By Donald Gilpin

Young children and their parents might find levels of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety rising as August winds down and the last weeks of summer approach, but Princeton Montessori School (PMonts) has a plan.

PMonts has initiated “Growing Together: A Montessori Approach to Parenting,” a series of podcasts of about 20 minutes each that will be addressing topics and challenges such as back-to-school separation, sleeping, eating, potty training, discipline, social-emotional issues, friendships, and more.

PMonts teachers, who will provide expert commentary on these podcasts, have found that these issues are of greatest interest to parents of their students.  more

URBAN HYDROLOGY TOUR: The Watershed Institute’s Jim Waltman led a contingent of K-12 educators and Princeton University-affiliated experts on a hydrology tour of Princeton last week as part of the University’s QUEST program for STEM teachers. (Photo courtesy of Princeton University)

By Donald Gilpin

More than 30 K-12 STEM teachers, representing school districts from across New Jersey, are participating in Princeton University’s QUEST program this summer, immersing themselves a rich variety of learning experiences in the world of science and mathematics.

QUEST is an acronym for “Questioning Underlies Effective Science Teaching,” and Jessica Monaghan, assistant director of STEM in the University’s Program of Teacher Preparation which organizes the QUEST programs, emphasized the power of questioning.

In her August 7 concluding remarks to the QUEST educators and scholars at the second of three week-long programs, she praised the level of engagement of the 10 area public school teachers who had completed last week’s program on hydrology. She noted, “What was so exciting to me as a learner is seeing how your questions evolved over the week.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Kopp’s Cycle, known as the oldest continually running bike store in the country, will be opening its doors on Friday, August 16, for the start of a new phase in its history that dates back to 1891.

Electric bikes (ebikes) will now make up about 60 percent of the inventory, and a new name, Pedego Princeton at Kopp’s, will reflect the priorities of the new owners and operators of the Spring Street shop, which has been shut down since December 1, 2023, though bike repairs and a few sales have continued.

Princeton Property Partners purchased the business and the property early this year, and has teamed up with Wendy Reilley, who will be running the new store, moving her Pedego Princeton operation from its temporary Wiggins Street location where it has sold electric bikes over the past three years. more

IN THE ANDES: Caminos Princeton, organized by two Community Park Elementary School aides, recently returned from an 11-day expedition to Ecuador, where rising Princeton ninth graders toured the country and spent five days living with Ecuadorian host families. The visiting Princeton contingent is seen here with their Ecuadorian host families. (Photo courtesy of Caminos Princeton)

By  Donald Gilpin

“Travel and cultural exchange can change lives,” wrote Alessandra Clemens-Lores and Queta Alban, Community Park Elementary School aides in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.

They proved that assertion again last month in leading 11 Princeton Middle School (PMS) recent graduates on an 11-day expedition through Ecuador that included exploring the Ecuadorian rain forest, rafting on the Yanayacu River, crossing the Andes, touring the capital city Quito, and biking through the lava fields of the volcanic valley of Cotopaxi, as well as community service at a local school in the Amazon, immersion time with Ecuadorian host families, and a focus on social and ecological awareness. more

By Donald Gilpin

Almost three years since groundbreaking and many more years in the planning, Princeton University’s Meadows Neighborhood on Washington Road is ready to welcome a full complement of graduate students, athletics teams, and more this fall.

“The Meadows Neighborhood will provide a place that is experienced as a natural, yet distinctive extension of the existing campus,” wrote Associate Vice President for Capital Projects Dozie Ibeh. “The initial projects encourage a lively community of living and learning.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Amidst recent upheavals on the national political scene, Princeton has its own election excitement coming up in the local race for positions on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).

With the filing deadline for the November election just a few days away, the campaign for three spots on the BOE has three new candidates in the race, two incumbents stepping down at the end of the year, and a third incumbent not available for comment.

Betsy Baglio, BOE member for the past nine years, wrote in a July 22 email to Town Topics that she would not be running for a fourth term. “While I look forward to seeking other opportunities after completing my Board service at the end of this calendar year, I will always remain committed to the success of the Princeton Public Schools as a parent, community member, and educator,” she said. “I will continue to advocate for the well-being and achievement of PPS students (Including equitable access to all opportunities) and support our dedicated faculty and staff.” more

“TRAVELS WITH THOMAS GEORGE”: The Arts Council of Princeton will be hosting an exhibition and art sale August 1-4 featuring the works of the late internationally celebrated artist and Princeton resident Thomas George. The painting pictured above is George’s “North Garden, Bodnant,” a 1994 watercolor.

By Donald Gilpin

“Travels with Thomas George,” an unusual art show and sale featuring about 100 works by the late artist and Princeton resident, will take place at the Arts Council of Princeton’s (ACP) Taplin Gallery August 1-4.

George’s work, which is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the National Gallery of American Art, the Tate Gallery, and many other museums and collections in the United States and abroad, spans a variety of different subject matter and represents a number of different mediums.  more

By Donald Gilpin

The presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Princeton last Wednesday, July 10, including the arrest of one resident, has caused high levels of concern among residents and government officials at the local and state levels.

Whether it was a “targeted operation,” as designated by ICE officials, or a “raid,” as described by many locals, agents in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark division arrived early on the morning of July 10 in unmarked cars.

“I am horrified to learn of the ICE raids carried out in Princeton today, by agents who did not identify themselves, drove into communities, and stopped Hispanic/Latinx residents seemingly at random to interrogate them and demand documentation,” said U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman in a July 10 statement. “This kind of conduct has absolutely no place in our community or our country.” more

BOOKS FOR BOTSWANA: Claire Tang, left, Princeton High School junior and recently appointed World Literacy Foundation youth ambassador, and her classmate Emma Liu stand with boxes of books about to be shipped to a school in Botswana for an African library book drive they helped to organize. (Photo courtesy of Claire Tang)

By Donald Gilpin

As a newly appointed World Literacy Foundation youth ambassador for 2024, Princeton High School junior Claire Tang will be continuing her work to combat illiteracy and increase education and awareness about the importance of reading and writing.

“Reading has always been one of my biggest hobbies, so I’ve experienced the positive impact literacy can have on quality of life,” Tang wrote in an email. Last year she worked with the African Library Project (ALP) and the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States (AYLUS) to organize two book drives that supported libraries in Malawi and Botswana, resulting in more than 2,500 books delivered and $2,000 raised.

In partnership with her classmate Emma Liu, Tang is working on another book drive this summer with AYLUS and ALP to support a secondary school library in Lesotho.

As a youth ambassador in the year ahead, she plans to continue her work with ALP and AYLUS while branching out into additional literacy challenges locally and globally. more

By Donald Gilpin

Noga Alon
(Photo by Sameer A. Khan)

Princeton University Professor Noga Alon has been awarded the 2024 Wolf Prize in Mathematics “for pioneering contributions to mathematical cryptography, combinatorics, and the theory of computer science.” And the 2024 Wolf Prize in Physics has been presented to Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Trustee Emeritus Martin Rees, for his “fundamental contributions to high-energy astrophysics, galaxies and structure formation, and cosmology.”

Considered one of the most prestigious international awards for scientific and artistic achievement, the Wolf Prize, granted in Israel, includes a $100,000 monetary award. More than one-third of Wolf Prize recipients have gone on to receive a Nobel Prize, according to the Wolf Foundation.

A Princeton University press release describes Alon, who shares the mathematics award with Adi Shamir of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, as “one of the most prolific mathematicians in the world,” having published more than 850 papers, including papers on biology, economics, and neuroscience. In addition to his position at Princeton University, Alon has also been “a regular fixture” at IAS as a member and visitor in the School of Mathematics since 1993, according to an IAS press release. more

By Donald Gilpin

Registration is open for the YWCA After-School Program (ASP) for the 2024-2025 school year at Community Park, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, and Riverside elementary schools, and also for students who attend Pre-K at Y locations.

The program is available for students from Pre-K through grade 5, with teachers from the Y providing services on school days from 3 to 6 p.m.

To secure a space in the program, parents are encouraged to register before mid-August. Applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis with some schools filling up faster than others.

The ASP includes 30 minutes of outdoor play, weather permitting, and indoor activities such as gym time, crafting, storytelling, games, and dancing. Students will also be provided with homework help and a nutritious afternoon snack. more

By Donald Gilpin

Reflections on Paul Robeson, the Witherspoon-Jackson (W-J) neighborhood, and the future of Princeton, along with community gatherings and sports, will highlight this year’s Joint Effort Safe Streets Summer Program, starting on August 2 and continuing through August 11.

“It’s always important for the community to come together,” said Joint Effort (JE) founder and organizer John Bailey. “And it’s even more important now because we have lost our way. On the national level and on the local level we have lost our way.”

The annual program will include social, athletic, and cultural events; the presentation of numerous awards; and three discussions with community leaders on hot topics facing Princeton.  more

By Donald Gilpin

Addressing the need for accessible and affordable vision and dental care in the low to moderate-income (LMI) local population, Princeton Council has approved resolutions to renew federal programs that are fully funded by a HUD Community Development Block Grant.

“I’m thrilled that we’re continuing this,” said Councilwoman Leticia Fraga, as the Council at their June 24 meeting unanimously supported the resolution for the third year of the programs. “These are truly life-changing services that we’re providing.”

“Offering free dental and vision care to our LMI residents is an essential and impactful measure to guarantee fair access to vital health services,” Fraga added in a July 1 email. “For many, this is their first chance to receive such care, which is critical for their overall health.” more

EINSTEIN IN DOHM ALLEY: Town officials joined Princeton Einstein Museum creators for a ribbon-cutting event with magnets at the opening of “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” a pop-up exhibition in Dohm Alley at 102 Nassau Street through September 15. From left are Einstein Museum Board Treasurer Riten Patel, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab Staff Research Physicist Frances Kraus, Princeton Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, Princeton Municipal Administrator Bernie Hvozdovic Jr., Princeton Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, property owner Stanley Dohm, and exhibit designer Jonn McCollum. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Einstein Museum)

By Donald Gilpin

“Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” a summer pop-up exhibition, opened with a ribbon-cutting celebration on June 27 at Dohm Alley on Nassau Street, and it will remain open through September 15.

Created by the Princeton Einstein Museum, which is under development for a future opening, the exhibit includes four 9×4-foot banners with information about magnetism and how it is used, Princeton-area research using magnets, a life-sized Einstein selfie, and a hands-on ferrofluid playground. more

By Donald Gilpin

The theme is understanding the past and shaping the future, and Morven on Stockton Street in Princeton, embodying a rich history that dates from the American Revolution to the roaring ’20s to the societal upheavals of the 1960s, provides an ideal setting to explore that theme.

Morven Museum & Garden, supported by a variety of community partners, is taking on the challenge of connecting history and civic engagement with a July schedule of educational programs and entertaining events that includes a festive Fourth of July Jubilee; a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”; a Summer Reading Soirée with two authors of historical fiction discussing their recent novels; summer cream tea service in Morven’s historic Garden Room; and an exploration of the “hidden histories” of women’s education in early America.  more

POST OFFICE NO MORE: The Triumph Brewing Company, relocated to the former post office building on Palmer Square, will be reopening this weekend after years of planning, renovation, and reconstruction. The main entrance is located where the post office loading dock used to be, on the opposite side of the building from the old post office entrance. (Photo by Anthony Stull Photography)

By Donald Gilpin

The former post office on Palmer Square is ready for its long-awaited rebirth as the Triumph Brewing Company, with reopening scheduled for this weekend, according to Triumph representative Eric Nutt.

It’s been a difficult birthing process since a plan for renovating the old post office was first presented to the Princeton Planning Board in 2017, but Nutt urges the hungry, thirsty, and/or curious to watch the triumphbrewing.com website for details about the reopening. It could be this Friday, he hinted, but certainly by the last day of the month on Sunday. more

GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Amy Lin, Princeton High School senior and virtuoso pianist, center, celebrates her Royal Conservatory of Music Gold Medal award, presented to her at Carnegie Hall on January 14. Marvin Blickenstaff and Kairy Koshoeva, her piano teachers at the New School for Music Study in Kingston, join in honoring her. (Photo courtesy of Amy Lin)

By Donald Gilpin

There’s the old joke where the New York City tourist asks a man in the street who’s carrying a violin case, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The musician’s answer: “Practice, practice, practice.”

For rising Princeton High School (PHS) senior and pianist Amy Lin, the answer might be “practice, practice, practice,” but she also had to win the Gold Medal in the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) National Award, receiving the highest score in the country at the RCM’s top performance level.  more

THE PATHWAY TO COLLEGE: Since 1970 the 101: Fund has provided need-based college scholarships for Princeton High School graduates. This year’s 101: Fund all-volunteer board, pictured above, awarded scholarships to 30 PHS graduating seniors, and additional funding to support other recent PHS graduates in college. (Photo courtesy of 101: Fund)

By Donald Gilpin

In its 55th year of existence, the 101: Fund recently awarded scholarships to 30 Princeton High School (PHS) graduating seniors. In total the Fund will provide more than $176,000 during the next year to support recent graduates.

This was a record number of scholarship awards to new graduates, with many recipients being the first in their families to attend college.

The featured speaker at the June 10 awards ceremony was Kevin Lara Lemus, a former 101: Fund scholarship award recipient who is a recent graduate of the Mercer County Community College (MCCC) nursing program. He spoke about the significant help that the 101: Fund provided, both financially and through mentorship, during his college experience. more

By Donald Gilpin

Activity at the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) might look as if it’s winding down following last Friday’s Princeton High School (PHS) graduation, but two key administrative appointments and a slew of construction projects are two indications of a busy summer in preparation for the 2024-25 school year.

Fifth graders at the district’s four elementary schools celebrated their moving-on-to- middle school ceremony on Thursday morning last week; 257 Princeton Middle School (PMS) students, who will attend PHS in the fall, participated in a moving up ceremony on Wednesday; and on Friday, with the time moved up from 5:30 to 4 p.m. in order to outrun a major thunderstorm, 366 PHS seniors received their diplomas.

Meanwhile, PPS staff who are working with building contractors, architects, and engineers; numerous teachers and administrators with summer projects; and two new administrators, in particular, are wasting no time in getting down to work. more

“MARCH, DANCE, ROLL, SASHAY”: The 2024 Princeton Pride Parade and After-Party will be taking place this Saturday, June 22, with participants marching from the Municipal Building on Witherspoon Street to the YMCA field on Paul Robeson Place for food, music, speeches, dancing, and more. This photo is from last year’s Pride Parade. (Photo courtesy of Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice)

By Donald Gilpin

“Marchin’ in Solidarity” and “Dancin’ in Celebration” the flyer from the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ) reads, as Princeton prepares for its annual Pride Parade and After-Party on Saturday, June 22, stepping off from the Princeton Municipal Building on Witherspoon Street at 11 a.m.

“The Princeton Pride Parade is a joyful lovefest of community celebration right here in Central Jersey,” wrote State Sen. Andrew Zwicker in an email Monday. “I am grateful to the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice for their leadership and efforts to bring us all together and, as always, look forward to marching, dancing, singing, and chanting in solidarity as we recommit ourselves to defending the liberties of the LGBTQIA+ community.” more

By Donald Gilpin

A Russian court announced on Monday that the trial of journalist and former Princeton resident Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned in Russia for almost 15 months, would begin on June 26 and would be held behind closed doors, according to news sources.

A 2010 Princeton High School graduate, Gershkovich was on a reporting trip for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in March 2023 when he was detained by Russian security officials and incarcerated in a high-security prison in Moscow.

Gershkovich, who is fluent in Russian, which he spoke at home with his Jewish parents, who had been born in the Soviet Union and fled to the United States in 1970, has been charged with espionage. He is the first American to be imprisoned on espionage charges in Russia since 1986 during the Cold War. more