Advance Robbinsville
SEPTEMBER 2024 FREE
SPECIAL SECTION STARTS ON PAGE 15 COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Charitable effort raises ‘dough’ for a good cause By ALLy UhLeNDOrF
On a crisp morning in Robbinsville, the local Farmers Market is buzzing with business. Among the rows of fresh produce and local artists, a vibrant, delicious stand catches the eye. Here, Sarah Reggimenti is running a small but impactful operation that goes beyond the sales. This scene is the result of years of dedication and innovation to “Macarons on a Mission,” a macaron business started by Reggimenti, a Robbinsville resident. The business’ sales are dedicated toward a variety of charities that support children
Robbinsville Police Chief Michael Polaski has announced that he will be retiring at the end of this year.
Robbinsville Police Chief Polaski to retire Dec. 31 EDiTeD By BiLL SANserViNO
Robbinsville Police Chief Michael Polaski will retire at the end of the year, capping off a distinguished 25-year career with the department. Robbinsville Police Chief Michael Polaski will retire at the end of December. The retirement was announced on Aug. 16 via a news release by Mayor
David Fried, who also serves as the township’s director of public safety. Chief Polaski—who assumed the role of full-time chief in January 2022, following the retirement of former Chief Chris Nitti—will officially retire on December 31. Nitti, who served the Robbinsville Police Department for 28 years, including the last three as chief, was sucSee CHIEF, Page 4
with special medical and developmental needs, an extremely personal cause to Reggimenti and her family. All this hard work and commitment led Reggimenti to receiving the Robbinsville’s Joe Barker Volunteer Star Award — a recognition given to those whose community efforts resonate deeply with the spirit of volunteerism and inclusion. She was honored with the award in June at the annual Community Day festival. Barker, the township’s longtime director of recreation and a staunch advocate for volunteerism, died on in 2018 followSee MACARONS, Page 10
New bill requires literacy screenings in grades K-3 By BiLL SANserViNO
All school districts in New Jersey will be required to implement a set of new initiatives aimed at strengthening the literacy levels of young students. The new mandates stem from a pair of bills approved in August by Gov. Phil Murphy and the state legislature that call for targeted intervention, tested learning strategies, teacher training and continuous monitoring. A main component of the package is a new requirement that students in grades K-3 be screened for their reading ability.
According to statistics provided by the state, 57.6% of all third graders in New Jersey are not meeting reading proficiency levels. Those numbers increase to 73.6% for Black, and 72.5% for Latino third graders not reading at grade level. Robbinsville Public Schools acting Superintendent Jeff Gorman looked positively on the changes. He said that the district is committed to implementing the laws’ strategies and supporting educators “with the most current research-based and researchproven resources necessary to elevate See LITERACY, Page 13
Academy Dental CHILDREN & ADULTS Complete Dentistry for the Whole Family
AcademyDentalNJ.com
See our ad on pg 3
Currently Open for Emergency Dental Care See our ad on page 11
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SPRINGFIELD,1179 MA NEWARK, NJ PERMIT NO. 142