November 13, 2024

Family Show Followed By Treats in the Lobby

HOLIDAY MUSICAL REVUE: The MTM Players celebrate Christmas at Kelsey Theatre, on the campus of Mercer County Community College, November 29-December 1.

The MTM Players bring the family-friendly musical revue “The Best Time of the Year – Music & Memories of Christmas” to Kelsey Theatre, on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, for one weekend and five performances, November 29-December 1.

The show celebrates the holiday season with song, dance, visual projections, snow — and even kazoos — featuring carols and Christmas songs. The hour-long performance is followed by treats and pictures in the lobby with Santa. more

Two Area Choruses Collaborate for Concert

JOINING FORCES: Voices Chorale NJ and the Trenton Children’s Chorus are presenting a concert together to celebrate the holiday season on December 14 at Trinity Church.

A celebration of the holiday season featuring Voices Chorale NJ and the Trenton Children’s Chorus will take place on Saturday, December 14 at 4 p.m., at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street.

“Sing Out, My Soul!” features Vivaldi’s Gloria accompanied by a chamber ensemble, as well as contemporary choral compositions and arrangements that invoke the many moods of the holiday season. Following Gloria, which Vivaldi wrote over 300 years ago, the program fast-forwards through the centuries, presenting old and new texts set to music by contemporary composers as well as a Hanukkah prayer, and a song of rejoicing in Latin (Gaudete!).  more

Holiday Pops Concerts Feature Andrea Ross

FESTIVE GATHERING: Members of the Princeton High School Choir are among the performers at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s annual Holiday POPS! concerts on December 14, at Richardson Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of PSO Staff)

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is set to celebrate the holiday season with Broadway vocalist Andrea Ross at this year’s Holiday POPS! concerts on Saturday, December 14 at 3 and 6 p.m., at Richardson Auditorium.

Mentored by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ms. Ross, a soprano, will perform “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” and more. The Princeton High School Choir lends its collective voice to choral favorites including “Joy to the World” and “O Holy Night,” and leads the audience in the annual carol sing-along. Returning to Princeton from West Virginia’s Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, John Devlin conducts both performances.  more

Covered Bridge Artisans Tour Celebrates 30 Years

“COTTAGE FLOWERS”: Works by Karen Caldwell of Sunflower Glass Studio and others can be viewed November 29 through December 1 on the 30th Annual Covered Bridge Artisans Studio Tour.

This Thanksgiving weekend, the Covered Bridge Artisans will celebrate three decades of artistry, craftsmanship, and community with their 30th Annual Studio Tour. Taking place from November 29 to December 1 from 10 a,m. to 5 p.m. each day, this event invites visitors to explore the studios and workspaces of some of the Delaware River Valley region’s most talented artisans.

This self-guided tour will take place in nine professional artists’ studios in Lambertville, Stockton, Sergeantsville, and New Hope, Pa., areas with 12 additional artists at the Sandy Ridge Church.  more

Eclipse

This acrylic on canvas work by Larry Mitnick is featured in “Making Space,” an exhibition of his paintings at Belle’s Tavern, 183 North Union Street, Lambertville, through the end of December. Mitnick’s work has been exhibited internationally and he is currently a member artist at Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville.

Dwarf Wedge Mussel

Mary Waltham of Princeton received an honorable mention for this watercolor work at the “11th Annual New Jersey Highlands Juried Art Exhibition,” presented by New Jersey Highlands Coalition at the Maxfield Engine House in Boonton. The exhibit features a mix of photography, paintings, mixed media, prints and sculpture focused on the landscapes, flora, fauna and historic and cultural resources of the Highlands region. A virtual exhibit featuring all of this year’s artists can be viewed at highlandsart.org.

Open Studio Holiday Sale at Willowood Pottery

MASTER POTTER: Caryn Newman, shown here creating a hand-built vase, holds her annual Open Studio Holiday Sale this Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Willowood Pottery, 7 Willowood Drive, Ewing.

Once a year local Master Potter Caryn Newman opens her studio to the public – this year on Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Busy firing work in her kiln from the past six months for this show, Newman said her latest work has some changes.

Decades of pottery-making added up, and she needed a shoulder replacement this past May. After a short break, she got back into the studio and started with hand-building new pieces as she recovered, instead of using the pottery wheel. more

New Sticky Fingers Cooking Program for Kids Offers Fun and Creative Cooking Opportunities

COOPERATION AND COOKING: “With the program, I can dedicate my efforts to focusing on community, cooperation, acceptance and kindness for and with children.” Chris Johnson, owner of the Sticky Fingers Cooking franchise in Princeton, is enthusiastic about this new after school cooking program for children.

By Jean Stratton

Chris Johnson knew about cooking from a young age.

“I was always interested,” he recalls, “and I especially enjoyed watching and helping my favorite aunt in the kitchen.”

A New Englander from Maine and Massachusetts, he headed to New York for job opportunities, eventually working in the corporate world, focusing on legal technology. more

Sparked by MacNab’s Playmaking, Stellar Defensive Play, PU Women’s Soccer Tops Brown in Ivy Final, Back in NCAAs

BIG MAC: Princeton University women’s soccer player Heather MacNab, left, chases after the ball in recent action. Last Sunday, senior defender MacNab had two assists to help top-seeded Princeton defeat third-seeded Brown 2-0 in the Ivy League Tournament final. The Tigers, now 14-4, are headed to the NCAA tournament where they will play at Virginia (12-5) in a first round contest on November 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In early October, Princeton University women’s soccer player Heather MacNab left the field at Roberts Stadium on a cart after suffering a severe gash to her forehead in a scary collision with a Penn player.

As senior defender MacNab lay on the ground that night, she was already planning her return. more

With Star Yeager Back from Olympics to Lead Attack, PU Field Hockey Earns Berth in NCAAs, Will Face BC

STICKING OUT: Princeton University field hockey player Beth Yeager, right, dribbles the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Sunday, junior star Yeager picked up an assist in a losing cause as Princeton fell 2-1 to Harvard in overtime in the Ivy League Tournament final. Yeager, a U.S. Olympian who was named the Ivy Offensive Player of the Year this fall, will look to keep producing as the Tigers, now 13-5, start play in the NCAA tournament where they are an at-large selection and will face Boston College (14-6) in a first round contest on November 15 at Saint Joseph’s. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

The last time Beth Yeager and the Princeton University field hockey team lost, they bounced back with seven straight wins.

The Tigers would settle for four straight this time in the wake of being awarded an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament hours after falling to Harvard, 2-1, in the Ivy League Tournament final in overtime Sunday. When Harvard scored with less than three minutes to play in regulation, Princeton responded with Yeager’s corner smash redirected in by Ella Cashman with 59 seconds left to force overtime. The Crimson scored 4:11 into the OT to pull out the win. more

PU Football Produces Spirited Effort Against Dartmouth But Loses 26-17 in Moving to 2-6, Falling into Ivy Cellar

HILL TO CLIMB: Princeton University football defensive back Nasir Hill tracks down a Dartmouth ball carrier last Friday night. Junior defensive back Hill made 12 tackles in the game as the Princeton defense battled hard in a 27-16 loss to the Big Green. The Tigers, now 2-6 overall and 1-4 Ivy League, play at Yale (5-3 overall, 2-3 Ivy) on November 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

On paper, it looked like a mismatch when the Princeton University football team hosted Dartmouth last Friday night.

Ivy League frontrunner and once-beaten Dartmouth entered the evening tied for first place in the league standings while Princeton was mired in a three-team tie for last, having been routed by Harvard (45-13 on October 26) and Cornell (49-35 on November 2) in its last two contests. more

PU Men’s Hockey Shows Flashes on Opening Weekend But Goes 0-2 in First Action Under New Coach Syer

By Bill Alden

Playing in its first game under new head coach Ben Syer, the Princeton University men’s hockey team put on quite a show as it hosted Harvard in its season opener last Friday.

Battling the Crimson in a back-and-forth contest before a standing-room only crowd of 2,352 at Hobey Baker Rink, Princeton jumped out to a 2-1 lead and then rallied from a 3-2 deficit to force overtime before falling 4-3.

Heading into its game against Dartmouth a night later, the Tigers were looking to build on their effort against Harvard. more

After Finding a Home with PHS Girls’ Cross Country, Karra Helps Tigers Win Their 1st-Ever Group 4 State Title

GROUP LEADERS: Members of the Princeton High girls’ cross country team show off the hardware they won for placing first in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state meet last Saturday at Holmdel Park. It was the first Group 4 title in program history. The Tigers will next be in action when they compete in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on November 16 at Holmdel Park.

By Justin Feil

Kajol Karra was looking for a new start and a positive community when she joined the girls’ cross country team last fall in her first year at Princeton High.

A year later, she’s helping to pace the Tigers’ historic season.

Junior standout Karra placed eighth individually to lead PHS to its first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship at Holmdel Park on Saturday. more

Looking Dominant as it Pursues a 2nd Straight State Title, 25-1 PHS Girls’ Volleyball Rolls Into Sectional Final

HITTING THEIR STRIDE: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Kaelin Bobetich goes up for a big hit in recent action. Last Friday, junior star Bobetich contributed nine kills, five digs, and two blocks to help top-seeded PHS defeat fourth-seeded Jackson Memorial 2-0 (25-9, 25-8) in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional semis. The Tigers, who improved to 25-1 with the win, were slated to host third-seeded Middletown South (22-6) in the sectional final on November 12 with the victor advancing to the Group 3 state semis on November 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Many coaches aim to have their teams peaking as they head into postseason action but not Patty Manhart.

Having guided her Princeton High girls’ volleyball team to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state title last season and the squad to a 25-1 record this fall and a spot in the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional final, PHS head coach Manhart strives to have her players clicking on all cylinders any time they step on the court. more

Senior Breitman Comes Up Big for PHS Boys’ Soccer As Tigers Top New Brunswick to Make Sectional Semis

STEPPING UP: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Azariah Breitman goes after the ball in a 2023 game. Last Friday, senior star Breitman scored two goals to help third-seeded PHS defeat 11th-seeded New Brunswick 3-0 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional quarterfinals. The Tigers, who improved to 16-2-4 in the win, were slated to play at second-seeded Manalapan in the sectional semis on November 12 with the victor advancing to the final on November 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton High boys’ soccer team battled New Brunswick in the first half of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional quarterfinals last Friday, Azariah Breitman implored his teammates to pick up the intensity.

Yelling “Let’s go boys, energy” at various points, PHS senior striker Breitman made several forays into the box to no avail in the early going as the third-seeded Tigers were locked in a scoreless draw with an upset-minded 11th-seeded New Brunswick. more

PHS Girls’ Soccer Sees Cinderella Run End, Losing to Montgomery in Sectional Quarters

HEADY PLAY: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Romy Johnson, right, heads the ball last Thursday as PHS played at Montgomery in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals. After upsetting top-seeded Freehold on penalty kicks in the first round of the sectional, the 16th-seeded Tigers fell 1-0 to eighth-seeded Montgomery. PHS ended the fall at 7-10-3, rebounding from a shaky 1-8-2 start. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the Princeton High girls’ soccer team lost 2-0 to Steinert on October 7 to fall to 1-8-2, it would have been understandable if the squad threw in the towel on the campaign.

The defeat marked the sixth straight loss for the Tigers in a stretch that saw them outscored 11-1. more

Hun Boys’ Soccer Falls to Pennington in Prep A Final Battling to the End as it Posts Stellar 13-4-2 Record

STANDING TALL: Hun School boys’ soccer goalie Diego Pena surveys the action in a game earlier this fall. Last Wednesday, senior standout Pena made 12 saves and scored a goal on a penalty kick as second-seeded Hun fell 6-1 at top-seeded Pennington in the Prep A state final. The Raiders finished the fall with a 13-4-2 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the Prep A boys’ soccer final was over last Wednesday, Hun School stars Luciano Verduci and Gonzalo Perez Nunez were lying prone on the ground near the bench, getting treated for some knocks to their legs and spent from running all over the field.

Verduci and Perez Nunez exemplified how hard second-seeded Hun battled as it fell 6-1 at top-seeded Pennington. more

PDS Boys’ Cross Country Wins Non-Public B Meet As McLaughlin Sets the Pace for Young Panthers Squad

TITLE DOUBLE: Members of the Princeton Day School boys’ cross country team are all smiles after they placed first in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B state meet last Saturday at Holmdel Park. It marked the first Non-Public title in program history for the squad. It was also the second title this fall as the Panthers had previously won its first Prep B state championship in 15 years on October 30. PDS is next in action when it races in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on November 16 at Holmdel Park.

By Justin Feil

The Princeton Day School boys’ cross country season that began with uncertainty is ending with confidence.

Last Saturday, junior star Grayson McLaughlin finished third to lead a young Panther boys’ team to its first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B state championship on the heels of its first Prep B state championship in 15 years.  more

November 6, 2024

Incumbent Franceschi, New Candidates Santarpio and Meisel Elected to School Board

By Donald Gilpin

In a close race Tuesday for three seats on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education, incumbent Mara Franceschi, who has received 5,326 votes (20.64 percent), Christopher Santarpio 4,618 (17.90 percent), and Ari Meisel with 4,443 (17.22 percent) have defeated Erica Snyder with 4,310 votes (16.71 percent), Lisa Potter with 4,148 (16.08 percent), and Shenwei Zhao with 2,921 (11.32 percent), according to unofficial results from the Mercer County Clerk’s Office.

With many mail-in ballots and provisional ballots remaining to be counted, certification by the Mercer County Clerk’s office is not expected for about two weeks.

In two other local elections, both uncontested, Mark Freda won another four-year term as Princeton Mayor, and incumbent Leighton Newlin and new candidate Brian McDonald won three-year terms on Princeton Council. more

Cow Serenade

Cows were celebrated and honored at the Annual Cow Parade festival at Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville on Saturday afternoon. The tradition comes from the Swiss Alps, when the cows are brought down from the mountains to the lower pastures each fall, with elaborate decorations. The event also featured hayrides, games, face painting, food, music, dancers, storytelling, and local artisans. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

State Urges Caution as Drought Persists

By Anne Levin

With October 2024 in the record books as New Jersey’s driest October in history, a statewide fire ban is now in effect. On October 17, Gov. Phil Murphy issued a drought watch, urging residents and businesses to conserve water.

It hasn’t rained locally in over a month. And there is no real end in sight.

Thursday, November 14 is the first mention of any precipitation, with “rain ending in the morning” as predicted on Accuweather.com. The next possibility is November 22, when “a morning shower followed by a little rain in the afternoon” is listed. And nothing else is predicted until December 10: “Periods of light rain.” more

“Shop Local” is the Message for Residents, Tourists

IT’S STARTING: Local holiday offerings this year will include the return of the Arts Council of Princeton’s Winter Chalets at Hinds Plaza, selling gifts made by artists in various media from November 14 through December 22.

By Anne Levin

The weather is balmy and Halloween is barely behind us, but the winter holiday season is officially on.

Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are several weekends away, with a late Thanksgiving (November 28) shortening the usual gift-buying season. Drawings for Experience Princeton’s “ShopPrinceton2Win” contest began this week, and decorations will soon be hung around town. The goal is to encourage patronage of local stores and restaurants.

“There is a lot of competition out there, especially online,” said Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, who is the liaison to Experience Princeton, the nonprofit that promotes local businesses. “You go into the big box stores, and the decorations are out. But it’s still not the same experience as going into a local shop. We have some new retail in town, and they all seem to be gearing up.” more

PPS Presents Theater, Music, Visual Arts; Neil Simon’s “Rumors” Nov. 14-17 at PHS

“RUMORS” AT PHS: The casts of Neil Simon’s 1988 “elegant farce” are preparing for their November 14 opening at Princeton High School. The play runs through November 17. (Photo courtesy of Julianna Krawiecki)

By Donald Gilpin

In theater, music, and visual arts, Princeton Public Schools (PPS) is presenting a diverse array of events in November and December.

Rumors, a 1988 Neil Simon “elegant farce,” as the author described it, will take the spotlight on the Princeton High School (PHS) stage November 14-17. At Princeton Middle School (PMS) on November 22 and 23, the theme will be self-image and social and emotional learning in Hoodie, a short “play for the times,” according to PMS Theater Director Chaundra Cameron. more

PU Graduate Students Bring Love of Science to Community Outreach Events

PUMPKIN BIOLOGY: Members of the Molecular Biology Outreach Program at Princeton University (in MBOP shirts) show young visitors to their booth at the Arts Council of Princeton’s Pumpkin Palooza how to extract pumpkin DNA.

By Wendy Greenberg

When a group of Princeton University graduate students set out to inspire youths and adults in the community with the wonders of science, they found that they ended up being inspired themselves.

Graduate doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in the Molecular Biology Outreach Program (MBOP) recently ran a science fair on campus for high school students; plan to judge a science fair at Stone Bridge Middle School in Allentown; and are inviting adults to a “Science by the Cup” night to educate them on what scientific processes go into making beer.  They also showed community members how to make their own skin lotion, and demonstrated how to extract DNA from strawberries at the Ewing Library and from pumpkins at the Arts Council of Princeton’s Pumpkin Palooza event. more

SPIA in NJ Program to Consider Ideas for a Healthy NJ Economy

By Wendy Greenberg

How can the community contribute to an inclusive, productive, and healthy New Jersey economy? Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs in New Jersey (SPIA in NJ) is partnering with several departments and community nonprofits to find out, with the goal of informing the public and identifying and addressing future challenges before the next election cycle.

The second of three sessions of the program New Jersey & The American Economy will be held on Tuesday, November 12 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Robertson Hall, Bowl 002.  Co-sponsors are Princeton University Department of African American Studies, Princeton Public Lectures, the Program for Research on Inequality, Labyrinth Books, and the Princeton Public Library.

Although the three-part program is held close to the 2024 election cycle, it is actually timed for the next one. “We timed this program very intentionally so that New Jerseyans could hear from policy scholars and analysts about some of the issues that polls show matter most to them,” said Anastasia Mann, founding director of SPIA in NJ. “We designed the structure to highlight where we have come from and where we are heading, from a tax and budget perspective, when it comes to issues like wages, access to housing, public safety, food security, immigration, climate, health care, and more.” more