Boy Scout
Birthday
Troop 40 recently celebrated Boy Scouts of America’s 100th birthday with a birthday cake and a video on the history of scouting. Adult leaders displayed their uniforms and equipment from their days as scouts.
The event concluded with the award ceremony of Wood Badge beads (worn around the neck) to Assistant Scoutmaster Steffen Parratt. The beads signify completion of the Wood Badge course, the most advanced training for adult leaders, that combines classroom and practical outdoor-based learning along with projects to apply leadership knowledge in direct service to boy scouts. The troop’s scoutmaster is Martin Rexroad.
Future Business Leaders
High School North’s Future Business Leaders of America club received honors at the New Jersey state competition on March 11. Nihal Pathuri, a junior, took the first place in Database Design and Application, and qualified for the national competition. Vincent Xie, a freshman, took fourth place in Intro to Technology Concepts. Vikram Kesavabholta, a sophomore, took fourth place for Intro to Parliamentary Procedure. Siddharth Dhulipalla, a junior, took fourth place in Technology Concepts. Divya Ramireddygari, a junior, took fourth place in Website Development. The club’s advisor is Glenn Bartram, a social studies teacher at North.
Geography Bee
David Yin, an eighth grade student at Grover Middle School, took first place in the state at the National Geographic Bee held April 9 at Rowan University. Yin, 13, will compete in the national competition in Washington, D.C. in May.
Born in Canada, his parents are Helen and Shawn Yin. His social studies teacher is Lynne Kirkpatrick.
Gardening 101
Under the direction of Kathy Schmidt, a first grade teacher at Town Center School, a committee created plans for a school garden to be built for and used by the children. The groundbreaking event held recently included students, families, and staff. The students are planning to eat the lettuce that they are planting. “One of the goals is to help students reconnect with nature and see the importance of the natural environment,” said Brian Stevens, school principal.
Homecoming Queen Finalist
Brooke Townsend of West Windsor was a contestant in New Jersey’s 30th annual Homecoming Queen scholarship competition held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in March. She was invited to compete as High School South’s homecoming queen this school year.
In College
University of Oklahoma: Logan Suneil Maingi of Plainsboro received a Barry M. Goldwater scholarship based on academic merit in mathematics, science, or engineering. A sophomore, he is a graduate of High School North, Class of 2008, double majoring in math and physics with a minor in computer science.
A National Merit Scholar and the recipient of numerous awards and honors, Maingi has a 4.0 GPA and his most recent research project has been at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. This summer Maingi will participate in an internship program at Fermilab, a particle physics lab, that includes a class at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon completing a doctorate in mathematical physics, he plans to research applications of new mathematical ideas to physics.
He is the son of Rajesh and Nola Maingi.
Business Award
Jim Rhor, owner of Bagel Street in Plainsboro, received the Access Above and Beyond award from the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. The award honors businesses that have gone above and beyond in the name of accessibility and what is required by law for equal access. Criteria include access and willingness to assist all customers with disabilities. Rohr helps by reading the menu selections for people who are print impaired.
Politics
Russell Wojtenko Jr., of West Windsor, is a GOP candidate running for election to the Mercer County Board of Freeholders.
A graduate of Rutgers University and Fordham University School of Law, Wojtenko runs a small law firm in North Brunswick and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a civil trial attorney. He currently serves as the municipal prosecutor in Ewing.
A trustee of the New Jersey State Municipal Prosecutors’ Association, Wojtenko is a member of the New Jersey State, Mercer County, and Middlesex County bar associations. He served as vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ann Klein Forensic Center in West Trenton, a state psychiatric hospital providing care and treatment to individuals suffering from mental illness who are also within the legal system.
A lifelong New Jersey resident he ran for Mercer County Freeholder in 2009. He lives with his wife and their three young children. The candidate declined to share information about his family.
