By: Merle Citron
Lambertville certainly has the right to boast about its women.
Oct. 29, Debbie Wean of South Union Street will walk a 26-mile marathon in Dublin, Ireland, in order to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America.
Last year, Debbie walked in a marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, for the same purpose.
"I walk in honor of my sister, Abby, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease five years ago," she told me. "I am proud to be able to walk in these marathons. I’m also so proud of my sister, who has not only survived, but has also given birth to two sons since she was diagnosed."
Debbie knows the prospect of walking 26.2 miles is a great challenge, but achieving her fund-raising goal of $4,000 is a great challenge, too. If you can be of any support, give her a call at 397-9752.
Go get ’em, Debbie!
Joan Haberle, former New Jersey secretary of state, lives in Stockton.
She is now the chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Political Caucus. Joan talked about a recent political caucus event held at the Hilton Hotel in East Brunswick, which was attended by approximately 1,200 women.
"We wanted to honor the women who worked during World War II for Eastern Aircraft in Trenton," she told me. "They are the real ‘Rosie the Riveter’ women, and some of them live in Lambertville like Josephine Nalence, Sue Wipple, Josephine Foran, Ann Monaghan and Edith McKeowan. It was a grand affair and a very moving tribute. Our own Mayor David Del Vecchio came with a proclamation which he read to all the women. He was terrific!"
Dr. Arthur and Mary Jane Legere live on North Union Street.
Art is a chiropractor, and his office is located in New Hope. Mary Jane is a first-grade teacher at Lambertville Public School. It is quite obvious she is very excited about her first-grade class this year, and Mary Jane told me she already knows they’re a great group of kids to work with.
"One of the best parts of teaching these kids," she explained with a big grin, "is that they constantly keep me laughing. They have such wonderful personalities and the things that kids say!"
Now that’s the truth, and so is the fact Mary Jane Legere is a wonderful teacher.
Speaking of Lambertville Public School, I recently spoke with Jim Mastrich of North Union Street.
Jim is a psychologist who makes time to work with the Lambertville Education Foundation. He told me LEF is having a community ice cream social the evening of Sept. 28 in the multi-purpose room at LPS.
"This town is the best!" Jim said. "Sneddon’s has donated the ice cream and T-shirts. Congressman Rush Holt is going to be here, and we want everyone in our town to come over and see what we’ve done and hear about our plans for our school."
Jim said LEF has given the school microscopes, computers, musical instruments, video editing equipment and a rock-climbing wall.
Ginger and Kenny Nanni of Elm Street are very proud of their grandchildren.
Their daughter, Jennifer Ward, has two sons, Cody, who is 8 years old, and Kyle Stintsman, who is 1 years old.
"They’re great kids," Ginger bubbled. "They recently started playing football on the Ramblers. I also have two terrific nephews who are on the flag team: Jimmy, the son of Jim and Renee Eik and Joe, the son of Joey and Betsie Eik."
Ginger then sang the praises of her husband, who is a building contractor.
"Kenny’s done some excellent work lately," she told me. "He just finished renovating the Sheridan apartment on North Franklin Street, and it’s gorgeous."
Ginger then paused and changed the subject.
"I want to know, where did all the porch sitters go?" she said. "I remember when everybody would sit out on his porch at night. I miss that."
Janet Hunt, a Lambertville resident and owner of the Coryell Gallery, had a busy summer.
She and her daughter, Anne, spent two glorious weeks together visiting Cornwall, England. Janet truly enjoyed Ann’s company and the splendid English countryside.
"I’d never been to Cornwall," she told me. "It’s beautiful, unspoiled and filled with farms. Anne and I stayed in a farmhouse bed and breakfast and drove through the country as well as made visits to the Tate Museum and the Barbara Hepworth Museum."
Janet then spent three weeks in Arola, Italy, on Lake Maggiore where Vincent Ceglia, internationally recognized Lambertville artist, has an apartment. She and Vince visited with his Italian friends and reveled in the fine northern Italian cuisine and smashing scenery.
Diane Shaljian is a woman of incredible energy who has lived on Buttonwood Street for the past two years.
She teaches literature at the Lewis School in Princeton.
"My last name is Armenian, and it means weaver of patterns and designs," Diane explained.
Her name fits her perfectly because for 17 years Diane has been a professional musician, who weaves patterns and designs with the songs she writes and sings. Diane plays the piano and has a dream Lambertville might have a coffeehouse/café where people who love new age and Joanie Mitchell type of music can gather and listen to fine sounds.
"I would like to see live entertainment as easily available as art shows," she said. "My songs are about life, my inability to understand the world’s ignorance and my longing for an earthly paradise."
Diane has a son, Daniel Hicks, who is a fine arts student at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. Welcome to town, Diane.
How nice to see Carol Cruickshanks before she enters her yearly winter hibernation.
We bumped into each other at the annual LaTouche Labor Day picnic in Rosemont.
Carol commented, "This picnic is a salad eaters dream. What a lovely way to prepare for my 10-month hibernation after being ‘out’ for two months."
She asked rhetorically, "You know what I always say? When I put my whites away, it’s time for me to go to sleep."
Night, night, Carol. See you next July.
Speaking of the LaTouche picnic, Barbara Fordyce of South Union Street created the winning covered dish entry.
She calls it a tomato shortcake.
Barbara explained, "It’s made like a strawberry shortcake but without the strawberries. Instead, it has basil, tomatoes and sugarless whipped cream between the biscuits, which are also made without sugar. The taste is quite savory."
She’s right.
In the name of historical veracity, it was Dale Reasoner who rode her horse for 21 years as the leader of the Lambertville Memorial Day parade, not her dad, J.R. Reasoner.
And there you have it folks, a little chit and a little chat.

