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SEPTEMBER 2024 FREE
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Election 2024: Poll workers wanted
Cell phones banned in class at LHS By BiLL SanserVinO
By LiZ CiOcher
As Mercer County gears up for this year’s upcoming elections on Tuesday, Nov. 5, a pressing need has emerged for poll workers. Mercer County residents can help play a crucial role in the election process by volunteering to work at the polls on Election Day. “The biggest issue is that we want people to come out and vote, but if we don’t have the workers, how are they going to vote?” said Jill Moyer, Mercer County Board of Elections chair woman. The number of poll workers is not only low in Mercer County—it’s a nation-wide problem. According to estimates from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, about one million poll workers are needed to staff approximately 100,000 polling places across the countr y this November. The process to become a poll worker includes several See POLLS, Page 8
Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer and her dog, Alfred, at the grand opening of the new Hero Dog Park in Lawrence Township’s Hamnet Memorial Park on Aug. 15, 2024.
Dog park celebrates the legacy of a canine hero By IsaBeLLa Darcy
Lawrence Township’s Hamnett Park in the 1960s and 70s was a vivacious recreation area where sporting events transpired, and children played. In recent decades, a large portion of the park has gone unused. That changed on Aug. 15, when
Hero Dog Park in Hamnett Park opened to the public. For over three years the township has worked to renovate the unutilized space at 1600 Ohio Avenue into two new fenced-in dog park areas for both large and small dogs, with additions like a perimeter walking path, a patio seating area and utility services.
The name Hero Dog Park was suggested to Nerwinski by Lawrence Township’s Superintendent of Recreation, Nancy Bergen, who was inspired by an article she discovered about a war dog in a 1995 story in a local newspaper. The piece was written by the late James Hewitt—a WWII veteran See HERO, Page 6
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Lawrence Township Public Schools is instituting a new cell phone policy at the high school in an effort to improve classroom focus and student well-being. Effective immediately, cell phones, earbuds and smartwatches will be prohibited during instructional time. Students will be required to “park” these devices in designated areas upon entering the classroom. Students will be permitted to use their devices during noninstructional time, such as transition periods and lunch. “This shift in mindset following the pandemic is a proactive step to minimize distractions and create an environment where our students can fully engage with their studies and each other,” said Superintendent Robyn Klim. An LTPS news release states that the policy aims to reduce distractions and promote a more engaging learning environment. “Research consistently shows that unrestricted access to digital devices and social media during school hours can negatively See PHONES, Page 13
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