By Donald Gilpin

With COVID-19 new case numbers falling rapidly in Princeton and throughout the state and New Jersey’s mask mandate scheduled to be lifted in schools and child care centers on March 7, Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Services Jeff Grosser was willing to consider the possibility of moving from the acute phase of COVID-19 into “a more manageable section of the pandemic.”

On Monday, February 7, the Princeton Health Department reported 49 new COVID-19 cases in Princeton in the previous seven days, 132 cases over the previous 14 days, continuing significant declines in infections. The previous week’s January 31 tally was 83 new cases over the previous seven days and 209 over the previous 14 days. Case numbers also continued to drop at Princeton University and at the Princeton Public Schools.

”I believe the warmer weather on its way and the increased opportunity to spend significant portions of our days outside will continue to alleviate the disease burden we have seen through this winter,” Grosser wrote in a February 8 email.

He went on to discuss the health department’s ongoing efforts to deliver an effective managed response. “There is risk associated with every activity we take part in, whether it’s driving to work or playing in an adult soccer league,” he said. “Each has risk associated with injury and even death. With COVID-19 we (as a civilization) are still working out those numbers and subconscious thoughts.” Grosser stressed the value of vaccinations, masking, and physical distancing as “tools to alleviate, decrease, and minimize those risks.”

He emphasized booster doses and their uptake, primarily in the older population, as “a primary concern of the health department,” pointing out, “One of the most susceptible populations to COVID-19, those over 80 years of age, have a booster dose coverage of 75 percent. This is alarming considering the level of infection we recently saw from the Omicron variant and seeing individuals who were initially vaccinated but not boosted being hospitalized.”

Noting that “individuals are at a substantially lower risk of severe illness and death if vaccinated versus being unvaccinated” and that Princeton vaccination rates are higher than the state and Mercer County averages, Grosser highlighted the need to improve vaccination rates in specific local populations.

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By Donald Gilpin

Throughout the year, but especially during the month of February, Princeton and the surrounding area offer an assortment of opportunities to engage with, learn about, and explore the rich history and culture of Black Americans.

Princeton University African American Studies Professor Imani Perry, in a recent interview with Jamie Saxon of the University’s Office of Communication, reflected on the origins of Black History Month and its meaning and importance today.   

Black History Month follows a tradition from the 19th and early 20th centuries set by Black teachers in the segregated South of commemorating significant people and events in Black history during the week of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays. “It was a gorgeous tradition that grew in defiance of the standard narrative in this country, which held that Black people had contributed nothing of value to human civilization,” said Perry.

Scholar and educator Carter Woodson began Negro History Week in 1926, and since 1976 every U.S. president has officially designated February as Black History Month.

“In 2022, we find ourselves in a period where there is a concerted effort to remove Black people from the history of this country and instead turn to a mythological depiction of the country,” Perry continued. “So, it’s absolutely clear that we still have to contest false histories that exclude the fabric of who has been here, and what happened. But also, telling a history of the resilience, and the social, political, and intellectual traditions, imagination, and events that grew among people who were kept out of full citizenship is important for envisioning how we continue to pursue justice.”

“Overcoming: Reflections on Struggle, Resilience, and Triumph,” an exhibit by Princeton artist, activist, and writer Rhinold Ponder, is being featured at the Arts Council of Princeton’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts through March 5. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Ponder’s mixed media paintings on display “provoke reflection of the resilience of Black people in a continuing struggle for recognition of their humanity and demand for human rights,” the ACP notes on its website, artscouncilofprinceton.org, where more information about Ponder and the exhibit is available.

At McCarter Theatre, a world premiere musical, Dreaming Zenzile, based on the life of Miriam Makeba, will be running for just six more performances, through Sunday, February 13. Written and performed by Somi Kakoma and directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, this production is ”an electrifying portrait of a revolutionary artist’s singular voice and vision,” according to the McCarter website. See mccarter.org for tickets and more information. more

STORIES WITHIN STORIES: Connie Escher looks forward to the publication later this month of her biography of freed slave, educator, and 19th century Princeton luminary Betsey Stockton. Escher, who taught history in the Princeton Public Schools for 26 years, will lead a book launch event for “She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton: The Illustrated Odyssey of a Princeton Slave” on March 30 at the Princeton Public Library.

By Donald Gilpin

Connie Escher’s She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton: The Illustrated Odyssey of a Princeton Slave, to be published later this month and officially launched at Princeton Public Library (PPL) on March 30, has been a long time in the making.

The publication by Wipf and Stock Publishers, a division of Cascade Publishers in Eugene, Ore., marks the culmination of almost 40 years that Escher has spent seeking out evidence of the life of Betsey Stockton, the 19th century freed slave who is now famous as a groundbreaking educator, missionary, and integral figure in the history of Princeton.

“I think this book will be part of the national conversation,” said Escher, who taught history for 26 years in the Princeton Public Schools. “This is part of American history. It may be African American History Month, but this is a big American story about global literacy.”

Princeton University American History Professor Sean Wilentz, in a comment on the book jacket, described She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton as “a jewel of a book about an extraordinary American woman.” He continued, “From her fascinating opening chapter musing on photographs to her spirited conclusion, Escher has not just evoked a life, she has mediated on its larger meanings with grace and style.”

Escher’s journey with Betsey Stockton began in 1984 when Escher was director of the children’s museum at the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP). She was preparing an exhibit on “Four Stars of Princeton” — Annis Boudinot Stockton, Paul Robeson, Albert Einstein, and Betsey Stockton. more

By Donald Gilpin

The Princeton Health Department reported Monday that COVID-19 case numbers dropped again, down to 83 new cases in Princeton over the previous seven days and 209 cases in the previous 14 days. Princeton registered its highest new case numbers of the pandemic less than a month ago with a seven-day total of 287 cases from January 4 to 10 and highest 14-day total of 568 from December 28, 2021 to January 10, 2022. Infection rates have declined steadily since then.

Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Services Jeff Grosser noted the decrease in cases from the Omicron spike, and pointed out, “During the spike, Princeton saw some of its highest rates of COVID-19 cases, but despite the higher case rates, hospitalizations of Princeton residents remained lower than the state average.”

Grosser went on to express cautious hope for the weeks ahead. “It’s too early to tell, but we do know that with the high number of infections, there should be some form of community protection,” he said. “Whether or not this protection provides longstanding support against new variants or case surges is still to be determined.”

On New Jersey’s COVID Activity Level Index (CALI Score), Mercer County, in the Central West region of the state, has dropped from “very high” to “high” for the first time in four weeks.

Princeton Public Schools reported 46 new cases for the week ended January 28, an uptick from the previous week’s 39, but far below early January totals. more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Theological Seminary’s (PTS) chapel no longer bears the name of slaveholder and anti-abolitionist Samuel Miller, following a unanimous vote by the seminary’s board of trustees last Tuesday, January 25.

The seminary trustees also voted to establish a task force to develop guiding principles “for naming, renaming, and the conferring of honor on all other physical sites and objects related to the seminary.”

The trustees’ action followed a January 18 demonstration led by the Association of Black Seminarians (ABS) and attended by more than 100 students and other supporters. Demonstrators called for removal of Miller’s name from the chapel and establishment of a renaming process for all buildings on campus named after people associated with slavery. The protestors stated that they would no longer worship at the chapel unless Miller’s name was removed.

“This decision to disassociate the name Samuel Miller from the chapel is another step in Princeton Theological Seminary’s earnest commitment to greater equity, including reformation and repair of yesterday’s wrongs,” the trustees’ announcement stated. more

SCIENCE ON SATURDAY: Sean Wu of Princeton Academy takes part in a magnet experiment with Arturo Dominguez, now head of science education, at a 2019 Science on Saturday talk. This year’s series begins on February 4 at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), in person for the first time in three years. (Photo by Elle Starkman/PPPL Office of Communications)

By Donald Gilpin

Featuring presentations on a genetic variant in dogs and humans that’s connected to friendliness, the impacts of climate change on the weather, the latest developments in technology, a 1905 version of voicemail, and a fusion energy power plan — Science on Saturday is back in person, and also online, February 4 through March 11 at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).

In its 39th year, the PPPL Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday lecture series will present the first of five weekly lectures this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with Yasaman Ghasempour, Princeton University assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, discussing “The Race for 6G Wireless: The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead.”

“I guarantee you will be enthralled by the discoveries that are presented,” said Andrew Zwicker, head of strategic relationships at PPPL and the host of Science on Saturday. “Our speakers are presenting their cutting edge research — Where do black holes come from? How do we know they exist? How do bacteria communicate among themselves? How are we going to design a space ship to get human beings to Mars? These are questions that you think about all the time when you think about science and discovery.”

Noting that the typical audience ranges in age from 9 to 90 and is drawn together by its love of science, Zwicker continued, “Scientists are so excited about presenting and sharing their work, and there’s this wonderful give and take.”

PPPL Science Education Department head Arturo Dominguez emphasized the impressive range of topics offered in the series. “I strive to never miss these lectures myself because they’re so interesting,” he said in a PPPL press release. “You never know what you will learn!” more

By Donald Gilpin

On January 25, Princeton voters supported the Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) $17.5 million facilities maintenance referendum by a margin of more than 3 to 1, in unofficial results pending tallying of provisional and some mail-in ballots, according to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office. 

Of the 3,041 votes counted so far, 2,320 (76 percent) were cast in favor and 721 against (24 percent). Final numbers and certification were expected to be announced today, February 2.

“I’m grateful to the community for their overwhelming support of the referendum,” said PPS Board of Education (BOE) President Dafna Kendal. “Approval from voters will provide funds for the district to make needed repairs of the school buildings while allowing the district to benefit from state debt service aid, which will significantly reduce the financial impact and overall costs of the project to Princeton taxpayers.”

The State of New Jersey approved the referendum projects and declared them eligible for 34 percent reimbursement from the state for principal and interest payments.

PPS Superintendent Carol Kelley also applauded the referendum results, looking forward to the impact of facilities improvements for students and staff throughout the district. “I am very pleased that Princeton voters have approved $17.5 million to fund cost-effective replacements and repair of roofing, siding, skylights, and HVAC equipment at the six district schools,” said Kelley. “These structural repairs will help to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff. The work is scheduled to take place over the next four years, and I anticipate that our students and staff will start to notice improvements in September 2022.”

At a December press conference, PPS Business Administrator Matt Bouldin pointed out that with the $17.5 million bond issue, the additional cost to the average property taxpayer (owner of a house worth $830,000) would be about $172 in 2023 and $262 in 2024, before leveling off to about $65 each year after that up to the 20th year of the debt financing. But PPS will be paying off other debt over the next two years, and Bouldin stated that the school tax levy would decrease next year and that taxpayers would probably see a decrease in the overall tax levy in coming years. more

By Donald Gilpin

The recent COVID-19 surge continues to decline sharply in Princeton and throughout the state. The Princeton Health Department on January 24 reported 126 new cases of COVID-19 in Princeton over the previous seven days, down more than 50 percent from the highest ever seven-day total of 287, recorded just two weeks earlier on January 10.

Cases for the previous 14 days totaled 313 on Monday, also down significantly from the record two-week total of 568 for December 28, 2021 to January 10, 2022.

Princeton’s declining numbers are reflected throughout the state, as New Jersey on Tuesday, January 25, reported a seven-day average for new cases down 47 percent from a week ago. COVID-19-related deaths in New Jersey, with deaths following weeks after a surge in cases, continued to rise to a total of 1,892 so far for the month of January, but hospitalizations continued to decline, down 33 percent from a January 11 peak.

The COVID-19 transmission rate for New Jersey on Monday, January 24, fell to 0.64, down from 0.68 Sunday and well below the recent high of 1.92 on January 1. A rate below 1 indicates that the virus is in decline with each case leading to fewer than one additional case.   

Local public officials expressed some optimism in seeing the case numbers dropping, as the Omicron variant, which accounts for almost all of the current infections, is generally proving less severe than previous variants, and more people are gaining immunity from past infection and from vaccines. The Princeton vaccination rate is about 87 percent for residents age 5 and over, with 62 percent of those 18 and older having also received booster shots. more

SCIENCE ON SATURDAY: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) Director Steve Cowley discusses “The Magnetic Universe” at a past Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday lecture. This year’s popular series for science enthusiasts will begin this Saturday, January 29, with a virtual talk on “New Technological Frontiers in Cities” by Princeton University Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Elie Bou-Zeid. (Photo by Elle Starkman/PPPL Office of Communications)

By Donald Gilpin

Auroras, ocean robotics, plasma physics, new technologies, molecular machines, and much more will be in the spotlight on Saturday mornings through the beginning of March, as the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) offers science fans its 38th year of presentations by cutting-edge scientists.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the program will be live online for the third year, with six 9:30 a.m. Saturday lectures, January 29 through March 12. Further information and registration are available online at pppl.gov, “Science on Saturday,” with a link for all the lectures.

“I love the variety of talks, from what cities of the future are going to look like to sending astronauts to distant planets or sending robots into the ocean to turning molecules into machines,” said PPPL Head of Communications and Public Outreach Andrew Zwicker, who will be hosting the programs. “And the science is brought down to the level where you don’t have to be an expert to understand.”

Zwicker went on to point out advantages discovered in the online format. “Though we have missed the intimacy of in-person lectures the past two years, the remote format allows people from all over the state, the country, and the world to participate. We have gained a worldwide audience.”  more

By Donald Gilpin

The recent COVID surge in Princeton and throughout the state seems to have peaked, with numbers starting to decline, but Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Services Jeff Grosser warns that we’re not yet out of the woods.

“Surges of cases over the past two years have taught us one overarching lesson: we need to stay proactive with our public health precautions when cases are both surging and declining,” said Grosser. “We need to be careful thinking this could be the last big surge, because time and time again new variants are teaching us new lessons.”

The Princeton Health Department on January 18 reported 195 new cases in Princeton over the previous seven days, down from 257 reported last week, and 462 new cases in the previous 14 days, as opposed to 529 reported last week. The highest seven-day totals in Princeton were 287 for seven days and 568 for 14 days, both recorded earlier last week on January 10.

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) reported on Tuesday, January 18 that the COVID-19 transmission rate in the state has fallen to 0.92, with numbers below 1 indicating declining case numbers with each new case leading to fewer than one additional case. The transmission rate was 1.02 on Monday, 1.09 on Sunday, and 1.92 at its most recent high on January 1.

Princeton Public Schools, for the week ending January 16, reported a total of 79 new COVID-19 cases, down from 96 cases the previous week and 167 the week before that, according to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard. PPS students accounted for 59 of last week’s cases, with 20 staff members testing positive.

Grosser noted that the situation is improving for schools throughout the state. Only 4 percent of the state’s schools are currently closed and on remote learning due to COVID-19, down from 33 percent on virtual or hybrid learning two weeks ago. more

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Princeton Charter School recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Its charter was approved by the New Jersey Department of Education on January 15, 1997, and since then it has grown from a gathering of 72 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in the basement of the Nassau Presbyterian Church to a thriving K-8 school with 424 students on a seven-acre Bunn Drive campus. (Courtesy of Princeton Charter School)

By Donald Gilpin

The New Jersey Department of Education approved the charter for the Princeton Charter School (PCS) on January 15, 1997, and nine months later the school welcomed its first 72 students — fourth, fifth, and sixth graders only — in the basement of the Nassau Presbyterian Church.

With a vision of offering Princeton families a choice in public education with a particular focus on high academic standards and early immersive foreign language instruction, the school expanded over the years to include kindergarten to eighth grade and now, 25 years later, has 424 students. Since the first graduating class in 2000, more than 900 students have graduated from PCS, with the vast majority continuing their studies at Princeton High School (PHS).

“It is such a special, small community, and every day I am amazed by our talented, caring, and dedicated staff,” wrote PCS Head of School Lawrence Patton, who has been at the helm over the past 14 years. “Twenty-five years after the founding of the school, it remains my priority to bring smart, skilled, and experienced staff to work with our students and families. The partnership between the parents and the school has been woven into the fabric of Charter since the founding 25 years ago, and because of our small size and nine-year, K-8 structure, it continues to be a big part of who we are today.”

In a speech at last Friday’s anniversary celebration, PCS French teacher Martha Toma, one of the two teachers, along with English teacher Libby Kelley, who have been at PCS since the start, recalled some memories of the early days. more