December 27, 2023

Town Sees Year of Change, Controversy, Progress

“WE WANT CHMIEL!”: On March 20, about 170 demonstrators — students and parents — at Princeton High School (PHS) called on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Carol Kelley to rescind their decision to remove Frank Chmiel as PHS principal. Chmiel was not reinstated, and Kelley later resigned. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

By Donald Gilpin and Anne Levin

Steeped in history and tradition but changing every day, Princeton seemed to gain momentum in 2023 in its role as a hub of innovation in government, education, culture, political activity, and entertainment. The weekly Town Topics calendar of events was packed this year, but all that activity did not come without conflict and debate, as one look at the “Mailbox” section would show. more

December 20, 2023

Princeton Public Schools Looking to Expand

By Donald Gilpin

Facing the challenges of a growing community and overcrowded schools, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) are planning for major expansion over the next three or four years.

The plans, presented by consultants and the district’s long term facilities planning committee (LTFPC) at a public meeting last week, call for expansion and improvements at Princeton Middle School (PMS) and Community Park and Littlebrook elementary schools; additional work at Princeton High School; and demolition of the older section of the district’s Valley Road building.

Total preliminary costs are estimated at $81 million to $85 million, with a fall 2024 anticipated referendum date. If Princeton voters approve the referendum, September of 2027 should see completion of the projects with “students in seats.” more

NJ, PU Announce New Collaboration for Artificial Intelligence Hub

By Anne Levin

At a presentation on Monday in the Chancellor Green Library at Princeton University, a new hub for artificial intelligence (AI) was announced by Gov. Phil Murphy and University President  Christopher L. Eisgruber.

A collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the initiative puts Central New Jersey and the University at a key position in the AI boom. On April 11, the University and the state will cohost a conference designed to bring together leaders of industry, academia, and government to discuss AI and its capabilities.

AI is defined as the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Murphy said AI has the capability to help find new cures for diseases and new solutions for battling climate change.  more

Eisgruber and Princeton University Respond to U.S. Congress Criticism of Universities

By Donald Gilpin

Leading universities have been on the firing line in recent weeks as they try to balance demands for freedom of speech with the need to condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia and to ensure students’ safety. In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, Princeton, along with many universities across the country, has seen demonstrations, protests, forums, vigils, and other reactions, some pro-Israel, some pro-Palestinian.

Hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month led to scathing criticism of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard President Claudine Gay, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth. Magill resigned soon afterward.

Compared to Harvard and Penn and many other universities, Princeton has been relatively quiet, despite outspoken debate with strong feelings on both sides.

At a December 11 meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC), University President Christopher L. Eisgruber commented on the commitment of the University “to act forcefully in response to hypothetical calls for the genocide of Jews.” more

Trees of Trenton’s Cadwalader Park Receive Day of Much-Needed Care

TRIMMING AND MORE: Led by professional arborists, students from Trenton Central High School and Rutgers University were among those who participated in the “Work Day” on December 2 to help care for trees in Cadwalader Park.

By Anne Levin

Every year, members of the New Jersey Arborists Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (NJAISA) volunteer for a “Work Day” at a site where trees need attention. This year, it was Trenton’s Cadwalader Park.

On December 2, more than 150 volunteers fanned out in the 105-acre urban forest designed in the 1890s by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Joined by partners from the City of Trenton, New Jersey Tree Foundation, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association, and several other organizations, they removed hazardous trees and stumps to make the park safer for visitors. They reestablished the lawn to provide space for new trees that will be planted in the near future, and they pruned and rehabilitated some of the very mature trees that date back to the original planting of the park.  more

New Name for Senior Resource Center Reflects Changing Attitudes About Aging

By Anne Levin

The Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC) has a new name. As of January 1, the 49-year-old organization that serves four generations of people, aged 55 to 105, will be doing business as the Center for Modern Aging in Princeton.

The new name reflects changes in the way older adults see themselves, and are seen by those around them.

“It’s a conversation that began several years ago, before I came on board,” said Chief Executive Officer Drew Dyson. “It’s about the language used for older adults in the community. Many don’t identify themselves as seniors. That terminology just doesn’t reflect who more

Council’s Anti-Islamophobia Resolution Follows Measure Against Antisemitism

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Council has unanimously approved a resolution denouncing and condemning Islamophobia, following the endorsement of a resolution condemning antisemitism adopted earlier this year.

“We appreciate that both resolutions have been put on Council’s agenda this year,” said Nick DiDomizio, a member of the Princeton Civil Rights Commission (CRC), which drafted the resolutions. “The timing could not have been more critical.”

Speaking at the December 11 Council meeting, DiDomizio emphasized the “overlap with global events” in acknowledging “the grief and trauma in the wake of the [October 7] attack in Gaza.” He went on, “We know there’s high sensitivity with the timing in passing this resolution.” more

December 13, 2023

Council Votes to Eliminate Free Parking on Witherspoon

By Anne Levin

Princeton Council approved an ordinance Monday night amending the parking regulations on Witherspoon Street between Nassau Street and Paul Robeson Place/Wiggins Street, eliminating the free 30-minute parking in what is known as the service lane in front of Small World Coffee, Jules Pizza, and adjacent businesses.

The ordinance designates the service lane as Loading Zone Only between 6 and 10 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Use by non-commercial vehicles during those days and hours is prohibited.

Parking is allowed in the service lane from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 6 a.m. Sundays to 2 a.m. Mondays. Parking will be metered for up to 90 minutes from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

The rest of Witherspoon Street north of Spring to Paul Robeson Place/Wiggins Street will be metered for up to 90 minutes from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 1 to 8 p.m. on Sundays. more

Tech Workers at PPS Seeking to Unionize with OPEIU Local 32

By Donald Gilpin

Citing concerns over staffing levels, budgetary constraints, and lack of support from administration, Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) technology workers on Monday, December 11, unanimously submitted a petition to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to unionize with OPEIU Local 32.

The PPS group of 10 employees, known as the Princeton Public Schools Technology Association (PPSTA), had requested voluntary recognition on October 23, 2023, but in November the PPS Board of Education (BOE) refused to grant voluntary recognition of their union.

“One of the major reasons for this filing has been the repeated calls for adding more technology staff that have gone unanswered by district administration,” a December 11 OPEIU press release stated. “Since the pandemic, when the district was asked to go one-to-one with devices for students, the technology department has been imploring administration to add more support to the staffing levels. With only one technician for Princeton High School, serving around 1,550 students and close to 300 staff members; and Princeton Middle School with one technician for around 830 students and close to 175 staff members, the technology department is unable to meet the needs and expectations of the district administration. The community needs to know that PPS students and staff deserve better.” more

Princeton University Reports from COP28; Delegates Participate in Climate Summit

ON SITE AT COP28: Princeton University Visiting Professor Ramon Cruz, left, and part of the University’s delegation of faculty, students, and staff at the annual climate conference bringing some 80,000 participants to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, over the past two weeks. (Photo courtesy of Brent Efron)

By Donald Gilpin

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday, December 12, after two weeks. Negotiations continued into the late night hours, however, and COP28 was preparing to go into overtime on Wednesday, December 13 in order to produce a draft text of a final deal among nearly 200 countries present.

In attendance at the proceedings has been a delegation of Princeton University graduate students, researchers, and faculty.

With much pessimism about the prospects for significant progress in fighting climate change at the convention and little likelihood of a deal that includes the desired “phase-out of fossil fuels,” the Princeton contingent of 16 nonetheless found much of educational value in the “dizzying experience” and “wild whirlwind” of events, as Ned Downie, a second-year Ph.D. student in the science, technology, and environmental policy program at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), described it. more

“A Christmas Carol” Returns to McCarter with a New Scrooge and More Spectacle

FEZZIWIG AND FRIENDS: As Ebeneezer Scrooge, Joel McKinnon Miller is at the center of the action at the Fezziwigs’ Christmas party in “A Christmas Carol.” (Photo courtesy of McCarter Theatre)

By Anne Levin

Joel McKinnon Miller has a distant memory of seeing A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis when he was in high school. Other than that trip in his home state, and taking his own children to a production years later in Los Angeles, the actor’s association with the Charles Dickens classic has been limited.

But since signing on last June to play Ebeneezer Scrooge in McCarter Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol, on stage through December 24, Miller has immersed himself in everything Ebeneezer — down to his genuine mutton-chop whiskers. And he figures he has read the script, adapted by director Lauren Keating, every day since he knew he had the job. more

Profiles in Education: Kristina Hayda — Science Teacher, Environmentalist, World Traveler

By Donald Gilpin

Kristina Hayda

Eating juicy tropical pineapples, climbing mountains with hot springs, carving bamboo with Indigenous tribes, and learning to speak Mandarin Chinese do not sound like part of the job description for a high school science teacher. Nor does traveling through a typhoon and experiencing an early morning earthquake.

But for Kristina Hayda, Princeton High School (PHS) biology, anatomy and physiology, and environmental science teacher, a month last summer in Taiwan on a Fulbright grant provided “one of the most invigorating experiences” of her life and inspired a three-school, international collaboration that continues.

“This Fulbright was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend that all educators seek out opportunities like this one at least once in their careers,” Hayda wrote in an email. “Nothing can replicate journeying abroad with people who you may not have even met otherwise.” more

December 6, 2023

Master Plan Approved After Lengthy Public Hearings

By Anne Levin

Princeton Planning Board’s unanimous vote last week to approve the municipal Master Plan came after more than five hours of public testimony, mostly from residents who urged the board to delay voting until more research and public discussion.

But the board, which presented the plan after more than a year and a half of work including open house events, surveys, interviews, and special listening sessions, opted to proceed. More than 225 people attended the Zoom meeting, which was the second of two public hearings on the issue. The November 30 hearing was scheduled because time ran out before all of those signed up at the first one on November 9 had a chance to comment.

The meeting began with a presentation by the town’s planning director Justin Lesko, outlining some tweaks based on meetings with Historic Preservation Commission and historian Clifford Zink. Lesko also said he had met with residents from Battle Road, Ober Road, and Newlin Road to address concerns about proposed density. more

Likely Rabid Raccoon Encountered on Hibben And University Campus

By Donald Gilpin

On Monday, December 4 at approximately 8:42 p.m. near Dillion Gym on the Princeton University campus, a University student was attacked by a raccoon with suspected rabies, according to Princeton Deputy Administrator/Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser.

The student received post-exposure treatment. The raccoon was exhibiting behaviors commonly associated with rabies, such as chirping noises, unprovoked aggressive behavior, and no fear of humans.

Additionally, on Tuesday, December 5, at around 6 a.m., a resident on Hibben Road reported they were attacked by a raccoon that was sitting on their door mat. That resident was able to escape without injury, but did report behavior associated with rabies in the raccoon they encountered.

The Municipality of Princeton’s Animal Control Officer James Ferry, who is working closely with Princeton University to locate and capture the raccoon, noted, “The behavior described was exactly the same. We’re assuming that it’s the same animal.” more

Seventh Grade Entrepreneurs Sell Wares As Business Booms at PMS Winter Fest

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS: It’s Winter Festival time all week at Princeton Middle School, with 28 pop-up stores, each one established by a team of seventh grade entrepreneurs, springing up in the Main Commons. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riely) 

By Donald Gilpin

Twenty-eight pop-up shops — each a carefully structured business venture — are filling the main commons at Princeton Middle School (PMS) this week, offering an appealing array of foods, clothing items, crafts, jewelry, origami, holiday ornaments, and much more.

Run by teams of highly motivated seventh graders, these shops are commercial ventures to be sure, but they are also exercises in social activism and hands-on entrepreneurial education.

In just the first day, Monday, of the school’s Winter Festival, the businesses raised more than $700, with all the earnings going to social causes chosen by the students. The event has raised many thousands of dollars in past years, according to “entrepreneurship, career, and readiness” teacher Kelly Riely, who leads the project as part of the PMS extracurricular program. more

Researchers and Historic Preservation Experts Present Findings on Significant Hopewell Site

THE WAY IT WAS: The Old School Baptist Meeting on Broad Street in Hopewell was the subject of a painting done in 1869.

By Anne Levin

When Hopewell Public Library Director Barbara Merry was planning the library’s December Speaker Series, formerly known as Wednesday Night Out, she asked some past participants if they had any ideas for a presentation.

Among them was archaeologist Ian Burrow, who suggested doing a talk on the history of the Old School Baptist Meeting on Broad Street in Hopewell Borough. Since then, what started out as a single lecture has grown into an evening program with six presentations on different aspects of ongoing efforts to preserve the key historic site.

“The Old School Baptist Meeting of Hopewell: New Research, Investigations, and Plans,” will take place at Hopewell Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, December 13 from 7-8:30 p.m. Burrow, who will talk about the 1747 graveyard associated with the church, is also the moderator. more

Time Travel, Love, and Mozart In Novel by Conductor Michael Pratt

By Anne Levin

Michael Pratt

Michael Pratt

Since becoming the conductor of the Princeton University Orchestra in 1977, Michael Pratt has written countless program notes for the concerts the ensemble performs at Richardson Auditorium and on tours throughout the world. But he had never written fiction — more specifically, historical fiction — until the pandemic put a pause to his regular routine.

That’s when he began to imagine a story that would combine the two most important things in his life: music and love. The Copyists, about a 21st century pianist who travels back in time to 1785, where he works for his idol, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, came out this past fall.

Describing the book as “Outlander meets Amadeus,” Pratt said that the book “kind of wrote itself.” The first version was 110,000 words, and he hired someone to get it down to 95,000. more

Array of Historic and Cultural Events On Tap for Trenton’s Patriots Week

PATRIOTS WEEK PAGEANTRY:Redcoat reenactors march toward the Trenton Battle Monument in a past year’s Patriots Week appearance. This year’s celebrations in Trenton, December 26-31, will feature an array of more than 40 exciting historic and cultural events. (Photo courtesy of the Old Barracks Museum)

By Donald Gilpin

The Colonial Ball, the Patriots’ Pub Crawl, battle reenactments, the Assunpink Firewalk, the Hogmanay Scottish New Year celebration, lectures, historical tours, puppet shows and more — Patriots Week in Trenton is back and bigger than ever this year with dozens of events taking place throughout the city from December 26-31, celebrating history and culture, while providing a rich array of entertainments for all ages.

Sponsored by the City of Trenton, Trenton Downtown Association, and the Old Barracks Museum in partnership with many different local groups, the festivities give participants multiple opportunities to engage with the city and its extraordinary role in the American Revolution and the shaping of the nation’s history. more

December 1, 2023

Planning Board Approves Controversial Master Plan

By Anne Levin

Having listened to comments from some 80 residents — half at a public hearing on November 9, half at a second hearing on Thursday night — the Princeton Planning Board voted unanimously 9-0 to approve the municipal Master Plan that was first presented to the public last month. Last night’s Zoom meeting, which lasted nearly five and a half hours, was attended by more than 230 people.

While many urged the Planning Board to hold off on voting, some members of the public spoke in favor of approving the plan.

The document has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks. In the past few days, there was a petition signed by nearly 1,000 residents asking the board to hold off on a vote, a FAQ explaining points of the plan written by Planning Board Chairwoman Louise Wilson, an open letter from the Princeton Board of Education (BOE) saying leaders of the School District were not given enough opportunity to provide input, and a letter from Wilson in response.

Board of Education President Dafna Kendal read the BOE’s November 28 letter, which was addressed to Princeton Council and the Planning Board, at the meeting. In addition to stating the BOE was not sufficiently consulted in the crafting of the plan, the letter addresses the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements with developers of three apartment complexes going up in town. The schools do not receive funds from any of these PILOTs. Wilson read the letter that she wrote in response to these concerns.

After the last member of the public delivered a comment last night, members of the board issued comments of their own. Board member and Princeton Councilman David Cohen said “Change is hard, and people would rather pretend that it is possible to keep Princeton just the way it is. Unfortunately, people are also conflating this plan update with large, new multifamily developments currently going up in town. These developments are part of our court-mandated affordable housing settlement and are completely independent of and unaffected by the Master Plan revisions. They should not influence our deliberations.”

Cohen also pointed out that none of the people who urged the board to delay the vote offered alternative solutions. more

November 29, 2023

Debate Continues Over Proposed Master Plan

By Anne Levin

As of Tuesday afternoon, 688 people had signed a petition started by the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development (PCRD) urging the Princeton Planning Board to pause the approval of the Community Master Plan.

The plan, which has not been updated since 1996, was presented by the town’s Planning Board last month, and was the subject of a public hearing on November 9. Because time ran out before all of those signed up had a chance to comment, the Planning Board has continued the hearing to its meeting this Thursday, November 30 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

Municipal staff and consultants have been working on the plan for the past year and a half. Surveys, interviews, open house events, and special listening sessions were included in the process. But the petition calls for more public input.

“As residents of Princeton, New Jersey, we are deeply concerned about the proposed Draft Master Plan, which up-zones many properties to allow for increased density on each lot,” the petition begins. “This proposed plan could have serious unintended consequences due to proposed changes to the land use plans. It appears that there has been a failure to take into account the impact on our environment, existing infrastructure, schools, property taxes, traffic and parking conditions, and even our mature trees. Princeton is known for its beautiful green spaces and historic charm. The current up-zoning proposal threatens the very characteristics that attract residents and visitors to Princeton.”  more

Proposed Concept Design For Community Park South Is Presented to Council

By Anne Levin

During a work session at its meeting Monday evening, Princeton Council heard a report on the proposed renovation of Community Park South, the 26-acre expanse bordered by Route 206, Birch Avenue, Community Park School, and Community Park Pool.

Since last February, a steering committee made up of municipal staff; two members of Council; and representatives from the Princeton Environmental Commission, the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, the public schools, and other stakeholders — along with Suburban Consulting Engineers — have been holding public meetings and soliciting information through public surveys.

Seven possible concept designs were considered before the Princeton Recreation Commission recommended Concept A, “following strong considerations that whenever possible open space for structured and unstructured play should be provided, and that mayor and Council should work to provide additional parking convenient to the site,” according to a letter sent to Mayor Mark Freda and Council last week. more

Sustained Focus on Students’ Needs is Board of Education Post-Election Priority

By Donald Gilpin

With the 2023 election results officially certified on November 22, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) will be welcoming two new members on January 1, 2024, as two incumbents step down.

After a year marked by controversy and turbulence, and with the search for a new superintendent about to begin, disagreements remain, but the district and the BOE seem to be in accord on the importance of prioritizing the needs of the district’s 3,760 students.

“We need to focus now on returning our attention to the students,” said BOE President Dafna Kendal, noting that Acting Superintendent Kathie Foster would provide a stable presence at the helm in the coming year, giving the BOE time to find the best candidate for permanent superintendent. more

TigerTransit Powers Ahead With Sustainable All-Electric Bus Fleet

A GREENER FUTURE: TigerTransit’s new fleet of electric buses marks an important step in Princeton University’s progress towards its sustainability goals, as ridership (free for all) continues to grow and the University looks forward to soon becoming the first Ivy League institution to operate only emissions-free vehicles. (Princeton University, Denise Applewhite)

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University’s new fleet of 17 electric buses and new charging facilities, which were celebrated at a grand opening ceremony last month, are contributing to the University’s progress towards a goal of net-zero carbon emissions.

Its campus-wide plan, “including a massive geo-exchange system,” serves “as a template for other universities and municipalities across the country,” according to a University press release.

Speaking at the celebration, which took place at the University’s new bus-charging station on Alexander Road in West Windsor, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber highlighted the importance of the electric buses and their contribution to the University’s climate-friendly objectives. more

Womanspace’s Communities of Light To Take Place on December 3 and 4

COMMUNITIES OF LIGHT: Votive candles cover the steps of the Nassau Presbyterian Church during last year’s community-wide lighting in support of victim-survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Sponsored by Womanspace, the event will take place this year on December 3 and 4. (Photo courtesy of Womanspace)

By Donald Gilpin

Thousands of votive candles will be lighting homes, streets, businesses, and municipal buildings on the nights of December 3 and 4, sending a message of support and solidarity to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Mercer County.

“Flickering lights throughout Mercer County reflect that we’re here for our survivors, that they’re not alone, and that we support them,” said Womanspace President and CEO Nathalie Nelson. “It’s also to raise awareness, bringing domestic violence and sexual assault out of the darkness and into the light.”

Nelson pointed out that the numbers of victims are increasing, with Womanspace, which is sponsoring this 22nd annual Communities of Light event, having answered 6,777 calls for help so far this year.  more

“Journalism in Democracy” Forum Explores Concerns About Disinformation

By Anne Levin

The disintegration of local journalism was the impetus for a day-long forum that will take place Saturday, December 2 at Princeton Public Library. But panelists and speakers taking part in “Journalism in Democracy” are not necessarily predicting a scenario that is all gloom and doom.

“The collapse, nationally, of local journalism as a resource for communities across the country is part of this, and there are a number of themes,” said Cliff Robinson, the library’s public humanities specialist. “The main thing we wanted to convey is while there is a lot of reason for alarm, there are also things people can do. It doesn’t have to be a completely pessimistic take.”

Panelists for the event come from Princeton University, Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), and the media.

Following check-in at 10 a.m., the first panel discussion is “Democracy, Citizenship and the Power of the Powerless” with Dan-El Padilla Peralta, associate professor of classics at Princeton; Rachel Devlin, associate professor of history at Rutgers; and Stanley Katz, president emeritus of the American Council of Learned Societies. Christopher Fisher, associate professor of history at TCNJ, is the moderator. more