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APRIL 17-23, 2013
FREE
DENNIS SYMONS/Special to The Robbinsville Sun
Emily Langsdorf, above, won the 100 meter hurdles for the Robbinsville High School girls track
and field team, which defeated Nottingham High School 81-58 on April 3. For more RHS sports
news, go to the Ravens Nest roundup on Page 9.
Final hurdle
CEO: Bank
to be part
of solution
By JOANNE DEGNAN
Editor
CEO Kevin Cummings says In-
vestors Bank has not made a deci-
sion about the future of the
48,000-square-foot Roma Bank
headquarters once the merger of
the two banks is finalized, but one
possibility is to offer to lease
some space there to Robbinsville
for municipal offices.
The Short Hills-based bank is
purchasing Roma in a $452 mil-
lion all-stock buyout that is ex-
pected to be complete by May 31.
The fallout from the merger
has been the loss of 57 jobs at
Romas Robbinsville headquar-
ters and the cancellation of
Romas plans to build a new com-
mercial condominium building
nearby that would have housed
township offices on the third
floor.
Cummings said on April 8 the
bank is working on options for
the township in the wake of the
cancelled construction project,
while at the same time, it reviews
its own options for utilizing the
additional space it will now have
in the three-story Roma building
after the merger is complete.
Were not going to move our
headquarters to there, but its a
beautiful location for a regional
office for us and were certainly
going to keep the branch there,
Cummings said.
Were going to look at all the
opportunities and see whats best
for our business plan and for the
community.
Cummings said the idea of
leasing commercial space inside
the Roma building to the town
was one of several alternatives
floated at a March meeting with
Mayor Dave Fried, Roma CEO
Peter Inverso, Township Attor-
ney Mark Roselli and others.
That was one of the options;
we would certainly give them a
very favorable rent, Cummings
said. The bank may also be able to
sell the nearby property, where
Romas now-scuttled commercial
please see INVESTORS, page 12
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Interfaith Views . . . . . . . 5, 15
Police Blotter . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Rville in the Past Lane . . . 6
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 10, 11
Budget maneuvers
Pay hike for mayor; surplus boosted.
PAGE 2
By JOANNE DEGNAN
Editor
The Township Council carried
on its review of the draft $21.9
million municipal budget at a spe-
cial Monday night meeting in
which it agreed to give the mayor
a $2,000 annual raise and also
move a total $250,000 from various
budget accounts into the munici-
pal surplus.
None of these changes made
on April 8 affect the 2-cent reduc-
tion in the municipal tax rate that
residents have been promised for
2013. The proposed tax cut works
out to an annual savings of about
$76 in municipal taxes for a house
assessed at the township average
of $381,000.
Council members said the 2013
budget would be officially intro-
duced three days later at the regu-
lar meeting set for April 11, after
The Robbinsville Sun had gone to
press.
During the April 8 budget dis-
cussion, the council unanimously
approved motions to cut $220,000
from the reserve for uncollected
taxes; $5,000 from the tax asses-
sors account; $10,000 from the
legal account; $5,000 from the fire
departments vehicle mainte-
nance account; and $10,000 from
the fuel account for township ve-
hicles.
The spending cuts, however, do
not spell additional tax relief be-
yond the original $76.
Were putting it into the sur-
plus, Council President Ron Witt
said. The rainy day fund was the
goal.
Councilman David Boyne said
afterward he believed the munici-
pal surplus was too low in the ad-
ministrations original plan,
which is why he and Witt had
pushed to reduce some spending
accounts and move the funds into
the surplus. Boyne declined to say
on April 9 what the original sur-
plus projection had been because
the budget is not a public docu-
ment until it is introduced. He
would only say $250,000 more was
needed in the surplus to ensure
tax stability in 2014.
In another change agreed to on
April 8, the council approved a
motion to remove $5,000 from the
general administration salary
and wages account for employees
in the mayors office and add
$5,000 to the salary and wage ac-
count in the municipal clerks of-
fice. That motion was approved 4-
1, with Councilwoman Sheree
McGowan voting no.
The decision to increase the
mayors salary to $12,319.82 a year
(by reducing a postage line
item by $2,000) was made at the
very end of the council meeting,
when Councilwoman Chris Ciac-
cio broached the topic, prompting
the mayor to leave the room.
Ciaccio said that although the
position of mayor is deemed a
part-time job with a part-time
salary, its really not a part-time
job. She said the mayor is in-
creasingly called away from his
own job to attend meetings and
public events related to township
business. Fried is the CEO of Tri-
core, a Robbinsville-based payroll
cost management services com-
pany.
There are retired people in
town that also might be interested
in running for mayor in the fu-
ture if the part-time salary was
higher, Ciaccio said.
We looked at other places
around and the mayor of West
Windsor makes $18,000, Ciaccio
said, noting West Windsor has the
same form of government that
Robbinsville does. (Ciaccio was
rounding the salary figure; the
West Windsor mayor earns
$17,685 annually and the West
Windsor council members earn
$4,941 each, according to the
township clerk.)
In 2012, the Frieds salary was
raised to $10,117, but the council
was apparently basing the pro-
posed $2,000 increase on what the
mayors salary would be in 2013 if
a 2 percent salary increase is
granted ($10,319.82) in order to
reach the new $12,319.82 figure.
The motion to amend the draft
2013 budget to reflect a pay raise
for the mayor passed unanimous-
ly.
No motion was made with re-
gard to council salaries, which
are set at $4,870.48 under the 2012
salary ordinance and would rise
to $4,967.89 if a 2 percent raise is
given in 2013.
There was no public comment
on the salary issue; the only peo-
ple who attended the meeting
were two newspaper reporters
and township officials.
Tweaks to the 2013 draft spend-
ing plan have been an ongoing
process since the mayor first pre-
sented binders to the council two
months ago. At the April 4 coun-
cil meeting, the governing body
agreed to Police Chief Marty
Masseronis request to add
$10,000 to the Police Departments
budget to cover additional over-
time costs due to current staff
shortages. The council also
agreed to add $5,000 to the line
item for police uniforms and
equipment to cover the cost of
outfitting and arming three offi-
cers expected to be hired later
this year.
The money to cover these
added police expenditures was
taken from the surplus and does
not affect the proposed 2013 tax
rate of 52.2 cents per $100 in as-
sessed value. If approved, a home
assessed at $381,000 would pay
$1,989 in municipal taxes a year, a
savings of $76 from 2012.
The municipal local purposes
tax is one of the smallest compo-
nents of a residents total proper-
ty tax bill, which also includes
county, school, open space and li-
brary taxes that are collected by
the township and distributed to
those taxing entities. The total
2012 tax rate was $2.665 per $100 in
assessed valuation, or $10,260 a
year using last years average
home value of $385,000.
2 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN APRIL 17-23, 2013
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4 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN APRIL 17-23, 2013
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By JUSTIN FEIL
Special to The Robbinsville Sun
The Robbinsville High School
girls lacrosse team is looking for-
ward to more chances to show
how good they are this year.
The Ravens 2-13 record a year
ago didnt reflect their abilities.
They lined up twice against each
team in their division that includ-
ed Allentown, Hopewell Valley,
Princeton, West Windsor-Plains-
boro North and WW-P South.
I cant tell you how many offi-
cials and coaches from other
teams said youre the best 2-10
team weve ever seen, said
Ravens head coach Jan Pittas.
We just couldnt finish. Were
still working on that. That was
our downfall last year.
With a restructuring of the
schedule that now has them play-
ing every Colonial Valley Confer-
ence team from both divisions
once, the Ravens are looking for-
ward to their improved opportu-
nities. Last year, they had to wait
until the Mercer County Tourna-
ment when they thumped an 8-3
Hamilton team in the first round.
We were definitely challenged
and it made us stronger, Pittas
said. When we are facing the
teams in that lower division, we
are dominating that play. Its
given the girls those wins, which
are a great motivator.
The Ravens have already won
one of their first two games. After
starting slow in an opening-sea-
son 14-8 loss to Hopewell Valley,
Robbinsville chalked up a 16-3
win over Ewing on April 4 to im-
prove to 1-1.
Emily Kratz scored five goals
and had two assists. Jill Fascenda
and Emily Martin each had three
goals apiece in the win. In the loss
to Hopewell, six different players
scored goals. Fascenda and Mar-
tin each had a pair, while Kratz,
Erin Pittas, Lauren Schmid and
Kate Tizzano had one goal apiece.
I think our talent is definitely
spread throughout the team
more, Coach Pittas said April 8.
Theres not that one real wow
player. They just all work togeth-
er and thats what our concentra-
tion has been on through presea-
son and the beginning of the sea-
son to work as a unit and help
each other out. Our first couple
games, our scoring is totally
spread out.
The Ravens team includes: sen-
iors Fascenda, Pittas, Schmid,
Claire Speranza and Shannon
Tully; juniors Lara Cauwels,
Kratz, Jackie Levering, Martin,
Paige Motusesky, Emily Risoldi,
Brianna Santoro, Courtney
Stahlbrand, Cate Tizzano and
Christie Tully; and, freshmen
Jess Allen and Courtney Allen.
I just want to continue to be
competitive, Coach Pittas said.
We started out with Hopewell.
Our next four or five games are
teams we havent seen because
theyre from the other division.
The Ravens have some solid
veterans around which they can
build their team. Martin has
started since she was a freshman
and brings a lot of skill to the of-
fense. She is a captain along with
a trio of seniors Tully, Schmid
and Pittas, who is the coachs
daughter. Their junior class is
also large.
We have really good leader-
ship, Coach Pittas said. This
year, we have some nice seniors
that are very encouraging and
motivating and inspirational.
Pittas has seen steady progress
in her team week by week. The
emphasis has been on playing
from start to finish. Pittas has re-
inforced the focus that the Ravens
need as they go from conditioning
drills to stickwork and strategy in
practices.
Weve been fortunate this
year, Pittas said. Weve had a
nice long preseason and had a lot
of practice time. We had five
scrimmages. We had a lot of time
to slowly work on things.
The lessons have continued in
games, even as they are playing
well. One such moment came in
the win over Ewing.
Its a lot of verbal encourage-
ment, Pittas said. They came
out in first half and came out OK
and then got sloppy with our
passing. I called time out, and told
them, this is our teaching mo-
ment and we need to clean this
up. I try to take the moments and
recognize and point them out to
them and talk them through it.
And as the Ravens progress
further, they expect a better year
that even their record should
show.
Girls lax looking to improved opportunities
APRIL 17-23, 2013 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN 5
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interfaith views
By KEVIN HOLT
Lifetree Community Pastor
I like the winter and some of
the things that go along with it
the first snowfall, the beloved hol-
idays, and curling up next to the
fireplace with a cup of Joe. These
are a few of my favorite things.
However, there are those not so
pleasant details of the winter sea-
son: the exorbitant heating bills,
the solid ice on your windshield
in the morning, the freezing
hands and feet, the achy joints,
and so on.
This winter has dragged on
worse than any that I can remem-
ber in the recent past. But alas,
we recently began to feel the sun-
shine and balmy temps that weve
been yearning for. Just last week,
after such a long, cold, and de-
pressing winter, we finally started
to experience spring and all its
glory and it was amazing! What
a difference a season makes!
In life, we go through seasons
that are extremely tough - bad
health, rough relationships, fi-
nancial burdens, dead-end jobs,
etc.
Sometimes we feel like it will
never end!
My family and I recently
moved to Robbinsville, but we
came through an extremely tough
season to get here!
Years ago we felt a strong call-
ing that we needed to transition
out of our comfortable and estab-
lished life where we were, to come
to Robbinsville and be a part of
Lifetree. It took almost three
years of attempting to sell our
house, excessive commuting,
tight finances, saying goodbye to
so many good friends, etc. We
were stretched like weve never
been before!
Im happy to say that we perse-
vered through that season with
Gods help, and with support from
our family and great friends at
Lifetree.
Maybe youre in a tough season
right now and it seems like there
is no hope. Dont give up! A new
season is on the way! If you dont
already regularly attend a church
in the area, you are welcome to
join us Sundays at Lifetree at 10
a.m. and well share the good and
the bad seasons together! Log on
to www.lifetreecc.com for more
info.
The Community Christian
Choir celebrates its 37th season
with spirit-filled concerts entitled
We Can Change the World,
opening at the Seventh Day Ad-
ventist Church, 2290 Route 33,
Robbinsville, on Sunday, April 28.
There are two choir perform-
ances at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
A blend of various styles of
Christian music, the songs are
sure to touch the hearts of those
in attendance. This powerful mes-
sage of Gods love and grace
shows that, through Him, We
Can Change the World.
The Community Christian
Choir is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organ-
ization with ecumenical chil-
drens and adult choirs, com-
prised of vocalists from dozens of
central New Jersey churches.
All concerts are free to the pub-
lic with collection of a free-will of-
fering that is donated to a desig-
nated charity. To date, the choir
has raised and donated over
$176,350.00 to numerous local
charities, including Meals On
Wheels, Sunshine Foundation,
Urban Promise, and Anchor
House. The concert series contin-
ues at on Sunday, May 5 with a 6
p.m. performance at Aldergate
Methodist Church, 568 Ryders
Lane, East Brunswick. The final
performance is at 7:30 p.m., Fri-
day, May 10, at Princeton Commu-
nity Church, 2300 Pennington
Road, Pennington.
For more information go to
www.ccchoir.com, email
ccchoir@optonline.net or call the
choir director at (609) 587-7076.
Tough seasons
Community Christian
Choir concert set
rville in the past lane
6 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN APRIL 17-23, 2013
P.O. Box 7
Windsor, NJ 08561-0007
609-529-6611
The Robbinsville Sun is published weekly by
The Robbinsville Sun, P.O. Box 7, Windsor,
NJ 08561-0007 and mailed to every address
in our community. If you are a Robbinsville
resident, but not currently receiving a copy
of The Robbinsville Sun, please contact us at
609-529-6611.
PDFs of the newspaper are free and available
online at www.robbinsvillesun.com. Non-
residents may obtain a six-month subscrip-
tion of the newspaper mailed to their home
or business for $39.99. For more informa-
tion about delivery, call 609-529-6611.
Email news releases, photos and calendar
items to news@robbinsvillesun.com.
Photos submitted for publication considera-
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Calendar items must include the name of the
event, date, time, full street address, admis-
sion fee (if applicable) and a contact email or
phone number for further information.
For advertising information with The
Robbinsville Sun, call (609) 529-6611 or
email advertising@robbinsvillesun.com.
The Robbinsville Sun welcomes suggestions
and comments from readers including any
information about errors that may call for a
correction to be printed.
SPEAK UP
The Robbinsville Sun welcomes letters from
readers. Brief and to the point is best, so we
look for letters that are 300 words or fewer.
Include your name, address and phone
number. Phone numbers are for verification
purposes only and will not be printed.
We do not print anonymous letters. Email
letters to news@robbinsvillesun.com or
mail to P.O. Box 7, Windsor, NJ 08561-0007.
The Robbinsville Sun reserves the right to
reprint your letter in any medium includ-
ing electronically.
PUBLISHER Dave Doran
EDITOR Joanne Degnan
The name game
By CATHY ZAHN
Before we became Robbinsville in 2008,
and before we became Washington Town-
ship in 1859, we were, in 1741, part of a
much larger township called Windsor. But
before that, this community was better
known by the names of its four distinct vil-
lages surrounded by farmland: Magrilla,
Newtown, Cat-tail, and Cabbagetown.
What is this? You dont recognize these
names? Well, read on
A few years ago, while working on a
school project with Hunter Research, a dis-
covery was made that involved a large
boundary map created in 1768 eight years
before the American Revolution! This re-
markable 1768 map, which can be viewed at
the NJ State Archives, is over five feet long
and shows the boundary between what
was then Middlesex and Monmouth coun-
ties. Near the compass rose, Windsor
Township was clearly labeled, as well as
the Cat-tail Creek and the Assunpink.
Today this section of the map would be
where Old York Road runs along the east-
ern border of our township.
By 1797, Windsor Township had been di-
vided into East Windsor and West Windsor.
(The 20-square-mile area we know today as
Robbinsville Township was within East
Windsor).
In 1828, A Gazetteer of the State of New
Jersey a book that listed the counties,
towns, villages and railroads in New Jer-
sey referred to the Sharon and New Can-
ton areas of our community near Old York
Road as the hamlets of Cat-tail and Cab-
bagetown.
What is humorous about the two loca-
tions is the description of their distance
from Trenton and Freehold. The two vil-
lages are about two miles from each other,
yet the Gazetteer (which admits in its pref-
ace that distances of places to each other
are specially subject to misstatement)
lists Cat-tail as 16 miles from Freehold and
28 miles from Trenton. Cabbagetown, the
Gazetteer said, was 17 miles from Freehold
and 12 from Trenton. The actual distance,
according to Google Maps, is 14 miles from
Trenton and 20 from Freehold. (You can
read the 1828 Gazetteer in the NJ State Li-
brary; the 1834 edition can be viewed on-
line by going to Google Books searching for
NJ Gazetteer 1834).
The villages of Sharon (Cat-tail) and
Canton (Cabbagetown) that straddled Mer-
cer and Monmouth counties were very
prosperous. Sharon could claim a hat
maker, tannery, shoemaker, and a cider and
whiskey distillery; Canton had a wheel-
wright, smith, and joiner. But that wasnt
Sharon and Cantons only claim to fame. In
the time prior to 1768, a famous runaway
from Massachusetts traversed this road
and kept a diary of his journey on his way
to Philadelphia. That runaway was none
other than Ben Franklin.
The area where our historic Village of
Windsor is now located was once called
Magrilla before it became Centerville in
1818. Centerville changed its name to
Windsor in 1846 so it could get its own post
office and avoid confusion with the Center-
ville in Hunterdon County.
Centerville/Windsor was home to the
Hammell family. The Hammells owned the
land around Windsor prior to 1800. A de-
scendant once told me that her family
farm was more like the size of a south-
ern plantation.
Newtown, which later changed its name
to Robbinsville to get its own post office in
1850, was also known as Hungry Hill. The
reason for this curious moniker comes
from the time of the railroads. According
to Henry Beck, who authored a 1959 an-
niversary booklet for the township, Hun-
gry Hill got its name because it was an ele-
vated area of the town where no food for
travelers could be found. Later, Ernies
Tavern was built in this area in 1859 and it
is still in business today on Main Street
near the old railroad line.
So the next time you travel through our
town see if you can find these four small
villages and image a time when life was
not so hectic.
Cathy Zahn is a genealogy expert and third-
grade teacher at Sharon Elementary School.
She can be reached at caseywilkz@aol.com.
Special to The Robbinsville Sun
A photo of a torn piece a 1768 map showing the location of then-Windsor Township,
which was later divided into East Windsor and West Windsor in 1797. The 20-square-
mile area we know today as Robbinsville was once part of Windsor Township and then
East Windsor Township.
Our weekly community newspaper is the place to
convey the message about your business and your upcoming events!!
HELLO
Robbinsville
How To Contact Us CALL US 609-529-6611 or EMAIL US ads@robbinsvillesun.com
SATURDAY APR. 20
All-You-Can-Eat Country Break-
fast: 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Windsor
United Methodist Church, 51 Church
St., off Route 130 South in the his-
toric Village of Windsor. All are wel-
come. Cost $6 for adults includes
pancakes (plain, wheat or with fresh
or frozen New Jersey blueberries),
eggs toast, French toast, sausage,
juice and tea or coffee. Children
under 12 are free. For more info, call
609-448-0412.
Ravens Varsity Co-Ed Varsity
Track (Mercer County Tournament
Relays): 9 a.m., Robbinsville High
School, 155 Robbinsville-Edinburg
Road. Game is subject to change.
Check online at http://www.usato-
dayhss.com.
Library Gently Used Book Sale:
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Robbinsville
branch of the Mercer County
Library System, 42 Robbinsville-
Allentown Road. Find great bargains
on books donated for this fundrais-
er, which is sponsored by the Rob-
binsville Library Advisory Commit-
tee. For more information, call 259-
2150.
Juried Handcrafted Craft Fair Fea-
turing Regional Artisans: 10 a.m. to
3 p.m., Robbinsville High School, 155
Robbinsville-Edinburg Road. There
is no admission charge for this
event, sponsored by the drama and
instrumental music booster clubs.
Bring a toiletry item for the Rob-
binsville Food Pantry and receive a
free raffle ticket. For more informa-
tion, go to
http://sites.google.com/site/100han
dcrafted or email the Friends of the
Raven Players at FriendsoftheR-
avenPlayers@gmail.com.
Trivia Night: doors open 6:30 p.m.,
games begin 7 p.m., Robbinsville
High School, 155 Robbinsville-Edin-
burg Road. This event is a fundraiser
for the Class of 2014s post-prom
celebration. Tickets cost $15 per
person and include entrance fee for
the trivia games, five tricky tray raf-
fle tickets, dessert and coffee. Par-
ticipants can also bid on fabulous
prizes during the evenings silent
auction. For further information,
email
RHSTriviaNight2013@Gmail.com.
MONDAY APR. 22
Senior Art Club: 10 a.m., Senior
Center, 117 Route 130. Free oil or
water-based painting for seniors 60
and older with all levels of expertise.
Must bring your own art supplies.
For more information, contact 259-
1567.
TUESDAY APR. 23
Create a Snake Childrens Craft: 10
a.m. to 3 p.m., Robbinsville branch
of the Mercer County Library Sys-
tem, 42 Robbinsville-Allentown
Road. No registration necessary.
Drop in and make a craft with the
materials provided. Call 259-2150
for information.
Chair Yoga Class: 10 a.m., Rob-
binsville Senior Center, 117 Route
130. No registration required. Free
class under the direction of Connie
Ferrara for seniors 60 and older. For
information, contact 259-1567.
Babytime: 10:15 a.m., Robbinsville
branch of the Mercer County
Library System, 42 Robbinsville-
Allentown Road. Rhymes, songs and
simple stories for children ages 6 to
24 months accompanied by an
adult. Pre-registration required at
www.mcl.org or call 259-2150.
Ravens Girls Varsity Lacrosse v.
Princeton: 4 p.m., Robbinsville High
School. Game subject to change.
Check online at http://www.usato-
dayhss.com.
WEDNESDAY APR. 24
Reduce, Reuse Recycle: 10:30 a.m.
to 1:30 p.m., Robbinsville branch of
the Mercer County Library System,
42 Robbinsville-Allentown Road.
The Mercer County Improvement
Authority will be at the library with
its recycling mascot, Robo, to pro-
mote household recycling and pro-
vide residents with tip sheets and
promotional materials. No registra-
tion required. For questions, call
259-2150.
THURSDAY APR. 25
Chair Yoga Class: 10 a.m., Rob-
binsville Senior Center, 117 Route
130. No registration required. Free
class under the direction of Connie
Ferrara for seniors 60 and older. For
information, contact 259-1567.
Coffee Donuts and a Movie: 1:30
p.m., Robbinsville branch of the Mer-
cer County Library System, 42 Rob-
binsville-Allentown Road. Screening
the 2012 Academy Award nominat-
ed picture Lincoln. Pre-register
online at www.mcl.org.
School-age Storytime: 4:30 p.m.,
Robbinsville branch of the Mercer
County Library System, 42 Rob-
binsville-Allentown Road. For chil-
dren in kindergarten and up. Regis-
tration required online at
www.mcl.org or call 259-2150.
FRIDAY APR. 26
Toddler Tunes: 10:30 a.m., Rob-
binsville branch of the Mercer Coun-
ty Library System, 42 Robbinsville-
Allentown Road. This music pro-
gram is for children of all ages,
accompanied by an adult. Online
registration required at
www.mcl.org beginning April 12. For
questions, call 259-2150.
Ravens Boys Varsity Baseball v.
Hopewell Valley: 4 p.m., Rob-
binsville High School. Game subject
to change. Check online at
http://www.usatodayhss.com.
Ravens Girls Varsity Softball v.
Hopewell Valley: 4 p.m., Rob-
binsville High School. Game subject
to change. Check online at
http://www.usatodayhss.com.
Robbinsville Little League Opening
Night Ceremonies: 5:30 p.m., Tan-
tum Park, Meadowbrook Road.
www.robbinsvillelittleleague.org.
SATURDAY APR. 27
Ravens Boys Varsity Lacrosse v.
Delaware Valley Regional: time
TBA, Robbinsville High School, 155
Robbinsville-Edinburg Road. Game
subject to change. Check online at
http://www.usatodayhss.com.
Medicine Disposal Day: 10 a.m. to 2
p.m., Robbinsville Police Headquar-
ters, 1117 Route 130 North. Residents
are encouraged to dispose of their
unused, unwanted medicines safely
at this Operation Take Back NJ
event sponsored in conjunction with
the township police and the Rob-
binsville Municipal Alliance for the
Prevention of Substance Abuse. For
further information, call 918-0002
ext. 100 or email rmapsa@rob-
binsville-twp.org.
How to Talk to Your Child About
Healthy Relationships: 10 a.m. to 12
noon, Robbinsville branch of the
Mercer County Library System, 42
Robbinsville-Allentown Road. A free
program to help you give your pre-
teen and teenager the knowledge
and skills to have healthy, positive
dating relationship and avoid sexual
violence. Presented by Woman-
space. Registration required at
www.mcl.org or call the library at
259-2150.
Family Movie Night: 7:30 p.m., the
fields at Tantum Park, Meadowbrook
Road. Enjoy The Lorax (PG) on an
outdoor screen. The concession
stand will be open in this fundraiser
for Robbinsville Little League. For
more information, visit the recre-
ation links on the township website
at www.robbinsville-twp.org.
FRIDAY APR. 28
We Can Change the World, a spir-
it-filled concert presented by the
ecumenical Community Christian
Choir, at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the
Seventh Day Church, 2290 Route
33. Concert is free to the public with
a free-will offering donated to desig-
nated charities. For more info, go to
www.ccchoir.com or call 609-587-
7076.
MONDAY APR. 29
Senior Art Club: 10 a.m., Senior
Center, 117 Route 130. Free oil or
water-based painting for seniors 60
and older with all levels of expertise.
Must bring your own art supplies.
For more information, contact 259-
1567.
Ravens Boys Varsity Baseball v.
Allentown: 4 p.m., Robbinsville High
School, 155 Robbinsville-Edinburg
Road. Game subject to change.
Check online at http://www.usato-
dayhss.com.
TUESDAY APR. 30
Create a Rainbow Childrens Craft:
10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Robbinsville
branch of the Mercer County
Library System, 42 Robbinsville-
Allentown Road. No registration
necessary. Drop in and make a craft
with the materials provided. Call
259-2150 for information.
Babytime: 10:15 a.m., Robbinsville
branch of the Mercer County
Library System, 42 Robbinsville-
Allentown Road. Rhymes, songs and
simple stories for children ages 6 to
24 months accompanied by an
adult. Pre-registration required at
www.mcl.org or call 259-2150.
Ravens Boys Varsity Lacrosse v.
New Egypt: 4 p.m., Robbinsville
High School, 155 Robbinsville-Edin-
burg Road. Game subject to change.
Check online at http://www.usato-
dayhss.com.
Robbinsville Little League Night at
the Trenton Thunder: 7:05 p.m.,
Waterfront Park, Trenton. (Trenton
Thunder, AA affiliate of the New
York Yankees vs. New Hampshire
Fisher Cats, AA affiliate of the
Toronto Blue Jays). Tickets cost $10
each. Email scottyvz@gmail.com.
CALENDAR PAGE 8 APRIL 17-23, 2013
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APRIL 17-23, 2013 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN 9
RHS Varsity Baseball
Ewing 7, Rville 5
Ewings Paul Sparano finished
3 for 4 and also picked up the win
as the Blue Devils defeated the
Ravens 7-5 in Robbinsville on
April 5. The Ravens had eight
hits, but left 12 runners on base.
Stephen Dranoff went 2-for-3 with
two RBIs for Robbinsville. Ravens
starting pitcher Anthony
DiChiara gave up six runs and
was tagged with the loss. Mike
Salvatore picked up the save for
Ewing.
Pitcher Mike Glazewski held
the Ravens to one hit and struck
out five in Hamilton Wests 7-4 de-
feat of Robbinsville at home on
April 8. Robbinsville pitcher
Steve Krebs worked five innings
and was tagged with the loss. Rob-
binsvilles record fell to 2-2 for the
season.
RHS Varsity Softball
Rville 5, Ewing 2
Pitcher Lauren Fischer went 2
for 2 with an out of the park home
run, and also picked up the win in
the Ravens 5-2 defeat of Ewing on
April 5. Fischer struck out nine
batters, gave up four hits and no
earned runs during her five in-
nings on the mound for Rob-
binsville. Raven batters collec-
tively had 13 hits, with Rebecca
Freeman, Hannah Olshevski, and
Megan Hevey all going 2 for 3.
Ewing pitcher Killian Kueny was
tagged with the loss. Fischer
reached a hitting milestone on
April 5 when she picked up her
100th career hit for the Ravens.
RHS Girls
Track and Field
Rville 81, Nottingham 58
Noel Jancewicz won 3 events
(high jump, shot put, javelin) and
set a new school record in the
shot put on April 3 when the girls
track team beat Nottingham 81-
58.
Also winning events were
Katie Koss (100 m), Kelly Koss
(200 m), Emily Langsdorf (100 m
hurdles), Julia Borowski (3200 m),
Nicole Joseph (pole vault), and
Andin Fosam (discus).
The girls team was among the
200-plus teams competing in the
Hall of Fame Relays on April 6 at
Maple Shade High School April
6th at Maple Shade HS.
First-place relay medals includ-
ed: 4x1600 Meter Relay (Hannah
Binder, Lauren Piccione, Maggie
OToole, Alexis Stringfellow); Dis-
tance Medley Relay (Paris Hugh-
es, Katie Koss, Erin Holzbaur,
Julia Borowski); Shuttle Hurdle
Relay (Noel Jancewicz, Emily
Langsdorf, Julia Fahey, Allison
Whitty); 4x400 Meter Relay (Paris
Hughes, Kelly Koss, Emily Langs-
dorf, Noel Jancewicz); and
Javelin Relay (Noel Jancewicz,
Kristen Kowalski).
RHS Boys Varsity Golf
Rville 204 (W),
Hamilton West 263 (L)
The Ravens set a school record
by shooting a 204 at Mercer Oaks
East course in their win over
Hamilton High School on April 4.
Ambrose Abbracciamento set the
individual RHS school record for
a low round of 33, which was 3
under the 36 par.
The victory improves the RHS
golf teams record to 2-1. The
team lost to West Windsor-Plains-
boro on April 2 (WWP 210, Ravens
229) and won against Hightstown
on April 3 (Ravens 233, Rams 241).
Ravens nest
SIRENA AGUIAR/Special to The Robbinsville Sun
Senior Lauren Fischer picked up her 100th career hit for the Robbinsville softball team in the April 5
game against Ewing High School, which the Ravens won 5-2.
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10 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN APRIL 17-23, 2013
Gymnast claims state
title for a third year
Robbinsville resident Harriette
Murtland, a gymnast at Arena
Gymnastics, won the title of New
Jersey All-round State Champion
for Level 7, age 12 Juniors at the
2013 Gymnastics Level 7 NJ State
Championship held April 6.
After a horrific fall on beam in
her first event, with sheer deter-
mination and focus, Murtland
went on to grab the title of NJ
State Champion on bars, beam
and floor with scores of 9.725 on
vault, 9.775 on bars and 9.775 on
floor and an all round score of
37.875.
In all, 35 athletes qualified for
the NJ State Championships in
this age category.
This is the third year Murtland
has clinched the title of all round
NJ state champion having won
both level 5 and 6.
Girls U9 International Soccer
Robbinsville Comets 3,
Audubon Storm 1
The undefeated Robbinsville
Comets defeated the Audubon
Storm 3-1 on April 6 improving
their record to 4-0. The Comets
came out strong taking it to their
opponents and jumping to a 3-0
lead. Brittain Ruscito took advan-
tage of nice passes from Delanie
Perrine to tally all three Comets
goals with a couple of long range
missiles. Audubon scored its one
goal on a penalty kick late in the
first half.
The Comets used a strong de-
fense led by Kailey Pacifico, Cara
Alban and Nicole Weaver to shut-
down the Storm in the second
half. Caroline Coggins and Becky
Blitz were strong in goal in secur-
ing the victory.
Youth Lacrosse
8th Grade Boys
Rville 9, Lawrence 2
Rville 9 vs. Medford Lakes 0
Rville 10 vs. Medford Lakes 0
Robbinsville Lacrosse Associa-
tion (RLA) opened its 2013 season
April 6-7 with great success. All
four boys teams and both girls
teams were victorious on April 6
over Lawrence and Jackson, re-
spectively. That same evening
more than 200 RLA parents and
players attended the
Princeton/Syracuse lacrosse
game at Princeton Stadium
where RLA was asked to be ball
boys for the college game. On
April 7, Robbinsville hosted both
North Brunswick and Medford
Lakes. The 3rd/4th grade, 7th
grade, and 8th grade boys teams
all ended the day undefeated
while our 5th/6th grade teams
battled to closely contested de-
feats.
Point leaders (goals and as-
sists) for the 8th-grade boys with
five points each were: Matt Car-
lin, Anthony Del Grotti, and Cory
Kale; as well as Matt Seller, Bran-
don Sankey and Taylor Twamley
with 4 points.
The following players provided
great defense: Jon Bendorf,
Michael Cardona, Michael
ONeill, Michael Cocciolillo and
Aaron Smilow. Long Stick Middie
(LSM) Joe Gaynor and goalie Cole
Montplaisir were the recipe for a
potent defense, which only al-
lowed two goals all weekend. Two
other noteworthy performances
were delivered by Brian Wojton,
sucking up nine ground balls and
Ian Winn notching two important
goals against Lawrence.
7th Grade Boys Lacrosse
Rville 10, Lawrence 6
Rville 5, Medford Lakes 4
Rville 7, North Brunswick 3
Goal leaders for Week 1, April
6-7 were: Jake Veres, 7; Dom Ro-
driguez, 5; Dylan Scholl, 3; Tyler
Makkay and Colin ONeill, 2 each.
Scoring one goal each were: Nick
Mann, Jack Shea, and Jared
Miller. Other notables: Midfielder
Zachery Young was a beast on
ground balls and face-offs. Defen-
sive stoppers Chris Heller, Cole
Neely and Patrick Holzbaur
stuffed the opposition all day. The
weekend highlight was a furious
comeback in the game against
Medford when the boys were
down 4-1 heading into the last
quarter. Midfielders Jake Veres,
Jack Lipschutz and Paul Murray
dominated play. Veres scored
three goals in a matter of minutes
to tie the score. Overtime! Mid-
fielder Tyler Makkay took mat-
ters into his own hands and
scored the game winning over-
time goal.
Little League Baseball
Major League (ages 10-12)
Royals 9, Pirates 5
The Royals (Allied Vision Serv-
ices) defeated the Pirates
(Delaware Valley Packaging
Group) 9-5 in Major League ac-
tion on April 4. Joe Consiglio was
the winning pitcher followed by
Dylan Harris and Shay Mc-
Gowan. Joe Consiglio also led the
offense with 2 hits. Matt Barna
and Matt Hegel started the 7-run
third inning with base hits.
Danny Griffin, MacGuire Tuffy,
Luke Franzoni, Matthew Cooper
and Ryan Kanner each had base
hits for the Pirates.
Nationals 23, Sunnybrae 7
In Major League action on
April 8, Kyle Rosica of the Na-
tionals (Kona Ice) went 3-3 with a
two doubles, Tyler Lehmann
went 3-4 with a double and a
robbinsville youth sports scene
please see SPORTS, page 11
Special to The Robbinsville Sun
Robbinsville resident Harriette Murtland has won the title of 2013
New Jersey All-Round State Champion Level 7, age 12 Juniors.
APRIL 17-23, 2013 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN 11
triple, Chris Conti went 3-3 with a
home run, Ryan Katzback went 4-
4 and Anthony Rossi was 2-3.
Pitcher Jack Grembowitz did a
nice job throwing strikes.
AAA Division (ages 9-11)
Phillies 4, Braves 2
The Phillies (DeLorenzos
Tomato Pies) topped the Braves
(MarketingScoop.com) 4-2 in RLL
AAA action April 6. Aiden
Bechamps led the way for the
Phils. Bechamps tossed three
shutout innings to earn the win
and capped a three-run rally in
the third with a two-out, two-run
double. Lorenzo Amico walked to
start the third, then stole second
and third and scored on a fielders
choice grounder by Brett Fried.
Bechamps big blast scored Fried
and Ryan Smith (walk). Daniel
Sonnenfeld stroked an RBI single
to put the Phils up 1-0 in the first.
Shane Martin and Smith came on
in relief to preserve the win.
For the Braves, Johnny Gal-
lagher pitched great in his season
debut holding the Phillies to one
run. Lefties Nate Leonard and
Danny Surtz kept the Braves
within striking distance the rest
of the way. AJ Porter, Brandon
Patterson, Chris Au and Danny
Surtz all had key hits for the
Braves. Brandon Yoo made a
spectacular catch in center field
to lead the defense.
Cubs 8, Braves 1
The AAA Cubs (Sylvan Learn-
ing Center) and Braves (Market-
ingScoop.com) opened their sea-
son April 2 on a very cold evening
at Tantum Park with the Cubs
pulling away late with 7 runs in
the fifth inning. Marcus Gonzales
and Cole Leach combined for five
strong innings, with Brian Her-
bert finishing it out on the mound
for the Cubs. Danny Surtz started
the game for the Braves.
Cubs 5, Angels 3
The Angels (A+ Athlete Sports
Medicine) and Cubs (Sylvan
Learning Center) battled it out in
a Saturday afternoon contest
April 6 with the Cubs holding on
for a 5-3 victory. The Cubs jumped
out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of
the first with a big two-out double
from Kyle Madera scoring Blake
Grembowitz and Cole Leach.
After the Cubs added single runs
in the second, third and fourth in-
nings to push the lead to 5-0, the
Angels came back with 3 runs in
the top of the fifth lead by run
scoring singles from Keith Motus-
esky and Pat Cettina.
Tyler Provost pitched a flaw-
less sixth inning for the Cubs to
earn his first save of the season.
AA Division (ages 8-9)
Phillies 4, Reds 2
The Phillies (Jersey Mikes
Subs) defeated the Reds (Fusion
Employer Services) 4-2 on a cold
season opener April 1.
Both teams posted strong pitch-
ing: Brody Patterson and Tyler
Stark for the Phillies, and Will
Bercaw and Connor Monahan for
the Reds.
Offensive leaders for the
Phillies were Eric Hill and Jack
Slavin with two hits each, and
Devin Sitah and Shaurav Ja-
gadeesh, each with one hit. For
the Reds, David Kanner had two
hits; and Matt Surtz and Anson
Mentzer had one.
Yankees 4, Phillies 2
Strong pitching, defense and
timely hitting helped the AA Yan-
kees (Tonys Farm & Garden Cen-
ter) prevail in a nail-biting victo-
ry April 8 against an extremely
talented and well coached Philly
team (Jersey Mikes Subs). The
game was filled with amazing
pitching and defense by both
teams.
For the Yankees, Anthony Zil-
iani, Connor Meehan, and Nate
Oliva displayed gutty perform-
ances on the mound to help se-
cure the Yankees third consecu-
tive victory. Jack Bennett went 2-
2 with a scorching blast that got
him his first triple of the year.
Connor Meehan also went 2-2 to
set the table for the hot-hitting
Yankee players. Murphy O-
Grady, Tyler Whitman, Justin
Parisi and Nate Oliva each had
critical timely hits in the game to
help keep the Yankees undefeated
for the season.
Yankees 11, Devil Rays 0
The AA Yankees strong pitch-
ing, defense and hitting resulted
in an 11-0 win on April 6 against a
strong Devil Rays team (SG Heat-
ing & Air Conditioning).
Nate Oliva, Connor Meehan
and Tyler Whitman combined to
pitch a one-hitter and a shutout.
The Yankee offense pounded out
16 hits including an RBI double
by Anthony Ziliani. Nate Oliva,
Connor Meehan, Tyler Whitman,
Hunter Lantz, and Jimmy The
Paisan Yanucil pounded out two
hits apiece. Nolan OGrady, Mur-
phy OGrady, Justin Parisi, John-
ny Pancari, and Ryan Yuncza also
added a hit apiece to help bring
home the victory and take the
Yankee team to a hot 2-0 start.
Yankees 5, Orioles 3
The AA Yankeess tough de-
fense, strong pitching, and timely
hitting resulted in a season open-
ing 5-3 victory over a tough Ori-
oles team (Brace Place Orthodon-
tics) on April 5. Strong pitching
performances from Anthony Zil-
iani, Connor Meehan, Nate Oliva
and Jack Bennett helped keep a
strong hitting Orioles team at bay
and brought home a win. Nate
Oliva, Connor Meehan, and Jack
Bennett pounded out two hits
apiece. Anthony Ziliani, Tyler
Whitman, and Jimmy Yanucil
each had RBI singles to secure the
victory.
Rookie League (ages 6-7)
Robbinsville Cleaners vs.
Efinger All Season Sports
In their first game against a
tough Efinger team, the Rob-
binsville Cleaners squad dusted
off the winter rust and posted
fine outfield plays by Christopher
Burton, Brendyn Porter and
Chris Naperkoski.
Some strong plate appearances
came from Reese Caldwell, Enzo
Immordino, Liam Wallace and
Conor Doran. Several boys in
green deftly moved around the
bases including, Luke Hanuscin,
Anthony Viscido, Evan Bunnell
and a pair of Jacks - Newman
and Miller.
Patrick Kapp of the Efinger
team, had five solid hits in the
outfield with three of them being
doubles. He made three great
plays at the pitcher mound.
This was also Efingers first
game of the season and Christian
Deane had three solid hits, in-
cluding one double and he made
four outstanding plays at second
base.
Robbinsville Youth Sports Scene
SPORTS
Continued from page 10
Send us your Robbinsville sports news
The Sun invites all youth sports leagues to contribute news items.
Email jdegnan@robbinsvillesun.com. Submission deadline is Tuesday
for publication in the following weeks newspaper.
12 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN APRIL 17-23, 2013
building project had begun, to an-
other developer so that the town-
ship will still have the opportuni-
ty to purchase condominium
space for its offices, he said.
Were working on a letter with
different aspects of different pro-
posals to the mayor, Cummings
said.
Weve also spoken to three dif-
ferent developers to sell the land
to, but I cant get into too much of
the details. Weve been working
with a commercial real estate
consulting firm to help us put the
proposals together and we hope to
get it out to (the mayor) as quickly
as possible.
Cummings said the Roma con-
struction project was cancelled
because developing real estate
was not part of Investors busi-
ness model.
Its just not our area of expert-
ise; we build (bank) branches,
Cummings said. But like I told
(township officials) at the meet-
ing, were here because we want
to be part of the solution.
Mayor Fried, interviewed sepa-
rately on April 8, expressed frus-
tration that the bank still has not
fleshed out the specifics of these
possible solutions. Fried said In-
vestors told the town on March 18
it would come back with alterna-
tives in three weeks, but has yet
to do so.
They contacted Roselli and
said theyd need more time,
Fried said. To date we dont have
anything and until I have some-
thing signed, sealed and delivered
in writing, its difficult for me to
respond to anything.
Fried also indicated he was
cool toward any proposal from In-
vestors that involves renting mu-
nicipal office space, rather than
owning it.
Its in the towns long-term in-
terest to own, rather than rent,
Fried said. Once we pay the
bond off we own it, rather than
renting it forever.
The township now leases 8,000
square feet of office space inside
the Sharbell building at 1 Wash-
ington Blvd. under a lease that ex-
pires next year.
It passed a $3 million bond or-
dinance last year to purchase the
top floor of the new Roma build-
ing, which broke ground in Octo-
ber amid much fanfare, but the
final contracts were never signed
and no money was exchanged be-
fore the Roma-Investors merger
announcement occurred in De-
cember.
Roma wanted to do this devel-
opment, but I said look, we dont
have the expertise to work in
commercial real estate on a spec
office building in Robbinsville,
Cummings said.
Investors, however, will contin-
ue Romas tradition of corporate
community service, as it has al-
ready done in other communities
where it has acquired smaller
banks, Cummings said. He noted
Investors has made a $1 million
commitment to the Roma Bank
Community Foundation, which
many local community groups
and charities rely on for grants.
Investors has also pledged
$250,000 to fund community activ-
ities that had been supported by
Romas subsidiary RomAsia
Bank, he said.
There are things we can do in
a community, to partner with
them, Cummings said. The
Paper Mill Playhouse was on the
verge of bankruptcy in 2007. We
met with the mayor of Millburn
and were able to structure a
transaction between a not-for-
profit that was going out of the
business and a municipality that
had an interest in keeping the
not-for-profit in business because
of the economic impact on the
restaurants and retail in town.
We made a $3.5 million bridge
loan on a handshake with the
mayor in order to give (Paper
Mill) funds to ride out the storm
while the township made a deci-
sion to float a bond and buy the
real estate from the Paper Mill
and lease it back to them for $1 a
year, Cummings said.
After Investors bought Bloom-
field-based American Bank of
New Jersey in 2009, it received a
corporate citizen of the year
award from the Bloomfield mayor
in recognition of its financial
support of nonprofits in the com-
munity, Cummings said. These
commitments included a $50,000
donation to the Bloomfield Edu-
cation Foundation and continued
funding for the annual Fourth of
July marathon that American
Bank had previously sponsored,
he said.
More recently, Investors pro-
vided the Union County Econom-
ic Development Authority with a
$500,000 Hurricane Sandy relief
grant so that it could make low-in-
terest loans to storm victims.
Cummings also took issue with
the criticism that Investors has
received over the pending layoffs
of 57 people now working at Rob-
binsville headquarters, which he
says overlooks the fact that In-
vestors is retaining more than 80
percent of Roma employees
statewide.
If you look at the 57 employ-
ees, 40 of those employees de-
clined to be interviewed and did-
nt want to make the trip up to
Short Hills or to Woodbridge
where our operations center is,
Cummings said.
Most of the people in the
branches and in the mortgage
company that Roma had were
going to keep and give them a
great opportunity to work for a
larger bank.
Fried, still stung by the col-
lapse of the Roma building proj-
ect that he thought was going to
provide a long-term solution to
the townships municipal space
needs, remains unconvinced.
They keep telling us this will
be good for the community, but I
keep waiting for the good part,
Fried said on April 8.
Investors pledges to be part of the solution
INVESTORS
Continued from page 1
Special to The Robbinsville Sun
Kevin Cummings, president and
CEO of Investors Bank, which is
purchasing Robbinsville-based
Roma Bank in a merger that is
expected to be finalized next
month.
4 FREE
BAGELS
With the purchase of a dozen
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34 Robbinsville Allentown Rd., Robbinsville NJ 08691
609-259-4388
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With the purchase of a
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APRIL 17-23, 2013 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN 13
By JOANNE DEGNAN
Editor
Mayor Dave Fried maintains
hes not made a final decision on
whether to run for a third term in
November, but supporters who
paid $150 a ticket to attend a re-
cent political fundraiser in his
honor apparently have little
doubt about it.
The event, called a A Taste of
Robbinsville, which took place
inside Felice Pasquale Fine Jew-
elry in Town Center on April 5,
was billed as an evening of fash-
ion, sparkle and beauty that also
provided Town Center businesses
with a chance to showcase their
food, products and services.
Models, whose hair and make-
up were done by Vcsalon, wore
clothing provided by the In-
Jeanous boutique and jewels
from Felice Pasquale as they min-
gled with crowd. Guests sampled
food and cocktails provided by
Centro Grille, Dolce & Clemente,
and DeLorenzos that were served
from the high-end kitchen located
inside the jewelry store, which
was once Sharbells Lofts sales of-
fice.
There was also a paparazzi
wall where guests could pose for
pictures with the models, and
swag bags with gifts from Rob-
binsville businesses.
As Fried worked the room he
would only say that he was seri-
ously considering running for
re-election, but was not ready to
make an official announcement.
The fact that organizers had
sold out tickets for the event in
three days, however, was an en-
couraging sign for his potential
candidacy, he said.
Part of this is to gauge the
support there is in the communi-
ty, Fried said. Im grateful to all
of the supporters, especially As-
semblyman (Wayne) DAngelo
and the four council people who
have shown their support by
being here tonight.
Conspicuously absent from the
affair was Councilman Dave
Boyne, who is also considering a
run for the mayors job, but has
not announced his decision on
whether he will be a candidate.
Robbinsville recently switched
its nonpartisan municipal elec-
tions from May to November. The
filing deadline for nonpartisan
candidates, who run without De-
mocrat or Republican Party la-
bels, is 4 p.m., Sept. 3.
Candidate packets and nomi-
nating petitions can be obtained
from the municipal clerk after
May 1.
The invitation to A Taste of
Robbinsville fundraiser listed
the events hosts as Assemblyman
DeAngelo of Hamilton, D-14; Rob-
binsville Township Council mem-
bers Christine Ciaccio and Ron
Witt; Dave Bonanni, who owns
commercial real estate business
in Hamilton; and Chetan Shah, a
physician who has a medical
practice in Lawrenceville. Guests
were asked to make checks
payable to the Election Fund of
Dave Fried.
Mayors fundraiser showcases local business
JOANNE DEGNAN/The Robbinsville Sun
Top: Mayor Dave Fried gives an interview during an April 5 political
fundraiser organized by his supporters at Felice Pasquale Fine Jew-
elery on Route 33. Below: Vcsalon owner Angela Pantaleone (center)
and her staff did the hair and makeup for the models at the event,
Olivia Rahim (left) and Christie Livoti (right).
Visit us online at www.robbinsvillesun.com
14 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN APRIL 17-23, 2013
By JOANNE DEGNAN
Editor
The rank and file of the Rob-
binsville teachers union have rat-
ified a retroactive three-year con-
tract that boosts salaries 5 per-
cent by the time the agreement
expires June 30, 2014.
Mike Johnson, president of the
Washington Township Education
Association, said WTEA mem-
bers voted overwhelmingly to
ratify the deal on April 8. The
WTEA, which still uses the town-
ships former name, represents
Robbinsvilles 300-plus teachers,
secretaries, support staff, custodi-
ans and bus drivers, who had
been working without a contract
since July 1, 2011.
The new contract provides 2.5
percent more for salaries for the
2012-2013 school year and 2.5 per-
cent for the 2013-2014 year. There
is no retroactive salary increase
for 2011, however, the WTEA will
receive a $260,000 lump sum to di-
vide among members as non-pen-
sionable stipends.
The 18-month contract im-
passe, which had defied the best
efforts of state-appointed media-
tors, fact-finders and arbitrators,
was ready to move to super-con-
ciliation when an informal meet-
ing between the school boards ne-
gotiating team and WTEA lead-
ers, without attorneys or state
union leaders present, broke the
logjam and led to a tentative deal
announced on Jan. 22.
The Board of Education ap-
proved the new WTEA contract
salary guides, which determine
how much teachers are paid at
different years in their careers,
on March 26.
Ratification by the WTEA rank
and file was the final action need-
ed to seal the deal.
I am very pleased that we
were able to get this deal done
without going to the next step,
super-conciliation, Johnson said
on April 9.
Johnson said both the school
board and WTEA had worked
hard to resolve the impasse and
learned from the experience.
We are looking forward to our
next negotiations process with a
better relationship with the
BOE, Johnson said.
Since the newly ratified con-
tract expires in 16 months, negoti-
ations for the next contract will
probably start either late this
year or early next year, school
board officials said.
Teachers union ratifies contract
briefs
Reid Sound scholarship
for theater technicians
High school seniors who plan
to pursue a technical theater
major at a two- or four-year col-
lege or university are eligible to
apply for a $1,500 scholarship pro-
vided by Reid Sound of Rob-
binsville.
Darren Sussman, owner and
president of the company located
on North Main Street in the
Windsor section of town, started
the scholarship program three
years ago to recognize students
who work behind the scenes in
theater.
Student technicians choose to
remain out of the spotlight,
Sussman said. They put in long
hours to make their friends on
the stage look and sound good.
Too often they receive no recogni-
tion at all. This is my way of let-
ting them know they are appreci-
ated.
The scholarship is open to any
graduating high school senior in
New Jersey who has been active
in technical theater activities ei-
ther through their school or out-
side groups and intends to enroll
as a technical theater major in
college. The scholarship applica-
tion can be downloaded from Reid
Sounds website, www.reid-
sound.com.
Applicants will be evaluated
based on their skill and dedica-
tion to the art of technical theater
as demonstrated through their
experiences, recommendations
and responses to the questions on
the scholarship application. For
the purposes of the scholarship,
valid experiences include partici-
pation with sound, lighting, cos-
tume or set design, stage manage-
ment or running crew.
Students applying for the schol-
arship must provide a resume of
technical theater activities, an of-
ficial high school transcript, and
two letters of recommendation.
All applications and supporting
materials must be received by
Reid Sound no later than May 1.
The winner will be notified no
later than June 15.
We are incredibly proud of
our past winners, Sussman said.
Im looking forward to adding to
that list over the coming years. It
will be great to work with them
all professionally some day.
For questions about the schol-
arship, call Sussman at 259-9495
ext. 301 or email him at
darren@reidsound.com.
Cutting-edge craft
fair returns to RHS
The seventh annual 100 Per-
cent Handcrafted Juried Arts and
Crafts Fair at Robbinsville High
School on Saturday (April 20) will
feature more than 70 regional ar-
tisans and opportunities for shop-
pers to find rare one-of-a-kind
gifts.
The fair, a fundraiser for the
high schools band and drama
programs, includes handmade
crafts created from wood, pottery
and glass, as well as jewelry,
scarves, candles and much more.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. and admission is free.
The popular fundraiser, which
usually attracts about 500 shop-
pers throughout the day, raises
more than $4,000 a year for the
RHS Ravens Players student the-
ater program and the Raven Regi-
ment marching band, according
to Cindy Rosen, event chairper-
son.
Shoppers come from various
states in the area not only to shop,
but also to enter our door prize
giveaway and take a chance with
our crafters raffle, Rosen said.
Anyone who brings a toiletry
item to donate to the Robbinsville
Food Pantry, will receive a free
crafters raffle ticket, Rosen said.
Also on the list of things to
enjoy is our Cafe Jacque which
serves mostly homemade menu
items such as soups, chili, pulled
pork sandwiches, and freshly
baked goods, Rosen said. The
Raven Players students will run a
Kids Corner Soda Shoppe for chil-
dren to enjoy while their parents
are shopping, she said.
We also have the Raven Play-
ers hosting a Creative Dramatics
Workshop in the Black Box (the
theater room) where younger stu-
dents can take the stage with the
high school students and learn
some theater games and improvi-
sation techniques, Rosen said.
The cost of the workshop is $10
per student.
Two parent groups, The
Friends of the Raven Players and
the Raven Regiment Booster
Club, provide financial support
for the extracurricular student
theater and instrumental music
programs. The annual craft fair is
their major fundraiser and plan-
ning starts a year in advance with
committee members organizing,
updating websites, compiling
lists of possible vendors, recruit-
ing volunteers and advertising for
shoppers.
Vendor applications are voted
on by several members at our
committee meetings, Rosen said.
While we wish we could accept
all vendors, space is limited and
we are already full for this year.
For more information, contact
Cindy Rosen via email at
cindyrealtor@optonline.net.
Celebrity golf outing
fundraiser set
The Robbinsville-Hamilton
Sunrise Rotary Foundation and
Old York Country Club are co-
sponsoring the Irving Fryar
Celebrity Invitational Charity
Golf Tournament on Monday,
May 13. The fundraiser, which
benefits two local charities, will
be held at the Gary Player Signa-
ture Golf Course located at 228
Old York Rd, Chesterfield. Sched-
uled to attend are numerous
sports stars, including former
NFL wide receiver Irving Fryar,
who is also the new head football
coach for Robbinsville High
School; Mike Rozier, Andre Reed,
Beasley Reese, Mike Quick, Jere-
miah Trotter and others.
Beneficiaries of the fundraiser
are Justice for All People, a chari-
ty founded to establish and en-
courage meaningful activities for
our youth through exposure to
positive mentors and role models,
and the Trenton Area Soup
Kitchen (TASK).
For more information, golfer
registration forms and sponsor-
ship opportunities, visit rhro-
tary.org or call Kathy Heptinstall
at 609-540-0266.
Friends of Rachel
needs prom dresses
The Friends of Rachel at Rob-
binsville High School is sponsor-
ing its annual Prom Dress Drive
to help students in need who
would otherwise not be able to at-
tend the prom because they can-
not afford a dress.
Anyone wishing to donate for-
mal dresses and accessories
should bring them to the Rob-
binsville High Schools guidance
office by Friday, April 19.
The Friends of Rachel is a club
dedicated to living out the late
Rachel Worths mission of start-
ing a chain reaction of kindness
and compassion by reaching out
to others.
APRIL 17-23, 2013 THE ROBBINSVILLE SUN 15
By JOANNE DEGNAN
Editor
The Robbinsville Division of
Fire has been awarded a $21,660
federal grant that will be used to
buy a thermal imaging camera
for firefighting and rescue opera-
tions, as well as other equipment,
according to Robbinsville Deputy
Chief Daniel Schaffener.
The federal Assistance to Fire-
fighters Grant (AFG), which re-
quires a 5 percent ($1,140) local
match, was part of $483,045 in fed-
eral funds recently awarded to
New Jersey fire departments
under two Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)
grant programs.
Thermal imaging cameras are
used during search operations to
locate victims and injured fire-
fighters because they help res-
cuers see in a smoke-filled envi-
ronment, Schaffener said.
The fire department will also
use the grant monies for a
turnout gear/fire hose drying
cabinet.
Mold and bacteria can grow on
gear that isnt thoroughly dried
after a fire call, which weakens
the material. Drying cabinets spe-
cially made for turnout coats and
hoses will dry the gear more
quickly in a manner consistent
with National Fire Protection As-
sociation standards.
Turnout gear and fire hose
are expensive items and need to
be properly maintained in order
to remain serviceable and safe to
use, Schaffener said.
Over the past decade, the Rob-
binsville Division of Fire has re-
ceived 13 federal grants totaling
$1.17 million, including funds for
staffing, equipment, and fire pre-
vention materials and equip-
ment, Schaffener said.
Two of the previous grants
were for turnout gear and hose,
Schaffener said. These new
items will assist us in maintain-
ing and extending the life of the
previously awarded items and
limit the burden to the taxpayers
for the purchase of the equip-
ment.
On April 8, the Township Coun-
cil voted to amend the mayors
draft budget to reflect the addi-
tional revenue related to the
grant.
Council members Vince
Calcagno and Chris Ciaccio also
had high praise for the fire de-
partments success in obtaining
federal grants over the years.
The largest firefighting grant
the department has received to
date is the two-year $700,000
SAFER grant awarded in 2011
that enabled the township to hire
four new firefighters.
The SAFER (Staffing for Ade-
quate Fire and Emergency Re-
sponse) grant, which expires at
the end of the 2013, made it possi-
ble for the township to address
staffing and safety issues, as well
as rising overtime costs, by filling
four vacancies caused by layoffs
in 2010.
Firefighters gets $21K federal grant
The following items were taken
from reports on file with the Rob-
binsville Township Police Depart-
ment:
Someone removed the tires and
rims from a box truck located at
the Budco business property on
Applegate Drive sometime be-
tween 5 p.m., March 30 and 8 a.m.,
April 1.
The estimated loss was $1,400.
Patrolman Shawn Bruton took
the report.
***
A 20-year-old Gloucester Town-
ship man was charged with mari-
juana possession and other of-
fenses after being pulled over for
driving with an expired inspec-
tion sticker at 12:39 p.m., April 3.
Patrolman Scott Kivet stopped
the vehicle on I-195 near Exit 7
and detected possible evidence of
marijuana.
A vehicle search revealed a
small quantity of marijuana.
The driver was also charged
with having a controlled danger-
ous substance (CDS) in a motor
vehicle and having an expired in-
spection sticker.
***
A 25-year-old Trenton man was
charged with marijuana posses-
sion after a motor vehicle stop for
speeding at 9:18 a.m., April 4.
Patrolman Wayne Haugh
stopped the vehicle on Sharon
Road and detected evidence of
drugs.
A subsequent search revealed a
small quantity of marijuana. The
driver was additionally charged
with CDS in a motor vehicle,
speeding, careless driving and
having illegal tinted windows.
***
A 51-year-old Robbinsville man
was charged with driving while
intoxicated (DWI) and other of-
fenses after a motor vehicle stop
at 2 a.m., April 6.
Patrolman Thomas Egan saw a
vehicle traveling on Route 33
make an abrupt stop before turn-
ing onto Lake Drive.
After pulling the vehicle over,
the officer detected evidence of
intoxication.
The driver was asked to per-
form field sobriety tests, which he
failed. The man was also charged
with careless driving and reck-
less driving.
***
A 58-year-old Norristown, Pa.,
man was charged with DWI after
being after a traffic stop at 2:38
a.m., April 7.
Patrolman Thomas Egan saw a
vehicle unable to maintain its
lane on Route 130 South and
pulled it over on Kuser Road. Dur-
ing the traffic top, the officer de-
tected evidence the driver was in-
toxicated and asked him to per-
form field sobriety tests, which he
failed. The driver was also
charged with careless driving,
reckless driving, failure to main-
tain lane and improper mainte-
nance of lamps.
***
Police have charged two men in
connection with the March 5 theft
of the air-conditioning unit at the
Robbinsville Senior Center.
One of the suspects is a 21-year-
old Robbinsville resident and the
other is a 21-year-old Bordentown
resident. Both men were also
charged with burglary and theft
for allegedly stealing copper
wiring from a vacant residence
on the 2300 block of Route 130.
After being charged and
processed, the Robbinsville man
was released on his own recogni-
zance pending a future court date.
The Bordentown man was re-
manded to the Mercer County
Correction Center in lieu of
$2,500 bail.
police report interfaith views
Special to The Robbinsville Sun
The Windsor United Methodist Church Choir, above, is looking for
new members. Come worship at the church, located at 51 Church
Street in the historic Village of Windsor, and join the choir prac-
tice immediately after the 10 a.m. Sunday service.
Got pipes?
The Robbinsville Sun invites leaders of churches, synagogues,
mosques, temples and other houses of worship serving the
Robbinsville community to share views, news, calendar items and
photos for this column. Email jdegnan@robbinsvillesun.com.
Owned and operated by Robbinsville residents Joe Immordino and James and George Karalis.
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