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Discovery Summer hoops Bound for

on the the NBA

Delaware Davon Reed is

second-ever Ewing
Exploring the native to get drafted
famous river’s into the pros
forgotten islands
By Justin Feil
By Dan auBrey
Davon Reed has come full
Like Henry David Thoreau, circle. He grew up playing bas-
who noted “I have traveled a ketball in his Ewing driveway
great deal in Concord (Massa- against bigger, older and more
chusetts)”; James Joyce, whose experienced players. Now Reed
works constantly explored is facing the same challenges as
Dublin; and William Carlos the second pick in the second
Williams, who turned the New round of the NBA draft by the
Jersey city of Paterson into a Phoenix Suns.
book-long poem, I can often “It was defi nitely some bat-
be found journeying through a tles,” Reed said, recalling his
single location: Trenton and the days playing against neighbor-
surrounding area. hood competition. “These kids
Although primarily known as were always older than me in
a place overshadowed by New my driveway, so it wasn’t always
Jersey politics and strained by me coming out with a win, but
the ups and downs of American Ewing’s Isaiah Sparks plays in a Moody Park Summer Basketball League game I never gave up. I always kept
history, it is also a space shaped against Princeton at Ewing High School on July 17, 2017. The game, which playing and I probably didn’t
by natural forces. That includes Ewing won, was played indoors due to rain. For more photos, go to Page 26. even realize how much that
several seemingly deserted (Photo by Martin Griff.) helped me.”
islands in the Delaware River as The University of Miami
it winds its way through Tren- standout has been playing bas-
ton and Ewing. While they are ketball for as long as he can
mysterious islands for some, County opens K-9 Training Facility remember. His dad, David, set
they are regular stops for oth- him up with a court in his drive-
ers. One is even a piece of pri- way when he was 5 years old,
vate property. and he’s been playing ever since.
Intrigued by the islands for New center on and state police to do their jobs canine handlers in all police “This has been my dream,”
years, and hearing tales of a Scotch Road lets effectively. But when K-9 offi - agencies in Mercer County and Reed said. “This is always what
hospital-camp on one, I recently cers in law enforcement agen- the N.J. Transit Police. I told my mom and my dad what
decided to take my kayak and local officers train cies throughout the county “It may not seem like big I want to do.”
follow the tide for my own close to home wanted to train their dogs, they thing to people, but it really David and Rose Reed never
island adventure. used to have to travel all over is,” says Angelo Onofri, Mer- doubted their son’s dreams
The largest of the islands— the state. It was expensive and cer County’s prosecutor, of because of the way that he
and the one with a ready By miCHele alPerin time consuming. the training center. “A major- worked at the game. His Ewing
amount of documentation—is That all changed now with ity of our police departments roots have served him well in
Rotary Island. Located near Dogs trained to sniff out nar- the June 29 opening of the new have dogs, and they need to be taking on the challenges at each
the border between Trenton cotics or explosives or to help Mercer County Prosecutor’s trained.” level to get to the NBA.
and Ewing, its approximately out police offi cers on patrol can Offi ce K-9 Training Facility in Onofri says he got his fi rst “I was one of the few people
See ISLANDS, Page 10 be crucial to the ability of local Ewing. The facility is free to See K-9, Page 8 See REED, Page 6

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