April 6, 2022

Sophomore Standout Kenah Explodes for 6 Goals, Helping PHS Boys’ Lax Edge North Hunterdon 10-7

GOING TO GOAL: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Patrick Kenah heads to goal last Saturday morning against visiting North Hunterdon. Sophomore star Kenah tallied six goals and one assist to help PHS pull out a 10-7 win over the Lions. The Tigers, who improved to 2-0 with the victory, host WW/P-North on April 7 before playing at Mount Olive on April 9 and at Notre Dame on April 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Patrick Kenah and his teammates on the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team were primed for an early-season test as they hosted North Hunterdon last Saturday morning.

“Coming into this game we knew it was going to be our first real challenge,” said sophomore star attacker Kenah. “We definitely wanted to come out of here with a good result and really see how good we are as a team.”

After North Hunterdon got off to a good start with two unanswered goals, PHS reeled off four straight tallies to turn the tide of the contest.

“We knew we had to shift the momentum,” said Kenah. “[Will] Doran and me talked, we knew we had to get into our spots and get going and bury the ball. We had some shots early but the goalie made some good saves. We just had to make sure that we were finishing.”

Kenah displayed a superb finishing touch in the back-and-forth contest, tallying six goals and an assist as PHS pulled out a 10-7 win after the teams were tied at 6-6 late in the third quarter. more

June 30, 2021

Despite Taking Some Lumps Down the Stretch, PDS Girls’ Lax Raised the Level of its Game

IN SYNC: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Ella McIntyre brings the ball upfield in a game this spring. Senior defender McIntyre helped PDS go 8-7 and advance to the state Prep B semifinals. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse team lost seven of its last nine games this spring after getting off to a 6-0 start, Jill Thomas still views the 2021 campaign as a success.

“I am going to go back to the beginning and say we are so grateful to have had a season,” said PDS head coach Thomas.

“I think that is the first thing all of the kids would agree to. You start 6-0 and we take care of all of the teams that we normally play and then we hit a stretch where played a lot of the top teams in the state in New Jersey. We played five ranked teams in our last seven games. I think we played some of our best lacrosse in losing efforts.”

The Panthers played hard in their season finale, falling 14-9 at Hillsborough on May 27. more

October 30, 2019

School Matters 10/30/19

Safe Routes to School Wins $674,000 Federal Grant

Major improvements are on tap for two key intersections, Harrison Street and Franklin Avenue and Harrison Street and Hamilton Avenue, with $674,000 of federal funds awarded to the Safe Routes to School Program.

Replacement of traffic signals at the two intersections, along with pedestrian upgrades, better ramps, and other improvements, including automatic light changes for emergency vehicles, will make walking and biking safer.

“Princeton is fortunate to have a culture where many of our students walk and bike to school,” said Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert in announcing the improvements last Friday in conjunction with New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, along with Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker and Assemblyman Roy Freiman.

“We know from local surveys that even more of our students would walk and bike if they felt safer doing so,” Lempert continued. “And that’s why the Safe Routes to School Program is so important to us here in Princeton.”

Lempert also praised Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton “for being such a huge champion for walking and biking infrastructure in Princeton” and her “enlightened Engineering Department.” more

October 16, 2019

Community Options Hosts Golf Classic Fundraiser

On Monday, October 7, Community Options, Inc. hosted its annual iMatter Golf Classic in support of people with disabilities. For the second consecutive year, the golf tournament was held at the TPC Jasna Polana.

Over 90 golfers participated in the tournament, which began with a shotgun start at 11:30 a.m. After 18 holes, the golfers returned for a reception and dinner where they had the opportunity to meet with executives and board members from Community Options. The evening included awards, a silent auction, and a live auction presented by iMatter Fall Golf Classic Chair Philip Lian, who also serves as chairman for Community Options Enterprises. In total, Community Options raised over $100,000 to support people with disabilities.

“It was wonderful to see our guests having a great time golfing, and even more wonderful to see their enthusiasm for supporting people with disabilities,” said Brian Dion, chief development officer for Community Options. “The event was a huge success and we are looking forward to next year’s outing, which will take place once again at Jasna Polana on June 1. We are thankful for our event chairman, Phil Lian and his continued support that makes events like this possible.”

September 25, 2019

Gonzago Aguilar to Open Westminster Alumni Series

RETURNING FOR A RECITAL: Westminster Choir College alumnus Gonzalo Aguilar will come back to the Westminster campus to present the first recital in the inaugural season of the Rinaldi Steinway Westminster Piano Alumni Series on Sunday, October 6 at 3 p.m.

Westminster Choir College alumnus Gonzalo Aguilar will return to the Westminster campus to present the first recital in the inaugural season of the Rinaldi Steinway Westminster Piano Alumni Series on Sunday, October 6 at 3 p.m. His performance will be in Bristol Chapel on the Westminster campus on Walnut Lane. Admission is free.

Aguilar will perform J. S. Bach’s Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo BWV 992, W. A. Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor, K. 475 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 36. more

Beck Gallery Talk at Morpeth Contemporary

BECK TALK AT MORPETH: Bucks County artist Robert Beck will give a Gallery Talk on Sunday, September 29 at 2:30 p.m. at Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell. It will focus on his paintings from the Delaware Valley, Maine, and New York.

Bucks County painter Robert Beck will discuss his studio images and how he develops them from inception to completion at a Gallery Talk at Morpeth Contemporary in Hopewell on Sunday, September 29 at 2:30 p.m. Beck will focus on paintings from the three locations he paints in most often: Maine, New York, and his home in the Delaware Valley.

This presentation marks the beginning of Morpeth’s recent association with Beck, representing and exhibiting his work in the area.  more

September 18, 2019

Princeton Program in Creative Writing Launches 80th Anniversary Celebration

The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing kicks off a year-long celebration of its 80th anniversary Wednesday, September 25, with a reading by National Book Award-winning writer Maxine Hong Kingston, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa, and Ojibwe novelist and non-fiction writer David Treuer, a Princeton alumnus, Class of 1992. The reading, which will be introduced by poet and faculty member Paul Muldoon, opens the 2019-20 Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series and begins at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton University campus. Free and open to the public, the reading will be followed by a book sale and signing with the writers.

Maxine Hong Kingston is the  author of, among others, China Men, Tripmaster Monkey, and I Love a Broad Margin to My Life. In 1997 she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Clinton, and the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2013. She is emerita senior lecturer for Creative Writing at the University of California, Berkeley. more

June 12, 2019

Former Councilwoman Talks About New Book

Author Diane Ciccone will discuss her new book, Into the Light: The Early African American Men of Colgate University Who Transformed a Nation, 1840-1930 on Thursday, June 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the West Windsor Arts Council in the Florence B. Hiller Studio, 952 Alexander Road.

On the eve of the bicentennial of Colgate University, Into the Light details years of research into the lives of the early African American men who attended Colgate when it was an all-male school. The book examines the lives of more than 50 African American Colgate men, including, Jonas Holland Townsend, a friend and confidante of Frederick Douglass and the first African American to attend Colgate; Samuel Archer, president of Morehouse; and Adam Clayton Powell, the Harlem Congressman.

A member of the first class of women at Colgate as well as a former councilwoman and the former director of the West Windsor Arts Council, Ciccone will be on hand to sign copies of her book. She now works as a practicing attorney and arbitrator in New York City, and was the producer of the award-winning documentary, Acts of Faith, which documents the first integrated planned housing development in New Jersey.

June 5, 2019

Women’s College Club Awards Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS: Thanks to the Women’s College Club of Princeton, these young women will have help paying for their college educations. From left are Zoe Jackson, Oona DiMatteo, Ayva O’Kane, Fable Young-Shor, Salma Hashem, Jada Jones, Adrienne Wang, and Katherine Chuei. Not pictured are Richayla Smith, Marilena Cordon-Maryland, and Shreya Kota.

The Women’s College Club of Princeton held its annual Scholarship Awards Tea last month, continuing its tradition of helping outstanding young women obtain higher education. Now in its 103rd year, the club this year awarded $30,000 in scholarships.

 more

November 28, 2018

“Reflections of Light” at Art for Healing Gallery

“NOCTURNE III”: The paintings of Princeton artist Lucy Graves McVicker are now on display in “Reflections of Light,” The exhibit runs through March 1 at the Art for Healing Gallery at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center.

The Art for Healing Gallery at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC) is now featuring “Reflections of Light,” an exhibit of paintings by award-winning Princeton artist Lucy Graves McVicker. It runs through March 1.

A signature member of the American Watercolor Society, McVicker also works in oil, acrylic, and mixed media. Her work has been shown in more than 80 statewide, national, and international exhibitions, including 38 juried competitions.  more

Couple Adopts Three Siblings in Inspirational, Real-Life Drama

By Kam Williams

ALL TOGETHER NOW: From left, Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) Wagner form an Instant Family when they adopt siblings Lizzy (Isabela Moner), Lita (Julianna Gamiz), and Juan (Gustavo Quiroz). (Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) Wagner are speculators who make a living flipping real estate in their hometown of Atlanta. The couple’s latest acquisition is a fixer-upper with five bedrooms that they hope to sell to Ellie’s sister Kim (Allyn Rachel) and brother-in-law Russ (Tom Segura).

However, Kim and Russ aren’t in the market for a house that needs so much work. Furthermore, they’re childless with no plans to start a family. So, they simply have no use for a place that large. 

Pete and Ellie don’t have kids either, but they have been seriously considering adoption. In fact, they’ve even been checking out photos of available children online.  more

Not Letting Shoulder Injuries Derail his Senior Season, Payne Helped PU Men’s Water Polo Reach NCAAs

PAINFUL ENDING: Princeton University men’s water polo player Matt Payne fires the ball in recent action. Last Saturday senior star Payne tallied four goals and two assists but it wasn’t enough as 12th-ranked Princeton fell 14-13 in overtime to No. 16 George Washington in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 19-11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Matt Payne will have surgery on one shoulder on December 15 and surgery six weeks later to fix the other one.

Torn labrums caused the Princeton University men’s water polo senior star’s shoulders to repeatedly come out of socket. They ached plenty over the final weeks of the team’s 2018 campaign, but he wasn’t about to miss his last year.

“For me, it was my last season of a 17-year playing career,” said Payne, a 6’2 native of Laguna Beach, Calif.

“I just grew so close to these guys over the last couple years, and the freshmen this year have been the closest I’ve been to a first-year class the whole time I’ve been here, so it really inspired me.” more

Sparked by Return of Senior Standout Cannady, PU Men’s Hoops Rallies for Win at Monmouth

CAN DO: Princeton University men’s basketball player Devin Cannady dribbles upcourt in a game last season. On Saturday, senior guard Cannady scored 21 points to help Princeton overcome a 12-point second half deficit to edge Monmouth 60-57. Cannady, who scored the last eight points of the game for the Tigers, was later named the Ivy League Player of the Week. Princeton, now 2-2, plays at Maine on November 28 before hosting George Washington on December 1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After being sidelined for the first two games of the season due to a hamstring injury, Devin Cannady didn’t miss a beat as he took the court for the Princeton University men’s basketball team last Wednesday against visiting Fairleigh Dickinson.

“I always do a pretty good job of staying in shape, so it was good to just get back out there and let my legs be free,” said senior guard Cannady. more

Hun Runner Bednar, PDS Boys’ Soccer Star Leggett Get Nod as Town Topics’ Leading Fall Performers

GETTING A LEG UP: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Wesley Leggett flies up to boot the ball in game this fall. Senior striker and UConn-bound Leggett led the area with 22 goals, helping PDS advance to the state Prep B final as it went 8-7-3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski).

Charlotte Bednar was an unknown quantity as she toed the starting line for the Hun School cross country team at the Mercer County girls’ varsity meet in mid-October.

The petite blonde freshman had won some races in smaller prep meets for Hun but hadn’t competed against the runners from the county’s public school programs.

It didn’t take long for the runners from the bigger schools to notice Bednar as she shot to the front of the pack in the first half mile of the race at Washington Crossing Park. more

Despite Suffering Big Losses to Graduation, PDS Boys’ Hockey Should Remain Formidable

BLUE CHIPPER: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Chip Hamlett handles the puck last season. Senior defenseman Hamlett will be spearheading the PDS defensive unit this winter. The Panthers get their 2018-19 campaign underway this week by hosting St. Joe’s Prep on November 27, Gloucester Catholic on November 29, and Morristown-Beard on December 3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

While the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team boasts some high-quality players, it is a little thin in numbers compared to past years.

“There is plenty of returning, experienced talent; I expect results, I expect us to play well and to do a lot of things we have done well over the years,” said PDS head coach Scott Bertoli, who guided the Panthers to a 17-8 record last year and a spot in the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL) final. more

Featuring Plenty of Offensive Firepower, PHS Boys’ Hockey Has Big Expectations

BIG MAC: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Ryan McCormick, left, goes after the puck in a game last season. Junior forward McCormick figures to be a key producer for PHS this winter. The Little Tigers begin their 2018-19 season this week with games against Hopewell Valley on November 27, Nottingham on November 28, and Robbinsville on November 30, with all three contests to be played at the Mercer County Park rink. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After making two straight runs to the state semifinals, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team is bringing high hopes into the winter.

“The team is excited; there are a lot of expectations,” said PHS head coach Tim Chase, who guided the Little Tigers to an 18-9-2 record and a spot in the Public B state semis last winter in his debut season at the helm of the program. “We are not going to fly under the radar.” more

Boasting a Battle-Tested, Talented Squad, Hun Boys’ Hockey Primed for Big Winter

FAST EDDIE: Hun School boys’ hockey player Ed Evaldi controls the puck in a game last winter. Junior defenseman Evaldi gives Hun skill and speed from the blue line. The Raiders open their 2018-19 season by hosting Bishop Eustace on November 28 and St. Joe’s (Metuchen) on November 30 before playing at Bergen Catholic on December 3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Welcoming back a battle-tested squad, Ian McNally is feeling a comfort level with his Hun School boys’ hockey team as it prepares for the 2018-19 season.

“We are skilled and we have an older group than we have ever been,” said Hun head coach McNally, who led the Raiders to a 13-8-1 record last as the program won its fifth straight Mercer County Tournament title. more

Hun Girls’ Hoops Lacks Height in the Paint, Will be Relying on Shooting Skill, Athleticism

FULL SPEED AHEAD: Hun School basketball player Jada Jones races upcourt in action last winter. Senior guard Jones provides production and leadership for Hun. The Raiders were schedule to start their 2018-19 campaign by hosting Germantown Friends (Pa.) on November 27 and Stuart Country Day on December 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Over the last three seasons, the Villanova men’s basketball team has utilized deadly outside shooting and defensive intensity to help undersized Wildcat squads win two NCAA crowns.

As the Hun School girls’ basketball team heads into the 2018-19 season, Hun head coach Bill Holup views that formula as the blueprint of success for his program. more

After Rolling to Prep B Crown Last Season, Stuart Hoops Has Pieces in Place to be Great

IN CHARGE: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Nia Melvin heads to the hoop in a game last winter. Sophomore star Melvin will be counted on to the trigger the Stuart offense this winter. The Tartans were slated to tip off their 2018-19 season by hosting Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) on November 27 and then competing in the Peddie School Invitational from November 30-December 1 and playing at Hun on December 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Understandably, there is a positive vibe around the Stuart Country Day School basketball team as it prepares to start the 2018-19 campaign.

Coming off a memorable winter which saw Stuart roll to its first state Prep B title and with most of its starters returning and the arrival of some talented newcomers, the Tartans are in a very good place. more

November 21, 2018

PDS Boys’ Cross Country Saves its Best for Last, Placing 5th in State Prep B Championship Meet

By Bill Alden

After taking its lumps early in the fall, the Princeton Day School boys’ cross country team saved its best for last.

Building on a positive performance at the Mercer County championship meet in mid-October that saw several runners post personal bests, PDS ended the season by placing a solid fifth in the team standings at the state Prep B meet at the Blair Academy on October 24 won by Newark Academy.

“That was a terrific way to end to season; we were looking at that kind of performance and hoping for that all year,” said PDS head coach John Woodside, whose team was led at the meet by sophomore Gunnar Clingman, the seventh place finisher in a time of 17:46 over the 5,000-meter course with junior Kevin Dougherty coming in 14th at 18:41. “There is no question that there were a lot of struggles early on.” more

Hun Field Hockey Showed Improvement, Playing Hard in Coach Quirk’s Swan Song

JORDAN RULES: Hun School field hockey player Jordan DelOrefice, right, goes after the ball in a game this fall. Senior DelOrefice scored five goals this season to help Hun go 6-11 as it bounced back from a 2-9 start. It marked the last season at the helm of the program for longtime head coach Kathy Quirk. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Struggling to a 2-9 record by mid-October, the Hun School field hockey team could have thrown in the towel over the last few weeks of the season.

Instead, Hun kept pushing, winning four of its last six games to end the fall with a 6-11 record.

“We made tremendous improvement, both myself and my assistant coach (Christine Caberle) were very happy with the way that we had improved,” said Hun head coach Kathy Quirk, noting that one of the ream’s finest efforts down the stretch came when they battled hard in a 3-0 loss to Blair in the state Prep A semis game. “We just grew as a team, a lot of individuals grew.” more

November 14, 2018

Historical Society Executive Director Izzy Kasdin Shares Her Love of History with the Community

EXPLORING HISTORY: “I enjoy the opportunity to talk with people about history, and see them get excited about it. I also love seeing them get involved with an exhibit or event that we have put together.” Izzy Kasdin, executive director of the Historical Society of Princeton, is enthusiastic about introducing people to history’s unique insight and relevance to today’s world.

It’s not just facts and figures and dates. It’s ideas and events and explorations. And, especially, it is stories. Stories about people and places and not only major historical figures whose names we all know — but about those we don’t know. It’s about what they did, what they thought, how they lived, how they worked. more

Local Artist Offers Free Paper-Cutting Class

ANCIENT ART OF PAPER-CUTTING: Contemporary artist Dan Landau will present a free class on paper-cutting on Monday, November 26 at 6:15 p.m. at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. The event is free and open to all community members aged 16 and over, but space is limited and registration is required (register at Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/PapercuttingEventbrite).

Have you ever made a snowflake with folded paper and scissors in school? If so, you’ve engaged in the ancient art of paper-cutting. This art form has been around in one form or another since the Chinese invented paper, and has been infinitely adapted over time by different artists and cultures. more

Chris Hedges Reading From “America: The Farewell Tour”

Chris Hedges

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges will be reading from his new book America: The Farewell Tour (Simon & Schuster $27) at Labyrinth Books on Tuesday, November 27 at 6 p.m.

Ralph Nader says, “Chris Hedges wants us to face realities. Our society is unraveling, institutionally and structurally, and is being replaced by the corporate state of merging big business and government. Commercialism overwhelms civic values, impoverishes its subjects, and reaches into childhoods bypassing parental authority. Poverty, addiction, gambling, and hopelessness spread like epidemics. Only we the people can reverse the disintegration of democracy by plutocracy. In America: The Farewell Tour, Chris Hedges depicts the horrifying truths on the ground from which resistance rises to jolt us into an active, realizable culture of reconstruction.”  more

Princeton Football Overruns Yale in 59-43 Victory, Improving to 9-0, Clinching Share of Ivy Crown

TITLE RUN: Princeton University football player Collin Eaddy heads upfield in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore running back Eaddy gained a career-high 266 yards to help Princeton defeat Yale 59-43 and clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title. The 9th-ranked Tigers, now 9-0 overall and 6-0 Ivy, will look to end the fall undefeated as they host Penn (6-3 overall, 3-3 Ivy) on November 17 in their season finale. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Bob Surace sensed that there could be some offensive fireworks as the Princeton University football team played at Yale last Saturday afternoon.

“On a tough surface, it does favor the offenses in a lot of ways because you know where you are going with the ball with the change of direction,” said Surace, in assessing the muddy surface at the Yale Bowl. more