June 1, 2022

Neighbors of Seminary Raise Concerns About Demolition of Buildings

By Anne Levin

Problems blamed on the pre-construction process for a new complex at Princeton University have sparked anxiety among some neighbors of Princeton Theological Seminary, where the demolition of buildings on the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley (TRW) property on Stockton Street is planned.

“Nearby neighbors have had surprise visits from an employee of Princeton Theological Seminary, who is going door to door to schedule appointments to document roofs and foundations prior to the demolition of the TRW buildings,” reads an email from the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development (PCRD), sent last week. “These unexpected visits have sparked anxious calls among neighbors who are appropriately worried about their property and also worried generally about the demolition process and environmental impacts.”

While the process for construction of Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (ES & SEAS) involves blasting of bedrock, which neighbors of surrounding streets say has caused cracks and leaks, the demolition on the Seminary property does not.

“Indeed, there will be no blasting at the site,” wrote Beth DeMauro, interim director of communication and marketing for the school, in an email. “The Seminary is taking every step to ensure that this project has minimal impact to the surrounding homes and community. Individual meetings have been held with neighbors contiguous to the site to assess and address any concerns related to the demolition.  The project has been thoughtfully planned and will be carefully executed to minimize disruption to the neighborhood.” more

Primary Election Day is June 7; Lambros, Sacks Unopposed for Council

By Donald Gilpin

Tuesday, June 7 is primary day in New Jersey, and the two candidates for Princeton Council, incumbents Michelle Pirone Lambros and Mia Sacks, are running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for two available seats.

They have both been endorsed by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) and have received the support of the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee (PDMC). No one has filed to run for the Republican nomination.

Also on the ballot are Bonnie Watson Coleman, running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for another two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and, looking to face Watson Coleman in the November general election, unopposed Republican Darius Mayfield.

Princeton voters will be able to cast their ballots in one of three different ways. They can vote in person on June 7 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the polling place listed on the front of the sample ballot received in the mail. Early in-person voting is available from June 3 to 5 at various locations throughout the county, including a voting site at the Princeton Shopping Center.

Up until Monday, June 6, at 3 p.m. prospective voters can apply in person for vote-by-mail ballots at the county clerk’s office in Trenton. Those ballots must be filled out and postmarked, or placed in a special county drop box, or delivered to the board of elections in Trenton by 8 p.m. on June 7. more

Digital Tour on History of Princeton Public Schools Reaches Back to Mid-19th Century

A FAMILY OF STUDENTS: The children of Henry Egglesfield, the butler at Moses Taylor Pyne’s Drumthwacket estate, attended a small school at Stony Brook. This image is among those now on permanent digital display by the Historical Society of Princeton.

By Anne Levin

Anyone who attended Princeton Public Schools over the past several decades might recognize themselves, or their classmates, in a digital tour available on the website of the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP). But “Princeton’s Public Schools: A History” is as much about the distant past as it is about more recent years.

The 19-part tour goes back to a time that predates photography. Starting with “Betsey Stockton and Her District No. 6 School” in the 1830s and continuing through last year’s student-driven renaming of John Witherspoon Middle School to Princeton Middle School, because of its namesake’s links to slavery, the profile of Princeton’s public educational system is all-encompassing.

A collaboration of the HSP and Princeton Public Schools, the tour is illustrated with photographs, documents, and oral histories. The issue of race figures prominently, as it did in an original exhibition mounted in 2009 acknowledging 150 years of Princeton Public Schools history. The tour draws on, and makes digitally accessible, materials and research collected for that first show, which was the product of efforts by the historical society, Princeton Public Schools, Princeton Public Library, Princeton University Libraries, Lisa Paine, Shirley Satterfield, and several other contributors.

“Race definitely plays a huge part in the Princeton Public Schools story,” said Stephanie Schwartz, the HSP’s curator of collections and research. “I imagine it shows up in other towns’ stories as well. But in terms of how well known The Princeton Plan is [for school reorganization, in 1948] was nationally as a model for integration, it naturally is a focus of the exhibition.” more

Public is Invited to Tour Apartments At Reimagined Nelson Glass House

GRAND OPENING: The upscale rental apartments at Nelson Glass House, former home of the business Nelson Glass, are finally finished after a three-year process. The building is shown here in a rendering by architects JZA+D.

By Anne Levin

Three years have passed since Robbie Nelson hired Princeton-based architect Joshua Zinder to turn Nelson Glass, her family’s longtime business on Spring Street, into high-end apartments. Between COVID-19, changes in materials, and some design alterations, the creation of Nelson Glass House has taken longer than Nelson expected.

But the six apartments — all leased except for the one unit designated affordable — are ready, and Nelson is inviting the public in on Friday, June 10 from 6-9 p.m. to take a look around. The units range from $4,000 to $8,000 a month.

“This is boutique living,” said Nelson “All of the units have balconies. It’s unique, and it’s very high end.”

Opening the doors to the public is part of being a good neighbor. “I felt there were a lot of people who have been walking back and forth for a long time, and were curious about what we were doing,” she said. “It was important to me to let them in. I wanted neighbors to be able to see it. I know I always wonder what the inside of places looks like.”

Nelson Glass was founded in 1949 by Nelson’s late father, who also owned the house next door. Instead of selling, she opted to turn the two buildings into rental units. The process has been enlightening.

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” Nelson said this week. “Josh Zinder created a design that is unique and special, but also so intricate. These are not cookie-cutter apartments. Every unit is different. Every unit has a different layout. We ended up making some changes along the way, including to the interior, because of what we felt the market would want.” more

Isles Forum Offers Creative Solutions To Challenges of Equity, Sustainability

GROWING GARDENERS: Isles, Inc.’s urban agriculture service will be one of the topics on the program at Isles’ Virtual Forum 2022, a five-day series of free webinars, workshops, and panels focused on community development, urban sustainability, and much more. (Photo courtesy of Isles)

By Donald Gilpin

How to build a more equitable and sustainable future in local underserved communities is the question, and Isles, a Mercer County-based community development and environmental organization, has an array of creative answers to that query. 

In a five-day, 15-session virtual forum from June 6 to 10, Isles will host webinars, panel discussions, and workshops on urban community development topics including access to safe housing, building a green work force, street violence prevention, closing the education gap, eradicating food deserts, and more.

Among the local initiatives featured will be GoTrenton, an electric vehicle pilot service offering carshare, rideshare, and shuttle service in Trenton; Trenton Climate Corps, offering youth training and employment in climate resilience and green infrastructure careers; Trenton Community Street Teams, a violence-interruption initiative adapted from a successful Newark program; and the new New Jersey Lead Safe Certificate Law, which takes effect in July and requires all apartments to be tested for lead paint before tenants move in.

Sponsored by NJM Insurance, PSE&G, M&T Bank, Capital Health, Bristol Myers Squibb, The Bank of Princeton, Santander, and Philadelphia Insurance Co., the  Isles Virtual Forum 2022 is free and open to the public. Registration and further information are available at isles.org/forum. Last year the Forum attracted several hundred participants from around the state and beyond. more

May 25, 2022

Eisgruber to PU Graduates: “Persisting Matters”

“PERSISTENT” 2022 GRADUATES: Princeton University held its 275th Commencement on Tuesday, May 24, in Princeton Stadium. University President Christopher L. Eisgruber presided and praised the students for their persistence through the challenges of the pandemic. (Photo by Charles Sykes, Associated Press Images for Princeton University)

Presiding over his second graduation in the past week, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber told a gathering of more than 1,200 graduating seniors, plus graduate students, families, and friends assembled in Princeton Stadium, that persistence would be the quality that mattered most “across the many dimensions of achievement or talent … the ability and drive to keep going when things get hard.”

Eisgruber praised the students for overcoming “challenges that none of us could have imagined when you began your studies here,” and for persisting “brilliantly” throughout their time on campus and away from it, remotely, during the first year of the pandemic.

Eisgruber emphasized the value for students to persist to graduation and the value of a diploma, but noted that many students at other universities, because of financial barriers or other difficulties, have not been able to persist. “One way or another, we need to add back the chairs missing from graduation ceremonies around the country,” he said.

Last Wednesday, May 18, Eisgruber presided over the graduation of the Class of 2020, which returned to campus for a traditional ceremony nearly two years after their virtual graduation. more

Dr. Fauci Urges PU Seniors to Combat Failings of Society

NEW CLASS OF ’22 MEMBER: Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke to members of the Princeton University Class of 2022 at Princeton’s Class Day celebration on Monday, May 23, and he was inducted as an honorary member of the class. He poses with Class Day Co-Chairs, from left, Sarah Lee, Julia Chaffers, and Christian Potter. (Photo by Princeton University)

By Donald Gilpin

Emphasizing the challenges of “the failings in our society” and “our divided nation,” Dr. Anthony Fauci urged about 1,200 Princeton University seniors, along with families and friends gathered on Cannon Green on May 23, to commit to fighting injustice “and work with all our might to remedy the cultural disease of racism, just as we fight the viral disease of COVID-19.”

Fauci was selected by the Class of 2022 as keynote speaker at the University’s first in-person Class Day since 2019.  Chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and the leader of the White House COVID-19 task force, Fauci is also director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. He has advised seven presidents on health issues and in 2008 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Fauci pointed out lessons learned from the pandemic. “Our country’s experience with COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on one of the great failings in our society: the lack of health equity.”

He continued, “Many members of minority groups are at increased risk of COVID-19 simply because the jobs they have as essential workers do not allow them to isolate from social activity. More importantly, when people in minority groups are infected with the coronavirus, they have a much greater likelihood of developing a severe consequence due to elevated rates of underlying conditions … that lead to an increased risk of hospitalization and death.”

Emphasizing the effects of “the undeniable racism that persists in our society,” Fauci called on his audience for a promise that ”the tragic reality of the inequities experienced with COVID-19 does not fade after we return to our new normal.” more

After Months of Local Discussion and Debate, Council Does Not Approve In-Town Dispensary

By Donald Gilpin

Cannabis, legal and illegal, is available and in use in Princeton. Sales of retail cannabis have been legal for adults in New Jersey since April 21, with the nearest store just a few miles away on Route 1 and deliveries available throughout the state. The aroma was in the air at the P-rade and at various other Reunions gatherings on the Princeton University campus over the weekend.

But there will be no dispensary opening in town in the foreseeable future, as the May 17 Princeton Council Virtual Special Meeting on the issue of cannabis retail provided a relatively quiet culmination to six months of often fierce debate over the pros and cons of opening a cannabis store or stores in Princeton.

The meeting was advertised as a continuing listening session for Council. At the previous session on March 29, there were about 35 members of the public still lined up to speak at the end of a four-hour Zoom session attended by about 345 people.

Only 14 of the 35 returned on May 17, however, and after 45 minutes, with 13 of the 14 voicing opposition to a cannabis dispensary in town, the Council members began their discussion.

Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, who had headed the Cannabis Task Force that recommended in November 2021 that Council pass an ordinance allowing up to three cannabis retail establishments in town, expressed reluctant acceptance of the fact that despite potential advantages of a cannabis store in Princeton, that there was obviously widespread opposition and that the Princeton cannabis debate was too rancorous and time consuming.

She emphasized that the issue had had a “disturbingly and perhaps uniquely divisive” impact on the community and had taken a tremendous amount of Council’s time and energy.

“I continue to believe that Princeton should approve and regulate its own cannabis dispensary,” said Niedergang in a prepared statement, noting that cannabis and its challenges would exist in Princeton with or without a local store.  more

Panel Discussion at Morven Examines Achievements of Black Scientists at Bell Labs

PLAYING A ROLE IN A RENAISSANCE: Clyde Bethea, shown here with his tunable organic dye laser system in 1978, was among the panelists in a special presentation at Morven Museum, where an exhibit on Bell Labs in New Jersey is on view. (Courtesy of the Bethea Family)

By Anne Levin

The invention of cell phones, solar panels, radar, and the discovery of the Big Bang owe a debt to Bell Telephone Laboratories, better known as Bell Labs, which began operating throughout New Jersey some nine decades ago. Playing a significant role in these and other inventions were Black scientists, researchers, and mathematicians, who were encouraged to flourish at Bell’s Murray Hill headquarters in ways they might not have been as warmly welcomed elsewhere.

Their accomplishments were the focus of “20th Century Black Scientific Renaissance at Bell Labs,” a panel discussion presented live and online May 17 at Morven Museum, where the exhibit “Ma Bell: The Mother of Invention in New Jersey” is on view through next March. Moderated by Princeton University Professor William A. Massey, the panel included three Bell veterans. Two who were discussed have died in recent years.

Princeton resident and historian Shirley Satterfield introduced the panel. “Their time at Bell Labs was a glowing and noted renaissance,” she said. “Each brings his or her own accomplishment that opened up a better world to their dedicated work.”

Between them, the panelists hold a total of nearly 800 patents. Three are members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and one was a member of the inaugural class of the American Mathematical Society Fellows. The lists of accomplishments credited to them is long and impressive.

Clyde G. Bethea, recruited by Bell in the early 1970s, is an expert in the field of lasers, imaging, and quantum electronics. Having been at Bell Labs for more than 35 years, he is currently working on laser imaging for non-invasive, early-detection breast cancer tumors, for which a patent is pending.

“The idea came to me when I was in the hospital with lymphoma in 2003,” he said. “I started working in these ideas to figure out how to detect breast cancer in real time.” Bethea’s portable laser-stimulated cancer tumor imaging system, which he first developed at home, would allow cysts and tumors to be seen with very high accuracy.  more

Council Passes Two Resolutions To Make Rosedale Road Safer

By Anne Levin

At its meeting Monday night, Princeton Council voted in favor of two resolutions to enhance safety on Rosedale Road and General Johnson Way, the site of a pedestrian fatality last summer.

One of the resolutions reduces the speed limit from 40 and 45 miles per hour to 35; the other allows for a closure of the road this summer to build a roundabout. The hope is that construction will be completed by the time school starts in the fall.

The initiatives, which required the cooperation of Mercer County, made their way through the approval system quicker than usual. “We’re very fortunate that Mercer County really put safety as the utmost priority and took the action to get us to this point,” said Deanna Stockton, the town’s deputy administrator for infrastructure and operations. more

PU Fires Classics Professor Katz Following Complaint, Investigation

Joshua Katz

The Princeton University Board of Trustees voted on Monday, May 23 to fire Classics Professor Joshua Katz, effective immediately.

The dismissal followed an investigation initiated in February 2021 prompted by “a detailed written complaint” from an alumna who had a consensual relationship with Katz while she was an undergraduate under his academic supervision, according to a statement by Princeton University.

That relationship had prompted disciplinary proceedings against Katz in 2018 resulting in his unpaid suspension for the academic year 2018-19 and three years of probation from 2019-2022. 

The recent investigation concluded that Katz had “misrepresented facts or failed to be straightforward” during the  2018 proceedings and had discouraged the alumna from speaking and from “participating and cooperating” and from “seeking mental health care although he knew her to be in distress, all in an effort to conceal a relationship he knew was prohibited by University rules,” according to the Princeton University statement.  more

Residents Meet with University To Air Concerns About Blasting

By Anne Levin

Just before 1 p.m. each weekday, residents of Fitzrandolph Road, Murray Place, Prospect Avenue, Aiken Avenue, and other streets near the site where Princeton University is building a new complex brace themselves for a loud boom that rattles their walls as well as their nerves.

The boom is from blasting to prepare for construction of the University’s four new buildings for environmental studies and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (ES & SEAS). The first blasts began in March; the second phase is currently underway. The third and final segment is scheduled to take place from early October through March 2023, and in an area even closer to the residents’ homes.

Last week, some 30 homeowners met with staff from the University to express their growing concerns about effects of the blasting — cracks in sheetrock, molding, and walls; a sinkhole under a house; and water coming up through the middle of a basement floor. So far, there are nine reports by residents of damage caused by blasting.

KyuJung Whang, the University’s vice president for facilities, told those assembled that blasting is the standard methodology for this type of project. The technology has been used on other campus construction sites, most recently at the site of the East Campus Garage along Faculty Road.

“In all instances, we are following all national and local codes and standards,” he said. “We do want to be good neighbors. We have evaluated several alternatives to blasting, but haven’t found one that would work. But we will continue to seek and evaluate more options.” more

May 18, 2022

Pandemic’s New Phase “Will Test Us All”

By Donald Gilpin

With COVID case numbers rising again in Princeton and throughout the state, mask mandates have returned for Princeton Public Schools (PPS), as well as a number of other schools, in following New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) guidance. It’s another troubling development in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve entered new territory recently that will test us all,” said Princeton Board of Health Chair Dr. George DiFerdinando in an email on Monday. He went on to describe the current situation that has left many confused. “We’re at a moment of broad risk of infection and yet reduced incidence of severe illness,” he continued, “This situation can be confusing because during much of the pandemic, even after vaccination, infections and severe illnesses have tracked together. That’s no longer the case, at least for now.”

Noting that reported case numbers are increasing locally and throughout the country, he added, “Hospitalized and ICU-hospitalized patients are way down, which says that the severity of the pandemic is down, even if the number of infections may not be.”

The Princeton Health Department on May 16 reported 107 new cases in the previous seven days, 200 in the previous 14 days. May 9 totals were 108 for the previous seven days, 168 for the previous 14 days. Princeton recorded its highest totals in early January this year, with 287 cases reported in a single week, 568 in a two-week period.

The latest NJDOH COVID-19 activity level map shows five out of six regions in the state, including Mercer County in the Central West region, are at “high” risk for COVID-19 activity.

An email sent out last Friday to all PPS families, students, and staff, announced that, because of an increase in COVID-19 cases, starting on Monday, May 16, “the district will return to universal masking for all indoor activities and classes. Masks will also be required on PPS buses.” more

Appellate Court Hears Challenge to Dismissal Of Westminster Lawsuits

By Anne Levin

Attorneys for Rider University and the Westminster Foundation presented oral arguments Monday related to two lawsuits that were dismissed two years ago, and then appealed.

Designed to keep Rider from moving Westminster Choir College from its longtime home in Princeton to Rider’s Lawrenceville campus — which it did in 2020 — and selling the valuable, 22-acre Princeton site, the lawsuits were combined into a single hearing and heard in Trenton before Superior Court Appellate Judges Allison E. Accurso, Lisa Rose, and Catherine I. Enright.

If the judges agree with the Foundation’s appeal, the next step would be to go to trial. “If that happens, I feel very strongly we will win,” said attorney Bruce Afran, who represents the Foundation, a coalition of students, alumni, and faculty. The Foundation’s goal is to return Westminster to the Princeton campus, some of which remains in use for classes and concerts.

Rider and Westminster merged in 1991. The terms of the merger dictated that Rider maintain Westminster’s Princeton campus and programs. Citing financial woes, Rider announced in 2016 that it was seeking a buyer for Westminster that would keep the school in Princeton. When a $40 million deal to sell the choir college to a for-profit company based in China fell through, Rider opted to move the school to its Lawrenceville campus.

The original lawsuits brought by two groups — one of faculty, alumni, and donors; the other of students — were dismissed two years ago by Judge Robert Lougy of the Superior Court Chancery Division. In that case, Rider argued that the students did not have the right to use the courts to protect the school. Only Rider is permitted to make decisions regarding Westminster, the university claimed. more

Hundreds Gather to Protest at Hinds Plaza On “Bans Off Our Bodies Day of Action”

By Donald Gilpin

The pouring rain did not deter them or dampen their enthusiasm as more than 500 demonstrators gathered at Hinds Plaza in downtown Princeton on Saturday, May 14, to support abortion rights and protest in response to a leaked Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

One of more than 380 demonstrations taking place throughout the country, Saturday’s “Bans Off Our Bodies Day of Action” rally in Princeton, organized by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ), featured more than a dozen speakers — politicians, community leaders, activists, reproductive health providers — and drew abortion rights supporters from across the state.

Emphasizing how access to reproductive health care can impact lives, the speakers called on legislators to take action to protect and expand access to abortion care.

The block of Witherspoon Street alongside Hinds Plaza was closed to traffic for the duration of the event, as demonstrators spilled out into the street. Many carried homemade signs bearing a variety of messages such as: “Abortion is health care,” “Abortion is a human right,” “Protect American women’s rights,” “This is government-sponsored misogyny,” “Vote as if your rights depended on it,” and, even more creatively, ”Our wombs have more regulations than your guns,” and “Keep politics out of my uterus.”

Members of the crowd were eager to voice their concerns. “If you can’t control your reproduction — if you can’t control your body, you can’t control your life, and that’s the most basic thing,” said Jackie Syrop from Lawrenceville. “It’s all about controlling women. I’m tired of seeing this. I was around in ’71 and ’72 when people were talking about this. I thought maybe it was over then.” more

Spotted Lanternfly is Back, Hatched, Ready to Grow Into Colorful Nuisance

A COLORFUL NUISANCE: The spotted lanternfly is back in Princeton for a fourth summer. It appears as a small black insect in its early stages of growth, but by midsummer the adult lanternflies will be flying around in full color, leaving their sticky black excretions on tree trunks, cars, patios, and walkways. Tree experts recommend that residents remove the lanternfly’s host tree, the ailanthus or tree of heaven.

By Donald Gilpin

“They have hatched!” The text message from the Princeton municipal arborist arrived at 8:30 a.m. on Monday. “Just saw them today.” Beginning as a harmless-looking little black insect or nymph, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) will grow into the colorful flying adult insect that drops from trees, lands everywhere, and excretes a sticky black substance onto patios, sidewalks, cars, and trees.

“You’ll see the nymphs, the little black insect,” said Princeton Municipal Arborist Taylor Sapudar. “Then they’ll develop into the second phase, a little red crawler, but we won’t be seeing the adults — the ones that are flying around and landing on you — until midsummer.”

He continued, “So far it does not appear to be an insect that will cause major hardwood damage to the tree. A lot of residents are under the impression that it’s going to act similarly to the emerald ash borer, which completely kills the ash tree, but the spotted lanternfly is more of a cosmetic or ornamental nuisance.”

Sapudar described what many Princeton residents can expect two or three months from now. “They may be on trees overhanging your driveway or your patio,” he said. “When they feed they’re going to excrete that black sticky substance that has the potential to get onto your car or elsewhere.”

He went on to outline a strategy of destroying the spotted lanternfly’s preferred habitat, the tree of heaven or ailanthus tree. He noted, however, “if they’re on an ornamental tree like a maple or birch, to remove the tree is not recommended at all.” more

Local Youngster to Appear on Stage With New York City Ballet

DANCING IN A “DREAM”: Caia Howcroft, a student at New York’s School of American Ballet, practices in her family’s Princeton home for upcoming performances of George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with the New York City Ballet.

By Anne Levin

As the official academy of New York City Ballet, the School of American Ballet (SAB) provides all of the children who appear with the company at Lincoln Center in ballets featuring roles for youngsters. One of those ballets is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Koch Theatre May 21-29.

Among the children in the cast is 10-year-old Caia Howcroft, a fifth grader at Littlebrook School. She lives with her family in Princeton and takes classes at the ballet school in New York four times a week — six, if you count rehearsals.

“I’m kind of like a little bug,” Caia described her role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was choreographed by George Balanchine in 1967. “It’s really fun, and I like doing it. The steps in it are ones I knew, but the people teaching me really wanted to get down to the details and perfect it, and of course, have us dance all together. In class we kind of only practice what we’re doing ourselves, but in rehearsal you have to be all together — in sync.” more

Area Residents Turn Out For Tour of Historic Sites on Lawrence Hopewell Trail

By Anne Levin 

On Saturday, May 14, more than 40 area residents and members of the LHT Saturday Morning Walking Club took part in the official unveiling of “History Along the LHT,” an interpretive signage program developed for the Lawrence Hopewell Trail. 

“The Lawrence Hopewell Trail passes through many locations that reflect centuries of the rich history of this corner of Mercer County,” said former Lawrence Township historian and current LHT board member Dennis P. Waters at the event. He led a walk to three new signs along the LHT: the Brearley Oak, a tree between 255 and 410 years old; Lewisville Road, Lawrence Township’s oldest African American community; and Princeton Pike, one of New Jersey’s oldest toll roads. 

“From ancient trees to colonial thoroughfares to abandoned grist mills to remnants of the trolley era, local history sprouts from the trail at every turn,” Waters said. “With this project, we bring this history to life through interpretive signs at 31 locations that are significant in local history along the LHT’s 22 miles.” 

While no one knows for sure the age of the Brearley Oak, estimates for the eastern black oak range from 255 to 410 years old. The trunk’s circumference is 258 inches, and it stands 110 feet high with a crown of 148 feet, as measured in 2019. The tree is named for the Brearley family, which settled in the area in 1690, according to information from the LHT. Bristol Myers Squibb now owns the land and tends to the tree with the help of professional arborists. more

May 11, 2022

Council Continues Cannabis Zoom on May 17

By Donald Gilpin

As discussion and debate over the question of retail cannabis in Princeton continue in the public and private spheres of the community, Princeton Council is preparing to host a virtual special meeting on the subject on Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. 

Council will be in listening mode again at the session. Members of the public who had their hands raised but did not have a chance to speak at the last cannabis meeting on March 29 will have the first opportunity to speak. There were about 345 in attendance on March 29, with about 35 still waiting to speak when the four-hour meeting finally ended at about 11 p.m.

Mayor Mark Freda and Council members have been enthusiastic about the level of community participation and engagement, as they attempt to process the wide range of input and perspectives before beginning deliberations over whether to create an ordinance to allow a cannabis dispensary in Princeton.

If time permits, additional participants will have an opportunity to speak at the May 17 meeting, but only those members of the public who had their hands up when the March 29 meeting ended are guaranteed that opportunity. A Zoom link for the meeting will be provided at princetonnj.gov.

New Jersey voted in a November 2020 referendum to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis in the state. Under the subsequent legalization law, municipalities were empowered to make the decision whether to allow retail sales and to control the cannabis businesses in their towns.

Princeton Council initially opted not to allow dispensaries in town pending further study and discussion, and it created an ad hoc advisory body, the Cannabis Task Force (CTF), which, in November 2021, recommended that Council pass an ordinance allowing up to three cannabis retail establishments. more

Ordinance Restricting Use of Gas Leaf Blowers Goes Into Effect

By Anne Levin and Don Gilpin

As of Monday, landscapers and homeowners will have to care for their lawns without the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. May 16 marks the end of a 90-day grace period allowing residents and landscapers time to adapt to new regulations established by an ordinance Princeton Council adopted last fall.

The ordinance bans usage of the equipment from now until October, when it is lifted for two months during peak fall season. The ban resumes in mid-December and runs through the following March, when the cycle begins again.

Council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance after nearly a year of deliberations by Sustainable Princeton, Quiet Princeton, the Princeton Environmental Commission, and the Board of Health. The goal is not only to protect the environment, but also the health of landscaping workers.

“It went into effect in October, but this is the first time people will really be forced to change,” said Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, who led the effort. “The dates we decided on were determined with the input of the landscaping community — when they absolutely need the gas leaf blowers, and when can they manage without them. We tried to do this in an equitable way, bringing in all the parties involved.”

While gas-powered leaf blowers are subject to the changes, gas-powered and battery-powered mowers can be used year-round. The rules allow them Mondays-Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and Sundays and named holidays from 1-6 p.m.

The ordinance encourages landscapers to replace gas-powered with battery-powered equipment. A Landscape Equipment Transition Fund established by Sustainable Princeton provides up to $500 in financial assistance for qualified small landscaping companies. “There is still money left in the fund for landscapers who want to take advantage of this,” said Niedergang. more

PU Announces Research Partnerships With United Negro College Fund and Five HBCUs

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University professors and their peers at five historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will be undertaking research collaborations funded by Princeton University through its new Princeton Alliance for Collaborative Research and Innovation (PACRI).

Announced last week, the groundbreaking program, in partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), will link up Princeton researchers with researchers from Howard University, Jackson State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with teams of Princeton-HBCU researchers invited to submit proposals by June 30, 2022.

“We highly value partnerships at Princeton, whether they are with other academic institutions, industry, governments, or nonprofits,” said Princeton University Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Vice Dean for Innovation and PACRI Co-Leader Rodney Priestley, as quoted in a Princeton University press release. “We believe that these collaborations enable Princeton researchers and innovators to achieve things that we cannot achieve alone.”

Princeton’s Dean for Research and Professor in Engineering and Applied Science and Chemical and Biological Engineering Pablo Debenedetti noted, “Collaboration is a powerful force for new ideas and creativity in research and scholarship. By creating a mechanism that encourages faculty from Princeton and HBCUs to work together, we hope to spark the creation of new teams of researchers that bring together people with different perspectives, experiences, and expertise. The potential to generate new knowledge and discoveries across a wide range of disciplines is very exciting.” more

Wendy Benchley Speaks About Her Work Saving Sharks and Protecting the Oceans

MAGNIFICENT CREATURES: While less in peril than in the past, sharks are still endangered, said Wendy Benchley during a talk last week at the Present Day Club.

By Anne Levin

Former Boudinot Street resident Wendy Benchley came back to Princeton last week to talk about her unceasing efforts to save sharks, conserve the oceans, and advocate for a cleaner, safer environment.

Speaking May 4 to members of the Present Day Club, Benchley charmed the packed audience with some memories from the set of the 1975 movie Jaws, based on the best-selling book by her late husband Peter Benchley, before sharing sobering evidence about the treatment of sharks and the state of the world’s oceans.

Ultimately, though, Benchley left her listeners with hope for the future. “All of these issues take a long time to solve, but I am more hopeful than I’ve been in 40 years,” she said. “Funding for ocean conservation has tripled in the last 10 years. And we’ve quadrupled the number of MPAs (marine protected areas).”

The Benchleys were prominent residents of Princeton, where they moved from Pennington Borough after the success of Jaws. Peter Benchley died in 2006. Wendy Benchley served three terms on the former Princeton Borough Council starting in 2000. She now lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband John Jeppson III, whom she married in 2011. more

Rumors Fly at Princeton Public Schools, Fueled by Social Media, Online Petitions

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Public Schools (PPS) community was abuzz with rumors, social media posts, and two widely-circulated petitions in the week leading up to last night’s anticipated Princeton Board of Education (BOE) vote, after press time, to renew more than 600 employee contracts for next year. The renewal vote was expected to include Princeton High School (PHS) first-year principal Frank Chmiel.

The first petition “In Support of Principal Chmiel,” initiated by PHS seniors Kyara Torres-Olivares and Joycelyn Brobbey and sent to PPS Superintendent Carol Kelley and the BOE, claimed that Kelley had recommended that Chmiel’s contract not be renewed for next year. The petition, which had almost 1,200 signatures as of May 9, went on for two pages, praising Chmiel’s many contributions to PHS and closing with the “hope he remains principal of PHS for years to come to allow all students to experience the inclusivity we have felt this year.”

Apparently the rumor of his proposed termination was a product of misinformed social media. The question of Chmiel’s nonrenewal never came before the Board of Education, according to an anonymous district official. Chmiel’s name was on the list to be approved for renewals at last night’s meeting.

By law the district must keep all personnel discussions confidential, and could not comment on the rumor in advance of last night’s decision.  more

Council Hears Detailed Report On Community Mobility Study

By Anne Levin

A report on a recent Community Mobility Study was presented to Princeton Council at its meeting Monday night. Based on surveys conducted with two separate groups — Princeton High School (PHS) students and all residents and visitors — the study was launched to understand the town’s transportation needs and plan for its future.

“As Princeton’s population is set to grow significantly in the next few years, the town must accommodate the transportation needs of more residents while also curbing traffic congestion and keeping pedestrian and bicycle riders safe,” reads the introduction to the study. “At the same time, Princeton’s Climate Action Plan calls for an overall reduction of carbon emissions, including those related to transportation.”

Jessica Wilson and Tineke Thio, among those who have worked on the survey for over a year, made the presentation. Their goal, said Wilson, was to discover what is working well, what is difficult and dangerous, and how public transit can be improved.

The PHS survey was responded to by 75 percent of the student body. The general survey received 470 responses. Over a third of the students said they use a bike to get to school once a week or more.

Use of the town’s free municipal bus and Princeton University’s free Tiger Transit network are not widely patronized. Asked what would encourage more usage, respondents said more stops and a more regular schedule would provide incentive. “The key is that the downtown shuttle buses need an extensive network and be regular,” wrote one respondent cited in the report. “I’d really love to ditch my car if I could.” more

May 4, 2022

COVID Cases Decline Locally, Rise in NJ

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Health Department on May 2 reported 60 new cases of COVID-19 in the previous seven days, an 8.5 daily average, and 109 cases in the previous 14 days.

“Princeton has begun to see a decrease in COVID-19 infections after four weeks of sustained increases,” said Jeff Grosser, princeton deputy administrator and director of health.

The New Jersey statewide transmission rate was 1.18 on May 3, with any number over 1 indicating that the outbreak is expanding, with each new case leading to least one additional case. Hospitalizations remain far below peaks reached during this past January’s Omicron surge.

Mercer County and seven other counties out of New Jersey’s 21 counties were recently raised from “low” to “medium” transmission rate level, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We continue to monitor these scores as well as hospitalization rates from COVID-19 to assess COVID-19 severity level,” said Grosser. “As we have now seen multiple case surges with mostly mild cases, this helps to guide us forward in the pandemic, allowing normal activities to continue through the summer months.”

Grosser noted that the health department is tracking clustered outbreaks in Princeton schools. The Princeton Public Schools saw an uptick in cases, with 48 new cases for the week ending April 29. The previous week there had been just 18 cases reported, 26 and 31 in the weeks before that. more