The New Jersey Historic Preservation Office is accepting nominations for the 2018 NJ Historic Preservation Awards for Projects, to be presented in conjunction with Preservation New Jersey’s Awards for Leadership on June 7 in Paterson. The deadline for submission is April 12, 4 p.m. more
March 28, 2018
SMALL BITES, BIG SMILES: “I thought Princeton would be a great opportunity for a Greek restaurant. There’s nothing like us here, and I’m so encouraged. Business is great, and people love what we’re doing.” Tony Kanterakis, owner of Local Greek, is shown in his new restaurant on Leigh Avenue.
By Jean Stratton
Local Greek, the new restaurant at 44 Leigh Avenue, is off to a great start. Customers are lining up to try the special Greek dishes, and they are coming in all day and into the evening.
“Breakfast is very popular. In fact, it’s actually even busier than dinner right now,” says owner Tony Kanterakis. “People love the Greek-style breakfast, especially the free range eggs in the pan, we serve every day.” more
WILLIAMS PRESIDENT-ELECT: Maud Mandel, dean and history professor at Brown University, has been appointed as the 18th president of Williams College. Mandel grew up in Princeton, attending Littlebrook, John Witherspoon, and Princeton High Schools. (Photo by Webb Chappell)
By Donald Gilpin
The Williams College Board of Trustees on March 11 appointed Maud S. Mandel as the college’s 18th president. However she began developing her leadership skills and intellectual attributes long ago, as a child growing up in Princeton. more
Library Live at Labyrinth presents Institute for Advanced Study Professor Emeritus Freeman Dyson discussing his book, Maker of Patterns: An Autobiography Through Letters on Wednesday, April 4 at 6 p.m.
A review in Publishers Weekly says, “In an effective dual narrative, [Dyson] shares his life through letters spanning 1941 to 1978 as well as present-day reflections. Earnest and delightfully casual, the book is concerned more with the man than his science, as ‘family came first, friends second, and work third.’ more
By Stuart Mitchner
So you begin with the death of Virginia Woolf, on this day, March 28, 1941. Moved by the courage and compassion of her farewell message to her husband, you read her first novel, The Voyage Out, in which her alter ego, Rachel Vinrace, dies at 24 after finding herself in life and music, falling in love, becoming engaged, and moving you, again, because you’ve come to care for her as if she were a real person.
Then, with another world and another time still impinging on your own reality, you join the thousands on Hinds Plaza last Saturday afternoon, staring at the crystal-clear summer-blue sky, occasionally sensing subtle intimations of menace when the barking of dogs coincides with angry shouts aimed at one speaker who admitted to being a gun owner. Meanwhile, no doubt like others in the crowd, you’re acutely aware that only a few days earlier a gun-wielding man was shot dead just around the corner at Panera Bread after a half-day standoff. more
“SLEEPYBOP”: Princeton artist Alison Kruse is headed to France for a creative residency. This recent painting is oil on wood board. More of her work can be seen at www.alisonskruse.com/paintings.
By Kam Williams
In classical music circles, they call a kid with promise a prodigy. In rock ’n’ roll, the buzz is about the best unsigned bands. Out in Hollywood, they like to refer to an emerging young actress as an ingénue.
But I don’t know if anybody ever coined a term for an up-and-coming painter with great potential. But if they did, that’s what they’d be calling Alison Kruse, New Jersey’s best kept secret. Until now. more
By Nancy Plum
The island of Cuba, 90 miles off the coast of Florida and just about the size of Pennsylvania, packs a wallop in performing arts and culture. Latin America and the Caribbean are known for indigenous dance forms and music full of percussion and brass, but Cuba also has strong roots in the Western European classical tradition. Cuba’s orchestral ancestry dates back to the 18th century, when the country’s major cathedrals paralleled their counterparts in Europe by establishing instrumental ensembles. Cuba joined the evolution of the symphony orchestra in the 19th century, and by the 1930s, Havana boasted two full symphonic ensembles. In 1959, one National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba emerged, and has been well representing the country worldwide since. more
By Kam Williams
Ella (Helen Mirren) and John Spencer (Donald Sutherland) have been happily married for more than 50 years, and their love hasn’t diminished one iota in spite of his battle with dementia or by hers with brain cancer. Therefore, the inseparable couple resisted their doctors who wanted them to move into different healthcare facilities.
Instead, the 80+ year-olds decide to share one last vacation in their mothballed RV fondly called “The Leisure Seeker.” They plan to drive from Wellesley down to Key West where John, a retired English professor, hopes to visit the home of Ernest Hemingway. more
COMPASSIONATE CARE: “I feel I am able to be there when people need you the most. It is important for someone to be there for them at this difficult time. A compassionate nature is a must for a funeral director.” Christopher Merlino, funeral director of Hopewell Memorial Home, is shown in the chapel of the newly renovated facility.
By Jean Stratton
It is no doubt the most difficult time for most people. Making the arrangements for a loved one’s burial or cremation and all the accompanying details is an emotionally stressful experience.
Being able to rely on compassionate support and knowledgeable assistance can help to ease what is often an unbearable situation. more
CORE VALUE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Annie Cory heads upfield against Dartmouth last Saturday. Sophomore midfielder Cory tallied a career-high three goals against the Big Green but it wasn’t enough as Princeton lost 15-12. The Tigers, now 4-3 overall and 1-1 Ivy League, host No. 12 Syracuse (6-4) on March 29 before playing at Delaware on March 31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Starting last week with a bang, the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team produced a dramatic comeback at Penn State, rallying from a 9-5 second half deficit to pull out a 13-12 victory.
“That was really a great win from being down and really fighting back” said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, reflecting on the March 19 contest. more
PINNING IT DOWN: Princeton University wrestler Matthew Kolodzik pins Columbia’s Jacob Macalolooy at 149 pounds in a regular season match. Sophomore Kolodzik solidified his status as one of the greatest wrestlers in Princeton history over the last month, winning his second straight EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title and then placing third in 149 pounds at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Matthew Kolodzik enjoyed a landmark debut campaign for the Princeton University wrestling team in 2016-17, going 30-4 and taking seventh at 141 pounds in the NCAA Championships to become the first freshman in program history to earn All-American honors. more
POLE POSITION: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Ryan Farrell, left, thwarts a foe in a game last season. Senior defender and tri-captain Farrell will be a steadying presence for a PHS squad that is welcoming a lot of new faces to its lineup. The Little Tigers play at Notre Dame on March 28 in their season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Saying goodbye to 14 seniors from a 2017 squad that advanced to the semifinals of the North Jersey Group 3 tournament last year, the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team will have a new look this spring.
“We have holes that a lot of JV kids are going to fill,” said PHS head coach Chip Casto, who guided the Little Tigers to a 10-9 record last year and an appearance in the Mercer County Tournament championship game. “We will see who rises basically. We are basically a senior defense and everything else is underclassmen.” more
ZO GOOD: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Zoe Cook heads to goal in a game last year. Junior midfielder Cook figures to be a key offensive threat again this year for Hun after earning All-Prep honors in 2017. The Raiders open their 2018 campaign by playing at Monroe High on March 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
When the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team chants “USA, USA” this year, it will be expressing more than just patriotism.
“We have an acronym this year, USA, which has a meaning that is twofold,” said Hun head coach Liz Cook, who guided the Raiders to a 12-4 record and the state Prep A semis last year and is entering her fourth season at the helm of the program. “It means united, strong, and aggressive; that is what we want to be in that order. We also have a lot of patriotic kids.” more
POWER SOURCE: Hun School softball player Meghan Donohue takes a swing in a game last season. Junior third baseman Donohue will be counted on to provide punch in the middle of the Hun batting order this spring as the Raiders look to defend their state Prep A title. Hun opens the 2018 season by hosting Penn Charter on March 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
For the Hun School softball team, 2017 turned into a dream season as the Raiders went 14-2 and won the program’s first state Prep A title since 2004.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, longtime Hun head coach Kathy Quirk knows it will be a challenge to produce an encore. more
March 26, 2018
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”20″ gal_title=”3-21-18 Library Event”]
On Friday evening Hillier Studios on Witherspoon Street was the setting for a community reception and historic program sponsored by the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society and attended by about 100 community members and supporters. Designs were unveiled for the first four of 26 W-J Community Heritage Trail Plaques.
March 23, 2018
As part of the national mobilization called March for Our Lives, a Princeton rally initiated by Princeton High School senior Dziyana Zubialevich will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 24 at Hinds Plaza, 55 Witherspoon Street, adjacent to Princeton Public Library.
The Princeton event is one of over 800 across the country being held that day in solidarity with the national march and the high school students from Parkland, Florida, where a mass shooting took place on February 14, killing 17 and wounding 14. more
March 21, 2018
Members of the Princeton University men’s hockey team celebrate after they defeated Clarkson 2-1 in overtime in the ECAC Hockey title game last Saturday in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Tigers, now 19-12-4, are headed to the NCAA tournament where they are the fourth seed in the Midwest Regional and will face top-seeded Ohio State (24-9-5) in a first round contest on March 24 in Allentown, Pa. For more details on the ECACH title run, see page 30. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)
By Donald Gilpin and Anne Levin
A four and a half-hour standoff between police and an armed gunman at Panera Bread on Nassau Street ended shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday when the man was fatally shot by police.
The man entered Panera Bread on Nassau Street with a handgun around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and made threats as customers and employees fled. Police secured the perimeter of the restaurant. more
By Anne Levin
In Monday night’s ballot placement vote by the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee (PDMC), Dwaine Williamson and Eve Niedergang were the highest ranked candidates for the two open seats on Princeton Council. This means that Scotia MacRae, chairman of the PDMC, will recommend to the chair of the Mercer County Democratic Organization that they be ranked in that order С first and second С on the June 5 primary election ballot. more
By Donald Gilpin
The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) has announced that it will donate $500,000 to the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) over the next five years, beginning with the 2018-19 school year.
“The Institute for Advanced Study is proud to be an engaged partner in the Princeton community and greatly values its superb public schools,” said Institute Director Robbert Dijkgraaf. “The Institute and the Princeton Public School District share a common commitment to education and pursuit of knowledge. Our gift will support the Princeton Public Schools as they educate our children to lead lives of joy and purpose in a global society.” more
HONORED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE: After being named Employee of the Year by the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association at their annual conference, Anthony Simone picked up a second honor at the Princeton Council meeting on March 12 for his work on Princeton’s seasonal maintenance team. Shown here with Mayor Liz Lempert, Simone was given an award of recognition for his work during the past 11 years — helping with snow removal, cutting grass, working in garden plots, and more. Simone grew up in Princeton and graduated from St. Paul’s School. “I love this town,” he said when accepting the award. “I work all summer, and I’m working this summer, too.”
By Anne Levin
At a closed session meeting this Friday morning, Princeton Council is scheduled to discuss the affordable housing requirement that was decided March 8 by Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson. Princeton’s requirement was set at 753 units, while West Windsor received a requirement of 1,500. These numbers cover a span from 1999 to 2025. more
HONORING THE HISTORY: Shirley Satterfield (at podium), president of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, unveiled the first four Heritage Tour Plaques and recognized the Society’s board of trustees (surrounding her) at a reception Friday afternoon at Studio Hillier on Witherspoon Street. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)
By Donald Gilpin
The Joint Effort Safe Streets Program, which presents an array of Witherspoon-Jackson Community (W-J) activities each August, added a spring celebration this year with three memorable events taking place last week. more
The Arts Council of Princeton was named Favorite Art Gallery in the 2018 JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards. Taneshia Nash Laird, executive director of Arts Council of Princeton, center, accepted the award from Allison Tratner, interim executive director of New Jersey State Council of the Arts, and Adam Perle, president and CEO of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, on March 14 at ArtPride New Jersey’s headquarters in the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington.
D&R Greenway Land Trust presents a special evening with renowned furniture designer Mira Nakashima on Thursday, March 22 (doors open 6:30 p.m., talk begins at 7 p.m.) at the Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton. Admission costs $10 person.
Mira Nakashima, the daughter of legendary furniture sculptor George Nakashima, will tell the story of the family’s woodworking legacy, followed by a signing of her book, Nature, Form, and Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima. Nakashima pieces will be displayed and available for purchase, including a three-legged stool, candle holders, pencil holders, and bread boards. more
By Stuart Mitchner
To do justice to the music of Bach, you should “listen, play, love, revere, and keep your trap shut.” This in-your-face edict from Albert Einstein was scrawled in the margin of a letter, according to John Eliot Gardiner’s biography Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven (Knopf 2013). Curious to see the German equivalent of “Keep your trap shut,” I checked online and came up with “Halte deine Falle geschlossen,” which seemed unlikely (too wordy) compared to “Halt die Klappe!” or “Halt den Schnabel!”
What ultimately matters is that March 21 is Bach’s birthday and rather than obeying Einstein, I’m plunging ahead in respect of the birthday equation, Einsten 3-14/Bach 3-21. more