Inside this issue:
SIX09 Senior Living COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
NOVEMBER 2022 FREE
TWW takeover State initiates partial oversight of beleaguered utility By BiLL SANserViNO
The new turf soccer field at Notre Dame is being named after Mike Perone (right). The former soccer coach is pictured with his assistant coach of 40 years, Sigmund “Ziggy” Zegarski, and former player Jake Nerwinski.
Irish soccer field named in honor of longtime coach By Rich Fisher
When it came to naming Notre Dame High’s new turf soccer field in honor of Mike Perone, there was no decision to be made. It was more automatic than a penalty kick with no goalie defending. “I think that there’s no other person more deser ving than
coach Perone,” said former Irish player Jake Ner winski, a 2014 ND grad now in his sixth MLS season with the Vancouver Whitecaps. “To sustain the success he had with Notre Dame for such a long time—and I mean long time—it’s so impressive and shows what kind of person he is. There’s no ND boys soccer without Coach Perone and I’m ver y
happy that his legacy is now set in stone…I mean turf!” How long was it? Tr y 40 years. So long, that he coached Ner winski’s uncle Frank in his first year of 1977, and his father, Kevin, in the early 1980s. All three Ner winskis are Lawrenceville products. “I think the field could not have been named after anyone See FIELD, Page 7
Enough is finally enough with Trenton Water Works. The state Department of Environmental Protection is intervening in the daily operations of TWW, which has failed to address numerous problems in the provision of safe drinking water for many years. The utility, which is owned and run by the city of Trenton, supplies approximately 29 million gallons of drinking water every day to more than 200,000 people—including all of Trenton and Ewing, and parts of Hamilton, Hopewell and Lawrence townships. In 2020, the state attorney general and DEP filed a lawsuit against TWW—which was joined the municipalities served by the water utility—seeking to compel the City of Trenton and the water utility to take the necessary actions after failing to comply with Administrative Consent Orders to provide safe drinking water. The takeover in TWW operations follows a months-long investigation by the DEP of conditions affecting the utility that concluded that it continues to struggle to meet water safety regulations. The DEP takeover also comes amidst reports that Legionella—the
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bacteria that causes the sometimesdeadly Legionnaires’ disease—has been detected in the water systems of homes throughout TWW’s service area (see page 6). In an announcement on Oct. 12, the governor’s office said that the state “will work with the city to enhance TWW’s technical and managerial capacity.” The goal is to improve the operations and maintenance of the utility. “Since the outset of my administration, the provision of clean, affordable drinking water and the promotion of healthy communities have remained among our foremost priorities,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “Under the leadership of the DEP and in coordination with the City of Trenton, we will work tirelessly to safeguard our residents and return water system quality to the level our communities deserve.” DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said that the state needs to invest more time, attention and resources in struggling utilities like TWW. He added that the state will provide direct operational oversight to help TWW build the capacity necessary to better serve the public. “Through this initiative, DEP and the city will more fully assess the system’s needs, meet its challenges, and ensure its long-term success for the benefit of the people of Trenton and the surrounding See TWW, Page 5
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