THE MIRACLE OF MOVEMENT: Participants in a Dance for Parkinson’s class, where the focus on aesthetic movement rather than physical therapy yields remarkable results for people with Parkinson’s Disease. (Photo by Amber Star Merkins)
By Anne Levin
A new partnership of Princeton University Concerts (PUC) and American Repertory Ballet (ARB) will explore the role that dance and music can play in helping people who have Parkinson’s Disease move more freely. more
CAMINOS PRINCETON: Fourteen middle school students and two adult leaders, Alessandra Clemens-Lores (left) and Queta Alban (in Caminos Princeton tee shirts in front row center), gathered in Princeton Sunday before heading off to Quito, Ecuador for a 10-day immersion experience with the language, culture and people of the country.
By Donald Gilpin
Early last fall Alessandra Clemens-Lores, an architect, born and raised in Peru, who has worked for the past seven years as an aide in the dual language immersion (DLI) program at Community Park Elementary School (CP), received a phone call from a friend, the mother of a CP student Clemens had taught many years before.
The woman was sad that her eighth grade son missed participating in DLI and was finding nothing exciting to look forward to in the coming school year. more
Community Park Pool was busy on Saturday as poolgoers enjoyed some summer fun. The pool is open seven days a week through September 4. Residents and visitors share what they do to beat the heat in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
By Donald Gilpin
Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has embarked on an accelerated search for a permanent principal for Princeton High School (PHS), “in an effort to move forward and provide stability for the high school community,” according to a July 7 press release.
Eager to put the Frank Chmiel controversy behind them, PPS is focusing on a comprehensive search process with the hope of hiring a new principal by the end of August. Kathie Foster, who has been serving as interim principal at PHS since April, shortly after Chmiel’s dismissal from the position, will remain in the interim role through August 31.
By Anne Levin
A work session on a proposed ordinance for outdoor dining dominated a meeting of Princeton Council Monday night, July 10.
While no action was taken on how to regulate the tables and chairs, pedestrian passageways, licensing, and other aspects of the practice, which became especially popular on Witherspoon Street during the pandemic, Mayor Mark Freda and Council members heard a report from Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell, and offered suggestions on how to proceed. more
By Donald Gilpin
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court, in two historic decisions, ruled against affirmative action, prohibiting colleges and universities from taking race into account in the admissions process.
Proponents of affirmative action have vowed to find and pursue other means to promote diversity and equity on college campuses, but the impact of the June 29 decisions will be significant, on higher education and the society as a whole.
“While today’s decision will make our work more difficult, we will work vigorously to preserve —and, indeed, grow — the diversity of our community while fully respecting the law as announced today,” Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in an email to the University community just hours after the decisions were announced.
ENCOURAGING DECISION: Westminster Choir College’s campus could eventually come alive again thanks to a recent court ruling. (Photo by Charles Plohn)
By Anne Levin
The reversal last week of a 2020 ruling made in Mercer County Superior Court has given new hope to faculty, students, and alumni of Westminster Choir College intent on returning the music school to its former campus in Princeton.
A unanimous decision by the New Jersey Appellate Division reversed Judge Robert Loughy’s dismissal of a suit seeking to block the closing of the campus by Rider University, which merged with Westminster in 1991, and moving it to Rider’s campus in Lawrence Township.
“This means we go back to trial court. Our case is still active in the court system,” said Constance Fee, president of the Westminster Foundation, which is among the more than 70 plaintiffs in the suit.
“Holding that the plaintiffs adequately pleaded ‘bad faith’ and ‘arbitrariness’ against Rider University for its attempts to ‘monetize’ Westminster for Rider’s financial benefit, the three-judge panel reversed Judge Loughy’s dismissal and ordered the case returned to the trial court,” reads a statement from the Foundation.
By Anne Levin
Despite recent allegations of sexual misconduct against celebrated Ghanaian/British architect Sir David Adjaye, designer of the reconstructed Princeton University Art Museum, the project is too far into the construction stage — past Adjaye’s involvement — to distance itself from his contribution.
“We find the nature of the accusations enormously troubling,” said James Steward, director of the museum, in a statement. “With construction so far advanced, most of our work with Adjaye is behind us. We have a responsibility to all the people involved in this project and all those who will benefit from it to see it to completion, and we remain committed to shaping a museum that is welcoming, engaging, and educational for all.”
Last week, Adjaye stepped back from numerous roles and projects after London’s Financial Times reported on July 4 that three women, who were previously employed by Adjaye, had accused him of sexual harassment. Knighted in 2017 and awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects’ gold medal in 2021, Adjaye is known as a “starchitect” with a firm of more than 200 employees and offices in London, New York, and Accra.
By Donald Gilpin
Elizabeth Tsurkov
Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton University graduate student who is an Israeli-Russian dual citizen, has been missing in Iraq for several months and is being held by the Iran-backed Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah, according to an announcement last Wednesday from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
A Ph.D. candidate in the Princeton Department of Politics, Tsurkov was in Iraq conducting research for her dissertation when she was abducted in Baghdad in March.
“Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being,” the Israeli prime minister’s announcement stated. Her whereabouts remain unknown, but the announcement added that she visited Iraq “on her Russian passport, at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University.”
The Iraq government reported on July 7 that it had initiated an investigation into the kidnapping and was awaiting the results of that investigation. more
RECIPE FOR READING: “We are set apart by our size. We are small, and offer a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. At the same time, we are an up-to-date modern library with the technology of today and the latest books in all areas, as well as local history and genealogical records of Hopewell and an extensive collection of Lindbergh material, all offering interesting research opportunities.” Hopewell Public Library Director Barbara Merry is shown in front of the library’s historic building.
By Jean Stratton
“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Sequestered nooks” provides an apt description of what one finds at the Hopewell Public Library at 13 East Broad Street.
It offers a more intimate setting than many modern libraries today, and is filled with many nooks and crannies, offering surprises, and indeed, the “sweet serenity of books.”
However, it is much more.
Libraries open up new worlds — and the books within, opportunities for great adventures. more
Montgomery Township hosted festivities and fireworks on Thursday evening at Montgomery High School in honor of the Fourth of July. Attendees share how they like to spend the holiday in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)
By Anne Levin
Last March, Princeton’s Zoning Board of Appeals first considered an application from Sakrid Coffee to open a new coffee shop, with a coffee roasting operation inside, at 300 Witherspoon Street. Following a lengthy meeting on June 28 — the fourth since the proposal — the board voted 4-3 to reject the idea for a coffee roaster. But the application for a coffee shop, minus the roaster, was approved.
Sakrid has an existing location at the corner of Nassau and Chambers streets. Owners Jonathan Haley and Serge Picard have been roasting their coffee at a facility in Moonachie, and hoped to consolidate by relocating the operation to Princeton. Moving the roasting process to 300 Witherspoon Street would not only cut down on the 110-mile round trips between Princeton and Moonachie, but would also allow customers to observe the roasting process in action. more
By Anne Levin
Since Princeton Council approved a new solid waste management program earlier this year, most residents of the 7,500 households served by the program have adjusted to the new trash collection system.
But according to the town’s Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell, there is a small percentage of people who complain that the 64-gallon cart provided by the town is not big enough. And they shouldn’t have to pay the annual fee the town requires for a second receptable, they feel, instead of using their old carts.
It is those residents that Purcell targeted with an article he wrote prior to July 4, anticipating that those hosting barbecues and other celebrations on the holiday, and throughout the summer, might generate more trash than usual. more
By Anne Levin
Local excitement is building for the film Oppenheimer, set to open on July 21 at the Princeton Garden Theatre and across the nation. It was in Princeton that famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer — who was instrumental in creating the atomic bomb — lived with his family while serving as director of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) from 1947 to 1966.
Christopher Nolan’s movie stars Cillian Murphy in the title role, supported by Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and Kenneth Branagh. Portions of the film were shot last summer at the IAS, at Princeton University, and around town, adding to local anticipation. Some Oppenheimer-themed events are planned around the opening. more
GETTING THE WORD OUT: Gustavo R. Almirall, a rising senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, is so passionate about the Princeton University carillon that he has made it his mission to introduce others to its music. He is shown at an event with a poster he made of the carillon playing mechanism and other information about the instrument. (Photo courtesy of Gustavo R. Almirall)
By Wendy Greenberg
Although its chimes create a lovely soundscape across the Princeton University campus, the University carillon is not familiar to many residents and students. But one local high school musician is trying to change that.
Gustavo Rangel Almirall, a rising senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, is so captivated by the carillon that he has mounted his own public awareness campaign he calls Project Carillon. Almirall has studied the instrument and its history, and has set up informational tables at events and fairs in the area. more
By Wendy Greenberg
For more than a decade, a spiritual organization has offered vegetarian meals to the community the last Sunday of each month, and served a side of spiritual nourishment for those who want to partake.
Since 2012 from 20 Nassau Street, and currently from the YMCA at 50 Paul Robeson Place, the Princeton Bhakti Vedanta Institute has been distributing sanctified vegetarian meals, and also offering, for those who desire, the spiritual piece called kirtan (ecstatic mantra meditation).
The free program, next held on Sunday, July 30 from 1 to 3 p.m., is called Vedic Cultural Immersion: Prasadam & Kirtan. Prasadam refers to the sanctified vegetarian meal, and kirtan, to the spiritual aspect, both practiced in the Vedic culture since ancient times in India, according to the Institute. Prasadam is specially prepared food that has been offered to God and then consumed for spiritual purification. Not only is it vegetarian, but it excludes garlic and onions. more
HISTORIC HAVEN: Broadmead Swim Club, a part of Princeton summers for 60 years, is seeking new members to avoid closure from challenges that have added up since the pandemic. (Courtesy of Broadmead Swim Club)
By Wendy Greenberg
Three years ago, on July 4, 2020, Princeton’s Broadmead Swim Club, which was closed in the pandemic, optimistically posted on social media that it looked forward to 2021. Broadmead did reopen in 2021, but never regained the pre-pandemic level of membership, according to a statement from the club.
This Fourth of July week, the community club, which has been a haven for recreation and relaxation for Princetonians for more than 60 years, is “facing closure,” if it doesn’t add new members. more
By Wendy Greenberg
July Fourth is an important date in Princeton, not only as the day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress, but also as the day in 1783 when Princeton received a letter from the Congress designating it as the home of the new government.
While the Declaration is celebrated, usually with fireworks, at least one event recognizes Princeton’s special place in history, until Congress adjourned on November 4, 1783. more
By Wendy Greenberg
A red maple on North Road, an American elm on University Place – these are among more than 18,000 trees in Princeton now included on a publicly accessed map with information about their size and location. What’s more, the municipal arborist has a maintenance record on each one, and can use data to aid decisions about tree removal, planting, and planning.
Princeton’s Street Tree Inventory on 18,167 trees, to be exact, can now be viewed at princetonnj.treekeepersoftware.com. It also shows stumps and vacant tree pits — 19,000 locations in all.
Why does it matter? The benefits are many, according to Princeton Arborist Taylor Sapudar, who explained that a municipal street tree inventory gives the arborist and his staff the data-based tools with which to keep the area’s trees diverse and growing.
Residents can learn what trees they have in front of their houses, and they can learn the environmental benefits of the trees and how to care for them, said Sapudar, who is a New Jersey licensed tree expert and certified arborist. more
By Anne Levin
At its meeting Monday night, Princeton Council introduced two ordinances and approved several resolutions, including one that authorizes a supplemental professional services agreement with the architecture firm Clarke Caton Hintz for additional services related to the reworking of the town’s master plan.
The town’s municipal staff and a steering committee have been working on revamping the master plan for over a year. The resolution calls for $50,000 to be allotted to the Trenton firm to continue the process. Council President Mia Sacks expressed appreciation to Municipal Planner Justin Lesko “who has moved mountains to make this happen in an incredibly short time,” also recognizing Municipal Administrator Bernie Hvozdovic. Reworking of the plan is still on track to wrap up by the end of this year, “which is nothing short of miraculous,” Sacks said. more
RUNNING FOR THE RESCUE MISSION: With supporters joining him on each segment, Allen Collins ran the 72 miles of the New Jersey portion of the Appalachian Trail last Saturday to raise funds for the Rescue Mission of Trenton. (Photo by Michael Mancuso)
By Anne Levin
After some stints in rehab and numerous arrests, Allen Collins knew his drug addiction had spun out of control. It wasn’t until he discovered his true passion — fitness — that things began to fall into place.
Collins is now a disciplined athlete and entrepreneur, and he owns three nutrition supplement stores. He also finds time to volunteer as a faculty member of the Rescue Mission of Trenton’s New Direction program, an intensive course that helps those in recovery realize their potential and, as Collins has, make a new life for themselves. more
MUSIC’S RESTORATIVE ROLE: To open the coming season of Princeton University Concerts’ Healing with Music series, musician Jon Batiste and author Suleika Jaouad will talk about how his music helped her cope during her hospitalization for leukemia.
By Anne Levin
When Princeton University Concerts (PUC) approached songwriter/composer/bandleader Jon Batiste and his wife, author/artist Suleika Jaouad, about opening the coming season’s Healing with Music series, “it was definitely a ‘cross your fingers’ moment,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “And it was a complete jaw-drop when they said yes.” more
By Wendy Greenberg
R. Stockton Rush III
Among the five people who died as a result of a widely-covered deep ocean tragedy last week was a Princeton University alumnus whose family had ties to the University.
R. Stockton Rush III had been missing after his submersible craft, The Titan, did not resurface from a June 18 underwater trip to see the wreckage of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. On June 22, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that all five passengers had apparently died after debris found on the ocean floor near the Titanic wreck indicated the craft had suffered a catastrophic implosion. Rush was co-founder and CEO of the company behind the expedition, OceanGate Expeditions, based in Everett, Wash.
Princeton University confirmed Rush’s class year as 1984, and his undergraduate major, mechanical and aerospace engineering. more
By Wendy Greenberg
Tiffany Brennan
There will be two new administrators in the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) this fall. At the June 13 Board of Education (BOE) meeting, the Board voted on Superintendent Carol Kelley’s recommendation that Tiffany Brennan be hired as the supervisor of mathematics and business education for grades six through 12, and the board appointed John McCann as Princeton Middle School assistant principal.
Brennan, who is currently the supervisor of science, technology, engineering, and math in the Robbinsville Public School District, is replacing Stephenie Tidwell. McCann is a teacher in the middle school, and replaces Jessica Kilgore, who will be an elementary school principal in another district.
Brennan will supervise the development, implementation, and assessment of the math and business curricula. The search to fill the math position was led by a diverse committee of community members including BOE representatives, parents, educators, and administrators, according to the PPS, and Brennan was the unanimous choice. more
By Anne Levin
At its June 12 meeting, Princeton Council passed a resolution providing support for the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) concept plan for improvements to the midblock crosswalk on Nassau Street between Thomas Sweet Ice Cream and Princeton University’s building at 185 Nassau Street. The proposal calls for expanding and upgrading the pedestrian crosswalk.
Concurrently, the University is converting the front lawn of 185 Nassau Street into a space to be inviting to the public as well as the University community. According to Ronald McCoy, University architect, Office of the University Architect, the project is part of “an ongoing portfolio of opportunities to enhance the campus landscape.”
The Betsey Stockton garden, which the University planted in 2018 between Firestone Library and Nassau Street, was an inspiration. Stockton was a prominent African American missionary and educator in the 19th century, and a former slave of University President Ashbel Green. The grasses and flowering plants of that garden serve as a green roof for the library’s B and C floors. more
