August 14, 2024

Capping Historic Run for PU Olympians at Paris Games, Rowing Gold Medalist Mead Serves as U.S. Flag Bearer

FLAG DAY: Nick Mead competing for the U.S. men’s four this spring. Former Princeton University rowing standout Mead ’17 helped the U.S. boat take gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics. It marked the first time the Americans had won the event since the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Mead was later named as one of the two flag bearers for Team USA at the Closing Ceremony along with nine-time Olympic gold medalist women’s swimming star Katie Ledecky. (Photo by Row2k, provided courtesy of USRowing)

By Bill Alden

Capping a historic run at the Paris 2024 Olympics for current and former Princeton University athletes, U.S. rowing star and gold medalist in the men’s four, Nick Mead ’17, served as one of the two flag bearers for Team USA at the Closing Ceremony of the Games last Sunday.

Mead was joined by nine-time Olympic gold medalist women’s swimming star Katie Ledecky leading Team USA into Stade de France to close out a memorable Games. more

Combining Depth, Strong Work Ethic, Focus on Fun, CP Bluefish Produce Another Dominant Campaign

SOCKING IT TO THEM: Natan Wysocki competes in a meet earlier this summer for the Community Park Bluefish swim team. Wysocki helped the Bluefish place first in the team standings at the Princeton-Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet last month. Wysocki finished first in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 50 backstroke at the meet. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Kelsey Schwimmer saw a greater intensity around the Community Park Bluefish swim team this summer than in the past.

“One of the things that stood out to me was how much participation and involvement we had,” said Bluefish co-head coach Schwimmer. “It is always pretty high, but we were seeing huge turnouts at our morning practices. Usually that first hour is a little less well attended because it is earlier, but it was full every single day. I think that really just goes to show how hard our coaching staff was working and how much the kids were enjoying it and excited to come out and swim and be with their friends.” more

After Excelling as a 4-Year Starter for PDS Girls’ Soccer, Salzano is Aiming to Make Similar Impact for Monmouth

BALLHAWK: Adriana Salzano, left, controls the ball in a game last fall during her senior season for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team. Salzano, who helped PDS win the first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A title in program history in 2023, is currently in preseason training with the Monmouth University women’s soccer team. She is looking to make an immediate impact when the Hawks play at Temple on August 15 in their season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Adriana Salzano emerged as a star right away during freshmen season for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team in 2020, scoring a team-high nine goals as the Panthers went 10-1 in a season curtailed by COVID-19 concerns.

This fall, Salzano is aiming to be a major contributor from the outset as she starts her career with the Monmouth University women’s soccer team.

“I definitely want to come in there and make an impact as early as possible just like I did in my freshman year in high school,” said Salzano, who started preseason training earlier this month as the Hawks prepare for their season opener at Temple on August 15. “I went into PDS, I had a goal to start and help the team in any way that I could. That is my same goal for Monmouth. Another big one is that I want to be the CAA (Coastal Athletic Association) Rookie of the Year. I know it is a big one to reach for but if I work hard, there is no limit to that.” more

Coming Up Big in His One Season for PHS Boys’ Soccer, Carusone Primed for Debut with Rochester Men’s Program

ROCK ON: Pasquale Carusone, right, goes after the ball last fall in his senior season for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team. Carusone scored a team-high 28 goals last season to help PHS win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship. Carusone is heading to the University of Rochester this week to start preseason train for his freshman campaign with Yellowjacket men’s soccer team. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

A dream is coming true for Pasquale Carusone this week as he starts preseason training for his freshman season with University of Rochester men’s soccer team.

For Carusone, who starred last fall as the Princeton High boys’ soccer team won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship, his rise up the ladder in the sport has been motivated by the goal of someday being a college player.

“I feel like playing in college is really important for me,” said Carusone, noting that he started shooting for that when he got into the game as a youngster. “When I played the sport, it was always to move to the next level. I started at PSA (Princeton Soccer Academy) and then my dad said if you want to take it to the next level, you should go to PDA (Players Development Academy). I moved to PDA and worked my way up to the MLS Next team. That was probably the best spot to get recruited at. I got my looks and stuff like that.” more

August 7, 2024

Butterfly Day

Children rush to the next activity at The Watershed Institute’s 24th Annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday. Attendees share what they learned at the event in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Grace Roberts)

Princeton Celebrates Evan Gershkovich’s Release

ON THE TOWN: Evan Gershkovich, on left, Michael Van Itallie, in foreground, and friends enjoyed a day visiting the High Line in New York City in 2012, just two years after graduating from Princeton High School. (Photo courtesy of Michael Van Itallie)

By Donald Gilpin

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was brought up in Princeton and graduated from Princeton High School (PHS) in 2010, returned to the U.S. late last Thursday night, freed in a 24-person prisoner swap after 16 months in a Russian prison.

Michael Van Itallie, who also grew up in Princeton and has been a best friend of Gershkovich since they first met when they were 8 years old playing Princeton Youth Soccer, described watching the rapid sequence of events unfold last Thursday.

“I felt relief and joy,” said Van Itallie. “I was so happy for him and his family. It was incredible. Something that we had looked for for so long, but we had hardened ourselves to the reality that it might not come for a long time.”

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Five New Candidates, One Incumbent Compete in PPS School Board Race

By Donald Gilpin

In just three months, on November 5, Princeton voters will select three names from a slate of six —five new candidates and one incumbent — to represent them for three-year terms on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).

BOE members Brian McDonald, who is running unopposed for a seat on Princeton Council, and Betsy Baglio will finish out their terms on the Board on January 1, 2025 and are not running for reelection. Mara Franceschi is the one incumbent running for reelection.

New candidates, all with children in PPS, include local business leaders Ari Meisel, Chris Santarpio, Lisa Potter, and Shenwei Zhao and nursery school director Erica Snyder.

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South Brunswick Holds Second Reading on Redevelopment of Princeton Nurseries Site

By Anne Levin

A redevelopment plan for the former Princeton Nurseries site that runs along Route 1, Ridge Road, and Mapleton Road is scheduled for a second reading at a meeting of South Brunswick Township Council on Wednesday, August 7 at 6 p.m. The ordinance will be considered as part of a work session.

The ordinance, which is for 119 Mapleton Road, 987-1001 Ridge Road, and 4405 Route 1, was unanimously approved by the Township Council on its first reading three weeks ago. It creates three separate districts, each with its own permitted use, on approximately 160 acres. The proposed development is bordered by Route 1 to the east, Ridge Road to the north, and the Mapleton Preserve to the west, as well as parcels owned by the Trustees of Princeton University and Plainsboro to the south. It is one of the biggest remaining undeveloped land parcels with frontage along Route 1.

If adopted, the plan will have a Gateway District, Flex/Light Industrial District, and Transitional/Office District. Permitted uses in the three districts include professional, executive, and corporate offices; medical offices; research laboratories; hotels; retail; indoor and outdoor recreational facilities; and more.

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Two Sourland Region Nonprofits are Partners in Preservation

FULL CIRCLE: The True Farmstead, a landmark in the history of the African American community of the Sourland region, is now fully owned by the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum in Skillman.

By Anne Levin

Thanks to a collaboration between the Sourland Conservancy and the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM), the museum is now the full owner of the historic True Farmstead in Skillman.

The Conservancy had partnered with the SSAAM in 2022 to purchase the property with support from the Somerset County Cultural Heritage Commission and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Green Acres Program. This past May, an agreement was signed making the SSAAM the full owner. The Farmstead will house the offices of the SSAAM and the Sourland Conservancy, and will serve as an interpretive space for African American culture and history.

“By transferring its co-ownership of the historic True Farmstead entirely to SSAAM, Sourland Conservancy restores an important cultural and ecological landmark to the African American community,” reads a release from the museum.

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After Years in the Making, “Memoir” is Set for Release

A MOTHER’S WORDS, A SON’S MUSIC: A new CD by composer and Princeton University Professor Steven Mackey, right, narrated by actor Natalie Christa Rakes, left, is about to be released. “Memoir,” inspired by Mackey’s late mother Elaine Mackey, drops officially on August 16.

By Anne Levin

Among the many artistic endeavors that were derailed by the pandemic, and are finally coming to fruition, is a musical work by composer and Princeton University music professor Steven Mackey. Memoir, a 75-minute piece for a narrator, the Dover String Quartet, and the percussionists known as arx duo, is about to be released as a CD.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Mackey said of the work, which is based on an unpublished memoir by his late mother, Elaine Mackey. “The original premiere date was supposed to be May 2020. So obviously that couldn’t happen. But now we’re ready to go.”

As director of the Edward T. Cone Composition Institute at Princeton and a member of the composition faculty at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, Mackey is a Grammy Award-winning composer of works for chamber ensemble, orchestra, dance, and opera. His music has been performed by the BBC Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, among others. He and the musicians took Memoir on the road before making the CD.

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PPS Ramps Up Energy Efficiency, Implementing Multiple Green Initiatives

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) is focusing on a greener future and has been working on a number of sustainability initiatives, including white roofs, heat pumps, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and new high efficiency boilers.

The district reports that by the end of the summer five of the six PPS schools will have almost 100 percent white roofing, which reflects more sunlight, absorbs less heat than traditional black roofs, and reduces the need for air conditioning. PPS began the transition to white roofs five years ago.

“These changes represent significant cost savings and underscore our dedication to being stewards of the environment,” said Acting Superintendent Kathie Foster, as quoted in a PPS press release. “We are committed to providing students and staff with healthy buildings and environmentally conscious learning spaces.”

PPS will be installing heat pumps at all of the elementary schools as part of the PSEG Direct Install Program, providing heat in the cold months and cooling in the warm months. In addition to the heat pumps, three energy-efficient gas boilers will be installed at each of the four elementary schools and electric HVAC systems at Littlebrook and Johnson Park elementary schools.

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Writer and Scholar Presents Jane Austen Talk at Morven

Jane Austen scholar Juliette C. Wells delivers an illustrated lecture and discusses her most recent book, A New Jane Austen: How Americans Brought Us the World’s Greatest Novelist, on Saturday, August 17, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Morven Museum & Garden.

The free event is sponsored by the Princeton Public Library, the Jane Austen Society of North America – New Jersey Region, and Morven Museum & Garden.

Pre-registration is required, and can be completed at princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/11125006.

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Weirdness Unbound with J.D. Vance, Taylor Swift, and “Babylon Berlin”

By Stuart Mitchner

Well, it’s been pretty damn weird…. But the train ride through crazy town shows no sign of slowing…. Again, I refer to that word: weird. It’s just all so weird.
—J.D. Vance

I don’t live by all these rigid, weird rules that make me feel all fenced in…
—Taylor Swift

In my rush to finish J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy I missed that triple-weird crazy-town run from the 2018 afterword, which my wife marked with an OMG! in the margin as she finished the book. Thanks to her catch, I went back to the chapter about his time at Ohio State, in which he says, “In my entire life I had oscillated between fear at my worst moments and a sense of safety and stability at my best. I was either being chased by the bad terminator or the good one.” In the same context, he admits “Poker was in my blood,” as he goes on to describe how he made $400 playing poker online, money he gave to his grandmother (“Mamaw”) for her health insurance, which she took after saying she didn’t understand the f-ing internet and warning him not to “pick up a gambling habit” that would lead to “booze and women.” As for his reference to the bad and good terminators, he and Mamaw both “loved Terminator 2” and “probably watched it together five or six times. Mamaw saw Arnold Schwarzenegger as the embodiment of the American Dream: a strong capable immigrant coming out on top.”

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Culture and Crafts at HEART Festival

TAPPING IN: Tap dancer Omar Edwards is among the performers at the upcoming New Brunswick HEART Festival on Saturday, August 10.

State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick Cultural Center, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC), and I Am D. Muse present the 5th Annual New Brunswick HEART Festival on Saturday, August 10, from 2 to 6 p.m.; hosted by New Jersey Radio Hall of Famer Bert Baron and Sharon Gordon, founder of TSO Productions.

This free, family-friendly festival celebrates the arts and history of New Brunswick and Middlesex County, featuring live music and dance performances; free dance classes for kids; food, craft, and art vendors; arts and crafts for kids; and free face painting, caricatures, balloon animals, and more. The festival will take place in downtown New Brunswick on Monument Square, 2 Livingston Avenue.

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Tickets Now on Sale for Broadway Series

THE QUEEN: “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical” kicks off State Theatre New Jersey’s upcoming season of four Broadway shows in New Brunswick. (Photo by Manuel Harlan)

Tickets are available for State Theatre New Jersey’s 2024-25 season of Broadway shows. The theater is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick.

The season begins with TINA: The Tina Turner Musical October 3-5; then continues with Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, October 25-27. The musical The Addams Family comes to the theater January 24-26, followed by Dear Evan Hansen March 28-30.

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Women Rock Pioneers Perform at Palmer Square

SINGING OUT: Six female vocalists will be backed by Princeton-area musicians when Princeton Public Library presents WomenRock! on August 25 on the Green at Palmer Square.

Six female vocalists will perform hits by women rock pioneers when Princeton Public Library presents WomenRock! on Palmer Square on Sunday, August 25, at 3 p.m.
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Teen Artists Salon and Professional Artists Panel

“THE NEXT GENERATION”: The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster invites visitors to a casual salon on August 13 at 5:30 p.m. featuring a group of teen artists whose work is now on exhibit. It will be followed by a panel discussion with professional artists Anne Hallstrom, Shourabh Mukherji, and Oscar Peterson.

On view at The Center for Contemporary Art (“The Center”) in Bedminster this summer is “The Next Generation: An Exhibition of Teen Artists.” The Center invites visitors to a casual salon on August 13 at 5:30 p.m. featuring this group of artists. Meet the artists, hear them discuss their work, and participate in a Q&A about their work in the exhibition.

Following the teen artists salon will be a panel discussion with professional artists Anne Hallstrom, Shourabh Mukherji, and Oscar Peterson who will discuss their process, pathways to the arts, creative inspiration, and how they have navigated, and are navigating, their creative careers.

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Bohren’s Companies, a Unique Family Business, Celebrates 100 Years of Successful Service

ALL IN THE FAMILY: “We are proud to continue the family business started by Edwin Bohren in 1924. Not everyone gets to celebrate a 100th anniversary!” Ted Froehlich, Bohren’s Companies chairman of the board, is shown with his daughters Louise Froehlich, left, former human resources manager, and Denise Hewitt, president.

By Jean Stratton

Calvin Coolidge was president. Women were cutting their hair into short bobs, and hemlines were moving up and up and up! The Charleston had taken over the dance floor; jazz was the music of choice. It was 1924, and the Roaring Twenties were well on the way.

In the midst of all this excitement, Princeton resident Edwin L. Bohren decided to put his Ford Model T truck and small Chambers Street warehouse to further use and establish a moving company.

Automobiles were about to revolutionize American society. People were on the move, ready for new sights and sounds, and relocating became part of the 1920s scene.

Edwin Bohren had the foresight to see what was ahead, and launched a company that has been a mainstay, while adapting along the way to meet the challenges of changing times.

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PU Women’s Lax Star MacDonald Motivated by Snub, Primed to Make Debut for Canada Squad in U20 Worlds

WORLD CLASS: Jami MacDonald prepares to unload the ball in a game this spring for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team. Rising Tiger junior MacDonald will be playing for Canada in the upcoming U20 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, which is taking place from August 15-24 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Justin Feil

Jami MacDonald’s fuel to play in the U20 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship was triggered five years ago when she wasn’t invited to try out for Team Canada.

“I just remember having this goal grow after I didn’t make it when I didn’t get invited,” said MacDonald. “I had this goal I’m going to make it next time.”

When it was last contested in 2019, it was still at the U19 level and MacDonald was just a freshman in high school. The Georgetown, Ontario, native hadn’t yet transferred to the Hotchkiss School (Conn.), where she would excel for three years before following her older brother, men’s lax star Mikey, to Princeton University. After two strong seasons with the Tigers, she will have her first chance to represent Canada in the U20 World Championships in Hong Kong, China, from August 15-24.

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PU Olympians Enjoy Gold Rush at Paris Olympics as Rowers, Fencers Produce Historic Performances

GOLDEN TOUCH: Maia Weintraub, right, celebrates with a teammate during the 2022 Ivy League Championships. Last Thursday, rising Tiger junior Weintraub had reason to celebrate as she helped the U.S. women’s foil team win a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Weintraub, designated as the alternate for the U.S. squad, stepped in the gold medal match and won both of her bouts as the U.S. defeated Italy 45-39. Weintraub is the first Princetonian to win a fencing gold medal. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Led by some historic performances from rowers and fencers, several former and current Princeton University standout athletes enjoyed a gold rush last week at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Former women’s open rowing star Hannah Scott ’21 started the Tiger gold rush last Wednesday as she helped Great Britain win the A final in the women’s quad sculls.

The British crew clocked a winning time of 6:16.31 over the 2,000-meter course at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, just edging runner-up Netherlands, which came in at 6:16.46.

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PHS Boys’ Soccer Community Expresses Joy, Relief as Former Star Gershkovich Released from Russian Prison

BREAKING NEWS: Former Princeton High boys’ soccer head coach Wayne Sutcliffe does a TV interview last Thursday at Conte’s. Sutcliffe was giving his thoughts on the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a former PHS soccer standout, from a Russian jail in a prisoner swap.

By Bill Alden

When Wayne Sutcliffe woke up last Thursday, he had no idea that he would be spending the afternoon doing TV interviews.

But early that morning, former Princeton High boys’ soccer head coach Sutcliffe got news he had been waiting to hear for months, learning that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a former PHS soccer standout, was being released from a Russian jail in a prisoner swap after being confined since March 2023.

“I found out indirectly on a Twitter post from someone who was connected at the New York Times,” said Sutcliffe. “It was absolute sheer joy, excitement, relief. Hours later local media sources, TV from New York and Philly, were reaching out to me and the admin at Princeton High School.”

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Princeton Supply Utilizes Stifling Defense, Hits Key Shots, Sweeping Lob City in Summer Hoops Title Series, Going 12-0

ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Members of the Princeton Supply team celebrate after they topped Lob City 42-26 last Wednesday at the Community Park courts to sweep the best-of-three championship series in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. It marked the second straight league title for Princeton Supply, who went 12-0 this summer. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Recreation Department)

By Bill Alden

After Princeton Supply won ugly with a lackluster 41-39 victory over Lob City in the opener of the best-of-three championship series of the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League, Troy Jones and his teammates were determined to produce a sharper performance in game two.

“We knew we didn’t shoot particularly well out here on Monday, it was probably our worst game of the season,” said Jones, explaining the team’s mindset coming into the contest last Wednesday night at the Community Park courts. “We all talked after the game, we knew we played a bad game. It happens but we still won. Coming in today, it was we know how to play basketball. We know how to win so we came with the mindset of forget Monday.” more

With Stentz Celebrating Special Bond with Moorhead, Duo Goes Into Summer Hoops Hall of Fame Together

FAMED DUO: Ben Stentz, left, and Evan Moorhead are all smiles after they were both inducted into the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League’s Hall of Fame last Wednesday evening at the Community Park courts. Stentz served as the commissioner of the summer hoops league for 15 years and became the executive director of the Rec Department. Moorhead succeeded him in both roles and still holds those positions. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Recreation Department)

By Bill Alden

It was an idea hatched by Ben Stentz and Evan Moorhead in 2008 over some pizza and beer at Conte’s.

Brainstorming over ways to best celebrate the 20th season of the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League, Stentz suggested creating a league Hall of Fame. more

August 1, 2024

Evan Gershkovich Released from Russian Prison

As part of a multi-prisoner swap deal, Princeton High School graduate and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been released from prison in Moscow, along with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has also been freed. According to ABC News, the swap has allowed both detained citizens to return home.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested by Russian authorities while on assignment in March 2023, and charged with espionage. A month ago, he was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony. Both he and Whelan, who was arrested in 2018 and also accused of espionage, denied the charges. Whelan has served five years in prison.

Gershkovich graduated from Princeton High School in 2010 and was captain of its soccer team. He graduated from Bowdoin College, where he also played soccer, in 2014.

Princeton Public Schools Acting Superintendent Kathie Foster said in a statement, “We are relieved and delighted by the news that Evan Gershkovich has been released from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States and other countries. Our thoughts are with his family as they will soon be reunited with him after 15 months of wrongful detention. I know I speak for all Evan’s former teachers, his classmates, and the entire Princeton Public Schools community when I share our joy of his return home to the United States and his family.”

July 31, 2024

Show Time

Teens show their goats last Saturday at the 105th Annual Mercer County 4-H Fair at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township. Attendees share what they liked best about the fair in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)