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AUG UST 2017 MERCERSPACE. COM FREE
Spreading Confusion

the love abounds

Waller family starts in dispute
program to help
special ed teachers Families say state
eliminated essential
By Michelle liU
services for the
Andy Waller is grateful. disabled, but DDD
He’s grateful to spend time
with his wife, Suzie, and daugh- claims that’s not so
ters Ava, Sydney and newborn
Ryan. Grateful to teach special By AMy MAcintyre
education children. Grateful
for the ample support he has Joe Chiavarone hesitates to
received from his community fol- use the words “personal train-
lowing his son Eli’s death. And ing” when it comes to the one-
every day, Waller is grateful that on-one physical therapy his son
Eli’s legacy is not only captured Joey receives twice a week.
in his First Day of School Foun- Joey, 45, was born with cere-
dation, but also through family bral palsy with spastic quadri-
conversations, marvelous galas, plegia, a condition that requires
and jokes made at dinner time. routine exercises to help him
In 2014, 4-year-old Eli Waller preserve his health. For years,
died from Enterovirus D68—the Roderick White, Mittie White and Arthur Snell stand by a sign dedicating the former a personal trainer has visited
fi rst American to die from the Shady Brook Park to their cousin and son Eric Snell and Eric Wilkus June 17, 2017. the Chiavarones’ Hamilton
virus—and drew national atten- The younger Snell and Wilkus were killed in action in Iraq a decade ago. On June 17, home to help Joey with his
tion. Aside from a minor case Hamilton Township rededicated the park to Snell, Wilkus, Omar Vazquez and Keith exercises, which reduce the
of pink eye, he had shown no ill Buzinski, all township natives who died in battle while fi ghting in Iraq and Afghanistan. spasticity in his muscles and
symptoms before his death. The (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.) improve his joint health. They
Waller family, not wanting to talk also help open up his chest so
about their painful loss, used he can breathe.
the exposure to promote their But Chiavarone and other
First Day of School Foundation The ultimate sacrifice local families say their access to
instead. Since Eli had speech such crucial services has been
and language delays, their goal brought to an end thanks to a deci-
was to support local special edu- sion by the New Jersey Division
cation departments and make Park dedicated in by four Hamilton natives while mer Shady Brook Park at 27 of Developmental Disabilities to
classrooms a comfortable envi- honor of four local fi ghting for the United States Reeves Ave. for the two heroes cut the service on a rolling basis.
ronment for these children. The military. It was held almost 10 in an October 2007 ceremony. For example, someone who
public response was overwhelm- soliders who died years to the day since Snell died Walter Wilkus, father of Eric renewed benefi ts in August
ing. Within days, the Wallers’ serving their country in combat in Baghdad, Iraq, on Wilkus, remembers the 2007 2016 would lose the personal
mailbox was fl ooded with cards June 18, 2007. Snell died six ceremony. “It was plain,” he training benefi t this month.
and donations. months after Pfc. Eric Wilkus, said. “It was cold. They did it in “This isn’t a training pro-
Nearing its third anniversary, By JUstin Feil another Hamilton native, died— a hurry.” gram for some superfl uous
the organization has continued on Christmas Day 2006, from In the decade since the park reason,” Joe said. “This isn’t for
this success. The group con- It rained steadily on the day injuries suffered in Baghdad. became a memorial, two more someone that wants to work on
tributed $1,000 to dancers with Hamilton Township rededi- “Overall, we’re very pleased,” Hamilton soldiers have been their physique or curves. This
special needs at Dance It Up! cated Snell and Wilkus Memo- said Mittie White, the mother killed while serving the country, is much more than that.”
Studios, and $20,000 to each the rial Park, but family members of U.S. Army Sgt. Eric L. Snell. and new benches were named Howard Schulze of Home-
Hamilton and Freehold special universally described the event “The ceremony was very digni- in their memory at the rededica- town Trainers, LLC, a Marlton-
education departments. At Free- as beautiful. fi ed. Even though it rained, it tion. Army Sgt. Keith Buzinski based in-home personal training
hold, part of the grant compen- The June 17 ceremony recog- was very well done.” was killed on April 7, 2011, shortly company, said when his clients
See SCHOOL, Page 8 nized the ultimate sacrifi ce paid The township renamed for- See PARK, Page 12 See DDD, Page 10
Ask The

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