Each month, Montgomery High School Athletic Director Kris Grundy polls local coaches to select a female and male scholar athlete to spotlight on this page. In addition to a feature article, each athlete receives gift certificates to The Tiger’s Tale and Beniamino's Cucina and Pizza. Madelyn Epstein and Sohil Patel are The Montgomery News April Athletes of the Month.

Going into her junior season, Madelyn Epstein and the Montgomery dive team were in a jam. The Cougars had only two returning competitors, leaving Maddie to go on a recruiting trail in the offseason. Some of those new members had gymnastics backgrounds, similar to Epstein who originally did competitive trampoline and tumbling.

As a sophomore, Sohil Patel tried out for the Montgomery varsity fencing team. During a round-robin, he lost all five of his bouts and, unsurprisingly, did not initially make the team. He still had fencing friends, though, and wanted to be involved. Sohil became the Cougars’ armorer, fixing equipment and doing whatever he could to help the team. A year later, he not only made the team, but was named captain.

Construction on the Montgomery Promenade is steadily progressing, with anticipated openings this summer. Among Montgomery High School students, excitement has coalesced around new additions such as Panera and Ulta, while many adults look forward to the arrival of Whole Foods. Yet this enthusiasm exists alongside a growing concern: as the township develops, residents worry Montgomery is losing its rural charm even as they welcome the conveniences of expansion.

Somerset County NJ officials have lowered the speed limit on Washington Street (Route 518) to 25 mph, from Route 206 to the Rocky Hill bridges over the Millstone River and the D&R Canal.

Dr. Omur Silit, the new owner of Caring Heart Animal Hospital, encourages pet owners to focus on a simple habit that can have a big impact: brushing their pets’ teeth every day.

Art has been Patrice Sprovieri’s “first love” since she can remember, and she pursued it early, attending Cooper Union for art school. Later, around 1998, while raising her children in Belle Mead, she began attending the Art Students League in New York City.