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LAMBERTVILLE: Many helped make Shad Fest a success

An open letter from the festival organizer

To the editor:
   The 33rd annual Shad Fest on April 26 and 27 — two great spring days of festival fun.
   Visitors enjoyed everything the event had to offer: a great variety of artists and crafters, delicious food, fantastic live music, family fun and the wonderful shops of Lambertville.
   Those festival visitors will come back throughout the year to visit the unique shops, restaurants and places to stay as well as take advantage of the riverside recreation we have to offer. The success of this event would not be possible without the following:
   Shad Fest Presenting Sponsor Hunterdon Medical Center Foundation, New Jersey Lottery, Comcast, Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty, United Water, and The Bank of Princeton.
   Our officials — Lambertville Police Director Bruce Cocuzza, Police liaison Sgt. Michael O’Rourke and the entire police department, the State Park Police, CERT of Hunterdon County, Lester Myers and all the members of the Department of Public Works, The Rescue Squad, the fire departments, City Clerk Cynthia Ege and the city offices, and, of course, Mayor David DelVecchio and the members of City Council.
   Thanks, as well, to David Burd, director of the Lambertville Office of Emergency Management. The combination of all of the above helped keep Shad Fest visitors safe, and traffic moving. We could not do the event without their support and efforts.
   The spirit of volunteerism is exemplified by the following: Al Komjathy, Derek Roseman, the Harts, Wendy Warren, Heather Caroline, Wilson Weed, Chris Chwal, Tom Martin, Glenn Davis, Dana Ruggiero, Amy Lavery, Sean Faherty, Stu Gillard, Roger and the folks from the Ski Patrol. Amy Coss, Elsie Coss, Kath Semko and the folks at Sojourner have, as usual, been indispensable. Thanks to Soraya and Miguel at The Frame Shop. Thanks as well to Ellen Hecht and Sue Wydick for poster distribution.
   Carol Cruickshanks and Judy Henn headed up the Scholarship Poster Auction this year and did a fantastic job. Thanks to Larry Keller, who graciously served as our auctioneer. Look for the Scholarship Poster Auction press release soon with details. Many thanks to Rago Arts and Auction for generously underwriting the poster auction so that many auction expenses will be defrayed and most of the proceeds of the auction will go into the dedicated scholarship fund for students from the South Hunterdon Regional High School sending district and the New Hope-Solebury sending district pursuing collegiate careers in the arts. Thanks to all the auction volunteers, Roy Reinard, Renee Kiriluk-Hill and Tracey and John Costanzo and Marcia Taylor.
   As always, we rely on the generous contributions of local businesses to underwrite the poster artist prizes. This year they were: DeAnna’s, Joseph Finkle & Son, Lambertville Trading Company, Jim’s of Lambertville, A Mano Galleries, Goldsmiths, Reinard Insurance Agency, Sojourner, Kalmia Club, June’s Antiques, Hamilton’s Grill, Michael Burns Architects, Lambertville Historical Society, The People’s Store, New Hope Arts and Diana Vincent Contemporary Jewelry Designs. Heartfelt thanks to all the artists who contributed posters; there couldn’t be an auction or a scholarship fund without them!
   A big thank you to Foreman Dan Pasciullo and the guys at the DRJTBC who help us every year with the installation of Shad Fest banners and electric.
   Thanks to local businesses that helped make the event such a success: DeSapio Construction, Inc.,Wells Fargo Bank, Niece’s, ESC Schools and Verizon. Thanks as well to St. John the Evangelist Church.
   The Lambertville Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to be the sponsor of an event that showcases what Lambertville has to offer, gives so many local nonprofit organizations a venue for fundraising and provides thousands each year in scholarships for local students.
Ellen Pineno,
Shad Fest coordinator
Lambertville Area
Chamber of Commerce