November 28, 2012

Don’t Blame PU: Our Taxes Are High Because of High Cost of Public Schools

To the Editor:

A letter writer (“Future Taxes Will Go Up,” Mailbox, Nov. 7) is concerned that due to high property taxes the “middle class in Princeton will be forced to either reduce their standard of living or sell their houses and move to another town.” Perhaps he doesn’t realize that many towns in New Jersey have similar property taxes. One reason is the high cost of our public schools. The New York Times reported on 5/26/11 that New Jersey ranked third in the nation in spending per student, behind New York State and Washington, D.C. In 2011 Princeton’s school taxes increased 5.46 percent. Our town may well rank in the upper reaches of state spending per pupil.

Each Sunday the New York Times lists properties in New Jersey that are for sale and their property taxes. Here are three nearby: a house in Hillsborough (9/23/12) for $367,000 with taxes of $8,085; a house in Hopewell Township (9/30/12) for $560,000 with taxes of $11,415; a house in East Brunswick (9/23/12) for $590,000 with taxes of $17,460. By the way, these towns don’t have a university to make contributions.

Princeton University is not the cause of and shouldn’t have to be the solution to our increasing tax rate. But it is right that the University makes a payment for tax-exempt rental properties where there are children who attend public school. Princeton’s newly elected officials need to better inform the public of the reason for our high taxes, namely, the high cost of our public schools.

Anne Witt

Lake Lane

Consider the Consequences of Allowing A Hostile Developer to Build in Our Town

To the Editor:

At the November 15 Planning Board meeting that focused on AvalonBay, I was deeply shocked by the behavior of Mr. Ron Ladell, a vice president and attorney for AvalonBay. He comported himself with a serious lack of respect for the Board and repeatedly spoke to it in a hostile manner. He tried to take control of the meeting and instructed the Board on how they should proceed. He, a corporate official of the applicant, interrupted the Board in what I can only describe as a bullying manner, attempting to intimidate it. After a premature adjournment, he stormed out of the meeting with his retinue while the Board was debating whether to re-open the meeting. Members of the Board showed remarkable calmness in the face of this unacceptable behavior.

The planning process requires a careful consideration of proposed developments. An applicant should at a minimum accede to the discipline of the Planning Board. If unwilling or unable to show proper respect, an applicant should be notified that their proposal will be dismissed with prejudice. A municipality must not allow itself to be bullied or intimidated. The Planning Board must not be afraid to require civility and cooperation of applicants merely for fear of providing reasons for an applicant to file a lawsuit.

The municipality, its boards, and this community must consider the consequences of having a hostile and litigious developer construct and operate one of the most important building projects in our town.

Anthony Lunn

Hawthorne Avenue

Obituaries 11/28/12

Robert J. Solomon

Robert J. Solomon of Princeton, NJ, and Nantucket, MA, died on November 21. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, on August 6, 1924, to Anna and Nathan Solomon. He served in the infantry in the Second World War and saw combat in Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge. He settled in Princeton with his wife Elaine in 1952. In 2008 they moved to Stonebridge in Skillman, NJ.

Following the war he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University, which later honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. In 1948 he became a social studies teacher in the New York City public schools, and in 1949 he became an instructor in the NYU School of Education.

In 1952, he joined the Test Development staff of the recently founded Educational Testing Service. He became Director of Test Development in 1960, Vice President for Testing Programs in 1963, and Executive Vice President in 1970. In the latter position, he was responsible for research, development, testing programs, and field services. At ETS he was instrumental in the development of the College Board’s Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and its College-Level Examination Program, the governing board for the Graduate Record Examinations, the international program of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Following his retirement from ETS in 1988, he worked as a senior advisor to the presidents of The College Board and the National Board for Professional Testing Standards and as an advisor to the Chinese Ministry of Education.

He also served on the boards of trustees for several educational organizations, including the Princeton Day School, the New Jersey Education Consortium, and the Institute for Educational Services. For 18 years he was a member of the board of trustees of Glassboro (New Jersey) State College, now Rowan University, and was chairman of the board for the last five of those years. He was also a member and chairman of the New Jersey colleges’ Governing Boards Association, and a member of the New Jersey Board of Higher Education.

He was married to his wife Elaine (nee Vogel) for 64 years, who passed away earlier this year. Orphaned at a young age, he lived with his aunt and uncle until joining the Army. His war service, ETS career, and wife and family defined his life. He is survived by his three sons: Neal of Stockton, NJ; Eric of Washington, DC; and Mark of Hopewell, NJ; their spouses Jeannette, Amy, and Christine; and six grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his name can be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County, 212 Centre Street, Trenton, NJ  08611.

Memorial services will be held 12:00 noon on Sunday December 2, 2012 at the Star of David Memorial Chapel, 40 Vandeventer Ave. Princeton, NJ 08542.

———

David Kenny Reeves

David Kenny Reeves, a resident of Princeton since 1945, died November 23, 2012 after suffering a debilitating stroke in early September. He was 86.

Born July 2, 1926 in Baltimore, Md. to Emily Fitzgerald Kenny and Charles Banes Reeves, Sr., Mr. Reeves was a Marylander to the core.

He was educated at Gilman School, Baltimore, Md. and Canterbury School, New Milford, Conn. Prior to matriculating at Princeton University in November 1945 he served in the Army Air Corps at the end of World War II. At Princeton he was a history major and a member of the Colonial Club. He graduated in 1949 with the Class of 1948.

A lifelong Roman Catholic, Mr. Reeves did graduate studies at the University of Toronto’s Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies. He was employed as a marketing and business director for eighteen years at Sheed & Ward, a leading Catholic book publisher. He later served as Director of Development for The Hastings Center, a pioneering bioethics research institute located in Garrison, N.Y.

Mr. Reeves served on a number of boards, including the Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Catholic Scholarships for Negroes. He was Secretary of Princeton University’s Class of 1948 from 1973 until his death.

In his youth he fox hunted with The Elkridge-Harford Hunt and later hunted hare on foot with beagles and/or bassets in New Jersey and the Cotswolds in England. His trademark was a “thumb stick” — widely used by foot followers in the U.K. He also played tennis at Pretty Brook Tennis Club. He spent summers at Rockywold Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake, New Hampshire.

Mr. Reeves was predeceased by his second wife, Clara Grossman. He is survived by his daughter Emily Kenny Reeves of Princeton, three sons: Samuel Peter Reeves of Andover, Mass.; Charles D’Orsey Reeves of Katy, Tex.; and, Cornelius David Reeves of Princeton and his granddaughters Charlotte Angier, Emily Maria, Lilly Kenny, Emma Elizabeth, and Elizabeth Kenny. Also surviving is his first wife, Anne Reeves of Princeton and his brother, Charles Banes Reeves, Jr. (yclept Sprat) Baltimore, Maryland, with whom he continued a sibling rivalry until death — but always with merry affection.

A memorial mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 30, 2012 at Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church, 214 Nassau Street, in Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Princeton University Class of 1948 Memorial Scholarship Fund, 87 Battle Road, Princeton, N.J. 08540-4945 or to: Crawford House, Inc., 362 Sunset Road, P.O. Box 255 Skillman, N.J. 08558 or online www.crawfordhouse.org.

Funeral arrangements are being made with Kimble Funeral Home, Princeton. To extend condolences and sign the guest book, please visit www.TheKimbleFuneral
Home.com.

———

Philip B. Lamb

Philip B. Lamb of Owatonna, Minn. died unexpectedly on November 22, 2012 in Owatonna. Mass of Christian Burial took place at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 26, 2012, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Owatonna. Friends were able to greet the family on Sunday, November 25, 2012, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Brick–Meger Funeral Home (1603 Austin Road, Owatonna) and one hour before the funeral liturgy on Monday.

Phil was born on November 25, 1955, in Pittsburgh, Pa, the son of William B. and Margaret Baird Lamb. He graduated in 1974, from The Hun School. He attended Lehigh University and graduated with an electrical engineering degree In 1979. He moved to St. Paul, Minn, to work for Control Data. He was united in marriage to Anne Mesick on November 12, 1983, in the basilica of St. Mary’s in Minneapolis. The couple moved to Chicago where Phil worked for Motorola. Then the family settled in Owatonna in 1993, and Phil worked as a contract engineer for several companies designing their software. Phil was involved in many of his children’s activities, coaching many of their sports and academic teams. Phil volunteered for the Senior Men’s PGA as a hole captain for more than 18 years. He was an Eagle Scout and was involved in Young Life of Owatonna for many years. He was a member of the Owatonna Knights of Columbus, and Sacred Heart Church. His life interests included skiing, golfing, and traveling. He will be remembered as an avid Parrothead and a loving husband.

Phil is survived by his wife Anne, his 4 children: Mallory, St. Louis Park; David (Fiancé Hilary), Rochester; Stephen, St. Louis Park; and Jordan, Owatonna. His mother Margaret Lamb, Princeton, and his sister, Megan Lamb, Chicago. He is preceded in death by his father, William. Memorials may be directed to Younglife of Owatonna or the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be expressed at www.brick-megerfuneral
home.com.

———

Marsha Hirschman

Marsha Hirschman, 69, of Lawrenceville, died Nov. 19, 2012 at Overlook Hospital in Summit. She was born in New York City and had lived in New York City and Bordentown before moving to Lawrenceville several years ago. Marsha was an advertising executive working for J. Walter Thompson, McCann, Erickson & Ogilvy, and Mather advertising agencies, among others, in New York City before establishing her own agency.

Marsha was a great and generous lady with an incredible sense of humor and positive energy, which she directed to helping women move forward in the advertising business. She could be called the “quintessential advertising woman.” She also attended Trinity Church in Princeton. Surviving is her brother Ray of Princeton and several nieces.

Private arrangements are being handled by the Sheenan Funeral Home in Dunellen.

———

James W. Cahouet

James W. Cahouet, 74, of Princeton died Monday, November 19, 2012 at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.

Born in Boston, Mass., he was a resident of Princeton for 17 years. He had a long career in investment management. He retired as a service vice president, chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch Trust Company in Princeton. He loved Martha’s Vineyard. He was a wonderful husband and father.

Father of the late David J. Cahouet, he is survived by his wife Jean (Watson) Cahouet, his brother Frank Cahouet, and his sister Mary Fogarty.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 1, 2012 at Aquinas Institute, 65 Stockton Street in Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Trustees of Reservations with a note to specify Martha’s Vineyard.

Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.

———

At Play With C.K. Williams: A Shape-Shifter Breaks for the Goal

For the long hard slog through the eight years of the Bush presidency, it helped to have Paul Krugman’s Op Ed columns in the New York Times, and Frank Rich’s meditations in the Sunday Times Week in Review. While Krugman and Rich were trying to make intelligent sense of an ongoing national calamity, the poet C.K. Williams offered another, more deeply felt level of understanding. The columnists were like sentries in the watch tower. The poet was a troubled citizen speaking in a low compelling voice one-on-one to troubled readers in poems like “The War,” “Night” and “The Hearth,” which I read as they appeared in the New Yorker and again in The Singing (Farrar, Straus and Grioux 2003), the subject of my June 9, 2004 column (“A Book to Live With”). Remarking on the “intimate and companionable” qualities of the collection, I ended by saying it would take a separate review to do justice to “these wartime dispatches from the homefront” by a poet “who is seeing and feeling this grim time for us as bravely and lucidly as he can.”

My sense of Williams as a one-on-one poet writing for us, with us, as though on our behalf, a quality also expressed in my review of his Collected Poems (“Look, He Has Come Through,” Dec. 6, 2006), began with a reading of “The Hearth” in the March 3, 2003 New Yorker, two weeks before the invasion of Iraq. While the image of a hearth suggests something comfortable and inviting, what you find when you enter the poem is a “recalcitrant fire” the poet (alone “after the news”) is “stirring up” as he follows a course of dark thought (fire blinding and maiming someone, nature devouring its prey) that leads to the war and the “more than fear” he feels for his children and grandchildren. Once he has the fire blazing, “its glow on the windows makes the night even darker but it  barely keeps the room warm.” By the time you come to the last line (“I stroke it again and crouch closer”), you’re there in the chilly room with him holding your hands toward the same fading fire.

Changes

A decade later there are two new books, both published this month, Writers Writing Dying (FSG $27.50), a collection of recent poetry, and In Time: Poets, Poems, and the Rest (University of Chicago Press $27.50), a collection of prose writings and interview excerpts containing an essay, “On Being Old,” in which he discusses some developments in his later poetry. Referring to poems “unlike any” he’d written before, he notes that there “seemed to have arrived in them an element of not only the irrational but also the absurd, a willed goofiness.” After addressing the possibility that maybe he “was tired of being logical, rational, lucid, ‘mature,’” he admits that when he “hit seventy” he realized he “hadn’t changed a bit” since he was eighteen, still “chartless,” still “meandering through the world.”

While the poet of the dark time expressed in “The Hearth” has gone through some exciting changes in recent years, perhaps inspired in part by the election of Obama in 2008 and the accompanying surge of relief, hope, and irrational exhilaration (renewed several times over three weeks ago), it’s not so much that he’s less lucid and rational, just that his recent manner tends to be more daring, headlong, and aggressive, as if he’d received a charge of adolescent energy to go with a turn toward all-out, no-holds-barred performance that would seem to be somewhat at odds with his former companionableness.

Negative Impetus

After providing a stern if generally appreciative assessment of Williams’s Collected Poems, Dan Chiasson concludes his Dec. 24, 2006 New York Times review by disparaging the later work, where “the contest between comfort and distress feels rigged for comfort” and the poems “tip from too much sentiment.” The suggestion is that the poet who once “tested poetry against ugliness, the imagination against the world,” has given way to Williams the doting grandfather (“There are hazards to being around one’s grandchildren, and one of them is that a person’s poems will suffer”). At the end, carried along by the negative momentum he’s riding, Chiasson reduces the poet whose entire career was the ostensible subject to someone who “settles for the dreary, flummoxed middle zone of life where the rest of us are consigned to live: really loving our ‘children, and their children,’ really hating the president.”

It’s tempting to think that Williams profited from the negatives of that high-profile notice while avoiding inane advisories about the “hazards” of grandchildren. In that sense, perhaps Chiasson indirectly contributed to the edgier, more adventurous, more combative manner of the later poetry (a quote from the same review is featured on the dust jacket of In Time).

Far from being wary of the grandchildren, Williams brings all three of them into the new collection’s penultimate poem, “The Day Continues Lovely.” Thus the undaunted poet manages to test “poetry against ugliness, the imagination against the world” in the same room with children “more golden than gold” and a beloved dog asleep on the floor even as he’s summoning Kierkegaard, Buber, and some full-throated shouting from the voice of God. Plus he’s riffing and rapping on the notion of prayer, because he “Can’t. Pray.” So he conjures up “the Binary Kid” and instead of praying on he plays on “God, not God”; “Good, bad./Hate love”; “Galaxy on. Galaxy off.” But then, when he’s through dancing from switch to switch in the “space between on and off,” singing the mind-body electric, going expansively and allusively nuts, he companionably opens the door and lets us into his children-golden room as one of them wakes up, the dog, too, and comes to see what he’s doing, “Turner leans his head on my shoulder to peek./What am I doing? Thinking of Kierkegaard. Thinking of beauty. Thinking of prayer.”

So there we are again, with Williams in the moment.

Playing

The post-2008-election changes in Williams’s work are actually already taking exhilarating form in “The Foundation,” which appeared in the New Yorker (March 23, 2009) two months after Obama was clumsily sworn in (it’s also the penultimate poem in the 2010 collection, Wait). “Watch me, I’m running, watch me, I’m dancing” — so Williams begins this “jubilant song of the ruins,” reliving and reimagining the memory of exploring the rubble of a Newark building site. Like a grown-up kid at play, he revels in the sheer fun of celebrating his heroes and mentors — “Watch me again now, because I’m not alone in my dancing,/my being air, I’m with my poets, my Rilke, my Yeats,/we’re leaping together through the debris, a jumble of wrack/but my Keats floats across it, my Herbert and Donne.”

“Play” and “playing” are among the operative words in “The Foundation” as well as in the poems in Writers Writing Dying that appear to be its descendants, whether the subject is death and work in the title poem, being a poet in “Whacked” or being a “cad” in “Salt.”

In “Whacked,” where Williams takes amused poetic possession of the slang for “kill” made famous in The Sopranos, some of the same poets he was romping with in “The Foundation” are all over him, not just the Yeatses and Herberts but whole tribes of younger poets and even the bad ones whose “whackless poems” can still “hurt you.” It’s a deceptively confessional poem (“I’ve read reams, I’ve written as many”) disguised as a spree in which the poet runs wild with a single word — in effect, the 6’5 Williams, a former basketball player at Bucknell, grabs the ball called whack and runs with it, weaving through the whack-whack-whacking opposition into the open, an all-out fast break taking him to some wondrous figures (“warm tangles of musical down as from the breasts of the choiring dawn-tangling larks”) on the way to a magnificently unlikely concluding image. In the second stanza, almost before we know it, he’s become a mustang “stampeding” through the “sweet-seeming” poems of Elizabeth Bishop on his way to becoming the last stanza’s “old racehorse.” Will they put him out to pasture? Not a chance, he’s too slippery, he’s as slyly shape-shifting as he ever was, “like a mare” now “giving birth, arm in my own uterine channel to tug out another,/one more, only one more, poor damp little poem, then I’ll be happy — I promise, I swear.”

There’s not much to say of such audacity except to be glad that somewhere between 2007 and 2011 Williams gave himself up to a more brazen, playful muse.

And the course he runs in “Salt” is no less wild and woolly, doing for the term “cad” what he did for “whacked” and putting “miniature mountains” of the salt of caddish deception in a Cornell box (Dali would love it) that also contains a flock of his former lovers, “their beaks open now not to berate but stereophonically warble forgiveness.” Again the zany moves of the uninhibited muse lead to touches like the “memory moon, still glowing” in a corner of the box, which brings him back to salt’s equivalent “anapests, iambs, enjambments” and the saving grace of verse. As in the title poem that concludes the collection, it’s ultimately all about the endgame. In “Salt,” he quotes Sir Thomas Wyatt, “which is why I can croon now, ‘My lute be still …” and why I can cry. ‘… for I have done.” But the last line of the last poem is no less infused with play: “and if you’re dead or asleep who really cares?/Such fun to wake up though! Such fun too if you don’t! Keep dying! Keep writing it down!”

The appropriately spirited painting on the cover of Writers Writing Dying is the work of the poet’s son, Jed Williams.


New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Presents Enthralling Violinist in Richardson Auditorium

This season, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra has had a sponsorship partnership with Novo Nordisk, the Copenhagen-based pharmaceutical company. Given the location of Novo Nordisk’s home base in Denmark, it was fitting that the orchestra’s post-Thanksgiving concert would feature music from Scandinavia. Friday night’s concert at Richardson Auditorium included the winteresque music of Norwegian Edvard Grieg and Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, with a violin soloist who was anything but icy.

The orchestra set the scene for the Sibelius Concerto in D minor with a rich yet stark sound for Grieg’s In Autumn, a one-movement work depicting sighs of impending winter.  The winds in particular provided a warm sound, especially from oboist James Roe. Crisp rhythms from Mr. Roe and two flutes, as well as a trio of hunting horns, gave the impression of an open space of glacial scenery.

Young German violinist Augustin Hadelich took the Sibelius Concerto in D minor by storm, showing virtuosity and clarity in a performance which mesmerized the Richardson audience. Guest conductor Hans Graf began the concerto with a soft orchestral underpinning as Mr. Hadelich played a shimmering melody as if hovering over ice and snow. Playing a 1723 Stradivarius violin, Mr. Hadelich imparted a great deal of feeling into the first movement solo line, taking ample opportunity to put his individual stamp on the music. The solo violin was clearly the star of this concerto, joined by a very subtle clarinet solo by Karl Herman.

The grace and elegance of Mr. Hadelich was aided by the magnificent instrument he was playing. Clarity of tone rang up to the top of the register, allowing Mr. Hadelich to draw the audience into his web, especially during extended trills combined with double stops. When not playing, Mr. Hadelich intently listened to the music from the other musicians, closing the first movement with a lively and hypnotic cadenza. Through the rest of the concerto, pairs of instruments provided elegant contrast to the solo line, including from horn players Lucinda-Lewis and Andrea Menousek, clarinetists Karl Herman and Andrew Lamy, and oboists James Roe and Andrew Adelson.

Mr. Hadelich was popular enough with the Richardson audience to offer an agile Paganini encore, after which the orchestra moved on to a substantial piece in Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 3. The brass section announced the arrival of the symphony and Mr. Graf kept the tempo of the opening Allegro moving at a fast clip. The second iteration of the opening was stronger, contrasted by lighter and nimbler passages which showed Brahms’s Viennese roots. Mr. Graf closed the expansive first movement quietly, setting up well the pastoral Andante.

This second movement was mostly for the winds, with graceful celli and viola accompaniment. Mr. Graf and the orchestra brought out the familiar phrasing of this work well, taking little time between movements to keep the drama moving along. New Jersey Symphony closed the beloved Brahms work with crisp winds and horns in the quick-moving closing Allegro.

These day-after-Thanksgiving concerts by New Jersey Symphony have been as much a part of the holiday weekend as cranberry sauce for many years. For a brief couple of seasons, the orchestra chose not to present a Princeton concert on this weekend, but returned to the tradition, with great appreciation from the audience. It is clear that sometimes individuals just need a break from football and food to hear some great music.


Mythological Figures Fight the Boogeyman in Enchanting Adventure

WE HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO FIGHT THE BOOGEYMAN: Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin’s voice), together with Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman have joined together to form the Guardians in order to prevent the nefarious Boogeyman from destroying the pleasures that children derive from their myths while they are still innocent believers.

When the Boogeyman (Jude Law) hatches a diabolical plan to eliminate the dreams of sugarplums dancing in tykes’ heads and to steal baby teeth that were left under their pillows at bedtime, it’s clear that something must be done. For, if left unchecked, it’ll just be a matter of time before the evil schemer will quash children’s beliefs in the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), and the Sandman.

Fortunately, these beloved mythical figures have already united to fight their longtime adversary by forming the Guardians, an association dedicated to the preservation of the innocence, imagination, and sense of wonder of children all over the world. And at the urging of their wise leader, the Man in the Moon, they become convinced that Jack Frost (Chris Pine) will be an indispensable member of their team.

Initially, Jack is reluctant to join because of he is so young and he also feels inadequate because he is invisible. But Jack ultimately yields to his confederates’ relentless pressuring and they convince him that “You cannot say no!” and “It is destiny!”

With greatness thus thrust upon him, will Jack rise to the occasion to spearhead the charge against the Boogeyman? That is the question posed by the Rise of the Guardians, an enchanting fairytale loosely based on The Guardians of Childhood series of best-sellers by William Joyce.

The animated adventure marks the directorial debut of veteran storyboard artist Peter Ramsey who makes uses of state-of-the-art 3-D technology in such a way that it warrants an investment in goggles in order to enjoy all the eye-popping special features. Nevertheless, at heart, the picture remains a sweet story with a universal message about the importance of protecting children’s innocence.

Although aimed at impressionable young children, Rise of the Guardians will resonate with children of all ages who still have a sense of wonder and awe. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus; and a Tooth Fairy, a Jack Frost, an Easter Bunny, and a Sandman, too.

Excellent (***½). Rated PG for mature themes and scary action sequences. Running time: 97 minutes. Distributor: Dreamworks Pictures.


Dept. of Education’s Highest Prize Goes to Saint Paul Catholic School

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION: Saint Paul Catholic School was among the winners of this year’s National Blue Ribbon award. At a recent celebration, Principal Ryen Killeen (left) accepted the award from New Jersey Department of Education representative Emily MacKinnon. (Photo by Frank DiGiovanni.)

Saint Paul Catholic School (SPS) of Princeton boasts several distinctions. It is the oldest Catholic school in Mercer County, and the oldest private elementary school in Princeton. Founded in 1880 by the Sisters of Mercy of Watchung, it is Princeton’s first and only coed Catholic school.

The 350-student, K-9 grade school recently distinguished itself in another way, by winning a 2012 “Blue Ribbon of Excellence” award from the Department of Education.

The Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Program was created in 1982 to “identify and recognize outstanding public and private schools across the United States of America.” The award is the highest prize the Department of Education can confer. To qualify, private schools like St. Paul’s, must rank in the top ten percent of the nation; public schools must rank in the top ten percent in the state. In Princeton, the only other school to have won the award was the Princeton Charter School, in 2004. Nationwide, this year’s winners include 216 public schools, and 50 private schools. All of the schools were recognized by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at a recent ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Our nation has no greater responsibility than helping all children realize their full potential,” said Mr. Duncan at the ceremony. “Schools honored with the National Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed to accelerating student achievement and preparing students for success in college and careers. Their work reflects the conviction that every child has promise and that education is the surest pathway to a strong, secure future.”

At a joyful ceremony of its own last week, the Saint Paul’s community, which welcomes students of all faiths, gathered to celebrate its success. A bagpiper played as everyone filed into Saint Paul’s Church.

In his opening remarks, Reverend Monsignor Joseph N. Rosie noted that all the learning that goes on at SPS — not just the religious training — are means of “learning about God’s wonder.” A video presentation showed SPS students at work, at play, and at prayer. Most recently, students participated in a collection that sent five vans filled with supplies to aid Hurricane Sandy victims.

In addition to the Blue Ribbon award, SPS has had first- and second-place wins for the last 12 years in an area-wide “scholarly olympics.”

“From whom much is given, much is expected,” observed Superintendent of Catholic Schools JoAnn Tier, invoking Matthew 20: 1-16. Mr. Duncan’s observation that “exemplary schools don’t just happen; they happen by design,” was also cited that morning.


Area Exhibits 11/28/12

Art for Healing Gallery, University Medical Center of Princeton, Route 1, Plainsboro, is showing watercolors by Joel Popadics through January.

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, presents “Patterns & Meaning: Alan J. Klawans and Andrew Werth,” through December 2. Both artists use the computer as a tool in creating their work. Visit www.lambertvillearts.com.

Arts Council of Princeton, Paul Robeson Center, 102 Witherspoon Street, has outdoor sculpture by Mike Gyampo on view through March 30 on the Michael Graves Terrace. Visit www.artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Bernstein Gallery at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, has paintings by Hanna von Goeler through December 6.

Bray Gallery, 202 North Union Street, Lambertville, shows recent paintings by Joseph Bottari and Malcolm Bray, and photography by Andrew Wilkinson, December 8-January 6. The opening reception is December 8, 6-9 p.m. Call (609) 397-1858 for information.

Cafe 44, 44 Leigh Avenue, shows “PLAYBACK! Paintings by James
Bongartz” through December 16. Call (609) 924-3900.

D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place (off Rosedale Road), presents a Decoy Exhibit Lecture by Bob White, Dean of Delaware River Carvers, Jay Vawter Collection, November 29 from 7-8:30 p.m. Call (609) 924-4646 to register. On December 6 at 7:30 p.m., the Princeton Photography Club presents a slide lecture by Ricardo Barros, “Tone, Voice, Message and Photographic Visions.” Visit www.ricardobarros.com.

Firestone Library at Princeton University, has in its Milberg Gallery “Woodrow Wilson’s Journey to the White House,” through December 28. “First X, Then Y, Now Z: Thematic Maps” runs through February 10 in the main exhibition gallery. “Your True Friend and Enemy: Princeton and the Civil War” shows in the Mudd Manuscript Library Cotsen Children’s Library through July 31. “Into the Woods: A Bicentennial Celebration of the Brothers Grimm” is on view through February 28.

Gallery and Academy of Robert Beck, 204 North Union Street, Lambertville, presents paintings by Alex Cohen, December 8-December 28. “Small Captivations” is the title. Opening receptions are December 7, 6-9 p.m. and December 9, 1-4 p.m. Call (215) 603-6573.

Gallery at Chapin, 4101 Princeton Pike, has “Abstract Drawings and Paintings” by Pat Martin through December 14. Call (609) 924-7206.

Gallery 14, 14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, shows photography by Rhoda Kassof-Isaac and Barbara Osterman through December 16. Gallery hours are Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. or by appointment.

Historical Society of Princeton, Bainbridge House, 158 Nassau Street, is showing “Einstein at Home” and “From Princeton to the White House,” which celebrates the 100th anniversary of Woodrow Wilson, through January 13. At the Updike Farmhouse on Quaker Road, “Call to Action: How a President Used Art to Sway a Nation,” World War I posters from the collection, and “A Morning at Updike Farmstead: Photographs by the Princeton Photography Club” are open through December 15, 12-4 p.m. For more information visit www.princetonhistory.org.

The James A. Michener Art Museum at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown, Pa., has “Creative Hand, Discerning Heart: Story, Symbol, Self,” through December 30. “Parting Gifts: Artists Honor Bruce Katsiff” is on view through December 9. Visit www.michener
artmuseum.org.

The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton Street, on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, has “Lynd Ward Draws Stories: Inspired by Mexico’s History, Mark Twain, and Adventures in the Woods” through June 23, 2013. Through January 6, “Art=Text=Art: Works by Contemporary Artists” will be on view, from the collection of drawing collectors Wynn and Sally Kramarsky. “In the Company of Women: Prints by Mary Cassatt” runs through March 3. “Le Mur’ at the Cabaret des Quat’z Arts is on view through February 24.

Lawrence Art & Frame Gallery, 2495 US1, Lawrenceville, presents new paintings by Bill Plank through December 9.

Lewis Center for the Arts’ Lucas Gallery, 185 Nassau Street, will feature work by those studying video, graphic design, and photography December 4-14. An opening reception is December 4, 4-6 p.m. Free public lectures by faculty members continue with filmmaker Su Friedrich on December 5. Visit www.princeton.edu/arts.

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, presents “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761-1898” through January 13. Museum hours are Wednesdays-Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. on. Group tours of 10 or more can be arranged any day by advance reservation. Visit www.morven.org.

Prallsville Mill, Route 29 in Stockton, holds a holiday exhibition and sale by Princeton Artists Alliance, to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy, December 8-22. Artists include Jim Perry, Richard Sanders, Margaret Johnson, Harry Naar, Lucy Graves McVicker, and others. Naar will give a gallery tour December 8 at 1 p.m. Charles McVicker will give a tour December 15 at 1 p.m. Call (609) 924-2660 for information.

Present Day Club, 72 Stockton Street, presents “From Oysters to Artichokes: a new look at still life paintings,” through December 20. Artists Heather Barros, Betty Curtiss, Meg Brinster Michael, Stephen S. Kennedy, and Mary Waltham are in this show. Call (609) 430-0897.

Princeton Day School’s Anne Reid ‘72 Art Gallery will present “Secret Lives,” featuring art by faculty and staff, through December 19. Paintings, drawings, photography, video, ceramics, and sculpture are included. Visit www.pds.org for times.

Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, is showing photography by Mary Cross (“Egyptland”) and painter Ifat Shatzky through December 31 as part of “The Fertile Crescent: Gender, Art and Society” series taking place in nine area venues. (609) 924-9529 or www.prince
tonlibrary.org.

The Princeton University Art Museum has works by Parastou Forouhar, Mona Hatoum, Sigalit Landau,
Shirin Neshat and Laila Shawa on view through January 13 as part of “The Fertile Crescent” project. “Dancing into Dreams: Maya Vase Painting of the Ik’ Kingdom” is on exhibit through February 17. “City of Gold: Tomb and Temple in Ancient Cyprus” is on view through January 20. Museum hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Call (609) 258-3788.

Rago Arts and Auction Center, 333 North Main Street, Lambertville, presents Newark Museum curator Ulysses Grant Dietz speaking on “The Lower End of Splendor: Middle Class Jewelry in Context,” December 4 at 6 p.m. A reception begins at 5 p.m. Call (609) 397-9374 to RSVP.

Rider University Art Gallery, Bart Luedeke Center, Rider campus, Lawrenceville, presents “Alterations: A Retrospective,” sculptures by Joan B. Needham, through December 2. Visit www.rider.edu/arts.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, is showing photographs by Henry Vega, “Floral Still Lifes,” through December 3. Paintings by Maxine Shore are on view December 5-21. The opening reception is December 7, 5-8:30 p.m.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road in West Windsor, has “Off the Wall” affordable art available at its one-day sale on December 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jewelry, ceramics, fiber art, and more are included in this juried market. Visit www.westwindsorarts.org.

Television “Dancing” Star MacManus To Visit Area Dance Studio in January

DANCING WITH A PRO: Tristan MacManus, shown here with fellow “Dancing With the Stars” cast member Chelsie Hightower, chose the Princeton Dance and Theatre Studio in Forrestal Village as the location for an upcoming fundraiser appearance for his favorite charity, Grassroot Soccer.

Local fans of the hit TV show Dancing With the Stars will soon have a chance to spend an evening with one of the show’s professional dancers. Tristan MacManus, the handsome Irishman who has waltzed with such “stars” as Gladys

Knight, Nancy Grace, and Pamela Anderson, will appear on January 26 at Princeton Dance and Theatre Studio (PDT) in Forrestal Village.

The one-night-only event, which is limited to 90 participants, is a fundraiser for Mr. MacManus’s charity Grassroot Soccer, which uses a soccer-based curriculum to educate children in Africa about AIDS. The choice of PDT as a venue came about by chance. The studio, which emphasizes ballet but also offers Broadway dance, hip hop, and other forms, has no connection to Mr. MacManus or Dancing With the Stars, a show that pairs professional dancers with celebrities in a competition; the current season ended last night.

But the mother of two former PDT students happened to be involved with DublinDown330, an organization that works with Grassroot Soccer to raise money and awareness. Donor Jeanne Richman was approached by the charity to help find a location for Mr. MacManus’s fundraiser, and she immediately thought of PDT.

“They were looking for a place on the east coast where Tristan could have a night to meet some of the people who have donated to the charity,” she said. “They asked me about Princeton, and I told them about PDT. It was a logical place. Tristan was interested when he looked at the faculty, because of its diversity. It’s not just ballet, it’s also about Broadway dance, and he loves anything that has to do with Broadway.”

Growing up in Ireland, Mr. MacManus, now 30, divided his energies between his two passions: soccer and dancing. “At one point he gave up dance for soccer,” said Ms. Richman, who has gotten to know the dancer through interviews she has done with him for his website. “He went back to dance, but he loves soccer and he has devoted a lot of time to raising money for the charity, which supports children in Africa and AIDS-prevention by using soccer in the curriculum.”

The initial goal was to raise $10,000 for a tournament
to be played in Los Angeles, where Mr. MacManus spends time while working on Dancing With the Stars. Some $19,000 has been raised so far, and the bar has been reset at $100,000, according to the website macmania.com.

Among the biggest fundraisers so far was a raffle for a dance lesson with Mr. MacManus. Some 800 people entered. The Princeton event is a way for the dancer to meet some of his supporters — the 799 who didn’t win the raffle, and then some. “He wanted to find a way to thank his fans,” said Ms. Richman, “not just for the charity project, but also for everything through his career, including Dancing With the Stars. He wants people to feel included.”

PDT’s size limits the number of participants in the event, but that’s part of the plan. “We wanted small,” Ms. Richman said. “It’s a meet and greet, with a lot of personal interaction. He won’t perform, but we’re trying to talk him into maybe doing a dance lesson earlier in the day.”

Ms. Richman is expecting a full house. Already, one “huge fan” of Mr. MacManus is flying in from
Finland for the event. Others, from Ohio, North Carolina, and other locations, have expressed an interest. “He’s very popular and has huge support on social media, but he wants everyone, including people who don’t use websites or Twitter, to be included,” she said.

“I am very excited about my January 26 Dublin-Down330 fundraiser that is being hosted by the very kind and gracious people at Princeton Dance and Theater,” Mr. MacManus said in a printed statement. “For nearly a year, I have worked diligently to raise awareness and support for Grassroot Soccer, a charity whose vision is ‘A world mobilized through soccer to create an AIDS-free generation.’ …. I am as passionate about football [soccer] as I am about dance …. This event is a chance for me to meet many of my very generous fans while continuing the next phase of our fund-raising. I am looking forward to being in Princeton and meeting many of you.“

Tickets are available at DublinDown330@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.macmaniacs.org/dublin
down330.html.


Hospital Responds To Arrest of Worker

Edher Osrio of Princeton, an emergency room worker at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, has been accused of forcing a female patient to improperly touch him and, in a separate incident, of sexually assaulting another female patient. The alleged contact happened on November 23 with a 60-year-old female patient, while the alleged assault occurred with a 36-year-old female patient in June 2012.

The following statements from Princeton HealthCare System (PHCS) are in response to questions about the ongoing investigation involving PHCS employee, Edher Osorio, and about Mr. Osorio’s return to work after he was the subject of a criminal investigation that was conducted earlier this year. We are providing these statements in response to those inquiries. In June of 2012, a patient complained that a PHCS employee had inappropriate sexual contact with her. The Plainsboro police and the Middlesex County Sex Crimes Unit conducted a thorough investigation and did not find a reason to charge the employee with a crime. The employee was an employee in good standing at that time. As is our practice, we had conducted a thorough pre-employment reference check and criminal background check, and he had passed both. At the time of the investigation, the employee had no record of criminal conduct or of patient complaints and had not been charged with a crime. He was allowed to return to work when the investigation was completed. PHCS is fully cooperating with the police investigation, and are unable to comment on the case.

Mr. Osorio is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Anyone with information that may be relevant is asked to call Investigator Terpanick of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3600, or Detective McElrath of the Plainsboro Police Department at (609) 799-2333.

It’s Unofficially Official: New Council Meets

They are forbidden by law to take official action until January 1. But the new Princeton Council, headed by Mayor-elect Liz Lempert, held its first preliminary meeting Monday to get a head start on what is sure to be a busy schedule once consolidation takes effect January 1.

“What we’re doing here is getting organized so we can hit the ground running on January 1,” said Ms. Lempert. While no voting was permitted, there was “a lot of housekeeping” to attend to, she added. The six members of the newly elected Council, all Democrats, were in attendance. Seated around a table, instead of on the dais, were Jenny Crumiller, Jo Butler, and Heather Howard, who are part of the current Borough Council, along with Lance Liverman and Bernie Miller, who come from Township Committee. The two governing bodies officially become one on the first day of 2013.

Chief among the topics at this preliminary meeting was trash and food waste collection. Borough residents currently have their trash picked up once a week, while Township residents use other services. Once consolidation takes effect, Township residents can either have their refuse picked up by the municipality or continue to contract privately.

The Borough’s current contract expires February 1, and bids are due in by December 6. But there will be no lapse in services. “We will be ready for residential pickup,” said Bob Bruschi, the consolidated government administrator. “We will do two mass mailings [with information] and some of it is already on the website. But we will hold the details, like when specific trash days are going to be, until we see who the vendor is going to be.”

Ms. Lempert added that Township residents who want to participate in the program must cancel their private services, if they have them, as of January 1. There will be no change in the Borough’s refuse collection.

The residential Curbside Food Waste Program currently counts about 430 Township and Borough residents as participants. The program sends food waste to a compost pile instead of a landfill and costs $240 per year per household. A new two-year proposal would continue the program at about $37 to $59 per household.

Mr. Miller asked Janet Pellichero, who is Princeton Township’s Recycling Coordinator, why more people aren’t participating in the current program. “The main issue is cost,” she said, citing the $20 a month required. The topic was to be taken up in more detail at last night’s meeting of Borough Council.

Other topics at the meeting included training and goal-setting. Ms. Lempert said she hopes to have at least one goal-setting session that would be open to members of the public. Ms. Lempert intends to hold a few more of these unofficial gatherings of the new Council before the year’s end. The next one is December 3 at 5 p.m., in the municipal complex.


Volunteers Still Needed To Fill Openings On Committees

The Transition Task Force’s Committees and Commissions Subcommittee met on Monday morning to discuss “filling out the complement” of committee members who will serve when consolidation becomes official on January 1, 2013.

All Boards, Commissions, and Committees for both Princeton Borough and Township will cease to exist as of December 31. In practical terms, this means all terms of office will end on that day. In the new year, the new mayor, with the consent of Council, will be selecting new members to serve on the successor Boards, Committees, and Commissions (BCCs), with the highest priority placed on those BCCs governed by state law.

“I’m encouraged,” said subcommittee member Hendricks Davis of the number of responses to the initial call for volunteers. He added, however, that “not every single seat in every single committee will be filled on January 1. The door to the stable has not been closed, and there is a continued need to reach out to people and encourage participation.”

Approximately 180 people have come forward so far; over 200 positions need to be filled. Mr. Hendricks and the other subcommittee members in attendance at Monday’s meeting, Wanda Gunning, Bernie Miller, and Gary Patteson, agreed that it is considered good practice to have a larger cadre of potential volunteers than will be needed. It was also agreed that municipal lawyers will offer guidance to committees that have not yet reached their full complement.

Mayor-elect Liz Lempert has reportedly suggested that there be “a table” offering BCC applications and information at the January 1 organizational meeting. The subcommittee is hoping that the historic nature of the meeting that day will draw a large audience, and that those who haven’t already volunteered will be moved to do so.

Until then, the volunteer form for serving is on both the Borough and Township websites and can be completed online. Hard copies of the application form are available in the Clerk’s Office at either the Borough or Township, and the Public Library. These should be submitted to Township Municipal Clerk Linda McDermott, 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Questions may also be directed to Ms. McDermott at (609) 924-5704.

Volunteering for a committee does not in any way ensure that a person will become a member. Qualifications are important, and, in some instances, committee members are required to specialize or have certification in areas like engineering, medicine, or architecture. This is particularly true of some of the state-mandated BCCs, which include the Planning Board, the Construction Board of Appeals, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation, the Board of Health, Human Services, and the Library Board. It was noted that Princeton-based architects are sometimes reluctant to serve on the Planning Board because of the need to recuse themselves from certain cases.

In their applications, prospective volunteers may indicate their first, second, and third choice of committees, boards, or commissions, and may serve on more than one.

Mr. Patteson suggested that there was “no conclusion to be drawn” from the response so far, except that “we have to go back and ask people.” Ms. Gunning and Mr. Miller agreed that it would be good to remind current committee members about this opportunity to continue serving the community.


Lempert Outlines Future Goals To Princeton Merchants Association

If Princeton merchants have their way, the newly consolidated government will include a commission devoted to the business community. Mayor-elect Liz Lempert, who attended a meeting of the Princeton Merchants Association Tuesday morning, told the audience that she was open to that idea, which was suggested by a member of the organization.

The meeting was held at Princeton Public Library’s Community Room. Invited to talk about her future plans regarding the business community, Ms. Lempert listed strong communication, sustainability, and solving traffic problems as some of her major concerns.

“I would really like to focus on having great communication,” she said. “The website should be improved, and I’ve been looking at websites from other towns to see how we can do it better. I’d like us to become more sustainable. We don’t have easy recycling downtown, and I want to work on that, as well as energy efficiency. I want to address the long-standing problems of traffic and parking in the Borough. Whether we use satellite parking or shuttles, I don’t know yet. But it’s something I want to look at.”

Tere Villamil, the owner of La Jolie Salon & Spa, commented that Borough businesses often lose employees to stores in malls because of the high cost of parking in downtown Princeton.

Members also heard reports from Linda Mather and Scott Sillars, members of the Transition Task Force, about how the process of consolidation is progressing. Ms. Mather said that movement in the Borough and Township municipal buildings and some changes in infrastructure are results already in place. Mr. Sillars, who is vice-chair of the Task Force, said that the biggest changes are in administration, finance, public safety, public works, and the clerk’s office.

Praising consolidation, he added, “The change in efficiency and operations in government is going to be magnificent. We saw during Hurricane Sandy how Public Works and the police worked together — magnificently.”

Ms. Lempert encouraged PMA members to attend the goal-setting meetings, open to the public, that she is planning to hold at dates to be announced. The new government is “a window” allowing things that didn’t happen to become things that do happen. “There is a real opportunity to make change,” she said.

Carly Meyer, president of the PMA, said, “We get it and we’re here to play ball.”


Faces In A Crowd

Palmer Square was at its most festive Friday for the holiday tree lighting, an event made noteworthy by the presence of a singing Santa, who belted out songs of the season with The Alice Project. (Photo by Emily Reeves)

November 21, 2012

AvalonBay Spokesman, Attorney “Disrespectful” “Intemperate,” “Contentious,” at Two Meetings

To the Editor:

Is lack of respect for appropriate procedure part of Avalon’s method? People I know who attended the November 15 AvalonBay hearing at the Planning Board (PB) were distressed by Mr. [Ron] Ladell’s bullying, disrespectful manner. When Gail Ullman requested him to cede a possible hearing date to the long-postponed Arts and Transit application, he bluntly refused. Ms. Ullman had to remind him to show more respect for the Planning Board process. Mr. Ladell is pushy: he hoards the microphone, as main presenter for AvalonBay and one of its attorneys, and gets double exposure.

At the Princeton Environmental Commission meeting on October 24, Anne Studholme, attorney for AvalonBay, almost shouted at Aaron Kleinbaum, legal director for the Eastern Environmental Law Center, “You’re lying!” — an intemperate, unprofessional charge. Later, she physically pushed Mr. Kleinbaum; he was forced to respond, “Take your hand off me.” One PEC member felt compelled to ask Ms. Studholme, “Have you no respect?” Another member asked that the record show that “the Attorney for Avalon Bay exhibited extremely rude behavior during this meeting” (PEC minutes).

The PB meeting heated up again when site contamination issues arose. Mr. Ladell seemed strident when he told the Board to reverse its decision on November 12 asking Borough Council and Township Committee to pass resolutions requesting a review of existing documents concerning possible contamination by an independent party (as the PEC had recommended). Mr. Ladell offered to bring his own environmental consultant — but Maser Consulting has already been exposed for concealing information, and AvalonBay is not unbiased. To its credit, the Board denied Mr. Ladell’s demand; Ms. Trotman and Mr. Liverman vocally supported Ms. Ullman’s determination to retain an independent party.

AvalonBay has consistently dismissed the public health concerns of Princeton Citizens for Sustainable Neighborhoods (PCSN) as “allegations.” The people I know in PCSN are interested in public health, not the so-called “scare tactics” Mr. Ladell accused them of at the Board hearing. Someone must ask: why do the hospital and AvalonBay oppose an independent investigation? Mr. Ladell later berated PB attorney Gerald Muller when, at the end the hearing, he inadvertently closed before announcing legal notice for the December 6 hearing. He actually stamped out (“We’re leaving!”) — and then snuck back to grab two private talks with Mr. Muller — at the dais and in the hallway

We should be concerned that rules of impartial adjudication are observed and that Robert Simon, representing PCSN, gets equal time. “These hearings are meant to be non-adversarial,” Mr. Simon said. Given Mr. Ladell’s contentious habit of filing lawsuits (as in Highland Park), we should remember one of PCSN’s axioms: a municipal body that fears lawsuits will never get the buildings and the zoning that it wants and deserves. Let’s hope Mr. Ladell can civilize his manner.

Robert Dodge

Maple Street

PEC Clarifies Position on Testing For Contamination at Hospital Site

To the Editor:

The Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) would like to clarify a point made in a letter from Jane Buttars (“Planning Board Should Deny AB Application,” Mailbox, Nov. 14) that ran on November 15, in which she noted the PEC’s recommendation to the Planning Board regarding Avalon Bay’s proposed development on the former hospital site. We recommended that the board consider requesting an independent environmental review of the proposal, given the concerns raised about potential soil and water contamination on the site, and, if the review deemed the testing inadequate, that the Board request adequate testing from the developer. Ms. Buttars pointed out that asking for such testing “from the developer” would not constitute an independent review. We agree. We understand her interpretation of that phrase, but we’d like to clarify that our intention was not to ask the developer to provide the testing, but to have testing performed by an independent party.

Matt Wasserman

Chair, Princeton Environmental Commission

Lance Liverman Hopes Princeton’s “Melting Pot” Will Provide Talent for Boards, Commissions

To the Editor:

I could never find the correct words to express my sincere gratitude. There were so many Princeton residents who decided to trust me. I do not take this vote for granted. I will continue to work for a united, diverse, safe, welcoming, and lovable Princeton.

This could not have happened if it was not for a great support staff that really did most of the work. Special thanks go to Walter, Peter, Doreen, Helen, Sue, Dan, and Jon. Every campaign has it’s ups and downs. We were lucky that we were all able to get along and to understand the big picture. Princeton is truly lucky to have Liz Lempert as the next mayor. The council members: Jo Butler, Jenny Crumiller, Heather Howard, Bernie Miller, and Patrick Simon will work for the interest of good local government. I wanted to thank my family for always supporting me. I wanted to thank Dick Woodbridge and Geoff Aton for running a positive campaign. I am hoping they will stay involved and help the new government.

Now there is work to be done. We cannot do all of the work alone. We need support. Please consider joining one of the Boards and Commissions in the new Princeton. I have always believed that Princeton is a melting pot of gifted talent, please share this gift with all of us. By all of us working together we can continue to make a difference.

Lance Liverman

Witherspoon Street

Bernie Miller Thanks Voters, Volunteers, Looks Forward to Serving New Princeton

To the Editor:

I want to thank all those Princetonians who voted for me in the election on November 6. I have worked for consolidation for my entire political career, so it is very rewarding to have been elected to serve on the new Princeton Council to help make what I have long advocated a reality. I will work for a better Princeton for all of our residents, and to maintain the high standards set by our municipal government.

During my ten years of service on Princeton Township Committee I have learned that it is the many volunteers that serve on our boards and commissions that do much of the hard work that prepares those of us that represent you as elected officials to have the background and insight to deal with the issues that affect our community. Our new Princeton will need the expertise and enthusiasm that our volunteers have shown in the past. I urge you to take an active role in guiding our new community by applying to serve on a board, committee or commission.

It has been an honor for me to serve you and I look forward to a bright future working together with my fellow Council members. Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me. I give my word that I will work hard to repay that confidence.

Bernie Miller

Governors Lane

Woodbridge Congratulates Mayor-Elect Lempert, New Council, Thanks Supporters

To the Editor:

I would like to warmly congratulate Mayor-elect Liz Lempert for a well-earned victory on November 6 and for running a clean, spirited and issues oriented campaign. Congratulations also to Heather, Jenny, Jo, Patrick, Bernie and Lance for a great race. In the spirit of cooperation, I pledge to do whatever needs to be done to make consolidation work.

I also would like to thank the many supporters and contributors who came from across the entire spectrum of the community to help our non-partisan effort. We received roughly 40 percent of the vote and I believe we added some much needed diversity to the local conversation.

Geoff Aton deserves special credit for running a fantastic race as our only candidate for the six person Council. It’s like being the Maytag repairman in a town where everyone owns a Kenmore.

It is always a privilege to run for public office. The campaign was hard fought, the choices were clear, and we did our best.

Now it’s time to transform the promise of the Consolidation Study Commission into reality and make the Town of Princeton a better place for future generations.

Richard C. Woodbridge

Prospect Avenue

Township Mayor Discusses Storm Response, Thanks Emergency Operations Center, Others

To the Editor:

While Hurricane Sandy caused considerable disruption to our community when it struck several weeks ago, the soon-to-be consolidated Princeton stood tall and responded efficiently and effectively. While emergency response may not be one of the key reasons why residents voted for consolidation, having a consolidated emergency response was a clear benefit to the Princeton community in the wake of hurricane Sandy.

I want to thank our Emergency Operations Center team: Bob Gregory, the town administrators, police forces, public works, engineering, and fire departments for coming together and working as one during the hurricane response. The Princeton First Aid Squad, the school district and Princeton University were also critical members of our emergency response team. With a single operations center, we dramatically improved our communications and thus our ability to respond to clearing roads, marshalling our resources and communicating to our residents. One communication component was our periodic reverse 9-11 message delivered by our IT Director, Bob McQueen, who did a great job in keeping our residents updated.

I want to extend a special thanks to our clerks office led by Linda McDermott and Kathy Brzezynski. It was this office (with Recycling Coordinator Janet Pellichero assisting) that was on the front lines through calls and emails from residents and they met the challenge with poise and empathy and assisted wherever they could. It was also the clerks office that responded quickly in establishing emergency voting locations due to power outages and helping the election take place with minimal disruption.

Princeton University and the school district helped our community immensely during the storm. The University provided food to our staff and provided a rest and recharge location on campus for residents. They also were vitally important in establishing Jadwin Gym as an emergency voting location. The school district worked closely with the community to establish the temporary reception center at the John Witherspoon Middle School as power outages continued.

While we certainly have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving week, there will always be areas to improve and work to be done. It is with great sadness that we lost an important member of the Princeton community in Bill Sword during hurricane Sandy. Many residents were without power as we approached 10 days after the hurricane. We will be holding a de-briefing this week with the goal of continually improving our response in the next storm and communicating our concerns to our partners (read: PSE&G) about improving communications with the community when the next storm arrives. Until then, be safe and have a happy Thanksgiving!

Chad Goerner

Mayor, Princeton Township

Simon Thanks People of Princeton, Encourages Diverse Points of View

To the Editor:

Thank you to the voters of Princeton for electing me to the new municipal council, and thank you to our local campaign team, supporters, and canvassers. In particular, while many people helped to make the campaign a robust effort, I would like to particularly note my personal appreciation to Walter Bliss, Helen Heintz, Dan Preston, Peter Wolanin, Jon Durbin, Doreen Blanc Rockstrom, Sue Nemeth, Caroline Hancock, Owen O’Donnell, Margaret Griffin, James and Connie Camner, Valerie Haynes, Liz and David Cohen, Peter Lindenfeld, Mary Clurman, Elizabeth Bates, Claire and David Jacobus, Pamela Hughes, Andrew Koontz, and Bill Scholfield. I especially appreciate the wonderful support and education I received from my running mates, Liz Lempert, Bernie Miller, Heather Howard, Lance Liverman, Jenny Crumiller, and Jo Butler. I would also like to thank the Republican candidates Dick Woodbridge and Geoff Aton, who waged an engaged effort and furthered the spirit of electoral contest in Princeton. And a special thanks to my spouse, Marc Weiner, as well as to our family and friends for their support.

I appreciate the trust placed in me by the people of Princeton, and I look forward to serving on the new council. As we unite to form one Princeton, I will work with the new mayor and council and with the community to realize savings for the taxpayers while sustaining and improving current services. I look forward to being part of a more responsive and open and transparent consolidated municipal government, to working to improve municipal emergency management, and to developing more collaborative relationships with our key institutional stakeholders.

Our new local government is a collaboration open to all members of the community, and we will especially need to hear from diverse points of view as we come together to form one town. We are still taking applications to serve on our local boards, commissions, and committees, and I encourage all interested citizens to apply. You can find the application online at www.princetonnj.gov. I look forward to working with you, and appreciate your support.

Patrick Simon

Harriet Drive

Offering Tips for Communication Sources During “All Too Frequent” Power Outages

To the Editor:

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and in all of Princeton’s all-too-frequent power outages, communication was key. I’d like to commend the almost-merged Township and Borough officials for frequent updates from their reverse 911 notification system. And special kudos to Krystal Knapp of Planet Princeton and Greta Cuyler of Princeton Patch, whose constant stream of wide-ranging critical information, provided online at all hours of the day and night, was absolutely invaluable — a real community service.

It can be tricky to receive these communications when power is out. The reverse 911 messages are by phone. If you can’t rely on a hardwired landline when power is out, I recommend registering a cell phone number online at princetontwp.org (link to Register for Emergency Telephone Notifications from the homepage).

If you’ve been thinking about getting a smartphone, I highly recommend it, as mine was an essential lifeline for my family in this crisis. Through the good graces of the always-reliable Verizon Wireless and a generous friend with a generator, for constant recharging, I could always get the news and be in touch with friends and family. I had never before understood why anyone would want to use Twitter, but became an instant convert in this emergency. With a Twitter feed from Planet Princeton and Princeton Patch, I knew pretty much everything I needed to know. I cannot thank them enough.

Amy Goldstein

Snowden Lane

Obituaries 11/21/12

Charles Roome Parmele III

Charles Roome Parmele III died Sunday, November 4, 2012 after a brief illness, at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, at the age of 87.

Born in Staten Island, N.Y., Roome and his family moved to Skillman in 1969. Roome attended the Staten Island Academy as did his parents. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University in 1947. His college years were interrupted while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. At Princeton, Roome was a four year varsity tennis player and never lost a match. That experience served him well his whole life, as he was a fixture on tennis courts wherever he was. He took great delight in playing tennis with his wife, Jacque, a nationally ranked player. His two sons, Chip and Jim, also fine players, gave Roome much joy over the years.

Roome enjoyed the fellowship of many clubs and societies. They included the Bedens Brook Club (Skillman), The Hillsboro Club in Florida, The Maidstone Club (East Hampton), The Seignoiry Club (Montebello, Canada) and The Saint Nicholas Society of the city of New York. His wit and ready sense of humor were the hallmarks of his warm personality.

Roome is survived by his wife Jacquelyn White Parmele, and his sons Charles Roome Parmele IV, and James White Parmele, and his brother Gilbert Parmele of Simsberry, Conn.

Fond of dogs all his life, contributions may be made in his memory to SAVE of Princeton.

Services were held privately.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Cromwell-Immordino Memorial Home, Hopewell, N.J.

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Gordon R. Harrison

Gordon R. Harrison of Princeton died on November 4, 2012 at the age of 66. Born in Glenridge, New Jersey, son of the late Clifford and Josephine Merrill Harrison, Gordon lived in Verona, N.J. until he attended Princeton University in 1964. He resided in Princeton until his death. After graduating from College High School in Montclair Gordon earned an AB in classics at Princeton. He went on to pursue a graduate degree in classical archaeology. While at Princeton, Gordon served as sports chairman of his eating club and was a top player on 11 of Princeton’s varsity teams. His love of golf followed him well beyond his university career.

Following his graduate work, Gordon enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Gordon was the manager of several Princeton eating clubs for four decades. He was also the long-time treasurer of Princeton Prospect Foundation, as well as various other Princeton organizations. A passionate devotee to barbershop harmony singing, he was bass section leader, front row member, and treasurer of both the Big Apple Chorus in Manhattan and the Princeton Garden Statesmen Chorus. He was also a member of over five quartets. In 2002, the Big Apple Chorus named him Barbershopper of the Year.

Gordon is survived by his sister Patricia H. Case and three nephews, Douglas, David, and Daniel. A memorial celebration was held at Quadrangle Club in Princeton on November 14. Over a hundred people were in attendance to commemorate Gordon’s remarkable life.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.

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Red Oak Diner & Bakery on Route 206 North Offers Wide Array of Family-Friendly Choices

POPULAR PLACE: “I had been wanting to have my own place for a while, and the opportunity came along when the Red Oak Diner was available. The timing was right.” Jeff Delaney, new owner of the Red Oak Diner & Bakery, looks forward to bringing his restaurant experience to the longtime Montgomery diner.

Diners are fun. They’re often reminders of times past — stopping in with friends for a malt, cheeseburger, and French fries when you were a teen. They can be a perfect place when you’re in a hurry, with just time for a piece of pie and cup of coffee. They’re a great stopping spot to bring the family after a movie or sports event.

And, they can be so much more.

Take the Red Oak Diner & Bakery at 1217 Route 206 in Montgomery. Under new ownership, it offers a wide variety of choices, from typical traditional diner fare to entree specials for lunch and dinner, as well as Greek and Italian specialties, and seafood, such as shrimp scampi and broiled salmon.

“I thought this place had a lot of potential, and it’s a great location,” explains new owner Jeff Delaney. Based on his long experience in the restaurant business with his family, he brought with him definite ideas of how he envisaged the diner.

Complete Menu

“It goes beyond diner food. We are looking to add to the menu and keep it varied and fresh. We will include daily specials — with entree, soup, or salad and dessert. A complete menu. I believe the specials will set us apart. It will be quality food, quality service, and affordable prices. We want to provide a family atmosphere, and we have a children’s menu.”

Recent dinner specials, which are updated daily, include roasted pork loin, roast lamb, roasted tilapia, shrimp scampi, leg of lamb, baked pork chops, broiled salmon, and the always popular meat loaf. These specials (with soup or salad and dessert) range from $11.95 to $15.95.

Similar choices, also with soup or salad and dessert, are available for lunch, starting at $7.95.

“Baked pork chops are very popular,” says Mr. Delaney. “And, people always want the meat loaf — you can count on that! They also like the salads, especially the Greek salads, and the pita specials. People are definitely interested in healthier eating today. We try to get things locally, and the freshest ingredients are essential”

Big Sellers

Other favorites are the Greek specialty spanakopita, the traditional turkey club sandwich, and the array of hamburgers (from $5.15) and deli sandwiches. Baked ham on rye, grilled cheese, tuna melt, and the famous Reuben are all available.

Breakfast is offered throughout the day and night — eggs of every kind, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, and French toast are always big sellers.

And, certainly, the ice cream sodas, shakes, root beer floats, and various pies, cakes (including cheese cake), Danish, muffins, and brownies are here to stay at Red Oak.

Customers enjoy the friendly low key setting and atmosphere, reports Mr. Delaney. The diner is larger than it appears at first glance, with seating for more than 100 at the counter, restaurant-style tables, and booths. Many regular customers are coming in often and new faces are arriving too, he adds.

Busiest Times

“We have gotten very busy. The dinner crowd is getting busier, especially on weekends. Breakfast and lunch are very much in demand on weekdays, and brunch is popular on weekends too. A pattern will become evident, too, and we will see what are the busiest times with the most numbers of people.

“The customers are all across the board,” he says. “All ages, families, singles — everyone. The majority are local but we also have people who stop in when they are on the road. People often come to a diner because they are in a hurry, and they want a smooth and positive experience. What is so important is that we offer a seamless experience for customers. We want them to get service right away and have everything go smoothly. We strive to have the best staff, people who are well-trained, experienced, and welcoming.

“The pride comes from being able to provide quality food and have customers smile and be happy when they leave, and say ‘That was great!’ The compliments are really coming in, and we are so encouraged. It’s such positive feedback. People are really noticing the difference.”

Red Oak Diner & Bakery is open seven days 6 a.m. through 9 p.m. Hours will expand. (609) 430-8200. Website: www.redoakdinerandbakery.com.


The Fountain and the Top Hat: Woodrow Wilson’s Star-Crossed Quest

I have the uncomfortable feeling that I am carrying a volcano around with me. My salvation is in being loved.

—Woodrow Wilson, from a letter to Ellen Axson

When I saw the floodlit, misty, gloriously chaotic fountain facing the Woodrow Wilson School one night not long after we moved to Princeton, I didn’t know its name, but I had a notion of the story it was telling. I’d been learning about Wilson’s triumphs and tribulations while working on Alexander Leitch’s A Princeton Companion. I thought of it simply as Wilson’s fountain even after learning that its official name was the Fountain of Freedom and that its stated message was “to symbolize Woodrow Wilson’s vision of lasting world peace” or, according to another source, “to symbolize man’s quest for peace and freedom.”

While it’s possible to connect the quest for freedom with the force field of water splashing, jetting, gushing up and down and in and out of the craggy contours of the 20-foot-high bronze sculpture, it’s a real stretch to imagine a “vision of lasting peace” in all that tumult. Everything’s at cross purposes, like a massive celebration of disorder and conflict, with the jets coming and going every which way, some at angles, spilling mist and spray in all directions. There’s joy, poetry, and music in the play of light and the sound made by the water, but the total effect is best reflected in the title “Woodrow Wilson: A Complicated Man,” the election-of-1912-centennial site honoring the Princetonian who on the eve of his election as governor of New Jersey in 1910 said “men are not put in this world to go the path of ease; they are put in this world to go the path of pain and struggle.”

Speaking of pain and struggle, consider how Caligariesque the sculpture becomes when the water’s shut off. This bleak, twisted mass sculpted by James Fitzgerald (1910-1973) could just as easily serve to mark a battle scene where great losses were sustained.

Achievement and Adversity

It’s a short walk from Wilson’s fountain to Wilson’s top hat, which can be seen in Firestone Library’s Milberg Gallery exhibit, “The Election for Woodrow Wilson’s America.” Too bad the display can’t be on the main floor where more people could view that lustrous black topper. It’s also worth a trip to the second floor to see a photo of a handsome 20-something Wilson sporting a mustache or maybe to read the letter from 1884 when he was courting Ellen Axson, in which he writes, “I’m making a fright of myself for your sake. I am letting my hair grow long for the sake of the look you want.” Jump ahead 31 years and there’s a more familiar President Wilson beaming, in his element, at the 1915 World Series between the Red Sox and the Phillies.

I keep coming back to the top hat. What a sheen it has, so dark, so deep, so rich. But it looks too somber, too grounded somehow. Too much J.P. Morgan, not enough Fred Astaire. It needs to be blown about or perhaps tossed into the fountain’s stormy vortex and set bouncing and bobbing until the topper’s dancing on the top. Though the exhibit commentary informs us that Wilson wore this hat when campaigning for the presidency, most photographs online show him wearing it or its mate in Europe, at Paris and Versailles with Lloyd George and Clemenceau. Wilson is glowing, the Great War is over, he’s signed, sealed, and delivered it, and put the U.S.A. on the center stage and now he’s got big plans for world peace.

(Dream on, says the fountain. Stay the course, says another spray. Keep fighting, says a jet shooting in from the side.)

James Chace’s book, 1912:Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft & Debs — The Election that Changed the Country (2004), begins with Wilson in his glory, enjoying a hero’s welcome in France, flowers raining down on him, the streets of Paris thronged with “the largest number of Parisians ever to welcome a foreign leader,” banners reading “Honor to Wilson the Just,” reporters writing “No one had ever heard such cheers …. Oh, the immovably shining smiling man!” All through December 1918 it was more of the same, cheered in England, treated like a king in Rome, where he was “met with near-hysterical demonstrations,” and “blew kisses to the crowd.”

Not so fast, says the fountain, don’t forget that back home the Republicans have won both houses of Congress and are denouncing the “shining smiling man” — “Mr. Wilson has no authority whatever to speak for the American people.” Same old, same old, achievement blown to a mist by adversity. Think of what Senate leader Cabot Lodge and the Republicans did to Wilson’s dream of the League of Nations. The chapter, “Woodrow Wilson: The Conservative as Liberal,” in Richard Hofstadter’s American Political Tradition (1948) is full of references to Wilson’s combative character, his volcanic intensity and need to be loved (as in the quoted admission from another letter to Ellen Axson). The chapter also features phrases from Wilson’s 1912 campaign that could be taken from media coverage of the campaign of 2012: “the middle class is being more and more squeezed,” “the interests that have squeezed out the middle class are the same that control politics,” “the laws do not prevent the strong from crushing the weak,” and “the business of government is to organize the common interests against the special interests” [Wilson’s emphasis].

In his way, Wilson seems nearly as unlikely a president in 1912 as Obama was in 2008. Even now, consider how improbable it would be for someone like Wilson to be elected and sworn in on Inauguration Day: a scholar, an intellectual, historian, author of numerous academic texts, a visionary who, in Hofstadter’s words, “learned to look upon life as the progressive fulfillment of God’s will and to see man as ‘a distinct moral agent’ in a universe of moral imperatives.” If anything, such a person seems as far out of the mainstream as an African American with a Harvard degree, two books under his belt, and a more practical, flexible concept of priorities and imperatives.

The Movie

My sense of Wilson, the flawed hero striving for the greater good (that star-crossed quest for peace played out in criss-crossing streams of his fountain), has little in common with the depiction of the 28th president in Darryl F. Zanuck’s wartime biopic Wilson (1944). As James Agee put it in his long, typically brilliant August 19, 1944 review in The Nation: “With the best intentions in the world, Hollywood took a character and a theme of almost Shakespearean complexity and grandeur, and reduced the character to an astutely played liberal assistant professor of economics.” What follows is a litany of similarly fatal reductions of themes and events: “the millennial, piteous surge of hope and faith which bore Wilson to Paris,” “the colossal struggles between Wilson and Clemenceau and Senator Lodge,” “Wilson’s terrifying, possessed trip around the United States,” all reduced to “a high-grade sort of magazine illustration.”

Wilson was the most expensive film ever made in Hollywood up to that point, costing even more than Gone With the Wind. In fact, Zanuck was so devastated by the resulting box office disaster (it lost millions) that he decreed that Wilson never be mentioned again in his presence. The film does include numerous Princeton touches (students serenading Wilson with “Old Nassau” after he’s been elected) that may move all but the most jaded alums. The rub is that a true Princetonian named Jimmy Stewart might have saved the day if he hadn’t been serving in the U.S. Air Force at the time. Instead of Alexander Knox, a little-known actor with minimal presence, you’d have had a major star who would have brought his tensely suppressed fire-in-the-belly ferocity to the part.

The Fountain Rules

The last image you see in the Milberg exhibit is an extraordinary piece of pointillist photography from 1918 by Arthur S. Mole in which 21,000 officers and men at Camp Sherman in Chillicothe Ohio have been assembled to form a “living portrait” of Wilson. The photographer climbed a 70-foot-high tower to shoot the picture of the human tide he’d shaped to the president’s approximate likeness. It’s a magnificent image, but it doesn’t really do Wilson or his story justice. For that, go to the fountain — or to the various Princeton exhibits and events marking the 1912 election centennial (http://wilsoncentennial.org/). On December 8 (2 p.m. and 4 p.m.), The Historical Society of Princeton is hosting a walking tour of places in the community that were a part of Wilson’s life as a student, faculty member, and president of the University. $7 adults; $4 children. To register, call (609) 921-6748 x102, or email eve@princetonhistory.org.

The Harper’s Weekly cover is on view in the Milberg exhibit, which runs through December 28. The man in the rear is Wilson’s vice-president, Thomas R. Marshall of Indiana, who during a Senate debate once famously announced, “What this country really needs is a good five-cent cigar.”