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Somerville
VALKYRIE
High
School
April/May 2021
Volume 115, Issue 3
Coronavirus Vaccinations in the United States
Julianna Pitucco ‘23
The United States continues to fight against time as the Coronavirus pandemic rages
on. With the rollout of three different approved vaccines though, hope feels just a little bit
closer. Currently, three major companies have approved safe vaccines which are Pfizer,
Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Experts say these vaccines significantly help in slowing
the spread of the virus and preventing extreme cases; however, there are still many questions
about which vaccines are the most effective in protecting people against the fast-spreading
virus.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two doses to be injected in one’s arm
about four weeks apart. Getting one dose of one of these vaccines provides low-grade
protection against the virus, but getting both doses is vital for maximum protection. Both the
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are proven to be about 95% effective in preventing Coronavirus
illnesses. The third vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, only requires one dose, but was
recently called due to health issues from a few people who received this vaccination. Johnson
& Johnson’s shot was 66% effective in protecting against severe illnesses from the Coronavi-
rus and 77% effective in helping stop the spread of more contagious variants. Although these
vaccines have different effectiveness rates, the bottom line is that they provide protection
against the most deadly cases and variants of the Coronavirus as well as preventing hospital-
izations caused by the virus.
Some individuals are worried about receiving a Coronavirus vaccine because after
receiving shots, side effects may occur. You may feel pain, swelling, and redness on your arm
where the injection took place. As for the rest of your body, fatigue, muscle pains, chills,
fever, and nausea are some of the most common side effects of the vaccine. For the Moderna
and Pfizer vaccines, the second dose tends to cause more symptoms than the previous shot.
Do not be worried about this, as your body is just building immunity to the virus. To reduce A Healthcare provider preps a single does of
the pain on your arm, applying a cool washcloth over the pain can help soothe the redness the COVID-19 vaccine
that your shot may have caused. To reduce the discomfort caused by a fever or chills,
drinking plenty of water and taking a pain reliever such as Advil can help.
If you are interested in receiving a Coronavirus vaccine, the best way to go about this is finding vaccine sites near you where the
vaccines are administered. Starting April 19, every individual in New Jersey above the age of sixteen is eligible to receive a Coronavirus
vaccine. To access more specific eligibility requirements for the vaccine, visit covid19.nj.gov to see when and where you can get vaccinated in
the state of New Jersey. It is important to know that it takes your body time to build up its immunity against the Coronavirus after receiving your
shot(s). An individual is considered fully protected two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Up until
vaccination and afterwards, it is important to continue following the CDC guidelines to protect yourself from getting infected with the virus.
This includes social distancing, washing your hands, wearing a mask while around other people or in public, and staying away from parties or
unmasked group gatherings.
When you are fully vaccinated, you now have some more freedom to get back to a few normal routines. You are allowed to visit
another’s home without a mask with other fully vaccinated people and travel domestically without a Coronavirus test. You can also travel
domestically without quarantining two weeks after you come back from your trip. Additionally, it is mostly safe to gather with another unvacci-
nated person if that person is not at risk of getting infected severely. Things you still cannot do include visiting people at high risk of illness
indoors and unmasked. You also cannot attend large parties and gatherings with people you do not know.
With the addition of vaccines, the United States is slowly getting back to normal. Yet, it is important to note, now is not the time to let
your guard down. Continue to be vigilant by social distancing, wearing a mask in public, and washing your hands to ensure the safety of
yourself, others, and most importantly, those at high risk of severe complications from the Coronavirus. When the vaccine is available to you, it
is highly recommended to receive it. Whether the available vaccine is Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson, which is back despite health
problems in certain people, the best vaccine is the one available to you the soonest!
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VALKYRIE
SHS Prom Spring Fashion
Sarah Anderson‘21 Sarah Preston‘21
After a year where Somerville High School was unable to As spring approaches in this new year and new decade,
host a prom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is finally a safe new fashion approaches as well.
solution so Juniors and Seniors will be able to go to the dance and
have a nice event before the end of the year! Prom advisors Ms. Depending on the certain ‘aesthetic’ you are going for,
Rossi and Mrs. Sutphen worked for the students to find a place to there are new and different looks that have become more popular-
have Prom- The Estate at Farrington Lake in East Brunswick. Prom ized, but overall there are some fun changes to fashion that this
will be on May 21st from 5:30-9:30 PM. To sign-up for a ticket, generation has taken in account.
make sure to go to your google classroom and go to the Principal
Messenger and put your name in a block of time. In this block of First and foremost there is an undeniable ‘90s influence
time, you will go to the location given and not only sign-up for that has swept the 20’s, beginning with more baggy clothes. If you
your ticket, but also choose a meal (either chicken dinner or have been on Tik Tok lately, there is a good chance that you saw the
vegetarian) and your table; there are 12 people per table so it is current trend for baggier clothing, specifically jeans. Currently,
important to keep this in mind if you are discussing seating skinny jeans are more of a 2010’s trend and boyfriend jeans, loose
arrangements with friends. When doing this, make sure to address sweaters, and oversized t-shirts are in.
your check to Somerville High School. The cost of the dance is
$100 per person. Not to mention oversized jewelry. Chunky gold hoops are
in and are being worn by many fashion influencers, such as Bella
The staff have made sure that no matter the weather the Hadid. This jewelry trend stems from the ‘90s and early ‘00s and
day of prom, all will be able to attend as they will put up more tents has made its way back to modern fashion. In addition, platforms
in case of inclement weather. One thing that is important to keep in and chunky heels have become popular. These two footwear
mind is that we are still in a pandemic so keeping masks on at all options popularized in the ‘90s are also making a comeback.
times is important (besides eating). In addition, since there are
pandemic restrictions, dancing on the dance floor itself is allowed, Who could forget the iconic low cut jean and pants style
with distance guidelines in place. For girls who are looking to get a from past decades? Although maybe not as popular as its prece-
dress, a few places where you can get one are as follows: Parisi- dents, the low waist cut accompanied by the loose baggy fitting
enne Dress Shop, David’s Bridal, and Castle Couture. For guys pants have not gone unnoticed in the fashion industry. Lastly, a big
looking for a suit, here are a few places: Men’s Wearhouse, Jos A. trend currently circulating is small shoulder handbags. These bags
Bank, and Dante Zeller Tuxedo by Sarno. Each of these places are are worn by models and various fashion influencers all over. The
also taking precautions in stores for maximum safety. If you are not mini shoulder bag can be seen on Instagram and Tik Tok. Although
being driven to prom by friends or parents/guardians, here are a few the designer Dior saddle shoulder bags, and mini prada bags are
places to rent a limo: Affordable Limo & Car Service New Jersey, certainly turning heads, the majority of the trendy mini shoulder
RPD Limo, and Prom Limousine Rental. As the year winds down bags are simple and possibly even thrifted accessories that look
and the day for prom gets closer, it is important to still be safe but super cute when added to any outfit.
also have fun!
Serving Somerville High School
Since 1905
VALKYRIE
Editors
Sarah Anderson ‘21
Trey Wright ’21
Writers Alanna Hadley ’22
Sarah Anderson ‘21 Lily Murphy ‘22
Caera Matthews ’21 Domenick Noto ‘22
Evan Nuzzi ‘21 Brody Bouziotis ’23
Sarah Preston ‘21 Sasha Phelps ‘23
Colin Saich ‘21 Julianna Pitucco ’23
Austin Sasiak ’21 Ava Coppola ‘24
Trey Wright ‘21 Ronan Turbridy ‘24
Juliet Andrade ’22
the
Staff Advisor: Ms. Reeves
The Valkyrie is a student-produced, student-managed, and non-profit newspaper produced by the students of Somervile High School. Printed approximately four times a year, The
Valkyrie intends to inform and entertain the Somerville High School community. Although The Valkyrie does everything within its power to keep the publication free of errors, mistakes do
occur. If you find an error regarding any of the material in The Valkyrie, please contact the staff. The Valkyrie is not responsible for any errors and reserves the right to have the final
decision regarding an error.
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VALKYRIE
Chauvin Verdict
Dominick Noto ‘22
After a tumultuous and emotional trial, Derek
Chauvin, the police officer that murdered George Floyd was
found guilty of all charges. Those charges include Second
Degree Murder, Third Degree Murder and Second Degree
Manslaughter. What does all this mean? Well according to
Minnesota State Law, Second Degree Murder is the intential
killing of an individual, Third Degree removes intent but
maintains that the action was intentionally dangerous, with
Manslaughter deeming negligence resulting in death.
The jury reached a verdict after ten hours of delibera-
tion, which is relatively quick when considering a case of this
magnitude. In a case that seemed like a very cut and dry case at
one point, America has yet again found a way to divide itself.
Most Republicans have argued the highly publicized nature of
the trial and public remarks of a select few of elected officials,
namely Representative Maxine Waters and President Joe
Biden, influenced part of the verdict. Ultimately, that stance
boils down to outside influence on the jury, which defeats the Biden Administration Foreign Policy Developments
purpose of Judicial System Protocols. Sasha Phelps ‘23
The confusing part of this case is all the conflicting At the start of his presidency, Joe Biden pledged that
evidence, heart disease, overdose, covid, etc. There are a his foreign policy would be quite different from that of his
plethora of different storylines that have been rolled out by predecessor Donald Trump. Immediately after taking office,
both the Defense and the Prosecution. The hard part is distin- Biden appointed Anthony Blinken as the 71st United States
guishing what is a truth or lie. Chauvin faces a maximum Secretary of State. Blinken served as the National Foreign
sentence of 40 years, at this point though, it is highly likely Policy Advisor to Biden under the Obama administration and
that his attorneys will appeal the verdict. is known to “have Biden’s ear” when it comes to making
foreign policy decisions.
One of Biden’s first decisions was re-entering the
Paris Agreement on climate change. He also led a virtual
meeting on climate with 40 other world leaders at the end of
April. Environmental initiatives have always been the focus of
Biden’s administration, so his continued involvement in these
matters is expected.
Biden had his first in-person meeting with the prime
minister of Japan, where they discussed the growing influence
of China in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world.
President Biden’s concern with the increasing power of China
Derek Chauvin reacts to his conviction of all three doesn’t seem to be much different from former president
accounts on April 20th Trump’s position on the matter.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration imposed
a set of sanctions against Russia for alleged cyber interference
in the 2020 Presidential elections. As a result of the sanctions,
several US diplomats were expelled from Russia, followed by
the expulsions of some Russian diplomats from the US. It
would appear that Biden is working to demonstrate a more
“tough” approach towards Russia in order to follow a different
path than Trump.
Overall, the new administration’s foreign policy
decisions are in line with promises made during the presiden-
George Floyd mural outside Minneapolis, MN tial campaign.
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VALKYRIE Lorem ipsum
Trevel Destinations
Alanna Hadley‘22 and Lily Murphy‘22
Foreign Domestic
Australia: Required mandatory negative Covid-19 tests prior to
departure and fourteen day quarantine upon arrival. California: You must complete a Covid-19 before and after
Things to do: snorkeling/scuba diving, seeing wildlife in the Great travel. If you test positive you must complete a seven day
Outback, visit the Sydney Opera house. quarantine.
Things to do: Visit the Yosemite National Park, see the Golden
Fiji: A negative Covid-19 test is required as well as a fourteen day Gate Bridge, or go to Alcatraz Island.
quarantine and you must request entry to the country by contacting
through this email: borderrequest@immi.gov.fj Oregon: Non-essential travel is discouraged, but not restricted
Things to do: snorkel with manta rays, visit the Garden of the by the state government and a two week quarantine is suggest-
Sleeping Giant, and obviously beaches! ed upon arrival but not enforced.
Things to do: Visit the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic
Greenland: A negative Covid-19 test is required three days prior Area, visit Crater Lake National Park, and hike in the Mount
to entry into the country. Hood National Forest.
Things to do: dog sledding, hiking, traveling by boat, sledding, and
walking on the ice cap! Maine: You must complete a ten day quarantine upon arrival.
Things to do: Visit national parks such as Acadia National
Grenada: You must present a negative Covid-19 test result Park, go hiking, visit beaches, and see the Old Port and
maximum three days prior to entering the country and complete a Portland Head Lighthouse.
mandatory seven day quarantine as well as a second Covid-19 test
upon entry. Alaska: You must wear a mask and follow all other Covid-19
Things to do: walk around the city, visit beaches, hike, snorkel, and restrictions.
fish! Things to do: ride the Alaskan Rail Adventures, see the
wildlife, and learn about different Alaskan cultures depending
Taiwan: You must present a negative Covid-19 test result complet- on region.
ed within three days before leaving the U.S.
Things to do: try cultural foods, visit the Northern Coastline, go to Hawaii: Mandatory 10 day quarantine upon arrival or proof of
hot springs, or go island hopping! a negative Covid-19.
Things to do: Visit beaches, go hiking, see a volcano, and go
Thailand: You must provide proof of health insurance and snorkeling.
complete a covid-19 test maximum three days before you leave.
Things to do: Visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok, see the Mekong New Mexico: A ten day quarantine and getting tested before
River’s Golden Triangle, see elephants, visit islands, and visit the and during your trip is recommended.
hill tribes of Northern Thailand. Things to do: Visit White Sands National Park , explore the
capital city of Santa Fe and explore the ancient pueblo town of
Uganda: You must complete a covid-19 test maximum 120 hours Taos.
days before you leave and abide by the 9pm-6am curfew.
Things to do: trek to see gorillas and chimpanzees, go to the Virginia: The commonwealth of Virginia has no Covid travel
Murchison Falls, or go river rafting! restrictions in place at the moment.
Things to do: Venture into Washington D.C..visit the historic
Laos: Unless you already have a visa, tourist travel is on pause town of Williamsburg and explore the coastal beaches.
until September 30th 2021.
Things to do: visit the Kuang Si Caves & Waterfalls, go on a Massachusetts: A ten day quarantine period is strongly
Sinouk coffee tour, and take a Vientiane City Tour. recommended by the government.
Things to do: Explore the historic city of Boston, venture to
Cayman Islands: You must be vaccinated and complete a the coast of Cape Cod and get a sense of the culture at the fine
covid-19 test maximum three days before you leave. arts museum.
Things to do: snorkeling with stingrays, visit George Town, go to
the beaches and bays, or visit the Cayman Crystal Caves. Minnesota: Unnecessary travel is discouraged, but if you do
travel there a 14 day quarantine period is recommended.
Spain: You must request permission from the government and Things to do: Explore the great lakes and see the city of
complete a covid-19 test maximum three days before you leave. Minneapolis!
Things to do: visit major cities such as Barcelona or Madrid, go to
islands for beaches (Palma de Mallorca), visit historical sites such *If you are vaccinated the mandatory quarantine and presenta-
Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. tion of negative Covid-19 test does not apply.
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Pumping Iron In The Pandemic
Trey Wright‘21
One of the positive things many people have been able to do
over the past year has been to exercise at home. Now, with the help
of Coach Skomba, the weight room on the first floor has been
reopened for students to use after school. The weight room is used
primarily by SHS sports teams to keep them strong and in shape over
the off season, as well as for gym classes when they are in session in
person. “It’s great that these sports teams can come back to work out
in a ventilated environment”, says Coach Skomba, who is an alum of
SHS (Class of 2005), and currently duals as a history teacher and
strength and conditioning coach for the Ville. “It’s also a chance for
these guys to see friends and teammates that aren’t in the same
cohort in class, which raises their morale a bit.” One senior Jaeyln
Robinson has praised the reopening, saying "I am happy that we all
stayed together and found a way through this pandemic to not only
see each other succeed, but to also have fun while staying safe." With
Spring sports in the mix at SHS, it is important that our student
athletes stay in great physical shape to compete in their respective
sports. While students go down and train themselves to be better,
faster, and stronger, we shouldn’t take this for granted. None of this
would be possible without the help of Coach Skomba, and all the Coach Skomba and the weight room crew
student athletes that made this improvement towards normalcy.
New York Yankees RF Aaron Judge hits
a deep ball against the Cleveland Indians
2021 MLB Season Preview
Colin Saich‘21
As Winter gives way to Spring, baseball season kicks into gear. After a long five month lay-over, and a fanless 2020 (besides the
NLCS and WS) players and fans alike were just excited to be back to some level of normalcy. Entering the spring the top teams included
the LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees. Other teams to watch are the White Sox, Braves, Mets, Cardinals, Athletics,
Angels and Twins. Despite their recent offensive struggles, the Yankees still look like the clear cut favorites in the American League, with
the Dodgers and Padres in a toss up for the National League. Both have improved, with the Padres adding Elite Pitchers in Blake Snell, Yu
Darvish, Mike Clevinger (TJ; acquired at the 2020 Trade Deadline). They also added Pirates Pitcher Joe Musgrove (who threw San
Diego’s first No-hitter this year) and KBO star shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. On the other hand, the reigning WS Winners, not only maintained
their championship roster, but also added the reigning NL CY Young Award winner Trevor Bauer. The Yankees had a strong offseason as
well with the acquisitions of Jameson Taillon, Corey Kluber, Darren O’Day and resigning of DJ LeMahieu. All three teams have one
important thing in common, their young players. Gone are the days of the 2009 Yankees, you are no longer able to sign everyone and piece
together a Championship Roster. Scouting has gotten better and more competitive, and in an age of tanking, locking up young stars, and
prospect hoarding, it’s hard to find one successful team that got to where it is without a homegrown core.
Some players to watch for a breakout season are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Corbin Burnes (MIL), Shohei Ohtani (LAA), Michael
Kopech (CWS), Jameson Taillon (NYY), Trevor Rogers (MIA), and many more. Whether it’s just because it’s taken them time to reach
their ceiling, or they’ve been hindered by injuries, these players have the potential to step up from solid players, to top players in the
league. This is not to say that they will have an All-Star season, they are just a small group who are poised to step up. They might never
take the next step, they might all struggle, but there also might be a Cy Young or MVP in this group, because at the end of the day “That’s
Baseball Suzyn.”
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VALKYRIE
Pioneer Word Search #1 52nd Street Album Review
Ronan Turbridy ‘24 Evan Nuzzi ‘21
52nd Street is yet another Billy Joel master-
piece. The Jazz filled ambiance along with its
combination of intriguing melodies and powerful
lyrics solidify it as one of Joel's best albums. The
album opens with “Big Shot,” a song filled with
confidence, which is his second hit single. In an
interview with Howard Stern, Joel says that he
wrote the song in the perspective of Mick Jagger
(Lead Singer of the Rolling Stones) talking to his
wife. The other hit single on the album “My Life” is
an upbeat rock song about independence. These two
songs were the big hits but many fan favorites lie
within the album tracks, for example “Stiletto” and
“Zanzibar” which are great jazz songs. Additionally,
“Until the night” is another beautiful song and it’s
about reuniting with your significant other. The rest
of the songs bring a lot to the table and prove, once
again, how incredible of a musician Billy Joel is.
1. SpringBreak 6. Election
2. Summer 7. March Madness
3. Somerville 8. Vaccine
4. Quarantine 9. SuperBowl
5. Vacation 10. Olympics
Strwaberry Cheesecake Recipe
Ava Coppola ‘24
- Preheat oven to 325º and grease a 9” springform pan with
cooking spray. Ingredients
- Cheesecake mixture: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat (FOR THE CHEESECAKE)
cream cheese and sugar until combined. Add eggs and beat until - 3 8-oz. blocks cream cheese, softened
combined, then add sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. - 1 c. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and - 1/4 c. sour cream
salt until completely moist. Press graham mixture into prepared - 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
pan until packed. Pour cheesecake mixture over the crust. - 1 tsp. lemon zest
- Sliced strawberries, for garnish
- Bake until slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Let cool for 1 hour in the oven, then refrigerate until completely (FOR THE CRUST)
cool, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. - 15 graham crackers, crushed
- 5 tbsp. butter, melted
- Glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine straw- - 2 tbsp. sugar
berry preserves and lemon juice. Whisk constantly until the - Pinch of kosher salt
mixture is smooth.
(FOR THE SAUCE)
- Top the cheesecake with strawberries, then brush the glaze over - 1 c. strawberry preserves
strawberries. Slice into wedges and serve cold. - 2 tsp. water (or lemon juice)
the
VALKYRIE Page 7
Juicy Peach and and Strawberry Crumb Pie Recipe
Ava Coppola ‘24
Ingredients
- 1 sheet refrigerated pie crust
- 3.5 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 4 medium)
- 2.5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2021 SHS Varsity Baseball Team - 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Ville Spring Sports Preview
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Trey Wright ‘21
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
After a one year hiatus due to COVID-19, spring sports are - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
back in action at Somerville High School! As teams begin - 6 tablespoons cold butter
to prepare for their respective seasons, here is a preview for
the Pioneer Spring Teams!
Boys Lacrosse looks to defend its 2019 title in the NJSIAA Directions
South Jersey Group 2 Sectional Championship, as well as
building off a 14-8 season. With Head Coach Jamie Love- -Preheat oven to 375°. Unroll pie crust into a 9-in. pie plate;
joy at the helm once again, The Ville looks to score back to flute edge.
back championships for the first time since 2013-2014. On
the field the team is led by Senior Captains Gabe Harris, -In a large bowl, combine peaches, strawberries and lemon
Noah Garcia, and Andrew Muller. Currently they are 4-4. juice.
Girls Lacrosse looks to improve from 2019, after going an -In a small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch and basil. Add to
even 11-11 in the previous season. Watch out for Junior fruit and toss gently to coat. Transfer to crust.
Meghan Pedrani, who is looking to improve off of an
incredible 109 goal season in 2019, as well as seniors Amy -In a small bowl, mix flour and brown sugar; cut in butter
Kim, Taylor Graff, and Allesia Petroni. Currently they are until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.
7-1.
-Place pie on a foil-lined baking pan.
After finishing 2nd with a 9-2 record in 2019, Softball looks
to repeat its success from 2 years ago. Head coach Kathleen -Bake on a lower oven rack until topping is golden brown
Daily believes that with hard play and having fun, the girls and filling is bubbly, 45-55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
should repeat their success from the previous season.
Curently they are 5-6.
After two historic seasons, SHS Baseball is back on the
diamond to try and defend its conference title in 2019, and
attempt to get back to the state finals like they did in ‘18.
Head coach Chris Banos looks for the team to succeed from
the prior season. Currently they are 9-3.
Tennis returns to the courts this season, being led by new
Head Coach Regina Rossi and Senior Captain Joe Cheeli.
Currently theu are 5-4.
For the new Track and Field season, everyone looks to
improve and help get the Ville good results in their respec-
tive meets.
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Spring Word Search
Brody Bouziotis ‘23
the
VALKYRIE Page 9
Photography Club Spring Photos
Photo by Lindsy Cox Photo by Tiareth Lopez-Cruz Photo by Maddie Spilletti
Photo by Justin Jones Photo by Emma Rice
Photo by Jolina John
Photo by Emma Gehring
SHS Students perform this year’s
play, The Theory of Relativity
Photo by Ava Coppola
SHS Students perform this year’s
play, The Theory of Relativity
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VALKYRIE Page 10
Written by Grace Gandolfo
Age 9
Operating Hours
Mon-Fri 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sat 8 AM - 5 PM
118 W Main Street Closed Sunday as always
Somerville NJ 08876
(908) 725-1566You can also read
