LAWRENCE: Residents, businesses receive township awards

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Rider University may not rise to the top of the list when one considers the topic of economic development activity, but in the past six years the school has undertaken $90 million worth of renovation and expansion projects.
   Those projects have utilized the talents and skills of hundreds of tradesmen, Rider University President Mordechai Rozanski said Wednesday morning. He was the guest speaker at the Lawrence Township Growth and Redevelopment Committee’s 12th annual awards ceremony, held on the university’s campus.
   The university’s focus is on the development of human capital — the leaders of the future, Dr. Rozanski said at the ceremony. This also means that the school has had to embark on the construction projects to create the best environment possible for the students and faculty to live and learn.
   Several projects are underway, Dr. Rozanski said. The university is constructing a new academic building adjacent to the Franklin Moore Library, which will house 13 classrooms and some faculty offices. The project also includes a plaza in front of the classroom building.
   The Bart Luedeke Student Center is undergoing an expansion to create a performance arts center, he said. It includes an 11,000-squar-foot expansion to create a theater — including rehearsal space and dressing rooms.
   At its Westminster Choir College campus in Princeton Borough, Rider University is planning to raise money for a new academic building and a playhouse, Dr. Rozanski said. The school prefers to raise money for its projects, rather than to borrow money, he added.
   After Dr. Rozanski completed his remarks, Mayor Michael Powers strode up to the podium to hand out the first of six economic development awards — starting with the Mayor’s Award for Economic Development that was presented to Evelyn A. Gill, who is retiring as the executive director of PEI Kids. It is located at 231 Lawrenceville Road.
   The Mayor’s Award is a special recognition category for a civic group, public official and/or a distinctive program that deserves individual recognition and acknowledgment within the Lawrence Township community.
   Ms. Gill started the nonprofit organization in her garage to deal with the issue of children who had been sexually abused, Mayor Powers said. It was a topic that was not discussed in polite company, nor were the police prepared to deal with the issue, he said.
   Prevention Education Inc., which is now known as PEI Kids, was created in 1985, he said. It filled a void in child services in Mercer County. PEI Kids has grown to provide prevention, education and intervention programs relating to personal safety, sexual abuse and the overall well-being of the child, he said. The staff has grown to 50 employees, plus a 14-member board of trustees.
   Ms. Gill, who has lived in Lawrence for 41 years, has been active in many community activities, the mayor said. She was the chairman of the Recreation Advisory Committee when it was creating plans to develop Village Park. She was also the founding director of the Trenton YWCA Women’s Center, where she created the Mercer County Rape Crisis Program and the Displaced Homemakers’ Program.
   The New Small Business Award went to Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs, located at 2230 Princeton Pike. The business opened in 2006. The award is given to new businesses that employ fewer than 10 people.
   The Business Service Award was given to Leonardo’s II Mediterranean Grill at the Quaker Bridge Mall. The business sponsors fundraising events and provides the facility and food at cost. It has supported Lawrence High School’s Project Graduation, for example.
   The New Building/Renovation Award was presented to the Choice One Pregnancy & Sexual Health Resource Center at 1764 Brunswick Pike. The group renovated its building.
   The Lawrenceville Elementary School received the Environmental Award for its LES Kids’ Used Toys and Clothing Exchange, which provides a means for parents to recycle clothing and toys to new families. A portion of the proceeds goes to support LES programs, and items that are left over are donated to charities.
   And finally, the Podmore/Dwyer Historic Award was presented to Township Historian Dennis Waters, Daniel Ben-Asher and Paul Schindel for their work on the revised “A Guide to Lawrenceville’s Historic Landmarks.” The award was named for township historians Harry J. Podmore and William M. Dwyer.