At a meeting on April 25, Princeton Council voted unanimously to hire a consultant to take a hard look at residential zoning in the town. The priority of The RBA Group’s Neighborhood Character and Zoning Study will be the issue of teardowns, which are taking place in just about every area of the town. more
May 4, 2016
CHANGING THE STREETSCAPE: The Avalon Princeton rental community is taking shape along Witherspoon Street, where Princeton’s hospital once stood. The 280-unit complex of apartments and townhouses, the subject of considerable pushback from area residents over the past few years, is planning to welcome its first tenants by late August, with full completion projected for a few months later.
The first units in the AvalonBay rental complex being built on the former site of Princeton Hospital on Witherspoon Street are scheduled to be available in late August. more
GILL DISEASE: Gizzard shad from Lake Carnegie that were necropsied last week by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife were found to have a gill disease caused by a common protozoan parasite. (Photo Courtesy of Division of Fish & Wildlife)
The spring die-off of hundreds of gizzard shad in Lake Carnegie, noted by many residents over the past couple of weeks, is the result of a gill disease caused by a parasite known as “Ich” (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis), according to a pathology report issued Saturday by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife (F&W). more
May 1, 2016
Edens, the company that has owned Princeton Shopping Center since 2012, is committed to “catering to the community,” the company’s vice president of development David Germakian told Princeton Council at a meeting of the governing body Monday night. Mr. Germakian said that Edens, which owns 120 retail centers along the east coast and in Texas, sees the shopping center as “Princeton’s second downtown.” more
April 27, 2016
CAUSE OF DEATH?: Numerous dead gizzard shad and a few dead carp were seen floating in Lake Carnegie during the past week, prompting an investigation by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A spring die-off of gizzard shad is not uncommon, but the fish pathologist of the Fish and Wildlife Division of the DEP is evaluating specimens for possible bacterial diseases. (Photo by Donald Gilpin)
Is it an environmental crisis or just an annual rite of spring? more
April 20, 2016
The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS), in its ongoing efforts to halt an Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) construction project, last week asked the U.S. District Court for New Jersey to grant a preliminary injunction under the Clean Water Act.
If granted, that injunction would prevent the IAS from continuing work on its 15-unit faculty housing project until the Battlefield Society’s March 10 complaint concerning the destruction of wetlands on the site is resolved. The Institute has until May 2 to respond to the current motion, and on May 16 the court is scheduled to hear the case, according to Battlefield Society attorney Bruce Afran. more
“What’s going on? Are you closing? No, you can’t!,” a customer at Jordan’s Stationery and Gifts in Princeton Shopping Center exclaimed to owner Lewis Wildman last week after noticing the “Everything Must Go” signs in the windows.
The refrain has become familiar to Mr. Wildman, who has operated the eclectic store for almost 35 years and has been informed by EDENS, the owner of the center on North Harrison Street since 2012, that his lease is not being renewed. He has until the end of June to get rid of his inventory and vacate the space. more
April 13, 2016
It was an historic moment. On Monday evening after more than three hours of public hearings and significant controversy and debate among Council members, the Princeton Council passed, by a 5-0 vote, an ordinance to create the Witherspoon-Jackson Historic Preservation District.
Though acknowledging pros and cons of the ordinance and the uncertainties of its impact on the community, councilman Bernie Miller strongly urged the creation of this “unique historic district.” “If not now, when?” he questioned. more
As the town and the high school confront difficult questions about underage drinking, anti-semitism, and the effects of social media, the Princeton Police Department (PPD) continues to investigate last week’s “Nazis v Jews” beer pong incident, which involved a number of Princeton High School students.
“We are investigating who provided alcohol to the minors,” stated Lieutenant Jon Bucchere of the PPD. It is not a criminal violation for minors to possess and consume alcohol on private property, he added, so “many times these cases are hard to prove.” more
April 6, 2016
Princeton University will not remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from two campus buildings despite a recent outcry over his views on race. A trustee committee charged with examining the Wilson legacy announced Monday that there is a need for “an expanded and more vigorous commitment to diversity and inclusion at Princeton,” but the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs and Wilson College will retain his name. more
April 1, 2016
IN THE BEGINNING: Town Topics’ founders Dan Coyle (left) and Don Stuart wrote all the copy and sold all the ads for their timetable sized publication.
Seventy years ago, on Friday, March 15, 1946, the Princeton Post Office delivered approximately 3,400 copies of the first issue of Town Topics to homes and businesses in town. Printed on both sides of a piece of paper 10” by 3.2,” the small paper was folded together like an oversized train timetable.
As Jeb (Donald C. III) Stuart (1941-2008), editor from 1981 until 2001, wrote in 1996 in a 50-year history of the paper, “Town Topics began in a couple of briefcases carried around Princeton early in 1946 by brothers-in-law Dan Coyle and Don Stuart [Jeb’s father]”. The plan was to cover the entire Borough and Township with a single free circulation newspaper, an idea which the editors felt would appeal to potential advertisers and set Town Topics apart from the competition, the Princeton Packet and the Princeton Herald. more
March 29, 2016
Now that spring has arrived, there is no excuse not to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Whether you’re running, walking, biking or surfing, exercising outdoors is a great stress reliever. These products will help to track your workouts and progress, allowing you to keep a helpful record and to stay accountable of your daily fitness. Simply click on each product image to purchase. more
March 16, 2016
The news, of course, is the foundation of any newspaper. Right alongside, however, are the advertisers, who support and contribute to the success of the publication.
As Town Topics marks its 70th anniversary, it has been fortunate to count upon many loyal advertisers over the years. They differ widely in merchandise and type of services; what they share is a commitment to quality products, customer consideration, and support of this newspaper over many years.
Many are family businesses, which have been passed down through the generations. All have remained competitive in changing times and tastes, while retaining the individual qualities that make them unique. And, above all, they have stood the test of time. more
Get those baskets ready!
Make Easter fun for the whole family with these personalized Easter gifts. Simply click on each item to purchase. more
The Princeton Packet, in a transaction expected to close on April 1, will become part of Pennsylvania-based Broad Street Media, which will own and operate the newspapers and digital websites of the Packet Media Group.
James B. Kilgore, who has lived in Princeton for most of his life, will remain publisher of the new company’s titles and will retain a seat on the board. Mr. Kilgore joined Packet Media Group in 1976 and has served as president and publisher since 1980. Packet Media’s general manager and marketing director Michele Nesbihal will also keep her current position. more
March 10, 2016
Chef Max Hansen has announced plans for a 25,000-square-foot new catering venue in an old farmhouse on Carter Road in Hopewell. The $7 million project geared to weddings, corporate events, and catered affairs is scheduled to open by the summer of 2017. The project will create some 100 full-time jobs.
The location will also become the headquarters for Mr. Hansen’s entire operation. For the past 25 years, Max & Me Catering, Max Hansen Caterer, and Max Hansen Carversville Grocery in Bucks County have served the area. more
March 9, 2016
The historic stone masonry arch bridge over Stony Brook south of town on Route 206 re-opened Sunday evening after almost two weeks of emergency repair work by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT). The truck detour will remain in place until the bridge is fully restored.
DOT officials, engineers and Historic Preservation Commission members are already moving ahead with plans for permanent reconstruction of the 1792 bridge, with an emphasis on strength, safety, durability, and a sensitivity to history. more
March 3, 2016
In light of the decision by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office to close their independent review of the traffic stop and arrest of Princeton University Professor Imani Perry, finding that the arresting officers were “to be commended, not criticized,” Mayor Liz Lempert and five members of Princeton Council have issued a statement praising the “professional, compassionate conduct” of the town’s police officers.
Ms. Perry was stopped February 6 for speeding on Princeton Pike. The police officer running her license discovered it was suspended in Pennsylvania. She could not provide her car registration, and she had an outstanding warrant for failure to pay two parking tickets in Princeton. Following policy, the officer arrested her. She was handcuffed and taken to headquarters. On social media, Ms. Perry accused the officers involved in her arrest of inappropriate and racially motivated behavior. more
See below for the March 3, 2016 Planning Board Meeting.
Town Topics Newspaper will be posting videos of all future municipal meetings.
February 17, 2016
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has determined that Princeton police acted properly in the arrest of Princeton University professor Imani Perry, who was stopped last week for speeding on Mercer Street and subsequently arrested on an outstanding warrant for unpaid parking tickets and a suspended driver’s license.
Ms. Perry, who is the University’s Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies, wrote on social media following the arrest that she was treated “inappropriately and disproportionately” by the officers involved in the arrest. The police department has since released a video from the officers’ dashboard camera showing much of the incident. more
“LARGER THAN LIFE:” Bill Cirullo, who died Monday, was principal of Riverside Elementary School for thirty years. “He always brought out the best in the kids and the parents.” (Photo Courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)
Bill Cirullo, principal of Riverside Elementary School for 30 years, died Monday after complications from a stroke. A graduate of the Princeton school system and an elementary and middle school teacher for 19 years before being appointed principal, Mr. Cirullo was “at once both deeply humble and larger than life,” stated Princeton Schools Superintendent Steve Cochrane. more
February 10, 2016
This time of year calls for something different to change-up the routine. Why not dash off to a warm weather getaway to indulge in some yoga, fine dining, and relaxation? Below, Princeton Magazine offers up some suggestions. Simply click on each product image to purchase. Bon voyage!
A Princeton University professor stopped by local police for speeding last Saturday and arrested due to an active warrant for three-year-old unpaid parking tickets took to social media this week to say she was treated “inappropriately and disproportionately. The fact of my blackness is not incidental to this matter,” she posted on Facebook.
Princeton Police Chief Nicholas Sutter said Monday that he has opened an investigation into the incident involving Imani Perry, theКUniversity’s Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies, and has asked the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office to assist. The incident has attracted national attention. more
Princeton Council voted 4-2 Monday to adopt a bond ordinance that paves the way for the purchase of 20.4 acres of open land, located on the Princeton Ridge between Route 206 and Mt. Lucas Road.
The heavily wooded property, to be maintained as open space, was acquired for $4.4 million, a deal that included $2.2 million in funding from the Mercer County Open Space Fund, $153,000 from the Williams Transco pipeline project, $100,000 from Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), and $1.7 million from the New Jersey Green Acres Program. more