Mt Laurel Sun_Current Issue

Lighting up the runway

By CHRISTINE HARKINSON The Sun

Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) students Victoria Schade, Eva Kwao-Mensah and MacKenzie Phillips showcased their designs at the school’s Cherry Hill Mall fashion show earlier this month.

RCBC’s fashion design program has long partnered with the mall to bring more than 90 original student-design collections to the public’s attention at the show.

“I’m excited to bring it back; it was a great program that we did all those years ago,” Lisa Wolstromer, senior marketing director for the mall, previously told The Sun.

“I’m excited to make this maybe an annual program, and I think it’s great that we’re going to highlight up-and-coming designers.”

Lisa Steinberg, program coordinator of the Rowan fashion department, has seen how hard students have worked to take their sketches from paper to reality, and she’s helped them with every step. Steinberg has seen how students in the program rely on each other during the creative process.

“By the time the spring comes, the ones that have stuck it out and they’re together and they’re doing this, it’s a real community,” she explained. “They see that.”

Although it’s hectic behind the scenes on the day of the show, Steinberg noted how everyone feels like they’re on cloud nine as their clothes are modeled down the runway.

“They (the models) come out and they put life into the clothing,” Steinberg noted. “They always say it’s how the clothing is worn … It brings people confidence and personality, and there’s nothing like that runway for that reason.”

Schade’s four-piece collection, Eco-brutalism, came from the idea of decay and things breaking

please see ROWAN, page 10

Rowan College and Cherry Hill Mall host student fashion show

CHRISTINE HARKINSON/The Sun

Student MacKenzie Phillips’ four-piece collection, Sacrilegious, came from her interest in the Renaissance era and gothic Catholicism.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

Preschool Storytime: Ages 18 months to 3 or grades K through 2. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Mount Laurel LibraryMeeting Room 1 and 2. Families are invited for stories, songs, rhymes, and a take-home craft or coloring page with Ms. Gwenne and one of her registered therapy hens as a new theme is explored every week. This storytime will help kids build early literacy skills and a love of reading. Registration is required at www.mountlaurellibrary.org.

Knitting and Crocheting: Ages 18 and up only. 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mount Laurel Library. A knitting and crochet group invites adults to either bring a project, or get help if you’re just starting out. Participants will meet at the tables in the Collaboration Zone next to the cafe area. No registration is required.

Tai Chi for Health: Adults only. 4 to 5 p.m. at the Mount Laurel Library. Certified instructor Bob Stanton teaches tai chi, a gentle exercise that can improve muscle tone, flexibility, and coordination. It can be done seated or standing. Registration required at www.mountlaurellibrary.org. Participants will receive a Zoom link a day before the event.

THURSDAY, MAY 18

Tumblin’ Tots: Ages 2 to 5. 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the Mount Laurel Library. This 30 minute program includes music, movement, sensory play, and some tumbling. Siblings must remain seated. Child and caregiver should dress for comfort and easy movement. Registration is required at www.mountlaurellibrary.org.

Tumblin’ Tots: Ages 2 to 5. 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at the Mount Laurel Library. This 30 minute program includes music, movement, sensory play, and some tumbling. Siblings must remain seated. Child and caregiver should dress for comfort and easy movement. Registration is required at www.mountlaurellibrary.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Knitting and Crocheting: Ages 18 and up. 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mount Laurel Library. A knitting and crochet group invites adults to either bring a project, or get help if you’re just starting out. Participants will meet at the tables in the Collaboration Zone next to the cafe area. No registration is required.

MONDAY, MAY 22

Move and Groove: Ages 2 to 5. 10:30 to 11 a.m. at the Mount Laurel Library — outdoor pavilion. Join in for this weekly outdoor event where participants

please see CALENDAR, page 7

Pops orchestra performance is

Top Secret Program will include theme music of spy, secret agent films

By JONATHAN DIAZ The Sun

The South Jersey Pops nonprofit orchestra will conclude its 51st season with a performance dubbed Top Secret on Sunday, May 21, at Lenape High School in Medford.

The 60-piece orchestra will salute spies, secret agents and heroes on a mission in popular culture, from the TV shows Mission: Impossible and Peter Gunn to James Bond and The A-Team.

Founded in 1969, the pops is based in Burlington County and is comprised of professional and volunteer instrumentalists. Its conductor and musical director, Robert Bradshaw, remarked on the important role of “secret agent” theme songs.

“The music of secret agents has become some of the most identifiable and oft-heard melodies in contemporary music, appearing in all aspects of life,” he explained. “Who doesn’t think about the exploits of 007 the moment you hear John Barry’s classic strains?” he said.

“This orchestra has accepted the mission to summon those memories, and to add in a few surprises befitting the genre.”

Bradshaw is the founder of the Haddonfield School of Music and was its owner and director for 21 years before he sold it. He

has performed as a violinist with numerous orchestras and ensembles at venues like Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and Lincoln Center in New York City.

Master spy James Bond himself will be ever-present during the concert, with its Bond theme and music from several movies, including Skyfall and The World is Not Enough. His satirical alter-egos, Inspector Clouseau and Maxwell Smart, will also be highlighted with the classic Pink Panther and Get Smart theme songs.

Along the journey, the pops’ audience will also be treated to the iconic music of other spies and heroes and their movies and television shows, including Marvin Hamlisch’s upbeat theme The Glove from The Sting

The orchestra’s own Emma Gibbins will be featured vocalist, and Charlie Hannagan, a resident of Wilmington, will again be the guest singer-guitarist.

Top Secret begins at 3 p.m.; doors will open 30 minutes prior to the performance. Admission is $15 for adults, and $5 for children under age 12. Children under the age of 2 are free.

Lenape High School is at 235 Hartford Road in Medford. To order tickets, visit www.southjerseypops.org.

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UNION ROOFING

County gets $1.6 million in grants for recreation improvements

Projects to be funded with no burden on taxpayers

County commissioners applauded the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for awarding more than $1.63 million in Local Recreation Improvement Grants to the county and several of its municipalities and school districts.

The commissioners also cited Gov. Phil Murphy, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and state legislators for extending the much-needed support, saying it would provide critical funding for important projects without burdening local property taxpayers.

State Sen. Troy Singleton said the grants would provide funding for projects that will benefit county residents.

“Recreation is important for our physical and mental health,

Special to The Sun Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson speaks at the opening of Willingboro Lakes Park. The county got a grant to support engineering and design for a new trail linking the park with Mill Creek Municipal Park in Willingboro. please see COUNTY, page 9

Fields where they lay Let’s remember the heroes lost on Memorial Day

Memorial Day later this month coincides with two national observances: National Beef Burger Day and National Hamburger Day. But it shouldn’t.

Anyone who thinks Memorial Day is about hot dogs on the grill or the first summer weekend at the Shore is missing the point. Yet that is not a surprise.

When did a day reserved for America’s war dead become about cookouts and a three-day weekend of pleasure?

That’s not easy to pin down, but for many of us, the message of Memorial Day has surely been lost. According to The Federalist website, a proclamation was issued more than 150 years ago during the Civil War by a general who called the holiday “an occasion to honor those who died in the conflict.”

“The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country …” the proclamation noted.

But it didn’t stay that way. Marine Jennie Haskamp has attended more than 75 Memorial Day services since 9/11, and once wrote this in The Washington Post, according to The Federalist: “Not enough people pause. Not enough people remember.”

The phrase Happy Memorial Day has become an oxymoron. While no one says we should mark the occasion with sadness, treating it like Labor Day, for instance, misses the point. So does confusing it with Veterans Day: Memorial Day is reserved for honoring America’s

war dead, while the November holiday honors all those who served.

According to history.com, Memorial Day was born out of necessity. After the Civil War, the country was faced with burying and honoring the more than half a million Americans who died in that conflict. So a Memorial Day observance was held on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, the resting place of both Union and Confederate soldiers.

But it wasn’t the first: In the late 1990s, historians learned of a Memorial Day commemoration organized by a group of slaves who were freed less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865.

New York was the first state to officially recognize Memorial Day in 1873, according to the website us.memorialday.org. It was recognized by all northern states by 1890 and by the South after World War I. Congress elevated the last Monday in May to a national holi-

day in every state in 1971.

As President Harry Truman put it, “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.”

But if you happen to forget them on Memorial Day, here are ways to remember: Join a parade or other celebration. Tell stories of those you know who gave their lives. Visit local gravesites or memorials.

And you might want to wear a poppy. The robust plant referred to in the poem In Flanders Field miraculously grew in French fields ravaged by the first world war and went on to become a symbol of why we acknowledge Memorial Day.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

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Special to The Sun

continued from page 2

will be able to celebrate music through rhymes, songs, and dance-alongs. This program will give kids a chance to learn new dance moves and get active. No registration required. This event is weather permitting.

TUESDAY, MAY 23

Toddler Storytime: Ages 18 months

to 3. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Mount Laurel Library - Meeting Room 2. Residents are invited for stories, songs, rhymes, and a take-home craft or coloring page as a new theme is explored every week. Outdoors and socially distant, this storytime will help kids build early literacy skills and a love of reading. Weather permitting, the event will be moved inside

on rainy mornings. Check the library’s events calendar for updates.

Mahjong Class for Beginners: For adults. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Mount Laurel Library –Craft Room. Mahjong is a popular tile-based game of strategy, skill, and luck. Participants will learn how to play during this class and may bring their own

National Mahjong League 2022 card and a Mahjong set. No registration is required.

Tuesday Mahjong: For adults. 1 to 4 p.m. at the Mount Laurel Library – Craft Room. Mahjong

is a popular tile-based game of strategy, skill, and luck. Some experience is recommended. Participants may bring their own National Mahjong League 2022 card and a Mahjong set. No registration is required.

Three-plus decades on, Blues Traveler still impossible to pigeonhole

By CHUCK DARROW

For The Sun

Categorization is pretty much the lifeblood of the music industry. It can be difficult for an act to market itself if it doesn’t fit neatly into a specific silo (e.g. pop, hip-hop, rock). But that has never been an issue for Blues Traveler.

The band, which performs May 20 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City as part of a tour celebrating the release of the limited-edition double-album, “Live and Acoustic 1997,” has defied definition since the release of the their self-titled 1990 debut album.

Although the Princeton-born unit has the word “Blues” in its name, its sonic blueprint has always transcended that genre. Thanks to the group’s signature hit, 1995’s “RunAround,” which spent almost a year on the Billboard magazine pop chart (making it the longest-charting single in history; it also and won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance

By a Duo or Group with vocals), the argument can be made for placing Blues Traveler in the “pop” category.

But to a large degree, the group led by vocalist/harmonica virtuoso John Popper has made its in-concert bones as a “jam band” whose performances feature extended periods of instrumental improvisation and not just succinct and consistent recreations of recorded material. And just to muddy the waters even more, the group is currently working on an album of soul and rhythm & blues songs.

So, how do the band members themselves describe what it is they’ve been doing since Ronald Reagan was president?

“It’s actually kind of funny because the first five or six years that I was in the band, we spent a lot of time

‘Sushi School’ en-rollment at Hard Rock

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to roll your own sushi, has Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City have a class for you.

On May 25, Shingo Inoue, executive chef of Asian-centric restaurant Kuro, will conduct a sushi-making seminar. The course will focus on the fundamentals of creating the Japanese staple, including selecting the fresh ingredients, preparing sushi rice and crafting the perfect roll. Inoue will also answer questions and offer tricks of the sushi-making trade.

The session will end with a meal that includes both the dishes made by class attendees and some from Kuro’s menu.

For tickets, go to www.hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com/event-calendar/sushi-school.

Milestones galore

A slew of notable gambling-den anniversaries will be celebrated between now and Independence Day:

On May 26, Resorts Casino-Hotel will mark 45 years since the day what was then Resorts International became the first legal casino outside of Nevada.

[discussing] how do we want to address this? Do we need to address it?” offered Ben Wilson, the band’s keyboardist since 1999, during a recent phone call.

“I actually think we got a little bit too self-conscious about the whole thing: Do we write singles? Are we more about the jamming? And in the end, whenever we were done [recording] the music, it was like, ‘This is the music.’

“It’s just what we do as a band. It just comes very naturally. And so the, the less we thought about it [in the studio], and the more we just let things happen and didn’t force anything—and the less self-conscious we got about things—the better the outcomes were.”

On the other hand, he continued, things need to be a little more thought-out in a concert setting.

While the instrumental passages might be conjured on the spur of the moment, where those moments occur do have at least some rhyme and reason.

“When we get on stage,” he explained, “it’s like, ‘Run-Around’ needs to be ‘Run-Around,’ but ‘But Anyway’ can be whatever it’s gonna be, because there’s all these solo sections in the middle, and what do we want to do with it?”

Ultimately, suggested Wilson, trying to define Blues Travelers’ sonic blueprint is a pointless exercise.

“We’re just a band that’s been around for 35 years, and we get up there and we do our thing, whatever that is,” he said. “And as long as people keep coming, we must be doing it all right.”

Show time is 8 p.m. For tickets, go to www.ticketmaster.com.

June 25 will be the 30th anniversary of legal poker in Atlantic City (for the record, the first hand was played at the long-gone Sands Casino-Hotel). And three days later both Hard Rock and Ocean Casino-Resort will figuratively blow out five candles.

June 30 will see the 15th anniversary of the Water Club complex at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa (which will soon be re-christened as the MGM Tower). And finally, on July 3, Borgata itself will turn 20 years old.

Resorts’ observance will feature a number of free public events over the Memorial Day weekend, from giveaways, a sand-sculpture exhibition and the casino’s traditional, summer-season-greeting balloon drop on Memorial Day Friday. Ticketed attractions include a performance by The New York BeeGees (May 26), who pay tribute to the band that defined the musical era in which the original Resorts International opened and a sneak preview of “Disco Inferno” (May 28), a new musical revue that will begin an every-Sunday residency on June 25.

For the full rundown of Resorts anniversary festivities, go to www.resortsac.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: DMK PUBLICITY

Blues Traveler will perform on May 20 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City.

County: Improvements

continued from page 4

so it’s imperative that our communities provide ample opportunities for residents of all ages to engage in different activities,” he noted.

“These grants will provide vital funding to help advance projects at schools, playgrounds, and parks throughout Burlington County that meet that objective.”

Among the 21 grants awarded is one for $78,000 to support engineering and design on a new four-mile trail connecting Willingboro Lakes Park with the town’s iconic Mill Creek Municipal Park. The two parks are located on Beverly-Rancocas Road.

The commissioners also envision extending the trail through Willingboro and into Westampton, where the county plans to create a new park on the former Rowan property along the Rancocas Creek. Like all the county’s regional trails, the proposed path will be wheelchair accessible and include safe pedestrian

and bicycle-friendly areas.

Another county project that received a grant is the new, all-inclusive playground at the Burlington County Special Services School in Westampton. It will get $83,000 to help with construction costs. The 12,500-square-foot playground is currently under construction.

The site will be used by special services students but will also be open to the public when school is not in session. The county contributed $400,000 to the project.

“Mobility is a basic right, and all our county’s children deserve to have safe and accessible playgrounds,” said County Commissioner Allison Eckel. “We’re extremely grateful to the Department of Community Affairs for supporting the new Willingboro trail and special services playground projects, along with all the other recreational improvements proposed in our county.”

Other projects awarded grants are listed at https://www. co.burlington.nj.us.

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Rowan: Student fashion show

continued from page 1

down.

“I’m definitely a little stressed, because there’s a lot of work to be done, but once I’m ready, I think I’m going to be relieved that I’m done and proud of the work that I’ve accomplished,” she remarked.

“I love things that aren’t practical, that you wouldn’t really wear in everyday life, because you don’t get a chance to wear this kind of stuff every day.”

Phillips’ four-piece collection, Sacrilegious, is inspired by her appreciation for the Renaissance era and gothic Catholicism. She sees a balance between what makes the show exciting and intense.

“Drawing something is a lot easier than sewing it up and creating it, so I think the expectation and the pressure is a lot,” Phillips said. “But I think I also

work best under pressure.

“I learned that through these experiences, that my best work comes out when I’m put under a lot of pressure.”

Kwao-Mensah is originally from Ghana and has always used African prints for her designs, but the fashion show marks the first time she created something non-traditional. She’ll graduate this month, and her four-piece collection, Explosion, represents everything she’s created at Rowan.

“I’m looking forward to a great show and for people who come to be inspired to join the RCBC fashion department, and also for my family and friends to be happy with my collection,” Kwao-Mensah said.

“I’ve come a long way …” she added. “Looking at my collection and looking at what I’ve done so far, I’m proud of myself.”

CHRISTINE HARKINSON/The Sun

“My second look is based on the ocean, and the fabric kind of reminds me of seaweed,” said Rowan College at Burlington County fashion student Victoria Schade of a piece in her collection.

Commissioners announce short-film festival winners

Event organized as showcase for independent filmmakers

Burlington County’s second annual short-film Festival wrapped up earlier this month following two evenings of screenings, with county commissioners awarding 14 films.

The winners were selected by a jury of three professional filmmakers and educators. A total of 40 films were screened during the two-night festival at the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington City and the Burlington County Institute of Technology’s Westampton Campus.

This year’s festival also featured a red carpet reception with food, music, a step-and-repeat photo backdrop with props and a green screen animation booth allowing attendees to star in their own animated flip book.

The event was organized by the county parks division as a showcase for independent filmmakers. More than 1,000 films were submitted this year from

across the U.S. and more than 70 countries.

“The interest in filmmaking in Burlington County is remarkable, as is this festival’s rapid growth,” said county Commissioner Allison Eckel. “The imagination and talent exhibited by these filmmakers was extraordinary, and it was our county’s privilege to showcase and celebrate them and their work.

“Burlington County film lovers were the biggest winners.”

Commissioner Dan O’Connell also applauded the films and filmmakers.

“Our board congratulates all the filmmakers who participated, along with our parks staff, who organized the festival and helped cultivate and celebrate the arts in our county,” he said.

“Motion pictures and television productions generated more than $650 million in spending in New Jersey last

year, and events like our film festival demonstrate our support for the industry and the

arts.”

Watch the award winners and all the films selected for the

festival at http://co.burlington. nj.us/1935/Film-Festival.

Special to The Sun

County Commissioners Dan O’Connell (left) and Allison Eckel (second from right) join Mary Pat Robbie (fourth from right), director of the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks, and parks event coordinators Nate Wood (right) and Lynn Lemyre at the festival reception.

Stacy Warren PA-C, MS

Dr. Vic Bahal DO, FACC, FASE, RPVI

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County commissioners mourn the passing of Robert Shinn Jr.

County commissioners are mourning the passing of Robert Shinn Jr., who spent close to three decades in public service as a mayor in Hainesport, his hometown; county freeholder; state assembly member; and commissioner of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Shinn died on May 5 at 85. He served as a freeholder (the title is now commissioner) from 1977 until 1985, when he helped pioneer programs and initiatives to protect the county’s natural landscape, resources and quality of life.

“Robert Shinn Jr. was one of Burlington County’s most impactful and influential leaders,” said county Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “The first farm preserved in New Jersey was in Burlington County because of Bob’s vision and foresight, and he was instrumental in the development of the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex and Burlington County’s first-of its kind regional recycling program.

“He was a true pioneer who served with compassion and devotion to public service.”

Shinn also led the effort to secure the first conservation easement in the Pinelands, a precursor to reservation and regional planning strategies. He spent eight years in the assembly and became Department of Environmental Protection commissioner in 1994, serving in that post until 2002.

“Bob Shinn Jr. was a true environmental champion who leaves behind a legacy of accomplishments that still benefit residents across Burlington County and New Jersey to this day,” noted Commissioner Deputy Director Tom Pullion.

“Our entire board mourns his passing and sends our condolences to his family, friends and all who knew and loved him.”

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