HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy in Kingston, NJ

KINGSTON – After more than 23 years as chief of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Department No. 1, George T. Luck Jr. has retired as chief of the department.

Luck joined the department in 1966 – which encompasses Franklin Township Fire District No. 4 and South Brunswick Fire District No. 3 – serving four separate terms as chief for a total of 23 years over the course of his more than 54 years in the fire service.

“My father, grandfather and three uncles were all members of the company, so one reason was family tradition. As a young boy I remember the excitement that was generated in the house when the fire siren blew to alert the members there was an emergency,” he said. “I would run up the street to watch the fire trucks leave the building on the way to the call. I joined the department as a junior member as soon as I was eligible.”

Back then, the department was completely made up of volunteers from the community.

“It was male dominated and the roster was composed of around 100 members. At least 40 of them were firefighters, while the rest acted in support roles, such as fundraising. The firefighting training was done mostly at the local level. I was part of the first group from our company that attended a county fire academy,” he said.

Luck said funding for the fire company came from small stipends from local governments, with the balance of money coming from fundraising activities the membership was involved in. The fundraising activities involved Bingo, door-to-door campaigns, flower sales, dinners, pancake breakfasts, and whatever else would help pay the bills and buy new equipment, he said.

“It became difficult to raise the necessary funds, so the governing bodies began to contribute more and eventually we became a fire district in 1979,” Luck explained. “The fire district is an elected body that provides for the funding of the firefighting equipment, etc.

“Today we have 48 members, of which 24 are firefighters, including women. Members are now required to attend a county fire academy where they are certified as a firefighter in New Jersey. When I first became a firefighter, we just grabbed coats, boots and helmets from the side of the apparatus. Today, everyone is assigned their own personal equipment. Then we were alerted by the fire siren on top of the firehouse, today we are alerted by pager, and text messages,” he said.

Luck said there are many stories to tell from his years of service.

“It is hard to pick just a few, from so many memorable calls. There were many that had frightening aspects to them and many that had the adrenaline flowing. The most important thing I remember from whatever call it has been, is the feeling of satisfaction of safely completing the job at hand, and for the countless thanks of gratitude received from the many individuals we have helped,” he said.

Luck’s firefighting career progressed as he was promoted to second assistant foreman – the equivalent to a lieutenant today – in 1974, then assistant chief in 1977, and chief for the first time from 1979-82. He also served as chief from 1993-2000, 2005-09 and 2016-20.

“As chief I am responsible for setting up tactics at a fire and implementing the plan to bring the fire or emergency under control in a safe and efficient manner.

“The chief also is responsible for documenting any response made, filing reports with the county and state, making sure all mandatory training is accomplished and documented. I also had to attend a variety of local chiefs association meetings along with preparing monthly reports for the fire company and fire districts.

“I was also responsible to make sure all maintenance was done on all of the apparatus and equipment. I also had the responsibility to supervise the per diem staff who worked for the fire district during the weekdays,” Luck said.

The community of Kingston is so special, Luck said, because its rich history dates back to 1675.

“It is a small village where most people know their neighbors and care for one another,” he said.

Luck will continue his work as a volunteer firefighter in Kingston, though his retirement was effective Dec. 31, 2020.

He will serve as the vice president for 2021, and will also be an engineer, which has the responsibility of teaching the operation of the apparatus to the members.

“I also hope to be able to mentor our newest members,” Luck said.

“His many hours of commitment to the Kingston community, his exemplary leadership to our members and the countless hours he has contributed in volunteer service are all to be commended,” department members posted on their Facebook page.

State Sen. Kip Bateman and state assemblymen Andrew Zwicker and Roy Freiman issued a joint legislative resolution in Luck’s honor.

“George Luck Jr.’s superb volunteerism will continue as he takes on other roles and duties in the fire company, all in addition to his extraordinary efforts as a Kingston historian, a trustee of the Kingston Historical Society, and as the cemetery secretary of the Kingston Presbyterian Church,” the resolution reads.

“The strength and prosperity of the State of New Jersey and the vitality of our American society depend upon such concerned and industrious individuals as George Luck Jr., whose steadfast courage and sense of community have greatly informed his sterling reputation. … It is altogether proper and fitting for this Legislature to pause in its deliberations to acknowledge George Luck Jr. as a man of strong character and exceptional determination.”

Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected]

princeton-nurseries.JPG

A row of Princeton Nurseries Ginkgoes in fall color.

(Submitted by Doug Kiovsky)

The 100th anniversary of the former Princeton Nurseries will be celebrated tomorrow afternoon at the company’s original site in Kingston.

The nonprofit Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands is holding the free event with displays about the land, historic vehicles, live music and a birthday cake.

Karen Linder, the group’s president, said the celebration is about keeping the land alive and preserved from development or other encroachments.

“It’s really rich in history and it’s a beautiful piece of property,” she said Thursday. “We were afraid of what the other alternatives would look like.”

Princeton Nurseries was established in 1913, shortly before World War I, when William Flemer, Sr. bought the company’s first farm of sixty acres for $9,000.

Over the years the farms expanded and Princeton Nurseries bought more land, growing to become the nation’s largest commercial nursery. The company left Kingston in 1995 and closed in 2010.

Over its 85 years in Kingston, the nursery introduced vital plant varieties, including the Princeton Elm, the October Glory Maple and the Snow Queen Hydrangea, according to the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands.

At its peak Princeton Nurseries farmed about 1,200 acres in South Brunswick, Plainsboro, West Windsor and Franklin Township. Five hundred acres of the former nursery lands remain undeveloped in South Brunswick and Plainsboro.

In 2005 a 53-acre portion of the land, the Mapleton Preserve in Kingston, was purchased to be preserved as open space by the New Jersey Green Acres program and South Brunswick Township. The former main office for the Princeton Nurseries’ site was restored and is now the D&R Canal State Park headquarters.

Linder said the FPNL formed unofficially in 1997 in response to developer interest in the land and became a nonprofit eight years later. When the nursery shut down in 2010, Linder purchased many of the tractors and old vehicles used at the site, she said.

To her, it’s a special place evoking memories of the past and should be experienced by everyone, she said.

“It’s a place that just has a unique feel driven to a large extent by the nursery,” she said. “We just didn’t want that feeling to disappear.”

The celebration will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Headquarters at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston.

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Michael Politz, now a Somerville resident, grew up going to the PA Dutch Farmer's Market of Wyomissing. He started when he was about four-years-old, accompanying his mother who frequented the market due to its fresh meats and produce sold by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers.

“She always said that the food you found there was better than what you could find in a grocery store,” he said.

Now, almost 40 years later, Politz still heads to local Dutch marketplaces twice a month for homemade pretzels, chips, meats, produce and sticky buns. These days, he can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers’ Market in the Kingston Mall in Princeton on select Thursday afternoons.

“I like the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers’ Market in Princeton because it’s small and conveniently located for me," said Politiz, who writes the Spirits of NJ column for the Courier News and Home News Tribune. He also appreciates that the food is always fresh.

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Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers’ Market in Princeton

Politz isn’t the only one regularly heading to the indoor, year-round Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers’ Market, which is open each week from Thursday to Saturday on Route 27 in the Kingston Mall in Franklin Township (it has a Princeton address online). According to Vernon Beiler, manager of the market, about 1,000 to 1,200 people go there weekly, with about half of them being regular customers.

The market was started by Beiler’s father, Isaac Beiler, in 1992 with five vendors. Today, the market has 11 vendors, including Beiler’s Dairy, Beiler’s Fresh Meats, Stoltzfus Poultry, Lynn’s Soft Pretzels, King's Salads and Jellies, Mom's Candy Corner, King's Seafood and Grill and Sun Rise Bakery.

“My father was from Lancaster, and as a general rule, our people usually farm,” Beiler said. “However, it’s getting harder and harder for us to do that, so he was looking for alternative ways to sell. Other people had started markets in Maryland and other areas of New Jersey, so he scooped up the idea.”

According to Beiler, many people raising families enjoy trips to the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers’ Market, and they have told Beiler they enjoy the freshness of its products and its friendly customer service.

These days, the market has been selling more and more antibiotic- and preservative-free foods in its produce and meats, said Beiler, reflecting customers' interests in such products.

Dutch Country Farmers’ Market in Flemington

The Princeton market isn’t the only destination that Central Jerseyans consider when they’re looking for high-quality meats, produce and other items. The Dutch Country Farmers’ Market on Commerce Street in Flemington is also a community staple, bringing in 800 to 1,000 weekly customers to its indoor, year-round market during its open hours from Thursday through Saturday.

According to John King, market manager, about 85 percent of their customers come regularly, especially when the holidays come around and they feel more inclined to drive long distances for specialty items.

They have been doing so since the market opened in Flemington in 2000 — before that, it operated at a more northern location for three years, and before that, it was at another Flemington location for an additional seven years.

“Our market really holds its own,” King said. “We’ve always had a steady pace of customers.”

The Dutch Country Farmers’ Market in Flemington has 12 vendors, including Marty's Candies & Canned Goods, Lil's Pretzels & Ice Cream, Beiler's Cheese & Pickles, Esh's Crafts, Hubby's Watch Service and MY Restaurant, an on-site restaurant for homestyle cooking with all meals made from scratch.

“People tell us that our meat and breads are fresher than what they can find at grocery stores,” King said. “All of our bread is baked here at the market and you can actually watch the pretzels being made from scratch.”

King said that customers love their homemade pretzels and sausages, both of which have no preservatives and are made on the premises. The market also carries a line of grass-fed beef.

“Our customers also come to our market to buy salads and other prepared foods to take home as well,” King said. “You can buy a full-course meal from us, pop it in the microwave and be ready to go since many people don’t have time to do a lot of cooking.”

Going to the markets

Pennsylvania Dutch Farmers Market is at 4437 Route 27, in the Kingston Mall, Franklin Township, and can be reached at 609-683-5260 or padutchfarmersmarket.net.

Dutch Country Farmers Market is at 19 Commerce St., Flemington, and can be reached at 908-806-8476 or dutchfarmersmarket.com.

Jenna Intersimone's "Destination Jersey" column appears Tuesdays. Her "Life Aboard The Traveling Circus" blog is at LifeAboardTheTravelingCircus.com. Tweet her at @JIntersimone or email her at [email protected]

Photo Credit: HCVSD

By HCVSD

PublishedApril 12, 2020 at 7:00 AM

FLEMINGTON, N.J. – Grant Kingston has won a silver medal for Hunterdon County Polytech Career & Technical High School in a competition held March 5 as part of the NJ State SkillsUSA Championships.

Subsequent state-level SkillsUSA competitions have since been cancelled due to COVID-19, including the awards ceremony that traditionally follows the final day of competition.

Kingston, a junior in Polytech’s Automotive Technology I Program, earned silver in the Automotive Maintenance SkillsUSA competition, which required him to change and balance tires, identify brake parts, measure rotors and perform a 30-point inspection. Although this was his first year involved in SkillsUSA, he felt prepared headed into competition.

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“These are all things I’ve done in class, so I felt confident,” Kingston said. “In the shop, I always jump into projects and give 100 percent of myself to get things done the right way. I also like to help my classmates and manage multiple projects at once.”

Kingston also credited Polytech instructor Chris Scheuerman for helping prepare him in class, which is held in a service shop on Polytech’s Central Campus. Students receive specialized training in the shop and work toward Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) student certification, among others, as well as post-secondary studies in the automotive field, direct employment or enrollment in an Automotive Apprenticeship Program.

Students who placed in the early state-level SkillsUSA Championships will not head to nationals this year, as the 2020 National Leadership and Skills Conference has also been cancelled as a result of COVID-19. SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis wrote in a letter to SkillsUSA chapters throughout the country that SkillsUSA will hold virtual state officer training, delegate sessions and national elections, along with various recognitions, virtually. “This setback is temporary, but the legacy, spirit and strength of this organization endures in each one of you,” she wrote.

SkillsUSA State Director Peter Carey wrote to New Jersey’s chapters that he has been involved in “new and exciting plans for possible summer and/or fall activities that can recapture the spirit and energy of New Jersey SkillsUSA after this national crisis subsides.”

Forty Hunterdon County Vocational School District students from both Polytech Career & Technical High School and the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy had planned to compete in this year’s NJ State SkillsUSA Championships. Through their participation in SkillsUSA, students hone their career and technical skills through their preparation for competition. Individuals from industry directly evaluate student performance. The overall experience rewards students for their hard work and dedication to their field of interest and ensures that their training remains relevant to employers’ needs.

“We celebrate Grant’s silver medal and the commitment of all of our students to prepare, often outside of class, for Skills,” said HCVSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Bonsall. “Although the majority of our students were unable to compete this year, they gained valuable experience in their areas of study, and they also developed important social and emotional skills – like resiliency – which will serve them well.”

CHANGING HANDS: It will be breakfast, lunch, and dinner when Main Street Cafe becomes a branch of PJ’s Pancake House, scheduled to open early next year. It’s the end of an era at the popular cafe, but some elements of the menu will be kept on, say its new operators.

Main Street Cafe, a fixture at Kingston’s main intersection on Route 27 since 1984, is closing at the end of this month to make room for a branch of PJ’s Pancake House. The new restaurant/bakery, run by the Gretalia Hospitality Group, is scheduled to open in February 2017 after an extensive renovation.

Gretalia partner John Procaccini said loyal Main Street patrons will still be able to find at least some of the dishes they know and like when the transition is completed. “We’ll work with them to keep some of the favorites they have,” he said. “At the end of the day, they do have a good following. So we’ll put some of their stuff on our menu. We’re not looking for a lot of change and we’re hoping to keep all of their current customers.”

The new restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. An on-premises bakery will create pastries, artisan breads, and cakes. Current employees of Main Street, most of whom have been with the cafe for decades, have been told they are welcome to remain and work in the new eatery. “We’ll keep all of them. We met with them yesterday,” Mr. Procaccini said last week. “They’re excited to stay on board with us. A lot of our customers are also their customers, and they’ve said to us, ‘Don’t get rid of those ladies.’”

The four-year-old Gretalia Group owns PJ’s Pancake House on Nassau Street and a branch in West Windsor. Also in the firm’s portfolio are Osteria Procaccini, which has locations in Kingston and Pennington; and Trattoria Procaccini, Porta Via, and Dolceria, all on Nassau Street.

The Fenwick Hospitality Group, which owns Agricola, the Great Road Farm, and Dinky Bar & Kitchen, purchased The Main Street Restaurant Group earlier this year. The Main Street company also includes a catering operation in Rocky Hill, which Fenwick has upgraded, and the restaurant Main Street Bistro in Princeton Shopping Center.

“We face a necessary change with the sale of the building, but are happy to see a locally owned eatery sharing a similar outlook moving into Kingston,” said Jim Nawn, the Fenwick Hospitality Group’s owner, in a printed statement. “We will continue to cater and serve the Princeton community having invested heavily in our long term operations.”

The building is being purchased by Princeton international Properties, and Gretalia Group is leasing it from them, said Mr. Procaccini.

According to George Luck, vice-president of the Kingston Historical Society, the Main Street building dates from the 1880s, when it replaced an earlier structure on the site, a tavern called The Sign of the Mermaid.

“William Van Tilburg ran it during the Revolutionary War time, from 1750 till he passed away in 1802,” Mr. Luck said. “It was on the same foundation of the current building. It was a tavern and an inn, with rooms. It was always kind of a stopping place. George Washington had some of his life guard put up there.”

In later years, the location housed a store called Peebles and the Kingston Food Market before opening as Main Street Cafe. Heidi Karbownik, who has worked at the cafe for 17 years along with several family members, said the upcoming closing and reopening are bittersweet.

“On a personal note, we’re sad about the end of this place,” she said. “But we’re very excited about the Procaccinis. We’re thankful to them. They’re family people and so are we. So it’s the end of an era — one door closes, the other opens. We’re kind of in mourning, but we’re looking forward to a new beginning.”