By Donald Gilpin

With the November 8 Election Day less than six weeks away, the competition for three positions on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) is heating up. Two new candidates, Lishian “Lisa” Wu and Margarita “Rita” Rafalovsky, are challenging three incumbents, Debbie Bronfeld, Susan Kanter, and Dafna Kendal, in the race to serve a three-year term on the BOE.

For this article, the challengers, Wu and Rafalovsky, were asked to introduce themselves, provide some background information, and comment on why they have chosen to run and, if elected, what their priorities on the board might be.

At press time, Wu, who has run for Princeton Council and for Mercer County Executive in recent years, had not responded to multiple requests for information. Town Topics plans to include profiles of Wu and the other candidates in election coverage during the coming month.

Margarita “Rita” Rafalovsky

Rafalovsky wrote the following in her response:

I live in Princeton with my husband and two children, ages 8 and 11. We moved here 12 years ago for the highly rated public schools and for the diverse, thriving community. For me, education is personal. In 1988, at age 8, I came to this country as a poor, non-English speaking political refugee from the former Soviet Union. I’m a product of N.Y./N.J. public schools, and I strongly believe that quality public education is the greatest equalizer.  more

By Donald Gilpin

With Election Day 2022 approaching and memories of recent past elections still vivid, the precarious state of democracy in the U.S. has been a big topic in the media. That topic will be the theme of a series of conversations, “The Future of American Democracy,” at Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) starting on October 13 at 4:30 p.m. with a conversation featuring three young leaders who have been wrestling with the challenges of hyper-polarization throughout the country.

Jane Coaston, columnist for The New York Times and host of the podcast “The Argument”; Michigan Republican Congressman Peter Meijer, one of 10 Republican members of Congress who voted to impeach President Donald Trump during Trump’s second impeachment; and Symone Sanders-Townsend, former chief spokesperson for U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and host of SYMONE on MSNBC, will be panelists for the conversation at the PTS Wright Library.

“This will be a wide conversation with people whose own life experience is really related to the theme of the series,” said PTS Associate Professor of American Christianity Heath W. Carter, who will moderate the conversation. “For the last five years there’s been a lot of talk, a lot of concern about American democracy, and the theme of polarization in particular.”

He continued, “People are worried that American democracy is failing, and we wanted to host a broad conversation to consider how we reached this point where America is so divided and how do we move forward from here. I think Princeton residents will be really intrigued by what these panelists have to say.”

Described by a PTS press release as “eminent young leaders whose professional lives have been shaped by the sharp edges of our polarized society,” Coaston, Meijer, and Sanders-Townsend will consider such questions as “How did we become so divided?” “How do we sustain government of and by an ever-more divided people?” and “Where do we go from here?”  more

By Donald Gilpin

In the first month of the new school year districts throughout the country have been scrambling to fill teaching positions in their schools, and staffing shortages have also posed challenges for the Princeton Public Schools (PPS).

In a September 20 email to PPS families and students, Superintendent Carol Kelley reported that teachers were stepping up to take on extra responsibilities and fill the gaps. As of Tuesday, September 27, PPS had job openings posted for 13 teachers — three at Princeton High School, four at Princeton Middle School, and six at the elementary schools. In addition, there were openings posted for three aides, two school psychologists, a speech and language therapist, and for substitute teachers and nurses. PPS currently has 741 staff members.

“The bottom line is that while we have managed to maintain excellence in education, staffing shortages are now the new normal throughout New Jersey,” Kelley wrote. “We will continue to creatively manage our resources, to use our trusted substitutes, and to recruit aggressively to make the best of a difficult situation.”

As of September 12, nine out of every 10 school districts in the country reported that up to 10 percent of their instructional staff positions were unfilled, according to the AASA, the School Superintendents’ Association.

Kelley emphasized that PPS is doing relatively well. “Based on our current situation, our staffing situation is much, much better than the national average,” she wrote in a September 26 email. “At this moment, there are relatively few unfilled teaching jobs. There has been a great deal of progress in recent weeks.”

In her letter to parents and students, Kelley pointed out that “the recruiting program implemented by our Human Resources Department has enabled us to frequently find fully qualified teachers, even in instances where there are severe shortages for a particular subject.” more

By Donald Gilpin

The Green movement is gaining momentum locally and throughout the country, and Princeton schools are taking leadership roles in showing the way towards sustainability.

Princeton Montessori School announced last week that its campus is now powered primarily by solar energy; Johnson Park and Littlebrook Elementary Schools have earned Sustainable Jersey for Schools Certification; and Katherine Monroe, a senior at Princeton High School (PHS), has been selected as one of only two students in the state as a student delegate to the World Food Prize’s 2022 Global Youth Institute.

Princeton Montessori on Cherry Valley Road has recently completed a year-long process, including research, procurement, and installation, and is now deriving 90 percent of its energy from the sun.

Leading the school’s solar energy project, as well as the Farm-to-School program, the school’s vegetable garden and composting, Princeton Montessori Sustainability Coordinator and ecology teacher Gery Juleff emphasized the teamwork involved in bringing the project to fruition.

“The key to finalizing this project was a partnership between my colleagues at the school and on the Board, including Head of School Michelle Morrison and Trustee Peter Egbert, along with our local partners the Circadia Group, Plankton Energy, and Green Power Energy,” he said.

He added, “Our installation of the solar panels will enable the school to make its contribution to the fight against climate change, inspire students, and save on energy costs.” more

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Police Department has reported four thefts of catalytic converters so far this month, from cars parked on Stanworth Lane and Lytle Street and two cars on Birch Avenue.  There have been eight catalytic converter thefts in Princeton this year, according to Lieutenant Chris Tash.

It’s a crime that is expensive for motorists — with replacement costs at $2,000 or more —  and frustratingly difficult for police to combat. Removal of the catalytic converter takes thieves just minutes with tools readily available from hardware stores and is usually performed at night.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has reported a sharp increase in catalytic converter thefts nationwide as the value of the precious metals they contain —platinum, palladium, or rhodium — has increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Tash noted that the converters are usually sold to recyclers, scrap yards or junk yards, which will pay from $100 to $300 apiece.

A catalytic converter, part of the car’s exhaust system, is designed to convert environmentally hazardous exhaust from the car’s engine into less harmful gasses.  If your catalytic converter is stolen, you’ll know, from the noise and probably the fumes, Tash noted, though your car will still run. “But you’ll have to get it fixed right away,” he added. more

“THE GREAT RECKONING”: Artist Mario Moore, who was in residence at Princeton University from 2018 to 2020, will return on Thursday, September 22 for an artist talk and celebration of the installation of his new painting in Robertson Hall in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. (Photo: Egan Jimenez)

By Donald Gilpin

Artist Mario Moore, in residence at Princeton University from 2018-2020, will return on Thursday, September 22, for a celebration of the installation of his painting “The Great Reckoning” at 4:30 p.m. in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

On long-term loan from the Popkin Family through the Princeton University Art Museum, the large oil painting depicts Moore’s third-great uncle, Thomas Moore, a Black Union Army soldier who fought in the Civil War. A parchment inscribed with Frederick Douglass’ 1863 speech urging Black men to take up arms to support the Union lies at the soldier’s feet, and on the opposite side of the canvas a white horse rears up with a Confederate flag on the ground under his hooves.

Moore, who also created “The Work of Several Lifetimes,” his portraits of Black workers on Princeton’s campus, during his time as a Hodder Fellow at the Lewis Center for the Arts,  painted “The Great Reckoning” to “engage with the national conversation on race in the present and to contend with the legacy of the past,” according to SPIA Dean Amaney Jamal.

Explaining how “The Great Reckoning” grew out of the period leading up to the contested 2020 election and from his own search into his family’s history, Moore described looking into his family’s history through ancestry.com. An older cousin had a number of documents and knew of a family member who had fought in the Civil War. “The painting was really about the times we live in and a comparison to the election that led up to the Civil War, which was similar to the 2020 election that led up to January 6,” Moore said. “The Great Reckoning” was completed shortly before the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol. more

By Donald Gilpin

Responding to threats to democracy from election deniers, recent Supreme Court decisions, and climate change, a Save Our Democracy rally sponsored by eight different organizations will take place at  2 p.m. on Saturday, September 17 at Hinds Plaza next to the Princeton Public Library.

“Understanding that our democracy is fragile and that it’s now not working the way it should, I wanted to inspire people to get out and make sure that they elect legislators who are going to protect what they believe is important to them, as well as to highlight the statewide organizations that are doing the work on the ground defending these things that we care about,” said rally organizer Laura Zurfluh, who is the founder and leader of Indivisible Cranbury.

Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), NJ Citizen Action, Planned Parenthood, NJ Institute for Social Justice, Moms Demand Action, the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), and Clean Water Action, as well as Indivisible Cranbury, are co-sponsoring the rally. There will be a speaker from each organization and tables providing information for attendees to take more direct action on a number of fronts.

“We are co-sponsoring this rally to counter the grave and continuing threat to democracy represented by election deniers and violent insurrectionists threatening the cornerstones of our democracy: free and fair elections, and the peaceful transition of power,” said CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore.   

Opposition to the Supreme Court’s rulings reversing the Roe vs. Wade decision that protected legal access to abortion and the ruling allowing prayer in public school settings will be additional focal points of the rally, which will also protest new federal gun laws and Republican resistance to funding combating climate change. more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University has announced that it will be making major enhancements to its financial aid program starting in the fall of 2023. The University, which was just rated first among national universities overall in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, has also topped the list for the lowest graduate indebtedness.

Most families whose annual income is less than $100,000 (up from the previous $65,000 annual income level) will pay nothing for tuition, room, and board. About 1,500 students, more than 25 percent of undergraduates, are expected to qualify for this level of aid.

As the University continues its push to attract talented students from a wide variety of backgrounds, many families with income above $100,000, in addition to the families paying nothing, will receive increased aid. A majority of the additional scholarship funding will support families earning less than $150,000.

“One of Princeton’s defining values is to ensure that talented students from all backgrounds can not only afford a Princeton education but can flourish on our campus and in the world beyond it,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “These improvements to our aid packages, made possible by the sustained generosity of our alumni and friends, will enhance the experiences of students during their time at Princeton and their choices and impact after they graduate.”

In 2001 Princeton was the first university in the country to eliminate loans, meeting students’ full financial needs with

grants that do not need to be repaid. This latest enhancement also stipulates that the $3,500 student contribution typically earned through summer savings and campus work will be eliminated, freeing students to study abroad and to pursue other curricular and co-curricular activities. more

By Donald Gilpin

“This is a game-changing piece of legislation,” said Princeton University Professor Jesse Jenkins, discussing the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 with a September 12 lunchtime gathering in the University’s Wallace Hall.

“For the first time in our history, the full financial weight of the federal government is behind the clean energy transition,” he said. “This has never been the case before. I’m very excited to share the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act that we have been able to estimate with our modeling.”

Jenkins, who frequently delivers testimony to congressional committees and whose research is regularly featured in major media outlets, went on to explain in detail why this recent legislation will be transforming the nation’s push for cleaner energy and a net-zero greenhouse emissions economy.

Jenkins leads Princeton University’s REPEAT Project (repeatproject.org), which provides timely independent environmental and economic evaluation of federal energy and climate policies, and he was a principal investigator and lead author of Princeton’s Net-Zero America study. Jenkins recently served on the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine expert committee on Accelerating Decarbonization of the U.S. Energy System.

He also regularly provides technical analysis and policy advice for nonprofit organizations, policy makers, investors, and technology ventures working towards the deployment of clean energy. more

By Donald Gilpin

COVID-19 rates continue to remain relatively low in the area, and hopes are high that the recently approved COVID booster that targets the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the virus will help to prevent outbreaks this fall.

Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new booster shots that combat the two subvariants that currently make up almost all COVID-19 cases. The new booster doses are already being distributed locally and across the country.

Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Services Jeff Grosser said that the Princeton Health Department would be updating their vaccine clinic schedule as soon as they get word on when the new bivalent vaccines will be arriving. In the meantime, some area pharmacies, clinics, and doctors’ offices will have boosters available.

The new bivalent booster, which targets the original strain of the coronavirus as well the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, will replace the former booster shot for individuals over age 12. The new Moderna booster will be available for age 18 and older, the Pfizer booster for 12 and older. Individuals are advised to wait at least two months following primary or booster vaccinations before receiving the new booster.

“The most recent variants have evaded immunity from vaccines and prior infections, and both Moderna and Pfizer have their own updated booster, “ said Grosser. “Certainly those who are high-risk individuals would benefit from a booster dose now, including older adults, or individuals with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.”

In a September 2 announcement recommending the new boosters, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said, “I continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and to stay up to date on their boosters, as vaccines are our greatest tool in the fight against COVID-19.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Last week marked the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, which caused 30 deaths and an estimated $95 billion in damages in New Jersey. There was widespread flooding in the area, with more than nine inches of rain and many roads impassable.

Today, September 7, as the 2022 storm season makes its arrival known in Princeton, environmental leaders and elected officials are gathering in Manville for a press conference outside of a home that was badly damaged by last year’s storm. They will be urging Gov. Phil Murphy to take action to mitigate the effects of increased rainfall and flooding, which have been caused by climate change.

Speakers are expected to emphasize the need to pass the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJPACT) initiative that would upgrade flood hazard and stormwater guidelines in order to better prepare the state for the impacts of climate change and powerful storms. NJPACT advocates will urge the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to adopt proposed but delayed new stormwater requirements and to use updated rainfall data.

With this year’s hurricane season revving up, Princeton has worked to prepare for its next encounter with extreme weather conditions. “We’re doing well within the constraints of what state law will allow us to do,” said Princeton Councilman David Cohen, who will be speaking at the Manville conference. But he emphasized that because of state rules there is “a gaping hole in our regulations in Princeton right now.” State rules stipulate that local stormwater regulations cannot be enhanced above the state requirements for residential site improvements.

Acknowledging the state’s efforts to address the housing shortage in New Jersey, Cohen added, “I’m somewhat sympathetic, but my feeling is that it’s shortsighted to say that municipalities can’t require enhanced stormwater rules for housing projects.”

He pointed out that housing projects constitute about 90 percent of new housing in Princeton with the recent affordable housing settlement. He continued, “So it’s a golden opportunity for us to be trying to do more to better manage our stormwater. We have neighborhoods in Princeton —along Princeton Pike, Gallup Road, Wheatsheaf Lane — that are slammed when you get a big storm.”

Cohen cited a FEMA study that found that every dollar spent on resiliency investment saves six dollars on damage repair in the future. “So while I sympathize with developers who say it’s more expensive for us to do more elaborate, more aggressive stormwater management for our properties, the cost is actually much less,” he said. “It’s one of these no-brainers.  You have to make the investment to save money in the future.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Evie Shockley

Award-winning poet and Rutgers University Professor Evie Shockley will be headlining the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ (NJCH) 50th Anniversary Gala at Morven Museum & Garden on September 29 at 6 p.m.

“Professor Shockley’s reading will be an ideal centerpiece for a celebration of the public humanities in the Garden State,” said NJCH Executive Director Carin Berkowitz. “Her poetry speaks powerfully to many of the issues — including history, culture, and justice — that the Council has sought to explore in our five decades of work. I’m certain our guests will find her words to be both beautiful and thought-provoking.”

Shockley’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist poetry collection, semiautomatic, is described by the Pulitzer website as “a brilliant leap of faith into the echoing abyss of language, part rap, part rant, part slam, part performance art, that leaves the reader unsettled, challenged — and bettered —by the poet’s words.” Her publisher, Wesleyan University Press, describes the collection as “poetry that acts as a fierce and loving resistance to violence.”

Shockley’s many books of poetry also include suddenly we (forthcoming in March 2023) and the award-winning the new black (2011). Her scholarly work includes Renegade Poetics: Black Aesthetics and Formal Innovation in African American Poetry, as well as articles in journals and collections including The Black Scholar, New Literary History, The New Emily Dickinson Studies, The Cambridge Companion to American Modernist Poetry, and others. more