at 501 New Road, Somers Point. Tickets cost $35 per person and includes supplies, a canvas to take home and pizza to enjoy. BYOB and enjoy a night of sipping and painting with friends. For more information, visit their Instagram page @linwoodnjpto.

galentine’s bake and sip

BOSS Babes Real Estate Group is hosting a Galentine’s Day of fun at Bake Happy Studio located at 199 New Road Suite 32-34 in the Linwood Central Square Shopping Center. All who attend will design their own Valentine’s cake, while enjoying fruit, pastries and some drinks at the mimosa bar. This event is from 10 a.m. All proceeds will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and everyone must be 21+ to join. For more information, visit bossbabesrealestategroup.com.

piano bar

Gateway Playhouse is hosting a piano bar night with Michael McAssey. Tickets are $15 and the event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Head to Gateway located at 738 Bay Ave. in Somers Point for a night of musical mastery.

If you have an event planned for March, please contact us at

comedy show

Comedian Bill Chiang is heading to Somers Point for a night full of laughs. Also performing will be comedians Tim Eli and Susie Reed. Head to Studio Space located at 112 Woodland Ave. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 via Eventbrite. For more information go to patsplace4comedy.com

multicultural Fair

All families and friends of Seaview and Belhaven schools are invited to a Multicultural Fair. This fair will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Belhaven Middle School. There will be displays for different countries, dancing, music, food, games, crafts and art.

pizza night Fundraiser

Gilda’s Club is hosting Squares and Fare, the most exclusive secret pizzeria, at its Linwood Clubhouse on 700 New Road. Now is your chance to grab a slice and support a good cause. Tickets are $25 and include pizza, wine and a chance to win a special door prize. All the proceeds from this event will go to support programs for those impacted by cancer. Space is limited and tickets are going quick so call 609-926-2699 or purchase at cscnj.org.

SPOTLIgHT

mel and tony Acoustic Duo

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

A pair of teachers working together in Dennis Township came together in 2008 to create the acoustic duo of Melanie Caruso and Tony Pontari that now plays all around Cape May and Atlantic counties.

At the start, Pontari was a solo act performing around the area. One night, Caruso came to one of his gigs and he jumped at the chance to pull her on stage.

“He asked me to come up and sing and our personalities just clicked. We built a collection of songs that we could sing together or individually and developed into the duo we are now,” Caruso said.

Since then, the two have worked together and rocked their all acoustic sound at many bars throughout South Jersey. The duo plays covers of songs with both of them singing and Pontari adding in the guitar. Both of them prefer to be an all-acoustic duo saying that it allows them to perform and interpret each song in their own way.

“I think being acoustic just lent itself to us because we are only a duo. I can say for me personally, there is something about listening to someone play a song

25 coffee with a cop

to be included in our next issue!

The Northfield Police Department along with the Northfield Municipal Alliance is hosting a coffee hour. All residents can come and speak with members of the police department and enjoy coffee and some light refreshments. From noon to 1:30 p.m. head to Good Shepherd UMC at 207 Northfield Ave. Meet the officers who protect the city and discuss any topics of concern you might have.

eat, drink & get sweaty for cancer research

HeyNoon Fitness, located at 1055 Shore Road in Linwood, is sponsoring the Lisa Oakley Memorial Foundation’s third annual event. This year, the event will benefit blood cancer research and raise money for the Schully crew boat. Begin your day at HeyNoon with a morning workout starting at 8, 9 or 10 a.m., then head over for a Beef and Beer from 5 to 8 p.m. at Maynard’s Cafe located at 9306 Amherst Ave., Margate. Tickets are $50. Expect a great morning workout, sweat and stretch session, post workout refreshments, music and local vendors. In the evening enjoy a Beef and Beer, with live music from Petty Cash, along with a photo booth, silent auction, 50-50, food, drinks, dessert bar and more.

acoustically that strips the song down raw and you really can feel the way the musician interprets it. There’s a quiet, soulful energy in their rhythm and vocals that I can’t fully explain, but it’s there and it can be pretty powerful,” Pontari said.

With Pontari living in Absecon and Caruso in Egg Harbor Township, they both say they love getting to perform in their own community.

“I love playing near my hometown because our friends and family have the ability to come and see us. We have also been able to make new friends and connections through playing in and around our area,” Caruso said.

Caruso grew up in a family of musicians and said it was always a part of her life, but that it wasn’t until she connected at the gig with Pontari that she knew she had to pursue performing. Together they have created a sound they are proud of and love to do.

While the duo itself and the songs they play are enough to bring you out to their next gig, Pontari’s daughter Taylor occasionally jumps in to sing, pleasantly surprising all who hear her perform.

“Taylor makes it out every now and then depending upon her busy high school schedule. Since she was a

little girl she has always loved music and would sing for me at home,” Pontari said. “It’s really cool to have her next to us and watch as she takes over the gig with her amazingly powerful vocal talents. As a father, it’s one of the coolest things to witness and extremely humbling to hear the feedback from those who get the opportunity to hear her.”

Mel and Tony Acoustic Duo have many gigs already set for this month, so head on over and catch them in action soon.

Feb. 1: 5 p.m. at Crossroads in Egg Harbor City

Feb. 5: 11 p.m. at No. 79 in Mullica Twp.

Feb. 17: 6 p.m. at Crossroads

Feb. 19: 3 p.m. at Caroline’s By The Bay in Somers Point

Feb. 22: 5 p.m. at Crossroads

Feb. 24: 6 p.m. at EHT Vagabond in Egg Harbor Twp.

Feb 25: 6:30 p.m. at No. 79

t he Deliivanova family brings a one stop shop of beauty to community

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

linwood – The Deliivanova family understands that shopping for a wedding dress can cause stress. That’s why they’re determined to make it easier on brides-to-be.

In June of 2013, just one year after Albena Deliivanova attempted to find her dream wedding dress, Dress 2 Impress was born.

Deliivanova says she saw an opportunity to open a more private boutique for dress shopping, so she and her family decided to make her vision a reality.

“We have the experience, so we know how stressful wedding dress shopping can be and want to make it easier on the brides,” Deliivanova said. “We focus more on one-on-one interactions and always give our full attention to each bride.”

While the Deliivanova family is originally from Bulgaria, they have lived in Linwood for over 20 years now. A family full of entrepreneurs, it made sense to open for them to up a business, so they were eager to open and invest in the town they now call home.

Take a step inside the family’s store and you won’t know where to look first. Although they specialize in bridal gowns, they offer formal attire for every occasion.

The downstairs floor is home to prom and pageant dresses, mother-of-the-bride, groom and evening gowns; the shop even offers a tux rental option. Walk-ins are welcome based on the shops availability.

While the downstairs can seem bustling, the upstairs is a world of its own. In order to give each bride the full privacy and space they need, the whole upstairs of Dress 2 Impress was transformed into a bride’s paradise.

Deliivanova said it was important to “create a space away from the rest of the shop so that each bride could feel special and not feel like they are just shopping along with others.’

The family says that Dress 2 Impress also satisfies a diverse range of needs and likes.

Dress

199 new road, ste 24, linwood

Clockwise from top: Bridal gowns, prom dresses and Bridal Suite

609-653-4444 dress2impress.com

“We have gowns for every girl, it doesn’t matter their size, race or shape, we make sure we give every girl the chance to try on beautiful gowns,” Deliivanova said.

The shop also prides itself on the quality of dresses and their customer service.

“My favorite thing is meeting all the different people. Getting to be a part of each bride’s special moments and hearing their love stories,”

Deliivanova said. “We are just honored to be a part of their special day in some way. We laugh and cry with our brides, and truly just love what we do.”

Dress 2 Impress provides a family atmosphere to the community and are always eager to help everyone feel beautiful.

Have a heart, help out our local vets

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

United Methodist is showing love to all our local veterans with their Have a Heart for Veterans Valentine’s Day 2023 Campaign.

This campaign calls for all to show their support to veterans by donating items that will be used to create Valentine gift bags. The gift bags will be distributed to the veterans at the Memorial Veterans Home in Vineland and Meadowview Veterans unit in Northfield.

Donation items sought include wrapped heart candy boxes, sealed bagged candy, individual packs of crackers, cookies, Tastykakes, trail mix, Little Debbie cakes, potato chips, pretzels and cheese curls. In the spirit of the day of love, any red items such as socks, gloves, shirts of any size, hats and sweatshirts can also be donated.

Personal items like shaving cream, deodorant, lotions, mouthwash and other things are also be greatly appreciated as well as knick knacks such as adult coloring books, colored pencils and puzzle books. Gift cards to Wawa, Walmart, and Dunkin Donuts will also help to make the veterans’ day.

Any donation is welcome and none is too small. United Methodist asks that all donations be made before Feb. 9 and can be dropped off or sent to Wesley by the Bay Apartments at 2401 Bay Ave., Suite 2, Ocean City or The Shores at 2201 Bay Ave., Ocean City.

VonColln eager for new role as head of helm

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

northField — Mark VonColln was sworn in as the new police chief at the city’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 3.

VonColln was elected after a long application process graded through five different steps. All who wanted to apply for the position could do so and different points were added at each step to help allow the best to shine through.

Points were given for seniority, education level and an evaluation of the work done as an officer.

Along with the point system there was also an oral interview and a written exam administered by the New Jersey State Chief of Police.

After all of that, there was still more. Next up came an oral interview with the mayor, council president and the business administrator. Then it came down to who scored the highest after all the points, interviews and tests were scored.

Once narrowed down to the three applicants with the highest scores, the mayor made his recommendation to City Council which then voted on who was the right one for the job and VonColln came out on top.

VonColln, who was acting lieutenant as a patrol division commander, has been a member of the local police department for 24 years.

VonColln’s first career choice was to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a marine. Plans changed when his dad wanted him to go to college and VonColln said that the switch lead him to consider a career as a police officer instead.

After college, VonColln became a Class II officer in Wildwood. Growing up in West Cape May and attending Lower Cape May Regional High School, he was set to grow within the Wildwood police department ranks and earn a full-time position there.

However, a former Northfield police officer and long-time friend changed his views. Martin Peary called VonColln while he was in the process of becoming full-time in Wildwood and swayed him to call Northfield home.

“He called me and told me what a close knit community Northfield was, how he lived here and just ultimately told me to come here and give the police department a shot. Now, here I am all these years later,” VonColln said.

As the new head of the police department, VonColln has many goals he hopes to achieve. One goal is to create a better relationship and partnership between the residents of the city and all police officers. He wants to help establish trust between the two and always keep his team community-oriented.

“I want to change the stigma attached to police officers,” VonColln said. “We have an excellent group here and I plan to keep it that way through the training and to gain more public trust.”

While recruiting and maintaining police officers today is getting harder, VonColln is eager to keep the police department strong and with all his years of experience, no one is more ready to handle the helm than he is.

Mark Voncolln was sworn into office at the Northfield Reorganization City Council meeting on Jan. 3. His son Eric was on leave from the US Army at the time and held the Bible for his father.

Neurologist pleased to call Shore his new home

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

somers point — Shore Physicians Group is expanding its local practice and has welcomed a new neurologist.

Dr. Ralf Van der Sluis hails from the Netherlands, where he said it was almost expected for him to become a doctor. After attending high school there, he received his medical degree from the Catholic University of Nijmegen, Netherlands in 1989.

While that was an accelerated schooling process as opposed to what we know here in the United States, the next steps were the same. Sluis began his post-graduation residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx borough of New York City, completing it in 1997.

His fellowship training then took him to the south and he trained at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, specializing in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy.

At a young age, Sluis knew he wanted to become a doctor. He knew he possessed a mind that could gather information quickly and would make it possible for him to do the job of his dreams.

“At 10 I was given a book on how the human body works. I was fascinated with it and knew I wanted to become a doctor then,” Sluis said. “My father went to med school later in life so I was able to watch him go through it and knew it was something I could do.”

Figuring out he wanted to become a doctor was a pretty instant decision for Sluis, just like his decision to specialize in neurology. While Sluis loves the overall appeal of studying the brain, what drew him in to become a neurologist was the chance to help people.

“The brain makes us what we are, it’s just fascinating,” Sluis said. “So many different impairments of the brain cause effects in people and I want the chance to figure out why and help patients come back from those.”

Sluis started seeing patients at Shore on Jan. 3 and was eager to work in a new area with a fresh start. His family had previously vacationed in Ocean City and Sluis remembers loving the beach and the way of life here. Ultimately, with the location and after meeting the staff at Shore, he knew Somers Point was the right place to call home for a while.

FEBRU AR Y IS AMERIC AN HEAR T MONTH!

Heart

to Heart

Breakfast & Cardiovascular Health Expo

Enjoy a light breakfast while listening and interacting with experts on caring for your heart, rehabilitation after a heart event, and preventing heart disease. This event is free and open to the public but has limited spots.

9:30 AM

Screenings and Demonstrations

Free health screenings, including blood pressure screenings, cardiac risk and BMI assessments, diabetic glycemic education, low-impact exercise demonstrations, CPR instruction, and more

10:30 AM

Presentations

Why Exercise is Important for Heart Health

Gene Iucci, DO, FACC | Penn Cardiology Somers Point

Heart Health in Women

Millee Singh, DO, FACC | Penn Cardiology Somers Point

Linking Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic or Non-Healing Wounds in Legs and Feet

Jane Weisbecker, NP | Shore Physicians Group

Thursday, February 23

9:30 am to 12 noon

Linwood Country Club, 500 Shore Road, Linwood, NJ, 08221

ADMISSION IS FREE, RSVP T ODAY!

Please email your full name and guests to: Wellness@shoremedicalcenter.org or call 609.365.5257

PRESENTED B Y

Dr. Ralf Van der Sluis

New state guidelines call for local district curriculum changes

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

On June 3, 2020, The New Jersey State Board of Education created new student learning standards for comprehensive health and physical education. This new curriculum is a revision of the guidelines adopted in 2014.

While these standards were established in 2020, schools were given until this past September to incorporate changes.

According to the state, the new Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards were designed to address the needs of each student to gain knowledge and skills in caring for themselves and interacting effectively, respectfully and safely with others.

The new standards were adopted after five months of discussion and public comments, but some community members across the state felt unheard and pushed back against the changes, which introduce sensitive topics to children at younger ages.

Many different areas of learning have been impacted by the new standards. However, the gender and sex education components have driven the greatest response from concerned community members across the state. In Linwood, Northfield and Somers Point, district officials describe a smoother transition than others and say they have been proactive about keeping parents informed about the changes. Each district in our community has created its own curriculum based on the state’s guidelines and implemented the new standards into its teachings.

The new standards require that by the end of second grade, all students will know that all living things may reproduce and are introduced to the scientific names for

genitalia. By the end of fifth grade, students will understand how pregnancy occurs. Between the grades of sixth and eighth, students will learn about all the ways in which two people can have sex and by the end of eighth grade, the students will have an awareness of every stage of pregnancy and conception.

In the sexual and social health portion of the guidelines, by the end of second grade, students will learn that everyone has their own unique skills and qualities, which can include the activities they enjoy such as how they may dress, their mannerisms and things that they like to do. In grade five, the guidelines include the children’s own sexual identity and discusses that all individuals should feel welcome and included regardless of their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. In order to promote that all are accepted, in eighth grade, the students will learn that inclusive schools and communities are accepting of all people and will make them feel welcome and included.

The students will have the full knowledge of pregnancy and sex by the end of grade five, followed by a required discussion about consent. The guidelines require instruction in grades six through 12 on the law and meaning of consent in all sexual activities.

One of the topics covered is sexting, which involves instructions on the social, emotional, and legal consequences of distributing and soliciting sexually explicit images through electronic means during middle school. The guidelines also require each school district to incorporate sexual abuse, assault awareness and prevention education in grades preschool through 12.

Along with all the content on sexual behavior and actions, the guidelines also cover mental health and the importance of knowing how to deal with one’s own emotions. The guidelines state, “A school district shall ensure that its health education programs for students in grades kindergarten through 12th recognize the multiple dimensions of health by including mental health and the relation of physical and mental health so as to enhance

student understanding, attitudes, and behaviors that promote health, well-being, and human dignity.”

It is the changes addressing sexual identity and the engaging in different sexual acts that has some parents questioning how their own local school districts will handle implementing these sensitive topics.

Because of this, each school district has an “opt-out” option for their students. The parents that wish for their children not to be a part of these discussions must write a letter to the principal explaining that the lessons contradict with their personal values. It is up to each school district to decide what to do with the students who opted out.

An important aspect of the guideline changes is that local schools have leeway in how they implement and teach the new standards. The lectures and instruction will vary by school. This flexibility is based on the NJ Department of Education allowing each school district throughout the state to have the freedom to tailor the overall curriculum to its own needs.

However, the DOE will track how well each school district meets the standard requirements through the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC). Districts that don’t comply with the new standards may face loss of local control, monitoring from

the state, and in extreme cases, loss of state aid. Different school districts are going about introducing these topics in different ways.

Northfield Community School has created its own Comprehensive Health and Physical Education curriculum in accordance with the state guidelines. There are no new courses, teachers or instruction sessions being added. These new standards that the state expects the students to learn will simply be added in and taught by the health and physical education teachers during those class periods.

Northfield Superintendent Pete Bretones says that the district formed a committee during the summer of 2022 to go over the new standards and discuss what its position on it would be.

“The district’s position is that we will deliver the mandatory standards in an age-appropriate manner that benefits the education and well-being of the students. There was some resistance from some members of the community and we addressed them individually, as well as publicly,” Bretones said.

In the new curriculum that was established by the district for the Northfield Community School, it states that, “We want to provide an intro to concepts but will rely on families to dive ‘deeper’ as they see fit. We will

introduce concepts age appropriately in ‘bite size’ scientific portions which we will build upon to help connect the dots to tie it all in together.”

The hope is that by introducing the state standards in smaller doses, parents and guardians can then address certain situations that they wish to, in further details at home.

While Bretones said that the number of students who have opted out of learning the new standards is very low, the district reminds parents of their right to do so and how. For each student that does opt out, he says that an alternate assignment will be provided.

Linwood Superintendent Brian Pruitt says that his school district followed the guideline implementation and instruction aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards as required by the state and they have implemented the new standards in all schools within the district.

“We communicated details about the new standards implementation and then formed a committee that reviewed the information,” Pruitt said. “The committee was composed of Health and PE staff, administration, BOE members,

representatives from our PTO, Education Foundation, community and parent representatives. The group met multiple times and reviewed the curriculum update prior to the BOE approval of it.”

In order to hear concerns on the new curriculum or answer parent questions about how certain topics would be addressed in Linwood schools, the district communicated with the community through individual emails, phone calls, BOE meetings and staff throughout the whole development and implementation of new material. This allowed for plenty of communication and parent awareness of what was happening at each school in the district.

While this new curriculum is generating a lot of statewide buzz, Pruitt says that Linwood’s health curriculum, “has always been about assisting and supporting the young kids as they grow and that will continue to be the main focus.”

Somers Point school district was unavailable for comment at the time of print.

Mainland Board of Education Meeting Schedule

6 p.m. at Mainland Regional High School, Library 1301 Oak Ave, Linwood

February 21

March 20

April 27

May 15

June 12

Northfield Board of Education Meeting Schedule

7 p.m. at Northfield Community School, Cafetorium, 2000 New Road, Northfield

February 27

March 20

April 24

May 22

June 26

July 24

August 28

September 18

October 23

November 27

December 18

Linwood Board of Education Meeting Schedule

7 p.m. at Belhaven Middle School, Auditorium – 51 Belhaven Ave, Linwood

February 23

March 16

April 27

May 25

June 22

July 27

August 24

September 28

October 26

November 16

December 14

Somers Point Board of Education Meeting Schedule 7 p.m. at Jordan Road School 129 Jordan Road, Somers Point

March 16

April 27

May 18

June 22

July 20

August

September1721

October November1916

“The spring 2022 administration of the NJGPA was the first administration and deemed a field test. As a result, there is no multi-year data available for making year-to-year comparisons.”

Laura Fredrick with the NJ Department of Education

Eric Ford was elected to be the new Linwood City Council President, while Stacy DeDomenicis is the President Pro Tem.

Janice Johnston was elected to be Somers Point’s City Council President for the 2023 year, with Howard Dill as the President Pro Tem

NTom Polistina was elected Northfield’s Council President for the 2023 year with Greg Dewees made the President Pro Tem.

Councilwoman Renee Carfagno was sworn in as a member of Northfield city council at the beginning of the new year.

The former home to Clancy’s restaurant on 101 Maryland Ave in Somers Point is turning into Mexiquila Restaurant. Renovations include demolishing the back section of the building to make room for a new outdoor patio and bar.

polistina dewees

carfagno

Ford dedomenicis

Johnston dill

Somers Point local jumps at chance to serve

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

somers point —

The Peace Corps suspended its global operations and evacuated around 7,000 active volunteers from over 60 countries when the COVID-19 pandemic first began in March 2020. Since then, the organization has slowly begun returning volunteers overseas and Somers Point resident Will Fausey was one of the first to step up.

Fausey, who grew up in Somers Point and graduated from Mainland Regional High School, studied political science at Stockton University.

After graduating in December 2020, he applied to join the Peace Corps in April 2021.

Fausey said he always thought about joining the group while in college.

“I like to travel, I like food and other cultures so that’s one thing about it. Then on top of that, serving, community service and volunteering has always been a big thing for me,” Fausey said. “I was a Boy Scout and always involved in my community. So, to combine that with all the learning of another culture and then also adding in that next step of doing it abroad as a representative of the United States is great.”

While Fausey was eager to head out on his newest adventure, he knew the pandemic was putting a halt on all service and he would ultimately have to wait. Now almost a year and a half later, Fausey received his assignment and is an active member of the Peace Corps.

Fausey left for Thailand on Jan. 17 and upon his arrival was ready to get to work by Jan. 20.

For the first three months, he will be involved in a training program that will help him learn the language, culture and get some technical training. After he successfully completes all training, Fausey will be fully working in Thailand for the next 24 months. Out of the six Peace Corps sectors, Fausey will be working in youth and development. At this time he is unsure of what specifically he will be doing since each volunteer works on community-driven projects that each area decides they need the most help with.

Fausey says he is most nervous about overcoming the language barrier.

“It will be challenging at first not knowing the language well and with that not having the ability to create relationships,” Fausey said. “But once I’m through that I will be able to connect and build relationships with those in the community.”

Fausey doesn’t want to come across as a tourist hoping to catch glimpses of Thailand, but wants to really engage in their way of life, help them anyway he can and also bring his outside perspective to the people.

He also hopes his service helps others get a better idea of what the Peace Corps really does and what our community can do to help others.

litigation and planning

Will Fausey

mochi ring Donut brings unique treats home

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

linwood – While many spots inside of the Linwood Exchange have closed down in preparation for AtlantiCare taking over the building, Mochi Ring Donut lives on selling their unique sweet treats.

While Mochi Ring Donut just recently opened in October of 2022, this isn’t the owners first go around. Kevin Bae and Angela Jang were running a family owned Korean restaurant out of the same location.

That idea ultimately closed down since the couple had a hard time finding workers that understood Korean cuisine and cooking. However, instead of giving up, the couple worked to transition the space and made their menu a Korean inspired franchise donut shop instead.

“We grew up in the area and know this area lacks new flavors and wanted to bring in something new and exciting,” Jang said. “We thought our town needed something new for everyone to try. You don’t want to drive one to two hours to just grab some delicious Mochi donuts.”

The best seller that all the customers are eager to try are the chocolate and Oreo Mochi donuts, but the menu is full of other things too. For dine-in only there are even a few Korean side options.

At the end of January, the couple launched some new menu items, including Korean Corndogs and some bubble tea selections. So now you can head in for a donut and leave with a full meal.

While Jang says she never expected or particularly wanted to own her own business, after having kids she liked the flexibility it offered. The couple looked for a place to open up their new business idea for a while and eventually decided that the Linwood Exchange seemed like the perfect spot for them.

“We started looking for a place during the pandemic and also when the Asian hate crime was at the peak. We wanted to find a place where we feel safe to run the business and also close to where we live,” Jang said. “The Exchange was a perfect spot to start small and was surrounded by hard working and genuinely nice people running their businesses.”

Central Square

What sets Mochi Ring Donut apart from other donut shops in our community is the quality and the ingredients each donut is made with. Mochi’s donuts are a mix of traditional flour donuts and a traditional rice cake from East Asian countries.

mochi ring

2110 new road, the exchange, linwood 609-464-3083

mochiringdonut.com

hours: store hours

11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. monday-saturday closed sunday

West Ave.

CentralAve.

Jang says that mix causes a more airy and chewy taste as opposed to the heavy texture associated with other donuts. This creates a nice delicate dessert that you can’t find anywhere else around here.

“We don’t know what is going to happen in the future but we are here and have no plans of moving as of yet, so please come out and support all of the small businesses in the Exchange until we close,” Jang said.

ring

I have been a local full time real estate broker for over 36 years ser ving Nor thfield, Somers Point, Linwood and surrounding areas

s omers Point Paddy Crawl crawling its way back to town

by d elaney c raw Ford Editor

somers point – It’s never too soon to hear about an event happening in our community and we are thrilled to share the details about the long-awaited return of the Somers Point Paddy Crawl. From noon to 5pm on March 4, join your community and visit the participating locations on the Crawl. Tickets are $30 per person.

Three dollars from every ticket sold will also be donated to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey – Southern Branch, so that everyone can ‘party with a purpose.’

Locations for this year’s crawl include, Caroline’s By the Bay, Charlie’s Bar, Gregory’s Restaurant, Josie Kelly’s Public House, Somers Point Brewing Company, Somers Point American Legion Post 352 and Somers Point V.F.W. Post 2189. Somers Point Business Association is also this year’s sponsor.

The event was first held in 2020, but has taken a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Now, it’s back and better than ever and the city is more then ready for a day full of fun.

There is no set start or end spot with the Somers Paddy Crawl. All crawlers can just simply choose which spots they want to head to and for how long.

A handful of Jitneys will be scattered around town all alternating between each spot to provide pickups and drops off at any of the other joints. A wristband will be provided and allow for unlimited rides.

This way you can have the freedom to stay as long as you like wherever you like, all while getting around safely. Each Jitney will be hooked up to an app so you can simply look to see when the next one is coming and where it’s headed.

Each bar and location on the crawl will have special drink options, food and some other surprises in store. All the different specialty drink and food menus for the event will be posted on the Facebook page as the day draws closer. Go to Somers Paddy Crawl on Facebook to see all updates for the event. Tickets for this event are now on sale so hurry up and get yours now. Any questions regarding payment email, somerspaddycrawl@gmail.com.

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Participants of the first paddy crawl in 2020 dressed up and decked out the local Somers Point bars.

mArket DAtA FOR DEc.

cuRRENT(ly) re ADING

uNWIND Book of ThE MoNTh: “ s ugar paper”

- By Too T sie Barron

book summary: “Sugar Paper” is Kiki Gallo Cipo’s journey as she goes from A to Z, moving toward her inescapable destiny. She starts out a naïve girly girl and becomes known as “The Legend” and “The Most Standup Lady in the state of New Jersey.” Both titles are given to her by the godfather of the largest and most powerful mob family in New Jersey. This book is not for the faint of heart as it is graphic where it needs to be and gets downright raunchy when necessary. By the end of the book, the godfather gives Kiki a valuable present. Then Uncle fulfills his lifelong promise as he tells her what she has the right to know, that is, nothing has ever happened by chance in her entire life. He reveals who each of the eight main characters really are as no one is whom she thought they were and ties up every loose ends. At this point, you should be left with only one question: How the heck did a woman ever write this novel in the first place? Only Kiki has the answer to that question. Fasten your seat belt, this ride is about to get bumpy.

Tootsie Barron’s book, “Sugar Paper,” sets her apart from all other authors. “Sugar Paper” is all about the Italian mob and there is no other book quite like it out there in the world, especially not one written by a woman.

Barron grew up in Jersey City and was around the Italian mob for most of her life. She currently resides in Galloway Township and has taken to turning her experiences growing up into an entertaining and exhilarating book that also empowers women.

“I always wanted to be a writer and took a stab at writing a novel that is totally about an Italian mob,” Barron said.

After the success of this novel, Barron sat down to write a screenplay adaptation. The screenplay has now been sent out to 25 production companies in Hollywood and Barron is eager for it to get picked up.

“There are no movies like this out there and especially not one that has been done by a woman, so I am hoping that someone out there will see the value in it and turn it into a movie,” Barron said.

“Sugar Paper” features a feisty and fearless heroine who will pull you all into this world from the start. So sit back, grab your drink and enjoy this month’s book.

got a local book you want us to recommend next month? email me suggestions at dcrawford@pressofac.com

cuRRENT(ly) SIPPINg

valentine’s d rink

Want a quick and easy drink to make you feel festive on Valentine’s Day?

Well we got you covered with this recipe for a sweet Valentine’s drink that will only take a few minutes to whip up.

Grab your girls for a Galentine’s night, make two for you and your significant other or whip up a few for yourself as you sit in and enjoy “Sugar Paper”.

ingredients:

2 ounces banana liqueur

1 ounce vodka

directions:

3 ounces cranberry juice

Cherry for garnish

Combine the banana liqueur, vodka and cranberry juice with ice cubes in a mixing glass. Shake well until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is chilled. Strain into a festive cup of your choice, garnish with a cherry and enjoy your easy cocktail as you celebrate this Hallmark holiday however you choose.

Tootsie Barron