Princeton Packet | 12-25-2020 by centraljersey.com - NEWSPAPERS

VOL. 236, NO. 52

Friday, December 25, 2020

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COVID-19 vaccinations to begin in long-term care facilities By LEA KAHN Staff Writer

Residents of the Princeton Care Center nursing home and the Acorn Glen assisted living facility, along with healthcare workers, are expected to receive the first COVID-19 vaccinations as the inoculation program rolls out during the week of Dec. 28, Princeton officials announced. Arrangements have been made for the CVS and Walgreens drug store chains to administer the vaccinations – which come in two doses, 21 to 28 days apart – to the nursing home and assisted living facility residents. Although people over 65 years old make up close to 10% of the world’s population, they account for about 40% of all COVID-19 cases and about 80% of all COVID-19 related deaths, said Dr. George DiFerdinando, who chairs the Princeton Board of Health. He is a physician and adjunct professor at Rutgers University School of Public Health. In Princeton, 17 residents of the nursing home on Bunn Drive and the assisted living facility on Mount Lucas Road have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic exploded in March. They are among the 30 reported deaths related to COVID-19, some of which have been deemed to be “probable deaths” due to the virus, Princeton health officials said. While there have been some questions about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna – especially for the elderly – both vaccines have undergone extensive clinical trials before being granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The clinical trials included Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans and Whites. Pfizer tested its vaccine in 39 states and Modern conducted its tests in 32 states. Only a “modest” number of

volunteers in the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials have been at least 65 years old, and even fewer have been older than 85 years old, DiFerdinando said. Of the nearly 44,000 people enrolled in the Pfizer clinical trials, 45% were between 56 years old and 85 years old. The Moderna clinical trials enrolled 30,000 people, of whom 64% were at least 45 years old – and of that group, 25% were at least 65 years old. “One of the reasons that the Moderna vaccine was approved after the Pfizer vaccine is because Moderna expanded its volunteer pool to include more people older than 65 years old. It’s difficult to get people over 85 years old into the clinical trials because of exclusions for other reasons,” DiFerdinando said. The results of the clinical trials showed that the effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the same in people under 65 years old and those who are older than 65 years old, he said. The side effects and the adverse effects have been essentially the same in all age groups – although in general, the older the person is, the less likely it is that they will experience a side effect or adverse effect, DiFerdinando said. “The side effects are lower in people who are older. That doesn’t mean you can’t have chills. You can have a fever, you can have muscle aches, but it’s actually lower in people that are older,” DiFerdinando said. “There is no data at all on any severe reaction in people who are older – no hypersensitive reaction in older people.” Typical side effects are soreness at the injection site, a slight fever, fatigue and muscle aches. The two pharmaceutical companies said that less than 10% of people experienced a side effect. An adverse effect is an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients

in the vaccine, and would occur within a few minutes to one hour after receiving the vaccination. Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, a fast heartbeat, dizziness and weakness or a rash are indicative of an allergic reaction. The vaccines will decrease hospitalization and symptoms in many patients, but it is not known whether it will prevent infection, DiFerdinando said.

Prevention of infection is not the end point of the clinical trials, he said. Even with a vaccination, a person may become susceptible to becoming infected and also to infecting others. Despite having received a vaccination, the preventive measures already in place – social distancing, mask-wearing and frequent handwashing – must be observed to stop the spread of COVID-19, DiFerdinando said.

It is unlikely that the general public will be vaccinated until sometime next year. Depending on its availability, some senior citizens may begin to get vaccinated in February 2021 and followed by other groups, he said. The State of New Jersey has set a tiered system that sets out who will be vaccinated and at what point in the year. The goal is to vaccinate 70% of adults within six months.

Brandywine residents enjoy visits with Santa

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHANIE GABER Residents of Brandywine Living Princeton were able to join their families for socially distant photos with Santa the weekend of Dec. 12. To make outdoor visits more comfortable, Brandywine has sup-

plied outdoor heaters, an igloo dome, cozy throw blankets and hand warmers. Families are also invited indoors via Zoom to partake in holiday-inspired programs of the season. Programs include a Ha-

nukkah celebration featuring music by Peter Lieberman and homemade latke, Christmas story telling with peppermint hot chocolate and snowman crafting project, and a New Year’s Eve bash to name a few.

Municipality, university extend financial contribution agreement for two years By LEA KAHN Staff Writer

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The Princeton Council and Princeton University have reached an agreement to continue the university’s voluntary financial contribution to the town for the next two years. The council approved a resolution to extend the initial agreement, which was reached in 2014 and expires this year. The new agreement will cover 2021 and 2022, at which point the two parties may negotiate another agreement. Under state law, Princeton University is a tax-exempt entity, which means it does not have to pay property taxes on some of its properties because it is an educa-

tional institution. The university does pay property taxes on other parcels. The resolution was approved unanimously by the Princeton Council at its Dec. 14 meeting. Mayor Liz Lempert, whose husband is a Princeton University professor, recused herself while the agreement was discussed and approved. The two-year agreement is the result of a year-long discussion between Princeton University and municipal representatives, said Princeton Councilwoman Ever Niedergang. She served on the town’s negotiations team with Princeton Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros and Administrator Marc Dashield. “This agreement continues the pattern of a 4% increase in the voluntary payment in each year of the contract for the next two years. It affirms the university’s commitment to the well-being of the municipality and its taxpayers,” Niedergang said. “The Princeton Council believes this short-term agreement is one key step in con-

tinuing to build a relationship with the university, focused on our shared mutual interests in maintaining the town’s fiscal health, diversity of population and thriving downtown.” Under the terms of the agreement, Princeton University will voluntarily contribute $3.6 million in 2021 and $3.7 million in 2022 to the municipality. The combined $8.4 million will be used by the town in any way that it sees fit. In a carry-over from the original six-year voluntary contribution agreement, Princeton University will contribute $250,000 toward the construction of a proposed Department of Public Works facility on River Road. The Princeton Department of Public Works is divided between two locations – the Princeton Public Works maintenance garage on North Harrison Street near Nassau Street, and the Princeton Public Works annex at the end of John Street, near the Community Park School. Princeton University also will contribute $550,000 in 2020,

$150,000 in 2021 and $150,000 in 2022 to support the town’s new combination career and volunteer Princeton Fire Department. Until this year, the 232-year-old Princeton Fire Department was an all-volunteer group. Six full-time paid firefighters have been hired to supplement the volunteers. Pirone Lambros said the university’s support for the combination career/volunteer Princeton Fire Department is “vital.” “The financial support helps to provide the municipality with funding toward the critical needs of our fire department to be on the ready for any emergency. It will help to continue to maintain our readiness,” Pirone Lambros said. The Princeton Fire Department has responded more quickly to calls for help since the town hired the six paid firefighters, she said. Teams of two firefighters are on duty at the Princeton Fire Department around the clock to respond to emergencies, along with the volunteer firefighters. “Overall, a Princeton that has economic, sustainability and so-

cio-economic diversity is a stronger town. We believe our relationship with the university will help to achieve and build our shared vision,” she said. Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber agreed. The town and the university worked collaboratively to meet many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the extension of the voluntary contribution agreement is a “further reflection of the university’s ongoing support for the community,” he said. Since the current agreement was approved in 2014, Princeton University has contributed more than $21.8 million to support municipal operations. In addition to the voluntary contributions, Princeton University is the largest taxpayer in the Municipality of Princeton. In 2019, it paid $11.6 million in property and sewer taxes to the town. At least $6 million of the university’s annual tax payments to Princeton are made voluntarily on properties that qualify for tax exemption under state law.

Publication of Time Off Section Temporarily Suspended The publication of the Time Off section has been temporarily suspended. Articles that run in the Time Off section will be published in the main section of this newspaper.

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CALENDAR Fri., December 25

The public Delaware River crossing reenactment at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania on Christmas Day will not be held this year due to COVID-19 crowd restrictions. To keep the annual tradition alive, the Friends of Washington Crossing Park will premiere a short movie at 10 a.m. on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, that captures scenes from the crossing reenactment. Many of these scenes are up close and personal perspectives. The movie will premiere on the park’s Facebook page at facebook.com/washingtoncrossingpark and YouTube channel bit. ly/washingtoncrossingYT The crossing reenactment traditionally draws hundreds of reenactors and thousands of spectators to the park each December. The event reenacts George Washington’s daring 1776 Christmas night river crossing. For updated on events in the park, visit WashingtonCrossingPark.org.

Thursday, Dec. 31

A support group for public health employees will be held at 4 p.m. Thursdays in December. The open discussion will focus on the importance of nurturing emotional and mental health during COVID-19 and beyond. The groups will share about how the pandemic has impacted emotional health for public health employees, and discuss wellness strategies to manage stress and promote healing. Log into Zoom using Meeting ID 911 7223 6441 with passcode 934178. This program is presented by New Jersey Hope and Healing. For more information, visit www. mhanj.org

Throughout January

The Nature Center at Washington Crossing State Park in the Titusville section of Hopewell Township is offering programs this winter free of charge. Pre-teens and adults can hike Baldpate Mountain from 1:30-4 p.m. Jan. 10. Follow a county park trail from its trail head near Church Road to the top of the hill. Meet at the parking lot by Niederer’s Pond. Bring a water bottle and wear hiking shoes. Aerobic hikes will be offered at 1 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28, weather permitting. The 2-3.5 mile brisk guided hikes will move along selected trails in the state park. Routes to be determined. Meet at the Nature Center. Bring a water bottle and wear hiking shoes. The trails are quite wet in sections. All programs will require advanced registration in order to manage social distancing. Face coverings are required at all events. Attendance is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All children must be accompanied by an adult. In the event of inclement weather, some programs might be canceled; call ahead before coming out. These events are available to families and individuals only. Programs for scouts, schools, home school groups and other groups are available and scheduled separately by special arrangement. Call 609737-0609.

Through Fri., January 1

Roxey Ballet, Lambertville’s renowned professional dance company, will present its

annual American holiday classic and new made for television “Nutcracker” 2020, available for streaming from any device Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily. This new production, directed by Mark Roxey, features more than 200 handmade costumes designed by Alicia Worden and Ana Vichnevetsky, including new personalized costume masks for each role, with production and lighting designs by Jeffrey Goldstein. Complemented by an international cast of professional performers from around the world, Roxey Ballet also draws on the local talent pool from neighboring communities, including Lambertville, New Hope, Doylestown, Newtown, Stockton, Hopewell, Lawrenceville, Pennington, Ewing and Princeton. Subscribers to the new Nutcracker Channel also receive live streamed rehearsals, cast and crew interviews, The Sugar Plum Fairy Adventure Series, a Senior Living Dance Class, and an additional production of The Year of the Women Choreography Lab featuring five New Jersey-based choreographers creating socially conscious works showcasing women’s issues: disability rights, women’s health initiatives, bullying and the cultural condition. To purchase a Nutcracker Channel ticket, visit www.roxeyballet.org/virtual-performances

Through Sun., January 3

Gavin Yang, a sophomore at Princeton Day School, and his friend Eddie Lou have produced a series of magic shows, Lou-Yang Magic: The Art of Illusion. Through Jan. 3 there are eight performances, offered free using Zoom. Some performances are interactive between Gavin, Eddie and the viewers; others also require less interaction with the viewers. Two combined performances are scheduled for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. For the schedule, and to register, visit https://egmagic52.wixsite.com/theartofillusion

Mon., Jan. 4 to Fri., Jan. 8

Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet, invites dancers ages 13 and up to jump-start the new year with a comprehensive virtual Winter Intensive Jan. 4-8. The Winter Intensive faculty features Riccardo De Nigris, Christina Johnson, Sarah Lane, Caridad Martinez, Jorge Navarro, Yulia Rakova, Nadia Thompson and Tania Vergara. Classes include classical ballet technique, pointe, character, variations, contemporary and flamenco, and meet from 4-7:30 p.m., and Friday from 4-6 p.m. To register, visit arballet.org. For more information, contact Aydmara Cabrera at acbrera@arballet.org or 609921-7758, ext. 12.

Mon., January 4

In conjunction with the anniversary of the Battle of Princeton, author Larry Kidder will present a virtual talk dedicated to the experiences and contributions of Princeton residents during the American Revolution at 7 p.m. Jan. 4. The accounts described in the program are included in Kidder’s latest book, “Revolutionary Princeton, 1774-1783: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War,” recently published by The Knox Press. Presented by the Historical Society of Princeton. To register, visit https://us-

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Beginning Tues., January 5

“Perspectives on Opera,” “Exploring the Great Outdoors in Art,” and “Great Decisions” are just a few of the courses that will be offered for the spring 2021 session of the Evergreen Forum, a program of the Princeton Senior Resource Center. Starting Feb. 22, the program will offer 24 courses for adults, all on Zoom, that focus on science, literature, art, history, social studies and culture. Classes meet once a week for two hours. Registration is a first-come, first-served system. Online registration opens on Jan. 5 at 9:30 a.m. at princetonsenior.org. Electronic brochures are available online on the PSRC website. Fees are $95 for a 6- to 8-week course, and $70 for a 3- to 5-week course. Senior Scholarships are available to those for whom the fee is a hardship. To apply, contact Shifra Vega at svega@princetonsenior. org or at 609-751-9699, ext. 116.

Thurs., January 7

The Princeton University Art Museum will present an artist talk with Duane Michals at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7. Known for his work with series, multiple exposures, and the essential use of text in his images, Michals’s work appears in the virtual exhibition “The Eclectic Eye: A Tribute to Duane Wilder.” In this live event, rescheduled from an earlier date, Michals will lead a candid discussion touching on topics such as metaphysics, personal identity, the nature of memory, photography, and filmmaking, in conversation with Museum Director James Steward. Details and free registration are available at https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/calendar/2021-01/new-date-artist-talk-duanemichals The Historical Fiction Book Group of the Historical Society of Princeton will discuss “When the Emperor was Divine” by Julie Otsuksa at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7, along with Alice Yang, associate professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and co-director of their Center for the Study of Pacific War Memories. Yang will lead a discussion of the fictional elements and the nonfictional context of the novel, which is loosely based on the experiences of the author’s mother’s family. It traces the experiences of one JapaneseAmerican family that is sent to an internment camp during World War II. Co-presented with the Princeton Public Library. The session will be held virtually via Google Meet. To register, visit https://princetonhistory.org/events/historical-fiction-bookgroup-14.

Fri., Jan. 8 & Sun., Jan. 10

Wendy Hollender will offer a virtual Botanical Illustration Workshop featuring Morven’s paperwhites on Kraft paper from 1-4 p.m. Jan. 8 and 2-4 p.m. Jan. 10. Inspired by flowers from Morven Museum & Garden’s bulb sale, or other white flowers, students will participate in this live two-day Zoom workshop and draw with Hollender on brown Kraft paper. Curbside pickup of paperwhite bulbs to work with from home will be scheduled for pick up in December to allow time to bloom indoors before the workshop (bulbs, soil and full instruction provided upon pickup. Complete art supply list provided upon registration. The cost with paperwhites is $120; or $100 for Friends of Morven. Without, the cost is $100; or $80 for Friends of Morven. Full details, links for pre-class videos, and bulb pick up instructions follow registration. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/ wendy-hollender-virtual-workshop-withmorvens-paperwhites-on-kraft-paper-tickets-130446580233 For questions, email dlampertrudman@ morven.org.

Through January 10

Morven Museum & Garden’s Festival of Trees is a juried collection of trees and mantles decorated by area garden clubs and non-profit partners displayed in the museum’s galleries throughout the mansion-turned-museum. The trees will be on display through Jan. 10. Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton St., Princeton, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Festival of Trees is included with museum admission of $10; $8.00 for seniors; free for Friends of Morven and children 6 years old and under. For more information and associated Festival of Trees programming, both virtual and in-person, visit morven.org/

Through January 15

Submissions are being accepted for the 2021 Princeton Environmental Film Festival (PEFF), a signature Princeton Public Library event featuring films and filmmaker presentations which explore sustainability and environmental issues. The festival will be presented in two main sessions in 2021 with special screenings taking place throughout the year. Entries received by Jan. 15 will be considered for both the all-virtual session in April, and the festival’s second session in October. The October session will also be presented in a virtual format but will feature some live events if restrictions on public gatherings are lifted. The submission deadline for the October session is July 15. An entry form and additional information about PEFF is available at princetonlibrary.org/peff. There is no fee to submit a film for consideration.

Tues., January 19

Author and garden designer Page Dickey will share experiences, advice and guidance for garden design; and discuss her latest book “Uprooted: A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again” at 2 p.m. Jan. 19. The book will be available soon in Morven Museum & Garden’s online museum shop. The cost is $15 general, or $10 for Friends of Morven. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/ page-dickey-garden-design-uprooted-atmorven-tickets-132134264141

Thurs., January 21

“Revolutionary Princeton 177483: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War” will be presented virtually via GoToMeeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 21. The story of Princeton between 1774 and 1783 is a microcosm of the struggles faced by ordinary Americans during the Revolution, struggles intensified by Princeton’s geographic location within the state which saw more military activity than most and on a road constantly used to move troops and their supplies. This case study of a small New Jersey town located at the crossroads of the Revolution reveals the very human consequences, costs, and benefits of the war experienced by “ordinary” people. The talk is based on Larry Kidder’s research for his recent book of the same title. Co-sponsored by Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum and the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. Visit HopewellValleyHistory.org to register.

Through January 31

Raritan Valley Road Runners, one of the largest running clubs in New Jersey, is accepting applications for a new scholarship program designed to help student runners in cross country or track and field who attend high school or community college in Middlesex and Somerset counties. A one-time award of $1,000 will be made to each of two outstanding athletes enrolling in post-secondary education. The scholarships are not based entirely on speed or competitions won, but rather on strong academics, sportsmanship, citizenship and financial need. The scholarships are funded by individual donations, funds from club-sponsored races and business contributions. Eligible applicants will be graduating from high school in Middlesex or Somerset counties in 2021 or currently attending community college in these counties. They will need to prove acceptance to a full-time (12 credits or more) associate or bachelor’s degree program. They will have a weighted GPA of 2.75 or higher as demonstrated by an unofficial transcript. And they will need to demonstrate passionate participation as a runner in a cross country or track and field in their junior and senior years of high school or while at community college. Participation in extracurricular activities and community involvement will also be considered. For more information, application materials, or to donate to the scholarship fund, email scholarship@rvrr.org. The deadline to apply is January 31. Scholarships will be awarded in April.

Opening Feb. 19

“In Nature’s Realm: The Art of Gerard Rutgers Hardenbergh” will open on Feb. 19 at the Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton St., Princeton. From the untouched land surrounding Barnegat Bay and the diverse wildlife that called it home, to the picturesque steeples and meadows around New Brunswick, Hardenbergh’s work provides a special glimpse into the Garden State on the brink of rapid development. For more information, visit www.morven.org/upcoming-exhibitions

0Friday, December 25, 2020

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The Princeton Packet 3A

Princeton officials work toward free WiFi for residents living in affordable housing developments By LEA KAHN Staff Writer

The Princeton Council is seeking bids to bring internet access to the residents of the affordable housing developments owned or managed by the Princeton Housing Authority and Princeton Community Housing. The Princeton Council approved a resolution to seek competitive bids from vendors to provide WiFi services to the housing developments and to provide free internet services to them for a five-year period at its Dec. 14 meeting. Princeton is in line to receive grant funding through a federal Community Development Block Grant, which will cover the costs of installing the equipment and providing free internet service to those residents. Once the equipment and infrastructure is in place, the vendor may be able to offer low-cost internet service to residents in the neighborhood, Princeton officials said. Internet service to the residents of the affordable housing units will be free. Mayor Liz Lempert said WiFi access is increasingly necessary for everyone.

“(WiFi access) is a need for seniors and other adults looking to connect to news and information, job opportunities, and family and friends,” Lempert said. “Clearly, our kids need it for remote learning and even for regular school assignments, once in-person education resumes.” The Princeton Public Schools has resorted to remote instruction periodically since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and the schools were closed in March. The vendor will bring the infrastructure and services to the residents of the 236 units in five developments owned and managed by the Princeton Housing Authority – the Hageman Homes on Clay Street; Maple Terrace and Franklin Terrace on Franklin Avenue; Lloyd Terrace at the end of Spruce Street; and Redding Circle, off Mount Lucas Road. The nearly 470 units in developments owned or managed by Princeton Community Housing – Princeton Community Village, off Bunn Drive; Griggs Farm, off Cherry Valley Road; and Elm Court and the Harriet Bryan House, both off Elm Road- also will be included.

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Housing Initiatives of Princeton to manage second round of rental assistance for residents in need By ANDREW HARRISON Staff Writer

Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP) and the municipality have partnered to offer a second round of rental assistance to residents facing eviction during the coronavirus pandemic. The funding for the rental assistance will be from federal funds received through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The program, which is under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides grants to municipalities and counties to aid low and moderate income residents. HIP, a Princeton nonprofit, will manage the funding for the municipality and is set to use $319,527 in funds received from the program. The CBDG funding will provide for three consecutive months of rental assistance either going forward for an individual who qualifies, or for people who are still behind in rent. Carol Golden, chair of HIP, said the Rental Assistance Committee expanded the number of members at HIP while preparing for the partnership and grant. Included in the committee will be seven bilingual members. As part of rental assistance, a Rental Assistance and Princeton Landlord-Tenant Mediation program was recently created as a way to allow for landlords and tenants to resolve the issue of outstanding rent and

give HIP the ability to extend the financial assistance. Retired Judge Philip Carchman said during the Dec. 14 Princeton Council meeting that prior to the council approving the partnership, the objective of the program is to reach an accord for a three-month period and allow the landlord to be satisfied as to the rent being received and give the tenants the wherewithal to remain in their homes. Each mediation would involve a landlord and a landlord representative, the tenant with counsel (the committee has a tenant’s advocate to aid the tenant with representation), an interpreter, an individual for tech from HIP who will run the virtual mediations from technical side, and the mediator. Carchman added that the Mercer County Bar Association sent a letter to its members for volunteers to serve as mediators and as counsel in the program. Even though the mediation program is strongly encouraged by HIP and municipal officials, if a tenant and landlord agree on rent it will not preclude the tenant from funding and they would not have to go through mediation. According to officials, what is included in the requirement to qualify for rental assistance for the second round is a signed current lease (individual’s name must appear on the lease) and a self certification of the person’s income (family size and where they fall).

Registration open for new medical cannabis training class at MCCC Mercer County Community College (MCCC) is accepting students for its new health-professions program: “Medical Cannabis Training.” The 15-hour non-credit class will run Monday evenings, Jan. 25 through Feb. 22, from 6-9 p.m. via Zoom. Anyone from the public age 18 and up may enroll. The course will be offered through MCCC’s Center for Continuing Studies and students will receive a certificate upon completion of the course. The Medical Cannabis Training course is intended for anyone who is interested in a career on the ground floor of the medical cannabis profession, or who is curious about this emerging industry in New Jersey. “New developments within the state with regard to the cannabis industry are happening almost every day. This course is intended to provide the necessary background to gain a foothold in this emerging industry,” Sarah Trent, course instructor and owner of Valley Wellness, said in a prepared statement. The five-day course will introduce students to this highly regulated industry by bringing in a variety of subject-matter experts to discuss areas of import such as federal and state laws and regulations, the endocannabinoid system, cultivation basics,

how cannabis products are made, as well as cover dispensary-technician training techniques such as dosing, administration and compliance. Since the approval of medical cannabis in New Jersey, the need for trained individuals has increased, according to the statement. “The potential for employment in this field is expanding. Not only is there a need for cultivators, manufacturers and dispensary employees, the spillover into other areas of the economy is enormous,” Trent said in the statement. This is the first time MCCC has offered a course in medical cannabis since the laws have changed in the state. “As the demand grows for a skilled health-professions workforce, MCCC will no doubt stay on the cutting edge of this industry,” Shan Bercaw, MCCC’s program coordinator, Center for Continuing Studies Division of Lifelong Learning, said in the statement. “The future is particularly bright for many types of jobs within this area of the economy and cultivating future health professionals is one of our main goals at the college.” The cost for the five-session live virtual course is $500. For more information or to enroll, visit www.mccc.edu/healthprof or email registration@mccc.edu.

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The Princeton Packet

THE STATE WE’RE IN

ria ecemer  

By Michele S. Byers

Using science to bring back iconic American chestnut trees “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose …” By the time those famous lyrics were penned in 1945, most of the magnificent American chestnut forests in the eastern United States were gone, the victims of a blight that would eventually kill some four billion trees. In today’s terms, it would be a pandemic … one far more deadly to American chestnuts than COVID-19 to humans. More than a century after the majority of American chestnut trees were wiped out, those who love the iconic species are hoping modern science and technology – including genetic engineering and biological controls – will bring them back. “We are talking decades and centuries to restore a species,” said Sara Fitzsimmons, director of restoration for the American Chestnut Foundation, a North Carolinabased nonprofit organization working on a chestnut comeback. “It’s going to be a long slog and we are going to need a lot of people planting trees.” For thousands of years, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) dominated Eastern forests – including those in New Jersey – growing upward of 100 feet tall, with trunks as wide as 10 feet in diameter. Each fall the trees’ sweet nuts reliably blanketed forest floors, providing a bountiful harvest for wildlife and people. The straight-grained, rot-resistant trunks were used to make timber for everything from houses to railroad ties. Entire economies and ecosystems centered around American chestnuts. The beginning of the end came in the late 1800s when Asian chestnut trees carrying a microscopic fungus were imported to nurseries in the United States. American chestnuts had no resistance to the fungus, which caused cankers that girdled the bark and killed trees. The chestnut blight, first discovered in 1904 at the

Bronx Zoo in New York, steadily spread across the great chestnut forests, destroying nearly every tree in its path. “The loss of the American chestnut was an American tragedy, described by an ecologist as the worst environmental disaster ever to strike our country,” said Rex Mann, a retired forest ranger who now volunteers with the American Chestnut Foundation, in the 2019 documentary “The Chestnut Tree: Bringing Back an American Icon.” But thanks to science, a comeback for American chestnuts is now possible. The American Chestnut Foundation is seeking to restore the tree to its native range using a three-pronged strategy it calls “3BUR: Breeding, Biotechnology and Biocontrol United for Restoration.” • Breeding – For more than three decades, the foundation has been cross-breeding American chestnut trees with Chinese chestnuts, hoping to create a blight-resistant hybrid with the best traits of the original American chestnut. Four tree generations into the program, the traditional breeding program has produced a genetically diverse population of hybrids with improved blight tolerance … although they are still trying for improvement. Breeding is carried out at a research farm in Virginia and at more than 500 plots throughout the tree’s native range, including several in New Jersey. • Biotechnology – The American Chestnut Foundation is also using genetic engineering. Scientists at the State University of New York discovered that a gene from wheat produces an enzyme, oxalate oxidase, which enhances the tree’s tolerance to the blight. In October, the college petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture to grant non-regulated status to a genetically engineered American chestnut tree known as Darling 58. If approved, Darling 58 would be the first genetically engineered tree allowed to be planted in the wild in the United States.

“We won’t know for a year or two, maybe longer,” says Fitzsimmons. • Biocontrol – The primary biological control method being explored by the American Chestnut Foundation and its partners is called “hypovirulence,” or using a virus to reduce the blight’s ability to cause lethal infections in the trees. Fitzsimmons said research is being done at several places in Monmouth County, including Hartshorne Woods Park, where a virus is attacking the fungus on American chestnut trees planted after the great blight. “None of these three B’s can restore a species in isolation,” noted Fitzsimmons. But used together, they may be able to bring back the American chestnut. During a time when many American forests are under stress from invasive insects, invasive non-native plants, diseases, over-abundant deer and climate change, the success of the 3BUR program has implications beyond American chestnut trees. “It’s not just about the chestnut right now,” said Fitzsimmons. “We are setting a template for the restoration of other native species. Yes, there is reason to restore the American chestnut on its own, but there are a lot of other species that will need restoration.” To learn more about American chestnut restoration efforts, visit the American Chestnut Foundation website at https://acf.org/ One especially helpful resource is a series of online video conferences known as “Chestnut Chats,” that took place this past year. To watch the documentary “The Chestnut Tree: Bringing Back an American Icon,” go to https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=-mhMdUryolU&feature=youtu.be Michele S. Byers is the executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Far Hills. She may be reached at info@njconservation.org

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory receives two national environmental awards The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) received two national awards for its sustainability efforts this year for instituting a more sustainable water treatment method that is safer for wildlife and for its green electronics purchasing. PPPL received a U.S. Department of Energy Sustainability Award this year for an innovative three-year program to employ a greener water treatment method for treating non-potable water used for experiments and other purposes, according to information provided by PPPL. PPPL also received a gold EPEAT award from the nonprofit Green Electronics Council for making 98% of its electronics purchases EPEAT-certified. It was the sixth such award PPPL has received since 2015, according to the statement. PPPL won the Sustainability Award in the innovation category for being the first non-industrial site in New Jersey to substitute peracetic acid (PAA) for chlorine, which can affect the quality of surface water and potentially harm aquatic wildlife, according to the statement. Peracetic acid is a clear colorless liquid made up of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid (the main component of vinegar). The chemical is safer for wildlife because it breaks down quickly into environmentally-friendly products. Improving surface water quality Improving the quality of surface water is important for wildlife and humans, said Rob Sheneman, head of PPPL’s Environmental Services Division. “It’s important for all of us because surface water not only provides us with recreation, swimming, fishing and boating activities, but a significant portion of the drink-

LEGAL NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE

The Princeton Board of Education will hold a Virtual Board Retreat on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be open to the public and no action will be taken.

Matt Bouldin Business Administrator/Board Secretary

PP, 1x, 12/25/2020 Fee: $12.60 Affidavit: $15.00

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLE STARKMAN/PPPL OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Martin Donohue, head of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s Engineering Services, left, and Mark Hughes, an environmental compliance manager, led the project to use a more environmentally-friendly water treatment method.

ing water is taken from surface water,” Sheneman said in the statement. “It’s not just good for the animals and the fish but it’s good for us because ultimately we’re going to drink that, and that means less treatment of the water before you drink it, to make it safe.” PPPL pumps water from the nearby Delaware-Raritan Canal to its Plainsboro campus where it is treated with a chemical to disinfect the water and kill any algae, according to the statement. The water is used for experimental and cooling systems and is occasionally discharged into a retention basin, which flows to the Millstone River Watershed. PPPL has always monitored the quality of water discharge to ensure the water quality met national and state guidelines. But in 2017, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) informed PPPL that there would be strict new guidelines on the amount of chlorine permitted in discharged water in order to improve the quality of surface water, according to the statement. PPPL worked closely with the DEP in an effort led by Mark Hughes, an environmental compliance manager, and Martin Donohue, head of Engineering Services, to begin a monitoring study before getting permission to use the chemical in the summer 2019, according to the statement “It shows that there’s a lab-wide commitment to sustainable practices,” Hughes said in the statement. “There is a lot of collaboration between many different people in

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM NOW

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s program to treat its non-potable water with a more sustainable chemical affects water flowing into the Millstone River Basin.

order to achieve this.” Donohue and Hughes worked with several facilities staff members to convert the water systems: Jeffrey Bennett, Charles Herbert, Brett Hudnett, Jason Niatas and Thomas Ward, who were honored with employee awards last year for their efforts, according to the statement. PPPL has received numerous awards over the past decade, including six Federal Green Challenge regional awards last year from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its sustainable practices in reducing waste, energy and water, and transportation, and for green purchasing, and electronics recycling. PPPL, on Princeton University’s Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro, is devoted to creating new knowledge about the physics of plasmas — ultra-hot, charged gases — and to developing practical solutions for the creation of fusion energy. The laboratory is managed by the university for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ofﬁce of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.

Lewis Center for the Arts Fellows will explore American culture inﬂuenced by personal backgrounds

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA BARANOVA

Leslie Cuyjet

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHRYN GEGENHEIMER

Mark Thomas Gibson

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID HILLER

Anya Pearson

Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts has announced the selection of five Mary Mackall Gwinn Hodder Fellows for the 2021-22 academic year. This year’s recipients include choreographer/performer Leslie Cuyjet, visual artist Mark Thomas Gibson, playwright and poet Anya Pearson, gwenyambira and musician Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa, and music theater composer Brandon Webster. “In a year of unimaginable loss and tremendous uncertainty, it means a lot to know that so many artists have managed to keep doing the work of healing, communityNM-00446005

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEAVAN PHOTO

Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX PRESLEY

Brandon Webster

building and fostering revelation in their different ways. It’s with tremendous gratitude that the Lewis Center offers the gift of time, resources and belief to these five emerging artists,” Tracy K. Smith, chair of the Lewis Center, said in a prepared statement. Hodder Fellows may be writers, composers, choreographers, visual artists, performance artists, or other kinds of artists or humanists who have, as the program outlines, “much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts.” Artists from anywhere may apply in the early fall each year for the following academic year. See LEWIS CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Page 5A

LIFESTYLE 

The Princeton Packet

LOOSE ENDS

ria ecemer  

By Pam Hersh

Princeton Trivia is not trivial

am trying to get a date with Josh Ellis for New Year’s Eve. Totally irrelevant are the facts that he is happily married to Katy Glickman, the daughter of a longtime Princeton friend of mine, Elyse Pivnick; is 40 years younger than I am; and will be nowhere near me on Dec. 31. I have asked him to meet me at his virtual bar and host a Princeton Trivia party for several of my friends/relatives, as a way of welcoming 2021 and saying good riddance to 2020. Josh, a “Jeopardy!” contestant wannabe, used to run renowned in-person trivia competitions at the bars he owns and operates in Brooklyn. Undefeated by COVID, he has transformed his in-person passion into a virtual one and now conducts these COVID-safe trivia entertainment events at a distance via Zoom. During the past several months, he has created and hosted themed trivia parties for weddings (such as his sister-in-law’s September wedding in his mother-in-law’s Princeton backyard), corporate team-building parties, holiday parties, networking parties, and what-the-heck and why-not parties. BCE (Before COVID Era), Josh had hosted almost 500 weeks of in-person trivia events at his bars. Then, the pandemic hit and his bars closed completely or opened with very limited occupancy. Recognizing the need for people to still connect, Josh started hosting weekly bar trivia events over Zoom for the bars’ regular trivia participants. “During the darkest of pandemic days in early spring, in order to stay sane, keep our community together and give ourselves something to do and look forward to every week, we started hosting our weekly bar trivia virtually over Zoom,” Josh said. “Seeing the success of our weekly virtual trivia game, I have expanded to hosting private bar trivia events. I’ve written and hosted quizzes for engagement parties, weddings, birthdays, holiday parties, and company recruitment events – and worked with companies like Barclays, Rent The Runway, D Magazine, Warner Music Group, AAIS, Baton Software and American Express. “Our standard quiz usually lasts 75-90 minutes and consists of five rounds of 10 questions. I can accommodate up to dozens of teams playing at a time, giving companies an opportunity to create some healthy competition and build culture and camaraderie for their teams.” Josh asks the party-giver to suggest a theme, and my rather unimaginative theme (considering where I live) is going to be famous Princetonians, past and present. Because of the gloom and doom of 2020, I insist upon only positive, inspiring people – no criminals, no former slave owners, no racists, no fascists, no sexists, no fact-or-science deniers, no Boston Red Sox fans (only kidding, kind of). And then The New York Times last week handed me the

Josh Ellis, trivia maven

MacKenzie Scott, philanthropist and Princeton University alumna

perfect gift for my New Year’s Eve Trivia Party with the following news: “In her short career as one of the world’s leading philanthropists, MacKenzie Scott has made her mark through the enormous scale of her giving and also through its speed. …” Ms. Scott, a well known novelist and billionaire philanthropist who was once married to Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, announced in a Medium post on Tuesday that she had given nearly $4.2 billion to 384 organizations in just the last four months. Many of the groups are focused on providing the basic needs for millions of the nation’s most vulnerable, underserved and marginalized people. “This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” Ms. Scott wrote in her blog post. “Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires,” she said. So here is the two-part trivia question perfect for a Josh Ellis “Bar Trivia” event. What is MacKenzie Scott’s connection to Princeton? And how does one specific recipient of her extraordinary philanthropy have a direct relationship to Princeton? Mackenzie Scott graduated from Princeton University in 1992, six years after her ex husband, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, graduated from Princeton University. That is the easy part of the trivia question. Not so easy, however, is figuring out who among her philanthropic recipients also has a connection to Princeton – and whose path more than likely intersected with Mackenzie Scott’s during her

Lewis Center for the Arts Continued from Page 4A Past Hodder Fellows have included novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, painter Mario Moore, poet Natalie Diaz, choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili, playwright Lauren Yee, and composer and lyricist Michael Friedman, according to the statement. Leslie Cuyjet is a choreographer and performer who has co-directed, designed, danced, and collaborated with a range of artists. In 2019, her sustained achievement as a performer was awarded with a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award. Cuyjet’s own work interrogates experiences, performing in various experimental and post-modern forms, through the lens of a Black body. Her work has been supported by residencies at Movement Research (2017-19), Center for Performance Research (2019), Yaddo (2019), MoMA PS1 (2019), New Dance Alliance (2020), and MacDowell (2020). During her residency, Cuyjet plans to curate and create methods to preserve cultural and art history through dance and movement, according to the statement. Mark Thomas Gibson’s personal lens on American culture stems from his multipartite viewpoint as an artist, as a Black male, a professor and an American history buff, according to the statement. Gibson received his B.F.A. from The Cooper Union in 2002 and his M.F.A. from Yale School of Art in 2013. He is represented by Fredericks & Freiser in New York, M+B in Los Angeles and Loyal in Stockholm. In 2016 he co-curated the traveling exhibition “Black Pulp!” with William Villalongo. He has released two books, “Some Monsters Loom Large” (2016) and “Early Retirement” (2017). Gibson is currently an assistant professor at Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University and lives and works in Philadelphia. He plans to use his time as a Hodder Fellow to explore the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election through drawing, painting and printmaking, while working toward the completion of a new artist’s book, according to the statement. Anya Pearson is an award-winning playwright, poet, producer, actress and activist. She is finishing her debut collection of poetry and writing three pilots. Her plays include “The Measure of Innocence” (The Kilroys List, Drammy Award for Best Original Script); “Made to Dance in Burning Buildings” (Showcase: Joe’s Pub, New York City and Shaking the Tree, Portland, Oregon); “The Killing Fields” (2018 Orphic Commission, Seven Devils New Play Foundry, and Great Plains Theatre Conference); and “Three Love Songs” (Play at Home Initiative commis-

sioned by Portland Center Stage at the Armory). She is on the staff of Corporeal Writing and under commission from Portland Center Stage. She is a member of LineStorm Playwrights, Dramatist Guild, and Actors Equity Association. She will spend the fellowship year writing an original play examining and dissecting the roots and ramifications of gentrification and how they intersect with the achievement gap to further promote inequality in our society, according to the statement. Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa is a Zimbabwean gwenyambira (mbira player), composer, singer, scholar and healer. Her craft is grounded in the Chivanhu ancestral canon taught to her by the generations of Svikiro (spirit mediums) and N’anga (healers) in her bloodline. Her work calls for a reintegrative practice that heals the spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual disembodiment caused by the 600-year colonial war waged against her people, according to the statement. Tawengwa earned her B.A. in Music Composition at Princeton University (cum laude), her M.M. in Voice Performance from the University of Kentucky and is a doctoral candidate in Voice Performance. During the fellowship year, Tawengwa will compose “Mudzimu Dzoka,” a biomythographical, multi-disciplinary performance piece detailing her re-embodiment of Zimbabwean ancestral practices as a panacea for colonial disembodiment. She will also produce an auto-theoretical article in a comic book format called “Cultural Vampires: White Exploitation of Zimbabwean Mbira Music.” Brandon Webster is a New York City-based composer, dramaturg and storyteller committed to telling afro-futurist and afro-surrealist stories. He is an alumnus of the 2013 class of BMI Musical Theater Workshop, a 2017 MCC Theater Artistic Fellow, and part of the inaugural class of Musical Theater Factory’s MAKERS. For his fellowship year Webster will be writing “KRONOS,” a two-person musical that is an afro-surrealist interrogation of toxic masculinity and experiment on musical theater form. In addition to creating new work, Hodder Fellows may engage in lectures, readings, performances, exhibitions and other events at the Lewis Center for the Arts, most of which are free and open to the public. To learn more about the Hodder Fellows, the Lewis Center for the Arts, and the more than 100 public performances, exhibitions, readings, screenings, concerts and lectures presented each year, most of them free, visit arts.princeton.edu.

For a complete list of community events, visit www.centraljersey.com. Any calendar items not appearing in the printed version of the newspaper will appear online. To submit a community announcement, send details via email to jamato@newspapermediagroup.com The deadline for submissions is noon on Thursday.

Ruth Simmons, former Princeton U. administrator and now president of Prairie A&M University; recipient of Scott’s philanthropic gift of $50 million

years at Princeton University? The answer is Dr. Ruth Simmons, who serves as president of Prairie View A&M University, which received $50 million from MacKenzie Scott. Before Dr. Simmons became Prairie View A&M University president, she served as president of Brown University, president of Smith College, provost of Spelman College – and associate dean of the faculty and vice provost at Princeton University. The tenure of this much beloved administrator at Princeton University overlapped the time MacKenzie Scott was a Princeton University undergraduate. Even though I met both individuals when I worked at Princeton University, I have no idea if Ruth Simmons and MacKenzie Scott ever influenced one another. Even if the connection is simply coincidental, it constitutes a delicious bit of Princeton trivia that reflects the awe-inspiring aspects of Princeton University’s defining ethic and unofficial motto – “In the nation’s service and the service of humanity.” I declare this to be a wonderful way to begin 2021– as well as a great bit of bar trivia for Josh that is bound to stump anyone who has not read this column. For more information on the trivia night, visit www. unclebarrys.com/trivia.

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6A The Princeton Packet

ON THE ROAD

www.princetonpacket.com

Friday, December 25, 2020F

PETER PERROTTA

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe 4wd Premiere

few weeks ago, I refrom the cars or trucks I review, viewed the 2021 Toyota if they so happen to be considTundra – a vehicle that ering purchasing or leasing that gets a gas guzzling 14 miles per particular model. gallon. That being said, if you go Charles Skinner, one of my back over the past year you will readers, took exception to the also see that I have reviewed nufact that I reviewed a “gas guzmerous hybrid, electric hybrid zler.” and purely electric vehicles. Skinner wrote in his comI used this as a preamble to ments to the Princeton Packet: this week’s column because I “He does not even hint that opwill be reviewing another veerating this gas guzzler – instead hicle which may be perceived Peter Perrotta of a hybrid or electric vehicle – as a “gas guzzler” type, the will accelerate climate change 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD with egregious indirect costs that will be Premiere. borne by human society and the natural While not as fuel thirsty as the Tundra, world. the Tahoe I recently drove for one week “Why does Mr. Perrotta not mention gets a non-eco-friendly 18 miles per galthe exacerbated forest fires, drought, melt- lon overall – 20 mpg in city driving and 16 ing ice caps, rising sea levels and extreme mpg around town. The EPA estimates that it will cost – on weather that are overwhelming points against buying and operating this vehicle?” average – about $2,250 per year to run the These are all points well taken, Mr. Tahoe, as it uses about 5.6 gallons of gas per every 100 miles driven. Skinner. Again, I reiterate, by reviewing this However, my On The Road column is not meant to be a political or environmen- large, 3 row SUV, I am not advocating that tal commentary or statement on how auto- it is good for the environment to own one or lease one. However, one can not deny mobiles affect climate change. Instead, it is more a reflection of what that large SUVs and pickup trucks are popis being offered on the current auto mar- ular in the United States. According to Chevrolet, the Tahoe is ket and to give the consumer some type of independent judgement on what to expect the best-selling full-sized SUV in the Unit-

ed States – a title Chevy claims it has held for the past 19 years. I wouldn’t be doing my job justice if I ignored this segment of the automotive market and only reviewed vehicles that were considered eco-friendly or safe. The Tahoe I drove for one week was powered by a 5.3 liter, ecotec3 V8 engine that produces about 355 horsepower at 383 pound feet of torque. Chevrolet will be making that Tahoe available with a more fuel efficient 3.0 liter I-6 diesel engine that puts out 277 horsepower and gets up to 28 miles per gallon on the highway. The Premiere edition Tahoe I drove has a base price of $65,600. My tester had a bottom line sticker price of $71,380 as it added $4,485 for a premium package and $1,295 for destination and delivery. Some of the items the premium package features include: power panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, enhanced emergency braking, multi color heads up display, advanced trailering system and an enhanced cooling radiator. The 2021 Tahoe features a newly redesigned exterior and interior, more cargo room behind the third row of seats, an independent rear suspension, a 10.2-inch color touch screen, and up to nine available camera views. I like the aggressive new look on the re-

designed Tahoe – both inside and out. There is plenty of room inside; this new Tahoe has a massive 122.9 cubic feet of cargo space with both the second and third row folded down. It also is a workhorse, featuring 8,400 pounds of trailering capability. While it took me a bit to get used to the overall bigness of this Tahoe – while driving it – once I did get used to it, I found it to be easy to handle, and quite comfortable. The new independent rear suspension is a winner in my book. Car and Driver gives the new Tahoe high marks for the cabin being “impressively quiet.” They add that the third row is “actually comfortable” and marveled at its ability to tow up to 8,400 pounds. On the other hand, Car and Driver called the new front end design “divisive,” said it featured some “questionable interior ergonomics” and said its top models cost too much. But, in the end, the editors at Car and Driver gave the Tahoe a positive rating, saying, “The new Tahoe is more spacious and sophisticated then before, which resolidifies its spot atop the large SUV class.” I would have to agree. I think that if you are considering going out to purchase or lease a large, three-row SUV, then one would be remiss if you didn’t include the Tahoe on your short list of SUVs to consider. Peter Perrotta’s On The Road column appears weekly. If you have questions or comments he can be reached at peter@capitalmotorcars.com.

Read Digital Issues Online

Packet Media LLC is offering a new way for readers to access their news each week. Visit www.centraljersey.com, go to the “Papers” tab and scroll to the bottom to “Read Digital Issues Online.” Outside of the breaking news and updates we post each day on the website, you’ll be able to “flip through” each week’s newspapers in their actual format. It’s the next best thing to holding your newspaper in your hands!

Rosedale Road Safe Routes to School engineering contract awarded By LEA KAHN Staff Writer

Aiming to make it safer for children to walk or ride their bicycles to the Johnson Park School, the Princeton Council has awarded a contract for preliminary engineering designs to improve the existing paths on Rosedale Road.

The Princeton Council awarded a contract for $303,140 to engineering consultant NV5 to draw up the preliminary engineering plans at its Oct. 26 meeting, the first step in implementing the town’s latest Safe Routes to School grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Princeton received a $1 million state

Obituaries

OBITUARY Dr. Buel King Grow, Jr. Dr. Buel King Grow, Jr. passed away on December 11, 2020 at the age of 93. Born in Beckley, West Virginia, Dr. Grow had resided in Montgomery Township, NJ for over 35 years before he and his wife Anne Grinnell Grow moved to Meadow Lakes Senior Living Community. Preceded in death by his parents Buel King Grow and Freda Webb Grow, he leaves behind his cherished wife Anne Grow and 5 children; Linda DeStefano (husband Bill) of Hopewell, NJ, John G. Grow of Havre, Montana, Susan Jefferson of Hopewell, Nancy Silvester (husband Dave) of Hopewell, and Mary Grow of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren: Daniel (wife Jen), David and Kevin DeStefano, Karrie (husband Phill) and Sam Jefferson, Shannon and Erin Silvester and 3 great grandchildren Emmie and Grant DeStefano and Penelope Jefferson Beer. Dr. Grow grew up in Raleigh, NC, where he met his wife Anne in 6th grade. A talented and accomplished athlete in his youth, Buel was a member of the track & ﬁeld and football teams at Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh. He was a 3 event (110 m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put) North Carolina High School Track and Field State Champion in 1945. Buel received his B.S. in Medicine from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He played on UNC’s football team for two years, participated in their 1947 Sugar Bowl game against Georgia in New Orleans and was a life long fan of the Tar Heels. Buel headed north to earn his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. In 1952 he graduated from medical school and married Anne Louise Grinnell on the same June weekend. After two years of internal medicine training at Boston City Hospital, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served as a 2nd Lieutenant for two years at the James Connally Air Force Hospital in Waco, Texas. Thereafter, he completed his psychiatry residency at Yale University School of Medicine. Buel and Anne raised their young children in Orange, CT while Buel worked in private practice and held teaching appointments at Yale University School of Medicine. In 1969, Buel moved his family to New Jersey to begin serving as a psychiatrist at Carrier Foundation in Belle Mead, NJ, a position he held for many years. Buel (known as B.K. to family and friends) enjoyed sailing whether it was racing his Snipe with his daughters in the 70’s, sailing Long Island Sound in his O’Day 28 with Anne often at his side or getting out on Lake Carnegie in his sunﬁsh or kayak. In retirement, he took up watercolor painting, Elderhostel travel, audited Princeton University classes and enjoyed September trips to Port Clyde, Maine with Anne. He was an avid sports fan throughout his life who enjoyed both college and professional sports, as well as attending his grandchildren’s sporting events. His family was his treasure and he was a much-loved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Dr. Grow was a long-time member of Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. A memorial service will be held at a later date when his whole family can gather. ArrangementsareunderthedirectionoftheCromwell-ImmordinoMemorialHome,2560Pennington Rd, Pennington NJ. Condolences may be made to www.CromwellImmordinoMemorialHome.com. NM-00448702

grant for improvements to the asphalt paths on Rosedale Road and to make improvements to the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive, which leads to the Johnson Park School. The town will be reimbursed for up to $295,115 of the cost of NV5’s engineering contract by the Federal Highway Administration. The existing asphalt path on the north side of Rosedale Road, between Elm Road and Christopher Drive, varies from 6 to 7 feet in width. It is too narrow to accommodate both pedestrians and bicyclists. The proposal is to widen the path to 8-10 feet to make room for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The town’s initial Safe Routes to School grant application also sought to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive, but the New Jersey Department of Transportation denied it. Traffic signals must be approved by the state agency. “At this point, we do not seem to meet the warrant for a full traffic signal, but we are endeavoring to find some sort of active traffic control device to be used at the General Johnson Drive intersection,” Stockton told the Princeton Council. One possibility is a HAWK signal, Stockton said. It is one step above the push-button rectangular yellow flashing beacons that help pedestrians to cross the street, she said.

A HAWK signal is a push-button device to stop motorists so that pedestrians and bicyclists can safely cross the street. When the button is pushed, a flashing yellow light is activated to warn oncoming motorists. After a few seconds, a second light turns red to stop motorists and to allow for pedestrians or bicyclists to cross the street. The HAWK device is not covered by the grant, so Princeton would have to pay for it out of its capital funds account, Stockton said. Once the preliminary design phase is completed – most likely in the second half of 2021 – the project will move into the final design and construction phase, Stockton said. “We are just very excited that we are moving ahead,” Stockton said. Mayor Liz Lempert said she was pleased the project is moving forward. There are “quite a few” children who live close enough to ride their bicycle or walk to school, but who cannot do so because of the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive, Lempert said. “I think this is a really important and exciting project,” she said. The Rosedale Road project is Princeton’s second Safe Routes to School grant. The town received a grant to make improvements to the existing traffic signals on N. Harrison Street at Hamilton Avenue and N. Harrison Street at Franklin Avenue. The project was completed earlier this year.

Princeton Public Library wins ALA grant to support programs focused on climate crisis As one of 25 U.S. libraries selected to participate in the American Library Association’s Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change initiative, Princeton Public Library will receive a $1,000 programing grant to support climate-related programs and activities. “As the home of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival, Princeton Public Library has long been known for its commitment to sustainability and climate-change issues,” Librarian Susan Conlon said in a prepared statement. “This grant will help us extend the work we do to promote en-

vironmental literacy, allow us add materials to our collections and enhance the public’s access to those materials. We were proud to be selected from a pool of more than 70 applicants.” Resilient Communities strives to raise awareness and provide accurate information about the climate change crisis to the public through libraries, according to the statement. The pilot project has been funded by a grant from Andrew and Carol Phelps, the parents of a public librarian and a library master’s student. For more information, visit ala.org.

For a complete list of community announcements, visit centraljersey.com To submit an announcement, send details to jamato@newspapermediagroup.com

0Friday, December 25, 2020

The Princeton Packet 7A

www.princetonpacket.com

real estate

To advertise, contact Tracey Lucas 732.358.5200 Ext. 8319 tlucas@newspapermediagroup.com

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8A The Princeton Packet

Friday, December 25, 2020

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ACROSS 1 Fighting, after “at” 5 Fabled loser 9 Battle of heavyweights 13 Nail alternative 18 Turkish currency 19 Not quite round 20 Luxury sheet material 21 Slopping the hogs, e.g. 22 *Smell awful 24 *Do a garage job 26 Shove off 27 Like loud crowds 29 Applied fragrant hair dressing to 30 Tire pattern 32 Golden 34 Hanoi holiday 35 Social function 38 “Cast of thousands” member 40 Davis Cup org. 42 Many Eng. degrees 45 Othello and kin 46 Titled women 47 Last checkbox, often 48 Set aflame 49 Misfortunes 50 Tom and buck 51 SAT prep teacher, often 52 Firecracker part 53 “Toy Story” bully 54 Evaded the bouncer, maybe 55 Bat-maker’s tool 56 Go through quickly 57 Reserve, as a date 59 Home with smoke flaps 60 Dancing pro 61 Suffix suggesting wealth 62 Ulna locale 64 Chaplin of “Game of Thrones” 65 Drew out 67 Many airport rides 68 E is the only vowel that doesn’t begin any of their names 72 Napkin material 73 Unemotional 74 Destiny and source of the phoenix 75 Managed care gp.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

76 Some eligible receivers 77 Informed, with “in” 78 Communion site 79 Frigate front 80 Tourist’s rental 81 Nitpickers split them 82 Of great scope 83 Composed tweets, say 84 Give it a whirl 85 Cost to play 86 Brut, compared to sec 87 Ate, with “down” 88 Words with stew or pickle 89 Tender spots 91 Took a chance 93 Adorn with sequins 97 Toyed with, catstyle 99 Coming and going 103 *Walk off the job 105 *Cause a disturbance 107 Photoshop, e.g. 108 Printer powder

109 “Winning __ everything” 110 Austen classic 111 Stains on reputations 112 Knocks out, in a way 113 Flat-nosed dogs 114 Like some pockets 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

DOWN Auto pioneer Potentially ruinous “Doggone it!” Reacted to a punch More saintly St. Teresa’s home “Norma __” Designer Schiaparelli Roughly onethird of Africa Where embryos develop Emcee’s lapel attachment Like GIs in the kitchen

13 Cream cheese serving 14 Play badly? 15 Cross above an altar 16 Vowel-rich lake 17 Join with a blowtorch 20 Rubs clean 23 Anna of “The Emoji Movie” 25 Wobble 28 Hotels.com quotes 31 *Speculate, in a way 33 *Have what it takes 35 Horse-andbuggy group 36 Four-page sheet 37 *Do a washday chore 39 Magneto’s enemies 41 Slipper, for one 42 *Try to deceive one of the base runners 43 Big-box store division

44 46 47 50 51 52 54 55 56 58 59 60 63 65 66 69 70 71

Rodeo bovine Take out __ Banks Minibike relative Cantina appetizers Shrek’s love “The Elements of Bridge” author Charles Having one’s doubts Turnips and parsnips Prepares ham for an omelet, say Gain popularity on Twitter Car washer, at times Bassoon cousins Send to the Hill Currency of Jordan Migratory herring Portray fury or fear Spread, as seed

73 X-Acto knife cut 74 Skin cream additive 77 Venice features 78 Respond to reveille 79 Manufactured 81 Homes for gliders 82 Suds maker 83 Placement word 86 Ducklings’ dads 87 Reaches a peak 88 Chesapeake Bay, e.g. 90 Offer a view 92 Winery process 93 Worker during a walkout 94 Dark cloud 95 Choral part 96 Kett of old comics 98 Faucet annoyance 100 Point a finger at 101 Coin depicting a torch 102 Totally lose it 104 Obey the coxswain 106 Pac-12 sch.

RELEASE DATE—Sunday, January 10, 2021

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle 1/10/21