By Anne Levin
Last week’s announcement that the transfer of ownership of Westminster Choir College from Rider University to Beijing Kaiwen Educational Technology Company is taking longer than expected came as no surprise to those who have been opposed to the move. University President Gregory G. Dell’Omo’s letter to the school community said that the $40 million deal is behind schedule, meaning Rider will continue to run Westminster for the next school year. more
By Donald Gilpin
Andrew Weber, former assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs, and two student leaders for gun safety, Princeton High School senior Dziyana Zubialevich and Princeton University freshman Ben Bollinger, will be featured at a Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) gathering on Sunday afternoon, April 8, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton on Cherry Hill Road. more
By Anne Levin
Not so many decades ago, the town of Princeton was surrounded by farmland. While much of that rural acreage is now home to housing developments and office parks, some open space still remains. And Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) wants to keep it that way.
At the organization’s annual meeting on Sunday, April 15, Mark Brownlee of ArcheWild will address the topic with “Investing in our Land: Deriving Real Economic Value for Ourselves and our Community.” Brownlee, principal and head ecologist of the ecological restoration company and native plant nursery, will outline the options for maintaining the parcels that remain, while possibly realizing some financial benefit. more
By Donald Gilpin
The bog turtle (glyptemis muhlenbergii), one of the smallest and rarest turtles in North America, is on its way to becoming the first state reptile, if a bill promoted by Princeton Public School students and their teachers and sponsored by State Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman becomes law. more
By Donald Gilpin
Researching climate change pressure on marine ecosystems, or lung function in 9/11 first responders, or protein design and antibiotic resistance, or memory and learning and Alzheimer’s disease, or liver cancer and cancer immunotherapy in the setting of some of the top university science laboratories in the country do not sound like typical high school science class experiences.
They’re not, but they are among the internship experiences that the seven Princeton Day School (PDS) juniors in Carrie Norin’s new REx Program are looking forward to this summer. more
By Anne Levin
The four authors who will speak at the Salon on Stockon literary festival on April 13-14 have one major thing in common: war.
British journalists Sally Magnusson, Neal Ascherson, Lynne Olson, and Christopher Dickey — prominent authors all — have each covered wars, and lots of them. So it made sense for the organizers of the third annual festival to present them together, in an event that begins Friday evening, April 13 and continues throughout the following day, at the Center for Theological Inquiry (CTI) on Stockton Street. more
Visual Arts students at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) display their varied talents as the Gallery at Mercer presents its annual “Visual Arts Student Exhibition.” This exhibit, which features the best works by MCCC students, runs through Thursday, May 3. It is free and open to the public. more
By Jean Stratton
“Everyone may have a camera, but not everyone knows how to see,” explains Alan Kesselhaut. “A famous photographer once said, ‘The pictures are out there. We have to learn how to see them.’”
Adds Barbara Cuneo, “A good photographer has to notice.”
They should know!
Owners of Princeton Photo Workshop, Kesselhaut and Cuneo opened their firm in 2013, after a successful career in the construction business. more
By Jean Stratton
Nothing tastes better on a cold day than homemade soup and a tasty grilled cheese sandwich.
Now, a new restaurant in town provides both, and a lot more too!
Eatery@Princeton opened in January at 180 Nassau Street, the former location of Cox’s Market, that long-time Princeton mainstay. more
By Stuart Mitchner
If the seismic impact of the deaths of film stars could be measured, Jeanne Moreau’s might have scored a 7 or 8 on the Richter scale last August. Not so the death last week of Stéphane Audran, at least not in this country, where she is best known as the title character in Babette’s Feast (1987). Her stature in France was such that her passing was announced by the culture minister. Moreau’s was announced by President Macron. more
By Kam Williams
Times have certainly changed when dramatic actresses can now play action heroes in blockbuster movies. For instance, Jennifer Lawrence had already been nominated for an Academy Award (Winter’s Bone) when she agreed to star as Katniss Everdeen in the adaptation of The Hunger Games trilogy. Alicia Vikander is following Jennifer’s lead by assuming the role of Lara Croft in the remake of the Tomb Raider. She had won an Academy Award (The Danish Girl), and also received critical acclaim for her performances in Ex Machina and Testament of Youth. more
By Bill Alden
Chris Davis has displayed an ability to bounce back in emerging as a star this spring for the Princeton University baseball team.
Last year, Davis saw his freshman campaign cut short by injury after eight appearances, rupturing his spleen against the University of Maryland in mid-March to get sidelined for the rest of the spring. more
By Bill Alden
Tess D’Orsi wasn’t overly concerned when the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team found itself trailing 12th-ranked Syracuse 9-5 at the half last Thursday evening.
“Our coaches believed in us and every single one of us knew we had it in us to have a comeback,” said sophomore star midfielder D’Orsi, reflecting on a recent stretch which saw that Princeton rally from a 6-1 deficit for a 13-12 win over Penn State on March 19 and fought back after trailing 13-6 in the second half before falling 15-12 to Dartmouth on March 24. more
By Bill Alden
Dave Roberts doesn’t mince words in describing what he expects from his Princeton High baseball team this spring.
“Last year, you could call it rebuilding,” said PHS head coach Roberts, whose team posted a 6-17-1 record in 2017. “This year we are old and we have no excuses. We have eight seniors, four juniors, a freshman and a sophomore.” more
By Bill Alden
Coming off a 14-2 season which saw it win both the Mercer County Tournament and the state Prep B title for a second straight year, the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team appeared to pick up where it left off as it hosted Hun in its 2018 opener.
With senior star Elon Tuckman scoring three goals, including the 100th of his career, PDS built a 6-3 lead at half-time last Wednesday in the annual clash between the local rivals. more
By Bill Alden
Although the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team is welcoming a dozen freshmen to its roster this spring, the addition of so many new faces hasn’t kept the squad from getting on the same page.
“We are such a large group of underclassmen and they bring a ton of energy,” said Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik, whose team posted a 6-10 record in 2017. more
By Donald Gilpin
Optimistic organizers anticipated hundreds, but thousands of people showed up in Hinds Plaza Saturday to join Princeton’s March for Our Lives rally, one of more than 800 across the country in support of the national march in Washington, D.C., demanding that lawmakers take action against gun violence.
Estimated at more than 4,000, the crowd overflowed the Plaza. Witherspoon and Hulfish streets were closed to traffic. more
By Anne Levin
With the New Jersey Attorney General’s office in charge of investigating the shooting at the Panera Bread restaurant on Nassau Street last week, Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter is limited in how much he can share about the incident until the investigation is completed. But Sutter wants to keep the public as informed as he can about the events surrounding the death of 56-year-old Scott Mielentz, who was fatally shot after an armed standoff involving local, county, and state police; the FBI; and Princeton University police. more
By Donald Gilpin
Princeton Public Schools (PPS) have projected a cost of just over $137 million for an October 2 facilities referendum that would include a new 5/6 school at Valley Road, major renovations to Princeton High School, infrastructure and security improvements for all school buildings, and relocation of central office administration.
More than $24 million of the referendum costs will be funded by grants from the state. Starting in 2020, taxpayers will see an additional $678 for the average assessed home valued at $837,074, as old and new debt overlap for four years, rising to $823 in 2021. By 2023 the additional cost will be $319 for the average assessed home. more
By Anne Levin
At this year’s Princeton Environmental Film Festival (PEFF) presented by Princeton Public Library, expect to see features on such topics as the destruction of forests, the changing climate, saving the Great Swamp, and what happens to plastics when we throw them away. But this year’s festival, which opens Sunday, April 8 and runs through April 15, goes a step further. more
The Princeton Area Community Foundation has named Anthony “Skip” Cimino as chair of the board of trustees for a three-year term. Cimino, the executive director of the state Assembly Majority Office, succeeds Carol Herring, retired president of the Rutgers University Foundation.
“We are thankful for Carol’s leadership during her three-year tenure as chair and we are grateful that she will remain on the board,” said Jeffrey M. Vega, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We are looking forward to working with Skip, who brings great experience on board governance and is well-known throughout the greater Mercer County community for his leadership.” more
By Anne Levin
Princeton Council introduced the 2018 municipal budget at its Monday, March 26 meeting, calling for no tax increase.
Originally proposed to charge the average household an increase of $41.86, the budget was amended following a unanimous vote by the governing body. Mayor Liz Lempert and Municipal Administrator Marc Dashield credited the Citizens Finance Advisory Committee (CFAC) for their work on the issue, which involved using surplus funds to bring the increase down to zero. A public hearing on the budget will be held on April 9. more
Morgan Stanley has announced that Wade Martin, an executive director, senior portfolio management director, financial advisor in the Firm’s Lawrenceville Wealth Management office, has been named to Forbes Magazine’s inaugural list of America’s Best-in-State Wealth Advisors. The list comprises a select group of individuals who have a minimum of seven years of industry experience. The ranking, developed by Forbes’ partner SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative data, rating thousands of wealth advisors and weighing factors like revenue trends, AUM, compliance records, industry experience and best practices learned through telephone and in-person interviews. more
Barry S. Rabner, president and CEO of Penn Medicine Princeton Health, has joined Rider University’s Board of Trustees. Rabner will serve on the Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management and Facilities Committees of the Board.
“We are thrilled to have Barry join Rider’s Board of Trustees,” said University President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, PhD. “Barry’s comprehensive experience in leading and expanding health care institutions will be a huge asset to the Board, especially in light of the growth in health care-related programs at Rider.” more
