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Mayor re-elected to fourth term
Ross finds a musical voice with youth orchestra
BY BILL SANSERVINO
BY CAMMIE LEE
Editor’s note: The Trenton Youth Orchestra comprises Trenton Central High School musicians who rehearse weekly, guided by students from Princeton University. The profile below tells the story of one of the orchestra’s student musicians. Ashanti Ross has the kind of stage presence that arrests you with its unassuming regality. She betrays no fear, no tension, no anxiety—as a soloist in the Trenton Arts at Princeton showcase last spring, she takes the stage without any hesitation. With the Trenton Youth Orchestra, she performs an arrangement of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion”—a complex and virtuosic tango piece requiring tasteful, daring improvisation. When she begins to play, tossing out trills and flourishes with silky ease, the power and beauty of her sound still the room. Ashanti then hooks up her vioSee ROSS, Page 8
Sarah Steward, the new CEO of Lawrence-based nonprofit Homefront, with her predecessor, Connie Mercer.
Steward fights on the front line against homelessness BY REBEKAH SCHROEDER
Sarah Steward has big shoes to fill. There is no question about that for the person chosen to take over from HomeFront’s longtime CEO and founder, Connie Mercer, who led the nonprofit organization in combating family homelessness and poverty for 31 years.
But Steward naturally stepped into them, bringing with her a recognition of the task ahead, as well as a message of timeless importance—rather than focus on ‘replacing’ Mercer, Steward had already been working alongside her to fill stomachs across Mercer County for seven years, equally nourishing minds and spirits as HomeFront’s COO.
HomeFront, based in Lawrence Township, announced Mercer’s transition back in March. In an April interview with the Lawrence Gazette, the pioneer behind the area’s first family shelter shared her intentions to pursue “bigger picture issues,” such as legislative reforms, before passing the torch. See STEWARD, Page 4
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All incumbents running in municipal and school races won reelection in this year’s election on Nov. 8. According to unofficial results as of Nov. 21, in the race for mayor, incumbent Democrat Bert Steinmann easily won re-election to his fourth four-year term over Republican Ron Prykanowski by a wide margin—7,546 to 3,064. Steinmann is the longest-serving mayor in Ewing history, since the township instituted the mayorcouncil form of government in 1994. The mayor’s Democratic running mates—incumbents Kathleen Wollert and Sarah Steward—also outpaced Republican challengers Colleen DiPastina and William Andres for two open four year terms on the township council. Steward was the top vote getter with 7,548, followed by Wollert with 7,421, DiPastina with 2,987 and Andres with 2,911. In the race for three open threeyear terms on the Ewing Township See ELEcTION, Page 3
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