TRENTON, N.J. — Trenton’s 11th annual, 24-hours Art All Night extravaganza brought the anticipated upbeat energy and vibrancy to the Roebling area in the southward section. The party started at 3pm Saturday and continued through Sunday afternoon.
Among the variety of art exhibits, were 24-hours food vendors, music bands, International Film Festival, Trenton Circus Squad, Kidz Zone, Silent Disco, and Fire Spinning/LED Hula Hoop Demos.
TRENTON, N.J. — Trenton City Hall issued a memo late April to residents of Mill Hill District requiring them to obtain new parking permit decals and guests passes from City Hall by May 31.
Mayor Eric E. Jackson updated the old parking permits and passes as a result of issues and complaints from residents about not having access to enough parking in the residential neighborhood.
“There have been requests from residents in the area who had concerns about lack of parking due to individuals who were using residential parking spaces who do not have the proper permit,” said the City of Trenton Director of Public Works, Merkle Cherry.
For many years, residents in Mill Hill and seven other permit-parking districts in Trenton have been required to have parking stickers or decals and visitors’ parking permits.
However, about 10 years ago, the City did not issue new parking stickers to residents and so they were no longer using them. Instead they would display the visitors’ passes in their vehicles, stated Mill Hill resident, Jean Bickal.
Many non-residents park without the proper permits by obtaining counterfeit or duplicates of the visitors’ passes, and this is the issue for residents who frequently cannot find parking spots.
Ronald Pott, treasurer of Old Mill Hill Society stated that since the State of New Jersey and other government 
“For Convenience or whatever other reason, many people park in the residential areas and there have been quite a few cases in which people have duplicated parking passes or created counterfeits,” he stated.
Another neighbor, George Faulkner, a 30-year Mill Hill resident, said, “When I get off work in the mornings at 8, I have trouble finding spots to park because non-residential folks are parking here.” He added, “I don’t think enforcement does a good job because there are too many unauthorized vehicles here without residential stickers in their cars. Some consistently park here,” he said.
Visitors should use the permits on all or parts of the following streets: Jackson Street, (all); South Broad Street, (300-366); Mercer Street, (all); Clay Street, (all); East Front Street, (207-253); Greenwood Avenue, (all); Livingston Street, (43); Market Street, (309-416); and South Montgomery Street, (109-119).
There is a $55 fine for Mill Hill guests who park without the proper parking permits. The accelerated enforcement was effective June 1.
The new parking permit decals expire within two years. They have a security feature to help prevent duplication, said Cherry.
And the individual guests or visitors’ passes are limited to two per household.
The City is hoping these measures will help residents to secure adequate parking spaces.
According to Cherry, “the Mayor heard the concerns of the residents and he’s responded to them.”
There are seven other permit-parking districts in Trenton and they will receive updated permits as well.
Those districts are: Circle F, Ewing-Carroll, St. Francis, Mercer County Stadium, Mercer Medical Center, Train Station, and Woolverton-Hancock districts.
HAMILTON, N.J. — With the summer months almost here, parents of young children on break from school will be responsible for preparing all their meals unless they enlist the assistance of someone else like the new and improved food pantry at the CYO at Bromley Neighborhood Civic Center in Hamilton.
Recently, the CYO Bromley Center launched the grand re-opening of the newer and bigger space for its food pantry, which was at a 60-square-foot location and has relocated across the hall to a 300-square-foot space, where the CYO Bromley staff hopes to enhance better quality outreach to the community.
Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede, who cut the ribbon at the grand re-opening said, “to see the CYO at the Bromley Center expand their food pantry emphasizes the township’s commitment to serving more residents.”
An application and approval for a community development block grant from Hamilton Township made the expansion of the food pantry possible. Donors, supporters and volunteers generously give their money, food and time.
“The idea of the expansion began when we saw how generous businesses and individuals could be with all their donations,” said Patrick Hardiman, Yardville branch/Bromley Center director.
The new pantry includes new features such as shelves for more foods, a state-of-the-art stainless steel freezer and a refrigerator that the Assistant Director of the Bromley Center, Donna Marie Clancy suggested will allow them to serve Hamilton residents more efficiently.
Tina Baah, a mother of three who lives in Hamilton, said she has limited income and the food pantry helps her feed her children. She commends the food pantry and its staff for assisting her family.
“It’s very excellent. It’s very, very good. My daughter came to summer camp and Ms. Donna told me about it and that same day I signed up.”
The Executive Director of the CYO, Tom Mladenetz, acknowledged and thanked donors and supporters of the food pantry and of the other programs at the CYO.
He mentioned their partnership with Hamilton Township officials – the leadership of Mayor Yaede, the administrative team there; community supporters that include businesses such as Shop Hamilton; Department of Agriculture; Doctors Express; churches; and individuals.
“They recognized the importance of what we do here and really want us to be successful in reaching out to serve the community as best we can,” said Mladenetz.
According to the food pantry staff, one of the most successful services of the food pantry is the 8-weeks USDA summer lunch program, where the CYO has partnered with the Department of Agriculture and Mercer Street Friends to make this happen.
For this program, the feeding site receives children ages 5 to 18 from Mondays through Fridays at 1pm. Otherwise, the food pantry is generally opened Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 to 11:30 am and 2:30pm.
Generally, the programs are designed to distribute federal and state funded food and privately donated food to eligible, needy persons of Hamilton Township with proof of income and ID on a once a month basis.
HAMILTON, N.J. — When Modern Recycled Spaces emerged as a restorer by converting the area’s old, dilapidated buildings into aesthetically pleasing, loft-style commercial spaces, it also brought unique, creative and philanthropic companies to Hamilton’s Bromley neighborhood.
Where others tend to ignore longtime-neglected factories and warehouses, the award-winning Hamilton-based developer has a focus on reinventing such historic buildings by transforming them into inspirational and beautiful spaces for businesses that also help the surrounding communities by giving back.
Daniel “Max” Popkin, director of leasing and marketing at Modern Recycled Spaces, stated that the developer “specializes in refurbished commercial space for rent or lease for office, industrial, shops, factories, studios, warehouse, distribution, showrooms and retail spaces and units.”
His flagship projects in Hamilton’s Bromley neighborhood are Studio Park and Mill One that attract creative companies, entrepreneurs, and jobs to the arts and cultural district.
Popkin named specific projects that Modern Recycled Spaces has helped developed, stating that some of them have been kind in giving back to the immediate communities.
He said they are excited to work with the Bromley Center, and recently their companies assisted in the Bromley Center’s neighborhood clean up.
Another example of benevolence was when David Fine, a tenant of Mill One, owner of Bark-N-Bag, and member of Shop Hamilton, approached Modern Recycled Spaces asking for help to raise money so he could afford a gift donation to the Bromley Center, and he received immediate support from another tenant, Mixbin, whose CEO is Corey Zeiter. They helped him to quickly meet his goal, Popkin reported.
“As Modern Recycled Spaces is dedicated to bringing startups, businesses, entrepreneurs, artists to these buildings, they are also focused on helping the surrounding communities,” he said.
He also said Talksoft, whose CEO is Ken Walsh, is another creative startup in the Studio Park and Mill One complex that grew, is very successful and is also involved with assisting the local community.
According to Popkin, in the last two years, they have had many startups and have tried to do “cool stuff with art and artists” in their Studio Park and Mill One buildings.
“Studio Park has about 30 different companies including Mixbin, local and other artists, real estate companies and so on,” said Popkin.
He said Isles is their partner at Mill One, and Isles will move their headquarters there.
Popkin said they are just the developers of the buildings that usually get neglected because sometimes they are in rough neighborhoods, are too old and are usually falling apart.
He said, “We are the best in the area. We are unique. No one around does this. We keep old architecture like the bricks and wood and make them beautiful.”
He added, “We’ve been doing this for at least 30 years now. The majority of our buildings are in Hamilton, and we have one in Trenton. Our next project will be in Bordentown.”
Modern Recycled Spaces is working to transform and redevelop the former Ocean Spray building in Bordentown, he said.
Among other notable projects, the developer has renovated a golf bag factory and an old mill in Hamilton. It turned an aging pottery factory in Lambertville into Canal Studios with a complete vibrant artist and ballet studio; a brick-oven pizzeria, and a small-batch coffee roaster and café. He said the company even saved a vintage stainless-steel diner from the wrecking ball and is turning it into a job training facility for underprivileged youth.
A more than 30-hour Standoff in Trenton continues as police and special team surround the area of the house of a shooting suspect whom they attempted to serve a warrant yesterday when he opened fire killing an innocent bystander and wounding three police officers, authorities have reported.
HAMILTON, N.J. — To mark Arbor Day in April, and to acknowledge Hamilton’s designation as Tree City USA, two local families joined the township’s Mayor Kelly Yaede to dedicate memorial trees and plaques to their deceased loved ones.
For the 11th year, Hamilton has continued to enjoy its Tree City USA award from the Arbor Day Foundation partnering with US Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. On Arbor Day this year, the families of the late Joey Angiolino (Joey’s Little Angels), and Navy Veteran, John Quinn, joined the celebration by planting redbud trees with memorial plaques in Sayen Park in Hamilton.
“Our ongoing commitment to protecting our local environment through the planting of shade trees and through other forestry efforts has helped our community retain the Tree City USA designation over the past decade; and there is no better opportunity than Arbor Day to celebrate this honor, ‘’ explains Yaede.
Tree City USA recognizes communities that demonstrate a commitment to urban forest management efforts such as having a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, and invest at least $2 per capita in community forestry efforts.
“I am also proud that we continue our longstanding memorial program, which allows residents the ability to purchase trees and plaques to honor the memories of their loved ones,” stated Yaede.
This complements the community’s ongoing forestry endeavors. The Angiolino and Quinn families who participated in the efforts this year felt Arbor Day was the opportune time to keep the memories of their late loved ones alive.
Joey’s father, James Angiolino, commented, “What a better way to celebrate Arbor Day than planting a tree in Hamilton where Joey and Joey’s Little Angels roots are!”
Quinn’s widow, Patricia said, “My son-in-law belongs to the Shade Tree Commission and so we came up with the idea to plant the tree and Arbor Day was a very good day for that.” She continued, “because of the tree being planted in the park, everyone will remember him and that’s very nice.”
Both families want the public to remember their loved ones even though Joey lived in Hamilton only seven months and was just about a year and three months old
when he died, and Quinn was a lifelong resident after serving in the Navy and died at 82 years old.
Joey died from a rare genetic disease called Hurler’s Syndrome in 2010. When he was seven months old his family moved to North Carolina to seek treatment for him at Duke Hospital, but even after a chord blood transplant, several tests and chemotherapy, the baby passed about seven months later.
Angiolino and his wife started a non-profit organization called Joey’s Little Angels (JLA) that has donated over $50,000 to Duke Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Family Support Program. The JLA also holds annual Toy Drives at Nottingham Ballroom during the holidays.
“Joey’s legacy continues and shows that good can come from a devastating loss; that his story continues to inspire others; it shows the importance of faith and hope and that motivation, perseverance and strength will continue to be our driving force,” stated Angiolino.
Reynolds Middle School and Steinert High School in Hamilton have planted weeping cherry trees in memory of Joey and Joey’s Little Angels.
On the other hand, Quinn will be remembered for other reasons. He was a Navy veteran who served in the Korean War. He belonged to the local VFW and American Legion in Hamilton, and he graduated from Drexel University. Quinn worked for New Jersey Department of Transportation as a civil engineer. He has been deceased since 2013.
In reference to planting the trees in Quinn’s memory on Arbor Day, his surviving widow said, “It’s very nice that the trees are planted that day and when they get big they give shade and people will enjoy that, especially in the park.”
In addition to Hamilton’s Planning Division leading the town’s efforts to plant new trees across the community, the Township and its volunteer Shade Tree Commission is currently seeking grants to conducts a community-wide street tree inventory to address the negative effects that Emerald Ash Borer beetles have on trees in the area. They hope to replace the trees that are dying as a result of these beetles.
For more information about Hamilton’s Shade Tree Commission, visit www.HamiltonNJ.com/trees.
Those who are interested in purchasing memorial trees and/or plaques displayed in Hamilton’s parks, you may visit www.HamiltonNJ.com/memorials.
HIGHTSTOWN, N.J. – Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Middlesex County will honor dedicated and longtime children’s advocate, Amy Mansue, at an annual fundraiser brunch — Toast 2017 — at Steakhouse 85 in New Brunswick, May 7.
Mansue has witnessed first-hand how critical it is for vulnerable children living in the state’s foster care system to have an adult looking out for their best interests. She was president and chief executive officer of Children’s Specialized Hospital, which treats children facing special health challenges.
“I saw up close the health issues that can arise when children suffer the trauma of abuse or are born with disabilities due to parental substance abuse,” Mansue said. “They need the caring and watchful eye of an adult who has only their best interests at heart.”
To ensure that these children get the support and assistance they need in foster care, trained volunteer CASAs are assigned to individual children or sibling groups.
“For CASA, it’s all about the kids,” Mansue said. “Their sole focus is the protection and well-being of these children. It cannot be overstated how important that is. Every other entity in the child protection system has other interests.”
This is why Mansue is delighted to be an honoree for CASA of Middlesex County.
“It is only through that CASA volunteer that the child is watched over,” Mansue added. “That volunteer acts as a conduit to the other systems these children are involved with.”
The CASAs assist children in foster care to find safe, permanent homes as soon as possible, according to Stephanie Brown, director of CASA of Middlesex County.
However, in 2016 only 21 per cent of more than 600 Middlesex County children in foster care had a CASA in their corner, Brown noted. She explained that children without a CASA are more likely to stay in foster care longer, struggle at school and return to foster care because of repeated abuse.
Mansue has been concerned about the welfare of children since the 1990s when she served as deputy commissioner at the New Jersey Department of Human services, overseeing programs for children and people with developmental disabilities, among other services.
A Middlesex native who grew up in Plainsboro, with parents who were local school teachers, she is keenly aware of the need for all children to have an advocate in their corner.
“Children in foster care are among the most vulnerable children in the state,” she said. “When I was working at the Department of Human Services, many of these children simply did not have one person dedicated to looking out for them. I came to understand the critical role that CASAs play,” she reflected.
These days, Mansue’s work position entails more. She oversees seven hospitals, including six acute care hospitals in the Raritan River South, as well as the 12 locations of Children’s Specialized Hospitals across New Jersey.
“This is a very different job for me and I’m grateful to be able to work with so many talented and dedicated healthcare professionals across the state,” Mansue said. She admits that she does, “miss the interaction with the kids.”
Brown said that Mansue’s decades-long dedication to improving the health and well-being of New Jersey children led CASA to recognize her many accomplishments.
“We truly feel privileged to be able to honor Amy at Toast 2017,” Brown stated. “When you have people like Amy being a voice for the children at the state level, it is immensely helpful to us achieving our goals of safeguarding children at the local level.”
Mansue said it is just one way of giving back.
“Many of us have been blessed with healthy children and wonderful circumstances that allows us to be good parents, good aunts, good uncles,” she said. “When a child doesn’t have that, they need the resources to overcome those adverse circumstances. CASA provides a vehicle to make sure that happens.”
In addition to event tickets, CASA of Middlesex County is offering sponsorships and ad journal opportunities, as well as accepting donations from individuals and businesses for a silent auction.
“Proceeds from Toast 2017 will be used to recruit, train and support more CASA volunteers to serve the hundreds of Middlesex County foster children who, sadly do not have someone solely dedicated to looking out for their best interests,” Brown said.
High school girls are able to choose a dress for their junior or senior prom from these donated dresses in the Prom Room at the 14th District Legislative Office in Hamilton. (Provided photo)
HAMILTON – For the sixth consecutive year, Princess Prom Project is making it affordable for high school girls to celebrate their junior and senior proms, which are usually memorable events of their high school experience.
The annual Princess Prom Project, which was launched in 2011 by Assemblyman, Wayne DeAngelo of the 14th Legislative District, strives to make sure that young ladies will be able to find formal prom dresses to wear on their special night instead of missing out because formal dresses are too expensive.
“Every year, it is heart-warming to see the joy that can be felt by a young lady who finds that perfect dress for the extremely special event in their youth,” said DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).
He said families in the area have been generous because they donate new or gently worn dresses each year.
Also, “the collaboration with youth service and community outreach agencies, plus local word of mouth has continued to make [the] program a great success to provide for the young ladies in our District,” DeAngelo said.
For example, approximately two months before their prom, Steinert High School will also mention the program to its students.
Steinert’s Fashion Show Co-Chair, Jennifer Persichetti, said their students will hear about Princess Prom Project at their fashion show on March 9th when DeAngelo attends the school event and speaks to them.
“He’s going to encourage [people] to come and drop off gowns at his office,’’ Persichetti said. “The Assemblyman or a rep has come to speak at the fashion show in the past. We help him spread the word,” she said.
The Princess Prom Project invites folks in the community to support the program by donating different size dresses that are in good condition. These include slightly used, formal or cocktail gowns hanging in their closets, accessories such as purses and jewelry. The 14th Legislative District Outreach Center located at 4621A Nottingham Way in Hamilton Township collects these items and holds them in their prom room.
“Throughout the year, but particularly during the spring, families continue to support the prom by opening their hearts and their closets to constantly refresh the collection of hundreds of dresses and accessories to complete their look,” DeAngelo said.
The project includes these dresses in the “dress collection” that young ladies choose from during the “shopping parties” that are held on selected days or by appointments between February and May.
“The Princess Prom Project continues to be a great avenue for families who want their daughters to have that once in a lifetime experience without the price tag becoming overwhelming for families living on a tight household [budget],” DeAngelo noted.
At the upcoming shopping parties, ladies looking for their formal dresses will browse through the large collection of dresses that are provided at no cost to them.
DeAngelo initiated the Princess Prom Project because he understands how both parents and young ladies appreciate the financial benefits as well as their special night out with their peers.
“As a father who has watched my two daughters beam with excitement as they went off to their formals and proms, I know how important it is as a parent t make sure their teenager feels that they look their best for those special events,” he said.
The Princess Prom Project is opened to high school girls who live in the 14th District that consists of Hamilton Township, East Windsor, Hightstown, Robbinsville, Monroe Township, Jamesburg, Plainsboro, Spotswood and Cranbury.
Shopping parties will be held 3 to 6 pm Tuesday, March 7; Monday, March 20; Wednesday, April 5; Thursday, April 20; and Wednesday, May 3, or by calling the 14th Legislative District Outreach Office at (609) 631-7501.
It has been very motivational for Hispanic students at Hamilton high schools when Hispanic role models recently engaged them in thinking about their future.
Based in New Jersey, the new non-profit for Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement, HISPA, seeks to mobilize Hispanic professionals all yearlong to be role models for Hamilton students.
Following a HISPA program at Hamilton High School West last Wednesday, one student told the Hispanic Hamilton Councilwoman, Ileana Schirmer, ‘“really needed to hear this today.”’
So far, the program has been launched in two Hamilton high schools in January, and students have participated in two HISPA sessions. The first was on Jan. 12 and the second on the 25th at Nottingham High School and Hamilton High School West, respectively.
At the first HISPA session, the Hispanic students’ role models were HISPA CEO, Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisse and Princeton University Computer Science Lecturer,
Sandra Batista, Ph.D. Role models for the students on Jan. 25 were Diaz-Claisse and Schirmer.
While lecturing and engaging the students, Diaz-Claisse shared her story about challenges and obstacles she overcame and earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in Mathematics.
Diaz-Claisse told the students she faced obstacles while growing up in Puerto Rico, because she lacked role models. “Her story struck a chord with the school’s growing Hispanic student population,” states Communications and Development Manager of HISPA, Kelly Grossman.
According to Grossman, Diaz-Claisse realized that Hispanic students craved role models with whom they can identify – individuals “with whom they share a language or cultural background, someone that reminded them of their families.”
Thus, upon realizing Hispanic students’ success is not only critical to our community, but to America’s future, Diaz-Claisse joined forces with other Hispanic professionals like herself to encourage these students.
It is predicted that Hispanic students will make up “nearly one of every three students by 2025,” states Grossman.
She claims, “though we have made progress, Hispanics still have the highest dropout rates of all major racial and ethnic groups, and fewer than 10 per cent have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.”
Therefore, the goal of HISPA is to close the academic achievement gap, so that students can “fulfill their potentials, participate in high-skilled jobs, and become key contributors to America’s future.”
Schirmer noted the Hamilton programs have been extremely rewarding and have made a positive impact and the community needs to be aware of HISPA.
HISPA has grown to more than 9,000 students from its grassroots connections since Diaz-Claisse’s visit a local school in New Jersey. Now, the program can be found in New York, Texas, and Florida.
Hamilton will have additional programs during the school year, with sessions scheduled at Nottingham High School and at Hamilton High School West on Feb. 16 and 22nd, respectively.
This week, Mercer County Community College, with other groups and organizations, celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a reminder of our progress and the power of education.
The highlight of the celebration at the James Kerney Campus in Trenton, was the message from the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Pamela Pruitt who spoke about, “The “’Power’’’ of Education: Then, Now and Tomorrow.”
Dr. Pruitt reminded us that, “Dr. King sacrificed a lot for not only blacks, but for all peoples of this country,”
She emphasized that we all should value education because knowledge is power and it empowers us when moving forward. She encouraged us to keep the “dream” alive, and hoped that we had a meaningful day on Dr. M.L.K., Jr.’s Day.
Busar, Lucia Brown-Joseph and Youth College, Upward Bound Director, Stacy Denton, led the morning and afternoon activities at the James Kerney Campus. Joseph said they needed to reinforce Dr. King’s message so they helped the needy in the community.
The M.L.K. Jr. Day of Service celebration at the James Kerney Campus began at about 8 a.m. Monday. According the College’s Provost, Monica Weaver and Denton, there were about 200 volunteers in the café making more than 1,300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless at the Trenton Rescue Mission.
Denton said that more than 10 organizations supported the effort. These included all the Youth College programs at MCCC; Teen Voices – A 21st Century Program from Pennsylvania; House of Blessings church; Boys and Girls Club; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc..