August 28, 2024

Former Township Mayor Bernie Miller Remembered Fondly by Colleagues

By Anne Levin

Bernard “Bernie” Miller, who died Saturday, August 24 at the age of 95, served as mayor of Princeton Township and later on the consolidated Princeton Council. Those who worked alongside him in municipal government remember him as a dedicated public servant and mentor.

Mayor Mark Freda began Monday night’s Council meeting with a moment of silence in Miller’s honor. “He served this community in so many different aspects so well, for so many years,” Freda said before calling for the tribute. On Tuesday morning, he added in an email, “I admired Bernie and truly enjoyed working and talking with him. He did a lot for our community.” more

With $1.3M Funding, Battlefield State Park Prepares for U.S. Semiquincentennial

TURNING THE TIDE: Artillery reenactors participate in a reenactment of the January 1777 Battle of Princeton. Princeton Battlefield State Park recently received $1.3 million in funding from the State of New Jersey, which it is using to preserve and revitalize the park in preparation for an anticipated influx of visitors celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (Photo by Andrew Walker)

By Donald Gilpin

The American Battlefield Trust (ABT) has recently received $1.3 million in funding from the State of New Jersey, and, along with the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) and other local partners, has extensive plans for revitalization, transformation, and preservation of the Princeton Battlefield in preparing for the 2026 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Site of the Battle of Princeton, where George Washington’s Continental Army defeated British forces in 1777, the Princeton Battlefield is a state park and National Historic Landmark. The funding was secured in the state’s FY 2025 budget by State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, along with Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis and Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and will be disbursed through the American Battlefield Trust (ABT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving America’s battlegrounds and providing history education. more

Princeton Community Housing to Host Benefit Event as Milestone Year Approaches

AFFORDABLE HOMES: Committee members for Princeton Community Housing’s upcoming “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” event are planning a benefit on Friday, September 27 at Morven Museum & Garden to support projects for PCH’s 1,100 residents. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Community Housing)

By Donald Gilpin

Inviting supporters to “sow the seeds of success,” Princeton Community Housing (PCH) will host “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” on Friday, September 27 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Morven Museum & Garden. The evening will feature a cocktail reception, a silent auction, and a seated dinner under the tent catered by Occasions by Cintron.

Presented by Penn Medicine Princeton Health, the fundraising celebration will benefit the work and mission of PCH, with this year’s theme highlighting the importance of having “a place to call home — whether a house or a community — to grow and thrive,” according to Event Committee Chair and PCH Trustee Caroline Travers. more

August 21, 2024

Newly Opened Graduate Hotel Drawing Crowds

By Anne Levin

Michael Monarca

Michael Monarca worked in the hotel industry for nearly three decades before switching to real estate. Tired of commuting to hotels in New York and around the world from his home in Princeton, Monarca spent 10 years selling houses for Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty, near his home in town. From time to time, a colleague from his years at Manhattan’s Marriott Marquis would reach out to him about getting back into the hospitality business.

“I would tell him, jokingly, “Build a hotel in Princeton and then we’ll talk,’ ” said Monarca, who is the general manager of the new Graduate Princeton, which opened officially last week on the corner of Nassau and Chambers streets. “He’s now the president of Highgate Hotels, which manages this hotel. So here I am.”

To say the past few weeks have been a whirlwind for Monarca would be an understatement. Orchestrating the opening of the much-anticipated 180-room hotel — the first in Princeton since The Nassau Inn opened nearly 90 years ago — has been a round-the-clock endeavor. For the past month, Monarca has even spent nights in different rooms around the hotel.  more

Health Authorities Weigh In as Fall Virus Season Approaches

By Donald Gilpin 

COVID-19 cases have seen an increase over the summer months, according to Princeton Deputy Administrator/Director of Health Jeff Grosser, but case numbers are lower than they were last year, and the Princeton Health Department is preparing for the upcoming fall season, when respiratory disease infections are likely to rise.

Grosser described a “dual seasonality” for COVID-19 with infections peaking twice a year, once in the summer and rising again in our area in November to reach a high point in January before subsiding.

At Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Chief Medical Officer and VP of Medical Affairs Dr. Craig Gronczewski reported COVID-19 infections on the rise both nationally and regionally, but noted little impact at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center. “In fact our inpatient COVID-19 census is relatively low, ranging between two to five inpatients the prior few days,” he wrote in an August 20 email. “We may even anticipate a downward trend over the next 30 days.” more

Landon Jones Recalled As Brilliant, Curious, “Always a Gentleman”

A FRIEND TO MANY: Landon Jones, shown here in his younger years, is remembered by friends for his many unique qualities. (Photo courtesy of the Jones family)

By Anne Levin

To his many friends, Landon “Lanny” Jones, who died Saturday, August 17 at the age of 80, had a natural gift for connecting people and exploring new paths and interests.

A graduate of Princeton University’s class of 1966, Jones was a writer and former editor of People magazine, the Princeton Alumni Weekly (PAW), and Money magazine. His most recent book, Celebrity Nation, was published in 2023. A complete obituary is on page 27.

“Lanny was a unique and loyal friend,” wrote Michael Mathews in an email. “He knew everyone and was generous in making connections among his friends. Though intensely competitive in tennis and squash, he was always a gentleman. Lanny was intellectually curious and anxious to explore new paths. He continued asking questions to the end. He will be missed by so many.” more

New Center at Stuart Focuses on Holistic Approach to Learning

READY FOR SCHOOL: Celebrating the completion of the new Cor Cordis Center for Exceptional Leadership at Stuart Country Day School are, from left: Julia Wall, head of school at Stuart; Paul Meyer, W.S. Cumby Construction; Bill Cumby, CEO of W.S. Cumby Construction; Darren Malone, director of facilities and sustainability at Stuart; Paul Teti, co-chair of the Stuart Board of Trustees; Woodney Wachter, co-chair of the Stuart Board of Trustees; and Beth Marks, director of development at Stuart.

By Anne Levin

Thanks to an aggressive construction schedule, a new student services hub at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart will make its debut on the opening day of school, September 4. The Cor Cordis Center for Exceptional Leadership takes its name from the Latin for “heart of hearts,” and it is designed to be exactly that — the heart of the school.

The center is more of a reimagining than a reconstruction. Architects Hone + Associates used the existing footprint of the two floors surrounding the school’s “Stairway of Intellectuality” to modernize and centralize the space. The goal was to foster a collaborative approach to teaching courses and providing guidance related to prioritizing students’ well-being. more

Princeton Democrats Ramp Up for Harris, Meet for Convention Final Night Festivities

By Donald Gilpin

Charged up over the candidacy of Kamala Harris with only 78 days until Election Day, Princeton Democrats are hosting a Convention Night Watch Party Fundraiser this Thursday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m. They are urging supporters to “watch history in the making” on a big screen, as Harris accepts the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.

“We’re going to watch the convention from 7:30 onwards and see Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech live,” said Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) President Nick DiDomizio, who noted a significant boost in excitement over the past few weeks.

“I definitely saw a lot of enthusiasm after Biden stepped out of the race and Vice President Harris became the presumptive nominee,” DiDomizio said. “Before that there were a lot of people who were on the fence, and they weren’t willing to step in.” more

Princeton Montessori’s Parenting Podcasts Offer Practical Advice, Creative Solutions

By Donald Gilpin

Young children and their parents might find levels of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety rising as August winds down and the last weeks of summer approach, but Princeton Montessori School (PMonts) has a plan.

PMonts has initiated “Growing Together: A Montessori Approach to Parenting,” a series of podcasts of about 20 minutes each that will be addressing topics and challenges such as back-to-school separation, sleeping, eating, potty training, discipline, social-emotional issues, friendships, and more.

PMonts teachers, who will provide expert commentary on these podcasts, have found that these issues are of greatest interest to parents of their students.  more

August 14, 2024

Council Renames Committee, Enacts Sign Ordinance

By Anne Levin

An ordinance officially finalizing the name of an advisory committee and the approval of resolutions related to issues including signage, sewer replacement, engineering services, and health services were among the topics at a brief meeting of Princeton Council on Monday evening, August 12.

The governing body voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance that changes the name of the “Advisory Committee on Affordable Housing, Human Services, and Racial, Social and Economic Equity” to “the Committee on Affordable Housing, Racial, Economic, Social Equity and Services,” also known as the CARES Advisory Committee. The name change refers to the consolidation early this year of the former Civil Rights Commission, Human Services Commission, and Affordable Housing Board into one entity. more

Area Science Teachers Expand Horizons In PU QUEST Program

URBAN HYDROLOGY TOUR: The Watershed Institute’s Jim Waltman led a contingent of K-12 educators and Princeton University-affiliated experts on a hydrology tour of Princeton last week as part of the University’s QUEST program for STEM teachers. (Photo courtesy of Princeton University)

By Donald Gilpin

More than 30 K-12 STEM teachers, representing school districts from across New Jersey, are participating in Princeton University’s QUEST program this summer, immersing themselves a rich variety of learning experiences in the world of science and mathematics.

QUEST is an acronym for “Questioning Underlies Effective Science Teaching,” and Jessica Monaghan, assistant director of STEM in the University’s Program of Teacher Preparation which organizes the QUEST programs, emphasized the power of questioning.

In her August 7 concluding remarks to the QUEST educators and scholars at the second of three week-long programs, she praised the level of engagement of the 10 area public school teachers who had completed last week’s program on hydrology. She noted, “What was so exciting to me as a learner is seeing how your questions evolved over the week.” more

Kopp’s Merges with Pedego Princeton, Ready to Begin New Era This Friday

By Donald Gilpin

Kopp’s Cycle, known as the oldest continually running bike store in the country, will be opening its doors on Friday, August 16, for the start of a new phase in its history that dates back to 1891.

Electric bikes (ebikes) will now make up about 60 percent of the inventory, and a new name, Pedego Princeton at Kopp’s, will reflect the priorities of the new owners and operators of the Spring Street shop, which has been shut down since December 1, 2023, though bike repairs and a few sales have continued.

Princeton Property Partners purchased the business and the property early this year, and has teamed up with Wendy Reilley, who will be running the new store, moving her Pedego Princeton operation from its temporary Wiggins Street location where it has sold electric bikes over the past three years. more

PMS Graduates Explore Life in Ecuador, Make Lasting Cultural and Personal Ties

IN THE ANDES: Caminos Princeton, organized by two Community Park Elementary School aides, recently returned from an 11-day expedition to Ecuador, where rising Princeton ninth graders toured the country and spent five days living with Ecuadorian host families. The visiting Princeton contingent is seen here with their Ecuadorian host families. (Photo courtesy of Caminos Princeton)

By  Donald Gilpin

“Travel and cultural exchange can change lives,” wrote Alessandra Clemens-Lores and Queta Alban, Community Park Elementary School aides in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.

They proved that assertion again last month in leading 11 Princeton Middle School (PMS) recent graduates on an 11-day expedition through Ecuador that included exploring the Ecuadorian rain forest, rafting on the Yanayacu River, crossing the Andes, touring the capital city Quito, and biking through the lava fields of the volcanic valley of Cotopaxi, as well as community service at a local school in the Amazon, immersion time with Ecuadorian host families, and a focus on social and ecological awareness. more

Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) Prepares A Second Community Garden at the YMCA/YWCA

RESTORATIVE: Open to all, the SHUPP Sensory Garden, under construction behind the Princeton YMCA and YWCA, is designed to provide visitors with a calming atmosphere while stimulating the senses.

By Anne Levin

The community garden within the grounds of the Princeton YMCA and YWCA is about to be joined by a second enclosure. Like its predecessor, the Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) Sensory Garden will be welcoming to all. But while the original garden invites people to pick any produce and herbs that they need, this one has a different purpose.

The area is described in a release from SHUPP as “a restorative community garden designed to be accessible, inclusive, and safe.”

Ross Wishnick, the founder of the nonprofit, elaborated. “I was in Seattle, visiting my son, and I went to see the sensory garden there. I was impressed by the way it appeals to the five senses,” he said. “It was my thought that it would be nice to have one here in Princeton — a little bit of ‘feel good.’ Then, as I was talking to other people about it, I realized that this kind of garden is good for people who are on the spectrum. It’s calming. So we get a twofer — a nice, comfortable place for everyone, but more than that.” more

Next “Sustainable Minds” Session Explores Concept of 15-Minute Neighborhoods

By Anne Levin

Since holding its first “Sustainable Minds” presentation virtually two years ago, the nonprofit Sustainable Princeton has presented experts on such topics as stormwater management, community solar, and zero-energy buildings. Next in the series, on Wednesday, September 11 at 7 p.m., is “15-Minute Neighborhoods,” which the public can attend live in Princeton Public Library’s Community Room, or online.

Planner Jon A. Carnegie and policy analyst Alex Ambrose will discuss how living within 15 minutes of social services, parks, gathering places, and various amenities creates a more sustainable, resilient, healthy, and equitable neighborhood — the way many towns used to be. Carnegie, the executive director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, recently lead a two-year study of the concept. Ambrose is a transportation and climate policy analyst. more

August 1, 2024

Evan Gershkovich Released from Russian Prison

As part of a multi-prisoner swap deal, Princeton High School graduate and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been released from prison in Moscow, along with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who has also been freed. According to ABC News, the swap has allowed both detained citizens to return home.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested by Russian authorities while on assignment in March 2023, and charged with espionage. A month ago, he was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony. Both he and Whelan, who was arrested in 2018 and also accused of espionage, denied the charges. Whelan has served five years in prison.

Gershkovich graduated from Princeton High School in 2010 and was captain of its soccer team. He graduated from Bowdoin College, where he also played soccer, in 2014.

Princeton Public Schools Acting Superintendent Kathie Foster said in a statement, “We are relieved and delighted by the news that Evan Gershkovich has been released from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States and other countries. Our thoughts are with his family as they will soon be reunited with him after 15 months of wrongful detention. I know I speak for all Evan’s former teachers, his classmates, and the entire Princeton Public Schools community when I share our joy of his return home to the United States and his family.”

July 31, 2024

Annual Joint Effort Safe Streets Program Kicks Off This Friday

by Wendy Greenberg

It’s a celebration of, and a reflection on, where the Witherspoon-Jackson community has been, and where it is going. And it’s an annual coming together of the community. The Witherspoon-Jackson Joint Effort Princeton Safe Streets Summer Program kicks off this Friday, August 2, acknowledging the legacy of Princeton resident Paul Robeson, and heralding many more local heroes.

Each day in the program, which runs from Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 11, is named for someone important to the Witherspoon-Jackson community, and also important to Princeton. “Each one is a ‘hero and sheroe’ to the community,” said John Bailey, Joint Effort Community Sports Program and Joint Effort Princeton Witherspoon-Jackson Community Safe Streets Summer Program founder and director.

“The kickoff brings elected officials and concerned citizens together to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of African Americans to the Princeton Community,” said Bailey, who grew up in Princeton and is now a consultant and community organizer in Denver, Colo., but gives back to Princeton in many ways.

The festive and informational event has been going on for almost 40 years. In addition to this year’s focus on Princeton activist Paul Robeson, the future of Princeton, and community bonding through panels, sports, and honorees are all on the schedule.  more

Funding From NJEDA Allows Share My Meals to Expand Its Reach

By Anne Levin

Share My Meals, the Princeton-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing food insecurity and the environmental impact of food waste, has been awarded a $125,000 sponsorship from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to establish a statewide Meal Recovery Coalition (MRC).

The funding will allow the organization, which recovers surplus nutritious, prepared meals from cafeterias and food services and delivers them to those in need, to expand its reach statewide. According to sharemymeals.org, 1.2 million people in New Jersey are food insecure. And in the food service sector alone, an estimated five million prepared meals are being wasted each year in the Garden State.

The sponsorship from the NJEDA “will make a substantial difference in fighting food insecurity and food waste in the local community,” said Share My Meals CEO Helene Lanctuit, in a press release. “The support exemplifies Gov. Murphy’s commitment to creating a stronger, fairer, New Jersey, where every individual has access to nutritious food and no meal goes to waste. We look forward to announcing the members of the MRC in the fall.” more

IAS Announces Launch of New Center for Collaborative Research

By Anne Levin

A new initiative designed to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary projects that are beyond the reach of single scholars has been announced by the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). The Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Collaborative Research will launch its first call for proposals this fall.

The goal is to support “team-based, theme-based, inter-institutional, and interdisciplinary projects led by Institute scholars in collaboration with researchers across and beyond academia,” reads a release from the IAS. “The Nelson Center will provide seed funding to develop early-stage research ideas, large-scale funding for multi-year research agendas, and the space, infrastructure, and expertise for collaborative projects with partners across the globe.”

Like so many sweeping concepts credited to the IAS — Albert Einstein’s idea of quantum entanglement among them — the plan for the center began germinating over the Institute’s daily ritual of faculty afternoon tea, said IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor David Nirenberg.  more

Hammerstein House Summer Tours Put Musical Theater History on Stage

HAMMERSTEIN HOME: Tours continue through August at Highland Farm in Doylestown, Pa., the former residence of renowned lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II where many of his popular musicals were written. (Photo courtesy of Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center)

By Wendy Greenberg

A year ago, on August 1, 2023, the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center (OHMTEC) announced a gift that would allow the nonprofit to secure Highland Farm, the Bucks County, Pa., residence of renowned lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II.

The long-awaited purchase of Highland Farm, Hammerstein’s home for 20 years, where beloved musicals like Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music were written, was completed in December 2023, and now the nonprofit organization has invited the public to visit the rooms where those and other musicals were written.  more

Local Events Commemorate Anniversary of Hiroshima, Nagasaki Atomic Bombings

By Wendy Greenberg

Two local events, one in person and the other online, will commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. Both are estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people both from exposure to the blasts and from long-term effects of radiation.

One event is the 45th annual commemoration by the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) on Monday, August 5 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Hinds Plaza. The other, sponsored by Princeton Public Library (PPL) and the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP), is an online informational event on the legacy of Manhattan Project director J. Robert Oppenheimer, to be presented on August 7 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.  more

Two Brothers Write, Perform, and Produce Their Own Songs

BAND OF BROTHERS: Roger Palmer, left, and his younger sibling James Palmer have been attracting attention in the local music world with their band, XROADRUNNER. Their roots in Princeton and Montgomery go back three generations.

By Anne Levin

Roger and James Palmer have been making music together since their early childhood. Recently, the Princeton natives — Roger, a recent graduate of Rutgers University who teaches at Princeton Child Development Institute; and James, a student at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Massachusetts — have taken their talents to the next level with the release on Spotify of two of their songs.

Their band, XROADRUNNER, has developed a following in New Brunswick. The siblings can boast multiple musical talents. Both play guitar and drums. James is a classically trained cellist. more

July 24, 2024

Council Votes in Favor of Seminary Apartment Project

By Anne Levin

Following a public hearing Monday evening, Princeton Council voted to adopt a redevelopment plan for properties at Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) that includes a 238-unit apartment complex on Stockton Street at Hibben Road. The unanimous vote came after comments from numerous residents of the surrounding neighborhood and other areas of Princeton. Most spoke in opposition to the plan, while some others expressed support.

The Council meeting came a few days after the Planning Board reviewed the plan and voted that it was consistent with the town’s Master Plan. Many of the same people who attended the Planning Board meeting turned out at the public hearing to express their concerns, urging Council to delay its decision.  more

Meadows Neighborhood on Washington Road in Full Swing This Fall

By Donald Gilpin

Almost three years since groundbreaking and many more years in the planning, Princeton University’s Meadows Neighborhood on Washington Road is ready to welcome a full complement of graduate students, athletics teams, and more this fall.

“The Meadows Neighborhood will provide a place that is experienced as a natural, yet distinctive extension of the existing campus,” wrote Associate Vice President for Capital Projects Dozie Ibeh. “The initial projects encourage a lively community of living and learning.” more

Three New Candidates Set to Run for BOE; Betsy Baglio Will Step Down After Nine Years

By Donald Gilpin

Amidst recent upheavals on the national political scene, Princeton has its own election excitement coming up in the local race for positions on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).

With the filing deadline for the November election just a few days away, the campaign for three spots on the BOE has three new candidates in the race, two incumbents stepping down at the end of the year, and a third incumbent not available for comment.

Betsy Baglio, BOE member for the past nine years, wrote in a July 22 email to Town Topics that she would not be running for a fourth term. “While I look forward to seeking other opportunities after completing my Board service at the end of this calendar year, I will always remain committed to the success of the Princeton Public Schools as a parent, community member, and educator,” she said. “I will continue to advocate for the well-being and achievement of PPS students (Including equitable access to all opportunities) and support our dedicated faculty and staff.” more