Town Topics | Princeton's Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946

October 23, 2024

NJ State Museum Hosts Halloween Spooktacular

The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will host its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Sunday, October 27 from 12 to 4 p.m.

Guests can enjoy Halloween-themed games and crafts in the Museum’s Riverview Court. Children in costume may participate in trick-or-treating on the Museum’s front lawn at 1:30 p.m. Following the trick-or-treating, there will be a raffle for Museum-themed prizes. Event participants will receive one raffle ticket each when they check in for the event. Free planetarium shows will be offered at 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets for those shows will be available on a first-come, first served basis at check-in.

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; closed on all State holidays. General admission is free. For more information, visit statemuseum.nj.go.

Science in Dohm Alley

Join the Princeton Einstein Museum of Science on October 26 in Dohm Alley, next to 102 Nassau Street, from 2 to 5 p.m. to see its current exhibit, “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” which has been extended through November 30. Kids can try experiments and get activity sheets and compasses at the free event.

“Learning Curves”

Instructor Nancy Toolan receives flowers at the recent opening of “Learning Curves: Works from the Beginning Drawing Classes,” featuring works by residents of Princeton Windrows. The exhibition is on view in the Russell Marks Gallery on the Princeton Windrows campus, 2000 Windrow Drive, through the end of December.

Wide Range of Full-time Care and Services are Available at The Meadows at Lawrence

COTTAGE ENVIRONMENT: An aerial view of the grounds at the Meadows of Lawrence.

By Jean Stratton

Helping to care compassionately for an older person. Cooking something that she or he would like to eat. Helping them to put on a shirt or sweater that won’t irritate thinning skin. Trying to think of something that might make them laugh. Sharing a story.

All ways to treat someone with dignity and respect, and all important values at The Meadows at Lawrence, emphasizes Daisy Newson, director of community relations.

“The well-being of our residents is our NO. 1 priority,” she explains. “We are based on the Greenhouse Model. This includes individual cottages, a low population, and a higher staff-resident ratio. We provide people with all levels of care here; a nurse is on-site 24/7, with a nurse station in each cottage, and a doctor comes every day. And all the food is cooked right here. Everything is baked fresh, and all dietary needs are accommodated.”

The Meadows at Lawrence, which is affiliated with the Lawrence Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, opened in 2015 at One Bishops Drive in Lawrenceville. It is set apart from most long-term health care facilities because of its cottage environment, offering a more home-like atmosphere. Its six cottages are each home to 10 residents, and all are fully staffed with aides to help each individual as needed. more

Junior QB Hipa Throws for a TD, Runs For Another As PU Football Tops Brown 29-17, Surviving Late Rally

HIP HIP HOORAY: Princeton University quarterback Blaine Hipa gets ready to unload the ball last Friday night against Brown. Junior Hipa completed 15-of-26 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another score as Princeton held off a late rally by the Bears to prevail 29-17 and improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 Ivy League. The Tigers play at Harvard (4-1 overall, 1-1 Ivy) on October 26. (Photo by Sideline Photos, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Blaine Hipa struggled in his first three career starts this fall for the Princeton University football team, completing 46 percent of his passes with nine interceptions and three touchdowns as the Tigers lost all three games.

As Princeton hosted Brown last Friday night, Hipa was primed to put that rough stretch behind him. more

Duchovny’s Brilliant Goal Makes the Difference As Princeton Men’s Soccer Edges Columbia 2-1

MOMENT OF BRILLIANCE: Princeton University men’s soccer player Gabe Duchovny, left, goes after the ball in a 2023 game. Last Saturday, junior midfielder Duchovny scored the winning goal as Princeton rallied to edge Columbia 2-1. The Tigers, now 6-5 overall and 3-1 Ivy League, host Yale on October 26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Gabe Duchovny wasn’t thinking about his shot or he might not have taken it.

It wasn’t a high percentage shot, but the junior midfielder couldn’t have hit his rocket from 30 yards any better for the game-winner in the Princeton University men’s soccer team’s 2-1 comeback win at Columbia on Saturday. more

With Hamerschlag Making Smooth Transition to Back 4, PHS Boys’ Soccer Primed to Battle Steinert in CVC Semis

HAMMER TIME: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Chase Hamerschlag rises up for a header in recent action. Last Monday, junior center back Hamerschlag scored a goal and played strong defense to help second-seeded PHS defeat 10th-seeded Trenton Central 2-1 in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament. The Tigers, now 12-2-3, will face third-seeded Steinert in the CVC tourney semis on October 24 at Hopewell Valley with the victor advancing to the final on October 26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Chase Hamerschlag provided a spark off the bench as a reserve forward for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team last fall as it won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state title.

Backing up high-scoring striker Pasquale Carusone, Hamerschlag contributed five goals and two assists. But with PHS losing star center backs Nick Matese and Jamie Reynolds to graduation, Hamerschlag volunteered to move back to the back line this season to help fill that void. more

Howes Stars for PHS Girls’ Soccer in a Losing Cause As Tigers Battle Hard in Defeat to PDS in CVC Tourney

KACEY PRIME: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Kacey Howes, left, gets ready to boot the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior star Howes scored two goals in the second half as 10th-seeded PHS produced a late rally against seventh-seeded Princeton Day School in the first round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament but came up short in a 3-2 loss. The Tigers, who defeated Hightstown 2-0 in a CVC consolation contest on Monday to move to 5-9-2, host the Peddie School on October 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton High girls’ soccer team having lost 2-0 to Princeton Day School in September, it looked like the Tigers were about to be blanked again in the rivalry when the local foes met last Saturday in the first round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament.

Midway through the second half, 10th-seeded PHS trailed the host and seventh-seeded Panthers 3-0 despite generating some good scoring chances on set pieces, including a free kick that flew inches over the goal and a corner kick that resulted in the ball ricocheting off the crossbar. more

After Switching to Tight End from Quarterback, Tyme Emerges as a Key Weapon for Hun Football

By Justin Feil

Drae Tyme’s position switch after his sophomore year for the Hun School football team opened up an opportunity and rekindled his career goals.

Tyme always wanted to play Division I college football. He came to Hun as a quarterback from Canada, but after two seasons without many snaps he saw another chance to get on the field and reinvented himself at tight end.

“I just went into it with an open mind,” said Tyme, who now lives in Princeton. “I was like, if I’m more athletic and I can be put somewhere else that will get me to play college football, I’d do it. I just want to find the best opportunity for me. And it was obviously switching to tight end. So I think it was just being open minded about it and just accepting what it could mean.” more

Lifted by Amin’s Leadership, Excellence at 1st Doubles, PDS Girls’ Tennis Advances to Non-Public State Final

HOLDING COURT: Princeton Day School girls’ tennis player Kavita Amin follows through on a shot last Thursday as PDS faced the Pingry School in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state final at the Mercer County Park tennis complex. Senior Amin and sophomore Zarna Kalra lost 6-1, 6-2 to Isabelle Chen and Leila Souayah at first doubles as the Panthers fell 5-0 to Pingry.

By Bill Alden

As a senior captain for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team, Kavita Amin aims to positively influence her teammates.

“I really like being a mentor to the younger players and keeping the team culture really high which I think we have done good job of,” said Amin. “We have become really close, not only as teammates but we are really good friends. We know how to look out for each other.” more

Sparked by Senior Graham’s Speed, Finishing Touch, PDS Girls’ Soccer Tops PHS in CVC Tourney Opener

By Bill Alden

For Makena Graham and her teammates on the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team, hosting Princeton High last Saturday in the opening round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament was an opportunity to turn the page on an uneven campaign.

“We have had a rough start to the season so we all said today is a reset, today nothing else matters,” said Graham of the Panthers who had gone 1-5 in their previous six games before the CVC opener.

“It didn’t matter that we beat them before (2-0 on September 24). Our record didn’t matter. It was come in like a new team. We were going to possess, we were going to play our way. We weren’t going to panic.” more

October 16, 2024

Amazing Pumpkin Carve

Matt Derby created “Deception,” one of the many giant pumpkins carved by local artists that were on display at the 10th annual festival presented by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. The event, held October 9-13 in Woolsey Park, Hopewell Township, also featured live music, fire pits with storytelling, games, pumpkin painting, and more. Attendees discuss their favorite pumpkins in this week’s Town Talk on Page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

Council Approves Second Ordinance Related to Westminster

By Anne Levin

At a meeting Monday evening, October 14, Princeton Council approved the bond ordinance to finance the town’s acquisition of the former Westminster Choir College campus. The second of two ordinances related to authorization of the acquisition, it would appropriate $50 million and authorize the issuance of $49.5 million in bond or notes.

In response to concerns that Councilmembers have heard from the public about the impact this would have on Princeton’s ability to respond to other needs, Municipal Administrator Bernie Hvozdovic said the town’s bonding capacity is almost $330 million “There is still plenty of capacity to us after this purchase,” he said. more

Despite Controversy, Witherspoon Statue Will Stay at University

COMPLICATED LEGACY: The Princeton University Board of Trustees has decided not to remove the statue of founding father and former University President John Witherspoon from its prominent place in Firestone Plaza, despite Witherspoon’s ownership of slaves and opposition to abolition. (Photo by Princeton University, Denise Applewhite)

By Donald Gilpin

In 2022 more than 300 petitioners called for removal of the large statue of John Witherspoon that stands atop a pedestal in front of East Pyne Hall and towers over Princeton University’s Firestone Plaza, but after more than two years of ensuing debate and deliberations on campus, the University’s Board of Trustees has decided that the statue will remain.

Witherspoon, who made many significant contributions to Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey) as its sixth president (1768-1794) and to the country as a founding father and signatory of the Declaration of Independence, also owned slaves and spoke out against the abolition of slavery. more

Coalition for Peace Action Issues Voter Guides, Prepares for Upcoming Events

By Donald Gilpin

As the weather cools and Election Day approaches, the Coalition for Peace Action’s (CFPA) efforts are heating up.

The Princeton-based organization is culminating its 2024 Peace Voter Campaign in the coming weeks; co-sponsoring the Sunday, October 20 Supreme Injustice Rally at Hinds Plaza; and preparing for its Multifaith Service for Peace and Afternoon Conference for Peace on November 17. more

Departure of Princeton University Arts Program Head Is “a Significant Loss,” But He Will Stay Connected

MOVING ON: Lou Chen, founder of Princeton University’s Trenton Arts Program (TAP), standing, will soon be relocating to Connecticut for a job as CEO with another community-oriented nonprofit.

By Anne Levin

Nine years ago, Princeton University sophomore Lou Chen started a youth orchestra pairing fellow University musicians with students from Trenton High School. The University hired Chen full time after he graduated, and it wasn’t long before he expanded the music program to include singing, theater and dance.

The Trenton Arts Program (TAP) has grown and flourished — so much so that Chen feels comfortable leaving to pursue the next chapter in his career. He has accepted an offer to be the CEO of INTEMPO, a nonprofit in Stamford, Conn., that engages immigrant families through classical and inter-cultural music education. His last day at TAP is November 15. more

Princeton University-led Research Team Makes Major Step in Exploration of Brain

MAPPING THE BRAIN: All 139,255 cells in the brain of an adult fruit fly, as recently delineated by a Princeton University-led research team. Activity within these cells directs everything from sensory perception to decision making to the control of actions, such as flying. There are more than 50 million synaptic connections in this brain. (Tyler Sloan for FlyWire, Princeton University, (Dorkenwald et al., Nature, 2024)

By Donald Gilpin

The mysterious complexities of the brain have baffled humanity for centuries, but a Princeton-led research team has recently made a groundbreaking advancement in the study of brains through its neuron-by-neuron and synapse-by-synapse mapping of the brain of an adult fruit fly.

“This is a major achievement,” said Princeton Neuroscience Institute Director Mala Murthy, as quoted in a Princeton University press release. “There is no other full brain connectome [complete map of the brain] for an adult animal of this complexity.” Murthy, along with Sebastian Seung, a Princeton University professor of neuroscience and computer science, is co-leader of the pioneering research team that represents more than 146 laboratories at 122 institutions.

FATHER FIGURE: The relationship of Nathaniel Kahn, left, with his father, famed architect Louis Kahn, is the focus of his documentary “My Architect,” one of three in a series screening at the Institute for Advanced Study.

By Anne Levin

A new film series debuting Friday afternoon at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) originated in a chance encounter that took place in the hills of Tuscany. It was there that filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn was an artist in residence at Villa I Tatti, Harvard University’s Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, working on a screenplay.

Kahn met a member of the IAS faculty, and the two got to talking about film. Fast forward a year, and Kahn is a visitor at the IAS School of Historical Studies. He and Historical Studies Professor Maria Loh have created the S.T. Lee film series, which begins with a screening of Kahn’s 2003 film My Architect, followed by a panel discussion. Admission to the event in Wolfensohn Hall is free and open to the public (reservations are necessary). Next in the series are a.k.a. Mr. Chow on November 1, and The Hunt for Planet B on November 15. more

Happening Now — Oscar Wilde, Eugene O’Neill and Ruth Wilson’s Jane Eyre

By Stuart Mitchner

There is no present or future — only the past, happening over and over again — now…

—Eugene O’Neill

The October 16, 1847 publication of Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre is listed among Wikipedia’s Notable Events,1691-1900, along with the execution of Marie Antoinette (1793) and John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry (1859). As the 19th century continued “happening, over and over again,” Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854 and Eugene Gladstone O’Neill surfaced in a New York City hotel on October 16, 1888.

At this “now” moment, I’m doing my best to ignore the steady gaze of the colorized photograph on the cover of Oscar Wilde: A Life by Matthew Sturgis (Knopf 2021). I can imagine this supremely intense individual staring hard at the pedantic tabulator of “notable events” who failed to list the 1891 publication of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Taken in 1882 when Wilde was 28, the photograph evokes the moment in 1887 when Wilde viewed a portrait of himself and thought, “What a tragic thing it is. This portrait will never grow older and I shall. If it was only the other way.”

Since most closeup photographs of the author of Long Day’s Journey Into Night are pathologically grim, the pose on the cover of Louis Sheaffer’s O’Neill: Son and Playwright (Cooper Square Press 2002) appears perversely casual. A caption worthy of either man’s cover image would be this line from Wilde’s preface to Dorian Gray: “Those who go beneath the surface do so at their own peril.” more

Princeton University Concerts Presents Multifaceted Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant

By Nancy Plum

Princeton University Concerts combined the 16th century with the very contemporary world last week with a presentation by a jazz singer who draws inspiration from all periods of history and all forms of music. French singer, composer, and visual artist Cécile McLorin Salvant first appeared on the University Concerts series in 2023 with a program commissioned to create a work inspired by the writings of Princeton University Professor Toni Morrison. Salvant brought her diverse talents back to Richardson Auditorium last Wednesday night as part of this year’s series to demonstrate her unique fusion of vaudeville, blues, theater, jazz and the baroque era, with a particularly new take on a traditional vocal form.

English Renaissance composer and lutenist John Dowland initially published Book of Ayres in 1597. Clearly very popular, this collection of “lute songs” for solo voice was reprinted several times in his lifetime. In Wednesday night’s performance, Salvant brought the expected harpsichord, lute and theorbo to sing her version of “Book of Ayres,” but Dowland surely would never have expected his delicate madrigals and love songs to be complemented by a 20th century synthesizer and percussion. more

An Undocumented Immigrant and Her Daughter Face Crucial Tests in “Alma”; Passage Opens 40th Anniversary Season with Exquisite, Poignant Production

“ALMA”: Performances are underway for “Alma.” Written by Benjamin Benne; and directed by AZ Espinoza, the play runs through October 20 at Passage Theatre. Above, the confrontational relationship between Angel (Diana Maldonado), left, and her mother, undocumented immigrant Alma (Jessy Gruver), masks — and partially stems from — desperate motives held by both characters. (Photo by Habiyb Shu’Aib)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Passage Theatre is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by opening its 40th anniversary season with Alma. Benjamin Benne’s powerful play is by turns poignant, angry, funny, and tender — but throughout it is poetic and compelling.

The story depicts the lives of Alma and Angel. Alma (portrayed with deliberate precision by Jessy Gruver) is a Mexican undocumented immigrant who works as a single mother to support her (deceptively) stereotypically rebellious teenage daughter, Angel (played by Diana Maldonado, in an apt foil to Gruver’s performance as the title character). more

Pianist to Take Part In Multiple Events

LEVIT RETURNS: Nine years after he made his Princeton University Concerts debut, Igor Levit comes back to do a mini-residency October 30-November 3.

Nine years after his Princeton University Concerts (PUC) debut, pianist Igor Levit returns to PUC on Wednesday, October 30 through Sunday, November 3 for a mini-residency bookended by live performances, with a screening of the documentary Igor Levit: No Fear at the Princeton Garden Theatre in the intervening days.

On Wednesday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Levit will play a solo recital program encompassing J.S. Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 903, Johannes Brahms Ballades, Op. 10, and Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 arranged for piano solo by Franz Liszt. more

Beppe Gambetta Returns For Princeton Concert

PICKING PROWESS: Guitarist Beppe Gambetta brings his combination of Italian folk music with Kentucky bluegrass to Princeton on October 18. (Photo by Giovanna Cavallo)

The Princeton Folk Music Society presents a fusion of American and Italian folk music traditions with Beppe Gambetta on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m., at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane.

Gambetta is a guitar master (think Earl Scruggs meets Richard Thompson) who taught himself to flat-pick by listening to bluegrass albums. He combines the folk music of Italy and points east with the bluegrass style of Kentucky. He also is a talented vocalist. He sometimes likes to step away from the microphone so that the audience can experience the music without electronic enhancements. more

Larry Fuller Trio to Perform Locally

The Larry Fuller Trio will appear at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, at Hillman Performance Hall located on Westminster Choir College campus at 101 Walnut Lane. Although a Princeton resident, Fuller rarely appears locally.

A pianist, Fuller learned his craft the “old school” way — on the bandstand, where he played with jazz greats including vocalist Ernestine Anderson, drummer Jeff Hamilton, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, and bassist Ray Brown.

In his programming, Fuller includes the Great American Songbook, jazz, blues, pop standards, and originals, bringing his own take to a variety of music. At Hillman Performance Hall, expect to hear anything from Stevie Wonder to Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery to Ray Brown, George Gershwin to Joni Mitchell.

Completing The Larry Fuller Trio is Hassan “JJ” Shakur on bass (Monty Alexander Trio, Duke Ellington Orchestra) and George Fludas on drums (Ray Brown Trio, Diana Krall).

Fuller has appeared at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Grand Ole Opry, Shanghai Center Theater, Blue Note (Milan, Tokyo, NYC), Auditorio Ibirapuera with Symphony Orchestra Brazil, and many more.

Visit larryfuller.com/events for tickets.

Tim McFarlane Art Exhibit at Gallery at MC Community College

MCFARLANE AT MCCC: Works by Philadelphia-based artist Tim McFarlane are featured in “Black Drawings and Other Things You Didn’t Know About,” on view through December 18 at the Gallery at Mercer County College in West Windsor.

Mercer County Community College’s Gallery presents “Tim McFarlane – Black Drawings and Other Things You Didn’t Know About” through December 18. An opening reception is on October 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

The exhibition, featuring 17 pieces by Philadelphia-based artist Tim McFarlane, allows the viewer to imagine ongoing changes to human-made environments as emphasized through fluid, multi-layered systems, color, and process. Using mostly mixed media or acrylic on canvas, McFarlane captures his observations of human-driven changes in everyday life such as the remaking of public and personal spaces, the remnants of old buildings at construction sites, public spaces changed through continual use, and more. more