Tag: Hamilton

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Hamilton, Trenton to offer free rabies clinics for pets

dog

Hamilton Township and the City of Trenton are offering free rabies clinics for dogs and cats, starting this weekend.

The clinics will start in Hamilton Saturday at 9 a.m. to noon, and in Trenton Mondays, Jan. 22nd and 29th at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pet owners are required to be residents of either city, and will have to prove residency with proper ID, and follow other rules, said township officials.

“In New Jersey, it’s mandatory for dogs to have these vaccines in order to receive a New Jersey dog license,” said Jeff Plunkett, Hamilton Township director of health.

Additionally, “if an animal has rabies and it’s not treated, it could be fatal,” he said. He also reminded that if a rabid animal bites a human being, there could also be human fatality as well.

New Jersey sponsors these free rabies clinics statewide, with Hamilton Twp. offering about five each year for about 40 years now.

In Trenton and Hamilton, pet owners should make sure their animals are muzzled, if they bark, on a leash, and cats need to be in carriers when they arrive at the clinics, said Officer Jose Munoz, chief of the Trenton Humane Law Enforcement Division and manager of the Trenton Animal Shelter.

Dogs and cat owners are to arrive at 72 Escher St., in Trenton, Monday morning, with proper ID and paperwork of previous vaccinations, if they wish to participate in the rabies clinics. If eligible, their pets will receive a three-year shot.

In Hamilton, pet owners who want their dogs and cats vaccinated should go to 320 Scully Ave. Saturday morning, with proper ID, and adhere to the safety precautions for their animals.

The animals should be 6 months, or older.

Hamilton Twp. expects around 300-350 pet owners to participate this weekend.
Plunkett said it has always been a free clinic and it is economically helpful to residents.

Kathryn Gist of Trenton, who is owner of an 8-year-old Boston Terrier said, “I might check it out. That’s a good thing because sometimes I might not have the money, but my dog already has a doctor.”

Plunkett advises that these rabies vaccines protect the dogs and other animals and the humans they interact with in our communities.

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Summer camp kids get new bikes

HAMILTON, N.J. – Earlier this month, Brenda Cusack, grandmother of two children at the CYO Summer Camp at the Hamilton Bromley Neighborhood Civic Center was patiently waiting to know why she was asked to be there at Bromley Center.

Kids at the CYO Bromley summer camp in Hamilton recently got new bicycles as a surprise. They try out their new bikes as parents, staff, business owners and Mayor stand in the background.
– Photo by Michelle Dryden

“I am here to support my grandkids. They told me to come and my daughter checked to see if I am here, and I am. I come to find out what’s going on. That’s the way it should be. They said come, so I am here,” said Cusack.

Parents and children were in for a big surprise.

More than 50 children and their parents at the CYO Summer Camp at the Bromley Center got a big surprise when camp staff unveiled a nearly $7k effort of 55 brand new bikes with bells and helmets that were sitting under tents outside for each kid.

Several local businesses in the Hamilton area such as Shop Hamilton, Shine and Inspire, Doctors Express, Mixbin Electronics LLC, and others made the purchase and donation of the bikes possible.

CEO and Founder or Mixbin, Cory Zeitzer, said his company that is located across the street in the Studio Park buildings, raised the funds to purchase half of the bikes.

“We decided to donate half the bikes for this event for all the kids to enjoy themselves for the summer, and we hope to continue doing donations to the Bromley Center for the rest of the year and for many years to come,” said Zeitzer.

The idea for the bikes came about when the executive director of the non-profit organization, Shine and Inspire, Inc., Carol Feldman, said she bought two bikes for kids at a summer party last year and then decided she wanted to buy all the kids bikes.

“Shine and Inspire is based on the premise of ‘paying it forward,’” explains Feldman. “And that is exactly what this effort was all about.”

Feldman thought the idea of the bicycles was a great idea because many of the children do not own one.

She brought her idea to Shop Hamilton and other local businesses that made that mission possible where they were able to purchase the 55 bicycles from a Hamilton-based, local business — Economy Bicycle & Skateboard Shop.

“Time and time again, the members of Shop Hamilton have given back to our community in so many ways. This charitable project, thanks to the idea of Carol Feldman and support from our members, shows exactly what Shop Hamilton is all about,” states Joyce Cantalice, Chairperson of Shop Hamilton.

Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede was present for the children and their parents’ bikes donation surprise.

She said, “This effort illustrates the very best of our community. The generosity of our local businesses and the compassion of our local non-profit organizations never cease to amaze me. Thanks to their combined efforts, today was a very special day for our Bromley summer campers.”

CYO of Mercer County Executive Director, Thomas Mladenetz, also praised the efforts of those involved with the Bromley Center and the bikes surprise.

“We are grateful to the continued support we receive from Mayor Yaede and the Township Council; and we cannot thank Shop Hamilton, Shine and Inspire, and Doctors Express enough for their generosity,” said Mladenetz.

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Award-winning Modern Recycled Spaces brings back Bromley’s buildings, benevolence

Modern Recycled Spaces converts old, dilapidated buildings into modern, inviting, loft-style spaces for businesses, artists, storage, and other commercial uses. (Provided photo)

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.

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Hispanic role models motivate Hamilton students

Courtesy Photo –
HISPA CEO, Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisse speaks with students at a Hamilton high school recently, in a effort to motivate them to reach their educational goals.

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.