The 10th Annual Helene Cody 5-kilometer race and 1-Mile Fun Run is taking place on September 8, starting near the Cranbury Fire Department at 2 South Main Street in Cranbury.
The fun run begins at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9 a.m. The 5K is chip-timed and USATF-certified with water stations and musical performers throughout the course. more
After hosting an AJGA Championship tournament this July, the Springdale Golf Club is holding a PGA Golf Clinic for Women on September 26.
More than 40,000 people have participated in PGA Golf Clinics for Women since 1990. Limited to a group of 48 participants, the women spend a day learning all aspects of social and business golf from female PGA and LPGA teaching professionals. more
By Donald Gilpin
When Princeton voters go to the polls on November 6, the much discussed facilities referendum won’t be the only important question they face in determining the future of thousands of Princeton Public Schools (PPS) children. Also on the ballot will be five candidates vying for three positions on the Board of Education (BOE).
Two one-term incumbents, Betsy Baglio and Dafna Kendal, and three new hopefuls, Mary Clurman, Daniel J. Dart, and Brian J. McDonald, are all seeking three-year terms on the ten-member board. more
By Anne Levin
As the sale of Westminster Choir College (WCC) by Rider University remains unresolved, those in favor and those opposed to the transaction continue to publicize their positions. A public forum on Wednesday, August 29 at Nassau Presbyterian Church will provide an update on the situation, which includes two pending lawsuits against the University.
In recent weeks, Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has been circulating a petition to segments of the higher education and classical music communities asking for support in their opposition to the proposed sale. Rider wants to sell the 22-acre Westminster campus to the Chinese company known as Kaiwen Education. more
By Anne Levin
The official reopening of the Mary Moss Playground last week marked the last of the revitalizations of Princeton’s small pocket parks. The August 8 ribbon-cutting ceremony, which concluded with the ecstatic yelps of children negotiating the new sprayground, marked a milestone for the Witherspoon/Jackson historic district. more
SAVE, A Friend to Homeless Animals has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This is the first time that SAVE has earned this top distinction, which recognizes strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
Since 2002, using objective analysis, Charity Navigator has awarded only the most fiscally responsible organizations a 4-star rating. In 2011, Charity Navigator added 17 metrics, focused on governance and ethical practices as well as measures of openness, to its ratings methodology. These Accountability & Transparency metrics, which account for 50 percent of a charity’s overall rating, reveal which charities operate in accordance with industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders. more
By Donald Gilpin
The 88th annual Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale (BM-WBS), the longest-running and largest used-book sale on the East Coast, is still seven months away, but you’d never guess that from the pace of activity and the thousands of books, sorted and packed into hundreds of boxes, piled high in a small barn behind 32 Vandeventer Avenue, just off Nassau Street.
Every Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon between now and the March sale, volunteers gather at the barn to welcome donors — some moving to smaller living quarters, some settling their parents’ estates, some just cleaning house — who arrive with books and more books. more
By Donald Gilpin
The Jim Floyd Memorial Lecture at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church Saturday morning, featuring an open community discussion on the school referendum and a conversation with futurist Chet Sisk on “Blacks and the Future and Current World Paradigm Shifts,” provided energetic, illuminating discussion on all sides and a dynamic culmination to the ten-day 2018 Joint Effort/Safe Streets Program.
Kip Cherry, one of the referendum panelists along with Leighton Newlin, Joel Schwartz, Greg Stankiewicz, and Michele Tuck-Ponder, described the dialogue as “balanced” and the commentary as “vigorous,” but “very civil and not combative.” “Everyone is trying to do the best they can for our school system and our children,” she said. “We’re all concerned for our students. People in the community have a lot of questions, a lot of concerns.” more
Custom Ink, an online leader in custom apparel and accessories for groups and communities, will open its newest store at 39 Palmer Square West in late summer. The company offers in-person advice and design assistance for creating custom apparel, as well as the ability to see, touch, and compare products.
“We are thrilled to welcome Custom Ink to Palmer Square and the Princeton community,” said Lori Rabon, vice president of Palmer Square. “Their strong commitment to local businesses and nonprofits, combined with their massive online presence, is the perfect experiential retailer to join the Palmer Square family. We look forward to watching their relationships flourish and working with them for years to come.” more
The Trenton Museum Society and FVHD Architects – Planners have announced an exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of the full-service architectural design firm founded in Trenton in 1918 by PL Fowler. “Changing Face/Changing Place: A Look at the Architectural History of the Trenton Area,” will feature historical and architectural photographs, drawings, and artifacts from FVHD history. The exhibit will be in the second-floor galleries at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park from September 15 through January 11, 2019. An opening reception is Sunday, September 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. more
“FOUR SHADES OF GREY”: The work of photographer Jamel Shabazz is featured in “Love is the Message,” on display through September 22 at the BSB Gallery in Trenton. An opening reception is scheduled for August 25 from 5 to 9 p.m.
The Trenton Downtown Association has announced the third exhibit at BSB Gallery with the launch of “Love is the Message,” featuring the work of photographer Jamel Shabazz. A special opening reception with the artist is planned for August 25 from 5 to 9 p.m. Shabazz is also scheduled to conduct an Artist Talk on Saturday, September 8 from 3 to 4 p.m. “Love is the Message” will be on display through September 22. more
By Stuart Mitchner
New York City, Christmas week 1948, St. James Theatre: Ray Bolger is performing “Once In Love With Amy” and life will never be the same for the ten-year-old in the balcony. He’s in the heart of the holiday city, suspended above a bright new world of sight and sound, captivated, taken out of himself, “in heaven,” watching a living man, in person, here and now, singing and dancing while a live band plays, and there’s nothing to do but laugh in sheer delight when the man on stage does a drunken gambit singing “You might be quite the fickle-hearted ro-ver, so carefree and bold, who loves a girl and later — “ hiccup “ — thinks it over, and just … quits … cold!” When the chorus comes round again — “Once you’re kissed by Amy, tear up the list, it’s Amy!” — Bolger stops singing to go cavorting around the stage in an ecstasy, so full of the song that singing isn’t enough, he’s catapaulted by the music, waving his arms, leaping about, calling on the audience to share the joy until the whole theatre is singing along, “Once in love with Amy! Always in love with Amy!” more
By Kam Williams
Although Nick (Henry Golding) and Rachel (Constance Wu) have been dating for a few years, they don’t know much about each other’s background. They both live in New York City, and Nick has never mentioned that he’s from one the wealthiest families in Singapore, and she’s never talked about how she was raised by an immigrant (Kheng Hua Tan) from China who was a single mom.
The difference in social status has not affected their relationship, because Nick is unassuming, and Rachel was able to take advantage of a great education and become an economics professor at NYU. In fact, Nick is seriously considering marrying her and he’s even picked out a diamond ring. more
From September 7 to October 7 in the Berlind Theatre, McCarter Theatre is hosting the world premiere production of “The Age of Innocence,” a tale of star-crossed lovers forced to choose between love and honor. The play is adapted by Oscar and Tony nominee (and Princeton University alumnus) Douglas McGrath and directed by Tony Award-winner Doug Hughes. About the production, McCarter Artistic Director Emily Mann said: “What I love most about Douglas McGrath’s brilliant adaptation is how all of us — regardless of age, background, or varied experiences — look back on our past decisions and wonder ‘did I make the right choice?’ This production shows the universal truth behind the struggle of choosing one path over another.” Tickets start at $25 – to purchase, visit mccarter.org or call (609) 258-2787.
By Bill Alden
Eric Robinson didn’t have much time to dwell on the disappointment of seeing his career with the Princeton University men’s hockey team end with a 4-2 loss to Ohio State in the NCAA tournament.
Two days after the defeat on March 24 in the first round of the national tourney, star forward Robinson followed the Buckeyes to Ohio as he signed a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and joined the pro team on Monday. more
By Bill Alden
Dustin Litvak was living the dream of thousands around Los Angeles, landing a job with Jimmy Kimmel Live! shortly after graduating from Pepperdine University in 2001.
Starting as an intern, Litvak rose to production assistant for the hit show, running its green room and hoping to get into the writing side.
But Litvak turned his back on Hollywood in 2003 to follow his love for water polo, having coached the boys’ squad at his high school alma mater, Agoura High, in the L.A. area while he was in college. more
LEADING LIGHTS: Maddy Peel, far right, pilots the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/Mercer Juniors women’s lightweight eight in action this spring. Coxswain Peel, a Princeton High graduate who is headed to Cornell this month to join its women’s rowing program, helped the Mercer boat take fifth at the USRowing Youth National Championship in Sacramento, Calif. this June.
By Bill Alden
For Maddy Peel, mastering a new vocabulary proved to be a key challenge when she joined the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA) Mercer Junior rowing program as a neophyte coxswain in the fall of 2014.
“It was a lot about learning the lingo at first. There are a lot of words that aren’t used anywhere else,” said Peel.
“Once you get the hang of what to say, it starts getting a little bit easier. It is also knowing what is going on in your boat. When you are brand new, you are sitting down and you can’t really tell what is going on. You see eight oars but you don’t really know what is happening.” more
By Bill Alden
When C.J. Uche joined the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team in 2014 as a freshman, he didn’t see himself playing at the next level.
“I came in thinking that I wasn’t the D-I soccer type; that wasn’t my goal at that time,” said Uche.
But after emerging as a star midfielder early in his PDS career, Uche realized that he might have a future in college soccer.
“I played Match Fit Academy for four years and the summer after sophomore year, we won the national tournament against some of the highest competition,” said Uche. more
Alex Ni competes at the 7th World Junior Wushu Championships held last month in Brazil. Ni, a West Windsor resident and rising junior at the Hun School, won two gold medals and a silver medal at the competition. He prevailed in the Changquan (Long Fist) and straightsword events and took second in spear. The event is held biennially and each country/region can send up to two boys and two girls for each of three age groups -12 and under, 13-15, and 16-18. Athletes from 42 countries competed in this year’s Championships. Ni, who took up martial arts at age 6, has earned spots in the U.S. junior wushu team, the U.S. senior wushu team, as well as the U.S. kungfu team. In addition, he regularly performs in school and local community talent and cultural shows, in senior and rehab centers, Plainsboro Founders Day, Chinese New Year celebrations, and in Lincoln Center in New York City. Ni has been teaching Xingyi Quan, a fist form in the martial arts club at the Hun School.
The 10th Annual Helene Cody 5-kilometer race and 1-Mile Fun Run is taking place on September 8, starting near the Cranbury Fire Department at 2 South Main Street in Cranbury.
The fun run begins at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9 a.m. The 5K is chip-timed and USATF-certified with water stations and musical performers throughout the course.
The post-race celebration at the Cranbury Fire Department features a DJ, drinks, bagels, fruit, and free massages. Trophies will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers overall and in each age group for the 5K. Every Fun Run finisher will receive a medal and trophies will be awarded to the top three boys and girls. The Cranbury Day celebration will begin immediately after the race on Main Street. more
By Donald Gilpin
About 90 people gathered downtown in Hinds Park last Sunday evening for a rally to commemorate the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and “to bear witness to the urgent need for global nuclear weapons abolition,” according to the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), which sponsored the event. more
By Donald Gilpin
In a ruling Friday, August 3, a Washington, D.C. federal court reaffirmed its earlier finding that the federal government’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was unlawful.
Supporting a lawsuit brought by Princeton University, recent Princeton graduate Maria De La Cruz Perales Sanchez, and Microsoft Corporation, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates gave the government until August 23 to decide if it will appeal the decision, which requires the government to accept new DACA applications and issue renewals.
As Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) Executive Director Adriana Abizadeh pointed out, however, the DACA controversy remains unresolved and the DREAMers remain in limbo. more
