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HIGHTSTOWN: Businesses, students embrace holiday spirit

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — The borough is looking festive with holiday décor.
   Recently, Hightstown’s downtown became a winter wonderland as students from Hightstown High School and The Peddie School picked up their brushes and painted merriment art on business windows.
   ”The theme this year was snowflakes,” said Ryan Rosenberg, chairman of Downtown Hightstown. “We wanted a theme that was open to interpretation and that represented the season. We wanted to give the artists the greatest amount of flexibility in creating their artworks.”
   Sponsored by Downtown Hightstown Inc., the fifth annual Holiday Storefront and Window Decorating Contest was celebrated on Dec. 13. An awards ceremony was held at the Fountain Monument and the event include an appearance from Santa, live music and horse-drawn carriages.
   ”We wanted to create an event that really showcased the downtown and brought people into the downtown during the holiday season to have fun and support our local businesses,” Mr. Rosenberg said.
   He added, “Having a quaint and intimate downtown such as we have is unique, and decorating the windows and having an event like this harkens back to an earlier time. The horse-drawn carriage rides and holiday sing-alongs really support the idea of Hightstown as a quaint and intimate place.”
   For some, it was their first time attending the event. For others, it has become an annual tradition.
   ”It was fun,” said Leah Schaff, of Hightstown, who brought the kids last year and her husband this year.
   ”It was great,” said her husband, Jared Schaff. “We did the horse ride.”
   This year, 11 Hightstown High School students participated. It was unknown as of press time how many Peddie students participated.
   The 15 businesses participating in the contest included GSI Bath Showplace, Hightstown Diner, Second Chance, International Roasting Post, Ben’s Shoe Repair, Something Unique, It’s Magic!, Walt’s Hair Cutting and Mercer Street Grill.
   According to Mr. Rosenberg, the businesses only have to want their windows painted.
   ”They really don’t have to do much except be open to the creativity of the students.” Mr. Rosenberg said.
   According to Diana Lang, a borough resident and Downtown Hightstown member who coordinates the window decorating efforts, “The high school students all work so great. They volunteer their time, especially the Hightstown High School students . . . It’s a good way to involve them in the community.”
   According to Ms. Lang, the art department teachers are also vital in helping her coordinate the program.
   ”I couldn’t do it without their help,” Ms. Lang said.
   She noted, “The Peddie students (participate) as a (class) project,”
   Ms. Lang said that she assigns students a business to decorate after she goes around town to find out which businesses are participating.
   Teams of Hightstown High School and The Peddie School art students painted the windows earlier this month. Then members of the community were invited to vote for a favorite window display online via www.downtownhightstown.org. A total of 250 votes were cast this year, and folks had from Dec. 8 through Dec. 13 to do so.
   The first-place winner was the Mercer Street Charcoal Grill & Deli window display painted by junior Arielle Golod who attends HHS.
   Arielle won the contest in 2011 along with her artist partner, Victoria Kerr.
   This year, Arielle painted alone.
   ”It’s exciting,” said Arielle, of East Windsor, regarding her second consecutive win.
   She said it took her approximately two hours to paint the window.
   ”It took me awhile to do the draft, but didn’t take me too long to paint,” Arielle noted.
   ”I was really proud of her for doing this (solo) this year,” said her mom, Lisa Golod. “I thought that was kind of gutsy to assert herself since the last two years she (painted) with someone else.”
   Ben’s Shoe Repair’s window display won second-place and was painted by Juliano Ruo, Emily Hogoboom, Soo Joo and Casey Zheng. They attend The Peddie School.
   The third-place win went to the International Roasting Post. Kristen Houtenville and Lydia Walsh, both of Hightstown High, painted the window display.
   Virginia Nardino, of the Hightstown High School art program, recruited students to participate.
   ”We just give them their brushes and their things and paper to put on the windows to trace their designs,” Ms. Nardino said. “We look at their designs and offer suggestions now and then if they accept them.”
   She added, “It’s interesting because when some students see the designs on the windows, they get excited about it doing it next year.”
   The Hightstown High students painted their window displays after-school.
   ”It’s quite a feat for them to do it in the timeframe, especially during the holidays,” Ms. Nardino said.
   Last Thursday, families had hot chocolate courtesy of the Mercer Street Charcoal Grill & Deli while listening to music provided by Dan Trent and his students during the evening celebration to commemorate the annual contest. Also, Santa Claus visited with children.
   David Chenoweth, who recently retired from the Hightstown Police Department, stepped out of his role as a patrolman and into the part of Santa. He also played Santa at last year’s event.
   Said Mr. Chenoweth, of Middletown, “I always love seeing the kids’ faces when they see Santa. I laugh when they come up and sit on my lap — they forget what they want for Christmas. It’s very funny.”
   According to Mr. Chenoweth, his highlight of the annual event is “making kids happy for Christmas.”
   ”That, to me, is priceless,” said Mr. Chenoweth, who also played Santa for Better Beginnings Childcare Development Center on Monday. He also portrays Santa for his local Fire Department in Middletown.
   Hightstown Councilwoman Selena Bibens and some of her family members joined the celebration Nov. 13.
   ”I love the fact that our small town does such wonderful things around the holidays,” Councilwoman Bibens said. “Christmas is a very important time to many people. And, I think, they look forward to the gathering in the center of town with Santa Claus and the horse-drawn carriages. Such a great show of pride — volunteers, shopkeepers, patrons. I love this town of ours.”
   Mr. Rosenberg added, “Events like this are only possible in a quaint, classic downtown like the one in Hightstown. The best part is seeing the kids light up when Santa arrives on the horse-drawn carriage on Main Street. This is the type of event that creates good memories of living in a small town that children will carry with them for their entire lives.”