10-23 Proof 1 by Community News Service

Headline in Minion Pro

Opportunities: Auditions

Director, Nicholas Pecht, and producer, Hayley Rubins-Topoleski, are seeking a fun, diverse cast for a special, one-night only Holiday Extravaganza at the ActorsNET of Morrisville, Pennsylvania. This musical revue / cabaretstyle performance will be a party: Imagine a holiday party with your theater-friends — singing, “dancing,” “drinking,” and just good fun.

Auditions take place Sunday and Monday, October 27 and 28, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The performance takes place Sunday, December 15, at 7 p.m.

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609-452-7000

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soloists will sing one or more songs alone (or in duets or small groups) and will also sing in group numbers.

Soloists should come prepared to perform a holiday-themed song as you would at the performance. You must bring sheet music. For duets or small group numbers, soloists will be expected to audition together. Soloists, including duets and small group numbers, will have minimal rehearsal time, so they should plan to rehearse on their own. Please communicate at the audition if you are willing to be an ensemble member.

between The Lines

There will be mandatory rehearsals on Saturday, December 7, from noon to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, December 11, from 7 to 10 p.m. Additional rehearsal dates will be determined by cast and crew availability, with approximately two rehearsals in November, and one possible additional rehearsal in December.

Please contact Hayley at hayley@actorsnetbucks.org with any questions.

Roles are open to performers of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, body types, ages, and abilities. All roles are non-equity and unpaid. The theater seeks both soloists and ensemble members. All cast members will be on stage for most of the performance as “party goers.” Ensemble members will sing group numbers only and

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Prospective ensemble members may bring sheet music of a favorite holiday song, but the theater will have traditional holiday sheet music for you to choose from — but only one copy, so best to pick a song with lyrics that you know. Ensemble members are not required to be outstanding singers.

Kelsey Theater on the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College hosts auditions for Sarah Ruhl’s “The Clean House,” presented by Shakespeare ’70.

“The Clean House” is a funny, quirky, touching play about a young woman from Brazil and the women she meets after coming to the States.

For this production, Shakespeare ’70 is seeking a total of five actors. All roles are non-equity and unpaid. They are Matilde, female identifying, mid 20s to early 30s, born in Brazil; Ana, female identifying, mid 50s to mid (to possibly late) 60s, Argentinian; Lane, female identifying, early 50s to early 60s, American; Virginia, Female identifying, late 50s to mid 60s, American; and Charles, male identifying, 50s to early 60s.

Performances are scheduled for Fridays through Sundays, January 17 through 26, 2025. Auditions take place Wednesday and Thursday, November 6 and 7, from 6 to 10 p.m. Auditions will be held on the Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Check the Kelsey Theatre sign board for a room location on the day of your audition.

Visit kelsey.mccc.edu/auditions.shtml for more information and to make an audition appointment. Contact Jake Burbage at shakespeare70inc@gmail.com with questions.

Tax-Aide Program Seeks Volunteers

The Mercer County AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program is seeking volunteers to prepare federal and state tax returns.

Mercer Tax-Aide volunteers prepare tax returns in Princeton, West Windsor, Hopewell Township, Pennington, Lawrence, Hamilton, Robbinsville, as well as in Plainsboro.

New volunteers attend training classes in November, December and January. IRS certification is part of the training program. Tax preparation begins in February.

All levels and types of experience are welcome. AARP membership is not required. New volunteers will work with a small group of well-trained veteran volunteers.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers prepare millions of tax returns across the country each year. Taxpayers of any age can take advantage this free service.

To learn more about the program and sign up, visit www.aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call 1-888227-7669.

U.S. 1 Is in Print & Online

U.S. 1 has distribution to news boxes located in downtown Princeton and Trenton, at train stations, and in other high-traffic outdoor areas. Additionally, it is now possible to browse full PDFs of recent issues on U.S. 1’s website, www.princetoninfo.com. Click on “Read This Week’s Digital U.S. 1 E-Edition Here.” A full digital edition of U.S. 1 is also distributed by e-mail every Wednesday. Subscribe at www.communitynews.org/ newsletter.

Call for Volunteers

New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS), a division of New York Blood Center, which provides blood for local patients, is looking for a few good volunteers. The blood drive volunteer is an integral member of our team whose tasks include assisting donors with registration and/or at the refreshment area. No medical background necessary. Volunteers should be outgoing to provide friendly customer service, be able to perform tasks as needed and must provide proof of COVID Vaccination prior to volunteering. Must have transportation. All training is provided including additional precautions for the safety of our team and blood donors. For additional information call or text Sharon Zetts, Manager, NJBS Volunteer Services at 732850-8906, Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To apply online as a blood drive volunteer, please go to: www.volgistics.com/appform/2127944197.

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Thursday, October 24

Tech Meetup Event

Separates AI Fact from Fiction

n the fast-growing and everevolving world of artificial intelligence, it can take some real brains to distinguish realistic and potentially useful applications of AI from exaggerated claims about AI capabilities that do not work as promised or do more harm than good.

In Princeton, those brains are Princeton University computer science professor Arvind Narayanan and graduate student Sayash Kapoor, who together are the authors of “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference,” published in September by Princeton University Press.

The two scholars, both named to TIME magazine’s inaugural list of the “100 most influential people in AI,” speak on their book and current topics in AI at the Princeton Tech Meetup’s gathering at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, on Thursday, October 24, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event is free to attend. Register at www. meetup.com/princeton-tech/

events/302682047.

The authors define AI snake oil and the problems it causes in the introduction to their book:

“AI snake oil is AI that does not and cannot work as advertised. Since AI refers to a vast array of technologies and applications, most people cannot yet fluently distinguish which types of AI are actually capable of functioning as promised and which types are simply snake oil. This is a major societal problem: we need to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff if we are to make full use of what AI has to offer while protecting ourselves from its possible harms, which in many cases are already occurring.”

The authors also note what they see as the root cause of pervasive AI hype and falsehoods: “Since we started working together,” they write in their introduction, “we’ve come to better appreciate why there is so much misinformation, misunderstanding, and mythology about AI. In short, we realized that the problem is so persistent because researchers, companies, and the media all contribute to it.”

Case in point: the series of events that inspired the book project in the first place, starting in 2019 when Narayanan was approached by a researcher at a hiring automation firm. The company was hiding evidence that its tool was not nearly as effective as advertised. This interaction became part of a lecture he gave, the slides from which he later uploaded online — where they went viral, underscoring the widespread interest in this topic.

To learn enough about the topic to feel confident writing a book on it, Narayanan first taught a university course on the “Limits of Prediction” using AI. Kapoor was a newly arrived graduate student in

Arvind Narayanan, top right, and Sayash Kapoor speak on their book, ‘AI Snake Oil,’ at the Princeton Tech Meetup on Thursday, October 24, at Princeton Public Library.

the course. Research conducted by both over the subsequent years led to the book’s creation.

In addition to serving as a professor of computer science, Narayanan is also the director of the university’s Center for Information Technology Policy. His previous books include serving as co-author of “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies” and “Fairness and Machine Learning.” He did his undergraduate work in India and earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009.

Prior to undertaking his PhD in computer science at Princeton Kapoor worked as a software engineer

at Facebook, where he helped create AI for content moderation. He earned his bachelor of technology degree in computer science at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

“AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference” is available on Amazon.com. List price: $24.95.

Wednesday, October 30

Summit Connects a New Generation of Women Leaders

business leaders, community members, faculty, and students gather at The College of New Jersey in Ewing on Wednesday, October 30, for the 14th annual Women’s Leadership Summit hosted by the college’s School of Business.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the college’s Education Building at 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing. Registration, via EventBrite, is $100 for the general public and includes breakfast, lunch, and a signed copy of the keynote speaker’s book. Registration closes on Tuesday, October 29. Visit wls.tcnj.edu for more information.

In addition to breakfast and lunch, the day’s agenda includes talks, breakout sessions, workshops, motivational exercise, and networking activities.

The keynote speaker is Sylvia Baffour, whose talk is titled “Dare to Care: Inspire and Influence with Emotional Intelligence.” Baffour is a noted motivational speaker and author who specializes in emotion intelligence. Her book, “I Dare You to Care — Using Emotional Intelligence to Inspire, Influence, and Achieve Remarkable Growth,” addresses how to maintain meaningful relationships by understanding your own emotions and how to manage their impact on you and on others.

Strategies set to be discussed in her talk at the summit, according to

Continued on following page

Jazz Small Group I _

SMALL GROUP I

Theodore Peebles ’28

Trumpet

Milan Sastry ’26

Alto Saxophone

William Parson ’28

Trombone

Alex Levin ’27

Piano

Ari Freedman GS

Bass

Alex MacArthur ’25

Drums

Faculty Jazz Sextet

FACULTY SEXTET

Rudresh Mahanthappa

Alto Saxophone

Ted Chubb

Trumpet

Michelle Lordi Voice

Matthew Parrish Bass

Jerome Jennings Drums SPECIAL

Charles Dutta '27

Piano

conference materials, are intended to help attendees gain greater selfawareness and skills to overcome imposter syndrome; turn emotions into strategic assets, enhancing decision-making and problem-solving; leave a positive, lasting impact in interactions, fostering respect and collaboration; adapt and thrive amidst change and uncertainty, building a resilient professional persona; and influence and inspire those around you, creating a culture of motivation and growth.

Summit participants have a choice of two morning breakout sessions. “Break Free: Unveiling 3 Secrets to Self-Sabotage, Embrace Self-Empowerment, and Manifest Your Dream Life!” is presented by Denise Fuchs, a registered nurse, life coach, and speaker. She is the CEO and founder of Wayne, New Jersey-based Dream Builders By Design, which offers coaching workshops for individuals and groups.

The objectives of her interactive workshop, according to conference materials, are to “learn to re-pattern self-limiting beliefs, step into your inner power, and create a life you love”; to “learn simple thinking strategies to guard against fear, doubt, and worry”; and to “learn to take inspired action steps to achieve your dreams even faster than you ever imagined.”

The other breakout session option is Triccia Ramos’ presentation on “The Key To Unlocking Internal Peace Amidst External Chaos.” After suffering a stroke at age 40, Ramos left her corporate job start her own business helping “those seeking to change their lives through curated transformational experiences.”

Sylvia Baffour is the keynote speaker at The College of New Jersey’s Women’s Leadership Summit on Wednesday, October 30.

The session objectives, per conference materials, are to “learn to tune in and listen to your intuition; learn the power of Intentions in your day to day living experience; and learn how to bounce back from your setbacks with resilience and strength.

The afternoon workshop is “Embracing Stress: Turning Pressure into Power” presented by Tamar Spitzer and Sandra Schwartz, both of whom are administrators for the Montville Township Public Schools. Spitzer is also a feminist researcher and speaker on organizational leadership.

According to the conference agenda, the workshop “will examine the rhetoric of stress surrounding work and life. Drawing on current research about stress and success, we will explore how women internalize stress and how it can be harnessed to work for us rather than against us. Participants will leave with an understanding of how

changing both our inner and outer dialogues can transform stress into a driving force rather than an impediment, enabling us to maximize not only our potential but also that of those we lead.”

For the full agenda and speaker biographies, visit wls.tcnj.edu.

Business Meetings

Wednesday October 23

Networking, BNI Falcons, IHOP, 610 Route 33, East Windsor, 877264-0500. www.bninjpa.org. Hybrid meeting. Speaker: Stephanie Biles on HVAC products and services. 7 to 8:30 a.m.

The ABCs of Planned Giving, Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. www. morven.org. Free presentation in honor of National Estate Planning Awareness Week featuring Development professional Jerry Muntz. Learn how you can preserve your assets for the future and achieve your charitable goals. Register. 5 to 6 p.m. business After business, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, 1 Plainsboro Road Education Center, Plainsboro, 609-924-1776. www.princetonmercerchamber. org. Build new relationships and renew existing connections while enjoying light refreshments. Register. 5 to 7 p.m.

Mercer County Connect and Grow, NJ Small Business Development Center, Mercer County Office Park, 1440 Parkside Avenue, Ewing. www.sbdcnj.com. Small business owners can connect directly with state, county, and local economic development agencies. Meet one-on-one with representatives from key agencies; learn about available programs, grants, and incentives to support your business growth; and get expert advice on applying for financial and developmental support. Register. Free. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday October 24

Networking, BNI Tigers Chapter, Conference Center at Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, 609-570-3237. www.bninjpa.org.

In-person meeting. Speaker: Marie Bardzilowski, banking. 7 to 8:30 a.m.

Networking, BNI Top Flight, Town Diner, 431 Route 130, East Windsor, 609-443-8222. www. bninjpa.org. 7 a.m.

New Jersey’s Film Industry: An Economic Engine for Small businesses, SCORE Central Jersey. Learn how New Jersey’s film tax incentives are attracting movie and TV productions and creating economic growth and opportunities for small businesses in the state. Discover how the Film Ready NJ Program is helping communities reposition themselves to maximize the positive effect of local film productions. Free webinar presented by Elizabeth Parchment, who serves on the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission. Register. Noon.

Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, Princeton Tech Meetup, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Two of “TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI” discuss current AI topics as well as their book “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference.” 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Friday October 25

Networking, BNI Driven, Elks Lodge #2622, 1580 Kuser Road, Hamilton, 609-585-9610. www. bninjpa.org. Speakers: Darren Baldo, business law; and Peter Barbera, restoration services. 7 a.m.

JobSeekers Professional Service Group of Mercer County, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www. psgofmercercounty.org. Career coach Sara Madera offers an interactive workshop on transition-

ing back to the workforce after time away for personal, family or other reasons. 9:45 a.m. to noon.

Monday October 28

Digital Television Standards and Their Worldwide Impact, IEEE Princeton Central Jersey, Princeton University Computer Science Building, Small Auditorium, Room CS 105, 35 Olden Street, Princeton. events.vtools.ieee. org/m/434635. Presentation by Glenn Reitmeier, an independent consultant retired from 17 years at NBC Universal as SVP, Technology Standards and Policy. Topics covered include the technical roots of analog video standards; how the quest for a high-definition broadcast television standard in the 1990s was met by a radical leap to digital technology; the world’s first digital TV standard (ATSC); and the recent development of the ATSC 3.0 standard for internet-based broadcasting and streaming. Register. 7 p.m.

Tuesday October 29

NeuroX New Jersey Conference, Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center, 10 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.neuroxnj. com. Conference focused on ways to create a neurdiverse workforce. Register. $599. 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday October 30

Networking, BNI Falcons, IHOP, 610 Route 33, East Windsor, 877264-0500. www.bninjpa.org. Hybrid meeting. Speaker: Brian Lavan on mortgage industry trends and real estate topics. 7 to 8:30 a.m.

Women’s Leadership Summit, TCNJ School of Business, Education Building, Room 212, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing. wls.tcnj.edu. Keynote speaker Sylvia Baffour shares practical strategies from her book, “I Dare You to Care.” Breakout sessions, interactive workshops, activities, and networking. Register. $100. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

ART FILM LITERATURE DANCE DRAMA MUSIC

PRE VIEW

DAY-BY-DAY EVENTS, OCTOBER 23 TO 30

Event Listings: E-mail events@princetoninfo.com

While many venues have returned to hosting in-person events, others are still taking place online. Event descriptions specify if an event is being held virtually or in a hybrid format. To include your virtual or in-person event in this section email events@princetoninfo.com.

Wednesday October 23

Classical Music

In Memory of Joel Spiegelman Dalet Concerts, Bristol Chapel, Westminster Choir College, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton. www. ticketleap.events/events/daletconcerts. Concert in memory of the late composer, conductor, and pianist features music by J. S. Bach, F. Chopin, A. Pärt, G. Kancheli, and A. Batagov, performed by acclaimed artists Polina Osetinskaya (piano), Anton Batagov (piano), Julian Milkis (clarinet), and Pavel Nersessian (piano). The evening will include solo performances and duos, featuring Milkis & Osetinskaya and Milkis & Batagov. $45. 7:30 p.m.

Cancellation

Authors Peter R. Grant and B. Rosemary Grant, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.princetonlibrary.org. The Princeton University evolutionary ecology husband and wife team, renowned for the work with Darwin’s finches in the Galápagos archipelago, each discuss their recently released memoirs. 6 p.m.

On Stage

Venus in Fur, bristol riverside Theater, The Regency Room, 190 Mifflin Street, Bristol, PA. www.brtstage.org. Sexy and hilarious tale about an uninhibited actress who barges into an audition room just when the director is ready to give up for the day. As she fights to win the part, the power slowly changes hands as she turns the tide on the writer-director and his ideas about seduction. $45. 7:30 p.m.

The Rocky Horror Show Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania, 215-862-2121. www.bcptheater.org. The musical that inspired the 1975 classic cult film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” follows engaged couple Brad and Janet on the adventure to beat all adventures. $75 and up. 7:30 p.m.

Dancing Contra Dance, Princeton Country Dancers, Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton. www.princetoncountrydancers.org. Lesson followed by dance. $15. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Caption Lead-In

Wellness

Wild Gentle Yoga: Yoga to Connect with Yourself and Nature, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, 1635 River Road, New Hope, PA. www.bhwp.org. Gentle yoga that builds body awareness, strength, flexibility and a better understanding of how humans connect to and reflect natural systems with Priscilla Hayes. Register. Pay what you can, $8 and up. 8 to 9 a.m.

Lectures

Geddes W. Hanson Lecture Princeton Theological Seminary, Theron Room, Wright Library, 25 Library Place, Princeton. www.ptsem.edu. “Go Tell Somebody: Gospel Music, Black Liberation, and the Politics of Freedom in the Soul and Hip-Hop Eras” presented by Claudrena N. Harold, professor of history and associate dean for the social sciences at the University of Virginia. Register. Free. Also livestreamed via YouTube. 5 p.m.

Photo History’s Futures: Mark Sealy, Princeton University Art Museum, A71 Louis A. Simpson Building, Princeton University. artmuseum.princeton.edu. As part of the Photo History’s Futures lecture series highlighting exciting voices in the field, Mark Sealy speaks about his scholarship and exhibition practice. Sealy is the author of “Photography: Race, Rights and Representation” (2022) and “Decolonising the Camera: Photography in Racial Time” (2019), and has been the director of Autograph ABP (London) since 1991. 5 p.m.

Meet the Curators Tour of Morven revealed, Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. www.morven.org. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s newest exhibition, “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories

from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home,” with curators Beth Allan and Jesse Gordon Simons. They share stories about the exhibit’s development and offer insight into content beyond the walls, answering your questions along the way. Register. $15. 6 to 7 p.m. expert Antique Appraisal Lawrence Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. www.mcl. org. Avid appraiser and auctioneer Eugene Pascucci discusses the enigmatic subtleties of the antique appraisal business and provide an appraisal of one item per attending patron at no charge. Printed photographs with written dimensions of larger, high-value, or restricted items will be eligible for appraisal. Pascucci is the president of A-A Empire Antiques, an auction house originally founded in Yardville in 1973 before relocating several years later to Hightstown. Register. 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Outdoor Action

Stewardship Session, Friends of Princeton Open Space, Mountain Lakes Preserve, Mountain Avenue, Princeton. www.fopos. org/getinvolved. Volunteers work under the guidance of the FOPOS stewardship staff to perform riparian and forest restoration, invasive species removal, and plant native species, focused on timely fall cleanup and planting efforts. Register. BYO water and work gloves. 10 a.m. to noon.

Schools

Upper School Experience Visit Day, The Pennington School, 112 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington. www.pennington.org/admission/events. Learn about the offerings at the co-ed private high school. 8 to 11 a.m.

Socials

Happy Hour, Alliance Francaise of Princeton, Bahama Breeze, Princeton MarketFair, 3535 Route 1, West Windsor. www.allianceprinceton.com. Reconnect with friends, meet new ones and enjoy some French conversation. Register to gailbruno7@gmail.com. 6:30 p.m.

Jersey Art Meetup Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org. Princeton Comic Makers presents: JERSEY ART MEETUPS (JAM), a weekly social event connecting creatives within the greater Central Jersey area through a shared passion for sequential art and new media. Attendees may use this open workshop space to draw, write, and develop their own artwork, with an opportunity to receive peer review and feedback from other members if desired. Illustrators, animators, writers, and generalists are all welcome to join and discuss their art and career goals, share learning resources, promote current projects, or find friends and collaborators. Must be 16+ to attend. Free. 7 to 9 p.m.

Thursday October 24

Classical Music

After Noon Concert, Princeton University Chapel. chapel.princeton.edu. Organ performance by Brenda Day of Edison, New Jersey. Free. 12:30 p.m.

World Music

Ukulele and Polynesian Dance Lawrence Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. www. mcl.org. Celebrate Indigenous

People’s Day through a performance that blends the soulful beats of drums with the lively rhythms of the ukulele and Polynesian dance. Register. 3 p.m.

Art

Inside the Artist’s Studio, Princeton Makes, Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton. www.princetonmakes.com. Princeton-based visual artist Cathy Dailey, who creates vivid, whimsical images of cats, dogs and birds, as well as abstract art, in a variety of media, including colored pencil, oil pastel, and collage, gives a talk, “My Artist Road Trip,” in which she shares her 30-plus year artistic journey. Refreshments served. 7 p.m.

On Stage

Masters of Illusion, State Theater New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www. stnj.org. Performance by magicians Greg Frewin, Alexandra Burgio, and shock illusionist, Dan Sperry. $29 to $99. 7 p.m. Venus in Fur bristol riverside Theater, The Regency Room, 190 Mifflin Street, Bristol, PA. www.brtstage.org. Sexy and hilarious tale about an uninhibited actress who barges into an audition room just when the director is ready to give up for the day. As she fights to win the part, the power slowly changes hands as she turns the tide on the writer-director and his ideas about seduction. $45. 7:30 p.m.

The Rocky Horror Show, Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania, 215-862-2121. www.bcptheater.org. The musical that inspired the 1975 classic cult film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” follows engaged couple Brad and Janet on the adventure to beat all adventures. $75 and up. 7:30 p.m.

Film

Film Screening: Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton Garden Theater, 160 Nassau Street, Princeton. artmuseum. princeton.edu. Peter Weir’s mesmerizing adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name portrays a schoolgirls’ outing, saturated in a hazy innocence, in early 20thcentury Victoria, Australia. When some of the girls inexplicably vanish, Weir punctures the dreamy idyll with anxieties about class, race, sexual repression, and the unforgiving landscape of a country struggling with national identity and the abuses and limits of its colonial legacy. Considered a landmark of 20th-century filmmaking, “Picnic at Hanging Rock” is screened in conjunction with the exhibition “Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography,” on view at Art on Hulfish. 7 p.m.

Literati

Beyond the Concert Keynote: Deborah Amos and Dalia Sofer Princeton Public Library & Princeton University Concerts, Continued on following page

just say No to GMOs

Thousands of products now bear the Non-GMO Project Verified Label — your best assurance the foods you buy are Non-GMO. October is Non-GMO Month. We have special sales on Non-GMO Project Verified products all month long.

Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington, 609-737-4465. www. hopewellvalleyvineyards.com. Rock/pop. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Dance

65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.princetonlibrary.org. Deborah Amos and Dalia Sofer discuss Sofer’s novel “The Septembers of Shiraz” in advance of the Feb 12. “Healing with Music” performance featuring Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor. Via Zoom. Register. 7 p.m.

Food & Dining

A Night of Edgar Allan Poe Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn, 11 Bridge Street, Lambertville. www.lambertvillestation. com. Tales told by Helen McKenna accompanied by a threecourse meal paired with wine. Reservations required. $65 per person. Ages 21 and up. 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Halloween Party, River’s Edge at Lambertville Station, 11 Bridge Street, Lambertville, 609-3978300. Buffet dinner and dancing. Live music by the Strange Brew Crew. Costumes welcome. Reservations required. $90 per person includes tax and tip. 7 p.m.

Farm Markets

Princeton Farmers Market, Princeton Public Library, Hinds Plaza, 55 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, 609-924-9529. www. princetonfarmersmarket.com. More than 30 vendors including local organic produce, pasture raised meat and eggs, farmstead cheeses, fresh baked goods, empanadas, all-natural dog and cat treats, homemade jam, oldworld style pickles, fresh flowers, handcrafted jewelry, knife sharpening, and more. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lectures

Thursday Night Nature, bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve 1635 River Road, New Hope, PA. www.bhwp.org. Lecture series held via Zoom. Topic is “Thar She Glows! Biofluorescence” with Holden Cooper. Register. $15. 7 to 8 p.m.

C-Word: Stories of Triumph Over Breast Cancer, roxey ballet, Mill Ballet, 46 North Sugan Road, New Hope, Pennsylvania. www.roxeyballet.org/riverdancefestival. Originally developed through interviews with 22 remarkable women, choreographer Mark Roxey, along with the songwriting team Robert Maggio and Matthew Hardy, used music, dance, and spoken word to capture the essence of the survivors’ lives and stories. $55. 7 p.m.

SW!NG OUT, McCarter Theater, 91 University Play, Princeton, 609-258-2787. www.mccarter. org. Experience the exhilarating energy of Lindy Hop with, a critically acclaimed swing dance performance choreographed and directed by Caleb Teicher. This dynamic production, accompanied by live music from Eyal Vilner’s 10-piece Big Band, features 12 world-class swing dancers, each bringing their own style to the stage in a celebration of America’s favorite partnered dance. 7:30 p.m.

On Stage

from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. $40 to $105. 8 p.m.

Halloween Playfest, West Windsor Branch, Mercer County Library, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor, 609-799-0462. Four original short plays written by librarian Michael Kerr: “The Stay-Behinds,” “Words Will Never Hurt Me,” “The Life of the Party,” and “Backstage” performed by area teens. Recommended for ages 10 and above. Admission is free. No registration required. Doors open 20 minutes before showtime. E-mail westprogs@mcl.org for more information. 8 p.m.

Dancing

Dancing in the Dark, West Windsor Arts Council, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor. www.westwindsorarts.org. Participants gather and dance in a dark, dimly lit, socialization-free room. The aim is to create an inclusive, safe, and liberating environment where participants can fully express themselves through the art of dance, unburdened by the discomfort of being perceived while getting their groove on. Hosted by Shira Hofmekler. Register. $5. 7 to 9 p.m.

Dancing

Friday Night Folk Dance Princeton Folk Dance, Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street, Princeton. www.princetonfolkdance.org. Lesson followed by open dancing. No partner necessary. $10. 8 p.m.

History

PRETEND THIS WAS YOUR AD. WHO WOULD YOU ATTRACT?

Friday October 25

Deathtrap, Actors’ NET, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, PA, 215-295-3694. www.actorsnetbucks.org. The play follows Sidney Bruhl, a once-successful playwright now grappling with a creative dry spell. When a former student sends Sidney a promising new script, the struggling writer hatches a plan to collaborate with the young playwright-or perhaps something more sinister? What unfolds is a suspenseful and hilarious exploration of ambition, greed, and deception. $24. 8 p.m.

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GINA CARILLO

“Help me, help you.” Sales Executive 609-396-1511 x112 gcarillo@communitynews.org

Bridge Street Chamber Players, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 50 York Street, Lambertville, 609397-2425. www.standrewslambertville.org. Program by violist Elias Goldstein and pianist Angela Draghicescu featuring 19th and early 20th century works by Smetana, Prokofiev and Franck, along with Saint-Saëns’ seasonally appropriate Danse Macabre. $20 suggested donation. 7 p.m.

Jazz & Blues

“Help me, help you.” Sales Executive 609-396-1511 x112 gcarillo@communitynews.org

The Larry Fuller Trio, Westminster Choir College, Hillman Performance Hall, Walnut Lane, Princeton. larryfuller.com/events. Performance by the internationally acclaimed jazz piano trio led by Yamaha-endorsed pianist Larry Fuller. $30; $40 at the door. 4 p.m.

Live Music

Rainbow Fresh, Hopewell Valley

Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical, Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.org. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic horror novella. $26. 8 p.m.

Clue, Music Mountain Theater, 1483 State Route 179, Lambertville. www.musicmountaintheatre. org. The comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out who did it, where, and with what. $32. 8 p.m.

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations State Theater New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.stnj.org. Musical follows The Temptations’ journey

All Barracks Eve Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barrack Street, Trenton. www.barracks.org. Enjoy cider and donuts around a bonfire while listening to chilling tales told by historically outfitted storytellers. Festivities include living history demonstrations and kids’ activities. Spooky stories begin at 6 p.m. $10 per person; children under 5 free. 5 p.m.

Jersey Devil Homecoming Old City Hall restoration Committee, Old City Hall, 13 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown. www.facebook.com/OldCityHallRestoration. Program features “Mystery of the Jersey Devil” novelist Dave Hart, “Pineys” writer and “Hunt the Jersey Devil” lecturer Tony DiGerolamo, and Bordentown-based New Jersey journalist Dan Aubrey. Bordentown Walking Tours’ “Haunted History Tours” are also available. Halloween event celebrates the mythical creature’s connection to Bordentown, including its encounter with city resident and former Spanish king Joseph Bonaparte, visit to the city during its infamous 1907 weeklong reign of terror, and alleged links to a city house. 7 p.m.

For Families

Hometown Halloween Parade, Arts Council of Princeton, Palmer Square, Princeton. www. artscouncilofprinceton.org. Put on your best costumes as the whole

Off the Presses: ‘For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus’

‘Economics professor” and “award-winning novelist” are not usually descriptors used for the same person, but Varun Gauri is an exception to that rule. The Princeton University lecturer in public and international affairs published his first novel, “For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus,” on October 8. He appears in conversation with novelist Laura Spence-Ash at Princeton Public Library on Tuesday, October 29, at 7 p.m.

Gauri’s novel is the winner of the 2024 Carol Trawick Fiction Award, a prize given annually by the Washington Writers’ Publishing House, which published the novel in early October.

The novel tells the story of Meena, the cosmopolitan globe-trotting business consultant-turned-educator, and Avi, a lawyer trying his hand at small town politics in Southgate, Ohio, where his network of Punjabi family and friends holds significant sway over the town’s Indian immigrant population.

Avi and Meena come together through an arranged marriage — Avi, due to his parents’ commitment to cultural traditions; and Meena, disillusioned with modern romance and despite skepticism from her more modern mother and sister.

The opening paragraphs of the novel set the scene at their wedding

town gathers for tricks and treats. Start at the Palmer Square Green with a kickoff by the Princeton University Band, then join the parade to the YMCA for a Trunk-orTreat and other family fun. A free Halloween dance party follows in the ACP parking lot from 7 to 9 p.m. 5:15 p.m.

Lectures

Director’s Conversation, Institute for Advanced Study, Wolfensohn Hall, Einstein Drive, Princeton. www.ias.edu. “The Past and Future of Ethics and Identity”: Hear philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah in conversation with IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor David Nirenberg on the past and future of ethics and identity. Conversation followed by an audience Q&A. Register. 5 p.m.

For Seniors

Cat’s Amazing!, Center for Modern Ageing Princeton, 101 Poor Farm Rd Building B, Princeton, 609-751-9699. engage.cmaprinceton.org/component/events/ event/693. Lori Grossi from the nonprofit Cats Amazing! introduces their foster-based rescue organization. Their mission is to find a loving home for every cat, especially senior cats who are searching for a warm lap to cuddle on. Register. Free. 3:30 p.m.

Saturday October 26

Classical Music

Passacaille: A Baroque Dance Extravaganza, La Fiocco Period Instrument Ensemble, Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton. www.lafiocco.org. With BALAM Dance Theatre. $30. 7:30 p.m.

Princeton University Glee Club with the Ndlovu Youth Choir Princeton University Music Department, Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University. music. princeton.edu. The South Africabased choir was founded in 2009. $15. 7:30 p.m.

and previews themes around evolving traditions, mixing cultures, and the meaning of love and marriage that drive the plot:

“Meena pushed aside her veil. The gold bangles, heavy on her wrists, slid and clinked. She feared the audience would find the gestures graceless, clumsy, but she had to see his eyes. She would in moments be the wife of this man in the groom’s headdress. Maybe she already was his wife. The Vedic ceremony, hours of venerable ritual, had no vows, no exchange of rings, no single moment when choice, her will, exercised its prerogatives.

“Perhaps sensing her nervousness, Avi caught her eye and motioned across the temple ballroom. He was offering the wedding finery for reassurance. He pointed up at the beautiful mandap, adorned with white and pink carnations, yellow marigolds, and fragrant red roses. He was smiling warmly, and his expression seemed to say, These old, magnificent powers guard over you. The betel nuts and the bowls of oranges, apples, and coconuts. The sandalwood incense. The ancient incantations of the priest, now pouring ghee into a bowl. The sacred fire burning at their feet. The expectant faces of all the lovely women in the audience, sharptongued aunties in embroidered sarees. The silly, sweet nonsense uncles, Avi’s father’s friends. The

Live Music

The Strange Brew Crew & Catmondaddy Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington, 609-737-4465. www. hopewellvalleyvineyards.com. Classic & contemporary rock/ blues then rock/pop. 1 and 5:30 p.m.

Cafe Improv, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, 609-924-8777. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org. Local music, poetry, comedy. $2. 7 to 10 p.m.

McMillan & Co., Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.smallworldcoffee. com. Jazz, funk, Latin, rock. 7 p.m.

Art

Campus Collections Outdoor Walking Tour: Residential Colleges Neighborhood, Princeton University Art Museum, Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, University Place. artmuseum.princeton.edu. Join a guided walking tour of the campus collections with an Art Museum guide and discover a variety of artworks by modern and contemporary sculptors, from Sol LeWitt to Maya Lin. 2 p.m.

Dance

On Stage

communal pride. The coming feast, with buttery spinach and tandoori kabobs.

“He was saying their wedding conjured every Bollywood movie ever made, every Indian story ever told. And her husband-to-be was right. Every year, millions of people married in this way and went on to have fulfilling relationships and meaningful lives. Or anyway, one had to assume they were fulfilling.

“She and Avi hadn’t spoken in days, though she had almost called him that morning. Waking up alone in the nondescript hotel, like any of the hundreds of interchangeable rooms she’d passed through for work, had been disorienting. She nearly headed to the gym to run on the treadmill, her habit before board presentations. But this was no business trip. She decided not to call him because she didn’t know yet if Avi consoled well, or if talking to him would make her more nervous. Instead, she made herself coffee in the room. She convinced herself that arranged marriage wasn’t strange. After all, could any woman say, years later, that on her wedding day she’d really known the man she was marrying?”

But the novel is not just a love story. Avi’s political campaign becomes mired in racist attacks from a white high school classmate and former friend whose family also wields substantial influence in the

town. Meena questions her choice, and whether Avi is more committed to her or his political career. And drama that plays out in the relationships of supporting characters shows that love, however it comes about, is never that simple.

Guari, who previously worked as an economist in the World Bank’s research department, does work on behavioral economics, human rights, and social policy in developing countries. Born in India and raised in the American Midwest, he now lives with his family in Bethesda, Maryland.

Laura Spence-Ash is a New Jersey-based writer whose short fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. Her debut novel, “Beyond That, the Sea,” was released in March, 2023.

Varun Gauri in Conversation

tor and his ideas about seduction. $45. 2 and 8 p.m.

Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.org. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic horror novella. $26. 2 and 8 p.m.

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, State Theater New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.stnj.org. Musical follows The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. $40 to $105. 2 and 8 p.m.

Author Varun Gauri, above left, discusses his debut novel at Princeton Public Library on Tuesday, October 29.

with Laura Spence-Ash, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Tuesday, October 29, 7 to 8 p.m. Free. www. princetonlibrary.org

For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus, Washington Writers Publishing House, October, 2024. 217 pages. $18.95.

ception. $24. 8 p.m.

Film

Phantom of the Opera, All Saints Church, 16 All Saints Road, Princeton. Screening of the 1925 silent film starring Lon Cheney with Kevin O’Malia providing improvised organ accompaniment. Refreshments available for purchase. $20 suggested donation for adults, $10 for children. 7 p.m. Just the Two of Us (2023) Alliance Francaise of Princeton, Betts Auditorium, School of Architecture, Princeton University. www.allianceprinceton.com. Free screening of “L’amour et les fôrets” (English: Just the Two of Us) by French director Valerie Donzelli and Audrey Diwan who adapted this psychological drama from award-winning writer Eric Reinhard’s eponymous novel. In French with English subtitles. Not appropriate for young audiences. Free; registration required. 7 p.m.

Caption: Info

Photographer Resch Presents ‘Nature Eternal’

Princeton-based photographic artist Robin Resch presents her latest exhibition, “Nature Eternal,” at Songbird Capital, located at 14 Nassau Street. The show features a collection of landscape photography that draws viewers into the profound relationship between nature’s strength and our shared ephemerality. The exhibition runs through November, offering visitors an immersive visual experience.

At the heart of Resch’s work lies an exploration of the powerful forces of nature and the delicate balance between its fleeting moments and eternal cycles. Informed by a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke, “If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence, we could rise up rooted like trees,” Resch’s imagery seeks to evoke the emotional resonance of being fully present in nature. Her images, often abstract and contemplative, reflect the energy of a crashing stream, the quiet of rolling fog, or the fleeting sensation of wind. Through these images, Resch brings to life the idea of nature’s transience as a parallel to the human experience.

A key element of her work is the medium itself: many of the photographs in this exhibit are dye-sublimated onto aluminum, a material that interacts with light to create a subtle, shifting effect. This dynamic quality deepens the viewer’s connection to the moment captured, allowing each piece to evolve with ambient light. All pieces are signed, numbered in editions of ten, and available in various sizes, with the possibility of custom installations up to 4x6 feet.

“Being one with the landscape

can be humbling as we realize we are faced with something far greater than ourselves,” Resch explains. Her photographs blur the line between realism and abstraction, inviting contemplation of nature’s power, its constant change, and the fragility of life on our planet. Her particular fascination with water — oceans and rivers in constant flux — serves as a metaphor for transformation and the essential flow of time.

Resch’s work spans fine art photography and creative portraiture. With a master’s in architecture from Princeton University and advanced photographic training under Emmet Gowin, Resch blends the material experimentation of architecture with the emotional depth of photography in her practice. Her work has been exhibited widely and is held in private collections across the U.S. and Europe. She was the exclusive campaign photographer for First Lady Michelle Obama in Princeton in 2012 and served as the Artist in Residence for the Arts Council of Princeton and Princeton University’s Humanities Council from 2020-2021.

Pieces on view in Robin Resch’s exhibit ‘Nature Eternal’ at Songbird Capital include the triptych ‘Big Sur,’ top, and ‘Vernal Falls.’ The exhibit is on view Fridays through Sundays and by appointment through the end of November.

Resch’s portfolios, visit www.robinresch.net or www.robinreschstudio.com.

For more information or to view

Nature Eternal, Songbird Capital, 14 Nassau Street, Princeton.

After Noon

Concert Series

Thursdays at 12:30pm

Princeton University Chapel

A weekly opportunity for the Princeton Community to enjoy performances by local, national, and international organists.

Performing October 24 is Brenda Day, Edison, NJ.

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Benefit Galas

Museum for All ball, Princeton University Art Museum, Frick Chemistry Laboratory, Princeton University. artmuseum.princeton. edu. Annual dance party featuring DJ Bonics, artful drinks, food, and fashion in the transformed Frick Chemistry Atrium. Event benefits the museum’s mission of providing access to world-class art for all. Register. $100 and up. 7 p.m.

Fairs & Festivals

Fall Family Fun Weekend Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence. www.terhuneorchards.com. Celebrate fall with corn and hay bale mazes, pedal tractors, ducky races, children’s games, live music by Bakersfield, pick your own pumpkins and pumpkin painting, and more. $18. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Farm Markets

West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market, Vaughn Drive Lot, 877 Alexander Road, Princeton Junction. www.wwcfm.org. Up to 50 farms and other vendors on site selling fresh produce, meat, sweets, beer, tea, bread, pickles, and more. Live music and other special events weekly. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On view through November, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; and by appointment. Contact robin@ robinreschstudio.com.

Farmers Market, Montgomery Friends of Open Space, Montgomery Township Municipal Center, 100 Community Drive, Skillman, 609-915-0817. www.montgomeryfriends.org. Jersey Fresh produce and farm products, baked goods, sauces, fibers, honey, flowers, coffee, and music. Rain or shine. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

History

Princeton Cemetery Tour, Historical Society of Princeton

Princeton Pianist Fuller Brings Jazz to the Masses

Keyboardist, composer and bandleader Larry Fuller is only 59 — not an elder statesman by any means in the world of traditional jazz — but he is one of a very few of at his age who did not “study” jazz in college.

He got a big break, a chance to go on the road with veteran jazz vocalist Ernestine Anderson, when he was in his early 20s. Given he had full-time employment with a friendly bandleader and the chance to travel around the U.S., Canada, and Europe, there was no need for college. Some would say he got his undergraduate and graduate degrees on the road, with prominent people like Anderson, bassist Ray Brown and later on, prominent New Jersey jazz guitarists John Pizzarelli and often his dad, John “Bucky” Pizzarelli. Fuller’s piano playing is steeped in grooves, blues, and even some gospel roots, so in his own way, he is broadening the audience for jazz by playing the kind of music he does, which includes Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and others from the world of pop music, as well as his own originals.

Fuller was raised in Toledo, Ohio, which was close enough to Detroit and Ann Arbor that people enjoyed a lively club and festival scene in the 1970s and ’80s. He has been a resident of Princeton since 2019. His wife, marketing expert Jane Manganaro, is a native who graduated from Princeton High School in 1993.

He performs for his hometown audience in Westminster Choir College’s Hillman Performance Hall in Princeton on Sunday, October 27.

Fuller’s father, Richard, worked for the Libbey Glassworks in Toledo and his mother, Alice, was a housewife.

“My parents were always very supportive of my interest in music,” he said, and he was given nothing but encouragement through his teenage years.

Asked about his upbringing and earliest awareness of jazz and blues, Fuller, raised in the rock ‘n’ roll era, recalled one day, an older brother brought home a slightly used upright piano. Fuller began playing around with it as a 10-year-old. His parents saw his passion and got him lessons. He was off and running with sight reading and boogie-woogie playing.

“When I was in middle school, I had a lifechanging experience, a revelation of sorts. I found this mentor, his real name was Floyd Johnson, but they called him Candy, a saxophone player who had worked with a lot of famous groups, Bill Doggett and Clark Terry and the Basie Band. He ended up starting this program in Toledo, the Toledo All City Jazz Ensemble, and he took kids from different public schools and brought them into the group,” Fuller recalled. Throughout his long career, Candy drank no alcohol and preferred peppermint sticks and other candy, thus his nickname.

“Candy started taking me out on some of his local gigs when I was 14 and 15, playing in clubs, country clubs, and restaurants, all these local gigs,” he recalled. His mentor

Princeton Cemetery, Greenview and Humbert streets, Princeton. www.princetonhistory.org. Take a tour of Princeton Cemetery, referred to as the “Westminster Abbey of the United States.” Hear the fascinating stories of some prominent members of the community (including a U.S. president and vice president), as well as extraordinary tales from the diverse men and women that called Princeton home. Register. $5. 12:15 p.m.

Preserve or Perish: 18th-Century Food Preservation, Rockingham Historic Site, County Route 603, Franklin Township, 609-6837132. www.rockingham.net. Techniques for food preservation will be discussed and presented via actual preserved products, with limited hands on, and augmented with Power Point pictures, by Susan Plaisted of Heart to Hearth Cookery. Free; donations welcome. 1 to 4 p.m.

by Richard J. Skelly

Johnson, who did go to college, had been living in Kansas City, where the Basie band was based for some time, but then began teaching at nearby Oberlin College, home of a prestigious music school.

Of his first big break with Ernestine Anderson, a brilliant blues singer, Fuller said he is pretty sure both Anderson and Jimmy Scott were part of Lionel Hampton’s big band for a number of years together. Scott eventually settled in Newark and East Orange before purchasing a house of his own at 74, back home in Cleveland, while Anderson settled back home near her parents in Seattle.

“I think both Ernestine and Jimmy Scott were with Lionel Hampton’s band as featured vocalists,” he said, “because he featured both a male and female vocalist. Ernestine was living in Seattle, so I moved out to Seattle and I lived there for a long time, as I was accompanying her on piano for many years.”

“I remember we came back for a series of benefit concerts for WBGO-FM [the listener supported jazz station in Newark, then in its infancy], to do shows in New York City. There were concerts on the pier, and we also went to this little club in Montclair, I think it was Trumpets, and I remember Jimmy was so surprised to see Ernestine, he gave her a big, big hug, and kind of lifted her up off the floor a little bit,” Fuller recalled. Later, Ernestine complained that Scott — who was part Native American and used to describe himself as “Heinz 57,” had hurt her ribs a little bit in his excitement at seeing her.

Both singers have since passed on, but their bluesy vocals are in rotation at WBGOFM, as both were important in developing an audience for the station, in both urban and suburban parts of New Jersey and New York.

“One of Ernestine’s very dear friends was Dorthaan Kirk, and she would bring Ernestine back for these WBGO benefits,” Fuller explained. Thankfully, “Ms. Kirk,” as most called her at WBGO, the widow of hugely influential multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, is still among us. She continues to support blues-based traditional jazz, and her [ate cousin from Houston, Albert Collins, was an influence on a young Jimi Hendrix. [This writer worked at WBGO in Newark for a decade during its formative years, until 1995, and helped Collins out when his 200-foot-long guitar cable needed repairing. Collins, a peaceful soul, was famous for getting off the stage and walking around clubs and concert halls.]

After one weekend of working with Anderson at the Bird of Paradise in Ann Arbor, at 23, he joined her on the road full-time and served as her main accompanist for many years. When the economics of the jazz club business didn’t change and it became too expensive to stay on the road as a quartet, the pair would often travel together and use topshelf drummers and bassists in the respective cities they were visiting, people like Jeff Hamilton and Louis Hayes.

Out in Los Angeles, Fuller worked with Hamilton and Ray Brown for many months.

For Families

Pumpkin Palooza, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, 609-924-8777. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org. Join Pezz Glassworks for a live glass blowing demonstration and shop their glass pumpkin patch. Kids can make their own clay pumpkins and learn to extra pumpkin DNA from molecular biology students at Princeton University. Free. Noon to 3 p.m.

Broadcast Bash, West Windsor Arts Council, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor. www.westwindsorarts.org. Halloween crafts, snacks, and a chance to learn about Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” broadcast, the most famous event that “never happened” in West Windsor. Improv theater games led by Tim Moran inspired by the broadcast and the alien invasion. Artists Eric Schultz, who created the 12-foot martian sculpture outdoors at the art center, and Robert Hummel, who has made several paintings in-

“When Ray Brown eventually needed a piano player because Geoff Keezer was leaving the group at the end of 1999, I joined Ray in the early part of 2000, and I played with him for another two-and-a-half years until he passed away in July of 2002.”

Brown was an avid golfer, had a house in Hawaii when not on the road, and was married to Ella Fitzgerald for a half dozen years until career pressures on Ella — “The First Lady of Song” — became too much for both of them. One of Brown’s many originals was an instrumental, “Sittin’ in the Sand Trap.”

In 2005, he began a long collaboration with iconic New Jersey jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, raised in Upper Saddle River and one of two musical sons of the legendary John “Bucky” Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli was raised in Paterson and attended high school with late poet-activist-singer-blues fan Allen Ginsberg. Bucky would often sit in on his son John’s gigs.

“Bucky would often be there to sit in on John’s gigs,” Fuller recalled, “he used to joke with me all the time: ‘I don’t know what John is paying you, but I’ll pay you 20 bucks more each week to come on the road with me!’ Sometimes he’d say that right in front of John!” The elder Pizzarelli was a favorite of the Jersey Jazz Society and a regular at the annual Princeton JazzFeast. He died in April, 2020 at 94.

Fuller has three albums under his own name, and he has accompanied a small who’s-who in traditional jazz over the last three decades. “Easy Walker” with Jeff Hamilton and Ray Brown; a self-titled release, “Larry Fuller,” and his most recent release, 2016’s “Overjoyed,” which includes his take on Stevie Wonder’s hit as well as his original tunes.

At his upcoming Princeton performance, Fuller will be accompanied by bassist Hassan “J.J.” Shakur and drummer George Fludas. Fludas is an alumnus of Diana Krall and Ray Brown Trio, while Shakur has worked with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the Monty Alexander Trio.

Fuller said an audience unfamiliar with his music, or who think they don’t like tradi-

spired by the broadcast including the one at Grover’s Mill Coffee in West Windsor, on site to discuss their work. Register. $10 adults; $5 kids.

1 to 4 p.m.

Family Magnetism event, Princeton einstein Museum, Dohm Alley, Nassau Street, Princeton. www.princetoneinsteinmuseum. org. Visit the “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” extended through November 30, to talk to the museum founders, try children’s activities, and receive small free kids’ mementos, while supplies last. Exhibit open 24/7. 2 to 5 p.m.

Lectures

Masters of the Skies: A Brief Introduction to Falconry with Gregory Wojtera, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, 1635 River Road, New Hope, PA. www. bhwp.org. Program introduces participants to falconry, its history, and its significance in the past and present. It also touches on the biology and natural history of

Caption: Info

Princeton-based jazz pianist

Larry Fuller performs with his trio at Hillman Performance Hall on the Westminster Choir College campus on Sunday, October 27.

tional jazz, can expect an afternoon of jazz and swing, much of it blues and groovebased music, some pop tunes, and of course, his original compositions.

“I like to think that I play jazz that is accessible to the audiences. I try to play great music but not have it be over the head of the audience. I think a lot of jazz can be that way,” he argued. “I always just try to swing and I know as cliche as it sounds, hopefully people will leave in a better mood than when they came in. There’ll be some blues, some groove music, Great American Songbook standards, some Stevie Wonder tunes, and I do my own [jazzed-up version] of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now.’ It’s all part of my attempts to make this music more accessible to people.”

Now, at nearly 60, does he rue the day he decided, in high school, not to further his musical education at a major university like Oberlin College or Berklee College of Music in Boston or the Manhattan School of Music?

Not at all, he said.

“Back then, around Toledo and Detroit, there were so many gigs to pursue and so much to learn, so many people to learn from, so many older musicians around that had traveling bands, you could learn on the road with all of these people, Betty Carter, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Art Blakey and Illinois Jacquet, bands that would travel. You could learn so much on the road with these bands.”

Larry Fuller Trio, Hillman Performance Hall, Westminster Choir College, Walnut Lane, Princeton. Sunday, October 27, 4 p.m. $30. www.larryfuller.com.

native raptor species. Participants are introduced to two of Pennsylvania’s native birds of prey — a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and a barn owl (Tyto alba) — as well as a Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), which is native to the Southwestern U.S. Register. $10. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, Studio 17, 17 Seminary Avenue, Hopewell. Join author Warren Zanes, along with musicians Kate Fenner, Chris Harford, and Scott E. Moore, for a deep dive into the stories behind

the songs and the making of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic album “Nebraska.” Zanes is the bestselling author of “Petty: The Biogra-

Music Review: Capital Philharmonic’s ‘American Stories’

Despite what pollsters might say, we are not just faceless groups of statistics divided into ethnicities, gender, age, etc. We are all individuals, and we all have personal stories to tell.

How fitting that the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey’s season opening concert at Patriot’s Theater in Trenton was titled “American Stories.” It was a night of music by American composers, with works reflecting on the diverse journeys we all take living in the United States.

One person with a uniquely American story is Larry Hilton, a native of Trenton, whose decades of support and contributions to arts and education in the capital city were honored Saturday through the CPNJ’s Ten for Trenton program.

The concert then opened with Made in America by Joan Tower (b. 1938), with guest conductor Ruth A. Ochs leading the CPNJ. This single movement piece was partly inspired by the composer’s time living in Bolivia, when her eyes were opened by the poverty she saw in that country. Returning to the US, she reflected on the many things we take for granted.

Tower based her composition on America the Beautiful, whose strains came and went throughout the piece, sometimes overwhelmed by bursts of aggression and discord, but always returning.

The early passages of the composition had a sense of bustling feet-on-the-street, evoking a big city’s constant activity, which quietly folded into a gentler melody. Then it was back to the hustle and bustle, as principal clarinetist Antonello DiMatteo carried a brief melody, countered by a haunting and rich passage in the strings.

The CPNJ’s playing was especially strong

January 3

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phy” and has worked with acts like the Del Fuegos and Paul Muldoon & Rogue Oliphant. Register via EventBrite. $25. 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Outdoor Action

Princeton Canal Walkers Turning Basin Park, Alexander Road, Princeton. 3 mile walk on the towpath, weather permitting. Free. Register to canalwalkers@googlegroups.com for notices of weather-related cancellations. 10 a.m.

Sports for Causes

Tour de Towpath, D&r Canal Watch, Cadwalader Park, Trenton. www.bikereg.com/tour-detowpath-2024. Walking, running, and cycling activities in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the D&R Canal Park. Non-competitive half-marathon run/walk 13 roundtrip miles to Washington Crossing State Park and a 5K fun run/walk to Lower Ferry Road and back. 50-mile bicycle route to Colonial Park in Franklin Township and back and a 20-mile ride to Princeton’s Turning Basin Park. Free festival at Cadwalader Park greets participants upon their return with music, food, and a community village featuring local nonprofits. Register. $50 to $60. 10 a.m.

Sunday

by Susan Van Dongen

and tight as the work rose to a climax, then fell again. We heard a spirited conversation between two trumpets as the wind section brought Made in America to its close.

Even before hearing the first notes of Ethiopia’s Shadow in America by Florence Price (1887-1953), I was intrigued by the titles of the three movements: “The Arrival of the Negro in America when first brought here as a slave;” “His Resignation and Faith;” and “His Adaptation – A fusion of his native and acquired impulses.”

A clarinet in the lower register opened the piece with a mournful melody over a dirgelike tempo and minor chords. Then the full orchestra entered and the sound rose and fell, which evoked ocean waves and a long, treacherous sea journey.

A sense of hope was introduced as the woodwinds explored a brighter passage. We could hear a snippet of a spiritual in the lower brasses, as oboeist Melissa Bohl took up a poignant melody.

The second movement (andante) introduced strings and various tuned percussion, and concertmaster Nina Zubaidi played a lovely violin solo. This was passed to first cellist Katrina Kormanski, both phrases hinting at a traditional spiritual. The melody was picked up by the entire string section, and the andante closed with a gentle passage in the woodwinds.

The third movement pushed things forward as the “native” subject was introduced to a hopeful but somewhat chaotic America. There was a sprightly feel to this passage, as the melody wound its way through the strings, brass and winds, countered with a certain disharmony and harshness toward the close.

Selections from George Gershwin’s

October 27

Classical Music

Guild for Early Music Autumn Showcase, Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. www.morven.org. Free event featuring performances by Engelchor Consort Baroque ‘n Promises, Montclair Early Music, Mostly Motets, Riverview Early Music, and Sharim v’Sharot. Instrument petting zoo for children. Learn more at www.guildforearlymusic.org. 2 to 5 p.m.

Live Music

HVV Jazz Band Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington, 609-737-4465. www. hopewellvalleyvineyards.com. Jazz. 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Outdoor Concerts

Music Fest Sundays, Palmer Square Green, Princeton. www. palmersquare.com. Cosmic Jerry Band, Grateful Dead Tribute performs. 1 to 4 p.m.

Art

Halloween Spooktacular, New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street, Trenton. www.statemuseum.nj.gov. Enjoy Halloweenthemed games and crafts in the Museum’s Riverview Court. Children in costume can participate in trick-or-treating on the Museum’s front lawn at 1:30 pm. Following the trick-or-treating, there will be a raffle for Museum-themed prizes. Noon to 4 p.m.

Campus Collections Outdoor Walking Tour Princeton University Art Museum, Nassau Hall, Princeton University. artmuseum.princeton.edu. Join a guided walking tour of the campus collections with an Art Museum docent and discover a variety of artworks by modern and contemporary sculptors. Rain or shine; stair-free. 2 p.m.

(1898-1937) Porgy and Bess, arranged by Robert Russell Bennett, filled the second half of the program, which was conducted by Vinroy D. Brown, Jr.

Soprano Heather Hill and baritone Keith Spencer came on stage, she in a vivid red gown with a sparkling bodice, and he picking up on the color scheme with a rose red vest, bow tie and pocket square.

They were joined by the Westminster Symphonic Choir, the Westminster Jubilee Singers. The Capital Singers of Trenton, and the Elmwood Concert Singers, all of which gave listeners a sumptuous sound.

The opening ignited the auditorium, with busy tuned percussion and upper winds, and resounding horns. The music died down, as a solo clarinet introduced the strains of “Summertime.” Hill’s luxurious voice brought a little shiver to me as she sang this haunting piece.

Spencer, an area resident and versatile, natural performer, brought his warm voice and dynamic personality to “A Woman is a Sometime Thing.”

Accents of jazz — muted trumpets, wailing clarinet — were interspersed throughout as the CPNJ played with vigor, but never overwhelmed the singers. Brown led the orchestra masterfully with his subtle, energetic conducting style.

Dance

C-Word: Stories of Triumph Over Breast Cancer roxey ballet Mill Ballet, 46 North Sugan Road, New Hope, Pennsylvania. www. roxeyballet.org/riverdancefestival. Originally developed through interviews with 22 remarkable women, choreographer Mark Roxey, along with the songwriting team Robert Maggio and Matthew Hardy, used music, dance, and spoken word to capture the essence of the survivors’ lives and stories. $55. 2 p.m.

On Stage

Soprano Heather Hill, left, and baritone Keith Spencer performed in the Capital Philharmonic’s season premiere.

Hill’s voice was especially poignant in “My Man’s Gone,” which also showcased her remarkable range. Spencer really connected with the audience in the famously, ironically jolly “I got plenty o’ nuttin’” and “It ain’t necessarily so,” and he made it look easy.

I was deeply moved when the duo sang “Bess, you is my woman now,” and loved the tender interplay between Hill and Spencer. I thought it couldn’t get any better, but it did, as the concert concluded with the animated “Oh Lawd, I’m on my way,” Spencer, the orchestra and choirs in full force. It was such a joyful night.

The Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey returns to the Patriot’s Theater for its traditional New Year’s Eve concert, conducted by Sebastian Grand, with solo organist Sebastian Grand, Tuesday, December 31. 800-5143849. www.capitalphilharmonic.org

and his ideas about seduction. $45. 3 p.m.

Clue Music Mountain Theater 1483 State Route 179, Lambertville. www.musicmountaintheatre. org. The comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out who did it, where, and with what. $32. 3 p.m.

Halloween Playfest West Windsor Branch, Mercer County Library, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor, 609-799-0462. Four original short plays written by librarian Michael Kerr: “The StayBehinds,” “Words Will Never Hurt Me,” “The Life of the Party,” and “Backstage” performed by area teens. Recommended for ages 10 and above. Admission is free. No registration required. Doors open 20 minutes before showtime. Email westprogs@mcl.org for more information. 3 p.m.

Water Under the bridge, Bucks County Playhouse Barn, 70

South Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania, 215-862-2121. www.bcptheater.org. Intimate performance by Tony nominated actress and cabaret artist Karen Akers. $90 plus $25 per person drink minimum. 7:30 p.m.

Good Causes

1778 Reenactment Party, D&r Greenway Land Trust, Hillside Farm, 62 Lambertville Hopewell Road, Hopewell, 609-924-4646. www.drgreenway.org. Kicking off the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at the location of the Continental Army’s three-day encampment in 1778 on the road to what would be known as the Battle of Monmouth. D&R Greenway has received funding from the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Division to develop a short video with the help of dedicated Revolutionary War reenactors, the 3rd New

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Dance Review: American Repertory Ballet’s ‘Wonderment’

Aby Lisa Jo Sagolla

merican Repertory Ballet launched its 2024-2025 season with “Wonderment,” the most stylistically diverse program I’ve ever seen this versatile little company tackle. Presented at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, October 18 through 20, the quadruple bill — curated by ARB Artist in Residence Ethan Stiefel — requires four radically different performance styles, all impressively captured by ARB’s adventurous dancers.

The opener, “Little Improvisations” — a deceptively innocent duet by Antony Tudor, the 20th-century master of psychological ballets — is followed by the flashiest classical-ballet showpiece of the 19th century, Swan Lake’s “Black Swan Pas de Deux.” Then comes the quiet elegance of moderndance choreographer Lar Lubovitch’s “Something About Night” and, finally, the period drama of Steifel’s “Baroquen Dreams,” a brand new, character-study ballet inspired by Baroque-era composer, dancer, and conductor Jean-Baptiste Lully.

A 12-minute depiction of the imaginative play of two children stuck in an attic on a rainy day, the Tudor duet was first performed in 1953. It’s an enchanting exploration of identity, from a child’s perspective, and was charmingly rendered by Rachel Quiner and Seth Koffler (at the October 19 matinee I attended). With their squeaky clean technique, comic sensibilities, and child-like energies, the duo convincingly communicated youngsters’ delight in trying on different roles — he, a hero in battle, she, a mother nurturing a newborn, and the two together impersonating a galloping horse. They also unearthed feelings sparked by the various characters’ relationships to one another — Tudor’s favorite choreographic terrain — as miscommunications and game-playing generated new, albeit youthful, emotional awarenesses. Then, right out of the starting gate, Clara Pevel showed that she “owned” the role of the Black Swan. Not only is her technique

Jersey Regiment, Jersey Greys. Register. $177.80 per person or $250 per couple. 3 to 6 p.m.

Harmony Harvest, Capital Singers of Trenton, Sacred Heart Church, 343 South Broad Street, Trenton, 609-434-2781. www. capitalsingers.org. Fall fundraiser and season preview, featuring performances by CST ensembles and individuals, food and beverages, sneak peak of the upcoming season presented by Artistic Director Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., and a silent auction. Register. $75 and up. 4 p.m.

Comedy

Trenton Makes Improv 8 - The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and everything, Passage Theater, Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. www.passagetheatre.org. Two hours of made-up-on-the-spot entertainment. Register. $15. 4 p.m.

Fairs & Festivals

Fall Family Fun Weekend Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence. www.terhuneorchards.com. Celebrate fall with corn and hay bale mazes, pedal tractors, ducky races, children’s games, live music by Ed Hynes, pick your own pumpkins and pumpkin painting, and more. $18. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Farm Markets

Hopewell Farmers Market Fairgrown Farm, 62 East Broad Street, Hopewell. hopewellfarmersmarket.com. Fresh produce and vendors selling grass-fed beef, flowers, and more. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

History

Sunday Open House Tours New Egypt Historical Society, New Egypt Historical Museum, 125 Evergreen Road, New Egypt. Museum open with docents on hand to

downright wowing (yes, those 32 fouettés went off without a hitch), but every move she makes exudes the evil Swan’s deceptiveness and the creature’s glee in being such a wily bird. Bravi, to Pevel, to her more-than-capable partner, Andrea Marini, and to the ARB artistic staff who coached this thrilling performance.

Equally thrilling to me was the program’s inclusion of the Lubovitch work. A warmly lyrical quintet set to Schubert choral music, it was created in 2018, yet contains passages from previous Lubovitch dances. Lubovitch’s choreography is marked by flow, spiraling three-dimensionality, no edges, lots of communal floorwork, and torso-generated impulses that don’t come naturally to ballet dancers. Yet while its members are primarily ballet-trained, ARB has had great success mounting modern-dance classics. (I’m thinking of the troupe’s first-rate interpretation of Paul Taylor’s “Airs.”) My expectations for the company’s performance of this gorgeous Lubovitch piece were high — and they were exceeded! Michelle Quiner and

answer questions. Raffle tickets available for $5. 1 to 4 p.m.

Princeton History Walking Tour, Historical Society of Princeton, Princeton Battle Monument, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton. www. princetonhistory.org. Walk around downtown Princeton and the University campus as you learn about historic sites in the area, including Nassau Hall, University Chapel and Palmer Square. $15. Register. 2 to 4 p.m.

House Tours

41st Autumn House Tour, Lambertville Historical Society, 609397-0770. www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org. Self-guided walking tour of seven sites. All date from the 19th century and range in style from Queen Anne Revival to Lambertville vernacular. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 on tour day. Email info@lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org for more information. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For Families

Family Sundays, Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Avenue, Hamilton, 609-888-3218. www.abbottmarshlands.org. Explore the grounds of the nature center for some of the season’s bountiful leaves and use them to create beautiful art. For all ages. Free. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Outdoor Action

Fall Foliage Walk on the Aqueduct Loop, Kingston Greenways Association, Millstone Aqueduct Parking lot, D&R Canal, 609-683-0483. www.kingstongreenways.org. Easy and leisurely 1.0-mile loop. While admiring the fall colors, learn about the history of the Aqueduct, and a bit of botany. Free. Contact karen.e.linder@ gmail.com for more information. 2 p.m.

Socials

Roland Jones were especially sublime in the work’s central duet, and Aldeir Monteiro imbued his absorbing solo with a passion that felt extremely personal.

Stiefel’s theatrical ballet, illuminating the creative process of its Lully-based character, here named Le Maestro, and portrayed with appealing panache by Leandro Olcese, stretched the ARB dancers in yet another stylistic direction — mixing ballet steps, fussy Baroque court-dance sensibilities, and Stiefel’s signature goofy moves. It’s his jarring insertion of those silly movements — in this case vibrating heads, sawing arms, and doing the twist while yelling “woo” — that time and again compromises my appreciation of Stiefel’s choreography. And while this ballet entertainingly reveals a bizarre Maestro drawing inspiration from musical sounds and manipulating the actions of his ensemble of performers, it ends abruptly and with too little fanfare. We don’t know what to think when Le Maestro suddenly falls “dead” into a sideways tilt, and the curtain descends. Perhaps a program note would have helped, pro-

War of the Worlds 86th Anniversary, Delaware Valley Radio Association, Van Nest Park picnic pavilion, 218 Cranbury Road, West Windsor. www.w2zq.com. Temporary amateur radio station set up to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the iconic 1938 Halloween radio drama, War of the Worlds, created by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre on the Air Noon to 5 p.m.

Sports for Causes

Halloween 5K Run & 1 Mile Walk, HomeFront Inc., 502 Carnegie Center, West Windsor. www. homefrontnj.org. Halloweenthemed course, live music, trunk or treat, costume contest, trophies, t-shirts, and more. 5K race, 1-mile walk, and preschooler pumpkin dash. Race starts at 10 a.m. Vehicle access to venue closes at 9:30 a.m. Register. $35 5K; $25 1 mile; $10 pumpkin dash. 9 a.m.

Monday October 28

Literati

Heath Pearson Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. www.labyrinthbooks.com. In “Life Beside Bars: Confinement and Capital in an American Prison Town,” Heath Pearson showcases dynamic, interdependent community as the best hope for undoing the systems of confinement that reproduce capital in Cumberland County, New Jersey—a place that is home to three state prisons, one federal prison, and the regional jail. Pearson places today’s prisons within the region’s longer history of Lenape genocide, chattel slavery, Japanese

viding some background on the greedy, unscrupulous Lully, and that big stick Le Maestro wields throughout the ballet. It was common practice for conductors of the era to use such a stick to beat time against the floor. One day, while conducting, Lully struck his foot with his stick. The foot turned gangrenous and, a year later, Lully died.

American Repertory Ballet presents The Nutcracker at various New Jersey venues, November 29 through December 22, and appears at NBPAC in “The Spirit of the Highlands,” March 7 through 9, 2025.

More information: www.arballet.org

American labor camps, and other forms of racialized punishment and carceral control. 6 p.m.

Schools

Cor Cordis Speaker Series Stuart Country Day School, 1200 Stuart Road, Princeton. stuartschool.org/support-stuart/corcordis/speaker-series. First in a series of discussions led by experts on a wide range of topics, including spirituality, neuropsychology, nutrition, body image, neurodiversity, and leadership in action. Rebecca Boswell, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with Penn Medicine, focuses on nutrition and body image in teenage girls. Boswell addresses topics including the unique nutritional needs of teens, especially athletes, and how parents can support healthy body image discussions. The session also equips parents with strategies to recognize early signs of disordered eating and promote wellness habits that benefit their daughters’ long-term growth. Register by October 23. 4:15 p.m.

Tuesday

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October 29

Classical Music

Mixtape, Princeton University Music Department, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall, Princeton University. music.princeton.edu. Presentation of original compositions from the graduate student composers of Princeton Sound Kitchen. Free; no ticket required. 8 p.m.

On Stage

The Rocky Horror Show Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South

ARB dancers Clara Pevel and Andrea Marini in the Black Swan Pas de Deux, left, and Leandro Oclese in ‘Baroquen Dreams.’ Photos by Rosalie O’Connor.

Princeton Makes Series Features

Visual Artist

Cathy Dailey

Visual artist Cathy Dailey is the featured speaker for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” series at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center on Thursday, October 24, at 7 p.m. Dailey, a Princeton Makes cooperative member, creates vivid, whimsical images of cats, dogs and birds, as well as abstract art, in a variety of media, including colored pencil, oil pastel, and collage. In her talk, titled “My Artist Road Trip,” she shares her 30-plus year artistic journey.

“My plan is to quickly show and tell my life story, and then focus on my artistic life, which feels more like a road trip to me than a journey,” she said. “It will be fun to talk about how my work has evolved over the years.”

Dailey, a Princeton resident, grew up in northern California where her mother, an artist herself, taught her watercolor, design, and composition. Her father fostered her love for animals and nature by teaching her to observe birds, a hobby she continues to this day.

January 3

Continued from preceding page

Main Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania, 215-862-2121. www.bcptheater.org. The musical that inspired the 1975 classic cult film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” follows engaged couple Brad and Janet on the adventure to beat all adventures. $75 and up. 7:30 p.m.

Film

Film: “All the President’s Men”, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.princetonlibrary.org. The true story of how The Washington Post uncovered the details of the Watergate scandal is outlined in this 1976 political thriller. 2 hours, 18 minutes. 3 p.m.

Dancing

Tuesday Night Folk Dance, Princeton Folk Dance, Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton. www.princetonfolkdance.org. No partner necessary. $5. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Literati

Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series, Program in Creative Writing, Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, Princeton. arts. princeton.edu. Woven from poems, prose, photographs, and drawings, Don Mee Choi’s “DMZ Colony” is a tour de force of personal and political reckoning in eight acts. In Samanta Schweblin’s novel “Fever Dream,” a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, a young woman named Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. A boy named David sits beside her. She’s not his mother. He’s not her child. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family. 6 p.m.

Author: Varun Gauri in Conversation with Laura Spence-Ash, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.princetonlibrary.org. The author, an economist and lecturer at Princeton University, discusses his award-winning debut novel “For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus” with Laura Spence-Ash. 7 p.m.

Lectures

The Dangerous Triangle — Taiwan, US and China Relations, Princeton School of Public & International Affairs, Robertson Hall Bowl 001, Princeton University. spia.princeton.edu. Rory Truex, Princeton SPIA associate professor of politics and international affairs, hosts the conversation with Emily Feng, an interna-

“I have such a passion for animals, nature, and art. I get a lot of joy from bringing them together and making people smile in the process,” she said.

Dailey earned her B.F.A. at Mississippi University for Women (MUW) in Columbus in 1990. Soon after, she moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she began creating watercolors of imaginary people inspired by her time overseas. She later moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina,where she continued to develop her style while managing an American craft gallery. In 2000, she relocated to Athens, Georgia, to emerge as a highly recognized local artist. Dailey currently lives in Princeton with her husband, Andrew Cole, and their cats, Dora and Elsie.

This month Dailey is the featured artist at Princeton Makes. Her work is highlighted in the front window and retail space. The “Inside the Artist’s Studio” talk series, part of the cooperative’s programming initiatives, offers the public a monthly opportunity to learn about and from its creatives.

The event begins with a reception and light refreshments at 6:30 p.m. Artwork by all cooperative artists will be available for purchase.

Princeton Makes is a cooperative of more than 40 local artists who work across a range of artistic genres, including painting, drawing, stained glass, sculpture, textiles, and

tional correspondent for NPR covering China, Taiwan and beyond. Register. 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The Bigfoot Experience, Trenton Free Public Library, 120 Academy Street, Trenton. www.trentonlib.org. Join producer, lead investigator and New Jersey native Mike Familant as he shares his experiences researching and tracking down the truth behind North America’s most iconic cryptid, Bigfoot. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Politics

Vote By Design, West Windsor Library, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor. www.mcl.org. Presentation guides participants through a nonpartisan, issue-agnostic process for selecting candidates whose values and priorities support their own. The session will consider what qualities we look for in our leaders and what influences informed voting. 6:30 p.m.

Socials

Diwali Celebration: A Festival of Life and Culture, Center for Modern Ageing Princeton, 101 Poor Farm Rd Building B, Princeton, 609-751-9699. engage. cmaprinceton.org/component/ events/event/712. Enjoy lively music, delicious cuisine, and the rich traditions that make Diwali special. It’s a time to connect with our diverse community and celebrate the triumph of light, knowledge, and unity. Register. $10. 6:30 p.m.

Intergenerational Speed Storytelling, Center for Modern Ageing Princeton, Monument Hall, Princeton, 609-751-9699. engage.cmaprinceton.org/component/events/event/712. Set up like a cozy speed-dating café, each table will host a senior and a youth, sparking conversations with prompts like “What’s your earliest memory?” or “Tell me your favorite holiday story.” With a timer guiding the rounds, participants will rotate tables, sharing and listening to new stories every 5-10 minutes. Register. Free. 7 p.m.

For Seniors

Medicare Information Session Mercer County Library. mcl.org/ events/amateur-photo-contest. Kelly Ott of New Jersey State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) covers Medicare basics including eligibility; enrolling; Medicare Parts A, B, C; Medicare prescription drug coverage and costs. Register for link to program. 2 p.m.

Wednesday October 30

jewelry. Customers will be able to support local artists by visiting their in-store studios and shopping for a wide variety of art, including large paintings, prints, custom-made greeting cards, stained glass lamps and window hangings, jewelry in various designs and patterns, and more.

Inside the Artist’s Studio, Princeton Makes, Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton. Thursday, October 24, 7 p.m. Free; refreshments served. www.princetonmakes.com

Classical Music

Igor Levit, Piano, Princeton University Concerts, Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University. concerts.princeton.edu. Program combines Levit’s trademark interpretations of J.S. Bach and Johannes Brahms’ music with Liszt’s colossal transcription of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. $35 to $60. 7:30 p.m.

Jazz & Blues

Jazz Vespers, Princeton University Chapel, Princeton University. music.princeton.edu. An inclusive experience of poetry, music, and quiet centering, featuring saxophonist Audrey Welber, pianist Adam Faulk, and members of the Chapel Choir. 8 p.m.

On Stage

Film

Walnut Lane Film Festival, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www.princetonlibrary.org. This event showcases a selection of short films in a range of genres created by Princeton students in grades 6 to 8, organized and curated by students from Princeton High School. 6:30 p.m.

Dancing

Contra Dance, Princeton Country Dancers, Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton. www.princetoncountrydancers.org. Lesson followed by dance. $15. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Wellness

Artist Cathy Dailey, above left, speaks at Princeton Makes on Thursday, October 24. Her work ‘Staring Contest’ is pictured above.

tems with Priscilla Hayes. Register. Pay what you can, $8 and up. 8 to 9 a.m.

History

Open Archive: Princeton Votes Historical Society of Princeton, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. www. princetonhistory.org. Explore local election history. View original ballots, challenger permits, and recount records from HSP’s collection that reveal key moments in local and national campaigns. 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Lectures

Drama, Passion, Obsession and Tragedy: The Hidden Lives of our Greatest Artists Mercer County Library. mcl.org/events/ amateur-photo-contest. Art Historian Felicia Z. Stadelman presents a fascinating look into the hidden lives of our greatest artists. Behind their stunning art pieces, these artists lived on the edge of chaos. Learn some of the most outrageous tales about our most famous artists. Register for link to program. 7 p.m.

Schools

Upper School Experience Visit Day The Pennington School 112 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington. www.pennington.org/admission/events. Learn about the offerings at the co-ed private high school. 8 to 11 a.m.

New Jersey Homeschool Basics, Princeton Learning Cooperative, West Windsor Public Library, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor. mcl.org/branches/westwindsor. A panel of experienced homeschooling parents cover the

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basics of homeschooling in NJ, including: homeschooling law, the range of approaches to homeschooling, resources and communities that support homeschooling (in-person and online), paths after homeschooling (high school, college, work, trades, etc.) In person only. Register. 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.

Socials

PRE VIEW

Reviving a Storied Inn in the Center of Stockton

For the past ten years or so, driving through the charming Delaware River town of Stockton, NJ has been accompanied by a tinge of sadness for the imposing shuttered stone building at its center, the Stockton Inn.

The inn, whose original structure dates back to 1701 or thereabouts, had long held a reputation as one of the state’s oldest and best regarded restaurants. It its heyday, the Stockton Inn was famous for its wild game dinners, and I confess to dining there back in the day on wild boar and other then-exotic offerings.

I also recall the inn as it was approaching its final days of operation, stopping by for a cocktail on the way to another dining destination and lamenting the deteriorating condition of the building, by then in a state of genteel decay more reminiscent of an Antebellum mansion in the deep South than the vibrant, popular, bustling venue that had sustained it for much of its history. Things had declined to the point that, in 2022, Preservation New Jersey declared the Stockton Inn one of its 10 most endangered historic places in the state.

And what a history it holds. Perhaps its most famous claim to fame is the site where Broadway composers Rodgers and Hart were impressed by its outdoor waterfall and wishing well and used them as the inspiration for the song “There’s a Small Hotel” which made its debut in their 1936 musical “On Your Toes.” Author Margaret Mitchell reportedly labored over “Gone With the Wind” in the dining room, and novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hollywood legend Clark Gable and former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis stayed at the inn as well.

So it was a great relief when I learned of the sale of the inn and the plans to restore it to its former glory. Relief, and a bit of trepidation as well, after witnessing other attempts at balancing the sometimes conflicting goals of “renovation” and “restoration.” On a recent Thursday evening I eagerly booked a table on the inn’s covered outdoor patio for my dining companion and me.

I needn't have worried. Taking a spot in the off-street parking lot, we were warmly greeted by the buzz of a patio packed with diners enjoying the warm Fall evening, the gentle sounds of the waterfall (yes, there really is a waterfall, although it’s turned off when the restaurant is closed), and the words of welcome of a staff member who directed us to reception. We were promptly seated next to the waterfall, its white noise, surprisingly, blending nicely with the conversations taking place around us under the highceilinged patio and allowing us to converse in a normal tone.

The multi-level patio, which seats about 80, is attractively fitted out; brick flooring, comfy wooden seating and amply-sized tables, en-

by George Point

closed by a low, rustic stone wall. Things were quite lively at the semi-enclosed outdoor bar at the at the back of the patio as well, which in addition to the aforementioned dining tables featured a few low, pillow-backed couches. Seating is also currently available indoors, in the Dog & Deer Tavern at the front of the inn. A more formal dining space, Finch, is slated to open later this year, as is the availability of nine hotel rooms, four located in the inn and a total of five in two adjacent carriage houses.

Note: If you’re concerned about dining outdoors on a frosty evening, as I was, the Stockton Inn Web site now notes that “On a seasonal schedule, the heated Terrace provides additional seating and an experience all its own. The fully covered and heated space offers the full Dog & Deer menu and bar. A cascading waterfall and vibrant greenery create an atmosphere of tranquility and charm and heaters will keep you warm on a chilly night.”

We were soon in the capable hands of our server, Bob, who offered menus and left us to contemplate drink and dinner selections. The extensive selection of craft cocktails ($18) is thoughtfully divided into two sections, Let’s Get Away From It all (“Cool & Refreshing”) included takes on classics like Planter’s Punch and a Mai Tai Royale, while the Slip Into Something Comfortable (“Stirred & Boozy”) side of the offerings, true to its name, included some mighty boozy sounding concoctions, like the Bensonhurst (Rittenhouse rye, Noilly Prat vermouth, Cynar, Luzardo cherry) and Rolls Royce (Nikka gin, Cocchi extra dry vermouth, sweet vermouth blend, Benedictine, Bogart’s bitters). A selection of mocktails and beers is on offer as well.

Ever the traditionalist, I chose an almost traditional Manhattan, made with Old Grandad Bonded 100 Proof Bourbon, while my dining companion opted for a glass of Marchesi Gavi Italian white ($13) from a compact but well-curated list of selections by the glass or bottle, prices by the glass ranging from $13 for the Gavi to $26 for a glass of Pertois-Moriset Champagne.

Drinks orders placed, Bob left us to contemplate the menu, quite extensive for a “tavern” menu at a restaurant still in its early days. Raw bar selections, which unfortunately we did not get to sample, include East Coast oysters, “Wild Shrimp” and Tuna Tartare. Starters include Brioche Pull Apart Rolls ($15), Crab & Artichoke Dip ($26) and Steak Tartare ($23).

When Bob returned, we chose to share the generously sized and tasty Brussels Sprout Caesar salad ($17), and assemblage of castelfranco (a milder form of raddichio), red endive, baby kale, breadcrumbs and parmigiano. For a main course, my companion chose the D&D

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Patty Melt ($22) featuring caramelized onion, dijon, comte’ and served on caraway marble rye. I went with the perfectly cooked Pan Seared Halibut ($40), served with a celery root puree, heirloom broccoli di cicco, kholrabi & clam veloute’. We would happily order any and all of these preparations again.

My halibut was the priciest main on offer. Other choices ranged from pizza margherita ($18) to steak frites ($38) and a number of options in between. A shared slice of delicious maple cheese cake ($14), decaf cappuccino and a regular coffee ($5 each) completed our meal on a sweet note. Server Bob shared that the menu is still a work in progress, so visit the inn’s Web site for a current list of offerings.

Before taking our leave, we breezed past the wishing well (still there in its restored charm) and into the Dog and Deer bar room, an attractively appointed spot seating about 50 patrons enthusiastically engaged in dining, drinking and conversing. Along the way we were favorably impressed by the décor, striking what to us seems to a near-perfect balance between modern design and respect for the building’s history.

That was also the sentiment shared by general manager Timothy Rucker, who we happened upon in the tavern. He shared that some of the design choices were dictated by unforeseen structural issues discovered during what began as a historic restoration, choices that have been embraced enthusiastically by most all of the patrons

recall the “old” Stockton Inn. I for one couldn’t agree more. If everything old is new again, here’s hoping that the “new” “old” Stockton Inn will continue to serve hungry and thirsty travelers for at least another century or two.

Stockton Inn, One Main Street, Stockton. Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m. Notes: Hours subject to change, visit website to verify. Reservations strongly recommended.

Life in the Fast Lane

Ground Broken for New Trenton Airport Firehouse

ewing Township officials joined with state and county leaders on October 9 to break ground on the new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility at Trenton-Mercer Airport.

The new ARFF building will replace the existing firehouse and is part of a broader initiative to upgrade the airport’s infrastructure. In addition to housing the fire department, the facility will serve the Ewing Township Fire Department under a shared services agreement.

The two-story, 20,000-square-foot building will include training areas, equipment storage, medical decontamination rooms, workshops and a conference room. It was designed with energy efficiency in mind and features a stormwater system to reduce runoff and environmental impact.

Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann praised the collaboration between the township and the county, emphasizing the significance of the project. “The groundbreaking for the new ARFF Fire Station is a big win for our community and shows what teamwork between Ewing Township and Mercer County can do,” he said.

“This project doesn’t just give us a stronger firehouse — it’s part of a well-coordinated plan,” he added. “We need this in place to move forward and clear the ground for the county’s new terminal.”

Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said that the groundbreaking is an important milestone during the first year of his administration.

“When I ran for this office, I pledged to see the Terminal Replacement Project through to completion and build it with union labor,” he said. “The new firehouse is the first step toward realizing Trenton-Mercer Airport’s potential as a transportation and economic hub.”

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Ewing resident, said the groundbreaking reflects the ongoing commitment to ensure that New Jersey residents have access to the best infrastructure, public safety and job opportunities.

“Whether it’s improving runways, upgrading facilities, or—as we see today—ensuring that we have a state-of-the-art fire station, we are delivering on the promise to build a better, safer future for our great state,” Watson-Coleman said.

Wayne DeAngelo, president of the Mercer County Building Trades Council noted that this initiative is a major success for working families in Mercer County. “When we build with union labor, the job is done safely, ontime and under budget. I am confident that the men and women working on this job will do exceptional work.”

The ARFF facility is the first step in the larger TTN Terminal Replacement Project, the biggest public works project in Mercer County in more than 50 years.

The project calls for the existing

Edited by Sara Hastings

28,000-square-foot terminal, which was built in the 1970s, to be replaced with a new 125,000-square-foot facility. A 1,000-space parking garage is also part of the plan.

Once complete, the project is expected to turn TTN into a major regional hub for travel and business, creating jobs and boosting the local economy. The entire project will be built using union labor under a project labor agreement.

In an interview with Community News Service earlier this year, Ewing Business Administrator Aaron Watson said the terminal expansion “is probably going to be the biggest economic generator that this county has ever seen.”

Watson oversaw the airport in his role as Mercer County deputy county during the Brian Hughes administration.

“The design is already done (for the terminal),” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting the funding in place. I know that the mayor has been fighting tooth and nail with the congresswoman (Watson-Coleman) and the legislators to try to get funding for that piece. I think once that happens, you’re going to see this town metamorphosize.”

Others in attendance at the groundbreaking included Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora; Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli; John Cimino, chair of the Mercer County Board of Commissioners; and Kristin McLaughlin, vice chair of the Board of Commissioners. DY Consultants designed the facility with architectural support from Mott MacDonald. The AECOM/Tishman/Jingoli team is serving as the project’s owner’s representative, with Epic Management overseeing construction. Environmental permitting was handled by DY Consultants, with assistance from the Davey Resource Group and Van Cleef Engineering.

The Trenton-Mercer Fire Department is operated by Pro-Tec Fire Services.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora (left), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Mercer County Executive Dan Benson and Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann break ground for the new fire station at the Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing on October 9.

U.S. 1 Classifieds

Leadership Changes at NJ Conservation Foundation

John S. “Jay” Watson Jr., longtime environmental leader in New Jersey and coexecutive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation has announced that he will step down from his position at the end of 2024 to move toward semi-retirement.

Beginning January 1, 2025, Co-Executive Director Alison Mitchell will be appointed NJ Conservation’s sole executive director. Anthony Cucchi, an accomplished conservation professional and former superintendent of parks for the Mercer County Park Commission, joins NJ Conservation as director of programs.

“I have respected the people and the work of NJ Conservation for as long as I have worked in this field, and that respect has grown immeasurably during my tenure with the organization,” said Watson. “I can think of no better way to finish my professional career than to focus exclusively on urban greening and conservation justice in places like the City of Trenton, a community I love and where I was raised.”

In his new role at NJ Conservation, Watson will focus on launching a statewide “Green and Healthy Cities” campaign to urge New Jersey’s governor and legislature to establish a task force dedicated to green infrastructure investments in the state’s urban areas; continuing to lead NJ Conservation’s major tree planting initiative in Trenton that includes planting 1,000 trees in the city over the next three years; and advocating for good natural resource protection policies and initiatives across New Jersey, among other efforts.

“Jay Watson is deeply admired and appreciated, personally and professionally, by NJ Conservation staff and trustees, as well as our friends and colleagues throughout New Jersey’s environment and conservation community. His impact has been profound — and thankfully, will continue,” said Louise Currey Wilson, NJ Conservation’s Board President. “We are delighted and grateful that Jay will remain with NJ Conservation in a new, critically important leadership role in our urban landscape.”

“Alison Mitchell is uniquely qualified to lead NJ Conservation as our sole executive director,” Wilson continued. “She has long been a leader at NJ Conservation, with a deep commitment to the organization’s mission and a passion for expanding our impact at a time when land conservation and environmental policy are more important than ever. With Alison at the helm, Jay in his new role, and Anthony stepping into a key position in the organization, NJ Conservation will be well positioned to build on and amplify the work that benefits people and ecosystems in every corner of the state.”

In addition to her work at NJ Conservation, Mitchell has served in a variety of conservation roles during her career. A New Jersey native and longtime resident of Hunterdon County, she helped found and later became president of the Hunterdon Land Trust, was a gubernatorial appointee to the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, and shares a commitment to Trenton, previously serving on the board of Isles, a community development and environmental organization based in the city.

Cucchi will lead NJ Conservation’s statewide land protection, policy, and urban action work. This includes advancing land protection projects that will safeguard irreplaceable open space, green New Jersey cities, preserve precious farmland — and add to the 140,000 acres protected by NJ Conservation. He will also guide the organization’s advocacy for passing and implementing landmark legislation to protect and enhance our state’s invaluable investment in forests.

Cucchi brings more than two decades of experience in land conservation and urban park development. As Mercer County’s superintendent of parks, he oversaw management, stewardship, and public programming across more than 10,000 acres of parks and open space.

Prior to his work with the County, Cucchi spent a decade serving as state director for the Trust for Public Land’s land protection and park development efforts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He also worked for The Trustees of Reservations, the nation’s first and Massachusetts’ largest preservation and conservation nonprofit; Burlington County’s Farmland Preservation Program in New Jersey; and the National Audubon Society.

“We’re so excited for Anthony to join our dedicated staff as we continue to make important strides in addressing the serious problems of dwindling wildlife habitats and loss of farmland and forests, and in advancing the promise of nature for all,” said Mitch-

ell. “With Anthony’s wealth of knowledge in the conservation field, proven leadership abilities, and community-driven approach to projects, he brings vital and extensive experience to help advance NJ Conservation’s critical mission.”

“Throughout my conservation career, I’ve seen NJ Conservation as the state’s leader in protecting the places that make New Jersey so special, all while inspiring others to do the same,” Cucchi said. “As a New Jersey native with a passion for our wild places and also our vibrant green urban communities, I can’t imagine a better place to help make an impact on our Garden State.”

State Offers Tool to Help Organizations Assess Trauma Responsiveness

New Jersey’s work to create an equityfocused and trauma-informed state advances through a partnership with Coordinated Care Services, Inc. (CCSI) to make the Trauma Responsive Understanding Self-Assessment Tool (TRUST 2.0) available to organizations across the state. TRUST 2.0 identifies practical ways for organizations to promote inclusive, healing-centered practices in the workplace through improved physical spaces, staff training, internal communications, and customer relations.

“About 70 percent of adults in the United States have experienced trauma, 7 in 10 people,” said Dr. Rebecca Bryan, the Depart-

ment of Children and Families’ (DCF) Executive Director of the Office of Resilience, which is leading the state’s work in raising awareness of trauma and forming community partnerships to lessen the negative impacts. “When we know the prevalence, we better understand the urgency in being trauma-informed so that we can increase empathy responses and build resilience.”

The Office of Resilience was created in 2019, spurred by a public/private partnership of agencies focused on mitigating Adverse Childhood Experiences, also called ACEs or trauma. Unaddressed or unresolved trauma can lead to poor physical, emotional, employment, and social outcomes. Since its inception, the Office’s focus has evolved beyond ACEs to highlight the importance of Positive Childhood Experiences, or PCEs, which can soften the effects of trauma.

“Trauma-informed approaches in the workplace utilize the best evidence to prevent harm, reduce burnout and turnover by promoting healthy engagement and empowerment,” added Dr. Bryan. “The first step to becoming trauma-informed is assessment, and now any New Jersey organization is able to take this step, for free, both initially and over time to monitor progress.”

TRUST is one of many supports offered by the Office of Resilience, along with coaching, training, and other resources.

“By enabling widespread use of TRUST 2.0, the State of New Jersey is helping organizations build more meaningful connections and support in the workplace and to those they serve,” said Dr. Elizabeth Meeker, Vice President of Consulting and Technical Assistance at CCSI.

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