January 22, 2025

Junior Star States Leading the Way for Stuart Hoops But 2-6 Tartans Need Supporting Cast to Step Up

DRAWING A CROWD: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Taylor States, right, looks to make an inside move in a game last winter. Last Friday, junior forward States posted a double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as Stuart lost 35-32 to Hamilton West. The Tartans, who moved to 2-6 with the loss, host Haddonfield on January 23 and WW/P-North on January 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Stuart Country Day School basketball team having lost five of its previous six games as it hosted Hamilton West last Friday, the Tartans came out firing.

Stuart jumped out to a 10-3 first quarter lead as junior star forward Taylor States scored six points and her younger sister, freshman guard Lia, added two. more

Lawrenceville Resident Shares Appreciation Of Special Section and Efforts in Village

To the Editor:

I was delighted to read the special section in last weeks’ issue [January 15, pages 16 and 17] entitled Lawrence Township News. I moved to Lawrenceville 20 years ago and it was a great decision.

I loved the stories about nationally recognized Joanne Canady-Brown and her wildly popular Ginger Peach Bakery, the energetic Lawrence Education Foundation (raising tons of money for our schools), and Cherry Grove Farm with its barns and animals and its award-winning cheese-making operations, classes, and workshops. more

Encouraging Community to Invest in PPS and Support All Three Questions on Referendum

To the Editor:

We are writing to voice our support for all three questions in the upcoming school referendum on January 28.

We have lived in Princeton since 2016 and are the parents of four students in the Princeton Public Schools district. During this time, we have watched as Princeton has grown and our Littlebrook community has expanded.  The year after our oldest children began at Littlebrook, the computer lab was taken away to allow room for a classroom.  Over the next few years, our World Language (Spanish) classroom was converted into a fourth-grade classroom, storage closets were converted into rooms where special education students could be pulled out for additional support, the stage was converted into storage, occupational therapy was conducted in the halls, and students and parents met individually with teachers in the lobby. Last year, our music room was converted into a classroom and music was held on a cart.  This year, our pre-k class was moved to Community Park to make way for yet another classroom.

The reason for these changes is simple. Princeton is growing and so is our school enrollment.   more

Referendum Encourages Students to Thrive In Open, Welcoming, and Safe Environment 

To the Editor:

My family and I feel very proud and fortunate to call Princeton home for nearly 15 years. With two daughters at the Princeton Charter School, we moved here for the same reasons that many of you find Princeton attractive. Friendly and caring neighbors, a walkable town with proximity to the university, and great schools are just some of Princeton’s most favorable traits. Today, however, one of these attributes is significantly at risk. Without passing all three measures of the referendum, the quality of education in our schools will decline precipitously.

Princeton Public Schools are already over, at, or near capacity in terms of size, and infrastructure is desperately in need of repair. The estimated impact of the referendum per average, assessed Princeton home is less than $11 per week. These funds can provide a life-saving infusion to our schools. By adding capacity across our schools, this referendum extends Princeton’s quality education across current and additional families moving into the area. This referendum enables our teachers to continue inspiring curious minds. This referendum encourages students to thrive in an open, welcoming, and safe environment. Even for residents who don’t have children at PPS, the referendum provides critical value and economic benefit — communities with well-funded schools have stronger home values. more

Stating Case for a “No” Vote on the Princeton Public Schools Referendum

To the Editor:

Princeton residents are being asked to approve another tax hike for Princeton Public Schools (PPS) through the 2025 referendum. While our schools are vital to the community, this referendum highlights the failures of three key entities — PPS, the municipal Council, and the local Democratic machine — to work together effectively. A “no” vote isn’t about rejecting support for children but about demanding accountability and sustainable governance.

PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) from new apartment developments total over $2.66 million annually. Historically, 50 percent of tax revenue has gone to schools, and PILOT, as a tax payment, should follow the same principle. PPS should receive $1.33 million yearly from this revenue stream, a figure likely to grow over time.  more

Supporting “Yes” Votes on Schools Referendum, with Some Qualifications

To the Editor:

I support three “yes” votes on the January 28 schools referendum. With some qualifications.

Excellent and inclusive schools are among the most important things that make Princeton great. Having participated in the long-term planning discussions over the past few years, it is clear that our elementary and middle schools are already over-full. Investing now is essential for great schools. It would have been better to have expanded the schools years ago. Although we have had school bonds in recent years, it has been decades since new classrooms were added at the elementary and middle-school levels. We can’t wait any longer.  more

Asking Town to Pump the Bakes on Harrison Street Traffic modifications

To the Editor:

The Municipality of Princeton should pump the brakes on the traffic modifications for North Harrison Street. While some evolution of traffic control on North Harrison may be necessary, the change is off to a bad start.

The new dedicated bicycle lane on North Harrison Street between Valley Road and Terhune Road creates hazards for all. A bicyclist in the bicycle lane who proceeds straight across Terhune Road faces the peril of motorists turning right across the bicyclist’s line of travel. It would be better for that bicyclist to ignore the bicycle lane. Motorists entering the block from various directions encounter a sudden merge from two lanes to one. Drivers in the right lane face an unenviable situation. more

Voting “No” on Referendum Might Be More Costly Than Projected Tax Hike

To the Editor:

We write in support of the public schools referendum on January 28. As we learned about the proposals, we found that nearly all voices, both for and against, agreed that children and their education are core to what makes Princeton the treasure it is. This unison heartens us. However, reasonable people can disagree on details. Why now? Why this amount? Why this order? No proposal will satisfy everyone. In the past few months, we’ve arrived at our own answers to these questions. We hope they might help inform yours.

Why now? The public schools are already at or beyond capacity and Princeton is adding ~1,000 new housing units in the next five years with more to follow. more

Maintaining Level of Excellence in Public Schools is an Investment in the Future

To the Editor:

We have lived in Princeton since 2006. Our older son and younger daughter graduated from Littlebrook Elementary School, John Witherspoon Middle School, and Princeton High School. Our daughter graduated from PHS in 2024.

Although we no longer have children attending Princeton Public Schools, we enthusiastically support the upcoming three-question referendum. We want all students to have the same wonderful experiences and opportunities our kids had. more

Recent PHS Graduate Highlights Need for Jan. 28 Bond Referendum

To the Editor:

As a recent graduate of Princeton High School, I am writing in support of the January 28 bond referendum. The first question of the referendum includes replacement of the PHS HVAC system. From personal experience, this is sorely needed, and I strongly urge a “yes” vote on this question. In case you don’t know: PHS temperature regulation has exactly three settings for the entire building — boiler, nothing, and air conditioner. Some rooms are sweltering under all three settings, and some rooms are frigid under all three settings — and good luck guessing which ones are which from the floor plan. If the PHS HVAC system doesn’t need replacement, I honestly don’t know what does.

As to the rest of the referendum, much has already been said, so I will be brief. A lot of new housing is going to be built, including Fourth Round requirements that the school district is barred from considering in its demographics. The medium term is uncertain; demography usually is. But in the long term, there will be substantial growth, and we must plan for it. Vote for the plan you think most prudent in the long term; consider nothing else.

Akash Jim
Princeton High School Class of 2022
Vandeventer Avenue

Obituaries 1/22/2025

Katharine Joan Peterken Tate
03/27/1932 – 12/29/2024

Katharine Joan Peterken Tate, a beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on December 29 after a brief illness. She was 92.

Born in New York City on Easter Sunday 1932, to Katharine Von Elling Peterken and Albert Edward Peterken, she was forever called “Bunny” by her family. She was raised in the Bronx by her aunt and uncle, Frederick and Ann Veit, and attended Walton High School. Summers spent in Winsted, Connecticut, gave her time with her mother and sparked a lifelong affection for the New England landscape and life on a lake.

Some of Katharine’s best memories derived from her years as an honors student at Swarthmore College. After graduating in 1953, she taught at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York and lived for a time in Greenwich Village. While visiting her uncle in Morocco during the summer of 1951, she met Robert Wood Tate, a Swarthmore alumnus who was an engineer in the U.S. Air Force. They reconnected years later and, after a few dates, married in 1956.

The family lived in California and Washington, D.C., before settling in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1968 with their five children. There Katharine took on the role of landlady to, among others, many Princeton graduate students from all over the world. She took up work outside the home when the children were older and in the 1980s became part of the staff of the development office at Princeton University, a position she held for 10 years. Much of her time in subsequent years was devoted to faithfully caring for her aging aunt and uncle.

Katharine was an excellent cook and enjoyed bringing people together. One friend recalled, “I have such a vivid memory of her … always welcoming, always putting people at ease, and always curious about others.” Many who lived for a time in the Tate’s Victorian house became lifelong friends. The community she built extended to mid-coast Maine, where the Tates spent summers beginning in the 1970s. In her last year, she was still enjoying living in her summer cabin in the woods.

Until her final days, Katharine was thinking about how to feed family and friends, what new tastes she could enjoy, and how to be a good host, while she was watched over by family members and visited by many of her dear friends.

Katharine is survived by her children Jacques Tate (May, deceased), Anne Tate (Robert Massie), Thomas Tate, Laura Tate Kagel (Martin), and Carol Tate (David Schrayer); her half siblings Nancy Connole (Michael) and James Maguire, nieces Valerie Tate (Gregory Arms) and Louise Tate Hood (Murray); longtime friends François Bontoux and Christine Wüthrich; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Robert Wood Tate.

———

Joseph L. Stonaker

Joseph L. Stonaker, longtime Princeton attorney, died at age 92 on January 17, 2025 at Stonebridge at Montgomery, where he had resided for the past eight years.

Joe Stonaker was born in Princeton, son of Joseph Stonaker and Barbara Cavanaugh Stonaker, and lived in Princeton, except for his education and Navy years, until his move to Stonebridge.

Educated at St. Paul’s School and Princeton High School, Class of 1950, where he was a track team runner and class officer, Stonaker went to Lafayette College on a full track scholarship, graduating in 1954, and then served a two-year term in the U.S. Navy in Guided Missile Research.

With the GI Bill Joe went to Georgetown Law School and came back to Princeton where he practiced law from 1959 until retirement in 2008. Joe was a solo practitioner with a general practice and later representing various townships such as Plainsboro, Cranbury, Lawrence, and West Windsor as well as the Mercer County Planning Board. He was involved with rezoning of those townships from farmland to residential uses with open space and farmland set-asides, setting the current development pattern, and he litigated Affordable Housing matters before New Jersey courts.

Joe was married to Francesca Benson with whom he had two children, David and Laura, and to Janice Stonaker, his law partner, who died of cancer in 2001, and then to Julia Bowers Coale for the past 22 years.

A true gentleman, an understanding and feeling person, practical and effective attorney and problem solver, Joe is an example of the best in true humanism and professionalism. He is greatly loved and missed.

———

Ian C. Bowers

Ian Curtis Bowers, age 82, a resident of Princeton, passed away at home on January 13 following a brief illness.

Born somewhere between the bean fields and corn fields of Mount Pulaski, Illinois (population 1,500, more or less), Ian was the only child of Glenn and Maxine (nee Cowan) Bowers, who predecease him. After attending Mount Pulaski High School (home of the Hilltoppers), Ian attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne (home of the Fighting Illini), where he earned a BS degree in Communications and a MS in Journalism, before moving to New Jersey and earning a PhD at Rutgers University (home of the Scarlet Knights) in Cultural Anthropology.

Ian’s education stood him in good stead as he progressed through his working life. Teaching gigs at Fordham University, Rutgers University, a stint with the Guggenheim Foundation, and a position as Assistant Publisher of Automobile Quarterly paved the way to a long tenure as a senior executive in both the Human Resources departments of Home Life Insurance Company and the Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company, formed in 1992 when Phoenix and Home Life merged.

Ian’s passions included skiing, long summer days at the beach, engaging in countless do-it-yourself projects at home in Princeton, and getaways in Vermont and at the Jersey Shore. None however, took precedence over his passion for his spouse of 49 years, Peg Bowers, who survives him. In addition to Peg, his presence will be sorely missed by his sister-in-law Helen, her spouse George, his brother-in-law Frank, his nephew Joseph, Joseph’s spouse Hannah, his grandnephew Leo, his longtime bestie Ron, and countless others who miss him dearly.

Perhaps Ian will be most often remembered for his willingness to pitch in and serve as a gentle éminence grise, the moderator of the various and sundry crises that inevitably occur in the course of home and family life. He will also be remembered for his subtle and sometimes surprising flashes of Midwestern wit, never failing to note at family gatherings that “…There are only two kinds of pie that I like … hot and cold.”

Arrangements are under the direction of Mather-Hodge Funeral Home. While no funeral service will be conducted, a celebration of Ian’s life will be held at a date to be determined. Memorial donations in Ian’s name may be made to the charity of your choice.

———

Constance C. Moore

Constance Cook Moore, a native of Princeton, died January 16 at home in Philadelphia after a short illness. She was 92.

She devoted her long life to art, to serving her community, to the Episcopal Church, and to her family and her friends. She was an artist who depicted the world around her in sepia pen-and-ink drawings, and a mother who found constant joy in her family. She loved Cezanne, Puccini, and dressing up for costume parties; she was creative in endless ways from excellent cooking to elaborate and funny handmade birthday cards. She traveled from Morocco to Turkey to Cuba and every year her Christmas card was a drawing of a scene from her adventures.

Throughout her life she believed her own blessings meant she had a responsibility to help others, and doing so is where she found meaning.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in Princeton, N.J., she was the daughter of George R. Cook III and Margaretta Roebling Cook of Princeton and Naples, Fla., and a descendant of John A. Roebling, designer of the Brooklyn Bridge. She graduated from Garrison Forest School in Baltimore, Md., and made her debut at the Present Day Club in 1950. Defying her parents’ wish that she go to Katie Gibbs secretarial school, she graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Barnes Foundation, where she studied with Violette de Mazia.

She was the widow of Norman C. Moore, Dean of Students at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where she raised her family. There, she acted and created costumes at the college theater, hosted a show on local access TV, and taught classes in parenting skills to women struggling with domestic violence. She picketed George Wallace while pushing a stroller, supported Eugene McCarthy, and boycotted nonunion grapes. She served on the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church and in 1977 was present at the first ordination of a female Episcopal priest.

In Philadelphia, where she moved in 1981, she was deeply involved in her Center City neighborhood. A progressive Democrat, she worked at her local polling place every November. At her antiques-filled trinity on Camac Street, she hosted a New Year’s Day party as lengthy as the Mummers Parade. As president of Friends of Louis I. Kahn Park, she helped lead the park’s renovation from concrete beach to flower-filled retreat. She was on the board of the Washington Square West Civic Association and a member of the Diva Committee for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. She served on the board of directors of Associated Services For the Blind (ASB) for more than 15 years and was a full-time volunteer at Radio Information Center for the Blind, recording newspapers for visually impaired listeners. For her service, she received ASB’s Louis Braille Award in 2011.

During her 40 years as a parishioner at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, where she will be buried in the historic churchyard, she served on the vestry, as a lay reader, and as rector’s warden.

Her husband died in 2002. She is survived by her children Allison (Allan Ells) of Swarthmore, Martha (Kent Gibbons) of New York, Charles (Susan Finch Moore) of Wilson, Wyo., and Patrick (Sandra Jerez) of Seattle, and grandchildren Margot, Charlotte, Adrian, Nate, Katie, Eva, Alexander, and Theo.

A funeral service will be held at St. Peter’s Church, 313 Pine Street, on Saturday, February 8 at 11:30 a.m. Memorial donations may be made to ASB, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or The Friends of Louis I. Kahn Park, P.O. Box 1830, Philadelphia, PA 19105-1830.

———

Dante B. Nini

Dante B. Nini, 84, of Pennington, passed away peacefully at home, Saturday January 18, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, the very people who brought him the greatest joy in life. Born in Pettoranello di Molise, Italy, he immigrated to the United States in 1955 on the S.S. Homeric. Dante graduated from Princeton High School (Class of 1960) where he met his wife Judy (Seville), the love of his life. He resided in Princeton, Hopewell, and settled in Pennington. He was a member of St. James Church, Pennington and Roma Eterna of Princeton.

Dante was the proud owner of Dante B. Nini Home Improvements founded in 1978. With an unmatched work ethic and a skilled hand, Dante dedicated his career to earning the respect and trust of clients and colleagues alike.

Dante was an avid gardener, loved to cook, and enjoyed watching sports. Above all, he was a family man. His favorite pastime was being surrounded by the people he loved. Whether it was a lively holiday gathering, Sunday dinner, or a casual visit, his happiest moments were spent in the company of his family. He never missed an opportunity to share a story or teach a valuable life lesson.

Predeceased by his parents, Albino and Marianna (Antenucci) Nini, in-laws Orville and Elizabeth Seville, sister and brother-in-law Polina and Joseph Ercolano, brother-in-law Robert Seville Sr., and son-in-law Joseph Vaccaro Jr.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Judy Nini; daughter Denise Vaccaro; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Jodie; sister Cesina (Joe) Mangone; brother Tony (Donna) Nini; sister Mickey (Sam) Procaccini; grandsons, Steven and fiancé (Brittany) Jamison, Brandon and wife (Kayla), Michael, Ryan; and two great-grandsons, Radik and Liam. He will be missed by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

The visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wilson Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Road, Pennington, New Jersey.

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 10 a.m. at St. James Roman Catholic Church, 115 East Delaware Avenue, Pennington, New Jersey. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, Hopewell, New Jersey.

Condolences are welcome at wilsonapple.com.

January 15, 2025

Quiet On Campus

Princeton University’s Nassau Hall got a light dusting of snow on Saturday morning. Spring Term classes begin on January 27. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)

Community Welcomes New PPS Superintendent

By Donald Gilpin

Michael LaSusa

Last week’s special meeting of the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE), which has grappled with more than its share of difficult issues over the past few years, was unusual in both tone and content.

“Everybody is smiling,” said BOE Chair Dafna Kendal as she opened the meeting. “It’s my ninth year as a Board member, and I’ve never had a meeting like this. Thank you all for indulging me.”

The upbeat mood continued for the full 33 minutes of the meeting as the BOE unanimously appointed Michael LaSusa as the next PPS superintendent before adjourning for celebratory cake and refreshments with the group of about 50 enthusiastic supporters gathered in the Valley Road administration building conference room. more

Preservation Commission Endorses Proposal for Witherspoon Project

By Anne Levin

Following a review by Princeton’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) that stretched into two sessions last week, Hillier Properties LLC was given approval to take its application for restorations and construction of several properties in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood to the next step.

The proposal will go in front of the Planning Board at a Zoom meeting on Thursday, January 23 at 7 p.m., where there will be an opportunity for more public comment.

Witherspoon Hall was nearly two thirds full at the initial HPC meeting on January 8. Architect J. Robert Hillier, publisher of Town Topics newspaper, gave an overview of the project, which involves the restoration of several houses and other buildings he owns — 15 on Witherspoon Street and one on Quarry Street — and construction of new buildings behind them. The goal is to preserve the architectural character of the existing buildings; the newer structures, which will contain apartments, would be in a more contemporary style. more

Service Opportunities, Cultural Events, Religious Services, and More on Tap for MLK Jr. Day

By Donald Gilpin

Next Monday, January 20 is a federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader and renowned proponent of nonviolent resistance in his quest for racial equality and justice. Many events and service opportunities will be held in the area, as Princeton and the U.S. celebrate King’s life, work, and beliefs.

“As we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are reminded that the dream he shared was not merely aspirational — it was a call to action,” Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin wrote in a January 13 email. “Today, in the face of profound division, fear, and uncertainty, his words, and his work, demand more of us than ever before.”

He continued, “Dr. King’s legacy teaches us not to surrender in the face of adversity but to rise above it. We shall overcome — not because it is inevitable, but because we are determined. We are winners. more

Princeton University Center For Human Values

Kingston Historical Society Hosts Talks On Different Aspects of Town’s Heritage

SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT: One of the oldest communities in Central New Jersey, Kingston — depicted on this early map — is the subject of three events taking place at the Kingston United Methodist Church. The first is on January 19 at 2:30 p.m.

By Anne Levin

Thinking about what might engage history-minded members of the public during the winter months, members of the Kingston Historical Society (KHS) came up with a new idea.

“Tea Time Talks” on three winter Sundays — starting this Sunday, January 19 at 2:30 p.m. — are 15-minute lectures at the Kingston United Methodist Church, each with a different focus. Afterward, there is time for tea and conversations with the presenters. more

Resolution Approved at Council Meeting is First Step in Renovation of Community Park South

By Anne Levin

A resolution authorizing an agreement with a consulting company for the revamping of Community Park South was among the actions taken at a brief meeting of Princeton Council on Monday evening, January 13.

Council voted unanimously to give The Bowman Consulting Group $709,201.50 for the first phase of the initiative, which involves renovation of the 26-acre expanse bordered by Route 206, Birch Avenue, Community Park School, and Community Park Pool. The project has been on Princeton’s “to do” list since the mid-1980s, officials said.

The contract with Bowman is for the entire three-phase program, but the town can’t afford to do it all at once. more

Henry “Hank” Pannell Devoted His Life to Serving His Princeton Community

By Donald Gilpin

Henry F. Pannell

Henry F. Pannell, who died at his home on December 21, 2024 at the age of 85, is remembered in many tributes over the past weeks as “an activist and visionary, who spent his life giving back to the community that raised him as a child,” as stated in his official obituary published on legacy.com by Campbell Funeral Chapel of Trenton and originally delivered as a eulogy by Kathryn Watterson.

“Henry ‘Hank’ Pannell was not just a man of Witherspoon-Jackson; he was Witherspoon-Jackson — a cornerstone of our neighborhood, a keeper of its stories, and a builder of its future,” Councilman Leighton Newlin told the congregation gathered for the December 31 funeral at the First Baptist Church of Princeton.

“Hank was a true gentleman and a mentor to me all my life,” said longtime Princeton resident and former Councilman Lance Liverman. “I’ve known him all my life. You could always learn from him, and not just one thing, but many things.”

 more

Dylan’s Idiot Wind: Still Blowing, From the Fires of L.A. to the Capitol

By Stuart Mitchner

Blowing through the buttons of our coats / Blowing through the letters that we wrote / Idiot wind / Blowing through the dust upon our shelves….” The next lines, and the last, of Bob Dylan’s song are “We’re idiots, babe / It’s a wonder we can even feed ourselves.”

If the Dylan of Rough and Rowdy Ways truly contains multitudes, “we’re idiots” means everybody. In his 2004 memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan claims that his 1975 album Blood On The Tracks was “based on Chekhov short stories,” a reference that resonates in the Chekhovian sensibility behind that line. It’s said that Dylan’s revised the lyric over the years, but however you read it, the wording covers a lot of beautiful and unbeautiful universal ground, not just the relationship between the singer and his wife.

Meanwhile the idiot writing this column has been busy for days on an article about the new film A Complete Unknown. Besides being fixated on New York in January 1961 when the city was buried in snow and you could ski on lower Fifth Avenue, I’ve been staring over my shoulder at the devastation the idiot winds of Santa Ana have inflicted on my wife’s Pacific Palisades homeland. more

Winter Ensemble Concerts By Youth Orchestra of NJ

GUEST FLUTIST: Patrick Williams, associate principal flutist of The Philadelphia Orchestra, will perform with the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey on January 19 at Kendall Hall, The College of New Jersey, Ewing.

The Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ) will hold its Winter Large Ensemble Concert on Sunday, January 19 at 8 p.m. with YOCJ’s Symphonic Orchestra featuring soloist Patrick Williams, associate principal flutist of The Philadelphia Orchestra, at Kendall Hall, the College of New Jersey, Ewing.

The YOCJ’s Saxophone Choir will also perform at that concert. Earlier in the day, at 3 p.m., the Wind Symphony, Sinfonietta String Orchestra, and Pro Arte Orchestra will play. more

The Crossing Performs Work by David Lang

David Lang
(Photo by Peter Serling)

On Tuesday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m., The Crossing, a three-time Grammy Award-winning chamber choir, performs David Lang’s poor hymnal at Richardson Auditorium. The concert is presented by McCarter Theatre.

In poor hymnal, Lang wonders “if the hymns of a community that did not want to forget our responsibilities to each other, and that wanted to make our responsibilities to each other the central tenet of our coming together, might be different from the hymns that we are singing now.”

Premiered in December 2023 in Philadelphia, the concert-length work immediately entered The Crossing’s canon. Lang is a winner of the Pulitzer, Grammy, Bessie, and Obie awards, and an Academy Award nominee. A co-founder of the Bang on a Can collective, his work has been performed at concert halls and theaters around the world, including numerous times at Lincoln Center.

Tickets are $43-$68. Visit Mccarter.org.

Happy Birthday

With his friend violinist Leila Josefowicz by his side, Princeton Symphony Orchestra Music Director Rossen Milanov was surprised by a birthday cake rolled on stage at the start of his 60th birthday concert at Richardson Auditorium on Saturday, January 11. Before starting the program of music by Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, the orchestra and Josefowicz also performed “Happy Birthday” with the audience joining in.

ACP to Host Art Workshop In Honor of MLK Jr. Day

ART MAKING AT ACP: The Arts Council of Princeton will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an art-making workshop led by artist Tamara Torres on Monday, January 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to all ages.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an art-making workshop, food drive, and community gathering, free and open to all ages.

In this workshop, artist Tamara Torres will lead participants to explore color’s varying effects on emotions and, together, discuss ways to express feelings through abstract art. Participants will spend 10 minutes to create freely on a sheet of paper, allowing themselves to express their feelings without the constraints of perfection, rules, or judgment. Afterward, they’ll be challenged to tear up their paper and use the pieces to create a new collage that represents a different perspective, transforming it into something new. This exercise encourages conversations about changing perspectives and looking at things in a fresh way.  more

Works by Charles David Viera Coming to Trenton City Museum

“ON A SHORT LEASH”: This acrylic painting is featured in “Charles David Viera: Selected Works 2006-2025,” on view January 24 to March 30 at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie. An opening reception is on January 25 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The Trenton City Museum at the Ellarslie will present “Charles David Viera: Selected Works 2006-2025,” on view January 24 to March 30. The exhibition will feature works selected by Joan Perkes and Janis Purcell from Viera’s paintings and drawings created from 2006 to the present. The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, January 25 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The artworks chosen include a variety of paintings and pastel drawings from this versatile artist,  some of which have never been exhibited locally before and several acquired from personal collections.  more