Trenton NJ is my hometown, where I was born and where I currently reside.  As the Capital City of New Jersey I can comfortably say we have our challenges like any other "post industrial city" but we are full of many positives a few of which I will share in this post.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-industrial_society

Plenty of people in multiple sectors have eyes fixed on Trenton NJ, this includes the speculators, investors, business owners, 1st time homeowners, current residents and business owners alike.  Because of this our Elected Officials have some challenging times ahead, more on that later.

Today I gave a tour to an investor looking at Trenton as a potential "niche market" for a fast growing segment.  My apologies for the vagueness however our current marketplace dictates that we should be cogneceinent of IP - Intellectual Property.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niche_market

Our tour began with a walk in the "Downtown Area" where I highlighted several potential development sites including some that are vacant and abandoned as well as the thriving areas where people can be seen throughout the day and night.  I focused quite a bit on the Tourist/Historical Sites with hyper focus on my personal connections the "Arts and Non-Profits."

We continued the tour via automobile visiting each of the 4 Wards chatting about the demographics, what is happening in the neighborhoods and what I know about the "Master / Comprehensive Plan" which was well received.

http://trenton250.org

Throughout the tour it came up as to why Trenton is in the current state that it is.  I am asked this question often and my reply is the same.

1. We do not know who or how many people are here
2. We have a disenfranchised population of Blacks/African Americans
3. We have a rapidly growing population of Latino Hispanics from various Countries and the communications between them is not great
4. We have a growing population of people from the Caribbean, Asia, Eastern Europe and the African Continent who are not encouraged to be civically engaged
5. We have a growing negative opinion about ourselves 
6. Our largest print media outlets are more focused on the negative than the positive
7. We lack a Benefactor
8. The perception of safety 
9. The tax rate
10. The educational system

Now a few of the positives.

1. Our historical significance in the founding of our nation
2. Our location between NYC and Philadelphia
3. We are located on a major body of water
4. Our diverse population
5. Our County and State are considered very wealthy
6. We are a bikeable and walkable city
7. We have a strong housing stock
8. We have easy access to mass regional, national and international transportation outlets

A few images from a November 2017 Tour

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JVha8qgLKJuq8Uec9

A few images from a September 2018 Tour

On Saturday August 9, 2018 members of the Franklin Parks NE Block Association – FPNEBA partnered with Mercer Street Friends to distribute food, personal hygiene products and literature about the organization to over 100 families.

Located in the Trenton NJ’s South Ward, the Franklin Park neighborhood is bordered by Cedar Lane, Chambers, Broad and Liberty Streets.  This diverse neighborhood has a mix of single family and semi attached homes, small businesses and a park designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead.  Olmstead also designed Trenton’s Cadwalader Park, Central Park in NYC and is considered the “Father of Landscape Architecture.”

FPNEBA members are often seen throughout Trenton supporting events, volunteering and working to make NJ’s Capital City better.  “Partnering with Mercer Street Friends to distribute food, personal hygiene products and literature about the programs available is a no brainer and a natural fit, we hope to expand our efforts and to encourage others to participate and develop a similar program that works for them.” offered President Jacque Howard who is also the creator and host of the Trenton 365 Show, a radio and tv program that promotes civic engagement as way to build a better community.

Mercer Street Friends is a 60 year old non-profit with Quaker values.  Besides being the food distribution organization for the county, MSF offers programs for the whole family including workforce development and community schools.  Executive Director Armstead Johnson recently shared about the organizations forthcoming plans to offer services for individuals and families from “cradle to career and beyond!”   

The following images were from the food distribution in September

Recently in a conversation someone made this statement.  “WOW what a time in which we live!” When I heard that I paused for a moment and thought, indeed I agree.

We are in unprecedented times on the national/global level when no one has any idea what each day will bring regarding President Trump and members of his administration.  I believe most people are uncertain, confused, disappointed, upset, frustrated and or scared regarding the actions at the federal level and this includes all parties involved.

We have been trained to look at elected officials with a certain amount of respect with the President having the top position.  I believe this training is now being challenged and all parties involved have no answers to the current state of affairs other than pointing to the “other people” as the problem.  These counter efforts have resulted in creating a state of ignorance among the population leading people to move into the silo’s of their own lives.  My faith as a Christian teaches that hell is separation from God.  Therefore I consider this mentality and action as putting oneself into into a hellish place.  Maybe that’s why I seek the company of other humans.  More on that at another time.

When I consider the hellish place people are putting themselves into regarding the forthcoming 2018 Trenton Elections for Mayor and Council I want to scream the loudest for them to not retreat to the silo, to not think their opinions and concerns don’t matter.  In fact they do and in the next few months the power of those opinions and concerns will be at the highest level.

I apologize if you have heard this in the past but it is so telling and revealing.  In New Jersey’s Capital City, Trenton we have a population of ~80k with ~40k eligible to vote.  In the 2014 Elections only ~10k exercised that privilege!  When we consider the current state of life in Trenton I would think this is an area that needs to be addressed.  Remember the efforts of the Civil Rights movement and what those men and women endured for the privileges we have today.  Can you comfortably think being in a “silo” is what they would have wanted and or appreciate for what they sacrificed?

As of February 11th 2018 we have over 25 people who have picked up petitions from the Trenton Clerk’s Office and publically announced they are seeking an elected position either for Mayor or Council.  I am fortunate that I know and have spent time with most of people on the list.  To the ones I have not had the pleasure of meeting I look forward to our time together.  The aforementioned people have been cordial and fair to me in person, quite helpful and informative when needed.  I expect this is how they treat everyone.  

Being a “good person” is not the only criteria one should expect of an Elected Official or a Candidate for office.  I encourage you to consider the tasks at hand and consider what position the individuals are running on, their platform.

The Candidates platform should answer many of your personal concerns, if not ask them!  Maybe they do not have an answer and if so you need to know this.  Everyone will know the “buzz words” or talking points to appease the masses.  Some of those “buzz words” or talking points will be;

Better schools, better safety, bringing in new business, quality of life issues, lowering taxes, abandoned buildings, gentrification etc.  All of these are great and I think if you ask members of this and the previous administrations they would all agree of the importance of these subjects, if so what happened?  Why are we in this current situation?  That is a question you could ask of the incumbents.  

I am conducting recorded 1 on 1 chats with all of the announced Candidates who accept my invitation.  Through a partnership with Filmmaker Will Foskey these conversations will be distributed through the Bridge The Vote Facebook Page as well as Trenton 365 and other networks.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/trenton-elections-commentary

I am passionate about meeting people, developing relationships and building a better community through civic engagement.  

Have a look at some of my efforts and get in touch about your thoughts, I prefer to meet over a meal or beverages.

Citizens Campaign

http://thecitizenscampaign.nationbuilder.com/tags/featured

Trenton Cycling Revolution

http://www.trentoncycling.org/

Capital City Skatepark

https://sway.com/WuJP5Do94DLu0BxP?ref=Link&loc=play

Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce

http://web.princetonchamber.org/events/eventdetail.aspx?EventID=349

MLK Day of Service Social Cleanup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTJfdbCSCtE

Kiwanis Club of Trenton

http://kiwanisoftrentonnj.org/president-of-kiwanis-international-visits-trenton-club/

Mercer Space

https://mercerspace.com/2016/02/01/jacque-howards-trenton-365-a-year-round-community-effort/

Library Boxes

http://mercerme.com/newspaper-boxes-become-libraries-in-trenton/

Website

http://www.trenton365.com/

Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365

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Democracy is an often a forgotten word so I encourage you to have a look at how Merriam - Webster’s describes it.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy

One of the essentials for democracy to work is engagement by the masses.  Sorry to be repetitive, but in Trenton the Capital City of New Jersey we have a population of ~80k people with ~40k eligible to vote, unfortunately ~10K exercised this right in the 2014 Elections.

http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/51624/130426/Web01/en/summary.html

I encourage you to verify your eliglbility to vote.  “Purging of the Voter Rolls” is a tactic often used in politics.  After verification, exercise that right to vote and for a bit more encouragement consider this from the website How Stuff Works.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/does-democracy-work.htm

“Initially, only white men wealthy enough to own land could vote, then all white men, then African-American men. It wasn't until 1920 that women gained the right to vote, and because of post-Reconstruction Jim Crow laws, blacks were effectively barred from voting until the 1960s. Jayaprakash argues that it wasn't until the mid-1990s, when the National Voter Registration Act came into effect, that most Americans enjoyed wide access to exercise their right to vote”

Currently over 25 Candidates have taken the steps to qualify and campaign for office in Trenton’s Elections.  I appalude each of them for taking action in an effort to lead Trenton.  I also expect that their motives are to seek the best for Trenton and all of the inhabitants.

In addition I would like for all of the Candidates to consider the magnitude of what they are embarking on.  In this cultural age Elected Officials are celebrities and should be comfortable with this fact.

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/celebrity

Remember Trenton is the Capital of the most densely populated state in the country and the most culturally diverse not to mention one of the wealthiest.  

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/the-10-wealthiest-states-in-america?slide=8

If elected your responsibilities will be much broader and deeper than most people including myself can imagine.  This position is more than events and photo opportunities.  You will be leading and representing tens of thousands of people in a global marketplace therefore expectations are for you to be “on point” at all times.  This includes when Independent Journalists are seeking your thoughts.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=on%20point

If you are not ready, unsure or apprehensive please do yourself, your loved ones all of the people in Trenton NJ and beyond a favor and reconsider.  The power of the position and all of the “glamourous facade” is nothing compared to the attention you will receive if you lack the ability needed in the position.

Remember you can serve the community in various ways, “Everybody can’t be on top.” Pop Life - Prince

Cannabis like many things easily excites people into various emotions.  
I am learning most of those emotions have to do with a widely distributed message from decades ago.

In my opinion it also has a lot to do with ignorance and the
“kick the can down the road” mentality with the expectation to let someone else will deal with it.

Representing the Capital Region Minority Chamber of Commerce - CRMCC,
I attended the Mid-Jersey Chamber of Commerce event “The Business of Cannabis”
held at the Forsgate Country Club.

http://capitalregionminoritychamber.org/

http://midjerseychamber.org/

http://www.forsgatecc.com/

The event drew hundreds of people from the region who wanted to learn more about Cannabis
which included a Keynote Address from former Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Professional Athlete
Riley Cote.  

Riley Cote known on the ice as an “enforcer” is on one of the co-founders of
Athletes for CARE as well as the NHL-National Hockey League Ambassador.   
He is also the Founder of the Hemp Heals Foundation a 501(c)3 non-profit promoting
various aspects of hemp including agriculture, health and natural medicine.

https://athletesforcare.org/

http://hemphealsfoundation.com/

Shortly following began a Panel Discussion: How to Build a Viable and Sustainable Cannabis Business
moderated by Scott Rudder a former NJ State Legislator and a Mayor with a
Fortune 100 corporation background.  
He is the President of the board for the New Jersey Cannabusiness Association.

http://newjerseycannabusiness.com/board/

Panelists included;

Dave Berndt who grew up in an “insurance family” and has knowledge about Cannabis Insurance.

dberndt@notitins.com

Peter F. Kelly is an experienced corporate attorney part of the
multidisciplinary team at Fox providing services and guidance to legal marijuana businesses
in the areas of licensing, shareholder and partnership agreements and venture capital.

pkelly@foxrothschild.com

George Schidlovsky is responsible for managing and leading all aspects of a
vertically integrated medical cannabis facility including cultivation, processing,
extracting, production, sales and distribution.

gschidlovsky@csatc.org

Stacey D. Udell CPA/ABV/CFF/CVA is the Director of Valuation and Litigation Services
for the Mid-Atlantic Region of HBK Valuation Group, LLC.

sudell@hbkvg.com

Portions of the above were taken from the Mid Jersey Chamber materials distributed at the event.

Have a listen to a portion of the Riley Cote Keynote Address

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/riley-cote-prof-hockey-player

Have a listen to a portion of the Q and A Session

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/mid-jersey-chamber-the

The marketplace of Cannabis appears to be on the way to the Garden State.  
I was particularly fascinated by the amount of funds needed to enter this marketplace
and question if this will be another industry driven by “Big Business” or Corporations.

As with most things do your research, seek as much information as possible
and make informed decisions about how to proceed.  

Here are a few links I picked randomly to get you started.

https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000141

http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/factsheets/whatiscannabis.htm

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/marijuana-prohibition-racist_n_4590190.html

https://hightimes.com/news/republican-lawmaker-just-justified-marijuana-prohibition-racism/

https://honestmarijuana.com/legalization-of-cannabis-pros-and-cons/?age-verified=67ec8f6ff1

http://www.drugpolicy.org/blog/how-did-marijuana-become-illegal-first-place

MLK - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. represents many things to many people.  This international figure is well recognized as a “good man” who had high expectations for humans.

Annually in Trenton NJ a group of people come together for a service project known as the MLK Day of Service Social Clean Up.  

Over the years several partners have joined and supported this effort including Elissa Horan of CARE TRENTON, Will Foskey of Trenton Going Global, Kieanna Childs-Alexander, Rev. Karen Hernandez-Granzen, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Nassau Presbyterian Church, High Rollaz Car Club, The Center for Faith Justice, LALDEF - Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund and other New Brunswick Presbytery congregations, the CIty of Trenton Public Works Department as well as individuals of various ages, backgrounds.

The idea behind the clean up is to bring people together for a service project that will encourage networking and community building.  Like past events, the intentional communal residence the Bethany House of Hospitality served as the HQ’s with restrooms and refreshments.  

Today ~30 people battled the temperatures that felt like the high teens, low twenties to pick up debris, rake leaves and to remove illegally dump household appliances in Columbus Park.

Thank you to everyone who participated, shared the event through various outlets and encouraged the efforts.

Earlier this year I met Susan Hoskins Executive Director of the Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC) during an event at the Arts Council of Princeton.

http://www.princetonsenior.org/

After a phone conversation I accepted her invite to the Annual Holiday Dinner that took place at The Suzanne Patterson Building 42 Stockton Street, 179 Spruce Circle (off Harrison St) in Princeton NJ.

During my visit I saw 140 members of the community gathered together for a holiday meal.  The meal was provided by Acorn Glen and PSRC.  Attendees were entertained by the music of Dave Saltzman (piano) Bob and Bill Klezmer as well as entertainment by Santa and the Ho Ho Ho's.  

Susan mentioned that "the attendees come from all over this diverse community and the surrounding, connecting with people they share a class or group with, or with neighborhood friends.  For some this is their only holiday party.  The mood is joyful and filled with gratitude."  

She went on to mention that "PSRC is the go-to resource for aging well!  We provide a wide array of programs and services for aging adults and family caregivers." 

During my visit I chatted with several of the attendees, volunteers, staff and board.  I will be returning at a later date to follow up with the table tennis group and some of the local organizations.  

When I consider that NJ is the most densely populated state in the country it leads me to consider how this reflects throughout the nation.

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-densely-populated-u-s-states.html

Recently I visited a Health Conference in Edison NJ.

The conference was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, New Jersey Department of Health, Rutgers University Family & Community Health Sciences, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, American Academy of Pediatrics—NJ Chapter, Atlantic Health System, Family Health Initiatives, Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Inc., New Jersey Health Initiatives, New Jersey Hospital Association, New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, Partners for Health Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Salem Health & Wellness Foundation.

Several years ago I was introduced to NJ Partnership for Healthy Kids via programming in Trenton NJ.  Have a listen to a recent chat with Project Manager Marissa Davis and State Program Director Dr. Darrin Anderson captured during the event.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/marissa-davis-greenwood-ave 

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/darrin-anderson-ph-d-st-prog

Building a Culture of Health in NJ Conference Promoted Best Practices for Healthy Communities

Largest NJ Public Health Conference Featured Physician & Social Media Maven Dr. Mike and four-time Olympian, NJ Hall of Fame Inductee Joetta Clark Diggs

Edison, NJ –November 29, 2017 – More than 500 public health professionals, social workers, educators, dieticians, and community leaders from across the state came together for the Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey: A Systems Approach to Promoting Population Health Conference on Wednesday, November 29 at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm.

Local experts led 12 exciting morning and afternoon workshops on a variety of public health topics including: youth and mental health, social-emotional learning, the healthcare needs of the underserved immigrant and LGBTQIA populations, the Opiate epidemic and advancing policies to create a Culture of Health.  For a complete conference agenda, click here.

“Our goal is to help communities create policy and environmental changes that address social determinants of health and improve overall health outcomes for New Jersey families,“ stated Dr. Darrin Anderson, State Program Director, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK).

The daylong conference also featured two nationally recognized dynamic keynote speakers –social media maven Dr. Mikhail (Mike) Varshavski D.O. and four-time Olympic runner and New Jersey native Joetta Clark Diggs.  

Better known as ‘Doctor Mike,’ Dr. Varshavski is a family medicine physician and philanthropist based out of New York and has a massive following of 3.5 million on social networks including 2.6 million on Instagram. Doctor Mike uses his platform to encourage medical students and to educate people on important primary healthcare topics. He has appeared on television programs such as The Doctors and Dr. Oz and has also contributed to multiple popular online publications (Shape, Women’s Health, Livestrong).

Clark Diggs is a four-time Olympian, Motivational Extraordinaire and NJ Hall of Fame Inductee who had a successful 24-year career as a competitive 800-meter and 1500-meter runner, winning many collegiate, national, and world championships. Along with her decorated running career, Clark Diggs is a physical health and wellness advocate for children and teens nationwide.

Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers also was recognized as this year’s Culture of Health Award recipient.  The award acknowledged how the organization’s data-driven care and support services “hot spotting” model for Camden’s high utilizers of healthcare helped to reduce the average monthly hospital billing of $1.2 million to just over $500,000.

The late Dr. Mary Ann Schierer also was posthumously recognized for her work in evaluation, performance measures, research and other uses of data to help agencies improve outcomes.

The conference was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, New Jersey Department of Health, Rutgers University Family & Community Health Sciences, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, American Academy of Pediatrics—NJ Chapter, Atlantic Health System, Family Health Initiatives, Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Inc., New Jersey Health Initiatives, New Jersey Hospital Association, New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, Partners for Health Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Salem Health & Wellness Foundation.

###

About New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids  

New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) is a statewide program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with technical assistance and direction provided by the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance. The goal of the program is to convene, connect and empower community partnerships across the state to design and implement childhood obesity prevention strategies that support access to affordable healthy foods and increase opportunities for safe physical activity in the cities of Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, Trenton, and Vineland. For more information, visit:  www.njhealthykids.org. Follow NJPHK on Twitter and Facebook.  

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the largest private foundation in New Jersey and the nation’s largest philanthropy working to improve the health and health care of all. The Foundation is striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. RWJF has invested more than $1.5 billion in New Jersey since 1972. For more information, visit http://www.rwjf.org/nj. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at http://www.rwjf.org/twitter or Facebook at http://www.rwjf.org/facebook.

A few images from my visit.

RACE and everything around the subject is on the minds and lips of many and the Princeton Region is no different.  Over the w.e. I attended the Princeton & Slavery events in partnership with McCarter Theater.

https://www.mccarter.org/PrincetonandSlavery/

Weekend events will also include McCarter Theatre’s world premiere of “The Princeton and Slavery Plays,” seven newly-commissioned short plays based on historical documents uncovered as a part of the research project. Playwrights include:  Nathan Alan Davis, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Dipika Guha, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins ’06, Kwame Kwei-Armah, McCarter Artistic Director and Resident Playwright Emily Mann, and Regina Taylor.

http://arts.princeton.edu/events/princeton-slavery-project-symposium/2017-11-17/

After the Sunday performance I chatted with local Afro-Pop Artist Karey Maurice while traveling to his Red Balloon Studios.  One of the subjects included "what are the next steps."

On Monday Karey and I attended the Princeton & Slavery - A Post Show Community Conversation with Not in Our Town Princeton   The conversation was held at the Princeton Public Library with attendance over 70 ppl.  After brief introductions we gathered into small groups of ~10 and chatted about the pre-selected questions.

Sorry no audio regarding the conversations as per the organizations policy, therefore you will need to do some work!

Recently I spent some time at Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. 

During my visit I chatted with Food Bank Director Dr. Denalerie Johnson-Faniel about this segment of the organization specifically the programs offered.

Have a listen to our chat.
https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/denalerie-johnson-faniel-food

During my visit I received a tour of the distribution process and captured some images of the volunteers and a few of the 80+ partnering organizations. 

During my chats with Dr. Johnson-Faniel and Executive Director Armstead Johnson I was enlightened about the programs offered and the scope of their business as the main distributor of food to large and small entities throughout Mercer County NJ.

Earlier this year I chatted with Mercer Street Friends Executive Director Armstead Johnson about the org. as a whole.  You can hear those conversations below.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/armstead-johnson-executive

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/armstead-johnson-executive-1

In closing if food justice is something that interests you I suggest you contact either Dr. Denalerie Johnson-Faniel or Executive Director Armstead Johnson for more information.

In the interim have a look at some images capture from my most recent visit.

~ a year ago I chatted with Ayana Iman of Authentic Convos over WIMG1300am

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/sets/ayana-iman


During times like these I am encouraged and motivated by wonderful people like Ayana.  Acting on a vision for the betterment of humans is a rare trait nowadays.  However it needs to start with authentic conversations.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1477643185623100/

On Saturday 11/11/17 from 5-8p her series Authentic Convos returns to Grounds For Sculpture

More info https://www.eventbrite.com/e/authentic-convos-tickets-38045850162

Recently I stopped by the #LBOT in the Franklin Park Neighborhood of Trenton NJ.  Before the winter is hard upon us I am going to repaint this piece to freshen things up a bit.

While visiting I dropped off a few dozen books and magazines from various sources.  Hard and soft covers including Romance, Philosophy and Youth items picked up from Championship Bar located at 931 Chambers St., and periodicals; Architectural Digest, Highlights for Kids and Quest for Boys donated by www.MagazineLiteracy.org

I have received requests for several boxes recently so stay tuned as this organic effort to address literacy expands!

Have a look at some of images that were captured.

Earlier this week I visited the non-profit East Trenton Collaborative (ETC) via a suggestion by Pearleen Waters.

Pearleen is a member of the Trenton Civic Trust and during our monthly meetings in a "no blame" environment the neighborhood of East Trenton came up. 

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/05/many_can_share_credit_for_rebirth_of_this_trenton.html

On Saturday I will be returning to the former site of Habitat For Humanity for the monthly ETC meeting.  During this meeting myself and Marc Leckington will share information about the suggested Skatepark on Amtico Sq. 

Hope you will join us as we meet the residents, Key Leaders of ETC and take a walking tour to see the neighborhood in a new way and visit the Skatepark location.

Saturday October 21, 2017
601 North Clinton Ave (Formerly Habitat for Humanity)
Meeting
10a - 12p

Walking Tour
1p - 3p

Link to Amtico Square Skatepark Concept
https://sway.com/WuJP5Do94DLu0BxP?ref=Link&loc=play

I met Filmmaker/Actor/Comedian Adrian Colon a few years ago when he was shopping his film "The Jokes On You" since that time we have connect on several occasions as he continues to grow in his craft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPBtJDjFno

Approximately 1 year ago he introduced me to Filmmaker Katherine Elisabeth Clark who was shopping her "Popup Anthology" Series.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/katherine-clark-adrian-colon

http://www.popupanthology.com/

Together they continue with solo projects and recently I sat down with them about their latest cooperative project a short film effort "Ways To Look At The Moon."

While in pre-production with cast and crew in place they are in the fundraising phase seeking financial backing.  A Kickstarter has been established of which you can find via this link.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/katherineclark/ways-to-look-at-the-moon?ref=discovery

Katherine and Adrian can be seen throughout the region supporting various initiatives and projects and I look forward to see the finished project "Ways To Look At The Moon" in the interim have a listen to the exclusive Trenton 365 interview.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByMyrFZzLTZ8dGpkX0xLSlV0ZVE

#LBOT represents Library Boxes of Trenton.

Today I met Miss Peaches at the Lawrence St Community Garden across the street from George Page Park off of Olden Ave.

While traveling through the north ward I saw this box distributing books.

I am not certain who Created this box, manages it etc., but I knew today I had to support it!

Make sure you stop by the Creation of an #LBOT at the 2nd Annual Trenton Makers Day Event happening on Friday July 28th from 10a to 3p, more information available at www.trentonmakers.org

In the interim have a look and listen to my chat with Alex Rivera of My Brothers Keeper sharing about Trenton Makers Day 2017.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/alex-rivera-trenton-makers-day

For up to date information about the Trenton 365 Show air schedule visit the website
www.trenton365.com

Here is some information from our Strike Out Hunger event the other day.

·         52 event staff

·         27 partners and sponsors

·         38 teams

·         600+ participants

·         Nearly 178,000 bowls of oatmeal packaged

Our key partner in the event was Mercer Street Friends Food Bank.

Sponsors included:

·         Wegmans

·         Horizon NJ Health

·         Johnson & Johnson

·         Wells Fargo

·         Case’s Pork Roll

·         Nordson

·         Stark & Stark

·         Ancero

·         East Windsor Education Association

·         NJM

·         Mercadien

·         Wawa

UWGMC also partnered with ten community agencies in Mercer County to expand the focus on summer hunger. These agencies have collectively been awarded $75,000 to purchase additional food to stock their pantries for the upcoming summer months. The goal is to assist more children, families, and other vulnerable individuals to help prevent hunger over the summer.

·         Arm In Arm

·         Catholic Charities

·         Mt. Carmel Guild

·         RISE

·         HomeFront

·         Trenton Area Soup Kitchen

·         Jewish Family & Children’s Service

·         Meals on Wheels of Mercer County

·         Rescue Mission of Trenton

·         Mercer Street Friends Food Bank

We are also partnering with Advocates for Children of NJ, the City of Trenton and the County of Mercer to produce flyers to help make vulnerable populations aware of free summer meals in our area.

In partnership,

Cheri

Cheri Hennessy Durst

Vice President of Development & Strategic Partnerships

United Way of Greater Mercer County

609-637-4904

Cheri.durst@uwgmc.org

http://www.uwgmc.org/

Crossroads Corporate Center

3150 Brunswick Pike, Suite 230

Lawrenceville, NJ  08648

Have a look at some images I captured of the event.

Images of the United Way of Greater Mercer County "Strike Out Hunger"event.

Have a listen to some archived interviews with Tarry Truitt on the Trenton 365 Show

Several years ago when I took a week long training for Community Organizing I had no idea what was going to happen.

I was always interested in the lives of others and found joy spending time with people of various backgrounds.

In Trenton NJ we have a group of citizens who are actively involved in the process of addressing areas of concern and seeking solutions through a no-blame approach.  The Trenton Civic Trust is part of the Citizens Campaign, a non-profit organization.

On August 5, 2017 we will have a statewide gathering called the Civic Summit

WE INVITE YOU TO

THE CIVIC SUMMIT

Empowering – Motivational – Educational

SATURDAY – AUGUST 5, 2017

LOCATION: Rutgers Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations Building

50 Labor Center Way – New Brunswick, NJ 08901

[Parking available on-site]

SCHEDULE: 9:00 – 10:00 am Registration & Continental Breakfast

PROGRAM: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm -- - Lunch will be provided.

10:00 – 11:00 am

The Power of Citizens, School Board Members and the Superintendent

Panelists: Jonathan Busch, The Busch Law Group

Dale Caldwell, President, New Brunswick Board of Education

Nicole Okun, Former Superintendent, Old Bridge Public Schools

11:00 am - Noon

Navigating Through Political Obstacles: In depth guide to the 10 Step Problem-Solving Process

Panelists: Harry Pozycki, The Citizens Campaign

Rob Horowitz, Political Strategy Consultant

Noon – 1:00 pm

Lunch/Media Literacy: Depicting Fact from Fiction in the News

Keynote Speaker: Joe Amditis, Center for Cooperative Media

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Civic Trusts-- -Open Discussion: Collaborating on Solutions

Panelists: Harry Pozycki, The Citizens Campaign

Joel Rosa, The Citizens Campaign

RSVP: Seating is Limited! RSVP to Evelyn Torres at evelyn@thecitizenscampaign.org  

In the interim have a look at some images from past Trenton Civic Trust meetings.

#LBOT or Library Boxes of Trenton has been a rewarding project for me.  As with most of what I do it includes several partners, lots of moving parts and of course civic engagement.

The #LBOT located at the Bethany House of Hospitality continues to warm my heart.  Recently I dropped off ~50 books picked up from #ChampsTrenton and a few dozen magazines from Magazine Literacy.Org

This location moves a lot of reading materials.  The residents who are committed adopters of this #LBOT shared with me that it is used all the time.  They have even expanded to place give away items in good condition near the #LBOT and they are taken as well!

The location is a good one; along a NJ Transit Bus Route, with high volumes of foot traffic, next door to an active church and across the street from a vibrant park.

Have a look at the promotional video regarding the development of the Bethany House of Hospitality - BHOH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-In-A7LOnY

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Did you know Trenton NJ has a Farm!  Have a look and listen to my coverage of the Capital City Farm led by Allegra Lovejoy.

/trenton365/2016/09/capital-city-farm-trenton-nj-september.html

While out and about doing what I do I stopped by this location near the Trenton Police HQ and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen to document this #LBOT.  A few paperbacks were present so I loaded it up with Guideposts Magazines from Magazine Literacy and some romance novels from Champs.

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Biking was my freedom as a "youngster" and I want to help others have that experience.  The biking culture in Trenton NJ is organic, artistic, functional and growing!  From the monthly Trenton Social Ride led by Wills Kinsley, small groups led by cyclist Kevin Duddy, Bike Polo, Tall Bike Modifications and the advocacy group Trenton Cycling Revolution - TCR regularly you can see a diverse collection of people riding bikes in Trenton.

In preparation for the annual Bike Tour of Trenton a small group came together to start the process for the route creation.  This took us to Trenton Coffeehouse and Roaster owned and operated by Abdul Qadir.  During this visit I checked in on the #LBOT adopted by Abdul and created by Arizona Perron.  This #LBOT had a few offerings and appears to be doing just fine.

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In addition to the BHOH, the Capital City Farm and Trenton Coffeehouse and Roaster locations I have received a few calls from others who want to Adopt a #LBOT one of them is Ida Malloy.

Ida who is very civically active contacted me about her "Backyard Book Club" which meets weekly and offers reading materials to the neighborhood children.  Ida received over 200 copies of Highlights Magazine to share and I expect she will need more!

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Each Monday night at Champs Trenton, 931 Chambers St., #LBOT Artist Lori Johansson hosts "Art Chill Night" and on July 24th the theme will be literacy!  Join us as we create art inspired by literacy, sort and package books and magazines that will be delivered throughout the area.

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In closing think about how you can be a part of this effort with your time, talent and treasures!

If you Adopted a #LBOT, we need to hear from you about your experiences so we can support your efforts!

On Sunday July 9th, 2017 nine riders of various levels met in Downtown Trenton NJ at Mill Hill Park to start the planning process for the 2017 version of the Bike Tour of Trenton presented by the Trenton Cycling Revolution.

Trenton Cycling Revolution - TCR is a Biking advocacy organization with over 2 decades of service to New Jersey's Capital City.  As per the website the mission and goals are described as;

"To create a safe and healthy environment
for bicyclists in Greater Trenton
through education, engagement,
advocacy and promotion."

• Increase the number of people using bicycles as transportation.
• Create a safe environment for bicyclists.
• Provide security for bicycles.
• Improve the quality of the environment.
• Increase linkages between bicyclists, pedestrians and users of public transportation.
• Improve the health of individuals and families by providing opportunities for recreation.
• Provide opportunities for education and advocacy.
• Create a Master Plan for Bicycling.
• Pass a Complete Streets policy in Trenton.

2017 will mark the 21st ride presented by "TCR" which was founded by Lisa Kasabach.  Chair Wills Kinsley is once again leading the ride themed "Holy Rollin" which will take participants throughout the 4 Wards of Trenton visiting some of the active Faith Centers and historic buildings.

This years ride will be a bit longer than previous rides with early estimates at 18-20 miles in length with a tentative date of early October.

Have a listen to some audio from previous TCR interviews on the Trenton 365 Show.

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/sets/biking-in-trenton-nj

Have a look at some images from our scouting ride which included visits to several faith centers, coffee at Trenton Coffeehouse and Roaster and fruit break at St. Josephs.

Levitt Amp Trenton 2017

On Thursday June 29^th 2017 the latest version of the Levitt Amp Trenton Concert Series kicked off in a new location and with a new time.

The 10 FREE family friendly concerts are held every Thursday from 5-8p in Mill Hill Park located in Historic Downtown Trenton NJ.

To lead this year’s events the TDA-Trenton Downtown Association has contracted the talents of Joseph Kuzemka of The Rockhopper Creative to coordinate the events. 

Kuzemka is a Trenton native and Creative Director of the Artworks Trenton 24 hour event Art All Night as well as the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market.

A quote from Kuzemka

“From Grammy award-winning musicians to an international act from Mexico, we have an amazing lineup in store that will also focus on the incredible, local talent that is so active within the City of Trenton. Pairing that with shining a spotlight on some of the most active arts and cultural groups the City of Trenton has to offer is a perfect match and makes for an exciting Thursday evening in the Capital City.”

In addition to talented musical offerings, many downtown businesses will be open extended hours, local Artists will be on site painting murals, and a local food vendor and food trucks will be on site as well.

Keeping with the Levitt Amp theme of community building, each week a Trenton non-profit organization will be highlighted.

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“From My Perspective Levitt Amp Trenton week 1 Derrick Hodge” by Jacque Pierre Howard

When I was asked to be the Host/Emcee of the 2017 version of the Levitt Amp Trenton Outdoor Concert Series I knew the fit would be perfect.  As the Creator and Host of a privately syndicated radio and TV program immediately I thought of how I could impact the event by sharing my perspective with my audience.

The weather was perfect for an outdoor event such as the Levitt Amp Trenton Concert Series.  The sun shined with a light breeze and the few clouds mingled nicely to make the venue comfortable.

After connecting with my teammates and receiving instructions it was time to go to work!  In my role as an Ambassador I aim to meet as many people as possible and to help set the mood.  My focus of “Building a Better Community through Civic Engagement” fits into the Levitt Amp theme perfectly.

As I walked around welcoming the vendors and early arrivals I noticed an obvious buzz, the musicians, attendees, vendors and staff were all very excited!

The positioning of the stage fit nicely into the natural amphitheater and provided great site lines, views of the manicured park as well as multiple areas for the visitor’s to enjoy the event in comfort.

After taking the stage for some “housekeeping” announcements I introduced Mayor Eric Jackson who welcomed the audience and local opening act Downright Down.

Self described as a Blues, Funk, Soul band playing a combination of covers and original music, Downright Down had the audience smiling, singing along and dancing.

Between acts local non-profit organization Artworks Trenton came to the stage represented by Board President Lehze Flax who shared a bit about “Trenton’s Visual Arts Center” including Art All Night, Gallery Exhibits, Educational offerings and more.

It was now time for headliner Derrick Hodge to take the stage.  This Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Bass Virtuoso from Willingboro NJ mentioned “This feeling like a homecoming” and jumped right into a lively set of his compositions.

The ~500 people were encouraged to document the experience via social media using the #musicmoves.

On Thursday July 6^th we welcome Headliner Sotomayor from Mexico with opening act Agudos Clef  

Opening act Agudos Clef is a Trenton-based Latin Hip Hop duo and Headliner Sotomayor is billed as “Latin Electronic.”

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The Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series comes through a competitive grant award from the private Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation designed to help “communities to transform neglected public spaces into welcoming destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life.” The acronym “AMP” stands for Amplify Music Places.

Trenton was one of only 15 American cities to receive a 2017 $25,000 Levitt AMP Grant. The project is also supported by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group — which matched the grant — and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

TDA Executive Director Tom Gilmour says the series provides “opportunities for visitors to come back to the city.”

For more information on schedules, parking, and directions to the park, visit www.levittamp.org/trenton.

Levitt Amp Concert Series Press Conference

https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/levitt-amp-trenton-press

A few images