December 21, 2022

Delivering Aid to Ukraine is Mission of Area Native Matthew Mateiescu

ON THE FRONT LINES: Matthew Mateiescu, a native of West Windsor and Princeton, has spent the last 10 months delivering humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

By Anne Levin

Like many people, Matthew Mateiescu is home for the holidays, taking a break from the stress of his job. But unlike most anyone else, his work puts his life in danger — on a regular basis.

Raised in Princeton and West Windsor, Mateiescu is vice president of Medical Disaster Response Inc., an organization that delivers humanitarian aid to people in war-ravaged Ukraine. For nearly 10 months, he has been perilously close to the front line, dodging Russian attacks to deliver medical supplies to those in need.

“There are times when artillery is landing 100 yards in each direction while we’re distributing aid,” he said this week. “Sometimes we do these front line runs. We move fast.”

A graduate of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, the 34-year-old is the son of Carmen Mateiescu, a composer, choir director of the Orthodox Transfiguration Chapel of Princeton University, and retired music professor at Westminster Choir College and Westminster Conservatory of Music.

Mateiescu’s deployment to Ukraine began two weeks after the war broke out. What was supposed to be a three-week rotation with one organization turned into a longer stay with Medical Disaster Relief, along with work for two other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). more

Works by Rothko, de Kooning, and Others Make Up Significant Gift to Museum

A MAJOR GIFT: When the new Princeton University Art Museum, shown here in a rendering, opens its doors in late 2024, important works of abstract art donated by Preston H. Haskell III ’60, and an education center named for him, will be key elements.

By Anne Levin

A donation announced last week by Princeton University Art Museum is considered one of the most important gifts of art in the museum’s history.

Preston H. Haskell III, a member of the Class of 1960, has given eight abstract works from his collection by Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hofmann, Jean-Paul Riopelle, and Gerhard Richter. Haskell’s name will be on a new education center in the museum, which is being designed and expanded on its former footprint by architect Sir David Adjaye, in collaboration with architects Cooper Robertson.

Haskell’s gift is among several made by alumni toward construction of the new building, doubling its space. “While the museum’s expansive collections include over 114,000 works of art from cultures spanning the globe, no more than two percent of these could be on display at any time in the former building,” reads a release on the University’s website.

Haskell is a major collector whose primary interests are abstract expressionism, minimalism, and pop art from the mid-to-late 20th century, especially the 1940s-1970s. He has shared some of his collection with the museum in the past, primarily the exhibit “Rothko to Richter: Mark-Making in Abstract Painting from the Collection of Preston H. Haskell” in 2014. He served on the museum’s advisory council for 24 years and was its chair for four years. He remains an honorary member. In 2010, he endowed the Haskell Curatorship of Modern and Contemporary Art at the museum, which is currently filled by Mitra Abbaspour. more

October Death of Princeton Student Continues to Be Under Investigation

By Anne Levin

Misrach Ewunetie

It has been two months since Princeton University student Misrach Ewunetie was found dead on October 20 in an area behind the campus tennis courts, after being missing for nearly a week. But the cause and manner of her death has yet to be announced by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the University.

Asked for an update, the University’s Communications Office referred to a November 1 letter to the campus community saying the Prosecutor’s Office “will publicly release the cause and manner of Misrach’s death on final determination by the Medical Examiner’s Office, which may take several weeks. Law enforcement authorities continue to affirm there is no evidence or suspicion of foul play.”

Contacted Tuesday, the Prosecutor’s Office said no report on the cause of death has been issued.

Ewunetie, a 20-year-old member of the Class of 2024, was on full scholarship at the University. She had come to this country with her family from Ethiopia as a child, and was valedictorian of her high school class in Cleveland.

Ewunetie was last seen by a suitemate at the Scully Hall dormitory at 3 a.m. on Friday, October 14, brushing her teeth. She had been out late, volunteering at an event at Terrace, the eating club on Prospect Avenue to which she belonged. By Saturday, most of the students were leaving for fall break. Ewunetie’s family became alarmed when she missed a scheduled appointment for her American citizenship application that day. They reported her missing to the University on Sunday, October 16. more

Fusion Ignition: Energy for the Future, But There’s Lots of Work to Be Done

FUSION FOR THE FUTURE: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) Director Steven Cowley oversees the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) test cell, the flagship fusion facility at PPPL, where scientists are working towards a goal of clean, efficient fusion energy helping to combat climate change. (Photo by Elle Starkman/PPPL Office of Communications)

By Donald Gilpin

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California last week announced that it had achieved fusion ignition, “a major scientific breakthrough decades in the making that will pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean power,” according to the Livermore Lab press release.

That fusion experiment was able, for the first time in history, to produce more energy from fusion than the laser energy required to activate the reaction. 

Theoretically fusion, the nuclear reaction that produces energy from the sun and the stars, could provide Earth with an unlimited source of clean energy without greenhouse gases. New York Sen. Charles Schumer’s statement that  this breakthrough “puts us on the precipice of a future no longer reliant on fossil fuels but instead powered by new clean fusion energy” is accurate, but that future when fusion energy will be efficient enough for commercial use is probably decades away.

“Fusion is the way the stars make energy, and to be able to reproduce that in the lab is phenomenal,” said Steven Cowley, director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), which provided X-ray measurements in supporting the Livermore experiment. “It’s a major step forward in science. It’s an amazing story. We’ve been involved throughout the process, for about a decade, in helping them understand what’s going on in the experiment by measuring the X-rays.”  more

December 14, 2022

Winter Tripledemic, Health Challenges Loom

By Donald Gilpin

COVID-19, flu, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are all on the rise, and with cold weather and holiday gatherings bringing people indoors together in large groups, the medical challenges of the weeks and months ahead are daunting.

The particular situations and risks are different for every individual and every family, but in Princeton and throughout the country, people will be living with the threat of these three viruses during the coming months.

Reported cases (unquestionably an undercount) of COVID-19 and COVID-related hospitalizations are up more than 25 percent in the past two weeks, and test positivity rates are rising quickly across the country, according to the December 13 New York Times. “The current surge is milder so far than at this point in previous winter waves, but its nationwide scope is concerning,” the Times reported.

In Mercer County, reported daily cases are up 66 percent over the past 14 days, but rates and hospitalization levels for COVID-19 in Mercer remain relatively low.

A December 7 New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) press release urged New Jerseyans to take precautions to protect themselves against a triple threat of respiratory illnesses “as flu season starts with a vengeance.” more

Solidarity Vigil Against Hate, Bigotry to Be Held on Saturday, Dec. 17

By Donald Gilpin

A Solidarity Vigil Against Hate and Bigotry will take place at Tiger Park in front of Palmer Square on Saturday, December 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. in response to a recent rise in hate crimes and violence.

Sponsored by the Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), along with the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), Not In Our Town Princeton, and the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, the rally will represent a stand against all acts of violence and hatred, online and in real life.

“There has been a huge surge in hate crimes and violence,” said CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore. “It’s gotten worse and worse. Spreading these hateful messages is pernicious.”

Moore cited increasing numbers of attacks and threats against LGBTQ, African American, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, and other communities. “These are the people who are being targeted now,” he said. “We need to be proactive to prevent that, and the best way to be proactive is what we’re trying to do with the solidarity vigil on Saturday.”

He continued, “We don’t want these groups to feel that people of good will are just watching and saying, ‘Oh, that’s too bad, but what can I do about it?’ We need to be way more proactive. This event is trying to get ahead of the curve and say, ‘We’re not going to wait for the next hate crime to happen. We’re going to be expressing solidarity with all these victim communities and all people of good will standing together.”

ABC Eyewitness News reported last week that hate crimes were up 70 percent last month in New York City compared to the same month in 2021, with antisemitic attacks rising 125 percent. more

Local LGBTQ+ Liaison Welcomes Same-Sex Marriage Rights Bill

By Anne Levin

On the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday afternoon, President Biden held a ceremony in which he signed the Respect for Marriage Act, a bipartisan bill that protects same-sex and interracial marriages.

The legislation passed both chambers of Congress last Thursday with 12 Republican senators and 39 Republican members of the House siding with the Democrats to support the bill. In a statement, Biden said the legislation “will give peace of mind to millions of LGBTQ+ and interracial couples.”

Among them are Princeton residents Nick DiDomizio and Robby Pagels, who were married at their apartment four years ago by then-Mayor Liz Lempert. But this is not the time to sit back, said DiDomizio, who is the LGBTQ+ liaison to the municipality of Princeton, treasurer of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO), and secretary of the town’s Civil Rights Commission.

“Obviously I’m very appreciative of this added protection, but there is more to do,” he said this week. “We have to keep fighting.”

DiDomizio is project manager at Evotec, a drug discovery and development firm.  Pagels is the director of research and development at Optimeus, a chemical engineering company. The two met at the University of Delaware and moved to Princeton in 2015. They married after being together for eight years.

“Marriage equality had recently passed in New Jersey, and the decision at the Supreme Court was also recent,” said DiDomizio. “We just made this decision to have a civil wedding. We had reached out to Liz to see if she’d marry us in our apartment, and she was happy to do it. We had close friends attend, and it was a very special day. I was very appreciative of her coming to do the ceremony.” more

Princeton Battlefield Plans Restorations, Will Receive $2-3M in State Funding

TURNING THE TIDE: Princeton Battlefield Park, where George Washington and his American troops defeated the British and helped to change the course of the American Revolution, will be receiving more than $2 million in state funding for preservation and renovations in the coming three years. The photo above is from last January’s reenactment of the Battle of Princeton; the next event will take place on January 8, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Battlefield Society)

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Battlefield State Park, site of the battle that turned the tide for George Washington and his troops on January 3, 1777 in the American Revolution, will be receiving state funding of more than $2 million for restoration and preservation.

The work, focusing on the historic Thomas Clarke House and the Colonnade that stands on the western side of the Mercer Road battlefield, will be completed over the next three years in preparation for the country’s 2026 celebrations of 250 years of independence.

“New Jersey’s contributions to our nation’s independence is undeniable. From the battlefields where the tide of the American Revolution turned, to the many other sites where our nation’s identity was forged, New Jersey was arguably more deeply involved in the cause of independence than any other state,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in his November 29 announcement of an investment totaling $25 million in 10 Revolutionary War sites throughout the state, including Washington Crossing State Park, Trenton’s Old Barracks, the Battle Monument in Trenton, and Rockingham in Kingston, along with the Princeton Battlefield State Park.

“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, it is important that our historic sites are prepared to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors that will undoubtedly travel from around the world to witness these sites in person on such a momentous occasion,” Murphy continued. “This investment will allow us to revitalize our historic sites and make sure we are prepared when they come.”

At Princeton Battlefield these preparations will take many forms, according to Todd Quackenbush, communications chair and trustee of the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS). The Clarke House, the only structure on site dating from the battle, will see some much needed repair, and providing ADA-compliant access within the park and its buildings will be a priority.  more

NJ Transit Study Envisions Multi-Modal Dinky Corridor

By Anne Levin

A concept plan to upgrade the Dinky train line that runs between Princeton station and Princeton Junction, and enhance service on and around the line, has inspired more than 300 signatures on a petition urging NJ Transit, and the municipality, to go forward with the idea.

“The upgraded Dinky transitway will reduce car traffic. It will cut down commuting times to the Northeast Corridor. It will draw more visitors to our local stores and restaurants,” reads the petition, which is on the website friendsofthedinkycorridor.com. “We believe in transit infrastructure that helps build community. So here’s our message to NJ Transit and local elected officials: let’s get this project on the fast track.”

NJ Transit’s recently released Princeton Transitway Study identifies four alternatives for upgrading the 2.7-mile rail line and developing new mobility opportunities in the corridor. Three involve building; the fourth option is “no build.” The study recommends the first alternative, which is for a “dedicated transit roadway with embedded light rail.”

This would involve electric light-rail cars running on a rail track between the two stations, much like the current Dinky; electric buses on rubber wheels that use both lanes of the corridor but can also leave it to go beyond the stations; on-board WiFi on the vehicles, all of which will be electric; and a bike-and-walk path along the corridor to allow safe crossing over U.S. 1 at the D&R Canal towpath and the Dinky Line trail.

This mixed-use option expands the line past the current terminus on the edge of the Princeton University campus into town; and could possibly extend, in the other direction, past Princeton Junction into West Windsor. Potential new stations would include six in town, and two in the transitway segment at Canal Pointe Boulevard and Roszel Road. more

New System for Collecting Waste Will Require Adapting to Changes

By Anne Levin

Trash was the focus of the Monday, December 12 meeting of Princeton Council. The governing body discussed a new collection system for solid waste that gets underway February 1, once 64-gallon carts are delivered to every residential dwelling during the last two weeks of January.

As the town’s Land Use Engineer Jim Purcell said in his presentation, the goal for the evening was to agree on the maximum number of carts per household, and the annual cost for additional carts if people request them. After some discussion, Councilmembers agreed on staff’s recommendation of one 64-gallon cart per dwelling, and a fee of $300 a year for extra carts.

But needing more than one 64-gallon cart is not likely, Purcell said, as Assistant Administrator and Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton demonstrated by stuffing seven Styrofoam-filled kitchen trash bags into a cart that had been brought in for the occasion. Purcell said the cart can handle up to 200 pounds of waste. Extra trash cannot be put out in bags, as it has been. Only the waste in carts will be collected.

Bulk waste collection, which includes things like furniture and rugs, will now be once a week, on Wednesdays. Residents will have to schedule the pickups, either by phone, email, the town’s website, or an online app. “A lot of change is happening,” said Councilwoman Eve Niedergang. “We need to educate people so they know what the changes are.”

Costs for trash collection have gone up significantly, and the new program is less expensive for Princeton. At this point, including organic waste would be too costly, but the idea has not been abandoned. “The bid that came in was too expensive, but we are working on a solution for that,” said Purcell.  more

December 7, 2022

New Businesses Bolster Local Economy

By Anne Levin

In downtown Princeton and the Princeton Shopping Center, effects of the pandemic and ongoing construction projects have been blamed for low numbers and more than a few retail and restaurant closings. But recent openings, and announcements of future openings planned by businesses and restaurants, are encouraging signs for the local economy.

“We have a whole bunch of businesses developing here,” said Isaac Kremer, executive director of the Princeton Business Partnership (PBP), formed last May to encourage the development of local businesses. “So the future looks bright.”

New eateries to open in recent months include Maman on Hulfish Street, offering coffee, baked goods, and light fare; Ani Ramen House at 140 Nassau Street; Mtea, a tea/sushi/dessert spot at the former Dunkin’ Donuts at 49 Nassau Street; and Taim in Princeton Shopping Center. Maruichi, a Japanese food and deli chain that has locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maryland, is planning to open in the former Panera Bread at 136 Nassau Street, which has been closed since before the pandemic.

The upscale clothing retailer Hermes plans to open in fall of 2023 at the former Ann Taylor site on Palmer Square.  Signs on the window of the space next door indicate that clothing retailer Faherty will precede Hermes, with a spring 2023 opening planned. Charbellem Boutique is planning a shop on Witherspoon Street. The women’s clothing chain Johnny Was recently moved in to 69 Palmer Square West. more

Locals and Officials Make Progress Towards New Town Master Plan

By Donald Gilpin

Eager to weigh in on the issues most important to the future of their town, about 250 Princeton residents and others circulated through Princeton Public Library’s Community Room between 4 and 7 p.m. on November 30 for the first public open session on the Princeton Master Plan.

The open house, hosted by the Princeton Planning Board, presented participants with four stations throughout the large room, one devoted to each of four key Princeton issues: housing, downtown, mobility, and open space and recreation.

Individuals were provided with information at each station and they were given the opportunity to respond in detail with ideas about how Princeton should address its biggest challenges. There were hundreds of conversations throughout the room during the more than three hours of the event, and visitors wrote out comments and questions, and noted their preferences on a series of maps at each station.

“A master plan is a community’s blueprint for its future,” stated the flier handed out by the meeting hosts. “A new master plan will enable Princeton to set policies and priorities that will guide its decisions over the coming years, from housing and business to mobility and climate change. It tries to answer such questions as: Where should new housing go? How can we reduce traffic to make traveling around town easier? What does the municipality need to thrive economically? What kinds of outdoor spaces does it need?”

The master plan project is guided by a steering committee of Princeton residents and business owners, appointed by the Princeton Planning Board and assisted by a team of planning, economic development, and public outreach consultants. more

Princeton University’s Witherspoon Statue Is Focus of Discussion on Legacy of Racism

STATESMAN, SCHOLAR, SLAVEHOLDER: The towering bronze statue of John Witherspoon, Princeton University’s sixth president and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is the focus of controversy, as the University debates over a graduate student petition that calls for its removal and replacement with a plaque that delineates both positive and negative facets of Witherspoon’s life. (Princeton University, Denise Applewhite)

By Donald Gilpin

Ten feet tall and standing atop a seven-foot-high pedestal, the cast bronze statue of John Witherspoon, sixth Princeton University president (1768-94) and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, now presides over the University’s Firestone Plaza near East Pyne Hall — but its days may be numbered.

Witherspoon (1723-1794), in the “heroic realistic” style statue created in 2001 by Scottish sculptor Alexander Stoddart, is depicted preaching at a lectern on top of which rests an open Bible. Witherspoon was an ordained minister, a leading member of the Continental Congress, a founding father of the United States, and the only clergyman and only college president to sign the Declaration of Independence.

But he was also a slaveholder (as were the other first nine presidents of Princeton University), and a petition to remove the statue, initiated  by members of the University’s Department of Philosophy and signed by about 300 graduate students, is gaining traction. It has been taken up by the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) Naming Committee, which will be holding  “listening sessions” in the coming weeks to allow members of the University community to weigh in as it considers the petition.

“The committee’s work will be informed by rigorous research, scholarly expertise within and beyond the University community, and input from the broad University community,” a University press release stated.

Witherspoon had “a complex relationship to slavery,” according to the University’s Princeton and Slavery Project website. “Though he advocated revolutionary ideals of liberty and personally tutored several free Africans and African Americans in Princeton, he himself owned slaves and both lectured and voted against the abolition of slavery in New Jersey,” the website states. more

Three Ways to Experience the Holidays at Fonthill Castle and Mercer Museum

A DOYLESTOWN TRADITION: Fonthill Castle, the historic home of Henry Chapman Mercer, is festively decorated for the holidays. Tours are offered throughout the season. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Crawford imagery LLC)

By Anne Levin

With its dark, concrete walls, inlaid ceramic tiles, spooky hallways, and shelves of antique objects and books, Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, Pa., is a particularly atmospheric location for evoking the feeling of holidays past. The castle, which is currently decorated for the holidays and open for visitors, was the home of Henry Chapman Mercer, an archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist, and scholar who lived from 1856 to 1930.

The neighboring Mercer Museum is filled with Chapman’s collections of some 50,000 tools and objects from pre-industrial America. This past Tuesday, the museum held its first open house in three years. “It has a long tradition in the community,” said Karina Kowalski, director of education and community services for Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle. “Returning to this legacy program is very exciting for us.”

Back at the architecturally distinctive — some might say eccentric — Fonthill, guided tours and “meander days” are available throughout the season. On weekdays, there are “Winter Wonderland” guided tours of the castle, showing off the holiday decorations while sharing the history of Mercer and the construction of the property. Tours take 60 minutes.

Holiday Lights Meander Days are on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with time slots beginning every 10 minutes. The tours are offered through the end of December. Guides are stationed along the route to answer questions. Guided evening tours, which might be the best time to see lights in windows and on trees, are Thursdays in December and Wednesday, December 28, beginning at 5 p.m. (last tour is 6:45 p.m.).

“In the evening, it just glows,” said Kowalski. “We have fake candles all around, and we have added more outdoor lights than ever before. It just twinkles.” more

New Police Chief Jonathan Bucchere Charts PPD Path Forward in 21st Century Policing

By Donald Gilpin

“Balance,” “fairness,” “relationships in the community,” and a “guardian” attitude are key words that recur throughout the discussion on policing with new Princeton Police Department (PPD) Chief Jonathan Bucchere, who was sworn into office at the November 14 Princeton Council meeting.

On Friday, December 2, at about 3 p.m., Bucchere, who takes pride in putting his words into action, could be found manning the school crossing at Witherspoon Street and Birch Avenue.

“We were short-staffed and a lot of school crossings had to be covered,” he said. “While I was out there working, at least three or four people who knew me stopped and thanked me and commented on the fact that I was out there doing the school crossing.”

He continued, “The best part of the job is building relationships. Policing is all about relationships, whether it be the community or the men and women of the department. It’s the most rewarding part of what we do.”

He described the model of 21st century policing that was introduced under former PPD Chief Nick Sutter and has taken hold in Princeton and across the country over the past seven years. “It’s really embracing the guardian mentality over the warrior mentality,” said Bucchere. “You can use a balanced approach to enforcement, and you do so under the guardian mentality, building relationships in the community. You’re not out there trying to arrest everyone and issue citations to everyone.”

Bucchere, who was born in Princeton, grew up in Hamilton, and graduated from The College of New Jersey before attending the State Police Academy, joined the Princeton Borough Police in 1999 as a patrol officer.  more

November 30, 2022

Obituaries 11-30-22

Architect Barbara A. Hillier, AIA

Architect Barbara A. Hillier died peacefully on November 21, 2022 from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 71 years old and in residence at Brookdale in Dublin, Pa.

Barbara was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 20, 1951, the first of two children for Colman and Shirley Feinberg. Her parents had a thriving men’s clothing store where Barbara, as a young woman, helped out as a salesperson.

From an early age, she demonstrated a knack for drawing and an innate artistic talent. Despite her natural skill and drive to succeed, academic advisors continuously pushed Barbara towards cosmetology-related roles. However, her aspirations were higher. Barbara enrolled at Temple University, where she received a BA in Psychology. Wanting to nurture her artistic talent, she decided shortly after graduation to enroll at Beaver College, now Arcadia University, where she studied Art and Interior Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

In 1978, with the country in recession, Barbara reputedly sent 138 letters to architectural firms in the Philadelphia Region. One of those letters landed on the desk of a young architect in Princeton, J. Robert Hillier. So impressed with the letter, he called Barbara in for an interview. She claimed that Hillier was the only respondent to her letters.

Barbara’s senior thesis at Beaver was a proposed casino for Philadelphia’s Fairmont Park. The design did not appeal to Hillier, but he could not get over Barbara’s passion for design and her communication of it. Hillier asked General Manager Joe Bavaro to also interview her, and his determination was they should hire Barbara, “not because of her pretty face” and not until there was a project for an interior designer. That project soon came along with a call from the Los Angeles Dodgers to transform their Vero Beach training camp into a conference center when the team was not there. Barbara was hired. From that point on Barbara began winning interior design commissions and the firm expanded its services to include interior design.

In 1984, Barbara asked if she could open the firm’s first branch office in Philadelphia. The answer was “yes,” but only if she had a large enough project to warrant it. Barbara learned of a large company that was relocating from New York to Philadelphia. While the Facilities Manager, a Princeton resident, originally refused to meet with Barbara, she finally persuaded him by offering to connect with him on the train for his commute home. Barbara won the project and was able to open the Philadelphia office.

The new office took on the creation of corporate headquarters for Vanguard, Motorola, Bell Atlantic, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Merck. It also took on educational work for Temple University, the Wharton School, and several private secondary schools including the unique Solebury School near New Hope, Pa. For Solebury, Barbara created the stunning Abbe Science Center which won design awards from the National Cedar Council, the New Jersey and Pennsylvania AIA, and the extremely prestigious Pennsylvania AIA Silver Medal which is awarded by discretion only to a project far above all the entries in a particular year.

Bob Hillier and Barbara were married in 1986, as a working relationship turned into a love story. Together, they built their magnificent Autretemps on the banks of the Delaware River. Barbara became a dedicated homemaker with her home cooking, her vegetable gardening, and entertaining. She had the amazing ability to turn away from the practice on Friday afternoon and enjoy her own time over the weekend, including reading the New York Times cover to cover.

Barbara loved to travel, so before she and Bob started a family, they traveled the world, visiting Egypt, Kenya, Turkey, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Israel, the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, their beloved Venice three times, China, and Japan. They always took a winter week to visit the enchanted island of Anguilla where they had spent their honeymoon.

Their life was full of travel, entertaining, Broadway shows, movies, and dances where Barbara starred with her beautiful, spins, dips, and curls. Her all-time favorite movie was the 1984 film Flashdance, with its musical scores, photography, and storyline that so closely paralleled her own life story of unconventional routes to success.

Back at the office, it became quite clear that Barbara was more interested in architecture than interior design. Pennsylvania had a historic “craft” law that said after working for an architect for 10 years, you could undertake a three-year internship and then take the architectural licensing exams without the usual required architectural degree. Barbara took on that challenge and started taking the exams, but she kept failing the site planning exam. Bob helped her through her third and “must pass” site planning exam by forcing her to build a topographic site model out of sheets of cardboard to better understand site grading. In 1992, Barbara became a licensed Architect!

In 1993, after a wonderful trouble-free pregnancy, Barbara delivered a beautiful daughter, Jordan Rebecca, and took a full year off to properly begin her daughter’s life. Soon after, she retired from the Philadelphia office, and joined Bob in Princeton, balancing her new career as a wonderful Mom — helping out in classes at Buckingham Friends school and taking Jordan to riding lessons when she turned 5, and training her two beloved Vizslas Zoe and Chance (and later, Suri and Bowie, who filled Barbara’s final years with endless joy).  Barbara’s dedication to Jordan’s equestrian activities went above the call of duty, with early morning drives to horse shows, the assurance that Jordan had the right outfit, and the constant search for the perfect horse for Jordan to own. Barbara continued to attend horse shows with Jordan through 2021. There was always one guaranteed way to make Barbara smile — and that was to talk about Jordan. As Jordan grew, Barbara stayed deeply engaged in her life, and was Jordan’s best cheerleader, confidant, and role model, teaching her the importance of having a career, but that being a mom was above all else.

After her extended maternity leave, upon returning to the Princeton office, Barbara organized a very talented and design-dedicated studio for special projects with both great design challenges and opportunities. Barbara’s attitude about design was to challenge the conventional through the creation of totally new forms that better met the client’s needs and aspirations while still respecting concepts of Place, Community, History, and Culture.

In 2003 Barbara won an interesting project for Becton Dickinson. The corporation was housed in two buildings, separated by a beautiful and treasured lawn at its entry drive. Management felt that the groups in the two separated buildings should be talking more and working together. They proposed an employee services center between the two buildings to bring people together with its central dining function plus other services. Rather than building it upon the great lawn, Barbara proposed a building under the lawn that would break out of the ground in the rear with views to the woods beyond. The building was honored by design awards from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania, AIA Chapters, and, unexpectedly, it received the prestigious Chicago Athenaeum National Award for architectural excellence.

In 2007, Barbara and Bob were working on the Master Plan for the Las Colinas development in Irving, Texas, of which one element was a Convention Center being designed by a New York firm. One day Barbara got a call from the director of conventions asking if Barbara would design the Convention Center instead. In her usual way Barbara explored alternatives to the large flat boring boxes that defined most convention centers. She created a vertical convention center that soared 170 feet into the Texas sky with convention rooms at different levels, all connected by amazing escalators and with expansive terraces protected from the hot Texas sun. The design minimized its land consumption, and the center had a huge visual presence from the highways to the Dallas airport. The building has won every imaginable award including several for its sustainability and structural finesse. It is also fully booked far into the future.

With the completion of this and other major projects, Barbara resigned from the firm and spent two years at Princeton University’s School of Architecture, achieving her lifelong cherished goal: a Master’s Degree in Architecture. Her happiness on the day they draped the hood over her shoulders was second only to the day Jordan was born.

Barbara then set her sights on the “Renaissance” of Witherspoon Street with an updating of its historic structures and the provision of housing for those who help the town of Princeton function and thrive, but cannot afford to live there. That “Renaissance” is to begin construction in 2023.

Thus, was completed an amazing career of motherhood, service, leadership, sophistication, artistic creativity, and passion.

Barbara is survived by her husband, J. Robert Hillier and their daughter Jordan Hillier Adams, husband Dr. Alex Adams, and granddaughter Sela Jane. She is also survived by her stepson, James Baldwin Hillier, wife Shari, and three step-grandchildren.  She is also survived by her brother, Dr. Bruce Feinberg, his wife Iris, and their four children.

The family wants to thank the remarkable staff at Brookdale Dublin for their gentleness and thoughtful care of Barbara during her stay in their facility. Special thanks to Natalie, Dana, Jessica, Jesse, and Chefs June and Teresa.

Burial in Princeton Cemetery will be private for the family. There will be a memorial service and celebration of Barbara’s life at the Princeton University Chapel on January 6, 2023 at 11 a.m. Funeral arrangements are by Mather-Hodge Funeral Home of Princeton, N.J.

Barbara was very passionate about finding a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, from her Dad’s diagnosis through to her own struggles with the disease. In lieu of flowers, and in Barbara’s honor, contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Delaware Valley Chapter, which can be accessed through alz.org/delval.

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Tung-Ching Lee

Tung-Ching Lee, 81, of Princeton, NJ, peacefully passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, NJ.

Tung-Ching was born on October 28, 1941 in Chongqing, China. Always a scholar, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tung-Hai University in Taichung, Taiwan, received his Master’s in Food Science and PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from University of California, Davis, and Certified Nutrition Specialist from the U.S. Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, New York, NY. He taught and did research in Food Chemistry at University of Rhode Island for 15 years, and at Rutgers University for 28 years before retiring in 2017.

Tung-Ching received several awards and honors through his work, including Fellow from the International Academy of Food Science and Technology, “Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research” and “Sustained Research Excellence Award” from Rutgers University, Fellow from the American Chemical Society, Fellow of Institute of Food Technologists, and “The Research Scientists of the Year” award from the University of Rhode Island, just to name a few. He also received several research grants, developed several patents, and authored/co-authored more than 260 research papers in review journals and proceedings, and more than 30 books in the area of biotechnology, food science and technology, nutrition, food safety, microbiology, and other related fields.

True to his profession, one of Tung-Ching’s hobbies was food: eating food, reading about food, cooking food, finding new restaurants, etc. He was also an avid traveler, visiting every country and continent except for Australia and New Zealand. Reading was another passion of his, as newspapers, magazines, and books were always surrounding him, and a newspaper or two were always in his satchel when he left the house.

Tung-Ching is survived by his wife of 52 years, I-Wen Yeh, his son Jan, daughter Irene, brother Toney Lee, and sister Gina Hsu, as well as several nephews, nieces, and extended family.

A private funeral was on Saturday, November 26. A public memorial service is on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 11 a.m. at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton, NJ. Burial will follow the memorial service.

Flowers can be sent to Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton, NJ, for the December 10 memorial service.

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Patricia Marie Cahill

Patricia Marie (“Pat”) Cahill, 88, of Skillman, NJ, formerly of Princeton, NJ, passed away in her home at Stonebridge on November 25 from the effects of melanoma.

Patricia was born in Boston in 1934 and attended Charlestown High School, where she was known for playing piano and her involvement in the Acting Club. She was an exceptionally bright student and graduated early at the age of 16. After graduation she worked at Shawmut Bank in Boston until she married Andrew Cahill in 1955.

Pat and Andy lived in Providence, RI, Endicott, NY, and Huntington, NY, before settling in Princeton, NJ in 1965 where they raised their five children and lived for almost 40 years.

During their 47 years of marriage Pat and Andy enjoyed many opportunities to travel — trips with friends, IBM Golden Circle Awards (honoring Andy as a top salesperson), and especially visiting family in places like London, Hong Kong, and Paris. They also enjoyed entertaining and many of their friends were associated with their long and active membership at Springdale Golf Club. Along with golfing, Pat was an avid reader, enjoyed tennis, paddle tennis, and in her later years was known as a formidable opponent both at the bridge table and on the bocce court.

In the late 1970s Pat became a real estate agent, which suited her well as she loved looking at houses and exploring Princeton and the surrounding area. She spent many years with NT Callaway Real Estate on Nassau Street where she worked with great friends and found success primarily in retail sales but also sold a few of Princeton’s landmark buildings such as Lower Pyne (corner of Nassau and Witherspoon Streets), which led to its transformation from old bus station to the home of Hamilton Jewelers in 1985.

Pat is pre-deceased by her husband of over 47 years Andrew Cahill, her parents Daniel and Mary (Harrington) Doherty, and brothers Daniel and Francis Doherty. She will be missed by her remaining siblings, Marilyn Scanlon and Vinny Doherty, her children Peter and Diane Cahill, Andy and Janet Cahill, Chris and Carrie Cahill, Mary Pat (Cahill) Rose and Carolyn Cahill, and 10 grandchildren Brian and wife Allison, Dana, Michael and wife Kelly, Kelsey and husband T.J., Nicholas and wife Tina, Kati, Ali, Catherine, Christine, Jack and great-granddaughter Madison Marie.

Pat truly enjoyed the last years of her life with many friends at Stonebridge at Montgomery and her family would like to thank the staff of the Assisted Living Unit for the wonderful care she received in her last months.

Services were held at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 29, with burial and blessing following at Princeton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St Jude Children’s Hospital which Pat supported for years (stjude.org).

Lighting Up the Night

A large crowd was on hand for the Annual Palmer Square Tree Lighting on Friday evening. The event also featured musical performances and a visit from Santa Claus. Attendees share what they are looking forward to this holiday season in this week’s Town Talk. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

Polarizing Politics is Topic of Dance Theatre Production

INTERACTIVE DANCE: Jackson Jules of Trenton rehearses for “Us vs. Them, an Interactive Dance Theatre Collage,” December 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the MCCC Studio Theatre, CM 122, next to Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor.

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Peter Brooks and Brigid Doherty Discuss “Use and Abuse of Narrative”

Peter Brooks and Brigid Doherty will talk about Brooks’ new book Seduced by Story: On the Use and Abuse of Narrative (New York Review of Books) on Wednesday, December 7 at 6 p.m. The event can be attended in person at Labyrinth Books or via livestream; to register, visit labyrinthbooks.com.

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Birds of a Feather Read Together

It’s almost Christmas in 1815, and studious Lord Arthur de Bourgh (Tyler Eisenacher) meets bookish Mary Bennet (Charlotte Kirkby) in the library at Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy’s estate in ActorsNET’s production of “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.” The family-friendly holiday comedy, written in 2016 by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, picks up two years after Jane Austen’s classic novel “Pride and Prejudice” left off. Performances are December 2-18 at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville. For tickets or additional information, visit actorsnetbucks.org.

Diverse Program of Works at Princeton Dance Festival

TAP AND MORE: Princeton University students rehearse for a new rhythm tap dance work by Michael J. Love, to be featured at the 2022 Princeton Dance Festival. (Photo by Codey Babineaux)

New and repertory works are on the program of the 2022 Princeton Dance Festival, presented by Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at the Berlind Theatre of McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, December 2-4.

More than 50 students are performing in works by choreographers Ronald K. Brown, Davalois Fearon, Sun Kim, Michael J. Love, Susan Marshall, Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, and Caili Quan, spanning tap, ballet, dance theater, West African/modern, and post-modern genres.

Shows are December 2 at 8 p.m., December 3 at 2 and 8 p.m., and December 4 at 2 p.m. The December 4 show is a relaxed performance. Tickets are $10-$17. Visit McCarter.org.

“PANDEMICA” Exhibit at Trenton Free Public Library

“CAREFREE BIKE RIDE”: This work by Addison Vincent is featured “PANDEMICA: Images of a Potential Future,” on view at the Trenton Free Public Library December 7 through January 28. An opening reception is on Thursday, December 8 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Trenton Artists Workshop Association (TAWA) and the Trenton Free Public Library will present the exhibition “PANDEMICA: Images of a Potential Future” at the Trenton Free Public Library December 7 through January 28. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, December 8 from 5 to 7 p.m.

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Gallery 14 in Hopewell Hosts Holiday Art Exhibit, Boutique

“LOCK HOUSE”: Martin Schwartz is one of the member artists exhibiting work at the Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography “Members Holiday Exhibit and Boutique,” on view December 3 through December 18. An artist meet and greet is on December 4 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography Gallery in Hopewell continues it season of exhibits with a special “Members Holiday Exhibit and Boutique” December 3 through December 18. The opening on Saturday, December 3 will be at noon. There will also be an artist meet and greet on Sunday, December 4 from 1 to 3 p.m..

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“Land, Light, Spirit” Exhibit at Marie L. Matthews Gallery

“POINT BREEZE APPLE ORCHARD”: This work by Nancy Long is featured in “Land, Light, Spirit,” on view December 4 through March 10 at the Marie L. Matthews Gallery at D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Johnson Education Center. A holiday art reception is on December 4 from 2 to 4 p.m.

D&R Greenway Land Trust’s exhibition “Land, Light, Spirit” features artwork that illuminates the connection between person and place, a bond with landscape that is both individual and spiritual: It might be a quality of light, a time of day or season — reasons extend through time, borne out through experience.

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Arts Council of Princeton Unveils New Community Mural

“SOMATIC PAUSE”: The Arts Council of Princeton adds to their public art presence in Princeton with a new mural on the corner of Spring and Witherspoon streets. Designed and installed by ACP’s current artist-in-residence Dave DiMarchi, it is a large-scale adaptation of DiMarchi’s exploration in collage-style printmaking, painting, and digital techniques.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) unveiled a new community mural recently in downtown Princeton titled Somatic Pause. Designed and installed by artist Dave DiMarchi, this immersive, multimedia public art piece can be found on the side of Village Silver on Spring Street.

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