June 29, 2022

Triumph Brewing Co. Looks Forward To Early 2023 Opening

By Donald Gilpin

The renovations continue at Princeton’s former post office building on Palmer Square, and the Triumph Brewing Company is looking forward to moving into its elegant new home by the first quarter of 2023, according to Triumph owner and CEO Adam Rechnitz.

Delays over the past six years, since Triumph first announced its plans to move from its 138 Nassau Street location, have been caused by easements that encroached on municipal property, protected state park land, the need for state permits, and, more recently, pandemic complications and supply chain problems in getting construction materials. But all systems seem to be go for an opening early next year.

“They’ve gotten a lot done. It’s going to be a beautiful place — I’ll tell you that,” said Princeton Building Inspector Dan Tagliere. “The framing and mechanicals have been done. A lot of the systems are in place.”

Rechnitz was upbeat about Triumph’s new Palmer Square setting — “obviously a better location” than 138 Nassau, he said. “I like the idea of being on the village green. We’ve learned a lot in the intervening 28 years since Triumph opened on Nassau Street about how to design and build, and we’ll be pleased to show the public what we’ve learned.”

Triumph closed its restaurant and brewery at 138 Nassau Street in February of this year. Rechnitz noted that it had been in operation for 28 years, ever since he moved to New Jersey in 1994 and founded the Triumph Brewing Company, one of the first brewpubs in the state, in what for a long time had been a bowling alley. more

Council Will Not Rescind Designation Of Buildings on Seminary Campus

By Anne Levin

Responding to a request from the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development (PCRD) to rescind the designation of the Princeton Theological Seminary’s Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus as an Area in Need of Redevelopment (ANR), Princeton Council has opted not to take that action.

The underlying zoning is in place until a redevelopment plan is proposed, reviewed, and accepted, said Mayor Mark Freda. “Removing that designation would likely, not for sure but likely, end us up in court, because removing that designation could remove value from the property,” he said. “The town could be sued by the developer. So at this point, we have decided not to take action on the request.”

Neighbors whose homes border the campus and other members of the community have been opposed to the Seminary’s plans to tear down the three buildings in question, which form a kind of gateway into town along Stockton Street. Even though representatives of the Historic Preservation Commission and the Mercer Hill Historic District Association have urged that the buildings be saved, they do not have any historic designation that would protect them.

Among those speaking after Freda’s reading of the decision was former Councilwoman Jo Butler, who lives near the campus on Hibben Road. “Are we really going to sacrifice the town’s historic properties, the right to zone, the responsibility to residents, due to a fear of litigation?” she asked. “Apparently we are.”

Tom Chapman of the Mercer Hill Historic District Association said, “We urge the town to withhold any demolition permits and engage an independent historic preservation consultant to evaluate these buildings.”

The letter written in response to PCRD representatives Butler and Brad Middlekauff, from attorney Francis Regan, is included in the agenda packet from the meeting and can be viewed on princetonnj.gov. more

New Book on West Windsor History Links Township’s Past, Present, and Future

HOW TIMES CHANGE: This view of the Washington Road bridge over the Delaware & Raritan Canal, looking east from Princeton into West Windsor from about 1910-1920, is from the recently released book “West Windsor Then and Now: A New Perspective.”

By Anne Levin

Back when West Windsor turned 200 in 2007, Henry Innes MacAdam wrote West Windsor Then and Now, a comprehensive analysis of the area’s history. In the 25 years since, the township’s population has exploded and housing developments have replaced many area farms, some of which were centuries old.

As the 225th anniversary approached, it was time for an update. Paul Ligeti, who grew up in West Windsor and made its history a focus of his Eagle Scout project in 2009, has taken on the task. West Windsor Then and Now: A New Perspective has just been released and is published by the Historical Society of West Windsor.

“West Windsor’s history is really interesting, but it has not been so well publicized,” said Ligeti, who is the vice president of the Historical Society, chairs its 225th anniversary planning committee, leads tours of local historic sites, and writes a monthly history column in the West Windsor and Plainsboro News. In his day job, Ligeti works for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Resilience Engineering and Construction.

West Windsor is packed with historic sites. But the lack of a real downtown presents a challenge in bringing that legacy to the forefront. “It’s all spread out, and that’s a problem,” Ligeti said. “That’s the topographical challenge. The other thing is that there are so many new residents here who are not part of families who have lived here for 200 years, so they don’t know the history they are living with. This book is an attempt to bring the history to them. I hope it will be a long-lasting investment.”

At the back of the book there is a list of West Windsor’s “100 Club,” properties that the Historical Society believes may be at least 100 years old. Most are private properties. “We call upon their owners and the township to ensure they remained preserved for future generations to appreciate,” reads the introduction to the list.

For Ligeti, learning little details of West Windsor history was as interesting as the facts involving famous people and events. “I learned about a man who lived in West Windsor’s Community Park from the 1930s to 1963, who made the Raggedy Ann and Andy books popular, though they were not written by him,” he said. “The famous people — William Jennings Bryan spoke at Princeton Junction train station as part of his presidential campaign in 1900. The funeral procession of Robert Kennedy stopped at the station in 1968. And then there is ‘War of the Worlds’ [the 1938 radio hoax led by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the Air], which put Grovers Mill on the map.” more

Locally-Trained Dancer Diana Byer Has No Plans to Leave the Studio

RED CARPET MOMENT: Former Princeton dancer Diana Byer, left, with dancer Steven Melendez, at the opening of the documentary “LIFT: A Journey from Homelessness to the Ballet Stage” last month.

By Anne Levin

Since her days as a charter member of the Princeton Regional Ballet Company (now American Repertory Ballet) in 1963, Diana Byer has been busy.

The Trenton native danced with several ballet troupes before founding the New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) company and school in 1978. Just over a decade later, she started a scholarship program for underserved children. A documentary film about the program, LIFT: A Journey from Homelessness to the Ballet Stage, debuted last month at the Tribeca Film Festival.

While she recently stepped down as artistic director of NYTB, Byer is far from retired. She still runs the school. And she is working on putting together a small company of dancers over the age of 60, including Robert LaFosse, Monica Bill Barnes, and Meg Harper as well as herself.

“We all want to dance and we still can,” Byer said last week. “We’ll experiment first, find some choreographers, maybe do some in-house performances at the studio and see where it goes. We can still move. We still have something to say. It’s worth looking into.” more

Morven Museum & Garden to Host Independence Day Celebration, Activities

By Donald Gilpin

“Swinging back to the 1960s” in celebrating its current Bell Labs exhibit, Morven Museum & Garden has an array of entertainment, foods, and educational activities on tap for its annual Independence Day Jubilee on Monday, July 4 from 12 to 3 p.m.

Among the highlights of the afternoon at the former home of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, will be a Jasper Johns American flag activity led by the Arts Council of Princeton, a “1960s Princeton adventure” organized by the Historical Society of Princeton, dancing in the gardens with Luminarium Dance Company, music from the 1960s and beyond played by the Green Planet Band, and food trucks on the premises from KonaIce and Potato Patoto, which specializes in tater tots with a variety of toppings.

In person for the first time since 2019, the Morven Fourth of July Jubilee is sponsored by Honda of Princeton and the Bank of Princeton.

“As a home of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Fourth of July is cornerstone to our existence,” said Morven Executive Director Jill M. Barry. “This year we are celebrating’60s style, in homage to our Bell Labs exhibition, but also in reference to the civic engagement that was particularly evident in the sixties.”

The current exhibit at Morven, “Ma Bell: The Mother of Invention in New Jersey,” features the TelStar 1 satellite flight model, which was made by AT&T and Bell Telephone Laboratories, and many other technological innovations that were created in New Jersey and went on to influence the entire world.

Bell Telephone Laboratories, named for its founder Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, had facilities in New Jersey beginning in the 1930s, creating new technology that helped to bring forth cell phones, solar panels, radar, satellites, and the discovery of the Big Bang.  more

“Off Shore”

Works by Larry Mitnick are featured in “Spatial Imaginings,” on view at Bell’s Tavern, 183 North Union Street in Lambertville,  through the end of August. Mitnick’s work has been exhibited internationally, and he is currently a member artist at Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street in Lambertville. Bell’s Tavern is open daily from 5 to 9 p.m.

June 22, 2022

Opposition Grows to U.S. 1 Warehouse Project

By Anne Levin

A project that would bring nine warehouses of 5.5 million square feet to a 650-acre parcel bordering U.S. Route 1, Clarksville Road, and Quakerbridge Road in West Windsor, the former home of American Cyanamid, has many residents registering strong opposition.

A discussion of the development by the West Windsor Township Planning Board, followed by a vote, is scheduled for its in-person meeting on June 29. The issue was last considered by the Planning Board on June 1.

Traffic congestion and environmental issues are among the concerns of those urging that the development be scrapped. West Windsor Township Mayor Hemant Marathe said the former, in particular, will be addressed at the meeting.

“I have talked to a lot of people in town, and I understand their concerns,” he said. “Traffic is the main concern. We fully understand that, and the Planning Board is going to impose conditions so that not as many trucks can be on Clarksville Road.”

The Planning Board gave preliminary approval to a plan by the developer, Atlantic Realty, in December 2020. Since then, residents have charged that ongoing discussions of the issue have not been open to the public.

“Everything was by Zoom, but the Planning Board of West Windsor did not provide a Zoom link to the public,” said township resident Tirza Wahrman, who ran against Marathe last November. “My perspective is that a decision was made that a Zoom link was not required for the Planning Board, which is in stark contrast to how other township entities run. The whole thing was done under cover of night.”

Marathe said the process has been transparent. “We are 100 percent in person: Live, taped, and put on YouTube,” he said.

Opposition to the project is not limited to West Windsor residents. The New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club and the public advocacy group MoveOn have posted their concerns on social media. “This project brings with it potential for severe congestion on Route 1 and area roads, increased air pollution, and other problems,” wrote Princeton resident Kip Cherry, the Central Jersey conservation chair for the Sierra Club, on its website. “Insufficient information has been provided about the anticipated traffic increase or stormwater flow, which is critical in light of climate change.” more

COVID Rates Are Down; Vaccines Approved For Very Young Children

By Donald Gilpin

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday, June 18 recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children from 6 months to 5 years old. As of Tuesday, June 21, New Jersey parents can make vaccination appointments for their young children through covid19.nj.gov, the state’s COVID-19 website.

“This is welcome news for parents concerned with ensuring their children have the strongest protection against COVID-19,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli noted in a statement issued Saturday. New Jersey has ordered 61,000 doses and is distributing them to medical sites around the state, according to Murphy.

The vaccines use the same technology as vaccines for adults, but they are given at different dose sizes and number of shots. Children under 5 who receive the Pfizer vaccine will be given three doses at one-tenth the strength of adult doses. Children under 6 who receive the Moderna vaccine will receive two doses at one-quarter the strength of an adult dose.

The Pfizer vaccine was previously approved for children ages 5 to 11, but fewer than 30 percent in that age group have received the recommended two shots.  In CDC nationwide surveys conducted in May, only about one-third of parents said they would vaccinate their young children.  According to the most recent available Princeton Health Department statistics, 88 percent of all local residents age 5 and over are vaccinated, 90 percent of those 18 and over.

In response to a New York Times poll in April, fewer than one-fifth of parents of children under 5 said they were eager to get their children vaccinated right away. Parents gave many different reasons for hesitancy, though most health experts agree on the safety of the vaccine and recommend that all children be vaccinated. more

Thousands Parade Through Princeton, Celebrating Pride In Person for 2022

By Donald Gilpin

Back in person for the first time since Princeton’s first Pride Parade in 2019, Pride 2022 again drew a crowd of thousands of spirited marchers and supporters on Saturday, June 18, all celebrating the message of love, diversity, and inclusion.

From babies to 90-year-olds, the diverse throng “marched, sashayed, and rolled,” according to event lead organizer Robt Seda-Schreiber, up Witherspoon Street from the Municipal Building, then down Paul Robeson Place to the YMCA for an afterparty that included entertainment and remarks from several speakers.

“To get the community together again after three years apart — it was beautiful, meaningful, significant, and inspirational — as meaningful as it was fabulous,” said Seda-Schreiber, chief activist of the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), which sponsored the event.

Seda-Schreiber noted similarities between the 2019 and 2022 events, but emphasized the importance of bringing so many people together after having been kept apart for so long. “Especially for our queer community, for all marginalized folks, not to be able to gather is a really difficult thing,” he said. “You need to be able to be in a room or a space, a field or a parade or be wherever you might be together in order to have that sense of solidarity.”

He added, “Everybody was welcome. It was all-inclusive. It certainly exceeded our expectations, and I hope the community feels the same way.”

Participants in the parade who spoke at the afterparty included Princeton Mayor Mark Freda, New Jersey State Senators Andrew Zwicker and Linda Greenstein, Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis, Detroit poet Michelle Elizabeth Brown, trans activist and BRCSJ Board President Erin Worrell, and Sesame Street’s Alan Muraoka, who was grand marshal of the parade.  more

New Murals Bring Color and Joy as Littlebrook Culminates Its Big Project

JOYFUL MURALS AT LITTLEBROOK: Littlebrook Elementary School students and staff recently completed a six-wall indoor mural project during a three-week residency with mural artist Caren Olmsted and a large outdoor mural developed in collaboration with the Arts Council of Princeton. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)  

By Donald Gilpin

Covering six walls from floor to ceiling, Littlebrook Elementary School’s new murals, were unveiled last week. Their impact has been powerful.

“The murals have brought joy to us all at Littlebrook,” said Littlebrook Principal Luis Ramirez. The artwork, completed during a three-week residency project with mural artist Caren Olmsted, portrays school activities and traditions, and reflects the input of all the students at the school.

“Our murals represent our Littlebrook community, especially our students,” Ramirez noted. “It was important to have every child represented in the artwork. Each student has their unique handprint in the murals and took part in the painting of them as well.”

He continued, “Our students’ voices are represented in the murals. The children helped us with the words of welcome that are painted on the walls of our vestibule and voted to have the word GROW painted in the outdoor mural. I am very proud of all our Littlebrook students.”

The indoor mural project was initiated and funded by the Littlebrook PTO, under the leadership of Co-Presidents Kati Dunn, Sonja Ernst, and Magdalena Janas. For the outdoor mural project, the PTO commissioned artists from the Arts Council of Princeton in looking to enhance the look of the playground area and connect to the larger community.

Janas described the elaborate process of creating the murals. “The longest phase of the project was the design itself,” she said. “Our artist Caren Olmsted listened to all inputs and ideas and created a very unique and original plan. Her work always includes all kids who attend schools that she works in. The mural would have been impossible to do without the help of more than 90 parents — countless hours of priming, painting, and finishing the highest spots on the walls.”

Collaborating with Olmsted, Littlebrook art teacher Colleen Dell enlisted her art classes for several weeks, making sure all students took part in the painting of the walls and the completion of the murals. Greenleaf Painters, LLC donated the paint for the murals. more

Amateur Radio Field Day Is Open to the Public

HAMMING IT UP: Greg Mauro, president of the Delaware Valley Radio Association, examines a newly built antenna at the club’s radio station in West Trenton, where he and other ham radio operators will gather this weekend for the annual national Field Day of the ARRL (American Radio Relay League), making contact with operators from all over the world over 24 hours.

By Anne Levin

Before social media, there was ham radio. As far back as the late 19th century, amateur radio operators from different parts of the world were chatting with each other — by voice. In more recent years, they have built their own networks with radio technology.

This weekend, some 40,000 “hams” from all over the U.S. will test their skills at the annual AARL (American Radio Relay League) Field Day. Among them are the Delaware Valley Radio Association, which is based in West Trenton and counts several Princeton residents among its 120-member ranks.

From 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 to 12 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at their clubhouse adjacent to Trenton-Mercer Airport, these amateur radio operators will be setting up portable radio stations on emergency power, and trying to have as many conversations as possible with others around the country. The public is invited.

“We encourage the public to come and take part,” said Greg Mauro, an electrical engineer who serves as president of the club. “It’s a great hobby. We’re hoping to attract more young people, and all are welcome.”

Field Day dates from 1933. The annual gathering has become one of amateur radio’s most popular organizational events. Participants cart their gear outside to see how well they can communicate with each other in the elements, and in less-than-ideal conditions. more

Final Weekend of “Jazz in June” Series Marks Lockwood’s Retirement

By Anne Levin

Jazz is the focus this weekend at McCarter Theatre, where Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap perform on Friday, June 24, and the Tyshawn Sorey Sextet is on stage Saturday, June 25. Both concerts, which wrap up the “Jazz in June” series, are at 8 p.m.

Bill Lockwood

The weekend also marks a major transition at McCarter. The jazz series is the final one planned by longtime Special Programming Director William W. (Bill) Lockwood, who is retiring after nearly 60 years at the theater. Last week, McCarter announced Paula Abreu as his replacement. Lockwood, who programmed classical music, dance, spoken word, and other events as well as jazz, will continue as a consultant. Abreu starts in the fall.

“It is reassuring to know that the performers who consider McCarter home will be in expert hands with Paula Abreu — she is an inspired choice,” Lockwood said in a press release. “It is wonderful to think about the new talent and energy she will bring to our stages, cultivating the next generation of artists and audiences.”

Abreu, who is originally from Rio de Janeiro, has been curating live events in New York for the past decade. She has worked with such institutions as Lincoln Center, Red Hot Organization, and the SummerStage and Charlie Parker jazz festivals. “Among her most proud achievements are presenting the late Brazilian samba legend Elza Soares following a 30-year U.S. performance hiatus; curating a community concert with the French Chilean rapper/activist Ana Tijoux; a debut collaboration between Afrobeat icon Seun Kuti and jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers; and the birth of her daughter Julia, who joined the Abreu family in 2020,” reads the McCarter release.

Paula Abreu

“I’m thrilled to add my voice to McCarter, to be a part of an organization that has had an incontestable impact on the cultural fabric of New Jersey, and that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to equal opportunity in the arts,” she said. “I am looking forward to getting to know the surrounding communities, and to exploring collaborative opportunities with the Princeton University campus, area universities, and beyond. After 12 years in New York City’s presenting arts field, I’m thrilled to build upon McCarter’s incredible legacy and forge new connections regionally, nationally, and globally.”  more

June 15, 2022

Rider University to Cut Programs and Staff

By Anne Levin

Rider University’s announcement last week that 25 academic programs will be eliminated or “archived,” and an undisclosed number of faculty members will be laid off — an effort to address its $20 million deficit — is the latest blow for Westminster Choir College, which has been affiliated with Rider since 1992.

Among the undergraduate programs on the list are Theory/Composition, Organ Performance, and Sacred Music; graduate programs include American and Public Musicology, Piano Pedagogy and Performance, Piano Performance, and Organ Performance. “All that remains of WCC is really Voice Performance and Music Education,” wrote one alumnus on Facebook. “Rider really destroyed our school.”

Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo emailed the university community June 7 the plan, which affects 25 academic programs. Along with the courses at Westminster, which was moved from its longtime Princeton campus to Rider’s Lawrence Township location in 2020, the list includes undergraduate majors in Economics, Global Studies, and Health Care Policy. Graduate programs include Homeland Security and Business Communication. The email also said Rider will be increasing its investment in seven programs in an effort to help them grow. All current students whose programs are being eliminated or archived “will have a path toward graduation,” the email said.

The cost savings will ease the deficit and position Rider so it can “begin to consistently generate annual net revenue reserves that can be invested back into the university’s future,” Dell’Omo said.

Members of Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) were quick to condemn the administration’s announcement, issuing a statement saying the mention of layoffs violates the existing labor contract, and the unilateral restructuring “violates Rider’s system of shared governance and replaces it with top-down decision making.” The AAUP renewed its call to remove Dell’Omo “for his financial mismanagement of the university.” more

Council Votes in Favor Of Rezoning Change For Hun School Sites

By Anne Levin

Impressed with a suggested compromise crafted by residents of the neighborhood where the Hun School is requesting a rezoning of two sites, Princeton Council on Monday night voted to approve an ordinance allowing for the change.

“I want to acknowledge both Hun and the neighborhood, who saw the benefit of we, we, we versus me, me, me,” said Councilman Leighton Newlin. “It’s an attitude we could use more of in Princeton.” Other members of the governing body agreed with him.

Earlier this month, the town’s Planning Board endorsed the request, which would rezone the school’s Mall and the Mason House lot from R-2 (residential) to E-4 (educational). The request was originally endorsed by the Planning Board last year, and referred to Council. But a tie vote defeated the ordinance at that time. It was brought back last month.

The Mall is an open green space. The Mason House, formerly the headmaster’s home, was most recently used for academic support in order to increase space for the campus infirmary during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rezoning allows a greater floor area ratio (FAR), giving the school more space to meet local regulations for additions or improvements. Hun wants to build a visual arts center on the lot.

Over the past few years, residents of the Edgerstoune neighborhood had expressed concerns about traffic, noise, and future building projects on the campus should the rezoning be approved.

The recently created compromise requires that the school replace the Mason House with its new building on as much of the original footprint as possible, as close to the corner of Edgerstoune and Winant roads as zoning regulations allow. In exchange, the neighbors will not oppose a slightly larger structure on the lot, raising the maximum square footage from 9,000 to 10,000 square feet. Also, the school will agree to a deed restriction guaranteeing that nothing further be built on the lot, and that the remainder be preserved as open green space. more

Juneteenth Celebrations Scheduled in Princeton, Skillman, Trenton, and More

By Donald Gilpin

Juneteenth, Freedom Day, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War, will be celebrated throughout the Princeton area with a variety of events from Friday, June 17 to Monday, June 20.

Celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s, Juneteenth, officially June 19, became a New Jersey state holiday in 2020 and a federal holiday in 2021.

“It’s one of those extraordinary stories,” said Donnetta Johnson, executive director of the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) in Skillman, where an action-packed observance will take place on Saturday, June 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  “After people were emancipated it wasn’t until two years later that the word got to Galveston, Texas. A sergeant in the army saw that people were still enslaved and he couldn’t believe his eyes.”

On June 19, 1865 a Union Army general finally proclaimed freedom from slavery in Texas. “It’s been a jubilant celebration of freedom,” Johnson continued. “Really America’s first celebration of freedom, because you can’t have freedom in a place that doesn’t have freedom. This is a great American holiday. Of course, the battle wasn’t over and still isn’t over, but this is an American expression of freedom. It’s very significant to the African American community and should be significant to all Americans.” more

“Naming Party” on June 25 to Highlight Witherspoon-Jackson Family Stories

“DO YOU REMEMBER?”: The Arts Council of Princeton is inviting the community to a “Naming Party” on Saturday, June 25 to help identify friends, family, and neighbors pictured in the collages of the late Witherspoon-Jackson artist Romus Broadway. (Photo courtesy of the Arts Council of Princeton)

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton community is invited to a “Naming Party” and a trip down memory lane through the photographic collages of the late Witherspoon-Jackson (W-J) artist Romus Broadway on Saturday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP).

As part of a collaborative project with the Joint Effort Safe Streets Program, the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood Association, and Princeton University’s Special Collections, the gathering will allow participants to view Broadway’s photos and help to identify and preserve the names of friends, family, and community members pictured in his collages. Coffee, pastries, and lunch will be served at this free event.

Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin reflected on the legacy of Broadway, who died in 2020, and on the upcoming Naming Party.

“Romus is gone, but his pictures are still here,” said Newlin. “He and they continue to tell the story that documents the rich history of a great neighborhood. Who knows? This gathering could inspire the next storyteller.”

He continued, “Saturday, June 25 will be special because people will be able to review Romus’ work and help the curators identify the people who are in the pictures that he took. Some will see themselves; others will see members of their family. Everybody will see somebody they know.”

Broadway’s collages and other photographs have been on display at various events at the ACP, church services, schools, and community programs over the years. Princeton University has purchased a large collection of his work.

Maria Evans, ACP artistic director and a W-J resident, came up with an idea for creating public artwork using vinyl banners to display the collages, and she and ACP Executive Director Adam Welch approached Jennifer Garcon, librarian for modern and contemporary special collections at Princeton University.

“She loved the idea,” said Welch. “The Department of Special Collections is digitizing the collages and sending those digital versions to us, and we are getting permission to do this banner project.”  more

A Big Tent on Grounds of Morven Showcases Princeton Festival’s Range

SUMMER MUSIC: Maestro Rossen Milanov and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra acknowledged the applause after a recent performance at the Princeton Festival.

By Anne Levin

The Princeton Festival’s ambitious 2022 season, most of which is taking place under a 10,000-square-foot  tent on the grounds of Morven, is midway through its run of classical music, jazz, opera, and more. So far, so good, said Marc Uys, the executive director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO), which merged with the Princeton Festival earlier this year.

“It was a lot of work to get ready, and we did it with minutes to spare on opening night,” Uys said this week. “We had perfect weather and an extraordinary performance by Storm Large. It was so amazing to see so many happy faces, and that has been the pattern since then. The atmosphere is incredibly relaxed, which is exactly what we wanted.”

In previous years, the festival presented events at multiple venues throughout town. Consolidating most of the performances in the tent, under one “roof,” (a few Baroque concerts are across the road at Trinity Episcopal Church) is a good thing, said Uys. But the variety of offerings means the seating configurations have to be frequently changed. Opera needs one setup, chamber music needs another. The PSO, cabaret, and jazz nights require still other settings.

“It’s a lot, but we have a terrific team of ushers and crew,” said Uys. “We have hired them for the season, from all over. A number of them are members of the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ), and they will be on stage for the final concert.” more

PPS Plans for Enhanced School Safety, Resolving Issues Before They Flare Up

By Donald Gilpin

In a climate of increasing gun violence and school shootings throughout the country, Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Carol Kelley sent an email message to PPS families earlier this month, reporting on enhanced safety measures and plans for strengthening security at the district’s six schools.

The plans, which are already in the works, include training programs for students, teachers, staff, and administration; closer ties with the Princeton Police Department (PPD); expanded roles for building monitors and safety teams at each school; as well as more stringent access control and visitor policies. 

Top priorities seem to be enhanced communication at all levels throughout the schools and an increased emphasis on addressing problems before they expand.

“The best way to approach school safety is to resolve issues before they become a crisis,” Kelley wrote.  “Being alert for potential problems, knowing students personally, and providing a scaffolding of mental health supports is part of the safety process.”

Kelley noted that some schools, including Princeton High School, were planning to expand safety teams to include more school counselors.

“At the school level, we are planning a regular cadence of meetings for our School Safety Teams in each school,” she added. She pointed out that PPS Coordinator of Student Health and Safety Corey Laramore has been reviewing safety procedures and collaborating with the PPD.

Among the enhanced security measures she cited were an improved system provided by Raptor Technologies for identifying visitors and controlling access to the buildings; ongoing review of safety evacuation plans and procedures on 911 emergency calls; a PPD officer in attendance at District Safety Team meetings; and additional  safety training for building monitors and district representatives with the PPD and with the New Jersey Department of Education. more

June 8, 2022

Rally Against Gun Violence on Saturday

By Donald Gilpin

With a focus on mourning the lives lost in recent mass shootings and advocating to halt the surging epidemic of gun violence, Princeton will be hosting a rally at Hinds Plaza next to the Princeton Public Library on Saturday, June 11 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), the rally is part of a Day of Action taking place in about 500 locations around the country and coordinated by March for Our Lives, the student-led gun violence prevention group formed following the 2018 Parkland, Fla., mass shooting.

“Our nation has been traumatized by the brutal, senseless killing of so many innocents in mass shootings in recent weeks,” said CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore. “We invite everyone to come together to mourn, but even more important, be empowered to unite to stop and reverse the surging epidemic of gun violence across our nation.”

In addition to Moore, speakers and performers at the rally will include Teska Frisbee, Mercer County gun violence prevention lead for Moms Demand Action; Rabbi Arnold Gluck from Temple Beth-El of Hillsborough; musician Sharleen Leahy; Dolores Phillips, legislative director of CFPA’s Ceasefire NJ Project; gun violence survivor Sue Repko; Laura Zurfluh, coordinator of Indivisible Cranbury; and New Jersey State Sen. Andrew Zwicker.

In a phone conversation on Monday, Moore discussed ongoing efforts to curb gun violence in the wake of a surge of mass shootings averaging nearly two per day and a total of 45,000 gun deaths in the past year.

Moore pointed out that Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed a package of eight new gun. safety laws, including bills to strengthen firearm storage laws, to reform the gun permitting system, to promote micro stamping technology, and to hold irresponsible gun industry members accountable. more

University Building Will Be Named Laura Wooten Hall

DEDICATED TO DEMOCRACY: Laura Wooten strolled on the Princeton campus in 2018 with two of her grandsons who work at the University: Isaac Love III, left, a custodian in building services, and Caasi Love, right, assistant director of finance and planning in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The University has announced that a campus building will be named Laura Wooten Hall effective July 1. (Photo by Mark Czajkowski)

By Donald Gilpin

A Princeton University building will be renamed in honor of former Princeton and Lawrence Township resident Laura Wooten, who has been recognized as the longest serving election poll worker in the country.

Intended to honor Wooten’s  contributions and to emphasize the importance of civic engagement at all levels, the naming of Laura Wooten Hall was approved by Princeton’s Board of Trustees and announced, appropriately, on Monday, just one day before yesterday’s New Jersey Primary Election Day. The naming was recommended to the trustees by the Council of the Princeton University Community Committee on Naming, which is made up of faculty, staff, student, and alumni representatives.

“I am grateful to the naming committee for this inspiring recommendation, and I am delighted that Princeton will honor Laura Wooten for her extraordinary contributions to our nation and the democratic process,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “The addition of Laura Wooten’s name to the tapestry of our campus will recognize Princeton’s history, the breadth of our community, and the positive impact that one remarkable person can have through lifelong dedication to public service and civic values.”

Wooten, who worked in campus dining at Princeton University for more than 27 years and also worked as a nurse’s aide at Princeton Medical Center and as a teaching assistant at Community Park School, volunteered at local, primary, and general election polls in New Jersey for 79 years, up until her death in 2019 at the age of 98.  more

Princeton Pride Parade and Afterparty Will Be Back in Person on June 18

PRIDE ON PARADE: The Princeton Pride Parade is back this year, on June 18 at 11 a.m., for the first time in person since this 2019 inaugural event that drew 3,000 people into the streets of Princeton. (Photo courtesy of Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice)

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Pride Parade is back in person this year, on Saturday, June 18, starting from the Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street at 11 a.m. and proceeding to the YMCA field on Paul Robeson Place for an afterparty.

Organized by the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), this year’s Pride Parade will be in person for the first time since 2019, when Princeton’s first-ever Pride Parade drew more than 3,000 people. Virtual pride parade events in the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years attracted more than 25,000 online viewers, according to BRCSJ Chief Activist Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber.

“We invite all to join us as our LGBTQIA community and their friends, allies, and families (chosen or otherwise) march, dance, roll, stroll, and sashay through the historic Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood to end up at a fabulous afterparty at the Princeton Y,” Seda-Schreiber wrote in an email. “What better way to walk the walk (both literally and figuratively) of inclusivity and intersectionality than to bring together all of our beautifully diverse folk in Princeton and the greater community!”

Leading the festivities as grand marshal of the Princeton Pride Parade will be Sesame Street’s Alan Muraoka, television and Broadway actor and director and the proprietor of Hooper’s Store on Sesame Street. Muraoka recently won the GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding Children’s Programming” for Sesame Street’s Family Day episode, which introduced the first family on the show to include two gay fathers. more

Tours on Saturday Feature Hidden Gardens in Trenton, Lambertville

GARDEN VARIETY: Between the hidden garden tours hosted by Trenton’s Old Mill Hill Society and Lambertville’s Kalmia Club, both on Saturday, June 11, a total of 30 gardens will be on view. Shown is a lush backyard retreat from last year’s Mill Hill tour. (Photo by Jeffrey Tryon)

By Wendy Greenberg

Views of backyard retreats with lush landscapes and creative uses of outdoor spaces will be plentiful on Saturday, June 11 when the Old Mill Hill Society in Trenton and Kalmia Club in Lambertville both reveal selected “hidden gardens” tucked behind historic and contemporary homes as part of their annual tours.

The Kalmia Club’s 24th Annual Hidden Gardens of Lambertville Tour is a self-guided tour running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, starting at the historic pink Kalmia Clubhouse at 39 York Street in Lambertville.

The Old Mill Hill Society (OMHS) is again offering its annual Hidden Gardens tour from 12 to 5 p.m., also rain or shine. Both events showcase a variety of home architectural styles, spaces, and ages of homes and gardens.

“It’s a mixture of well-established and newer gardens,” said OMHS President Tom Griffith, who noted the tour is his personal favorite Mill Hill event. “There are a couple of hidden, older, very beautifully-maintained gardens that have been growing for 20 to 30 years, and there is also a work in progress — new residents who have started a garden on what was once an overgrown lot.” more

Planning Board Endorses Hun School’s Rezoning Request for a Second Time

By Anne Levin

At its June 2 meeting, Princeton’s Planning Board voted in favor of a request by the Hun School to rezone two properties from R-2 (residential) to E-4 (educational). The matter will next be taken up by Princeton Council.

The two properties are the Mall, an open green space to be kept undeveloped in perpetuity; and the Mason House lot, which was formerly the headmaster’s home. It is no longer needed as a residence because the headmaster now lives in a house that was donated to the school by the late Betty Wold Johnson.

The school used the Mason House recently for academic support, in order to increase space for the campus infirmary during the COVID-19 pandemic. The zoning change would allow academic support uses, including a visual arts center and a new home for the Office of Institutional Advancement. The rezoning would allow for a greater floor area ratio (FAR), which would give the school more space to meet local regulations for additions, or improvements to existing facilities.

The request was originally endorsed by the Planning Board and referred to Council last year. But when the governing body voted on whether to adopt it, no final decision was reached because the vote was a tie, and the procedure to follow was unclear. After researching proper procedure, municipal attorney Trishka Cecil concluded the following day that the ordinance had been defeated. more

Commemorating the Princeton Battle Monument One Hundred Years Later

MONUMENTAL DEDICATION: The unveiling of the Princeton Battle Monument on June 9, 1922, featured dignitaries including President Warren G. Harding. A 100th anniversary commemoration of that unveiling and dedication, hosted by Morven Museum & Garden, will take place on Thursday, June 9 at 11 a.m. at the monument. (Photo from the Morven Archive)

By Wendy Greenberg

One hundred years ago this week, on June 9, 1922, President Warren G. Harding stood before a festive crowd in boater hats to dedicate the huge limestone Princeton Battle Monument, which was draped with a large American flag. A photograph was taken that day during a celebratory luncheon, after which Harding stopped at Princeton University to pick up an honorary degree.

Now, a century later, on June 9 at 11 a.m., Morven Museum & Garden is hosting an anniversary commemoration of that unveiling and dedication. The event will feature speakers, a historic photo re-creation, and the display of a historic flag.

The monument itself commemorates the January 3, 1777 Battle of Princeton and depicts George Washington and his troops, who, after crossing the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, embarked on a 10-day campaign that is credited with changing the course of the war as the Continental Army defeated the British. more

June 1, 2022

Health Dept. Juggles COVID, Other Priorities

By Donald Gilpin

With COVID-19 numbers apparently leveling off, the school year winding down, and summer arriving, the Princeton Health Department is juggling a full schedule of obligations to the community along with the need for ongoing COVID-19 monitoring.

Jeff Grosser, Princeton deputy administrator for health and community services, recently discussed the current challenges for the health department in adjusting to a new phase in the pandemic and a new workflow.

“For over two years everything has gone into the COVID-19 response,” he said. “Now, many of our annual obligations of regular food, youth camp, and pool inspections, along with investigating communicable disease outbreaks, are being worked into our existing COVID-19 workload.”

Grosser noted that many routine, cyclical responsibilities, like strategic planning, quality improvement, and workforce development, were back on the priority list. Public health professionals are now “working out how to budget pre-COVID responsibilities with the continued expectations of COVID-19 case investigations, outbreak cluster review, and guidance consultations to community stakeholders,” he said. “This, of course, is coupled with continued COVID-19 vaccination clinics.”

According to the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), the state’s seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday was down 16 percent from a week ago and up 54 percent from a month ago. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the daily average of new cases in New Jersey was down five percent over the previous 14 days, and in Mercer County the daily average was down nine percent over the previous 14 days. more