Gifts intended to enhance district offerings
By John Tredrea
Four gifts one each from a corporation, a district resident, an athletics booster group and a Timberlane student were accepted by the Hopewell Valley school board Monday.
Student Andrew D. Smith has received a $1,000 matching college scholarship sponsored by Raytheon Inc. Andrew gets the scholarship when he goes to college. The school district gets a $1,000 matching grant now.
Andrew "won the scholarship with a winning essay on creative ideas to promote student interest in mathematics at Timberlane," Superintendent Judith Ferguson said. "The award of the scholarship includes a matching grant to be used for innovative ideas for the math program at Timberlane Middle School. The grant will be used to implement Andy’s ideas for activities related to mathematics."
The board also accepted $7,500 from Bristol-Myers Squibb (B-MS). The money will be used in the district’s participation in the FIRST Robotics 2007 season. B-MS has a large office-research complex in Hopewell Township.
"The district is most appreciative of the financial support Bristol-Myers Squibb has offered in underwriting the cost of this project," Dr. Ferguson said. "It will ensure our continued success with this program. Bristol-Myers Squibb’s donations over the years have contributed significantly to the superior quality of our programming and operation and we look forward to maintaining this valuable partnership in the years to come."
Another gift was $5,000 from the Hopewell Valley Athletic Hall of Fame. The money will be used for the ongoing development of athletic fields at Back Timberlane, near Timberlane Middle School. The fields are for use by local recreational leagues as well as school teams. The money from the Hall of Fame will go to the Recreation Foundation of Hopewell Valley, on whose behalf it was accepted by foundation member Sheryl Stone.
The Back Timberlane project is being fully financed by the foundation, which has spent over a half-million dollars on the project thus far. Formed in 1999, the Hopewell Valley Hall of Fame includes 65 athletes and school teams.
A vibraphone valued at $4,200 was donated by district resident Pamela Lafferty, on behalf of her father-in-law.
"She is delighted to be able to donate the instrument, knowing we could use the funds originally scheduled to purchase this instrument to purchase much-needed string instruments from our limited referendum fund account," Dr. Ferguson said.
A member of the percussion family, the vibraphone resembles the xylophone and is played with two mallets. It’s an important jazz instrument, Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson being two of its best known players.

