October 30, 2024

After Seven Years of Planning and Construction, Triumph Restaurant & Brewery is Now Open

OPEN AGAIN: “We are glad to be open again and part of the community once more. Our former customers are happy to see us, and we have many regulars as well as people finding us for the first time. We also get lots of tourists. Princeton is a unique town that attracts visitors from all over the world. Our different beer styles seem to align with many international tastes.” Eric Nutt (left), director of corporate sales, and Ray Villano, general manager of Triumph Restaurant & Brewery, are delighted with their new Palmer Square location, formerly home to the Princeton Post Office.

By Jean Stratton

Adam Rechnitz, owner of Triumph Restaurant & Brewery, Eric Nutt, director of corporate sales, and Ray Villano, general manager, like challenges!

When he opened Triumph Brewing Company in 1995, certified master brewer Rechnitz had to take on the New Jersey Legislature, and spearhead a drive to legalize brewpubs, which were then illegal in New Jersey. He and his partners were persistent, the bill was passed, and Triumph Brewing Company, the first brewpub in the state, opened at 138 Nassau Street in 1995. more

Buoyed by the Return of Junior Standouts Pierce, Lee, PU Men’s Hoops Poised for Another Championship Run

TWO GOOD: Princeton University men’s basketball players Caden Pierce, left, and Xaivian Lee got up for a rebound in a game last winter. The return of junior stars Pierce, the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year, and Lee, a fellow first-team All-Ivy selection, has the Tigers primed for another big campaign. Princeton, which went 24-5 overall and 12-2 Ivy last winter in winning its third straight league regular season title, opens its 2024-25 campaign by hosting Iona on November 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton University men’s basketball team held its annual media day earlier this month in Jadwin Gym, junior stars Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce mugged for the cameras when asked to pose together for photos.

The one-two punch could have been broken up as Lee entered the NBA Draft process before deciding to return to Princeton and Pierce was a potential target of the transfer portal.

For Pierce, the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year, his connection with Lee, a fellow first-team All-Ivy selection, played a key role in him remaining with the Tigers. more

Junior Star St. Rose Poised to Be the Face of Program As PU Women’s Hoops Tips Off 2024-25 Campaign

ROSY OUTLOOK: Princeton University women’s basketball player Madison St. Rose looks to dribble past a foe in action last season. Junior star guard St. Rose figures to be a go-to player this winter for Princeton. The Tigers, who went 25-5 overall and 13-1 Ivy League last winter on the way to a fifth straight Ivy Tournament championship, start their 2024-25 campaign by playing at Duquesne on November 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Madison St. Rose spent her summer in Philadelphia playing basketball against other college players.

It gave the Princeton University women’s basketball junior star more scrimmaging opportunities than she’d had the summer before when she returned to her Old Bridge home, plus more of a chance to build her game for her third year with the Tiger program. more

Seeing 6-Game Winning Streak Against Harvard Snapped, Princeton Football Loses 45-13 to Crimson, Drops to 2-4

MURPHY’S LAW: Princeton University football player Dareion Murphy takes a handoff in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior running back Murphy rushed for 21 yards as Princeton fell 45-13 to Harvard. The Tigers, now 2-4 overall and 1-2 Ivy League, host Cornell (2-4 overall, 1-2 Ivy) on November 2. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

By Bill Alden

In its six contests against archrival Harvard between 2017-23, the Princeton University football team went undefeated, outscoring the Crimson by an average of 31.2-17 in those matchups.

As Princeton headed up to New England for its clash at Harvard on Saturday, Tiger head coach Bob Surace was cautiously optimistic that the winning streak would continue. more

Thyrum’s Corner Kick Leads to Goal by Hamerschlag As PHS Boys’ Soccer Tops Notre Dame 1-0 in CVC Final

TURNING THE CORNER: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Aaron Thyrum goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, junior midfielderThyrum lofted a corner kick that Chase Hamerschlag converted into the winning goal as second-seeded PHS edged fourth-seeded Notre Dame 1-0 in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament final. The Tigers, now 14-2-3, will next be in action when they start play in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 tournament where they will be looking for a second straight state title. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Aaron Thyrum had the game at his feet for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team late in the second half as it was locked in a scoreless tie with Notre Dame in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament final last Saturday afternoon.

With 10 minutes left in regulation and a stiff crosswind howling across Ackerson Field at Hopewell Valley High, junior midfielder Thyrum lined up a corner kick and had a target in mind. more

PHS Girls’ Volleyball Looks Dominant in Winning BCSL As Junior Star Lygas Provides Powerful Play in Front Row

THREE-PEAT: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Naomi Lygas sets the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, junior star Lygas contributed 10 kills and eight digs to help PHS defeat Princeton Day School 2-0 (25-6, 25-10) in the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) tournament final. It marked the third straight BCSL title for the Tigers. PHS, who moved to 22-1 with a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-13, 25-10) over Paul VI last Monday, play at Union Catholic on October 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Naomi Lygas and her teammates on the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team were determined to show that they weren’t overrated as they hosted the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) tournament last Thursday.

“I know that coming into today we saw that we were ranked first on NJ.com, so that was a big thing,” said PHS junior star Lygas. “Now we want to prove ourselves to be that.” more

PHS Football Tops WW/P 21-13 in Dramatic Fashion, Clinching First Trip to NJSIAA Playoffs Since 2014

WINNING COMBINATION: Princeton High football quarterback/defensive back Travis Petrone, left, and junior running back/defensive back Carmine Carusone led the way as PHS defeated the West Windsor/Plainsboro football co-op 21-13 last Saturday. Petrone threw a pair of second quarter touchdown passes to Carusone, who also ran for a TD in the fourth quarter. The Tigers improved to 5-4 with the win and clinched their first trip to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) playoffs since 2014. PHS is seeded eighth in the NJSIAA South Jersey, Group 4 Tournament and will play at top-seeded Winslow (9-0) in a quarterfinal contest on November 2. (Photos by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

There was a lot on the line for the Princeton High football team as it hosted the West Windsor/Plainsboro football co-op last Saturday in its regular season finale.

As the Tigers celebrated Senior Day, they needed a win to go over .500 and put themselves in position to earn their first trip to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) playoffs since 2014. more

With Senior Eleches-Lipsitz Back at Full Speed, PHS Girls’ Cross Country Takes 1st at CVC Meet

By Justin Feil

Rica Eleches-Lipsitz was confident that the Princeton High girls’ cross country team would race well at the Colonial Valley Conference Championships on Thursday at Thompson Park.

PHS did its part, and Eleches-Lipsitz nearly equaled their personal record.

“I knew that we would dominate as a team because we’ve done a lot of really good work on that course and just together. I’ve seen us grow a lot,” said Eleches-Lipsitz. “I don’t think I anticipated my individual race being nearly as good as it was. But I’ve always had faith that my team would pull through the way that they did.” more

PHS Girls’ Tennis Takes Second at CVC Tournament As Doubles Teams Lead the Way with a Pair of Wins

UP IN THE AIR: Princeton High girls’ tennis first doubles player Ashna Bushan leaps to make a shot as partner Maya-Alexandra Todorov looks on last Wednesday in the final of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament. The pair of junior Bushan and senior Todorov topped WW/P-North’s Anjali Vemuri and Maahi Patmidi 6-4, 4-6, (10-8) to win the title. The victory helped PHS take second to North in the team standings at the event which was played at the Mercer County Tennis Complex. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last fall, the pair of Maya-Alexandra Todorov and Ashna Bushan rolled to the title at first doubles for the Princeton High girls’ tennis team at the Mercer County Tournament in what turned out to be the last year of the competition.

With the Mercer County Tournament Association announcing last spring that it was discontinuing the county tournament in favor of a Colonial Valley Conference Tournament, which bars local private schools who are not members of the CVC, the result was the same last week as Todorov and Bushan prevailed at first doubles. more

Hun Field Hockey Falls to Lawrenceville in Prep A Tourney, But England Native Clark Gaining Valuable Experience

STICKING TOGETHER: Members of the Hun School field hockey team celebrate after tallying a goal in a game earlier this season. Last Wednesday, Hun couldn’t get its offense going as the third-seeded Raiders fell 2-0 to sixth-seeded Lawrenceville in the Prep A state quarterfinal round. Hun, which lost 3-0 to Lawrenceville in a regular season contest last Saturday to move to 7-9, hosts the Peddie School on November 2 in its season finale. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Things didn’t go well for the Hun School field hockey team as it hosted rival Lawrenceville last Wednesday in the Prep A state quarterfinal round.

Unable to get into an offensive rhythm, third-seeded Hun fell 2-0 to the sixth-seeded Big Red.

“It wasn’t all that we could give, some days are better than others,” said Hun post-graduate star Sophia Clark. “We have worked hard, we have had a lot of great opportunities. It is just about putting them away really.” more

October 23, 2024

Halloween Spooktacular

Pumpkin painting was among the children’s activities at the annual event on Saturday in the courtyard at the Princeton Shopping Center. Trick-or-treating, live music, a pet costume contest, balloon artists, and more were also featured. Attendees discuss their costumes in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

Election Day Approaches, Voting Has Begun

By Donald Gilpin

Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, is less than two weeks away with high-profile races on the ballot for U.S. president and vice president, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and a heated local battle for three seats on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).

Early voting starts this Saturday, October 26 and continues through November 3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at any one of seven Mercer County locations, including the Princeton Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street.

Vote by mail ballots have been mailed to all voters who have requested them, applications continue to be processed, and drop boxes to return those ballots are open throughout the county. Visit the Mercer County clerk’s website at mercercounty.org for locations and further information on the election and ways to vote.  more

Superintendent Search Is Underway at PPS; Job Description Posted

By Donald Gilpin

The search for a permanent superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) was officially launched on Thursday, October 17, with School Leadership LLC consultants advertising the position in numerous outlets, as well as reaching out to target organizations and implementing additional recruitment strategies.

“The consultants have said that they are seeing interest in the position,” the Princeton Board of Education (BOE) reported in a statement Tuesday.

The hiring process, a rolling search with applications submitted online, is expected to continue into the winter with a candidate and contract approved by March. Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster will continue to lead the district through June, with the new superintendent stepping into the position on July 1, 2025.  more

Princeton Future Invites Community to Explore Housing Possibilities

By Donald Gilpin

Seeking to encourage “housing that’s affordable for schoolteachers and other middle-income families,” an assortment of experts and ordinary citizens under the auspices of Princeton Future will gather in the Theron Room of the Princeton Theological Seminary Library at 25 Library Place on Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to discuss possibilities.

This particular Princeton Future forum will focus on North Tulane, a small block between Wiggins and Spring streets, and “the question for all of us,” according to Princeton Future cofounder and administrator Sheldon Sturges, is, “What would be the best thing for this community?” more

Internationally Known Choir from South Africa Joins Princeton University Glee Club Concert

CHORAL COLLABORATION: The Ndlovu Youth Choir, familiar to many from its appearances on the television show “America’s Got Talent,” is being hosted by the Princeton University Glee Club on Saturday, October 26 at Richardson Auditorium.

By Anne Levin

Each fall, Princeton University’s Glee Club presents a concert at Richardson Auditorium with the glee clubs of either Harvard or Yale. It was Harvard’s turn this year, but the date — October 26 — conflicted with another event the Cambridge, Mass., club had on its schedule.

Gabriel Crouch, a professor of music at Princeton and the director of the glee club, found out about the conflict last summer. more

Princeton Awarded $245,590 Grant to Expand Food Scraps Collection Program

By Anne Levin

Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Princeton households will be able to recycle food scraps at an expanded number of drop-off sites.

The municipality has been awarded a $245,590 Compost and Food Waste Reduction grant to expand its food scraps recycling program, currently serving 223 residents at two sites, 400 Witherspoon Street and Monument Hall. The town plans to add 10 locations to be determined, which will serve about 1,200 households. The program is free for all Princeton residents.

Princeton Council approved the pilot program for two sites in May 2023. The goal, which aligns with the town’s Climate Action Plan, is to divert food waste from landfills. This helps reduce methane and carbon dioxide emissions, two potent greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. more

Proposal for Expansion of Institute Library to Go in Front of Princeton Planning Board

RESTORATION AND EXPANSION: A rendering of the design by Kimmel Bogrette Archi-tecture + Site for the Historical Studies-Social Science Library at the Institute for Advanced Study. (Illustration courtesy of Kimmel Bogrette)

By Anne Levin

At a special meeting on Thursday evening, October 24, the Princeton Planning Board is scheduled to consider a proposal by the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) to add a second level to its existing main library.

Designed by architecture firm Harrison & Abramovitz and dedicated in 1965, the modernist library was built at the request of former IAS Director J. Robert Oppenheimer. Wallace K. Harrison was known for his work on New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House, Rockefeller Center, and the United Nations building. He also designed Jasna Polana, the estate of J. Seward Johnson and his wife, Barbara Piasecka Johnson, on Route 206. more

Pity, Terror, and Tragedy Within and Without James Joyce’s “Portrait”

By Stuart Mitchner

In the final chapter of James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man (1916), Stephen Dedalus tells two of his fellow students what happened to a girl who got into a hansom cab “a few days ago” in London. “She was on her way to meet her mother whom she had not seen for many years. At the corner of a street the shaft of a lorry shivered the window of the hansom in the shape of a star. A long fine needle of the shivered glass pierced her heart. She died on the instant.”

Reading Portrait my senior year in college, I put a ballpoint asterisk next to the anecdote in the Viking Compass paperback (“copyright renewed in 1944 by Nora Joyce”) and above it scrawled the words “accidental causation,” which were probably cribbed from something the teacher said. Although I underlined Stephen’s prosy remarks on “pity” and “terror,” delivered as he explained why it was not “a tragic death,” all that stayed with me was the girl in the hansom cab and the style Joyce had devoted to the brutal, uncanny happenstance of the event, the “shape of a star” and the “fine needle of shivered glass” he employed to finesse a freak accident. Pity, terror, and “the tragic emotion” were secondary; all it finally came down to was the way Joyce had composed it. more

PSO Presents “Triple Header” of Classical and Neo-Classical Music 

By Nancy Plum

The works performed by Princeton Symphony Orchestra this past weekend may not have all been from the Baroque and Classical periods, but they were all tied in some way to the 18th and early 19th-centuries. The trio of pieces by Michael Abels, Sergei Prokofiev, and Ludwig van Beethoven demonstrated to the audience at Richardson Auditorium how music from these earlier eras has stood the test of time in a concert also showcasing two of the Orchestra’s own members.

Music Director Rossen Milanov and the Orchestra began Saturday night’s performance (the concert was repeated Sunday afternoon) with a compositional new twist on an old favorite. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels has been commended for his “unique ability to blend diverse elements.” In his 1999 More Seasons, the “elements” blended were themes from Antonio Vivaldi’s popular The Four Seasons, with Abels using motives from the “Spring” and “Summer” movements to create what he has called “Vivaldi in a Mixmaster.”  more

“Jekyll & Hyde” Continues Kelsey Theatre’s Season of “Transformations”; Performances, Edgy Creative Choices Give the Popular Musical “A New Life”

“JEKYLL & HYDE”: Performances are underway for “Jekyll & Hyde.” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and Off-Centre Stages, and directed by Genevieve Estanislau, the musical runs through October 27 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Dr. Henry Jekyll (William Kamps) struggles to regain control over a rather dangerous experiment. (Photo by Abigail Acolia Photography)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Kelsey Theatre is presenting Off-Centre Stages’ production of Jekyll & Hyde. The popular musical continues Kelsey’s “Season of Transformations” by portraying one of the most famous literary metamorphoses: doctor into murderer.

Loosely adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), Jekyll & Hyde is conceived for the stage by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The book is by Leslie Bricusse, who also is credited with the lyrics, though a few of the songs have words by all three writers. Using the novella as a point of departure, the musical adds a romantic element, as well as themes of class tension, ambition, and autonomy versus community.  more

Rutgers Jewish Film Festival Marks 25th Anniversary

A DANCER’S STORY: Manich Chauhan speaks about his career at a screening of “Call Me Dancer,” part of the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival, which runs from November 7-21. Chauhan’s talk is on the final day of the series. (Photo by Sonam Dekar)

The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival’s milestone year will feature 14 films, discussions with filmmakers and special guests, and numerous New Jersey premieres on dance, music, the LGBTQ+ experience, American Jewish history, and Israeli society.

Twelve films will be screened at the Regal Cinema Commerce Center, North Brunswick (November 7–17), and five films will be available virtually (November 15–21). The festival is sponsored by Rutgers’ Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life. more

Halloween Playfest at West Windsor Library

The Halloween Playfest at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library System will feature four original short plays written by librarian Michael Kerr: The Stay-Behinds; Words Will Never Hurt Me; The Life of the Party; and Backstage. Performances will be on Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, October 26 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 27 at 3 p.m.

All the plays will be performed by teens from the local area. All performances will take place at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library System, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor Township. Recommended for ages 10 and above. Admission is free. No registration required.

Doors open 20 minutes before showtime. Call (609) 799-0462 or email westprogs@mcl.org for more information.

Champions of Magic In “Masters of Illusion”

MAGICAL MYSTERIES: Greg Frewin is one of the stars of “Masters of Illusion” at the State Theatre New Jersey on October 24.

State Theatre New Jersey presents award-winning magicians in “Masters of Illusion” on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m.  The show features Greg Frewin, Alexandra Burgio, and shock illusionist Dan Sperry.

Frewin is currently ranked as the International Grand Champion of Magic, having won every major award offered within the magic community. Burgio is the only female Canadian magician to ever fool Penn and Teller on the hit show “Penn and Teller: Fool Us.” Sperry, known as “The Anti-Conjuror,” has performed at such venues as The Magic Castle, The Sydney Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, and live on tour with Masters of Illusion.

State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit stnj.org for tickets, which range from $29-$99.

“Blithe Spirit” on Stage At MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre

NOEL COWARD CLASSIC: In the 1941 comedy “Blithe Spirit,” two wives — one dead, one alive — cause a ruckus.

Two wives, one dead and one alive, combine for a spooky, comedic experience when Theater to Go presents Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit, October 31-November 3 at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor Campus. Kitty Getlik directs. 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. more