“LET FREEDOM RING”: From left, Human Services Commission member Larry Spruill, Civil Rights Commission Chair Fern Spruill, and Councilman Leighton Newlin raise the Juneteenth flag at Monument Hall to commemorate Juneteenth 2023. (Princeton Symphony Orchestra staff photo)

By Donald Gilpin

Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. after the Civil War, is next Wednesday, June 19, and celebrations will be taking place at Monument Plaza and Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton, at various other venues in Central Jersey, and across the nation.

Events are also scheduled in the area for Saturday, June 15, with additional celebrations over the weekend of June 22-23.

It was on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, that enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. African Americans have celebrated that day since the late 1800s, and in 2021 Juneteenth, on June 19, officially became a national holiday. The holiday is also called Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day. more

BEAUTIFUL AND BESIEGED: Princeton’s beech trees are being threatened with a new beech leaf disease caused by tiny worms called nematodes, which can destroy a tree in less than 10 years. Local arborists and residents are seeking the best ways to combat beech leaf disease. (Shutterstock)

By Donald Gilpin

Just 10 years since the emerald ash borer was first detected in New Jersey, and then proceeded to decimate many thousands of the state’s ash trees, a new threat, beech leaf disease, caused by tiny worms called nematodes spread by birds or the wind, has arrived and is likely to take a devastating toll on the area’s beech trees.

Princeton Municipal Arborist Taylor Sapudar reports sightings on private properties throughout Princeton and in Princeton Open Space. He has heard from private tree care companies that are trying to manage and treat the disease, but he cautions that “it’s still in the early stages,” and a number of questions about the origins and the most effective countermeasures remain unanswered.

“Staff will be monitoring the disease in the open space areas,” Sapudar said. more

By Donald Gilpin

With the wrap-up of the June primary, New Jersey voters and candidates are setting their sights on the November general election.

The national races, with Congress, the Senate and the U.S. presidency on the line, appear to be more hotly contested than the local contests.

Democrat Mark Freda is running unopposed for reelection as Princeton mayor, while in their bids for two Princeton Council seats in November, new candidate Brian McDonald and incumbent Leighton Newlin are so far facing no competition.

In the primary race to represent the Democratic Party in the fall election for the New Jersey U.S. Senate seat currently held by Robert Menendez, Andy Kim handily defeated two other candidates, receiving 75 percent of the vote to 15.9 percent for labor organizer and political leader Patricia Campos-Medina, and 9.1 percent for Lawrence Hamm, human rights activist and leader of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign in New Jersey. Tammy Murphy, wife of Gov. Phil Murphy, entered the primary race for Senate, but ended her campaign in March. more

By Donald Gilpin

May was Bike Month, with National Ride a Bike Day, Bike to School Day, and Bike to Work Day and Week; Monday, June 3 was World Bicycle Day; and Princeton continues to celebrating all forms of biking, with many different organizations and individuals working to make cycling increasingly accessible and safe in the town.

“Biking is a great way to get around,” notes Sustainable Princeton on its website. “It’s lower impact than running, faster than walking, and more exciting (and climate-friendly) than sitting in a car. More and more people are catching onto this, using bikes to commute to work, run errands, and exercise.”

“The biking community is growing, and I think it will continue to grow, and that’s a good thing,” said Sustainable Princeton Executive Director Christine Symington, who does not have a car and gets around by bike. more

By Donald Gilpin

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher, editorial director, and former editor of The Nation magazine, will be the keynote speaker this Sunday, June 9, at the Coalition for Peace Action’s (CFPA) annual membership gathering at the Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane, adjacent to Princeton High School.

A sponsor reception with vanden Heuvel will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., with the program, which will also honor three individuals for their work for peace, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore, in a June 3 phone interview, emphasized the significance of this event and the urgency of working for peace during this troubled moment in history. “It’s important to have these kinds of events where we gather and feel better informed, but also strengthened in our determination to continue with our movement and hopefully grow it,” he said. more

By Donald Gilpin

Mercer County Community College (MCCC) has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), which provides the college with many new opportunities to apply for grants and tap into resources to enhance academic programs, facilities, and services that expand opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

“This federal designation is a significant milestone toward reducing barriers to higher education and creating an inclusive environment with equitable outcomes for all students,” said MCCC President Deborah Preston in a press release. “It will allow us to continue providing the tools needed to empower our Hispanic and Latino students, and ultimately the broader community.”

MCCC has become eligible for this designation with a growing enrollment of full-time students who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino. From 2019 to the fall of 2023, MCCC’s Hispanic and Latino student population increased from 24 percent to 30 percent, well above the 25 percent minimum required to receive the DOE designation as an HSI. MCCC has also met criteria pertaining to the enrollment of low-income students and the cost per student.  more

CAPS IN THE AIR: Princeton University graduates celebrated on Tuesday in Princeton Stadium, as thousands of family members and friends cheered them on and Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber urged them to “show up in person, fully and humanly” in their lives beyond Princeton. (Princeton University; Office of Communications; Charles Sykes; Associated Press Images, 2024)

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber urged the 1,297 undergraduate degree recipients, 206 earning masters’ degrees, and 403 Ph.D, recipients to “lean into life after Princeton … with the same dazzling energy and imagination you showed while you were here,” as thousands of family members, friends, and guests seated in Princeton Stadium at Tuesday morning’s commencement ceremony cheered them on.

As the berobed procession of graduates, professors, and other academic officials entered the stadium and took their seats on the stage and across the length of the field, the crowd was in a festive mood, the weather was sunny and breezy, and discord that had troubled the Princeton University campus during the past month was mostly not in evidence.

Describing commencement addresses as ”a curious genre of public speaking,” as well as “a vexed genre” in the current polarized political climate, Eisgruber lamented the impossible demands of coming up with an original, profound, wise, and memorable speech.  more

By Donald Gilpin

Launching its celebration of diversity, inclusion, and community, Princeton will be hosting a flag-raising, a Pride Picnic, and a Pride Dance Party this Friday on the eve of Pride Month.

Following the annual Pride flag-raising at noon on May 31 at Monument Hall, the fourth annual Princeton Community Pride Picnic will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hinds Plaza on Witherspoon Street outside the Princeton Public Library (PPL).

The picnic promises “a family-friendly event,” with “something for everyone,” and “an array of entertainment and activities,” featuring performances by the Princeton School of Rock and drag performers Lady Celestina and Victoria Courtez, music with DJ Dana K of WPRB 103.3 FM, an interactive art project led by Liz Massa, giveaways, crafts, games, a Makers and Zine Alley, and more. If it rains, the picnic will move inside the library. more

By Donald Gilpin

Christopher Sheridan

Christopher Sheridan, currently assistant principal at Delran Intermediate School in Delran, N.J., will be the next principal at Johnson Park Elementary School (JP), succeeding Angela Siso Stentz, who will take on her new role this summer as assistant superintendent for human resources for Princeton Public Schools (PPS).

Sheridan, who has 17 years of experience in education, pointed out his focus as an elementary school administrator and as a teacher of kindergarten and fifth grade. “Some of the most rewarding and impactful experiences during these times have been the six years as a kindergarten teacher and the five-and-a-half years spent as a fifth grade teacher,” he wrote in an email. “Understanding the continuum of these students’ learning and development on the opposite ends in the primary and elementary grade spectrum has prepared me to lead JP.” more

By Donald Gilpin

After a continuous sit-in of nearly three weeks — first in the McCosh courtyard then on Cannon Green behind Nassau Hall — Princeton University’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment dispersed on the evening of May 15 following a final rally.

In a statement issued on the last day, the demonstrators declared, ”Our fight for divestment and Palestinian liberation continues undeterred.”

Described by The Daily Princetonian student newspaper as “both a protest and a community space,” the Gaza Encampment from April 25 to May 15 was a place for speeches and rallies, singing and chanting and poetry reading, town hall gatherings, conversations, meeting and eating together, and sometimes quietly reading or studying. Through rain and shine, cold and hot weather, the numbers of demonstrators fluctuated widely. The University administration did not allow tents or sleeping.

Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber sent a message to the University community on May 13 warning that the protesters must leave Cannon Green. Signs and barriers were put in place around the green stating, “This space is closed in preparation for University events,” and Eisgruber noted, “To continue the sit-in would involve significant and impermissible disruption of University activities. The protesters are of course free to express their views in many other permissible, non-disruptive ways.” more

By Donald Gilpin

As Princeton voters go to the polls for the 2024 primary elections — in only one week for the first day of early voting on May 29 (through June 2), and in less than two weeks for Election Day voting on Tuesday, June 4 — Democrats and Republicans will vote for candidates to represent their parties in the November election for president, as well as candidates for U.S Senate and for the House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 12th District. They will also select candidates in races for three Mercer County Commissioners, Princeton mayor and two Council members, and two County Committee members.

The two spotlighted races include the competition for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Robert Menendez, who is not running, with Andy Kim, Lawrence Hamm, and Patricia Campos-Medina on the Democratic ballot and Curtis Bashaw, James Murphy, Albert Harshaw, and Christine Serrano Glassner on the Republican ballot; and the race for a seat in the U.S. Congress, with Princeton resident Daniel Dart challenging incumbent Bonnie Watson Coleman for the Democratic nomination, and Republicans Theodore E. Jones Jr. and Darius Mayfield competing for their party’s nomination. more

By Donald Gilpin

In two days of elections held last week, May 13 and 14, Princeton University graduate students voted against joining the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) by 652 votes to 391, a 63-37 percent split with more than 73 percent of the 1,523 eligible voters turning out. The previous week the University’s postdoctoral researchers voted by a margin of 484 to 89 to join a union with the United Auto Workers (UAW).

On April 12 Princeton Graduate Students United (PGSU), looking “to improve working conditions for everyone,” filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Established in 2016, PGSU claimed to have widespread support and a “strong majority” of graduate students who had signed union cards. more

By Donald Gilpin

Nineteen days after its start on April 25, the Princeton University Gaza Solidarity Encampment appeared to be preparing to leave Cannon Green on Tuesday, May 14 following a warning sent by Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber the previous evening.

About 40 demonstrators continued to occupy the space in the early afternoon on Tuesday, but signs of decamping included piled up blankets, tarps, and other supplies, as well as barriers surrounding the green with signs stating: “This space is closed in preparation for University events.” About a dozen public safety officials were present around the perimeter of the green, and a number of University facilities workers were hanging electrical cords and lights in the trees.

It is not clear how and when the withdrawal from Cannon Green will be completed. A mid-day Instagram notice from the protesters stated that Eisgruber “failed to let us know how, when, or on what timeline the camp would be cleared,” and the “urgent update” concluded, “Administration and public safety are currently encircling the camp as we deliberate our next steps.”  more

ONE THOUSAND TREES: The Watershed Institute and its partners embarked last week on a tree planting project in Cadwalader Park that aims to increase Trenton’s tree canopy and combat climate change while adding 1,000 trees throughout the city in the next three years. (Photo courtesy of the Watershed Institute)

By Donald Gilpin

With a plan to plant 1,000 trees in Trenton in the next three years, the Watershed Institute, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF), and other partners began planting trees last week in Cadwalader Park to improve climate resiliency and enhance the environment.

“At the Watershed we really believe that trees are such an important component of the green infrastructure that protects our waterways and so important as we enter this year of climate change,” said Watershed Chief of Operations Sophie Glovier. more

By Donald Gilpin

At its meeting on Tuesday night, April 30, which took place after press time, the Princeton Board of Education (BOE) was expected to approve a proposal for a $85 to $89.5 million facilities referendum, planned for December 2024 or January 2025, and also a 2024-25 budget of $119.2 million.

The referendum proposal, for new construction and renovation at Community Park Elementary (CP), Littlebrook Elementary (LB), Princeton Middle School (PMS), and Princeton High School (PHS), is anticipated to be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). The specific dollar amount, which could be smaller with the inclusion of potential state aid, and the final form of the referendum questions will be determined after the NJDOE reviews the application and advises which portion of the costs is eligible for state funding. more

GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT: Pro-Palestine demonstrators at Princeton University moved into the sixth day of their “encampment” on Tuesday, moving the demonstration from McCosh Courtyard to Cannon Green between Nassau Hall and the Whig and Clio halls. Thirteen protesters were arrested on Monday evening during a takeover and sit-in in the Clio administration building.

By Donald Gilpin

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment pro-Palestine demonstration at Princeton University entered its sixth day on Tuesday, April 30 after a tense Monday evening during which protesters marched from their previous base in McCosh Courtyard and occupied Clio Hall for several hours before settling on Cannon Green, directly behind Nassau Hall.

In an email sent to the Princeton University Community at 10:30 p.m. Monday, following the arrest of 13 people, University President Christopher L. Eisgruber noted that all 13, including five undergraduates, six graduate students, one postdoctoral researcher, and one person not affiliated with the University, received summonses for trespassing and have been barred from campus. Two other demonstrators, both graduate students, were arrested at the start of the demonstrations on April 25.

“The students will also face University discipline,” he added, “which may extend to suspension or expulsion.” There were no injuries reported during the incident. more

INNOVATION CENTER: The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony on May 9 for its new $109.7 million Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC), as Fusion Energy Week features a number of engaging activities, in-person and virtual, for the general public. The above rendering of the PPIC building, scheduled for completion by 2027, shows the three-story North Wing with the roof garden to the left, and the South Wing laboratory building. (Rendering courtesy of SmithGroup)

By Donald Gilpin

The first-ever Fusion Energy Week, a worldwide initiative to inform and engage the pubic with the world of fusion energy, is coming up, and the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL) will be kicking off activities on May 4 with a pop-up Science on Saturday presentation on the quest for fusion energy at the PPPL since 1951.

PPPL Science Education Department Head Arturo Dominguez, who is one of three leaders of the U.S. Fusion Outreach Team and one of three organizers of the week’s activities, noted that there are events scheduled in person and virtually all over the world, with information and registration available at usfusionenergy.org. more

TIGER AND FRIENDS: Tiger, Princeton Public Schools’ goldendoodle therapy dog, has been a frequent visitor to all four elementary schools, and Princeton High School junior Kayla Resnick has founded an Animal Therapy Club with regular visits by therapy dogs and recently two miniature horses. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Moore)

By Donald Gilpin

Two unusual visitors interacted with students, parents, and teachers, on the front lawn at Princeton High School (PHS) on a Friday afternoon after school earlier this month. They were Bleu and Big Mac, two miniature horses accompanied by handlers from the Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Center in Philadelphia.

“Not a lot of people have seen miniature horses,” said PHS junior Kayla Resnick, the founder of the PHS Animal Therapy Club who arranged the visit. “Their reactions were partly the shock of ‘Oh, my god, what is that?’ Bringing miniature horses to our school is a dream come true.” more

BUILDING BRIDGES: Andrea Dinan, left, director of the PHS Ideas Center, and PHS social studies teacher Christine Carbone have led an English language Boot Camp program in the city of Merida, Mexico during spring break week over the past six years. They have forged strong alliances between their students at PHS and the school in Merida. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Dinan)

By Donald Gilpin

Andrea Dinan, director of the Ideas Center for tutoring at Princeton High School (PHS), and PHS social studies teacher Christine Carbone, spent their spring vacation week in the city of Merida, Mexico, leading an English language Boot Camp program for a high school populated mainly by Mayan and itinerant workers.

The high school, Unidad Academica Bachillerato con Interaccion Comunitaria (UABIC), helps to prepare the students to take the college entrance exam in June, and the Boot Camp program, now in its sixth year, is the outgrowth of a Fulbright Distinguished Teachers Program award that Dinan received in 2016.

The two teachers worked with UABIC students daily and coordinated a number of electronic exchanges with PHS, including live Zooms and a pen pal letter program. more

By Donald Gilpin

Avi Wigderson
(Photo by Cliff Moore, IAS)

Avi Wigderson, the Herbert H. Maass Professor in the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) School of Mathematics, has been awarded the 2023 Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) A.M. Turing Award for his groundbreaking work in theoretical computer science and the role of randomness in computation.

The Turing Award, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing,” comes with a prize of $1 million. Wigderson, who won the 2021 Abel Prize, considered the highest honor in mathematics, is the only person ever to have won both Turing and Abel awards.

In announcing the award, the ACM noted Wigderson’s “reshaping our understanding of the role of randomness in computation” and “his decades of intellectual leadership in theoretical computer science.”

The ACM also cited his leadership in the areas of “computational complexity theory, algorithms and optimization, randomness and cryptography, parallel and distributed computation, combinatorics, and graph theory, as well as connections between theoretical computer science and mathematics and science.” more

SAVING THE PLANET: Fourth graders at Riverside Elementary School successfully completed a year-long fundraising and tree-planting project last week, with some help from the Princeton Shade Tree Commission and the Princeton Education Foundation. (Photo by Janet Walder)

By Donald Gilpin

The fourth graders at Riverside Elementary School saw a collaborative project with the Princeton Shade Tree Commission (STC) come to fruition last week when two young trees were planted in the Riverside playground area.

The seven-month endeavor, also supported by the Princeton Education Foundation, began early last September during the fourth graders’ afternoon recess period. The playground had recently lost several trees, and five of Terry McGovern and Allie Klapsogeorge’s students decided to collect acorns and sell them in order to raise money to acquire a new tree for the playground.

McGovern suggested that they contact their local Shade Tree Commission (STC) to get some help with the project. Fortunately the Riverside in-house substitute teacher, Raymond DeVoe, also happened to be a member of the STC.  more