HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Blawenburg, NJ

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HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY for Women estrogen
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What Causes Menopause?

The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:

Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.

Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.

Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.

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Depression

If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.

Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:

  • Mood Swings
  • Inappropriate Guilt
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Too Much or Too Little Sleep
  • Lack of Interest in Life
  • Overwhelming Feelings

Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.

 HRT For Women Blawenburg, NJ

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.

Symptoms of hot flashes include:

  • Sudden, Overwhelming Feeling of Heat
  • Anxiety
  • High Heart Rate
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness

Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.

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Mood Swings

Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.

The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.

Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Blawenburg, NJ for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.

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Weight Gain

Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?

  • Estrogen: During menopause, estrogen levels are depleted. As such, the body must search for other sources of estrogen. Because estrogen is stored in fat, your body believes it should increase fat production during menopause. Estrogen also plays a big part in insulin resistance, which can make it even harder to lose weight and keep it off.
  • Progesterone: Progesterone levels are also depleted during menopause. Progesterone depletion causes bloating and water retention, while loss of testosterone limits the body's ability to burn calories.
  • Ongoing Stress: Stress makes our bodies think that food is hard to come by, putting our bodies in "survival mode". When this happens, cortisol production is altered. When cortisol timing changes, the energy in the bloodstream is diverted toward making fat. With chronic stress, this process repeatedly happens, causing extensive weight gain during menopause.
 HRT Blawenburg, NJ

Low Libido

Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Blawenburg, NJ can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?

The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.

Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.

Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.

 Hormone Replacement Blawenburg, NJ

Vaginal Dryness

Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.

Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Blawenburg, NJ

Fibroids

Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.

Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.

Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.

 HRT For Men Blawenburg, NJ

Endometriosis

Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.

Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.

Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.

 Sermorelin Blawenburg, NJ

What is Sermorelin?

Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.

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Benefits of Sermorelin

Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.

  • Benefits of Sermorelin include:
  • Better Immune Function
  • Improved Physical Performance
  • More Growth Hormone Production
  • Less Body Fat
  • Build More Lean Muscle
  • Better Sleep
 Hormone Replacement Blawenburg, NJ

What is Ipamorelin?

Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.

Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.

Hormone Replacement Therapy Blawenburg, NJ

Benefits of Ipamorelin

One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.

When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:

  • Powerful Anti-Aging Properties
  • More Muscle Mass
  • Less Unsightly Body Fat
  • Deep, Restful Sleep
  • Increased Athletic Performance
  • More Energy
  • Less Recovery Time for Training Sessions and Injuries
  • Enhanced Overall Wellness and Health
  • No Significant Increase in Cortisol

Your New, Youthful Lease on Life with HRT for Women

Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Blawenburg, NJ, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!

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Latest News in Blawenburg, NJ

Delicious Dining and a Warm Welcome Await Visitors at the Blawenburg Bistro

TEAM WORK: “Our goal is to provide the absolute pinnacle of food quality and services. Our logo is pineapple (the Colonial universal sign of welcome) and tulips (traditional flowers from Holland that represent the Dutch family of John Blaw, the settler of Blawenburg).” Jennifer Cifelli, far left, owner of the new Blawenburg Bistro, is shown with staff members, from left, Rebecca, Kenia, and Kelly.By Jean StrattonI am glad to come to work every single day! And I am here every day. I am inspired by thi...

TEAM WORK: “Our goal is to provide the absolute pinnacle of food quality and services. Our logo is pineapple (the Colonial universal sign of welcome) and tulips (traditional flowers from Holland that represent the Dutch family of John Blaw, the settler of Blawenburg).” Jennifer Cifelli, far left, owner of the new Blawenburg Bistro, is shown with staff members, from left, Rebecca, Kenia, and Kelly.

By Jean Stratton

I am glad to come to work every single day! And I am here every day. I am inspired by this opportunity.”

The many customers of the Blawenburg Bistro share owner Jennifer Cifelli’s enthusiasm. They are coming from all over the Princeton area and beyond, stopping in for coffee and a croissant early in the morning as they commute to work, or later in the day for a leisurely lunch.

Opened in April, the Bistro is a dream come true for owner Cifelli, who always loved cooking, but who took a detour before owning her own restaurant. She had a previous career as a teacher, but as she says, “I wanted to make a change, and this was the time to do it. I was always interested in cooking and different kinds of food. I was a foodie from day one!

“Also, we found just the right location at 391 County Route 518 in the Blawenburg Village section of Skillman. Our iconic corner building has a long history over more than 250 years. It has been a post office, general store, dry cleaner, deli, antique shop, newspaper headquarters, dog groomer, catering company, and cafe. We are proud to have a legacy of successful and welcoming businesses that have come before us. We want to keep that tradition.”

High Quality

In fact, the tradition is well under way. High quality choices are available all day long for sit down and takeout, and in addition, a very busy catering business has been established.

“Blawenburg Bistro is an upscale, yet casual establishment that focuses on gourmet cafe-style offerings,” explains Cifelli. “We feel we are an elevated-style cafe. We are all about flavor, and everything is well executed by our great staff and excellent chef.

“We have our own recipes, and all our dishes are unique — we are not boring. For example, we have special herbed mayo, exceptional curried chicken salad, and we make our own sourdough. We offer allergen-friendly choices, and gluten-free. A lot of our customers are vegetarian and vegan, and we have pastry alternatives for vegans.”

The customers like everything, adds Cifelli, herself a hands-on cook at the Bistro.

“We have many regulars and repeat customers, and some even come every day. It’s interesting: some people order the same thing every time, and others are working their way through the menu.”

They will all find numerous choices to please the palate.

Intriguing Combinations

Breakfast offers everything from egg and cheddar sandwiches on a croissant to gluten-free quiche cups with ham, Swiss cheese, and spinach to avocado toast to the very popular veggie bowls (a combination of assorted cooked vegetables). A tempting variety of bagels, muffins, and croissants are available, and two other specialties are croissant bread pudding, and chocolate babka.

Salads and sandwiches highlight lunchtime, and they offer intriguing and often unexpected combinations. Mixed greens with pears, candied pecans, and bleu cheese, served with balsamic vinaigrette is in demand, as is Romaine lettuce with parmesan cheese and garlic brioche croutons, served with Caesar dressing.

Spinach salad with walnuts, Marcona almonds, apple, local cheddar, bacon and eggs, served with apple cider vinaigrette is a real crowd pleaser, and chicken or salmon can be added to each salad.

Sandwiches are served with truffle chips, and many delicious opportunities await. Turkey with cranberry aioli and basil on grain bread; grilled chicken with brie, caramelized onions, and raspberry jam on a baguette; and ham with goat cheese, red pepper jam, and arugula on a baguette.

The Bistro’s unique grilled cheese with fig and brie is a fan favorite; also, chicken tacos with mango salsa; salmon cake with herbed mayo and pickled red onion on a brioche bun; and hummus, cucumber, and tomatoes with sprouts in a bowl, served with bagel chips or wrap are additional favorites.

The display case is filled with an assortment of all kinds of pies, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and tortes, including gluten-free and vegan choices, to tempt the taste buds.

Custom-Baked

“All our pastries are made here,” says Cifelli, “and we have custom-baked cakes and pies. You can order a slice or a whole cake or pie.”

The variety of beverages includes assorted coffees, tea, fresh-squeezed orange juice, lemonade, imported sodas, sparkling water, and more.

Prices include a range, with breakfasts starting at $6, muffins at $3, and lunches up to $13.

In addition, the catering side of the business has been expanding, especially for private residential events. “We do all size parties and gatherings, and offer all kinds of choices, including elevated food for special parties and events, and hot and cold sandwiches for informal gatherings,” points out Cifelli.

“We were very busy for Thanksgiving dinners, and are now getting set up for Christmas and New Year’s. We also have a private room here for small groups.”

The Bistro can seat 35 (including at the counter), and there are eight tables outdoors for warm weather dining. Sophisticated food choices blend very nicely with the down-to-earth decor and friendly atmosphere.

Long-Term

Cifelli looks forward to many years serving customers and introducing them to her special dishes.

“We are planning for the long-term. We are here to stay. I enjoy getting to know our clientele so much. They are all ages, including families — it’s a real melting pot here. People are so glad to be out again after having to be inside during the last year. They really started coming here right away, and they keep coming.

“We do our best to offer a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and I am truly blessed with our staff. I love working with them, and I am so lucky. No wonder I like to be here every day!”

Blawenburg Bistro is open Monday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. On weekdays, the kitchen closes at 2:30 p.m., but pastries and coffee are available until closing.

Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) James Kerney Campus (JKC) Gallery now presents an exhibit, “Homecoming 2021,” which showcases the works of photography students who graduated during the pandemic. The show runs through January 29, with a virtual and in-person artist reception on Saturday, December 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. The public is invited.

“Homecoming 2021” is a FujiFilm-sponsored collaboration between Booksmart Studio (Eric Kunsman) and Float Photo Magazine (Yoav Friedlander and Dana Stirling), along with JKC Gallery Director Michael Chovan-Dalton and artist Alanna Airitam. The show celebrates the hard-fought creative triumphs of students around the globe whose final years as undergraduate and graduate students were disrupted by the pandemic.

Chovan-Dalton said, “Typically, the final year of a student’s art program is filled with hope and possibilities, and while most institutions did a good job of providing students with alternative modes of learning and interacting, the past two graduating classes have had to settle for limited access to artist visits and delayed or remote thesis exhibitions and graduation ceremonies. ‘Homecoming 2021’ is our way of helping students continue their momentum forward to a fulfilling life in the arts.”

The free, open, worldwide call to “Homecoming 2021” invited 2020-2021 photography graduates — at the four-year and graduate level — to submit their work. All work will be published and select images will be exhibited at Mercer County Community College’s JKC Gallery. One student will be awarded a FujiFilm GFX 100S camera and lens donated by FujiFilm North America during the December 11 reception.

“The works selected for the exhibit feature graduate artists that span the globe,” said Chovan-Dalton. “This show represents as broad a range of talented recent photo graduates as we could fit on these walls. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible, limited mostly by wall and publication space. It is our hope that this work gets into the hands of those who can provide opportunities for these talented graduates.”

For more information about the artists, visit jkcgallery.online/homecoming-2021.

The JKC Gallery is located at 137 North Broad Street in Trenton. Hours are Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by reservation. To learn more about the show, the reception, and registration requirements, including Zoom links, visit JKCGallery.online.

Progress Achieved in Fight Against the Blight at Montgomery's Route 518-206 Intersection

Progress continues at the intersection of routes 518 and 206. In mid-January, demolition crews began dismantling 1026 Route 518, the former Gamma Tech property.Demolition crew at 1026 Route 518 in Montgomery Township last week. Photo by Richard D. Smith.On the west side of the intersection, the township has pressed the property owners of two other abandoned buildings to move forward with demolition.Larry Thul, the owner of the shuttered Auto Parts store located at 990 Route 518, has hired a contractor to clean-up the pro...

Progress continues at the intersection of routes 518 and 206. In mid-January, demolition crews began dismantling 1026 Route 518, the former Gamma Tech property.

Demolition crew at 1026 Route 518 in Montgomery Township last week. Photo by Richard D. Smith.

On the west side of the intersection, the township has pressed the property owners of two other abandoned buildings to move forward with demolition.

Larry Thul, the owner of the shuttered Auto Parts store located at 990 Route 518, has hired a contractor to clean-up the property and prepare the necessary permits to demolish the building.

The former Texaco station at 1276 Route 206, next to Tiger’s Tale, has been given notice that fines will be issued for failure to comply with local laws on property maintenance and vacant property registration.

The property owner previously indicated the building would be demolished upon development of a Dunkin Donuts with a drive-thru. The proposal failed. It did not conform with local zoning and was denied a d(3) conditional use variance by the Montgomery Township Zoning Board on January 25, 2022.

The owner must still comply with the township’s vacant property registration ordinance, health codes regulating nuisances, and the construction code regulating unsafe structures.

The owner has filed a lawsuit with Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division (Somerset County) and the township is waiting for the trial date to be set.

This is the second such lawsuit filed with respect to this application. The first court challenge by this property owner came after the Zoning Board approved the application in 2015 but banned left turns from the site onto Route 518. That case was on hold until the NJ Department of Transportation completed its review of the application.

Four years later in August 2020, the DOT agreed with the board’s left turn prohibition and had additional concerns about cars exiting the site onto Route 206, requiring changes to the site plan.

In 2021, the developer submitted a new plan. After four public hearings with considerable public comment and expert testimony, the Zoning Board unanimously denied the application.

Further west, 982 Route 518 sold [for $1.2 million on September 28 according to Zillow]. In December, an application was submitted for a day care center and medical office building — both are permitted uses in the commercial zone. The application is pending the submission of additional information.

The Zoning Board will soon have a public hearing on a proposed 135-foot tall Verizon cell tower in the Bridgepoint section of the township. The tower is proposed within an unrestricted area of the preserved Johnson Farm, and within the Bridgepoint State and National Historic District. For more information, you can watch the recorded meeting on the township website, or view the application “Verizon Cell Tower – Sector Site NJ-0418” on the “Projects” page.

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Finally, during the November 8 election, Montgomery voters approved the Board of Education referendum for full-day kindergarten. As a result, the Montgomery Township Tax Collector is mailing out a supplemental school tax bill for the 1st and 2nd quarter for capital improvements and operational expenses for full-day kindergarten.

For information regarding the use of these funds, please contact the School District Superintendent, Mary E. McLaughlin at [email protected].

Municipal governments follow state rules for assessing property, collecting property taxes and then distributing the funds to the public school board, municipal and county governments and other dedicated purposes.

The largest portion of municipal taxes is for the school system. In Montgomery, the school district will receive 68 percent of the 2023 tax bill, followed by the municipal government (13 percent), Somerset County (12 percent), Fire Districts (3 percent), County Library System (2 percent), and the dedicated Open Space Trusts of the municipality (1 percent) and the county (1 percent). ?

County to Help Monty Fill Its Empty Office Bldgs

Montgomery Township Committee is looking to the county for help in finding tenants to fill office space that has been vacant since before the pandemic.Montgomery is primarily a residential community with pockets of large office campuses such as Johnson & Johnson (now Kenvue), which still occupies its large property on Grandview Road. Kenvue recently announced its new headquarters...

Montgomery Township Committee is looking to the county for help in finding tenants to fill office space that has been vacant since before the pandemic.

Montgomery is primarily a residential community with pockets of large office campuses such as Johnson & Johnson (now Kenvue), which still occupies its large property on Grandview Road. Kenvue recently announced its new headquarters will be housed in Summit, on a 46-acre campus. It is unclear whether the multi-billion dollar company will keep its current campus in Skillman.

There are some large office campuses on Orchard Road that are mostly empty, such as The Orchard at 23 Orchard Road. Walt Lane, the director of The Somerset County Office of Planning, Policy and Economic Development, said the future looks bright for Montgomery. Lane and his associate, Jessica Paolini, spoke at township committee’s June 15 meeting.

The large office building at 23 Orchard Road, visible from Route 206 in Skillman, is looking for more tenants.

Life sciences companies are familiar with Montgomery, Paolini said. “Your proximity to Princeton University, and with the university being more external facing now with their own life science incubator and bio labs, there is an opportunity to catch some of the startups that are spinning out of the university."

“Also, the Montgomery Promenade, when that comes on line, will provide access to desirable amenities and create the now coveted live-work-play environment," she said. “We are working to attract new companies to the county.”

Paolini spoke about growth in the life-sciences industry. Montgomery Township Committee members expressed their hopes that the township will become a good home to these companies.

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“Companies are moving out of isolated campuses, and are seeking Class A space, the highest quality space,” Paolini said. “Before, companies wanted campuses where employees would come to work and everything would be there—cafeteria, daycare, gym—and employees did not have to leave. “

"A lot of companies now, because people are working from home, they want to attract people to come back into the office," she said. "This includes a trend in which companies want to be in more of a downtown setting—somewhere where employees can go out after work. They can get a bite to eat and be more social.”

“In New Jersey, life sciences wages are up almost 50 percent,” Paolini said. “And, there is not enough office space to meet current demand. We know six tenants seeking 440,000 sf of space.”

While Montgomery has empty office buildings, there is construction going on nearby. The $731 million Helix project in New Brunswick; the NEST life sciences hub at the former Merck site in Kenilworth; and The Cove mixed-use innovation hub in Jersey City are three of the biggest ones.

Paolini said the county is working to help redevelop the former AT&T campus in Bedminster (Somerset County). The campus was re-zoned for aseptic manufacturing, and will allow offices, labs, manufacturing space, and warehousing. It could also host a hotel, conference center, retail, public performance space—everything but residential.

Likewise, Montgomery wants to keep its ratable office space, and avoid more housing.

Blawenburg Band, Since 1890, Strong as Ever

In 1890, two years before famous composer and bandmaster John Phillips Sousa started his popular Sousa Band, several musicians gathered in the upper room of the Blawenburg blacksmith and wheelwright shop to play music together. They called themselves the Blawenburg Band.A greatly expanded version of that band is still playing today, 133 years later. It is one of the oldest and longest-playing bands in New Jersey. The first band had a handful of musicians compared to the more than 75 active band members that continue the tradition toda...

In 1890, two years before famous composer and bandmaster John Phillips Sousa started his popular Sousa Band, several musicians gathered in the upper room of the Blawenburg blacksmith and wheelwright shop to play music together. They called themselves the Blawenburg Band.

A greatly expanded version of that band is still playing today, 133 years later. It is one of the oldest and longest-playing bands in New Jersey. The first band had a handful of musicians compared to the more than 75 active band members that continue the tradition today. Jerry Rife, Phd, Professor of Music Emeritus at Rider University, takes great pride in the quality and longevity of the band he has led for the past 38 years.

He joined the band as a clarinet player in 1985 at a time when the band was in leadership transition. Later that year, he became the conductor. It is Rife’s philosophy and drive that have expanded the band, which does 20 to 25 performances a year.

Blawenburg Band

Most bands of this size do just five or six yearly performances. Members of the band practice once a week for most of the year, except for the summer when they do as many as 15 performances. Rehearsals are held on Monday nights, currently at the Montessori School on Cherry Valley Road in Montgomery Township.

Most performances are also on Monday nights to assure that a maximum number of band members are available. “We’re a community band made up of volunteer musicians,” Rife said. “In the hour and a half we rehearse, no one wants to have a lot of idle talk. They joined the band because they want to play, so we play,” Rife noted.

Because it is a community band, not everyone can play every performance. Smaller venues may only require 20 band members, while the two command performances, the concerts in June and December, bring out 50 or more musicians. “We need 37 different instrumental parts for a concert,” Rife said, “so we like to be sure we’re covered.”

Some of the smaller venues are nursing homes and retirement communities. Summer is a big time for outdoor concerts, the Hopewell Railroad Station and Princeton Shopping Center are popular venues for these. They have been giving concerts at the Griggstown Reformed Church Harvest Home for over a century. “We do these concerts because we have a cardinal rule in the band that we want our music to be available to everyone,” Rife says. “This is also the reason we don’t charge our audiences at performances.”

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Another tenet of the band is the music they play must be enjoyable to both the musicians and the audience. Rife always polls the band members about what they like to play and what the audience would like to hear. Blawenburg Band performances are never the same.

Another key to the band’s success is programming. Rife has a dedicated Board of Directors that takes care of all the administrative details of the band. This frees him to do what he loves – developing the program for the performances.

Rife describes the early days of his career as a teacher in Kansas as being an academicallytrained director, designing traditional programs. Along the career journey, he studied the master, Sousa, and viewed him as a role model. As he worked as a professor of music at Rider University and led the Blawenburg Band, he realized that Sousa played what people wanted to hear. When he started to program like Sousa, Rife said it made all the difference in the performances he produced and the band members they attracted.

Rife chooses pieces that are short in duration and organized so they have a contrasting style and speed. The anniversary concert held last June at the College of New Jersey is a good example. He starts with a patriotic song, often the National Anthem. He might follow with an operatic selection, then jump to a march. Rife says the band is family. “I love these people,” he says.

Part of the reason this organization has become so close-knit is the way members join the band. There is no formal audition. If a trumpet player wants to join, Rife assesses whether they need another trumpeter. If they do and the candidate has had previous experience playing in a band, they are invited to come to three rehearsals. Rife then asks the band family how the person fit in and if their musical quality was similar to the band. If there are a sufficient number of trumpet players, the candidate is put on a waiting list.

Once in the band, members receive a coveted red Blawenburg Band shirt. Some band members have been with the band for as long as their conductor. “The future looks fantastic,” Rife says. “We’re at the top of an upward spiral, and we’re still going up.” With the guiding principles fostered by Dr. Jerry Rife—to work hard to create good quality music that is entertaining and fun to play for all people—you get a formula that foreshadows a bright future.

RTO Technology Reduces Operating Costs

The Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority (SBRSA) in Princeton, NJ provides treatment and disposal services for wastewater residuals. Their River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed in 1976 and began taking flow in 1978. The plant receives flow from Princeton Borough and Township, South Brunswick Township, and West Windsor Township.The Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority (SBRSA) in Princeton, NJ provides treatment and disposal services for wastewater residuals. Their River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant was construc...

The Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority (SBRSA) in Princeton, NJ provides treatment and disposal services for wastewater residuals. Their River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed in 1976 and began taking flow in 1978. The plant receives flow from Princeton Borough and Township, South Brunswick Township, and West Windsor Township.

The Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority (SBRSA) in Princeton, NJ provides treatment and disposal services for wastewater residuals. Their River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed in 1976 and began taking flow in 1978. The plant receives flow from Princeton Borough and Township, South Brunswick Township, and West Windsor Township.

Sludge is generated as part of the wastewater treatment process. The sludge is de-watered and then incinerated in one or two multiple hearth incinerators. The sewage sludge incineration (SSI) process is continuous and averages approximately 6.0 wet tons per hour, operating 6 days per week and 52 weeks per year.

To control odors and carbon monoxide (CO) at SBRSA, the exhaust from the incinerator was originally conveyed to a direct fired afterburner system, before passing through a wet venturi scrubber for removal of coarse particles. The Authority recognized that approximately 50 percent of the natural gas used in the incineration process was consumed by the direct fired afterburner. This became the focus of the Authority’s initiative to reduce operating costs.

SBRSA consulted Chavond-Barry Engineering (CBE) in Blawenburg, NJ, a local engineering firm with years of experience on multiple hearth incinerators and Sewage Sludge Incineration. After extensive review of the process, CBE recommended a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) to obtain the greatest reduction in operating costs.

CBE recommended Dürr Systems of Plymouth, Michigan, based on their successes at similar facilities in Wayne, NJ and Fitchburg, MA. High thermal efficiency, high destruction efficiency and a proven track record were some of the reasons used to formulate CBE’s equipment and supplier recommendation.

In addition to Durr’s experience in the industry, CBE specified Dürr’s Ecopure RL RTO system for the added benefit of the single rotary valve that allows for high destruction efficiency, low system maintenance as well as the compact footprint offered by the skid-mounted design.

The skid mounting offers the advantages of pre-piping and wiring of the RTO to an integral control room thus saving cost and time during installation. A final consideration was the advantage of an online bakeout feature that allows the reduction of particulate on the heat recovery beds while continuing to operate at full production volume.

The project included the addition of a Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) for a total system install cost of $4.9 million. Since going online with the Durr RL RTO, SBRSA has realized an average monthly savings in natural gas usage of 49 percent that equates to over $2,500,000 thus far in energy cost savings. The return on investment for the entire project stands at just under 3.5 years.

“The reduction in incineration operating costs has been a significant factor in the Authority’s ability to keep operating costs and annual budgets stable during a time when member municipalities are under significant economic stress” states Courtney Bixby, Assistant Manager of Engineering at the Plant. “Keeping in line with the Authority’s vision, our carbon footprint has been reduced considerably as well as our impact on the environment.”

RTO System Details

Risk was greatly reduced by employing an RTO technology that was previously proven in difficult situations where odor and CO destruction were critical project objectives. The Ecopure design features a single rotary diverter valve, twelve heat recovery chambers enclosed in a single tower, and a pre-piped, pre-wired, skid-mounted package. The single rotary valve is resistant to particulate and condensables while few moving parts reduce maintenance and improve system uptime.

The RL features a continuous purge which makes it particularly well-suited for any performance emission reduction application. An RTO without a purge feature will “puff” untreated emissions which can be detected locally. Rotary valve RTO’s eliminate the “puffing” which occurs during valve switching, a common problem with conventional regenerative thermal oxidizers.

“The Durr RL has been very well received by the operators of the plant” states Mr. Bixby. “It has been dependable and easy to operate”

In Compliance with Revised EPA Emissions Standards

The emissions from sewage sludge incinerators are regulated in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Section 129 of the Clean Air Act. These revised standards for both new and existing incinerators were published in 2011 and all operating sewage sludge incinerators are required to be in compliance with these standards by March 21, 2016.

“Potentially, as the upgrade bills accumulate, many sewage sludge incinerators may have to be in compliance with the considerably lower emission standards for new incinerators” suggests Mr. Louis T. Barry, P.E., president of CBE.

Along with the revised emission standards for existing incinerators this regulation also requires existing incinerators to meet the stricter emissions standards of new incinerators, should their accumulated system upgrades reach 50 percent of the initial install cost for the facility, adjusted to current dollars.

“The addition of the RTO and WESP has put us in a better position to meet those standards” claims Mr. Bixby.

About the Author

Greg Thompson is a marketing associate at Dürr Systems, Inc. in the Environmental and Energy Systems Group.

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