P P Hamilton ton ost Hamilton ost AUGUST 2023
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Hire learning In his new memoir, “Uneducated,” Christopher Zara asks: what is the true value of a college degree?
Retiree turns ordinary yard into extraordinary green space By PaTricia A. TayLOr
In what may well be called a magnificent obsession, Brian Sakowski has created a stunning public garden on Arena Drive in Hamilton. The garden is a public one because there’s no need to make an appointment or to buy a ticket to see this colorful creation, which fills the entire front of the property — even both borders of the sidewalk. Just drive or walk by and should you see Sakowski weeding or watering, stop and have a chat or two with him. Visitors are free, Sakowski says, to walk around the paths he designed to have a closer look at the various plantings. Until 5 years ago, this garden was a typical green lawn, backed by a few shrubs next to Sakowski’s house. The rear of his property was another matter. There, Sakowski had been slowly transforming a bland back yard into a vibrant display. See GARDEN, Page 6
By JOe EMansKi
Drones can help fire inspectors get a close look at hazards like this water tower, smoldering at the former Goodall rubber factory on Whitehead Road after a massive June fire, without risking life and limb. (Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Township Fire Division.)
Drones play ever greater role in improving public safety By Sue Ferrara
When a very large bear decided to roam through a Hamilton neighborhood this past May, residents—who could easily see the lumbering mammal on their Ring cameras—called the Hamilton Township Police department. “The bear sighting occurred on May 8th around 9:30 p.m.,”
Hamilton Township Police Chief Kenneth DeBoskey said in an interview. “We received calls from several residents regarding the bear wandering around.” The department had to strike a balance between keeping residents and property safe, while making sure the bear didn’t grow aggressive as it ambled across lawns and driveways. The officers also didn’t want
to startle the bear, potentially becoming the object of its scorn. And, thanks to what is rapidly becoming an important tool for law enforcement agencies and fire departments—a drone— Hamilton police officers were able to safely monitor the bear’s movement through the residential area. “Officers tracked the bear See DRONES, Page 10
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Christopher Zara has heard it before: That he has made it. That he is a successful journalist at a national magazine. A respected professional. “Considering where I started from, it seems that way from the outside,” he says. “I work in journalism, and people know who I am. But to me, it doesn’t feel like I’ve made it.” Zara is a senior editor, running the news desk for Fast Company, a business magazine and website known for its trendspotting and crisp writing. But unusually for someone in his position, he does not have a college degree — a twist that he explores in depth in his book, Uneducated: A Memoir of Flunking Out, Falling Apart, and Finding My Worth,” published in May by Little, Brown and Co. “I still feel like I’m one layoff away from being right where I See UNEDUCATED, Page 8
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