Town Topics Newspaper, October 16, 2024. by Witherspoon Media Group

Despite Controversy, Witherspoon Statue

Lou Chen, Founder of PU’s Trenton Arts Program, Is Moving On

PU-led Research Team Maps Fruit Fly Brain 8

Documentaries in IAS Film Series Share Theme of “Critical Biography” 12

Happening Now — Oscar Wilde, Eugene O’Neill and Ruth Wilson’s Jane Eyre 16

Princeton University Concerts Presents Multifaceted Singer 17

Passage Theatre Opens 40th Season With Alma 18

Sophomore Star Sykes Scores OT Goal as PU Field Hockey Tops

Delaware 2-1 26

Kalra Battles Through Illness to Win at First Singles as PDS Girls’ Tennis Advances to NonPublic South Final 32

Will Stay at University

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

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

“We do not believe that questions about John Witherspoon’s legacy provide sufficient ground for removal or relocation of the statue,” the trustees wrote in an October 2 statement.

The trustees response followed a deliberation process that began in November 2022 when the University administration announced that the Committee on Naming of the Council of the Princeton University Community was considering the proposal of the petitioners to remove the statue.

The discussion of Witherspoon’s legacy and its implications for Princeton University continues, as the debate over other historical gures goes on at Princeton, in national media, and throughout the U.S.

The Naming Committee’s report, issued in March 2024, culminated a twoyear process that included many listening sessions with a range of different individuals and opinions, considerable input from the University community, and two half-day conferences featuring panels of experts from inside and outside the University.

The committee recommended that the University consider relocating the statue, stating that “John Witherspoon is worthy of recognition, but not canonization.” The committee also recommended that “the glori cation of Witherspoon” should be reduced by presenting to viewers of the statue a “more complex and accurate history” than the laudatory account currently displayed on the statue’s base.

The t rustees’ statement cited

Council Approves Second Ordinance Related to Westminster

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

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

Mayor Mark Freda said he wanted to reassure the public that this has been taken into consideration. “We’re not looking to run out and use up our bonding capacity, because there would be an impact on everybody,” he said. “We’re well aware of that. We looked at this and other projects coming up. We will be looking at all of them in total, and we will not be looking at things without the impact of everything

together, and what we hope to do over the next several years.”

Another concern of the public is the future tax impact of the acquisition. Hvozdovic and Chief Financial Officer Sandy Webb are studying the issue, and will address related questions “at the appropriate time,” Freda said.

Council introduced three ordinances having to do with solid waste and recycling, loading zones and parking on Palmer Square East, and parking

regulations for Princeton High School students, faculty, and staff. All will be given public hearings at the Council meeting on October 28.

Considerable time was given to a presentation about the Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study, currently in the second of three phases. With consultants from Princeton Hydro, the town is exploring policies regarding the benefit of funding the stormwater utility as opposed to operations supported by the general

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

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

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

Led by Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore, the CFPA has recently completed its Peace Voter Guides, comparing the positions of major party candidates on key peace issues in three target races in the Central Jersey region.

The CFPA is aiming to keep peace issues on the radar of voters and to make sure those voters are as educated as possible before they go into the voting booths

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

(Photo by Sarah Teo)

Phoebe Decker Helps

•

A prime time for a mammogram.

The one place for cancer screening and comprehensive care. Our breast health centers prioritize comfort and convenience. Prioritize yourself by coming in for a screening. Together with Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we offer the latest in comprehensive breast health services from 3D mammograms and genetic testing to breast surgery, clinical trials and cellular therapies. So if you’re 40 years or older, schedule your mammogram at rwjbh.org/mammo

Let’s beat breast cancer together.

Washington Road Bridge Closure : Through Friday, October 18 at 12 p.m. or possibly sooner (weather permitting), the Washington Road Bridge over the D&R Canal is closed and detoured as the replacement project nears completion in Princeton and West Windsor. The closure is between Nursery Road and Faculty Road. Local access is maintained between Route 1 and Nursery Road. For specifics about detours, visit 511nj.org.

Leighton Listens: Councilman Leighton Newlin holds one-on-one conversations about issues impacting Princeton from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on October 16 at The Bread Boutique, 41 Witherspoon Street; on October 23 at Mi Espana, Princeton Shopping Center; and o n October 30 at Princeton Soup and Sandwich, 30 Palmer Square East. All are welcome.

Volunteer Land Stewards Wanted – Join Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) for morning and afternoon stewardship sessions in October. Volunteers work under the guidance of the FOPOS stewardship staff at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve to help restore riparian and forest areas, remove invasive plants, and plant native trees and shrubs. Morning and afternoon weekend and weekday sessions available. Dates, times and registration at fopos.org/events-programs.

Food Pantry : Arm in Arm’s mobile food pantry is at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike, on Monday afternoons in October, from 2-4 p.m. Fresh produce, eggs, milk, frozen proteins, and quality baked goods as well as canned and boxed items and personal care items are available for those in need.

Sustainable Princeton “Lending Library”: Sustainable Princeton offers residents and nonprofits in Princeton the opportunity to borrow sustainable home items such as electric landscape equipment, induction cooktops, and repair tools, for free, for up to two weeks. Visit sustainableprinceton.org for more information.

Literacy Tutoring Program : To help adults improve their English literacy skills, volunteers are needed to work one-on-one or in small groups. Online training is available in October. For specific dates and more information, email mercer@literacynj. org or call (609) 587-6027.

Millhill Holiday Giving Drive : Millhill Child and Family Development is collecting gifts and warm coats through November 29. In-person donations will be accepted through December 6. Contact Angie at AMcManimon@millhillcenter.org for details.

Volunteer Tax Preparers Needed : The Mercer County AARP Tax-Aide Program is seeking volunteers to prepare federal and state tax returns. Classes begin in November. All levels and types of experience are welcome. Visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call (888) 227-7669 for more information.

Holiday Gift Drive : Princeton Human Services invites donations of holiday gifts for local children in need. To fill out a donor application, visit princetonnj.gov/753/ Holiday-Gift-Drive by November 15. To receive a gift, children must be between 0-12 years old and live in Princeton with their guardian. Submit applications by November 7 at 1 Monument Drive.

Free Salt Room Sessions for Breast Cancer Survivors : 4 Elements Wellness Center in Princeton Shopping Center offers free halotherapy sessions to anyone who has survived or is still battling the disease. The 50-minute sessions cleanse the respiratory system, reduce inﬂammation, and provide stress relief. 4elementswellnesscenter.com.

THE TOWPATH TURNS 50: The public is invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 70mile Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park with a walk-run-bike event, Tour de Towpath, centered at Trenton’s Cadwalader Park on Saturday, October 26 starting at 10 a.m. Register at tourdetowpath.org.

(Photo by Tim Brill)

One-Year Subscription: $20

Two-Year Subscription: $25

Subscription Information:

609.924.5400 ext. 30 or subscriptions@ witherspoonmediagroup.com princetonmagazine.com

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

One-Year Subscription: $20

Two-Year Subscription: $25

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

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

Subscription Information: 609.924.5400 ext. 30 or subscriptions@ witherspoonmediagroup.com princetonmagazine.com

program to include singing, theater and dance.

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

TOPICS

Of the Town

“I always had a feeling that I wouldn’t be at Princeton forever, and that I wanted to try something new,” Chen said this week.

“I thought I’d be in the job two or three years. But I kind of kept extending it. It became more long-term, and I knew I couldn’t leave until I thought it had deep roots.”

TAP has those roots. Its Saturday Morning Arts Program boasts close to 80 students and alumni. The Trenton Arts Fellowship, a paid professional development opportunity for university students, recently announced its 2024/25 fellows. There are a variety of campus collaborations, notably with Princeton University Concerts (PUC); an artist-in-residence program; and the Neighborhood Music Project which includes artist visits by the likes of famed conductor Gustavo Dudamel (in 2018-19), field trips, and “Express the Music” contests.

PUC director Marna Seltzer first met Chen when he was an undergraduate.

“One of our biggest initiatives was a residency with the famed conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and I asked Lou to participate,” she said. “Lou seized that opportunity, engaging as a conductor, educator, and leader of his then-budding Trenton Youth Orchestra. Even as a student, he had a remarkable ability to navigate relationships, and I watched in awe as he thrived, determined to make the most of the experience.”

Chen’s hiring at the University was supported in part by a donation from the Dudamel Foundation.

“With careful planning, he extended that support far

beyond our expectations,” Seltzer said. “In just five years, Lou has built a vibrant program with students who love him and colleagues who trust his judgment. Even though it was his first job, he learned so quickly that his impact and brilliant leadership made him seem like a seasoned professional. His positive spirit and exceptional people skills have earned him a large network of supporters.”

Trained on the piano and violin, Chen began to explore conducting when he enrolled at Princeton. During his freshman year, he became music director of the Princeton University Players. And he began to observe Ruth Ochs, who leads

Princeton University Chapel Open to all.

Preaching Sunday, October 20 is Jasmin Gonzalez, Chapel Intern, Princeton Theological Seminary.

University Chapel Choir with Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music and Chapel Choir, and with Eric Plutz, University Organist.

e Twisted Forest specializes in pendants and necklaces made with natural stone and inspired by the earth.

Union

and

the latest culinary sensation by

Food

Hospitality

to make a splash in the Pennington Shopping Center We're bringing a new wave of seafood dining to New Jersey, where every meal is a celebration of flavors and community.

A SEAFOOD REVOLUTION HAS ARRIVED IN PENNINGTON,

the

Indulge in our meticulously crafted cocktails and

each a masterpiece of flavor, designed to awaken your senses.

Follow us for the latest updates. first to experience Pennington's newest gem. LEARN MORE AND SEE THE MENUS AT GETFORKY.COM

Departure

Continued from Preceding Page the Princeton University Symphonia and is associate conductor of the Princeton University Orchestra. Ochs soon invited Chen to become assistant conductor of the Symphonia. Starting TAP was a natural progression.

“It was definitely a challenge,” Chen said. “Starting something from scratch is never easy. I will always be grateful for how invigorating and collaborative the experience was. I was really set up to succeed, because there was a strong committee of people across the Trenton Public Schools who wanted a program like this to succeed. They were always available for late night phone calls. It’s really those teachers who enabled this program to thrive. It’s a really good example of a community that immediately took the reins and cocreated this with us.”

It is a misconception that the capital city’s schools lack arts programs, said Chen.

“In the early days, people would come up to me and say, ‘You’re doing such a service, there are no arts in the public schools.’ But now I tell people that they have incredible arts programs,” he said. “Their orchestra takes part in national competitions, and their dance and theater troupes are great. There are a lot of amazing teachers who are doing a lot. Yes, they have less resources than other districts, for sure. But the students coming to us on Saturdays are such well-developed, voracious artists. The teachers have done such a good job setting them up. Working with them is the best part of my job.”

TAP celebrated its fifth anniversary last year with a showcase in Richardson Auditorium. Each of the performing groups from the Saturday Morning Arts program took part, along with solo artists. The event concluded with a collaborative performance.

“For our students, being on that stage at Richardson, which is such an incredible place, for a completely sold-out house, was a really meaningful feather in their cap,” said Chen. “It was very joyful. The orchestra, singers, and theater students performed, and the dancers were dancing in the aisles. This was something I had dreamed up from the beginning, and it was really meaningful. Seeing so many people in the audience who have meant so much to TAP over the years, all in one space, was quite emotional for me, especially knowing that I might be moving on. But at the same time, it was comforting.”

A search for Chen’s successor has begun.

“Losing Lou is a significant loss for everyone at Princeton University Concerts and for me personally,” said Seltzer. “Over the course of my 25-plus-year career in the arts, Lou is one of my all-time favorite colleagues. He is leaving TAP in a strong position and is ready for a new challenge and I am excited to see what he will do next. I’m also confident he’ll stay connected with Princeton, and that’s a huge relief and gift to all of us.”

—Anne Levin

Question of the Week:

“Which pumpkin was your favorite?”

(Asked Sunday at the Amazing Pumpkin Carve in Woolsey Park, Hopewell Township) (Photos by Sarah Teo)

“I think the flower one — I’m an oil painter and find it really artistic. And also the one mimicking American Gothic, with the skeletons. That one is pretty cool.” — Kierstin Young, Branchburg

Catherine: “I like the ‘Owl #2,’ simply because I like owls. I also like ‘Basket of Flowers.’” Mitchell: “Mine for sure is the one with the faces — ‘Multifaceted.’ It’s incredible — the eyes are shared from one face to the next.”

Catherine and Mitchell Friedman, Pennington

Clint: “My favorite was probably ‘Bob,’ because of the colors and design.”

Sam: “Probably The Little Shop of Horrors mimic.” — Clint Tavel and Sam Guman, Lawrence Township

Liam: “‘J.A.C.K.,’ because he was a robot.”

Emma: “My favorite was ‘Feed Me’ — I think it’s really cool and artistic because they use just a huge pumpkin to make all that.”

Liam and Emma Patrizii, Pennington

A SEAFOOD REVOLUTION HAS ARRIVED IN PENNINGTON, NJ.

Boil,

Gretalia

Group

Martin

Group,

set

DISCOVER THE ITALIAN RITUAL AT APERITIVO BAR!

Embark on a journey to the heart of Italy with Aperitivo Bar, yet another fantastic addition to

Gretalia Hospitality Group and Martin Food Group, nestled in the Pennington Shopping Center.

aperitifs,

DISCOVER THE ITALIAN RITUAL AT APERITIVO BAR!

Embark on a journey to the heart of Italy with Aperitivo Bar,

another fantastic addition to

Gretalia Hospitality Group and Martin Food Group, nestled in the Pennington Shopping Center.

Discover A New Alternative In SENIOR CARE

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

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

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

Seung described this achievement as evidence of how AI can contribute to the advancement of neuroscience. “Mapping the whole brain has been made possible by advances in AI computing. It would have not been possible to reconstruct the entire wiring diagram manually.”

Sven Dorkenwald, a member of the research team who received his Ph.D. at Princeton in 2023 and is now at the University of Washington and the Allen Institute for Brain Science, called the team’s creation “an atlas.” He explained, “Just like

you wouldn’t want to drive to a new place without Google maps, you don’t want to explore the brain without a map. What we have done is build an atlas of the brain, and added annotations for all the businesses, the buildings, the street names. With this, researchers are now equipped to thoughtfully navigate the brain as we try to understand it.”

Dorkenwald led the Princeton University-based FlyWire Consortium, which developed the map and is made up of teams including 287 researchers as well as volunteer gamers from around the world. He was the lead author on the flagship article, one of a series of papers presenting in detail a wiring diagram of the whole fly brain, recently published in the journal Nature.

Earlier researchers had mapped the brain of a small worm, with about 302 neurons, and the brain of a larval fruit fly, with 3,000 neurons, but the brain of an adult fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) contains almost 14,000 neurons and about 50 million synapses connecting them.

Understanding the brain of the fruit fly is an important step towards understanding the human brain, which contains about 86 billion neurons, and the diseases that afflict it. Fruit flies, perhaps best known for hovering around over-ripe bananas, share 60 percent of human DNA, and three in

four human genetic diseases have a parallel in fruit flies, according to the Princeton University press release.

The map, a high resolution digital photo of a female fruit fly’s brain, was constructed from 21 million images taken by a team of scientists led by Davi Bock, then at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus in Virginia, now at the University of Vermont.

Scientists used the AI model built by researchers and software engineers working with Seung at Princeton to turn those images into a labeled, 3D map, which they made available to the scientific community from the beginning of their work.

“This extraordinary accomplishment is the result of a massive, interdisciplinary team effort,” said Murthy. “We brought together Drosophila neuroscientists with crowdsourced gamers and BRAIN Initiative funds and the ingenuity of our people here at Princeton.”

The University’s endowment supported the efforts through its Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics and the McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience. Murthy further emphasized the vast scope of the collaborative enterprise at Princeton and around the world. “At Princeton alone, we’ve had many postdocs and students working together with software engineers and full-time proofreaders,” she added.

John Ngai, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s BRAIN Initiative, which provided partial funding for the FlyWire project, underscored the importance and future possibilities of this breakthrough. “In many respects, it (the brain) is

MAPPING THE BRAIN: All 139,255 cells in the brain of an adult fruit fly, as recently delineated by a Princeton University-led research team. Activity within these cells directs everything from sensory perception to decision making to the control of actions, such as flying. There are more than 50 million synaptic connections in this brain. (Tyler Sloan for FlyWire, Princeton University, (Dorkenwald et al., Nature, 2024) that with this new brain “atlas,” scientists can now “close the loop on which neurons relate to which behaviors.” He added, “It’s wonderful, because new experiments will prompt new hypotheses, and we can relate things to the whole connectome. I think the hard work is ahead. This is a beginning, not the end of the work.”

more powerful than any human-made computer, yet for the most part we still do not understand its underlying logic,” he said. “Without a detailed understanding of how neurons connect with one another, we won’t have a basic understanding of what goes right in a healthy brain or what goes wrong in disease.”

Dorkenwald is optimistic

JUNCTION

BARBER SHOP

33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554

Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm a Princeton tradition!

Gospel Music and the Politics of Freedom in the Soul and Hip-Hop Eras with CLAUDRENA N. HAROLD

Wednesday, October 23 | 5 p.m. ET Theron Room, Wright Library, Princeton Seminary Campus

—Donald Gilpin

Dr Harold will trace the evolution of gospel music while considering how it has responded to pressing social issues, including poverty, racial inequality, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and political corruption.

The event will also feature A short interview and Q&A moderated by Dr. Wallace Best, Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University

A post-lecture book signing and author meet and greet

SCAN HERE OR VISIT PTSEM.EDU/HANSON TO ATTEND IN PERSON OR VIA LIVESTREAM

Claudrena N. Harold is the Edward Stettinius Professor of History and Associate Dean for the Social Sciences at the University of Virginia.

She is the author of When Sunday Comes: Gospel Music in the Soul and Hip-Hop Eras

2024 GEDDES W. HANSON LECTURE

Coalition continued from page one and decide how to cast their ballots, Moore explained.

The CFPA was a pioneer in developing this sort of high-impact campaign 30 years ago, and it has been copied in campaigns across the country.

There are three target races highlighted in this year’s Peace Voter Guide: the District 7 congressional contest, expected to be the closest New Jersey congressional race, between incumbent Republican Thomas Kean Jr. and Democrat Sue Altman; the District 3 congressional race between Republican Rajesh Mohan and Democrat Herb Conaway; and the U.S. Senate election competition between Republican Curtis Bashaw and Democrat Andy Kim.

The CFPA invited candidates of both major parties

to candidate briefing sessions in the spring on issues of nuclear weapons, war prevention, climate action, and gun safety. Candidates followed up by responding to a 10-item questionnaire stating their positions. None of the three Republicans responded to the invitation for a briefing or the questionnaire, but the three Democrats’ responses can be found in the Peace Voter Guide at peacecoalition.org.

The CFPA is also sponsoring signature ads, one of which will be run in the regional version of the Newark Star Ledger and will reach more than 100,000 voters before Election Day, with the goal of further educating the electorate on the positions of major candidates on peace-related issues.

Gun Violence Prevention

At the 2 p.m. October 20 rally in Hinds Plaza, which

will protest several recent Supreme Court decisions and call for Supreme Court justices to “follow an enforceable code of ethics,” Moore will be one of several speakers, and his particular focus will be on decisions impacting gun safety laws. He will discuss recent Supreme Court decisions that have weakened gun violence prevention laws. One example he noted was the recent Bruen decision that diluted concealed carry of guns laws and has allowed 30 times as many New Jersey residents to carry concealed guns, with permits in the state increasing from 1,500 to 45,000.

Moore reported that CFPA’s Ceasefire NJ Project, along with a delegation of gun violence prevention leaders from across the state, held a meeting on October 7 with New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin

and five of his senior staff members.

“We discussed supporting General Platkin’s outstanding work challenging Supreme Court rulings that weaken New Jersey’s strong gun safety laws,” said Moore. “He agreed to work closely with us to implement those laws, as well as help us press for passing an urgently needed secure storage of guns bill.”

Platkin also agreed to meet regularly with the CFPA to enhance their collaboration, Moore noted. Multifaith Service and Conference

The CFPA’s November 17 Multifaith Service for Peace will take place at 11 a.m. in the Princeton University Chapel, with the Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners magazine, delivering the sermon, and a wide range of faith leaders each giving a short prayer or a reading from their faith traditions.

“This grounds us in the great spiritual traditions of the world,” said Moore. Taylor previously led the Faith Initiative at the World Bank Group and served as vice president in charge of advocacy at World Vision U.S. and the senior political director at Sojourners.

This 45th annual Multifaith Service will be followed by an Afternoon Conference for Peace at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton at 50 Cherry Hill Road.

Featured speakers in the afternoon, in addition to Taylor who will be returning, will include William D. Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an expert on the arms industry and the U.S. military budget; Heather Brandon-Smith, the legislative director for foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation; and Sebastien Philippe, a research scholar in Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security with a focus on nuclear nonproliferation, arms control, disarmament, and justice issues.

Moore suggested that Taylor, the author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community, in his morning sermon and during the afternoon conference session, might be speaking about how we find our way forward as a nation “at a deeply polarized time.”

“Our democracy is at stake,” said Moore. “Where do we go from here? What does the faith community have to offer on that? It’s a big question. How do we continue to live with each other, work together, and maintain a civil discourse and mutual understanding?”

He continued, “We need to be grounded in the sense that we’re all in this struggle together. We’re not all going to think about it in the same way or have the same ideas, but we need to have the same grounding in mutual respect.”

For more information on the CFPA and required registration for the November 17 Afternoon Conference for Peace, visit peacecoalition.org or bit.ly/4gyPk71.

—Donald Gilpin

MARKING

TASTY

MILESTONE: Jammin’ Crepes celebrates its 10th anniversary at the store on Nassau Street through Sunday, October 20 with special samples and treats. From left are founders Kim Rizk, Amin Rizk, and Kathy Klockenbrink.

Jammin’ Crepes Celebrates Ten Years in Princeton Jammin’ Crepes is marking its tenth anniversary through October 20 with several days of festivities and treats for the community, at the store located at 20 Nassau Street.

Owned by Kathy Klockenbrink and Amin and Kim Rizk, the Jammin’ Crepes journey began in 2011 at the West Windsor Farmers Market, where they served fresh crepes cooked to order, filled with their micro-batch jams, along with pickles and other local farm ingredients. They quickly developed a loyal fan base, and opened their present brick and mortar location in October 2014. The partners purchased a food truck in 2016, and opened the Jammin’ Community Cafe at the Princeton Public Library in 2019.

“It’s been an exciting journey filled with challenges as well as many rewarding triumphs,” said Kim Rizk. “Most of all it’s been an enriching experience that reinforced for us the importance and power of teamwork and community! Thanks to all that have helped along the way to make our small business dream a reality.”

“It has been exciting to be

a part of the small business community in Princeton, as business owners and as residents,” said Klockenbrink. “This creative and energetic community has welcomed us with open arms and supported us along the way. However, It is not just the small businesses in town, it is also our great team and friends, new and old, that have been there for us to help create and share our dream. We are so grateful to all, thank you.”

Offerings and activities include an in-store celebration, farmers market tasting tables offering free samples of some of their favorite fall flavors and tastings of their 20-Layer Pumpkin Spice Crepe Cake, Deep Dish Apple Cobbler, Harvest Apple Jam, Spicy Apple Chutney, Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus, Pumpkin Shortbread Cookies and the new Autumn Mac n’ Cheese. Additionally, the first 10 guests at the store on each day of the celebration to wish them a “Happy Anniversary” will be presented with a “Golden Ticket” redeemable for a crepe of their choice. Facepainting will be held from 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, October 19.

Visit jammincrepes.com for more information.

Witherspoon Statue continued from page one principles it has established to guide decisions about renaming and changing campus iconography, noting the applicability of the principles’ “presumption against altering University honoriﬁ cs on the basis of concerns about a historical individual’s legacy.”

They went on to suggest a number of additional questions that “deserve attention and resolution,” including the possibility that the statue would not “remain in its current state or location.” The Trustees referred those questions to the Campus Art Steering Committee.

“During this process,” the trustees wrote, “questions have been raised about contextualization, aesthetics, and possible educational uses of the statue, its scale, its ‘ﬁt … within the University’s existing memorial landscape,’ and how best to provide information about the statue, its history, and its meaning.”

It’s not surprising that deliberations over John Witherspoon, his statue, and his complicated legacy should be lengthy and ongoing. The Firestone Plaza statue is only one of many recognitions of Witherspoon on campus and beyond.

The report of the Committee on Naming notes that there is Witherspoon Hall on Witherspoon Drive, Witherspoon’s Cafe in the Frist Campus Center, a portrait of Witherspoon in the Faculty Room of Nassau Hall, a medallion bearing Witherspoon’s likeness displayed in Firestone Library, a wall sculpture of Witherspoon outside the provost’s ofﬁ ce

in Nassau Hall, a full-length figure of Witherspoon represented in stained glass in the University Chapel, and a statue of Witherspoon built into a niche of the facade in the tower of East Pyne Hall.

In town, though the Princeton Middle School changed its name from John Witherspoon School in 2021, Witherspoon Street remains a major artery through the center of Princeton, and Witherspoon-Jackson remains a prominent, historic Princeton neighborhood.

The University’s debate over the Witherspoon statue, which was installed in 2001, recalls a similar controversy, though quite different in its own complicated details, over Woodrow Wilson, another iconic Princeton University ﬁgure. After about ﬁve years of deliberations and dispute, the University decided in 2020 to remove Wilson’s name from its School of Public and International Affairs and from a residence college on campus.

—Donald Gilpin

Council Approves continued from page one fund, the level of service needed to meet expectations, initial utility rates, and how to meet those expectations.

Consultant Elizabeth Treadway, who lives in an area of Tennessee that was seriously impacted by Hurricane Milton, said a utility helps plan for floods and natural disasters. “A utility will help plan for those things, but I cannot promise you that you will never be impacted by a storm of that magnitude,” she said. “Because it can, and it probably will. But what it does allow us to do is allocate out a program of services.”

Public engagement is a key part of the process, Treadway added. A recommendation on the issue is expected to be made in about six months.

The meeting began with the swearing in of Princeton Police Department officers, and a proclamation related to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Move Over Breast Cancer was given an Award of Recognition.

The next meeting of Council is October 28 at 7 p.m. Visit princetonnj.gov for further details.

—Anne Levin

Police Blotter

DPS Receives Report Of Lewdness on Dinky

According to the Princeton University Department of Public Safety (DPS), “at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday October 9, a male exposed his genitals on the New Jersey Transit “Dinky” train as it arrived at Princeton Station. The DPS received a report about the incident on October 10.”

The male was described as wearing a black hoodie, and possibly wearing black athletic pants, and had no facial hair. The incident was reported to the train conductor, who was unable to locate the male. NJ Transit Police were notified. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact DPS at (609) 258-1000.

On October 8, at 5:08 p.m., subsequent to an investigation for shoplifting that occurred on Nassau Street on March 19, a 37-year-old Philadelphia female was identified as the suspect, charged accordingly, and released.

On October 4, at 9:17 a.m., subsequent to a motor

Street, a 27-year-old Princeton male was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated. He was transported to police headquarters where he was processed, charged accordingly, and later released.

On September 28, at 1:30 a.m., subsequent to a Nassau Street motor vehicle stop, the driver, a 31-yearold Ewing male, was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated. He was transported to police headquarters where he was processed, charged accordingly, and later released.

On September 26, at 12:35 a.m., subsequent to a motor vehicle stop on South Harrison Street, the driver, a 31-year-old Trenton female, was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated. She was transported to police headquarters where she was processed, charged accordingly, and later released.

On September 23, at 8:49 a.m., subsequent to a report of an unwanted person at a location on Leigh Avenue, a 52-year-old homeless male was found to be sleeping on the property, despite being previously advised he was “persona non grata.” He was placed under arrest and transported to police headquarters, where he was pro-

On September 18, at 2:23 a.m., subsequent to a welfare check on a vehicle on Witherspoon Street, the driver, a 35-year-old Hillsborough male, was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated. He was transported to police headquarters where he was processed, charged accordingly, and later released. Unless noted, individuals arrested were later released.

Sign Up for Our Weekender Community Update Eblast

Each Friday afternoon, we send a roundup of the week’s top stories, breaking news, and upcoming events, right to local inboxes.

Don’t miss out on The WeekenderGo to TownTopics.com and sign up today!

Documentaries in Upcoming Film Series

Share Common Theme of “Critical Biography”

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

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

Princeton is familiar to the 61-year-old Kahn, who worked at McCarter Theatre and Thomas Sweet after graduating from college. He lived on Chestnut Street. During Kahn’s first visit to the IAS last year, Loh did a pop-up screening of one of his ﬁlms. He loved the atmosphere.

“It was so wonderful to have the experience of this tremendously engaged community watching a ﬁlm,” he said. “It creates a kind of sacred space. After the ﬁlm, you can talk about things much more quickly. It opens questions. We had a great discussion after that screening.”

Once Kahn joined the IAS, he and Loh decided to create a ﬁlm series, with much support from IAS Director David Nirenberg.

“These ﬁlms are just the beginning,” Kahn said. “We want to do more in the spring. We want to bring ﬁlms not just to the Institute community, but to the entire community. The screenings create these environments where we can talk about things afterward. As important as the screening is, the conversation is even more so. It’s a common experience, a collective experience, which we need more of today. It allows us to share something in common and then talk about it.”

Loh agreed. “When the lights go out, there is a sense of community that rises beyond individual desires and needs,” she said. “For those two hours, you are a community watching a ﬁlm. It’s a sacred experience, something that lifts you out of yourself. That creates a sense of public that private, individual, isolated viewing does not allow for.”

This year marks two milestones related to My Architect — the 20th anniversary of the ﬁlm, and the 50th anniversary of the death of Kahn’s father, famed architect Louis Kahn. Nathaniel Kahn was only 13 when his father, whom he barely knew, died suddenly of a heart attack in the men’s room of New York’s Penn Station.

The ﬁlm, which was nominated for an Oscar, was Kahn’s exploration of his father’s groundbreaking projects across the globe. It also

delves into his father’s mysterious personal life, which included a wife and daughter and two other secret families, unknown to each other. The ﬁlm is at times heartbreaking, other times humorous, as the son attempts to reconnect with his deceased father.

“We all have personal histories,” Kahn said. “The idea that history is only written by the winners, is just not the case. A ﬁlm like My Architect is about the idea that history is not what they tell you in the history books. It’s what is lived. Discovering my father’s history as an immigrant from Estonia, with all of the terror they escaped, and then coming to America and suffering here, is the story. We have to be a people that ﬁnds commonality in our stories, and we have to have the ability to listen to each other’s stories.”

“The ﬁlm doesn’t really read as a documentary,” Loh said. “What is really moving about it is that it is a biography of Louis Kahn, but also kind of an autobiography of the director. We feel like we’re discovering the architect. By the end of the ﬁlm, he becomes the viewer’s architect as well.”

Kahn directed another film in the series, The Hunt for Planet B. The film follows a group of scientists, many of whom are women, behind the scenes with NASA’s Webb Space Telescope on their quest to find another Earth among the stars.

“Science sometimes has a hard time communicating its stories to the public,” Kahn said. “Art and science share so much in common. That’s

what I discovered in making the ﬁlm. Scientists and artists are completely passionate and willing to risk everything for what they’re after.”

Filmmakers Diane Moy Quon and Jean Tsien will be on hand for the screening of a.k.a. Mr. Chow, which they produced. The ﬁ lm tells the story of the famed New York restauranteur whose secret desire was to be a painter, and ﬁnally gets the inner strength to pursue his dream.

“The word ‘courage’ is the unifying thing in all the ﬁlms we’re showing,” Kahn said. “They exhibit this unifying passion for what they’re doing. I loved making a film about scientists and presenting them as very compelling human beings. They reach out into the night, and they don’t

know what’s there. They’re experimental, and I wanted to represent that. While the film is about the building of the Webb Telescope, it’s the human endeavor behind that that is interesting to me, in every ﬁlm I make.”

The Friday, October 18 screening of My Architect begins at 4 p.m. a.k.a. Mr Chow

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

on November 1 at 5 p.m., while The Hunt for Planet B is November 15 at 5 p.m.

sign up for the screenings, visit ias.edu.

—Anne Levin

HIP Thanks Community for Support Of Annual Rent Party Fundraiser

To the Editor:

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Princeton community for their overwhelming support of Housing Initiatives of Princeton’s (HIP) annual Rent Party on Saturday, October 5. With your sustained help these past 22 years, we have had a transformational impact on the lives of thousands of families and individuals facing homelessness — and will continue to do so thanks to the success of this year’s Rent Party, themed “Light the Way Home.

Last year, we lit the way home for more than double the number of people we served over the previous year, as need continues to rise due to the ongoing housing shortage. HIP helped 318 adults and children last fiscal year by providing either eviction prevention funds to help keep them in their existing home or a security deposit to get them into their own housing.

We also provided transitional homes (we currently operate eight in Mercer County) to parents and children, and all the wrap-around services a family may need, such as career and financial counseling, pro bono legal services, child care, and more, to move from instability to permanent, affordable housing.

Ninety-four percent of those who’ve received eviction prevention funds in the past year are still in the homes we helped them to keep or secure. And 92 percent of families surveyed who’ve gone through our transitional homes are still in stable housing — some even own their own homes!

Our annual Rent Party is one of the primary ways that HIP raises funds to make this work possible. At this year’s party, much like at the original rent parties of 1920s Harlem, guests enjoyed a lively evening of food, music, a silent auction, and more — all while pooling their resources to help neighbors make their rent. We also honored local realtor Heidi A. Hartmann, for her anonymous generosity over the years and continued dedication to making Princeton more inclusive.

Thank you for celebrating with us and enabling us to build a brighter, more secure future for everyone in our community.

LORI TROILO Director, Housing Initiatives of Princeton TOM PINNEO Board Chair, Housing Initiatives of Princeton Mercer Street

Writing in Praise and Support of Jugtown Neighborhood Restaurant

To the Editor: It is very difﬁcult, at this particular juncture of weather emergencies and idiocy of outlandish, inaccurate, political positing to highlight and support a local Princeton restaurant. And yet, here we are, writing to everyone to visit and enjoy our favorite restaurant in our neighborhood.

Trattoria Proccacini is a small restaurant in the Jugtown area of Princeton. It sits next to Whole Earth, another important mainstay to this area of town. There is plenty of parking and it’s BYO.

The food is consistently good and fresh. The staff at Trattoria Proccacini — Sarah, Damien, Raoulf, Joshua — have been here for years. We know all of them. Yes, including the cook staff.

We recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary here, with every employee joining our extended family in this celebration. It was an amazing evening.

It is important to incorporate small local businesses into the neighborhood in which one lives. We have done so with Trattoria Proccacini.

We encourage everyone to join us in supporting this Jugtown neighborhood restaurant.

JENNI AND GORDON GRIFFIN Sergeant Street

Chris Santarpio is Caring, Collaborative, and Responsive in working with Elementary Schools

To the Editor:

As parents of students in Riverside, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, and Community Park elementary schools, we are writing to express our strong support for Chris Santarpio in the upcoming School Board election. We got to know Chris last year when PPS partnered with parents from across the district to address major challenges with a new aftercare provider. We found Chris to be caring, collaborative, and responsive in working with all four elementary schools.

For those of us who work full time, having access to affordable, high-quality aftercare is essential not only for our peace of mind but for the development and well-being of our children. These programs offer more than just supervision — they provide academic support, social interaction, and a safe environment where our kids can thrive outside of school hours. Last September, a brand-new provider showed alarming lapses in personnel background checks and training. PPS immediately created a Parent Advisory Committee with representatives from the four affected elementary schools to interview alternative aftercare providers. Chris Santarpio was one of the representatives from Community Park and was a strong collaborator with other parents and administrators, offering helpful insights during the selection process.

Chris has continued to show his commitment to improving aftercare access and accountability. This past summer, Chris stepped forward to help again when aftercare at CP fi lled up within four days of registration opening in early July, but the provider failed to communicate to dozens of parents that they were waitlisted until mid-August. Once again, parents were left scrambling to find alternative care. Chris connected parents to PPS administrators who were able to provide temporary staffing while the provider recruited and trained additional personnel to meet the demand. For many working families, after-school care is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. Chris Santarpio understands this. His platform includes a focus on improving collaboration between PPS and critical supplier vendors , including aftercare. We should not continue to be reactionary with critical vendors and partnerships that support our students and families.

We urge you to join us in voting for Chris Santarpio in the upcoming election.

New Development Should Be Balanced with Appreciation of Princeton’s Historic Distinction

To the Editor:

Nestled inside historic Princeton, set off from the town’s illustrious university, Gilded Age mansions, and touristy downtown, sits a small residential neighborhood of exceptional importance to the nation’s heritage. Located beside what was once the King’s Highway, it includes, within a quarter-mile radius, homes that served as permanent or temporary residences to renowned ﬁgures ranging from James Madison and Alexander Hamilton to Albert Einstein. At one end is Frog Hollow, site of an important engagement in the pivotal Revolutionary War Battle of Princeton in 1777. A former farmhouse nearby stood witness to that battle; it was also the family home, pre-Morven, of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The neighborhood’s streets include numerous signiﬁcant examples of early domestic architecture, including several built in the mid-1830s by the celebrated designer Charles Steadman. Generations of civic-minded Princetonians have maintained scrupulous stewardship of the area, obtaining historical registry listings and historic neighborhood designations, safeguarding what the town has regarded as one of its irreplaceable treasures.

Now, evidently, that stewardship is to be repudiated. A private developer has gained official approval to construct a massive high-end complex of 238 rental units and town houses in the heart of the neighborhood that will obliterate its historic character. The structures will reach potentially as high as 70 feet, dwarfing and shrouding homes built to modest 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century scale. Its massive bulk will encroach badly, reaching within two feet of one of the neighborhood’s historic buildings, designed by another master architect, Rolf Bauhan. An underground garage for hundreds of vehicles will present untold problems ranging from traffic congestion and pollution to obstruction of groundwater and flooding. Centuries-old foundations will be imperiled. Numerous matchless old trees will be bulldozed.

An alternate proposal for the site, on a scale and density appropriate to the district and consisting of 100 percent affordable housing — thereby offering far more low-income residences than the current project’s minimal 20 percent state mandate — has been dismissed by the responsible local authority. Objections to the project including citizens’ testimony at public hearings — arbitrarily limited to three minutes each — have met with hostile, even threatening responses from local ofﬁcials as well as ugly false insinuations about the critics’ motives. Pretexts for the project have ﬂuctuated wildly under criticism, from puffery about the supposed “walkability” of the proposed complex to dubious assertions about expanding the numbers of “missing middle” income residents.

Instead of advancing development with a balanced appreciation of Princeton’s historic distinction, a combination of private proﬁt-driven development and secretive municipal complicity is about to complete an irreparable act of vandalism. Brutal lessons from decades ago — the destruction of the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City, for example — go unheeded.

Having protected the Princeton Battleﬁeld, the time has come for concerned Americans, not just Princetonians, to express their concern about this latest threatened heedless spoilation and for public ofﬁcials — local, state, and federal — to act.

JAMES M. MCPHERSON Randall Road SEAN WILENTZ Edgehill Street

BOE Candidate Mara Franceschi will Always Put Schools and Children First

To the Editor:

We are writing to enthusiastically endorse Mara Franceschi’s reelection to the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education. Having known Mara for years and worked closely with her on the PTO Council (PTOC), we can attest that Mara cares passionately about our schools, is extremely thoughtful, and advocates for what is best for all of our children.

Serving as a School Board member is often a thankless job and we are grateful that there are courageous individuals, like Mara, dedicated to doing this work without expecting anything in return. It is extremely important that we choose the right people for the job. In our opinion, the following qualities are essential: a passion for education; deep knowledge of the Princeton community and its needs and the needs of its students; valuable experience to contribute to the business of the Board; and the ability to prioritize the various issues facing the district.

Mara possesses each of these very important qualities and we know that she has done and will continue to do an outstanding job as a Board member.

Over the 14 years she has lived in Princeton, Mara has been involved with the schools at every level — serving on the Johnson Park PTO for seven years, then the PTOC for three, and now the Board of Education for another three years. She believes keenly in a strong public school education for all of our children. Mara has worked with five different superintendents and understands the qualities that are required of a strong superintendent. This will be critically important now as the district searches for a new leader for our schools. Coupled with her long and deep volunteer background in the schools and community, Mara’s financial background is also critical to helping guide the district through its various budgetary and capacity challenges.

We know Mara will always put the schools and our children first.

We wholeheartedly support Mara Franceschi’s reelection to the Princeton Board of Education.

BETH LEMAN Evergreen Circle TARA OAKMAN Valley Road

Santarpio and Snyder are Strong Advocates for Fostering Development of Skills for the Future

To the Editor:

As a community, we want to prepare our kids for the future by helping them develop the most critical and valuable 21st century skills. Therefore, when we vote for BOE candidates, we want to vote for candidates who have in mind this best interest of our kids.

BOE candidates Santarpio and Snyder are both strong advocates for fostering the development of skills for the future, skills such as critical thinking, communication, and intercultural competency. These skills will help our kids become creative problem solvers, effective communicators, and empathetic learners. These skills will help our kids navigate an ever-changing world with confidence and integrity. More importantly, Santarpio, an entrepreneur, and Snyder, a leader in education, both have a tremendous amount of knowledge, skills, and experiences, assets that they can bring to the BOE for advancing this strategic vision for our entire school district.

in its extraordinary staff have paid off for PPS students: 2024 test scores reveal that the district’s post-COVID academic performance is at or exceeds where we were in 2018. Through her work on the Operations and LongTerm Planning committees, Mara learned how to meet the needs of a complex, high-performing school district with a $100 million+ budget while adhering to the statutory 2 percent year-to-year cap in an inflationary environment. And as a recent addition to the Negotiations Committee, Mara helps to strike contract deals with PPS teachers and administrators that are both fair and fiscally responsible.

Ari and I know each other from Littlebrook School, where our daughters are students, and from Princeton Little League, where our children play baseball together. Ari has five kids, and he is a marvel of productivity and civic engagement. In addition to running his own professional coaching business, Ari is the Vice President of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad and the Chair of the House Committee at The Jewish Center of Princeton, where he oversees all aspects of the synagogue’s physical infrastructure. He serves on the Princeton Committee on Affordable Housing, Racial, Social, and Economic Equity and the Princeton Middle School PTO Executive Board. He knows a great deal about green building and sustainable design from his years running an ambitious redevelopment project in Binghamton, New York, a background that positions him to guide the district as it improves its infrastructure and plans for long-term development. Ari, in other words, is the complete package: an astonishingly energetic, enthusiastic, and rollup-his-sleeves kind of person, ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Over the next three years, our Board will determine how to improve our physical facilities to meet growing enrollments; how to support, retain, and reward our excellent teachers; and how to maintain and surpass our district’s exceptional standards in a fiscally prudent way. I am confident that Mara and Ari possess the skills, energy, and temperament to guide our schools during this challenging next phase. I enthusiastically encourage all Princetonians to vote for Mara and Ari on November 5!

JANE MANNERS Wheatsheaf Lane

Letters to the Editor Policy

Town Topics welcomes letters to the Editor, preferably on subjects related to Princeton. Letters must have a valid street address (only the street name will be printed with the writer’s name). Priority will be given to letters that are received for publication no later than Monday noon for publication in that week’s Wednesday edition. Letters must be no longer than 500 words and have no more than four signatures.

All letters are subject to editing and to available space.

At least a month’s time must pass before another letter from the same writer can be considered for publication.

Letters are welcome with views about actions, policies, ordinances, events, performances, buildings, etc. However, we will not publish letters that include content that is, or may be perceived as, negative towards local figures, politicians, or political candidates as individuals.

TRINITY CHURCH

We knew this because we personally witnessed, through their active involvement in PTO at the Community Park School and beyond, their enthusiasm and dedication for providing our kids, every one of them, with opportunities to be prepared for future success.

Art, Clothes, Linens, Jewelry, Shoes, Housewares, Books and Vintage!

PREVIEW SALE Thursday, October 17th

From 4-7 pm ($10 admission)

REGULAR SALE Friday, October 18th, 12-4pm

They advocated for fostering critical 21st century skills through strategic curriculum design and planning. They championed the use of data to provide insights on student learning, assisting teachers in giving personalized attention to each individual learner. They supported the investment in teacher professional development, especially in fair and responsible use of technologies in education.

When necessary, letters with negative content may be shared with the person/group in question in order to allow them the courtesy of a response, with the understanding that the communications end there. Letters to the Editor may be submitted, preferably by email, to editor@towntopics.com, or by post to Town Topics, PO Box 125, Kingston, N.J. 08528. Letters submitted via mail must have a valid signature.

HALF PRICE OFF SALE Saturday, October 19th

From 9am-12pm

33 Mercer Street, Princeton

For more info: 609-924-2277 www.trinitychurch.org

The list can go on and on but we want to point out this: what was underpinning all their initiatives was a forwardlooking vision of preparing our kids for the future, not just a future at high school graduation or college admissions, but also a future that extends beyond the years of PPS. In that distant future, we hope that our kids can think critically, communicate effectively, and act culturally responsibly. Therefore, we encourage you to vote for Santarpio and Snyder because they have the best interest of our kids in mind, that is, to prepare them for the future.

LIN GU Mountain Avenue

LAURA ISHKANIAN KOHLEY Hickory Court

Franceschi and Meisel Possess Skills, Energy, Temperament to Guide Schools in Next Phase

To the Editor:

I am a parent of three PPS children (one each at Littlebrook, PMS, and PHS), and I’m writing to support the candidacies of Mara Franceschi and Ari Meisel for the Board of Education.

I got to know Mara during her highly effective first term on the Board. As co-chair of the Board’s Personnel Committee, Mara mastered the details of public education employment law and worked hard to enable PPS to retain and attract excellent teachers in a tight job market, all while keeping a careful eye on budget realities. Under Mara’s leadership, the district’s investments

Poet and novelist Sam Sax, author of Madness, bury it, and Yr Dead , will read from their work at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22 at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. Annie Cao, Jeanie Chang, Stephenie Chen, Malia Chung, Rosemary Dietz, Rahma Elsheikh, David Odekunle, and Emanuelle Sippy, seniors in Princeton’s Program in Creative Writing, will also read from their recent work.

This event opens the 20242025 C.K. Williams Reading Series, named after the late Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning poet C.K. Williams, who served on Princeton’s faculty for 20 years. The series showcases seniors in the Program in Creative Writing alongside established writers as special guests. Cosponsored by Labyrinth Books, the event is free and open to the public with the authors’ books available to purchase and have signed.

At the event, Sax will read from Yr Dead (McSweeney’s $26), which was longlisted for the 2024 National Book

Award. Sax is a queer Jewish writer, performer, and educator. Their most recent works are the debut novel Yr Dead, and the poetry collection Pig , which was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Poetry and named one of the best books of 2023 by New York Magazine . Sax is also author of Madness , winner of the National Poetry Series, and bury it , winner of the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. Their other poetry collections include A Guide to Undressing Your Monsters, sad boy / detective, All The Rage, and STRAIGHT. Sax has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, Stanford University, Yaddo, Lambda Lit, and MacDowell. They are currently serving as an ITALIC lecturer at Stanford University.

Additional readings in the 2024-25 series include novelist Torrey Peters on November 12, novelist Sarah Thankam Mathews on February 11, and fiction writer Sidik Fofana on March 25.

“Craftivist” Weymar Book

Talk at PPL October 21

Artist, activist, and creator and curator of public art projects Diana Weymar discusses her book, Crafting a Better World: Inspiration and DIY Projects for Craftivists, on Monday, October 21, at 7 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. The talk is rescheduled from October 10 and is co-sponsored by Labyrinth Books.

Joining Weymar will be local artists Kyle Burkhardt of Vacuuming the Lawn, Robin Resch of Robin Resch Studio, and Maria Simon of Stitching Pink.

Weymar, the creator and curator of Interwoven Stories and Tiny Pricks Project, addresses how crafting can alleviate the feelings of anxiety and hopelessness brought on by issues in the news today. Crafting a Better World is described as “a new kind of call to action, a guidebook for combatting fatigue and frustration through the handmade” by the publisher (Harvest $25). The book features essays, proﬁles of well-known creatives, and projects that readers can create by themselves or with their communities.

Weymar grew up in the wilderness of British Columbia, studied creative writing at Princeton University, and worked in film in New York City. She has encouraged thousands of people to ﬁnd their own creative path through personal and political challenges. Her collaborations and exhibits bring people together around textile and embroidery to share personal stories and discuss political issues.

Tell them you saw their ad in

Narayanan and Kapoor

Discuss “AI Snake Oil”

Two of “TIME’s 100 Most Inﬂuential People in AI” will 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, at the Princeton Tech Meet Up on Thursday, October 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street.

Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor will examine not only how AI works, but also why it often doesn’t. Their book (Princeton University Press, $24.95) is based on years of research on limits to prediction, the dangers of predictive decision making, the reproducibility crisis in machine learning based science, the limits of large language models, and the risks of social media algorithms.

Registration through meetup.com/princetontech is requested.

Narayanan is professor of computer science at Princeton University and director of its Center for Information Technology Policy. He is the coauthor of Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies (Princeton University Press) and Fairness and Machine Learning

Kapoor is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Princeton. He previously worked as a software engineer at Facebook, where he helped create AI for content moderation.

The event is co-sponsored by Princeton Tech Meetup, Labyrinth Books and Princeton University Press.

Princeton University Trivia is Shared At Participatory Event at Library

Helene van Rossum and Daniel J. Linke, authors of The Princeton University Trivia Book, will be at the Princeton Public Library on Thursday, October 16, at 6 p.m., sharing their favorite Princeton University trivia, and the audience will have a chance to participate. The library is at 65 Witherspoon Street.

The book features historic and recent facts, with over 650 questions (with answers) and quotations spanning nearly three centuries of Princeton history, ranging from the fun to the signiﬁcant, and from the bizarre to the informative, according to the publisher (Lyons Press, $22.95). It delves into campus myths, the University’s connections to TV and movies, Einstein’s relationship to the University, Princeton’s informal motto “In the Nation’s Service and the Service of Humanity,” and the Rutgers football rivalry.

Van Rossum is a Dutch-born archivist, historical researcher, and writer who has lived and

worked in Princeton most of her life. At Mudd Manuscript Library, which holds the Princeton University Archives, she processed and wrote about collections and curated exhibits, often working closely with Linke. As a children’s book writer, she has written several picture books. Linke received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Case Western Reserve University and worked at three archives before starting at Princeton University Library in 1994 as head of Mudd Library’s technical services. Between 2002 and 2019, he served as the University archivist and curator of public policy papers, supervising the acquisition, description, promotion, and access to the University Archives. He coordinated the archival exhibit about Woodrow Wilson’s contested legacy and served on the Princeton and Slavery project, and became the University archivist and deputy head of special collections in April 2020.

just say No to GMOs

Thousands of products now bear the Non-GMO Project Verified Label. By looking for the butterfly you can ensure your food meets the Non-GMO Project’s rigorous Standard for GMO avoidance. October is Non-GMO Month. We have special sales on Non-GMO Project Verified products all month long.

Poet Sam Sax and Student Writers Open C.K. Williams Reading Series

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

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

—Eugene O’Neill

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

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

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

A Contemporary Eyre

The most compelling, intelligent, spirited Jane Eyre I ever saw was played by Ruth Wilson in the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre miniseries. The actress herself was born on January 13, 1982 in Ashford, Surrey, 100 years after the photograph of Oscar Wilde was taken. While Mike Hale’s 2014 New York Times profile mentions Wilson’s “dramatically wide lips, piercing blue-gray eyes” and “architectural eyebrows,” what makes her unforgettable as Alice Morgan, the beautiful psychopath who stalks Idris Elba’s London DCI in the BBC series Luther, is her seductively cunning mouth. It’s the combination of Jane Eyre and Alice Morgan, along with Wilson’s acclaimed dual performance as The Fool and Cordelia in the 2019 Broadway production of King Lear, that convince me she would make a fascinating 21st-century Sibyl Vane, the tragic heroine of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

“Monstrous London” Wilde’s gritty description of the East End is an appealing contrast to the assorted

skyscrapers dominating the location shots in Luther. In a passage rich in Late Victorian atmosphere, Dorian tells Lord Henry how he discovered Sibyl Vane: “I felt that this grey, monstrous London of ours, with its myriads of people, its sordid sinners, and its splendid sins, as you once phrased it, must have something in store for me. I fancied a thousand things. The mere danger gave me a sense of delight.... I don’t know what I expected, but I went out and wandered eastward, soon losing my way in a labyrinth of grimy streets and black grassless squares. About half-past eight I passed by an absurd little theatre, with great flaring gas-jets and gaudy play-bills.”

Inside was “a tawdry affair, all Cupids and cornucopias, like a third-rate weddingcake. The gallery and pit were fairly full, but the two rows of dingy stalls were quite empty, and there was hardly a person in what I suppose they called the dress-circle.” The play was Romeo and Juliet, and although Romeo was played by “a stout elderly gentleman” and Mercutio by “a lowcomedian,” Juliet was “hardly seventeen years of age, with a little, flowerlike face, a small Greek head with plaited coils of dark-brown hair, eyes that were violet wells of passion, lips that were like the petals of a rose. She was the loveliest thing I had ever seen in my life.” Night after night Dorian went to see her: “One evening she is Rosalind, and the next evening she is Imogen. I have seen her die in the gloom of an Italian tomb, sucking the poison from her lover’s lips. I have watched her wandering through the forest of Arden, disguised as a pretty boy in hose and doublet and dainty cap. She has been mad, and has come into the presence of a guilty king, and given him rue to wear and bitter herbs to taste of. She has been innocent, and the black hands of jealousy have crushed her reedlike throat.”

performing brilliantly and finds herself “happening over and over again” as a vengeful stalker pursing Dorian Gray in John Logan’s memorable series Penny Dreadful (2012-13).

Born in Times Square

From August to October 2011, Ruth Wilson played the title role of Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse, one of eternal London’s “little theatres.” The production won the 2012 Olivier Award for “best revival,” with Wilson receiving praise from the Guardian for “vividly” embodying Eugene O’Neill’s description of Anna as “a tall, blond, Viking-daughter” who has the haunted look of a woman traumatized by her past.

Earlier I said that O’Neill was born in a New York City hotel. In fact, the Barrett House hotel was located on the corner of Broadway and 43rd Street, in the heart of today’s Times Square. So you could say that the author of Beyond the Horizon and numerous other O’Neill plays was born around the corner from the theatres where they were first performed and six blocks south of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on 49th Street.

My Times Square

The Times Square I haunted as a ninthgrader with a Kodak was lined with movie palaces, each with an immense billboard above the marquee, from the Paramount, the Astor and the Victoria to Loews State and the Mayfair, where the immense billboard was wrapped around the side of an otherwise mundane building. The only time I experienced a Times Square New Year’s Eve was with my parents, seeing in 1953. On November 27 of that year, O’Neill died in the Sheraton Hotel in Boston. According to his biographer Louis Sheaffer, when he was dying, he whispered, “I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room and died in a hotel room” — a quote that would surely have amused Oscar Wilde.

from his plays. The line that turns up most often — “There is no present or future — only the past, happening over and over again — now” — is from his last work, A Moon for the Misbegotten , a sequel to Long Day’s Journey Into Night that I saw in 2006 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. The speaker is Jim Tyrone, based on O’Neill’s older brother Jamie, who was dying at the time Eugene was composing the play. Tyrone delivers the line during one of his touching, rough and tumble love scenes with Josie, who was nicely played by Kathleen McNenny the night I saw it. Since Ruth Wilson won an Olivier for her performance as the “tall, blond” Anna Christie, she’d be my choice to play Josie, who is sketched by O’Neill as “so oversize for a woman that she is almost a freak.... Her sloping shoulders are broad, her chest deep with large, firm breasts, her waist wide but slender by contrast with her hips and thighs. She has long smooth arms, immensely strong, although no muscles show. ... But there is no mannish quality about her. She is all woman. The map of Ireland is stamped on her face, with its long upper lip and small nose, thick black eyebrows, black hair as coarse as a horse’s mane, freckled, sunburned fair skin, high cheekbones and heavy jaw.”

O’Neill’s sketch of Jim Tyrone refers to his “naturally fine physique” that has become “soft and soggy from dissipation.... His eyes are brown, the whites congested and yellowish. His nose, big and aquiline, gives his face a certain Mephistophelian quality which is accentuated by his habitually cynical expression. But when he smiles without sneering, he still has the ghost of a former youthful, irresponsible Irish charm -— that of the beguiling ne’erdo-well, sentimental and romantic. It is his humor and charm which have kept him attractive to women, and popular with men as a drinking companion.”

The Last Word

The other day my son and I were on the trolley walk between the Great Road and Johnson Park School, so called because it follows the route of the streetcar that took O’Neill from Princeton to the flesh pots of Trenton in his short-lived student years at Old Nassau. I always think of O’Neill on that walk, regardless of what’s going in on the world, including presidential elections and the World Series.

RAs Wilde tells it, Sibyl falls in love with Dorian, loses her way as an actor, is cruelly rejected by her “Prince Charming,” and kills herself, which propels Dorian to his Faustian fate. I’d prefer a sequel in which Ruth Wilson’s Sibyl continues

Jim and Josie

Apparently the Eugene O’Neill of grim closeups was no less grimly unforthcoming in interviews, since virtually all the online quotes attributed to him are taken

ight now, in O’Neill’s no-present, no-future, forever happening past, I’m giving Oscar Wilde the last word, from the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, which my son says has inspired songs by U.K. rock groups Sweet and Nirvana: “From the point of view of form, the type of all arts is the art of the musician. From the point of view of feeling, the actor’s craft is the type.”

—Stuart Mitchner

Princeton University Concerts Presents Multifaceted Singer Cécile

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

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

Although anchored in the music of Dowland, Salvant also ventured into her own compositions and 20th-century torch songs. Her songs set a wide range of texts, from Creole writings to letters from friends, and were primarily accompanied by the modern instruments onstage. Yasushi Nakamura’s bass playing was clearly rooted in jazz, and despite the modern approach to the concert, baroque flutist Emi Ferguson and theorbo/lute player Dušan Balarin found their places in the instrumental texture. Sullivan Fortner was kept very busy throughout playing piano, harpsichord and electronic keyboard. Winner of several Grammy awards, percussionist Keita Ogawa showed that he was a veritable rhythm machine, also providing electronic effects.

Against a backdrop of ancient manuscripts and contemporary art, Salvant brought the Shakespearean era to life in her interpretation of John Dowland’s music. Her first song, Dowland’s “Say love if ever thou didst find,” showed off

McLorin

Salvant

Salvant’s light and clear voice, especially in the upper register. Although her use of a microphone occasionally detracted from her vocal purity, Salvant consistently sang with a clean tone and an imaginative storytelling quality. No matter what the origins of the music, there was a story behind every song.

Salvant transported Dowland into our very “techno” times with very inventive effects. Her performance of Dowland’s “Ayres,” including “Flow not too fast, ye fountains,” often featured gospel vocal runs as melodic ornamentation, with an equally as ornamented keyboard accompaniment. Adding a jazz twist were Ogawa’s percussion and Ferguson’s flute playing.

As is common in jazz, several numbers in the program included extended solos by each of the instrumentalists. These soliloquies, such as in Salvant’s reflective song describing a friendship, created an atmosphere of being in an intimate jazz club. Keyboardist Fortner in particular was able to both execute Baroque performance practice on a harpsichord and create a glass-organ effect from the synthesizer, as musical ideas morphed into other creative effects from past centuries.

The other composer on which Salvant focused was 18th-century musician English Henry Purcell. Salvant’s presentation of Purcell’s lyrical music was historically precise, often joined by Ferguson’s expressive flute obbligato and Fortner’s adept harpsichord playing. Salvant’s interpretation of Purcell’s style was particularly evident in her encore, “Dido’s Lament” from the opera Dido and Aeneas. Accompanied by Balarin’s delicate theorbo playing, Salvant well brought out the pathos and chromaticism of Purcell’s aria of grief with especially dramatic upper register singing.

Costumed in Elizabethan collar and apparel, Salvant’s intent was clearly to take the audience back to another musical time, and then just as abruptly return to the 21st century. Her personable stage presence, combined with a scholarly approach to the music and inherent expressiveness, created an entertaining and educational concert which the audience may not see anything like for a while.

—Nancy Plum

Princeton University Concerts continues its 2024-25 series with classical performances, family programs and collaborations with Princeton area organizations. Event and ticket information can be found at concerts.princeton.edu.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 6 P.M. Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau St.

CLASSICAL ARTISTS OF PRINCETON

ART EXHIBITION

Friday, October 18th, 2024 5 PM - 7 PM ® Town Topics est. 1946 a Princeton tradition!

Sam Sax is a queer Jewish writer and educator. Their most recent book is the debut novel Yr Dead (McSweeney’s, 2024) which Kirkus called “profoundly original” in a starred review. Their most recent book of poems is Pig (Simon & Schuster, 2023), which was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Poetry. Sax is author of Madness, winner of the National Poetry Series, and Bury It, winner of the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets.

Join Princeton Academy of Art at the prestigious Present Day Club for an exhibition of Princeton Academy of Art student and faculty artwork.

The reception is free and open to the public!

Light refreshments and wine will be served

Present Day Club 72 Stockton St Princeton, NJ 08540

SAM SAX

presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing and Labyrinth Books

Photo by Hollis Rafkin-Sax

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

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

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

Alma and Angel live in La, Puente, Calif. The play is set in early December 2016; the election of former President Trump is a major plot point. Both mother and daughter face a crucial test, the results of which could impact their ability to be together.

The script accomplishes much. It explores Mexican history and culture; seemingly opposite aspects of familial love (as a mother, Alma is by turns a stern disciplinarian and tender nurturer); and the all-too-topical subjects of our political discourse, particularly to do with existing or proposed U.S. immigration policy –which directly influences both characters’ motivations.

Benne is Chance Theater’s 2025 Resident Playwright, a Playwrights’ Center Core Writer, and has been named by the Los Angeles Times as part of “LA Vanguardia: The Latino innovators. Instigators, and power players braking through barriers.”

Alma received its world premiere at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre (in Los Angeles) in 2022. Subsequent productions have included ArtsWest, American Blues Theater, and Chance Theater. The play has won accolades including American Blues Theater’s Blue Ink Playwriting Award, Arizona Theatre Company’s National Latinx Playwriting Award, and the Orange Curtain Review Award for Best Writing.

AZ Espinoza directs Passage’s exquisite production. Espinoza guides the actors through performances that seamlessly move from one mood. and aspect of a family relationship, to another.

Espinoza also gives production time to set the scene and support the script’s themes to the fullest extent they are able. This is noticeable right at the beginning.

Sound Designer Adiah D. Hicks and

Lighting Designer Calvin Anderson open the production by setting the scene as thoroughly as a novel. Sounds of nature, such as crickets chirping, are accompanied by a peaceful starlit sky. The idyllic mood is interrupted by the sounds and lights of a police car. This immediately establishes a theme that can be extrapolated from the show: the peace of nature versus the noisy intrusion of human laws and boundaries.

Grisele Gonzalez’s elaborately furnished set establishes a cozy home. A crucifix hangs at the top of the cheerful yellow wall, underlining the importance of faith to this family. Also prominent is an unpredictably functioning (cathode-ray tube) TV, which often oppressively blares commentary about immigration, particularly the speeches of then-President-elect Trump.

Alma’s yellow wall and colorful tablecloth (colors of which are echoed by a blanket) reflect the Mexican hacienda style of interior decoration. Costume Designer Anna Sorrentino reinforces this by outfitting Alma in similar colors, accentuating the extent to which Alma’s Mexican heritage is part of her identity.

Angel, by contrast, is at one point given

a Lion King shirt, suggesting more of an immersion in mainstream American pop culture, despite her (justifiably) harsh criticism of U.S. policies on several matters, especially immigration.

The cozy, lived-in atmosphere of the set, like the outwardly typical generational tension, is deceptive. The home appears to be a safe haven, but the coziness is deceptive; we will discover that Alma and Angel could lose their home (and life together) without warning.

Alma’s relationship with her daughter is loving but tense. When we ﬁ rst meet the characters, arguments arise from typical issues surrounding teenagers and their parents: proper nutrition (Alma is incensed that Angel forgot the lunch that she prepared for her, and ate junk food instead), independence versus following house rules (the two women spend several minutes demanding that the other avoid crossing a given boundary in the apartment), and future ambitions (Angel’s goals tie in with the nature motif of the opening sound collage).

The tension between mother and daughter reaches a level that leads to Alma threatening Angel with a chancla , or

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

“Alma” will play at Passage Theatre in the Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street in Trenton, through October 20. For tickets, show times, and further information call (609) 392-0766 or visit passagetheatre.org. To watch “Naturalized Souls: Barriers to US Citizenship — A Community Dialogue Discussing Themes of Passage Theatre’s Production of ‘Alma,’” visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRZZFMLktTY.

Nelson Glass & Aluminum Co. regular & pawproof.”

“Yes, we also rescreen screens: 741 Alexander Rd, Princeton • 924-2880

sandal. (Later this will be contrasted by a tender scene in which the two arrange each other’s hair.)

Gruver and Maldonado make these early argument scenes entertaining to watch. Both actors are adept at using body language to project attitude; Gruver’s brusque, fastidious poise contrasts with Maldonado’s more relaxed posture, mixed with numerous eye rolls.

As best as possible, Alma and Angel try to help each other prepare for an upcoming exam. Alma quizzes Angel on vocabulary words for the SATs, while Angel quizzes Alma on information she will need for her imminent citizenship exam. Pointedly, Angel delicately skips over a question when testing her mother.

Alma is dismayed by Angel’s apparently lackadaisical attitude regarding the importance of her SATs — for which, we discover, Angel has not even registered, though Alma hopes that her daughter can still get in if she shows up. Angel, in turn, pushes back against Alma’s determination to arrange her future.

All of this familial tension, like the coziness of the set, is deceptive. Both Alma and Angel hide desperate motivations for their behavior. Much of the success of both actors’ performances is marked by the fact that we do not discover this until they need us to — and when we do, it is heartbreaking.

Obviously, Alma is all too relevant, speaking loudly to our current sociopolitical moment. (A choice is made to break the time setting, and broadcast comments about Haitian immigrants that Trump has made this year.)

At the same time, it would do a disservice to the play to focus on this aspect of it at the expense of appreciating the beautiful human interest story it tells to make its points. Alma reminds us that a crucial ability of theater is to rehumanize people who have been dehumanized. Producing plays that do precisely that has been something that Passage does particularly well, especially in recent seasons. The company opens its 40th anniversary season by continuing that trend with a play whose script and production are inspiring in their power and beauty.

The name of the city in which this play is set, La Puente, is Spanish for “the bridge.” May plays such as Alma serve as a bridge that leads us to greater tolerance and deeper mutual understanding.

—Donald H. Sanborn III

(Photo by Habiyb Shu’Aib)

Performing Arts

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

Pianist to Take Part

In Multiple Events

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

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

On Sunday, November 3 at 3 p.m., also at Richardson Auditorium, Levit will appear on PUC’s Healing with Music series in a program entitled “Igor Levit: Pianist and Advocate for Change” hosted by journalist Deborah Amos. In a conversation that includes live performance, he will speak about his experience performing amidst antisemitic death threats and his commitment to using his platform to address on social issues, including climate change and fascism.

Beyond his contributions to the ﬁeld of classical music, Levit often speaks out on social and political issues. He is politically active on his social media channels; is a frequent guest on prominent European talk shows; has played at the national convention in Germany, at demonstrations on behalf of social inclusion, and at forests protesting deforestation; dedicated his albums to social causes; created a living room concert series on Twitter during lockdown, and more. His commitment to using his platform and artistry for the betterment of the world has earned him the International Beethoven Prize for Human Rights, Statue B of the International Auschwitz Committee, and Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Visit puc.princeton.edu or call (609) 258-9220 for tickets.

On Saturday, November 2 at 1 p.m., the Princeton Garden Theatre will screen the ﬂy-on-the-wall documentary

Igor Levit: No Fear. The ﬁlm follows Levit from the ﬁ nal recordings of his Beethoven piano sonata cycle and into the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, when public music-making stopped and Levit gave a series of concerts from his apartment in Berlin. Tickets are $14 general, $9 students, and $12 for Garden Theatre members and PUC Deluxe Subscribers. Tickets are available at puc. princeton.edu or by calling the Princeton Garden Theatre at (609) 279-1999.

“Levit’s residency with us gives audiences a chance to get to know this remarkable artist from several angles,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “His visit is part of our mission to provide varied and personal ways for audiences to connect to the music and artists on our series. Over the four days that Igor Levit is with us, people will get to know his incredible artistry, and how he uses his platform as one of the truly great pianists living today to make sense of his own relationship to the world.”

mankind’s most challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally unleashing his inner demons along with the man that the world would come to know as Mr. Hyde. With a score of pop-rock hits by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse, the Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical premiered in 1997 and ran for nearly four years. With 1,543 performances, it became the longest running show in the history of Plymouth Theatre.

Shows are Friday, October 18 and 25, and Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, October 26 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 20 and 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $26 for adults and $24 for children and students. Visit kelseytheatre.org.

Telling of “The Odyssey”

At McCarter’s Berlind Theater

an ensemble of actors comprised of students and staff members from the Princeton University community, with each cast member playing multiple roles.

A conversation with playwright Naomi Iizuka and Barbara Graziosi , Chair of Princeton’s Classics Department, will take place on November 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Berlind Rehearsal Room at McCarter Theatre Center. It is free and open to the public. Tickets are $20 ($10 for students). Visit mccarter.org.

Beppe Gambetta Returns For Princeton Concert

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

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

Gambetta’s latest recording, Terra Madre (2024) weaves together the experience and wisdoms of his fifty-year career, and is further enriched by the participation of renowned guests from different musical genres including David Grisman, Dan Crary, and Tim O’Brien.

Tickets are $25 ($20 for members and $10 for students). Visit princetonfolk.org.

Center for Modern Aging Hosts Music Festival

On Saturday, October 19 from 2-4:30 p.m., the Center for Modern Aging (CMAP) will host the second annual International Music Festival at the Suzanne Patterson building, 45 Stockton Street. This year’s festival celebrates diverse musical rhythms and cultures.

Performances include cellist Aarav Gupta, who will open the event; The Full Monty Uke Band, a ukulele ensemble; and the KY3 Showband, specialists in Latin rhythms. The $10 admission fee includes food and beverages.

The festival is part of CMAP’s ongoing commitment to celebrating diversity, fostering community connections, and supporting inclusive programming for aging adults and their families in the greater Princeton region. Visit cmaprinceton.org for more information.

tion

Jekyll & Hyde:

18-27 on the West Windsor Campus of Mercer County Community College (MCCC).

The play is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, considered a defining book of the Gothic horror genre. It follows the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll, a devoted man of science driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of

Playwright Naomi Iizuka’s Anon(ymous) tells the story of a young refugee named Anon, separated from his mother, who travels through the United States searching for his family. The play is on stage at McCarter Theatre Center’s Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place, November 1,2,7,8, and 9 at 8 p.m.

From a sinister butcher to barflies to a sweatshop, Anon must navigate through an ever-changing landscape in this adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey Anon(ymous) is a story of displacement, the search for belonging, hope and resilience, and the power of friendship. This production is being created through the collaborative efforts of

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

BILINGUAL STAFF!

DE 1929 78 Leigh Avenue Princeton, NJ 08542 (609) 921-8606

enrollment@princetonurseryschool.org

princetonnurseryschool.org enrollment@princetonurseryschool org

LA MATRÍCULA ASEQUIBLE E INCLUSIVA INCLUYE:

Desayuno saludable, almuerzo casero, merienda nutritiva

Clases de Música Bilingües con el Currículo de Música Juntos con Español

Clases de cocina bilingües con Chef de la casa

Art Classes with the Arts Council of Princeton

Local Princeton Walking Trips and Engaging Field Trips

Art Classes with the Arts Council of Princeton

Storytimes with Princeton Public Library Children’s Librarian

Local Princeton Walking Trips and Engaging Field Trips

Storytimes with Princeton Public Library Children’s Librarian

PNS

Excursiones a pie locales de Princeton y excursiones atractivas

Clases de Arte con el Consejo de las Artes de Princeton

Clases de Arte con el Consejo de las Artes de

Clases de Arte con el Consejo de las Artes de Princeton

Excursiones a pie locales de Princeton y excursiones atractivas.

Horas de cuentos con la bibliotecaria infantil de la Biblioteca Pública de Princeton

Excursiones a pie locales de Princeton y excursiones atractivas

Excursiones a pie locales de Princeton y excursiones atractivas.

¡ESCANEA PARA APREN

Horas de cuentos con la bibliotecaria infantil de la Biblioteca Pública de Princeton ¡BECASDE MATRICULA DISPONIBLE! PROGRAMA DE TODO EL AÑO LUNES - VIERNES 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Horas de cuentos con la bibliotecaria infantil de la Biblioteca Pública de Princeton ¡BECASDE MATRICULA DISPONIBLE!

Horas de cuentos con la bibliotecaria infantil de la Biblioteca Pública de Princeton

PNS empodera a

PNS empodera a los niños a través de una educación temprana excepcional y servicios familiares de apoyo que sean asequibles para todos

¡ESCANEA PARA APRENDER MÀS! ¡PERSONAL BILINGUE!

PNS empodera a los niños a través de una educación temprana excepcional y servicios familiares de apoyo que sean asequibles para todos

Art

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

Tim McFarlane Art Exhibit at Gallery at MC Community College Mercer County Community College’s Gallery presents “Tim McFarlane – Black Drawings and Other Things You Didn’t Know About” through December 18. An opening reception is on October 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The exhibition, featuring 17 pieces by Philadelphiabased artist Tim McFarlane, allows the viewer to imagine ongoing changes to hu-

man-made environments as emphasized through fluid, multi-layered systems, color, and process. Using mostly mixed media or acrylic on canvas, McFarlane captures his observations of humandriven changes in everyday life such as the remaking of public and personal spaces, the remnants of old buildings at construction sites, public spaces changed through continual use, and more.

“Tim McFarlane offers an astounding narrative in the deep seeded collective emotions in the art field,” said Karolina Zbaski, art gallery assistant.

An opening reception is on October 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Light fare and refreshments will be provided throughout the night, along with Mercer’s own faculty jazz band ensemble led by Scott Hornick, providing musical entertainment. For more

free film series

Princeton Garden Theatre

Open to the public

Thursday, October 24 7 p.m.

In conjunction with Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography, on view at Art on Hulfish. Wednesday, November 6

information about McFarlane, visit timmcfarlane.com/work/ about.

The Gallery at Mercer County Community College is located at 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, Room 250 on the second floor of the Communications Building. Gallery hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Tuesday and Thursday from 12 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit mccc.edu/gallery.

“Classical Artists of Princeton” Art Show at Present Day Club

The Present Day Club will host “Classical Artists of Princeton,” showcasing a collection of exceptional works by the esteemed faculty and students of Princeton Academy of Art (PAA), October 18 to December 19. The exhibition presents a variety of classical art inspired by the Academy’s rigorous training in traditional techniques.

This year’s exhibition will also spotlight three of the Academy’s youngest students in the advanced program, William Jin, Vera Goliyad, and Karina Stakh, who have made remarkable strides in their artistic development. These students have demonstrated impressive technical skills and creative growth in PAA’s foundational and advanced programs. Their works will be displayed alongside their mentors, giving visitors a unique glimpse into the Academy’s approach to cultivating talent from a young age.

Anna Neis, founder and director of Princeton Academy of Art, said, “We are incredibly proud to feature William, Vera, and Karina in this exhibition. Their dedication to mastering classical techniques at such an early stage is a testament to the Academy’s commitment to fostering an environment where artists of all ages can thrive.”

The exhibition will feature diverse subjects and media, from portraiture and still life to landscapes, all unified by the classical principles that define Princeton Academy of Art’s curriculum. Faculty members, known for their professional achievements in the global art community, will present pieces that reflect their expertise and influence as educators and practicing artists.

An opening reception is on Friday, October 18 from 5 pm to 7 p.m., where attendees can meet the artists and learn more about their work and artistic practices.

Kelsey Doherty, PAA operations manager and exhibiting

artist, said, “We want the community to see the full spectrum of talent at the Academy, from our faculty, who bring decades of experience, to students like William, Vera, and Karina, who represent the future of ﬁne art. We are very proud of our community and can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.”

The Present Day Club is located at 72 Stockton Street. Gallery hours are Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free; parking is on Library Place or at the Seminary. Visit princetonacademyofart.com for more information.

ACP Hosts Send-Off for “Continuum” Installation

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) invites the community to a send-off for the “Continuum” mural at Paul Robeson Place and Witherspoon Street on Wednesday, October 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

“Continuum” was the Arts Council’s first major mural project, completed in 2012 by artist Illia Barger. This piece commemorates three collaborative temporary public art installations located in empty lots on Paul Robeson Place between 2001 and 2006.

Garden

produce

was created by landscape designer Peter Soderman. This corner oasis became the inspiration for two subsequent public sculpture gardens: Writers Block (2004) and Quark Park (2006), conceived of by Kevin Wilkes, AIA, Soderman, and Alan Goodheart, ASLA. These mini parks were beloved by the community and when it became time for them to be dismantled, the ACP — together with Raoul and Carlo Momo — wanted to create an art installation that honored their memory. The Momos provided the downtown wall and the ACP provided the artist. Barger designed and painted Continuum and helped launch the ACP’s public art campaign, which still continues.

Now, like Quark Park and Writers Block before it, Continuum is facing its ﬁnal days as plans to revamp the corner are underway.

Join Barger, the ACP, and Terra Momo teams at the mural site as they say a fond farewell to Continuum. There will be a toast and brief remarks on site before heading to Mediterra for light refreshments. RSVP for the free event at artscouncilofprinceton.org.

“CONTINUUM”: The Arts Council of Princeton invites the community to a send-off for the public mural by Ilia Barger at Paul Robeson Place and Witherspoon Street on October 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Herban

(2001), Terra Momo’s

garden,

New York architect and artist Mark Oliver, through December 31. An artist reception is on Saturday, October 19 from 2 to 5 p m. Davidscottfineart@gmail.com.

Dohm Alley, next to 100 Nassau Street, has the Princeton Einstein Museum’s “Einstein’s “Attraction to Magnetism,” open 24/7 through November 30. princeton einsteinmuseum.org.

Ficus Bon Vivant, 235 Nassau Street, has “Capture the Rhythm” through January 12. Ficusbv.com.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has “Reciprocal Inspiration and a Cranbury School Legacy: Elizabeth Grimaldi and Elaina Phillips” through October 30. Cranburyartscouncil.org.

County Photography 2024” through December 1. Ellarslie.org.

West Windsor Arts, 952

Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Art Alliance of Monmouth County Invitational Show ” through November 2. Westwindsorarts.org.

Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers, 71 George Street, New Brunswick, has

“Michelle V. Agins: Storyteller” through December 8 and “Smoke & Mirrors” through December 22. Zimmerli.rutgers.edu.

IS ON

Noted photographic artist Robin Resch presents her latest exhibition, “Nature Eternal,” at Songbird Capital this fall. The show, located at 14 Nassau Street, features a collection of landscape photography that draws viewers into the relationship between nature’s strength and our shared ephemerality. The exhibition will run 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 10, 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,” said Resch. 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 is a Princeton-based artist whose 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’s practice blends the material experimentation of architecture with the emotional depth of photography. 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. For more information, visit robinresch.net or robinreschstudio.com.

West Windsor Arts Promotes Community Wellness Last November, in recognition of Arts & Health Month, about a dozen arts organizations in Mercer County, including West Windsor Arts, came together to form a coalition dedicated to generating awareness of the health benefits of the arts. Called Arts & Health Mercer, this initiative leveraged its collective resources and creative talents to present a series of programs, from poetry readings to walking meditations, musical performances to nature drawing workshops, aimed at boosting wellness.

This year, West Windsor Arts is expanding the reach and impact of its participation in the Arts & Health initiative by introducing several new programs, among them a partnership with the West Windsor Health Department.

“We reached out to Jill Swanson, Health Officer at the Health Department, to explore ways to support their campaigns and serve as a resource,” said Aylin Green, executive director of West Windsor Arts. “There were several campaigns where we could help, including creating a video for the West Windsor Township website with our fall animation class about handwashing, building awareness during flu season, and promoting connection and gratitude toward veterans and seniors.”

West Windsor Arts is now inviting youth, ages 5 to 12, to create artwork that represents the importance of getting a flu vaccine. Selected artwork will be exhibited at the health department throughout the month of November. Teens, ages 13 to 18, will also have a chance to participate. West Windsor Arts is asking teens to submit artwork, based on the theme of gratitude, to be

made into coloring pages for seniors and to be part of an outdoor art installation to be displayed at the West Windsor Senior Center from November 6-30. A flu clinic will be held at the Senior Center on November 7 from 4 to 6 p.m.

“Expressing gratitude can help improve our physical and emotional health. And so, too, can participating in the arts,” said Green. “What I love most about this project is that it brings together teens and seniors, two groups who may experience similar issues of depression and anxiety. We are dedicating the exhibit at the Senior Center just ahead of Veterans Day, as a tribute to their service. Everyone, both giver and receiver, benefits from sharing gratitude.”

To be considered, teens need to submit up to three designs by October 21 at the West Windsor Senior Center. The chosen pieces will be made into coloring pages to be distributed at the West Windsor Senior Center. Up to 30 pieces will be selected to be turned into painted lawn signs by the artists. Submissions for ages 5-12 are October 1922 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the West Windsor Township building.

For more information, visit westwindsorarts.org.

Area Exhibits

Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Heléne Aylon: Undercurrent” through February 2. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Not to Be Forgotten” through November 3. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lambertvillearts.com.

Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography” through January 5. Artmuseum. princeton.edu.

Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “Reimagined Lives: Narratives in Motion,” “Exploring Abstraction,” and “Into Sight, Into Mind: Radiant Glory of the Anthropocene” through November 2. Artscouncilof princeton.org.

David Scott Gallery, 253 Nassau Street, has “Available Light,” a collection of paintings by

Green Building Center, 67 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has an art show by the MUGA Group through December 31. Greenbuildingcenter.com.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. Groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Princeton Reflected: Stories from HSP’s Collection” and “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery.” Museum hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. Princetonhistory.org

Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution” through December 31, 2026. Mercermuseum.org.

Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “Monuments and Myths: The American Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French” through January 5. Michenerartmuseum .org

Milberg Gallery, Princeton University Library, has “Monsters & Machines: Caricature, Visual Satire, and the Twentieth-Century Bestiary” through December 8. Library.princeton.edu/ monstersandmachines.

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home,” through March 2. Morven.org.

Phillips’ Mill, 2619 River Road, New Hope, Pa., has “95th Juried Art Show at Phillips’ Mill” through October 27. Phillipsmill.org.

Silva Gallery of Art at the Pennington School, 112 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington, has “Alia Bensliman: From North Africa to North America” through December 13. A reception is on Thursday, October 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Silvagallery@ penningtonschool.org.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has works by Liesl Schubel through November 5. Paintings and collages by Clara Sue Beym are at the 254 Nassau Street location through November 5. Smallworldcoffee.com.

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, has “Mercer

Landscape Photography by Robin Resch at Songbird Capital

“MAINE LIGHT”: Landscape photography by Robin Resch is featured in “Nature Eternal, on view through the end of November at Songbird Capital on Nassau Street.

Mark Your Calendar

Town

Topics

Wednesday, October 16

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Leighton Listens. Councilman Leighton Newlin is available to discuss current events with members of the public at The Bread Boutique, 41 Witherspoon Street.

5-6:30 p.m.: The Arts Council of Princeton and Terra Momo hold a send-off for the Continuum mural in the mini-park at the corner of Witherspoon Street and Paul Robeson Place before it is dismantled and the building is torn down. A toast, brief remarks, and light refreshments at Mediterra restaurant follow. RSVP to Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

6 p.m.: Princeton Public Library’s Board of Trustees meets at the library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m .: Elizabeth C. Hamblet, author of Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities discusses preparing students for a successful transition to college, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7:30 p.m .: Board of Education Candidates Election Forum, a webinar sponsored by Princeton Parents for Black Children, Not in Our

Town Princeton, and Civil Rights Princeton. Register at niotprinceton.org.

7:30 p.m .: Film critic Carrie Rickey discusses her book La Pointe Courte , a biography of Agnes Varda, at The Princeton Garden Theatre, 160 Nassau Street. Rickey will sign copies of the book for sale. Princeton gardentheatre.org.

7:30 p.m .: Author R. Scott Bomboy presents a lecture, “The Lost Covered Bridges of the Delaware River,” via Zoom. Presented by the Delaware River Greenway Partnership. Free. Register at rb.gy/yr.ni1.

8-10:30 p.m Princeton Country Dancers presents a dance featuring Isaac Banner with Mind the Gap, at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, October 17

10 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton Farmers Market is at Hinds Plaza. More than 30 vendors with local organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, cheeses, fresh flowers, knife-sharpening, jewelry, and more. Live music. SNAP/EBT cards and matches accepted up to $10 a day. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

12:15 p.m .: Westminster Conservatory at Nassau series continues with a concert by oboist Melissa Bohl and pianist Phyllis Alpert Lehrer at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street. Free. Works by Gordon Jacob, Franz Reizenstein, and Frederic Chopin. Rider.edu.

6 p.m .: Lecture by Catherine Kerrison about her book Jefferson’s Daughters , at the Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barrack Street, Trenton. Followed by Q&A and book signing. Free. Barracks.org.

6 p.m .: Authors Helene van Rossum and Daniel J. Linke discuss their book The Princeton University Trivia Book and share their favorite Princeton University trivia, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

Friday, October 18

10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Fall French Market fundraiser, Mercer Island at the corner of Nassau Street and University Place. Potted mums, fresh floral arrangements, and cut flowers for sale. Proceeds benefit the Garden Club of Princeton to fund ongoing maintenance of the All Wars Memorial Park and Mercer Island.

7 p.m.: American Repertory Ballet performs works by Lar Lubovitch, Ethan Stiefel, Antony Tudor, and an excerpt from Swan Lake , at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Nbpac.org.

7:30 p.m.: Rosanne Cash performs with John Leventhal at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. Mccarter.org.

7:30 p.m .: Westminster Faculty Recital Series: Behind the Music … Stories and Songs, at Gill Chapel, Rider University, Lawrence Township. Compositions by faculty members are performed by Rider University Chorale, Princeton Girlchoir Semi-Tones Ensemble, and faculty. Music is set to poetry. Rider.edu.

8 p.m .: Princeton Folk Music Society presents guitarist Beppe Gambetta at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane. $25 ($20 members). Princetonfolk.org.

8 p.m .: Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical at Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. $26 ($24 for students and children). Kelseytheatre.org.

Saturday, October 19

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more. Wwcfm.org.

10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Fall Family Fun Weekend at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Pick your own apples and pumpkins, go on pony rides, play with tractors, games, mazes, barnyard, and much more. Food and live music by Cold Soil Drifters. $18 in advance; $22 day of the event. Terhuneorchards.com.

10 a.m .: 2024 Green House Tour Video Screening and Panel Discussion, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Three videos featuring sustainable homes that were on the 2024 Green House tour will be screened, followed by a panel discussion with the homeowners and experts in green building. Princetonlibrary.org.

10 a.m .: Join a three-mile walk along the D&R Canal. Meet at Turning Basin Park on Alexander Street. To be notified of cancellations due to weather, visit canalwalkers@googlegroups.com

10 a.m.-12 p.m .: OAKtober Celebration at Marquand Park Children’s Arboretum (rain date October 20). Free oak saplings, cookies and cider, oak scavenger hunt. Marquandpark.org.

and Charlie Dieterich. Meet at Kingston Locktender’s House near 4492 Route 27. Free. Khsnj.org.

2-4 p.m .: International Music Festival at the Center for Modern Aging’s Suzanne Patterson building, 45 Stockton Street. Cellist Aarav Gupta, The Full Monty Uke Band, and the KY3 Showband perform. $10 includes food and drinks. Register at engage. cmaprinceton.org.

2 and 7 p.m .: American Repertory Ballet performs works by Lar Lubovitch, Ethan Stiefel, Antony Tudor, and an excerpt from Swan Lake , at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Nbpac.org.

3 p.m .: Chemistry for Kids, in the STEAM Studio at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Erin Stache of the Princeton University Department of Chemistry holds an interactive workshop and discussion about plastics and recycling. Register at princetonlibrary.org.

6:30-8 p.m .: Transgressing Powers: Dance of Desire, Action and Wisdom, performed by Maya Kulkarni. A mix of Indian and western forms, yoga, and wellness. $30-$35, at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road. Westwindsorarts.org.

7:30 p.m .: WXPN Welcomes Makaya McCraven and SHABAKA to McCarter’s Matthews Theatre, 91 University Place. Contemporary jazz artists. Mccarter.org.

1 p.m.: Meals on Wheels of Mercer County holds “Paws for Our Cause Walk and Family Wellness Fair” at Rosedale Park, Pennington. Mealsonwheels.org.

2 p.m .: The Kingston Historical Society hosts an easy stroll focused on historic structures along the D&R Canal in the Kingston area. Led by Robert von Zumbusch

7:30 p.m .: Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey presents “American Stories: Opening Night,” featuring the Westminster Symphonic Choir, soprano Heather Hill, and baritone Keith Spencer. Conducted by Vinroy D. Brown Jr. and Ruth Ochs. Works by Gershwin, Joan Tower, and Florence Price. At Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, Lafayette Street, Trenton. Capitalphilharmonic.org.

8 p.m .: “The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes,” at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Screening of the film is followed by a discussion with the actor. Stnj.org.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Retrograde: The People’s Joker

Friday 10/18 Lee Thursday 10/24

Picnic at Hanging Rock with PU Art Museum

8 p.m .: The Princeton Symphony Orchestra performs at Richardson Auditorium. Rossen Milanov conducts Beethoven’s Triple Concerto , Michael Abels’ More Seasons , and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Classical Princetonsymphony.org or (609) 497-0020.

8 p.m .: Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical at Kelsey Theatre, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. $26 ($24 for students and children). Kelseytheatre.org.

DK Provisions Private Events and Catering Provides Memorable Dining Opportunities

Dining opportunities expanded in an exciting new direction in 2023 when Chefs Karen Ryfinski and David Kirk combined their skill and experience to open DK Provisions Private Events and Catering. The former sous chefs at elements restaurant wanted to offer something different to area residents.

IT’S NEW To Us

As they explain, “We noticed that there was a need and opportunity for a catering/private event service that strives to break free of the standard mundane and dated catering formula (protein, sauce, starch). While this formula may please the masses, more often than not it lacks imagination, presentation, and gives little consideration to seasonality and the quality of ingredients. In contrast, DK Provisions offers a service that believes in the importance of sourcing high quality and seasonal ingredients and preparing them with modern techniques, playful imagination, and an eye for the aesthetic.

“Our goal is not only to exceed standard catering expectations but to offer a highly curated experience, one which is akin to what one may experience at the highest end restaurants.”

Cooking Journeys

Both chefs began their creative cooking journeys at an early age.

Growing up in Hamilton, Ryfinski carefully watched her mother and grandmother as they prepared the family dishes. “I always loved to cook, and I helped both my mother and grandmother,” she recalls. “The first dish I made was lasagna.”

She began cooking in restaurants in high school, with her first job was at Princeton’s Springdale Golf Club. By then, she knew the kitchen was definitely going to be the focus of her career, and she went on to earn an associate’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America in 2012.

After graduation she was offered an internship at the farm-to-table restaurant Nine Acres in PeapackGladstone, where she spent a year. Moving on to Princeton, Ryfinski then spent six years at elements, serving as pastry chef and ultimately sous chef at the highly respected restaurant.

During the transition time when elements moved to its current Witherspoon Street location, Ryfinski had the opportunity to travel and “stage” at several restaurants on the West Coast in the U.S. and also in Japan, where she staged at a threestarred Michelin restaurant.

As she explains, “Stage or Stagiaire is a French term for a cook who works briefly in another chef’s kitchen without pay in exchange for knowledge and a continued learning experience.”

New Adventure

She returned to elements, staying until 2019, when she embarked on a new adventure, opening her

private chef business, Chef Karen Ryfinski, Inspired Home Cooking.

She began preparing meals for families in the greater Princeton area, and soon had regular weekly clients, who appreciated the expertly prepared dinners. Fresh ingredients, locally sourced when possible, and Ryfinski’s own special recipes were highlights.

“I really enjoy doing this for people,” she says. “I love preparing the different dishes. I’ll first discuss with clients what they have in mind, and based on that consultation, I’ll send sample menus to them. After all this time, many of the clients have become friends. There is a personal relationship.”

Ryfinski offers a wide variety of dishes, including vegetarian, and she can accommodate individual dietary needs.

Sample dishes can include salmon with herbs de Provence and roasted endive and fennel; chicken and white bean stew with spinach and artichoke; lamb shanks Massaman curry with jasmine rice; shrimp with sausage, white beans, and braised kale with cheesy garlic bread; Mexican ground beef, corn and cheese and kidney bean stuffed peppers with enchilada sauce; and pistachio, garlic, and herb-crusted fish with lentils, arugula, and roasted carrot “fries.”

Vegetarian dishes offer red lentil curry with sweet potatoes, almond butter and coconut, with fresh garlic naan; cauliflower, white bean halloumi cheese and pesto flatbread, lentil herb salad; black lime and cracked coriander crusted tofu with wilted spinach and stewed black-eyed peas; and carrot and halloumi falafel with green tahini sauce, steamed quinoa, and toasted cauliflower, among other choices. InternationalFlavored Ryfinski and David Kirk had met at elements restaurant in 2017. He became sous chef in 2021, and remained at the restaurant until 2023, when he and Ryfinski opened DK Provisions.

A Pittsburgh native, he, too, was active in the kitchen from an early age, and he recalls an internationalflavored cuisine at the family dining table.

“As a little boy, I liked to play restaurant with my grandmother,” he remembers. “My family was into gourmet cooking, and we often had Italian and Spanish dishes.”

After graduating from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., he began cooking professionally in 2013. “Actually, it was shucking oysters!” he reports. “It turned out that a college friend said there was an opening at the restaurant where he worked, so I went there. It was onthe-job training, and I liked it right away.”

He worked at other restaurants in Pittsburgh before heading to Princeton in 2017 when he joined the elements staff.

Both his and Ryfinski’s backgrounds and experience are the foundation of DK Provisions, which is becoming a very successful

catering and private event service, explains Kirk. “We specialize in dinner parties, intimate background weddings, holiday parties, and any occasion you want to celebrate, and we are sure to impress your guests.

“I think we are differentiated by the intimate nature of what we do. Our service brings people together, and we are able to help them enjoy themselves. We recently catered a September wedding in Rocky Hill for 90 people in the family’s backyard. It was very successful, with a family-style dinner. The setting was very appealing, with both an informal yet elegant style, and it really brought all the guests together.”

Catering Menu

Both he and Ryfinski are very encouraged. “We are getting a lot of word-ofmouth and new customers,” says Ryfinski. “The clients are telling their friends, and we have a lot of events lined up for upcoming weekends.”

Clients have many choices when it comes to the catering menu, which includes both three-course and fivecourse options, The popular three-course choice offers passed canapés, first course options, entree, and dessert.

A sample three-course menu could include pea and halloumi falafel (green tahini sauce, sumac) and mushroom sticky buns (green garlic and taleggio fondue, black truffle) passed canapés; first course of asparagus and sorrel vichyssoise (sautéed morels and asparagus tips, creme fraiche); entree of chianti BBQ beef short ribs (crispy sunchoke and fava bean hash, spring herb chimichuri); and strawberry and rhubarb crumble (buttermilk ice cream, oats, pecans) for dessert.

A five-course menu may include mushroom rugelach and panisse bites (topped with marinated artichokes and Calabrian chili aioli) passed canapés; first course of sweet pea pannacotta (warm crab, chives, sesame lavash); second course of ricotta and truffle agnolotti; third course of steamed black bass (lemon verbena consommé, baby broccoli, scallion); entree of ribeye (Korean BBQ flavors, grilled pea leaves, jasmine rice); and pistachio cheesecake (roasted rhubarb compote, cardamom, and oat cookie crumble) for dessert.

Many other choices are available for all sizes and types of events.

“When it comes to cuisine and our expertise, no corner of the world is off limits,” re port Ryfinski and Kirk. “As the late Anthony Bourdain taught us, food has the pow er to open our minds and show us we are not all that different from each other.”

Holiday Parties

“Currently, our availabil ity is Thursday-Sunday, and for smaller events these days can be booked with relative short notice of two to four weeks. With a month or more notice, we can book an event for any day of the week. We are happy to book larger and smaller events well in advance. Also, we are now booking holiday parties and events.

PLEASING THE PALATE: “At DK Provisions, we believe the beauty in food lies in its power to bring people together. Sharing a great meal can be a transcendent experience, one in which memories will last a lifetime. That’s why we are passionate about creating unique, flavorful dishes that delight the senses and leave a lasting impression on our clients and their guests. We strive to bring a fresh approach to catering, encouraging clients to try something new by using vibrant, global flavors, prepared with an intimate and curated touch.”

Ryfinski and David Kirk look forward to sharing their expertise to provide inspired

for their clients.

“Our pricing reflects the format of each event, the style of service the client desires, and the staffing re quired to execute the event. Currently our most popular and frequently requested format is our three-course plated menu with three passed canapés.”

Ryfinski and Kirk could not be more pleased with the success of their new venture. They are happy to be helping people on several levels: of course, providing positive dining options; also, offering opportunities to enjoy spending time together, and perhaps even helping clients to break free of some of the world’s worries — at least for that moment in time.

“The kitchen is really the focal point of the house for so many,” they point out. “People always seem to want to gather there, and we are having fun too. You never know what to expect. There can be kids running around, pets too. It can be different in every setting.

“We are looking forward to building the business, but also keeping it within a reasonable size, so that quality is always uppermost. And it is our great pleasure to invite clients to open their eyes to something new. A new dish, a new taste, a new flavor.”

For further information, call (609) 516-5754.

Origins of Halloween Night Hike

October 26, 2024

6 - 8:30 p.m. (Reserve a timeslot)

Join us on a journey through the woods as you will stop to meet the characters in an Irish Folktale that unfolds along the path

While other Halloween programs are designed to frighten, this is designed to educate and enchant Our goal is to make all participants feel comfortable in the outdoors and leave with a feeling of awe and respect for nature while having fun

Since 1987, children have marveled at the adventures of Stingy Jack and the first Jack O Lantern an original drama performed along the trails As each group arrives at the Watershed Center, they meet their trail guide and head out on the trail for an exciting adventure Preregistration is required

Chefs Karen

dining

S ports

Sophomore

Star Sykes Produces from the Back Line

Scoring OT Goal as PU Field Hockey Tops Delaware 2-1

Ottilie Sykes could not complain about playing time last year. If anything, she might have liked a break.

“It was a lot of time,” said Sykes, “but a lot of pressure.”

Last year, in her first season of college field hockey for the Princeton University field hockey team, she played every minute. That’s 1,098 minutes, more than any other Tigers player on a team that was decidedly thin.

“It was quite a crazy statistic,” said Sykes, a Milton, England, native. “I think someone worked out how many minutes I actually played with all the overtimes as well, but that’s not normal. I was really shocked. I was looking over at the bench being like, when will I get subbed? And then I don’t.”

The time playing at center back helped her to adjust, and this year return ready to contribute considerably again while making a few more adjustments. For one, she has moved from center back to her preferred right back spot while freshman Clem Houlden has taken her old position.

“We’ve had new freshmen come in, so obviously we’re juggling around positions and finding where everyone’s best suited,” said Sykes. “I actually prefer playing out

wide, so I get to be more attacking and play more direct from that way and connect more with the forwards from the side rather than from the middle. I think it highlights my attacking play more.”

Sykes also hasn’t been as featured on penalty corners as last year when she was tied for the team lead in points. Beth Yeager, who returned to Princeton after a year off to play on the U.S. Olympic team, has been a focus for the corners, and she’s become a focus of defensive teams. Sykes had only one assist this year until this past weekend when she scored a goal in Princeton’s 4-2 win over Brown on Friday and then tallied the game-winner in the second overtime for a 2-1 victory over Delaware.

“It definitely means a lot,” said Sykes. “I think it’s very different to last year in a good way, but it’s been a long time coming this season. I’ve had my chances, so to get two this weekend and both from corners, it was really great. And to get the game-winning one today obviously meant a lot.”

And lastly, Sykes is being subbed at times. She’s running more in her new position, and is OK getting the occasional break.

“That’s what’s really good about this year is we’ve got the depth on the bench that even being subbed out, it

doesn’t make that much of a difference,” said Sykes. “Everyone can step up and play their role.”

The depth along with the return of Yeager, and Grace Schulze from injury, have helped the Tigers off to a better start than a year ago. No. 16 Princeton is 8-4 overall, 4-0 in the Ivy League heading into a key showdown at defending champion and No. 9 Harvard (10-2 overall, 4-0 Ivy) on Saturday.

“Yes, it’s a big game but I think the focus for us will be just really leaning into the game and having fun,” said Princeton head coach Carla Tagliente. “I think it’s going to be a fun game. I think we’re two very different teams in how we play, but I always think it’s a good match. It’s a fun match and really focusing on more of the competition and the fun of it versus the outcome and the stress of it.”

The game will give the victor the upper hand to host the Ivy League tournament that determines the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but both teams still have two more Ivy games left. Princeton is hungry to take the Ivy title back, but knows that it’s the Ivy tournament that means a bit more for their national hopes. Harvard has been ranked higher and was picked to win the league again.

ﬁrst-place showdown.

“I’m fine being in the seat that we’re in and not having to sit here and defend the throne,” said Tagliente. “I think these guys play better from that seat as well.”

“It adds a lot of deception and makes it harder for teams to scout,” said Sykes. “So it’s exciting for the games to come.”

2. Princeton hopes to take advantage of home field advantage to close out the year on a high note.

Sykes can recall last year’s disappointing ending at the hands of Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. After losing, 4-0, in the regular season to Harvard, the Tigers fell 2-1 on a last-minute goal in the Ivy tournament to end their season.

“Obviously there is that rivalry from last year and there are a lot of the same players, and that being our only game this weekend, I think it’s gonna create like a lot of focus on that game,” said Sykes. “And obviously there’s the revenge aspect to it. I think we showed a lot of improvement from when we played them in-season last year to then playing them again in the tournament. We did come close, but we did fall out to them. But this year, we have new freshmen, we got Beth back and I think it’ll be an exciting game and obviously hopefully all the tactics work out.”

Sykes hasn’t had as many opportunities on corners as a year ago, but she has been efficient with her chances.

“It’s not a matter of her not performing,” said the Tigers coach. “It’s just a matter of Beth has gotten the lion’s share of the calls. Ottilie still had a really good season.”

When teams focus too much on Yeager, Sykes is another great option for Princeton. The Tigers can set up either with their corner plays, and Tagliente envisions giving Sykes more chances down the stretch.

Sykes feels more capable of contributing in the big games to come because she was asked to do so much in her first season.

“It was definitely like a bit of a shock to the system,” said Sykes. “It was obviously very different coming from England and then coming out to the U.S. and playing college. I think it just sort of proved the strength of the of the program to go from losing 10 out of 11 starters to really competing in the Ivy tournament, coming inches close to even getting a bid to the NCAA so I think to build on last year, I think we’re in a really exciting place.”

Princeton is feeling better about how it competed after sweeping the weekend. That hadn’t been happening this year with the Tigers repeatedly splitting their weekends. Before knocking off Brown, they had beat Cornell but then fell at Syracuse. Princeton was worried about the tournament implications of being unable to close out their Sunday games.

“When I’m asking them to respond and dig deep, they really had to today, and they did,” said Tagliente. “So it was great to get the win. I think a double win weekend for us, it’s the first since the Rutgers weekend. So this was important for us.”

The game at Harvard will be Princeton’s last on the road for the regular season. They finish with home games against Maryland on October 25, Dartmouth on October 27 and Yale on November

“There’s obviously that protective aspect,” said Sykes. “We want to protect Bedford Field. I think that mindset is a big advantage for us.

But going away to Harvard, with the rivalry, I think that same mindset is going to stick with us. I think we’ve got so much time to prepare now. It’s fall break with practices and everything. And obviously we played there last year, so it’s familiar ground.”

There are new aspects to Sykes’ role this year, but largely the familiarity and experience gained last year has helped her feel better prepared for anything that she sees. Her first two goals of the season last weekend proved she can still contribute in the scoring column while also providing steady play out of the back of the Princeton defense.

“I think there’s a lot of the confidence aspect,” said Sykes. “Coming in as a freshman and then also being put in that center back position, there was a lot of pressure, but to have the support of the team constantly reassuring me that I am doing a good job. Now I can take that on as a sophomore rather than as a freshman. I can lead from there and take that confidence that I know I can play that position really well and make a positive impact on the team.”

—Justin Feil

OH YES: Princeton University ﬁeld hockey player Ottilie Sykes controls the ball in a 2023 game. Last Sunday, sophomore star Sykes scored the winning goal in the second overtime as Princeton edged Delaware 2-1. Sykes was later named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week. The Tigers, now 8-4 overall and 4-0 Ivy, play at Harvard (10-2 overall, 4-0 Ivy) on October 19 in a league

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Senior Star Bryant Comes Through with Winning Tally

As PU Women’s Soccer Battles to 1-0 Win over Penn

Lily Bryant helped the Princeton University women’s soccer team put the heat on visiting Penn in the first half last Wednesday night at Roberts Stadium.

With Princeton coming off an 8-0 win over Brown on October 5, senior Bryant fired two shots as the Tigers outshot the Quakers 12-2 and built an 8-3 edge in corner kicks in the first 45 minutes of the contest.

But with the rivals locked in a scoreless tie at halftime, Princeton knew it had to be sharper around goal.

“We thought we were playing pretty well,” said senior forward/midfielder Bryant, a 5’6 native of Brookline, Mass. “It was just getting into the 18-yard box and getting ourselves a final chance towards goal. We were struggling with that a little bit. Our main goal was to impose our style of play more on the game.”

In the second half, Bryant imposed her will, blasting the ball past Penn goalie Annabel Austen into the back of the net at the 62:05 mark to give Princeton a 1-0 lead.

“I was in flight or fight mode,” said Bryant. “We saw on the scout that was a place we wanted to exploit on the field. There were openings and it was just about finding the right ball and timing the right run. It kind of all came together on that play.”

The Tigers held on for a 1-0 win as they overcame a scary scene when Princeton senior star and co-captain Heather McNab sustained a head injury on a collision with a Penn player midway through the second half and had to be carted off the field.

“I think was a sign to us that we needed to control this game a little bit better,” said Bryant, reflecting McNab’s injury. “That wasn’t the first head injury of the game so we wanted to make sure that it was the last.”

The return of junior star forward Pietra Tordin, who was in her third game back with the Tigers after helping the U.S. take bronze in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, has helped spark the Tiger offense.

“If she is not scoring goals, she is pulling players out of

positions that open up space for other players,” said Bryant of Tordin, who tallied three goals and an assist in her first three appearances this fall. “Obviously she is exceptionally talented.”

As a two-time All-Ivy League selection, Bryant has brought plenty of talent to the field for Princeton.

“I am just trying to fit into the positions that I am being put in,” said Bryant, who has tallied two goals and two assists this season and now has 10 goals and 16 assists in her Tiger career. “I have played a little bit of midfield, I have played a little bit of outside forward. I am just trying to go out with a bang this season.”

Princeton head coach Sean Driscoll credited Bryant with playing well in the win over Penn.

“Lily has two goals in two games and she has the gamewinning goal in the last two games so I think that is amazing for her,” said Driscoll. “She had a few games without that so I am really happy to see her get rewarded for all of her hard work.”

Driscoll’s acknowledged that Penn made things hard for the Tigers. “It was a game between two good teams, they are much better than their record is,” said Driscoll of Penn, which dropped to 1-7-4 with the loss. “They played really well against Yale last week. Every time we have played them, it has been a tie or one goal game. There is no surprise there, not one part of that game surprised me.”

It has been no surprise to Driscoll that having Tordin back on the field has made a difference for the Tigers

“She is a really talented player with a lot of experience at a high level so every team looks for her and defends her,” said Driscoll of Tordin. “They did a great job of defending her. It took a number of players to focus on her which gave us opportunities in other areas. They basically had a three-back who focused on her. They left their wingbacks to deal with out wide forwards and that is where we got them in transition a few times. But ultimately it took a great goal

to win the game and a little bit of luck.”

Seeing McNab go down was certainly bad luck for the Tigers.

“I think they struggled with their focus, it was really difficult for myself as well,” said Driscoll. “I couldn’t think of anything else nor can I right now. I am going to see her. The most important thing is not the win, it is the kid’s health. She is a trooper. She is our fearless leader, the team rallies around her all of the time. She gives us every bit of her energy.”

Driscoll likes the energy he is seeing from his players this fall at the defensive end.

“I think our defense has played well all season, the biggest thing is that we keep ourselves in games even when we are not performing at the highest level,” said Driscoll, whose team fell 2-1 at Yale last Sunday to move to 6-4 overall and 3-1 Ivy League and hosts Harvard on October 19 before playing at UMBC on October 22.

“We have been a really, really tough team to score on, Tyler [McCamey] and CC (Celia Cerone) in goal and of course the back line in front of them and the overall team mentality defensively. If you keep the game at zero you always have a chance to win. I love the fact that we are defending as well as we are. We defend well in set pieces, we defend well in rhe run of play, we don’t allow a ton of really good chances on goal. I think that if you have that, you have a really good basis to do well.”

Bryant, for her part, believes that the squad’s positive chemistry has also formed part of the basis for its success.

“We have a really, really good thing going for us right now with the unity,” said Bryant. “We really want to work hard for each other. I think it shows on the field. This is the most cohesive group I have ever been a part of. These girls love each other so much, we have good camaraderie. This team is so special, we just want to spend time with each other. It is like nothing I have ever seen before.”

—Bill Alden

TIGER LILY: Princeton University women’s

Princeton Football Gets Outclassed in Loss to No. 7 Mercer, Will Start Ivy Stretch Drive by Hosting Brown Friday Night

With the Princeton University football team trailing No. 7 Mercer 17-0 heading into the second quarter last Saturday, it would appear that the Tiger defense was getting shredded.

But with the undefeated Bears scoring one touchdown on a punt return and another on a fumble recovery in the end zone, the Princeton defense was actually holding the fort.

“We gave up three defensive points in the first half,” said Princeton head coach Bob Surace. “We were better tackling. I thought we played really well defensively.”

Late in the second quarter, an interception by Torian Roberts gave Princeton the ball at the Mercer 33-yard line. The Tigers cashed in the turnover as Ethan Clark scored on a one-yard touchdown run to help Princeton draw to within 17-7 at halftime.

Surace believed that the Tigers were in decent shape at that point despite the rocky start.

“They are a very aggressive defense, they are No. 1 in almost every category,” said Surace. “I thought we had a really good plan, we blocked well.”

But that best-laid plan went awry as Mercer, now 6-0, pulled away to a 34-7 win before a crowd of 8,881 at Five Star Stadium in Macon, Ga. as the Tigers fell to 1-3.

While Princeton did get into Mercer territory in the second half, the offense misfired as quarterback Blaine Hipa threw three interceptions and took some key sacks over the last two quarters.

“We had 14 drives on offense which is a lot,” said Surace, whose team lost two fumbles and had four interceptions on the day as it was outgained 376 yards to 196 by the Bears. “We had nine of them where we were in points territory where we should have a field goal or be in the red zone. We missed opportunities. We had two sacks on one, we had interception on one, we had an interception on another, we had a sack on another and we had a drop on two of them. You can’t have nine scoring opportunities against that defense and only come away with seven points. Against that defense, you have to come up with at least 24 points.”

The play of sophomore running back Clark was a bright spot for the Tigers in the second half as he rushed for a career-high 117 yards on 21 carries.

“Ethan ran great, he is a such a tough runner,” said Surace of the 6’1, 215-pound native of Clarkston, Mich., who had rushed for a total of 37 yards in his career coming into Saturday.

“He just ran really hard, he has good vision. I think starting running backs are averaging about 18 yards a game against them and he had 117 so we did well with that.”

Putting the Mercer loss in the rear-view mirror, Surace is focused on the Ivy stretch drive which starts when Princeton hosts Brown this Friday night.

“I break the year up into four quadrants; the first one is when the season ends. and that is the offseason that goes until May,” said Surace.“The next season is the preseason which starts in June. Even though we are not coaching them in June, that is when they are working out with each other and prepping. It goes until about 10 days before the opener and then you have the first four, Columbia and the three non-conference games. You are looking to grow, of course you want to win. Then you have got your championship season, the last six weeks. The team that wins the title has to win at least five. If you lose the opener, you may have to win all six that way. You hope you have grown.”

Despite the 1-3 record, Surace is seeing some positive growth.

“There are areas where we are growing in a good way,” said Surace. “We are running the ball. That is a very good offense and they went 2-for-12 on third downs. We really grew in that area and got off the field constantly. I thought our pass rush was much better. We got them out of rhythm.”

But looking ahead to the Ivy gauntlet, Surace acknowledged that Princeton has to find a rhythm.

“We are going to play all good teams down the stretch,” said Surace. “This team was maybe at a little different level. It wasn’t like they were head and shoulders better than Columbia (who defeated Princeton 3417 on October 5) but they were at a different level. We have got to finish drives with more consistency with all 11 guys. It is a little thing here, a little thing there. Against that caliber of an opponent you can’t do that because the margin is so narrow.”

The Tigers will be facing a tough opponent this Friday in a Brown (2-2 overall, 1-0 Ivy) squad that is coached by former Princeton offensive coordinator James Perry.

“James has done such a great job, it shows how much it takes time,” said Surace. “He has had good quarterback play since he got there. Jake Wilcox is tremendous. They have good wide receiver play too. Where they have improved is that they are really good up front. Our former O-line coach Eddy Morrissey is back there and he

is doing a great job up front with them. Their front seven is physical, they are playing really well on defense. It is going to be a different style. They are more wide open on offense but they do run the ball, they are running the ball well. They are really physical on defense.”

Surace is hoping that having some reinforcements back on the field will help the Tigers get on the winning track.

“We lost our depth with injuries but most of those guys are coming back,” said Surace. “I think there will be eight of them back this week and depending on some health things, maybe 10 or 12. That will settle down some of the errors.”

—Bill Alden

BREAKING THROUGH: Princeton University running back Ethan Clark (No. 21) bursts through the line in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, sophomore Clark rushed for a career-high 117 yards in a losing cause as Princeton fell 34-7 at No. 7 Mercer. Clark came into the game having rushed for a total of 37 yards in his college career. The Tigers, now 1-3 overall and 0-1 Ivy League, host Brown (2-2 overall, 1-0 Ivy) this Friday night as they head into the league stretch drive.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PU Sports Roundup

PU Women’s Volleyball Defeats Dartmouth

Kamryn Chaney starred as the Princeton University women’s volleyball team defeated Dartmouth 3-1 last Saturday.

Sophomore standout Chaney contributed a match-high 17 kills along with eight digs and two service aces to help the Tigers prevail 25-23, 25-23, 1625, 25-17. The victory completed a weekend sweep for Princeton as it had defeated Harvard 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 27-25) on Friday.

The Tigers, now 6-9 overall and 4-2 Ivy League, play at Columbia on October 18 and at Cornell on October 19.

Tiger Men’s Water Polo Splits with UCLA, Westcliff

It was a split decision for the No. 10 Princeton University men’s water polo team last Sunday as it opened a California swing in Los Angeles, losing 10-8 to No. 2 UCLA and then defeating Westcliff 19-10.

Senior star Roko Pozaric paced the Tiger offense on the day, tallying two goals in the loss to the Bruins and then scoring three goals against the Warriors.

Princeton, who moved to 14-6, plays at USC on October 16, at Paciﬁc on October 18, and at Cal on October 20.

Princeton Men’s Golf Places 6th at Hamptons Event Riccardo Fantinelli led the way as the Princeton

University men’s golf team placed sixth at the Hamptons Invitational at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, N.Y.

Junior Fantinelli tied for ninth individually, carding an even par 216 for the three-round event that took place from October 7-8.

In the team standings, Princeton had a total score of a +23 887 in taking sixth in the event won by Ole Miss at -25 838.

The Tigers are next in action when they compete in the Georgetown Invitational from October 14-15 at the Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield.

Princeton Women’s Rugby Falls 24-19 to Navy

A late rally fell just short as the Princeton University women’s rugby team lost 2419 to Navy last Saturday in Annapolis, Md.

Trailing 19-0 at halftime, Princeton got tries from Celia Watson, Amelia Clarke, and Malinka Kwemo in the second half as the Tigers drew to within 19-12 at one point.

Princeton, now 1-5, plays at Mount St. Mary’s on October 26.

Princeton Men’s Hoops Picked 1st in Ivy Poll

The Princeton University men’s basketball team was voted No. 1 in the Ivy League Preseason Poll which was released last week.

The reigning Ivy champs, Princeton returns both of its first team All-Ivy selections from last season in junior stars, Caden Pierce, the 2024 Ivy Player of the Year, and Xaivian Lee. Princeton received 15 first place votes and 127 points. Yale was

picked second at 108 points, Brown was selected third with Cornell at fourth, Columbia at fifth, Harvard at sixth, Penn at seventh, and Dartmouth at eighth.

The Tigers, who have won three straight Ivy League titles and four out of the past seven, will be opening their 2024-25 season by hosting Iona on November 4.

Tiger Women’s Hoops Voted 1st in Ivy Poll

The Princeton University women’s basketball team was selected No. 1 in the Ivy League Preseason Poll, the league announced last week.

The Tigers earned 122 points in the poll with 10 of the 16 first place votes. Columbia was second with 110 points and five first place votes while Harvard was third with 101 points and one first place tally. Penn was fourth (75) followed by Brown (71), Yale (48), Cornell (30) and Dartmouth (19).

Princeton enters the year fresh off a 2023-24 campaign that saw it go 25-5 overall and 13-1 Ivy as the Tigers captured their sixth straight regular season league title. Returning for the Tigers is junior star guard Madison St. Rose, the 2023 Ivy Rookie of the Year, along with sophomores Skye Belker and Ashley Chea.

Princeton gets its 202425 season underway when it plays at Duquesne on November 4. After a game at DePaul on November 9, the Tigers will host Villanova on November 13 in their home opener.

With PU Women’s Hockey Boasting Plenty of Depth, Tigers Primed for Opening Weekend at Robert Morris

The Princeton University women’s hockey team will feel a void this winter with the graduation of superstar forward Sarah Fillier, an Olympic gold medalist with Canada’s women’s national squad and the fourth alltime scorer in program history (194 points on 93 goals and 101 assists).

But the exit of Fillier will open things up for the Tiger veterans and newcomers.

“It is always a doubleedged sword when you have such a talented player,” said Princeton head coach Cara Morey, who guided the Tigers to a 14-12-6 record last winter. “People tend to defer a lot to her on and off the ice and now there is no one to defer to so they have all elevated their game.”

A quintet of junior forwards — Izzy Wunder (8 goals, 27 assists in 202324), Emerson O’Leary (7 goals, 25 assists), Jane Kuehl (7 goals, 7 assists), Katharine Khramstov (2 goals, 5 assists) and Sarah Paul (16 goals, 7 assists) — are bringing a lot of game to the ice this winter.

“They all look really good, that class is loaded,” said Morey, whose team opens its 2024-25 campaign by playing at Robert Morris (3-3) on October 18 and 19. “Izzy, Emerson, and Jane are playing together right now. KK is a really talented, high end offensive skill kid. Sarah is playing with two freshmen

right now, Mac Alexander who is on the development team for Team Canada and Angelina DiGirolamo. They look really good.”

In addition to the corps of juniors, senior captain Mia Coene (1 goal, 3 assists) should also provide some offensive production. “Mia looks really good,” added Morey. “She just works her butt off all of the time and she is being a great leader off the ice. She is a big part of our puzzle.”

The pair of sophomore Gabby Kim (3 goals, 10 assists) and senior Dominique Cormier (8 assists) will play a big role on defense along with sophomore Maggie Johnson (2 goals, 3 assists) and freshmen Rosie Klein and Brooklyn Nimegeers.

“Gabby looks very good and Dom looks really good,” said Morey. “Maggie also looks good. Both of our freshmen, Rosie and Brooklyn, look really good. Rosie really is impressing us right off the bat. She is just really mobile, really smart, and has a really great shot.”

At goalie, the Tigers boast three battle-tested veterans in sophomore Uma Corniea (2.30 goals against average and .909 save percentage in 2023-24), senior Jennifer Olnowich (2.27 goals against average .914 save percentage), and junior Taylor Hyland (2.75 goals against average, .875 save percentage).

With Corniea currently sidelined, Olnowich and Hyland have been splitting time between the pipes.

“Jen and Taylor both look really good right now,” said Morey. “We will have to see how the Friday night game with RMU goes and we will make a decision after that for the next day. It is probably going to be a day-to-day thing.”

In Morey’s view, having talent all over the ice should help things go well for the Tigers this winter.

“I think the key is that we play a certain style, it is fast and aggressive,” said Morey. “It is having everyone buying into that hard way of playing hockey. I think the bonus is going to be that you are going to see offense out of all three lines with time for our fourth line. The depth is there this year. You are not just going to be watching for one line and then a big drop off. We have many forwards, many defenders, and many goalies that are ready to go. You are going to see a lot of different names this year.”

Looking ahead to opening weekend, Morey believes that being on the road should be a good bonding experience for her squad.

“It is always tricky when they are going to be in their seventh game and this going to be our first,” said Morey. “I think it is fun to start with a road trip to get the team away from everything and get them into the hockey mindset with nothing else around them.”

— Bill Alden

DRAWING A CROWD: Princeton University men’s soccer player Kevin Kelley, center, battles through three foes in recent action. Last Saturday, Kelley and the Tigers got stymied as they fell 1-0 to Cornell. Princeton, who moved to 5-4 overall and 2-1 Ivy League with the loss, plays at Columbia on October 19 and at Fordham on October 22.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

FULL SPEED AHEAD: Princeton University women’s hockey player Emerson O’Leary races up the ice in a game last season. Junior forward O’Leary ﬁgures to be an offensive catalyst for the Tigers this season. Princeton opens up its 2024-25 campaign by playing at Robert Morris on October 18 and 19.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With Decker Providing Clutch Play at 2nd Singles, PHS

Girls’ Tennis Advances to Sectional Final

Phoebe Decker fell 6-4

in the first set of her match at second singles for the Princeton High girls’ tennis team as it hosted Summit last week in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North 2 Group 3 sectional.

But learning that both PHS doubles teams had won their matches, Decker raised the level of her game knowing that if she came through with a victory at second singles, the fourthseeded Tigers would defeat fifth-seeded Summit and advance to the sectional semis.

“I was trying to keep my momentum and stay positive,” said sophomore Decker. “In the first set, I got a little down on myself. In the second set, I just zoned into the match. I knew two doubles matches have won so I knew it is going to come down to me so I need to focus and turn on my game.”

Decker turned it on, winning the second set 6-2 against Hannah Shirazi, forcing a 10-point match tiebreaker.

“I did try to move her around the court a lot,” said Decker. “She brought me up to the net a lot so I just had to focus on my volleys and overheads. My forehand and backhand on the baseline and my serve was very consistent today.”

In the decisive match tiebreaker, Decker jumped out to a 8-2 lead on the way to winning 10-3.

“I did have some anxiety but I just think of it as a normal game,” said Decker.

“It is technically like two games, we do a lot of tiebreaks in practice. I just played the points.”

Clinching the 3-2 win for the Tigers meant a lot to Decker.

“It feels good, knowing that we are going further in states and doing well in the tournament,” said Decker.

PHS kept going in the tourney, defeating top-seeded Ridge 3-2 in the sectional semis last Thursday. The Tigers were slated to play at second-seeded WW/PNorth in the sectional final on October 15 with the victor advancing to the Group 3 state semis on October 17 at Mercer County Park.

In reflecting on the sectional run by PHS, Decker points to the team’s upbeat mentality as a key factor in its success.

“When anyone wins a match, everyone is happy,” said Decker. “Even when we lose, everybody has a positive attitude. Winning for the team means a lot because I care about the team a lot.”

Showing her commitment to the team, Decker has remained positive as she has played at second singles this year after starting her career at first singles as a freshman.

“It was frustrating at first, knowing that I came from first singles,” said Decker. “But knowing that it is the correct lineup makes me

more firm that this is OK. I am still getting good matches. I am still on the varsity team which is a pretty good thing.”

Decker has continued to improve her game in her new spot.

“I think it is just staying consistent, I have had positive match results,” said Decker. “I don’t know if my game has changed entirely. I am definitely trying to stay more positive in matches and not be too down on myself.”

PHS head coach Sarah Hibbert knew her squad was in for a tight match against Summit.

“I was expecting a battle. On paper, it is four against five, we are both ranked in the top 20, we haven’t had any common opponents,” said Hibbert. “You look at their singles, they had three solid singles players. I know we have two solid doubles teams. I was expecting us to take the doubles points and then we had to pick up one of the singles. That was the game plan.”

Hibbert liked the way Decker battled in pulling out her singles match.

“Phoebe started off really strong and then let a couple of games get away from her and you could see on her face that she was getting frustrated with a couple of different things out there,” said Hibbert. “I told her at the end of the first set to ‘throw it in the garbage can. It never happened,

Ted Chiang

junior Ashna Bushan as they rolled to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Molly Feldman and Callie Shroff.

start fresh now, go out and get yourself in a good mental zone and play your best tennis.’ She started the second set really well. She got out to a good lead and then she was able to hold on to it. She came back after the set, saying ‘I feel good about it.’ I said, ‘great, keep that momentum and just keep going, I am not going to say anything about else to you.’ It was great, she really carried the momentum from the set and was able to clinch that for us, that was great.”

The Tigers got some great play, as usual, from its first doubles pair of senior Maya-Alexandra Todorov and

“We can count on them to win matches for us,” said Hibbert of the team who posted a straight-set win in the victory over Ridge. “Today, they played really well, straight sets. One of the spectators was saying, ‘They made hardly any unforced errors. They play well together and they were a steady point for us today.’”

The second doubles team of senior Lada Labas and sophomore Sophia Bruhn is developing into a steady point for the Tigers as well.

“They have been working really well together, they have been setting each other up well,” said Hibbert of the pair who earned straight-set wins against both Summit and Ridge. “At the beginning, it was just making sure that we were keeping our unforced errors under control because we were making a couple of mistakes at the start. They were able to turn that around really well.”

Looking ahead to the Ridge match, Hibbert was cautiously optimistic.

Pianist and Advocate for Change

IGOR LEVIT Piano with DEBORAH AMOS Moderator

“We are in a very tough section this year,” said Hibbert, whose team topped WW/P-South 4-1 in a regular season match last Friday to improve to 9-1. “Ridge is one of the top teams in the state. They have real strong singles players, but so do we. We have the strength and depth in our doubles. I hope we can put our best showing, let the chips fall where they may and hopefully compete well with them and maybe move on to a final.”

In Decker’s view, the win over Summit showed that PHS can compete with anybody.

“A lot of the players were really good, so it is good that we came through with a win,” said Decker. “It is knowing that we can play hard and play against these better players.”

— Bill Alden

Related Events:

• Recital on Wed, Oct 30

• Documentary Screening at the Princeton Garden Theatre on Sat, Nov 2

TOWN TOPICS is printed entirely on recycled paper.

ON DECK: Princeton High girls’ tennis player Phoebe Decker hits a backhand last week as fourthseeded PHS edged fifth seeded Summit 3-2 in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North 2 Group 3 sectional. Sophomore Decker posted a 4-6, 6-2, 10-3 (match tiebreak) victory at second singles to clinch the win for PHS. The Tigers, who defeated top-seeded Ridge 3-2 in the sectional semis last Thursday, were slated to play at second-seeded WW/P-North in the final

October 15 with the victor advancing to the Group 3 state semis on October 17 at Mercer County Park.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hinds Displays Skill Set with TD Catch, Interception But It

Isn’t Enough as PHS Football Falls to Nottingham

As the Princeton High football team played at Nottingham last Saturday afternoon, Ellington Hinds spent much of the second half lying prone on the sideline stretching out a sore back and ended the day with cotton stuffed in his left nostril to staunch a bloody nose.

But when junior star receiver/defensive back Hinds was on the field he hurt Nottingham, making a key interception at the end of the first half and racing to the end zone on a 39-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter as PHS battled to overcome an early 14-0 deficit.

In the end, Hinds’ heroics weren’t enough as the Tigers, who drew to within 21-14 on Hinds’ TD, fell 28-14 to the Northstars in dropping to 3-4.

Hinds was proud of how the Tigers clawed back after digging the early hole.

“I believe this team showed incredible heart to fight back,” said Hinds.

A second quarter interception by junior defensive lineman Zyair Mackey-Wright, followed by a 74-yard scoring march that culminated on a one-yard quarterback plunge by Travis Petrone as the Tigers drew to within 14-6 with 1:06 left in the half, changed the tone of the contest.

“That was the momentum that we needed to come back,” said Hinds. “I felt like we were back in the game. We missed an extra point and that stalled the momentum.”

In the waning seconds of the quarter, Hinds made a leaping interception to stymie the Northstars.

“I think that changed the mood going into halftime because we were kind of defeated,” said Hinds, who hit the ground hard on the pick, getting the wind knocked out of him and tweaking his back in the process. “When we got into halftime, we talked it over. We came out strong after halftime.”

After Nottingham pushed its lead to 21-6 in the third quarter, Hinds changed the mood again, snagging a Travis Petrone pass on a slant pattern and sprinting untouched into the end zone.

“That was a great pass from our quarterback Travis,” said Hinds. “I led the cornerback a little downfield, I knew he was the backup corner. I caught it and there was nobody there and I scored.”

In the fourth quarter, PHS got into Nottingham territory but the drive stalled and Nottingham responded with a long touchdown run to go up 28-14 and close the deal.

While the loss stung, Hinds feels that PHS, which brought a two-game winning streak into the contest, can be competitive down the homestretch.

“I feel like we could beat anyone in the conference,” said Hinds. “We just have to tighten up. We had some offsides, we had some drops. If we tighten all of that up, it is a totally different game. We had a drop at the 30yard line before halftime, we had some offsides and we let them down the field on their first drive. When we clean up everything, I think we will be unstoppable.”

Hinds has been unstoppable at times this year, making 23 catches for 319 yards and three touchdowns and scoring TDs on interception and fumble returns. For Hinds, his all-round excellence this fall has been a product of enjoying the game.

“Last year I really struggled with putting everything on me, trying to be a superstar,” said Hinds, who attended football camps at the University of Massachusetts and Syracuse over the summer to hone his skills. “This year I am just literally playing and having fun. I am letting the game come to me, I am not trying to force anything.”

Hinds is having fun playing with younger brother, sophomore receiver/defensive back Langston

“Obviously that is an amazing experience, who doesn’t want to play with their little brother,” said Hinds. “He got an interception today. I try to help him as much as possible.”

PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher liked the way his players rallied against Nottingham but he acknowledged that they need to play sharper football.

“The idea of resilience is embedded in our football

program which is excellent,” said Gallagher. “The guys are giving great effort even in the face of sometimes tremendous adversity. We just need to clean up some things execution-wise. I can’t fault anybody here for not giving everything that they have got but what I said to them was we need both. You need amazing effort and you need amazing execution. We need to be better that way.”

The Tigers did get an amazing play from Mackey-Wright as he snared his interception.

“It was a phenomenal play, it is good because he needs to get some accolades,” said Gallagher. “He is doing a great job, putting great pressure on. I nominate him every week for our chapter awards. He doesn’t have the stats. He is not on the radar yet and he deserves to be on the radar.”

The multi-talented Hinds is certainly on the radar. “We know he is one of our better players, he comes to play every week,” said Gallagher. “He was a little under the weather this week, he was sick. He said don’t worry I will be ready and he was ready. They started doubling him up a little which is what you would want to do with a player like that. He did a good job. He is one of our go-to guys. He is a talented player. We are leaning on him, which is great.”

The Tigers have started to lean on some other players as well.

“We need some other guys to step up and they have started to,” said Gallagher. “Guys like Andrew Foreman, Carmine Carusone, Zach Nelson, and Langston, these are all kids who are young guys who are getting invaluable experience. We are excited for those guys.”

With PHS hosting Trenton (4-3) this Friday evening in its annual Homecoming contest under the lights, Gallagher is excited for the matchup.

“Homecoming is great for the fans; for us, it is an opportunity to get another step

lost 28-14 to the Northstars. The Tigers, now 3-4, host Trenton Central (4-3) this Friday evening in their annual Homecoming contest under the lights.

closer to trying to win a division or at least tie for a division,” said Gallagher, whose team is 2-1 in West Jersey Football League (WJFL) Valley Division play.

“We are still in the race for the division. The coach over there, [Chris] Franco is a buddy of mine, we used to coach together. I know he is an excellent coach. They have had some nice wins so that will be a good game. I know they will be ready for us. It is a great environment. Our administration really does a great job of putting on something really special.”

primed for a special night against the Tornadoes.

“It is Homecoming, it will be energized,” said Hinds. “Everybody is going to be hyped, it is going to be a good game. We want to come out on top.”

—Bill Alden

Hinds, for his part, is

HINDS PLAZA: Princeton High football player Ellington Hinds heads upfield against Nottingham last Saturday. Junior star receiver/defensive back Hinds made four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown and had an interception in the game but it wasn’t enough as PHS

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Kalra Battles Through Illness to Win at First Singles

As PDS Girls’ Tennis Makes Non-Public South Final

Earlier this month, Arya Kalra wasn’t sure if she would be well enough to compete for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South state tournament.

“This past week, I got really, really sick; I was out that whole last week,” said senior Kalra. “When we started states, I wasn’t playing a lot. I still wanted to play in their state tournament.”

Kalra did make it to the court for a second round contest against seventhseeded Ranney School on October 8, but labored in her match at first singles against

Annabel Sparano, falling 6-3, 6-2.

Last Thursday, against third-seeded Donovan Catholic in the semifinal round, Kalra, still coughing and sniffling, got into a groove, posting a 6-0, 6-1 win over Stephanie Stulich.

“I think it was just consistency and getting the ball back,” said Kalra, reflecting on her performance. “My main strategy was to hit to her backhand and get her running to the net and back from the net. I was playing aggressive.”

Kalra’s performance helped set the tone for PDS as the Panthers rolled to a 5-0 win over the Griffins to

improve to 8-4. PDS was slated to host 16th-seeded Rutgers Prep in the final on October 15 with the victor advancing to the Non-Public state final on October 17 at Mercer County Park.

In Kalra’s view, making the sectional final is a special achievement for the squad.

“It is a really big deal for us, especially because a lot of our players last year left,” said Kalra. “We have gotten a lot of new players, especially for second doubles. We have had to introduce new partnerships so it has been really big deal getting the bond with the players. It has really worked out.”

Over the offseason, Kalra worked hard to improve her game.

“I think I have improved a lot since last year, I played a lot this summer,” said Kalra. “It was just a lot of training

Rider Furniture

to prepare. Last year, I struggled a lot of my matches. I was at first singles and I was put against players that were a lot better than me. It really opened my eyes as to what I needed to work on. I worked a lot this summer on technique and aggressive playing. I also did conditioning so I think I was prepared for this year.”

As a result, Kalra has been more competitive at first singles this fall.

“I think it is exciting because I like playing people that are better than me,” said Kalra. “It is fun, there is nothing to lose. It is just fun to see how well I can do against them.”

PDS head coach Michael Augsberger credited Kalra with showing a lot of grit in willing herself to get back on the court for the state tourney.

today and tried to shorten the points a bit and it worked. She was coming to the net. I could tell that she was hitting with a lot more power than usual.”

At second singles, freshman Arundhati Prabhu produced a powerful performance, topping Emma Cookson 6-3, 6-3.

“She served first serve really well, 60 percent on first serves and won 57 percent of her first serve points,” said Augsberger. “For her, it was about limiting the forehand errors today. Emma is a defensive player, she gets everything back. You are not going to hit it past her. Arundhati was kind of pulling the trigger a little early and at first was content to play a little defensive tennis. Then she started to play more offense and took the right risks.”

and a freshman fill-in Devaki Nanavati as the posted a 6-0, 6-2 win over Annmarie Bologna-Zajda and Bree Nelson.

“We had a substitute for second doubles with Devaki,” said Augsberger. “She was playing with Shuchi who is the leader in that group. They played really consistent tennis today. I wasn’t worried about Devaki at all in terms of being nervous. She has shown that she is an outstanding doubles player. This is her third or fourth match this season.. Her style of game is suited for doubles, she is a great volleyer.”

Looking ahead to the sectional final, Augsberger knows that it will be a challenge even though Rutgers Prep is seeded 16th and has a 6-7 record.

“Where quality still matters.” 4621 Route 27 Kingston, NJ 609-924-0147

riderfurniture.com

Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5

“I am really proud of the girls and they are super excited,” said Augsberger. “I think the one we are most proud of is Arya because of her battling through the illness that she had last week. We brought her back to see how she would feel in Tuesday’s match. She battled through that. She had tightness in her chest and was really spent afterwards. I could tell that it was affecting her play. I asked her what should we do about today and she was fully a game time decision. We spoke with her parents, we spoke with the trainer.”

Kalra did make some some tactical adjustments to work around her illness.

“From Tuesday, she also realized that she didn’t have the fitness to play long points,” said Augsberger. “She went for a little more

At first doubles, senior Kavita Amin and sophomore Zarna Kalra played some very good tennis in cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 win.

“Kavita and Zarna played in the individual state tournament and they did well against Holy Angels which is now in the quarterfinals,” said Augsberger. “Their best match of the season was just recently where they played super aggressive. We have been trying to get them to have the doubles mentality of getting both girls to the net and having a lot of movement, a lot of agility at the net going for balls. It is being forward in your play and not so much from the baseline. They finally started to show that and they are playing better than ever.”

“They have proven that the record is not really relevant, it is just about matchups,” said Augsberger, noting that the Panthers defeated Rutgers Prep 4-1 in the NonPublic South quarters last year. “They beat Trinity Hall in the first round. They lost to some really good teams this season. They are like the Mets, they are coming in super-hot at the end of the season. They are the lower seeded team but they are not a 16 seed. I told my girls to block that stuff out because it is totally meaningless.”

In Kalra’s view, the Panthers have come together well as the season has unfolded.

At second doubles, PFDS didn’t miss a beat with sophomore regular Shuchi Vanga

“The team has a really strong connection this year,” said Kalra. “I think that helps with team chemistry and cheering each other on and motivating each other.”

—Bill Alden

NO BACKING DOWN: Princeton Day School girls’ tennis player Arya Kalra smacks a backhand in recent action. Last Thursday, senior Kalra battled through illness to post a 6-0, 6-1 win at first singles to help second-seeded PDS defeat third-seeded Donavan Catholic 5-0 in the semifinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South sectional. The Panthers, who improved to 8-4 with the win, were slated to host 16th-seeded Rutgers Prep in the final on October 15 with the victor advancing to the Non-Public state final on October 17 at Mercer County Park.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hun

Football : Suffering its first loss of the season, Hun fell 37-6 to St. Frances (Md.) last Friday afternoon.

Bryce Kania made six receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown in the defeat as the Raiders dropped to 6-1. Hun hosts the Hill School (Pa.) on October 19.

Field Hockey : Coming up short in a nail-biter, Hun got edged 2-1 by Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) last Wednesday. The Raiders, who moved to 7-5 with the loss, host the Hill School (Pa.) on October 19.

Boys’ Soccer : Luciano Verduci scored the lone goal for Hun as it edged Steinert 1-0 last Thursday. The Raiders, who fell 5-0 to St. Benedict’s last Monday to move to 9-2-2, host the Hill School (Pa.) on October 19 and Lenape on October 22.

Girls’ Soccer: Fighting hard in a defensive battle, Hun tied the George School (Pa.) 0-0 last Monday to move to 1-7-4. The Raiders will start play in the Prep A state tournament on October 16 where seventhseeded Hun is playing at second-seeded Pennington in the quarterfinal round. The Raiders will then host the Hill School (Pa.) on October 18 in a regular season contest.

Lawrenceville

Football: Jacob Zamot triggered the offense as Lawrenceville defeated the Peddie School 28-13 last Friday. Quarterback Zamot completed 17-of-26 passes

for 285 yards and two touchdowns for the Big Red, now 3-2. Lawrenceville plays at the Kent School (Conn.) on October 19.

Field Hockey : Lily Chincarini starred in a losing cause as Lawrenceville fell 5-2 to Agnes Irwin (Pa.) last Thursday. Chincarini tallied a goal and an assist as the Big Red moved to 4-51. Lawrenceville hosts the Pennington School on October 18, plays at the Peddie School on October 19, and then hosts Point Pleasant Boro on October 21.

(CVC) Championships on October 19.

Boys’ Cross Country : Grayson McLaughlin and Edward Letko were at the front of the pack for PDS as it placed fifth in the Cross Country Fall Classic last Friday at Thompson Park in Jamesburg. Junior McLaughlin placed fifth individually, posting a time of 17:16.60 over the 5,000-meter course with freshman Letko coming in seventh at 17:20.00. The Panthers had a team score of 157 in the event won by Princeton High at 40.

Pennington PHS PDS

Field Hockey : Lili Fink and Sammy Dandy scored the goals for sixth-seeded PDS as it fell 7-2 to thirdseeded Hopewell Valley last Monday in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Championships. The Panthers, who moved to 5-8, play at Pennington on October 22.

Boys’ Soccer : Keegan Fullman starred as PDS defeated Trenton Central 3-2 last Thursday. Sophomore Fullman scored two goals for the Panthers, now 4-7. PDS plays at WW/P-North on October 17 and is also slated to start play in the Prep state tournament and the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Championships on October 19.

Girls’ Soccer : Ava Szalabofka scored two goals as PDS routed Trenton Central 6-0. last Thursday. Anna Gautam, Mackenzie Brodel, Sophia Vriesendorp, and Lila McDonald chipped in one goal apiece as the Panthers improved to 6-51. PDS hosts WW/P-North on October 17 and also slated to start play in the Colonial Valley Conference

Football : Coming up short in a tight contest, Pennington lost 19-14 to Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) last Thursday. The Red Hawks, who moved to 4-3 with the defeat, play at Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) on October 19.

Boys’ Soccer : Sparked by Elvis Appiah, Pennington defeated the Peddie School 6-1 last Thursday. Appiah tallied two goals and one assist for the Red Hawks, now 9-1. Pennington plays at Westtown School (Pa.) on October 18 before hosting St. Thomas Aquinas on October 22.

Girls’ Soccer : Sara Chrnelich led the way as Pennington topped Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) 2-0 last week. Chrnelich scored both goals in the October 8 contest as the Red Hawks improved to 8-2.

Second-seeded Pennington hosts the seventh-seeded Hun School on October 16 in the quarterfinal round of the Prep A state tournament and then hosts Lawrenceville School on October 21 in a regular season contest.

Boys’ Soccer: Azariah Breitman and Archie Smith triggered the offense as PHS defeated Nottingham 3-0 last Thursday. Breitman tallied two goals and one assist while Smith contributed one goal and one assist for the Tigers as they moved to 8-2-3. PHS plays at Hamilton West on October 17 before starting play in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Championships on October 19.

Girls’ Soccer : Taylor Hamerschlag scored the lone goal for PHS as it edged Nottingham 1-0 last Thursday. The Tigers, who improved to 2-8-2 with the victory, host Hamilton West on October 17 before starting play in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Championships on October 19.

Girls’ Volleyball: Naomi Lygas led the way as PHS defeated Washington Township 2-0 (25-13, 25-13) last Monday. Junior star Lygas had 12 kills and six digs to help the Tigers improve to 15-1. PHS plays at Old Bridge on October 17, hosts Williamstown on October 19 and plays at Kingsway on October 21.

Boys’ Cross Country : Finn Wedmid and Felix Farrugia set the pace as PHS finished first in the Boys Varsity race at the Cross Country Fall Classic last Friday at Thompson Park in Jamesburg. Sophomore Wedmid placed second individually, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 17:00.10 while senior Farrugia was just behind in third at 17:00.50. PHS had a winning score of 40 with South Plainfield taking second in 98.

Girls’ Cross Country: Kajol Karra led the way as PHS placed fourth in the Eastern States Championship at the Manhattan College Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y. Junior Karra placed 23rd individually, covering the 2.5 mile course in 15:34.30. Junior Grace Hegedus was the next finisher for the Tigers, taking 28th in 15:41.70. PHS had a team score of 134 in the event won by Bethlehem Central (N.Y.) at 24.

Stuart

Dillon Hoops League Accepting Registrations

The Princeton Recreation Department is now taking registrations for the 2025 Dillon Youth Basketball League.

The Dillon Youth Basketball League is entering its 53rd season and is a cherished tradition in the Princeton community. The league consists of both games and practices. It is open to boys and girls in grades 3-8 who are Princeton residents and non-residents who attend school in Princeton.

The league’s games will be taking place from January 2025-March 2025 and will be held Saturday mornings at local schools. A recreational league intended for players of all skill and experience levels, “Dillon Basketball” is about playing the game the right way, teamwork, and having fun.

To register, log onto register.communitypass.net/ princeton under “2025 Winter Sports Programs.” Registration is open until January 3, or until divisions are at capacity. More information can be found online at princetonrecreation.com.

PWC, Princeton Rec Department Holding Wrestling Clinic Oct. 19

The Princeton Wrestling Club (PWC) and the Princeton Recreation Department are offering a free youth wrestling clinic on October 19 at the Princeton Middle School gym from 10-11:30 a.m.

The clinic is open to Princeton residents in grades K-8. It is a developmental program designed to introduce boys and girls to the basic fundamentals of wrestling. Princeton University wrestling assistant coach Nate Jackson, a two-time AllAmerican for Indiana University, will be running the program

Princeton Junior Football Recent Results

and one assist as the Tartans improved to 5-6-1. Stuart plays at Peddie on October 16.

In action last Sunday in the Princeton Junior Football League (PJFL) Seniors division (Grades 7-8) , the Princeton Global Packers edged the Mercato Eagles 26-21. For the Packers, Aiden Davidson scored on a touchdown run and made a TD catch from Mathew Robinson. Luke Giannatasio ran for a score and threw a TD pass to Judah Lerman. The Eagles were led by Shaan Patel and Christian Barr. Patel ran for a touchdown and passed for a pair of TDs to Barr. The Christine’s Hope Giants topped the Petrone Steelers 34-32 as Bree Green ran for two touchdowns and caught another for the victors. In addition, Malcolm Harris had two touchdown catches while Ilan Spiegel threw three TD passes. The Besler Chiefs defeated the UOA Broncos

39-15. The Chiefs were led by Dylan Chambers, who ran for two touchdowns. Sam Carter accounted for two touchdowns with a TD pass to Shail Besler and a TD catch from Sean Devlin. Besler also threw a TD pass to Teddy Hogshire and Henry Ambra connected with Zephaniah Chambers for a TD as well. As for the Broncos, Nathan Stock and Levy Meier had two touchdown receptions. In the Super Juniors division (Grades 5-6), the C.O.E. Packers defeated the B esler Chiefs 34-13. The Packers got a touchdown pass from Everette Cole to Noah Gorrie with Nazir Rollins scoring TDs on an interception return and a run. Lucas Agosto also had an interception return for a TD. For the Chiefs, Jasper Weiss had a rushing touchdown while Oliver Bregman connected with Ali Redjal for a TD pass. The University Orthopedic Associates Broncos nipped the Woodwinds Associates Eagles 19-18. Milo Hedges had two rushing touchdowns and Hugh Kelly added another for the Broncos while the defense stopped a potential gametying conversion late in the fourth quarter. For the Eagles, Theo Salganik ran for a score and threw TD passes to Geordie Feller and James Carter. The Christine’s Hope Giants defeated the Petrone Associates Steelers 27-7. Leo Miele starred in the win for the Giants, throwing two touchdown passes to Ben Heady, rushing for a TD and returning an interception for a score. Carson Smith had a touchdown for the Steelers. In the Juniors division (Grades 3-4), t he Lululemon Packers topped the Woodwinds Associates Chiefs 3225 behind Noah Fairey’s two touchdown passes and two rushing TDs. Rehm Casto contributed a touchdown catch and TD throw to Eddie Ostrowsky while Luca Sherman also hauled in a touchdown reception in the win. The Chiefs were led by Matthew Sheleheda who ran for two touchdowns and had a third on a TD catch from Jack O’Dowd. Ravi Klinger added to the scoring by returning an interception for a touchdown. The Christine’s Hope Giants defeated the Petrone Associates Steelers 27-18 as Aiden Spies rushed for a touchdown with Brian Willison Jr. throwing a TD pass to Max Brown. Henry Arns and Mason Goldsmith had rushing TDs. The Eagles defeated the Broncos 15-12 as Aiden Russo rushed for a touchdown and had a TD reception from Jameson Keel in the win. For the Broncos, Everett Zweig had a rushing touchdown and Parker McEvoy threw a TD pass to William Hancock.

TOUGH GOING: Princeton High field hockey player Sophie Gono dribbles the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Monday, Gono and the fifth-seeded Tigers fell 2-1 to fourth-seeded Lawrence High in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Championships to move to 6-7.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Field Hockey : Sparked by Nyla Flamer, Stuart defeated Franklin High 4-0 last Thursday. Senior Flamer tallied two goals

Obituaries

Wayne Richard Carlson, 66, of Princeton, New Jersey, passed away on October 8, 2024, after fighting the good fight. As the middle child to Phyllis and Wayne Carlson, Wayne grew up in Schenectady, New York, playing football for Linton High School as a lineman, before being recruited to play for Rochester University. After graduating in 1985 with a Degree in Far East Asia History/International Relations, Wayne explored the world for a couple of years as a ship’s purser for Dolphin Cruise Lines, satisfying some of his God-given wanderlust.

Wayne eventually made port in Washington, DC, where he earned his MBA in Marketing at American University. Shortly thereafter, he made his way to Bristol Myers Squibb, where he began his career in global issues management once again scratching his itch to see the world. During his time with BMS he met his future wife of 29 years, Ellen Hoenig-Carlson (surviving), who gave him a chance at a first date on his fifth annual ask. They saw Pulp Fiction in the theater and the rest was history. In 1997, the duo started their family when their first son, Ethan

Carlson, was born — quickly followed by the births of Asher and Zane Carlson. A diligent lifelong student of world history, politics, and stoic philosophy, Wayne had a brilliant understanding of the world and loved to share his wisdom in the form of thoughtfullycrafted advice and opinions, with all those whose lives he touched. Wayne also had an eye for design and was an avid collector and restorer of historical cars, houses, and watches. He lived in a house that he himself designed, drove in a car he rebuilt, and was an avid proponent of love, charity, and the American Dream. A man of resolute character and unquestionable strength, Wayne constantly strove throughout his life to make the world a better place than when he found it — a rare endeavor which he believed to ultimately be the reason we were put on this Earth.

Wayne is preceded by Wayne Curtis Carlson and Phyllis Russell Carlson, and leaves behind his wife, Ellen Hoenig-Carlson; his three sons, Ethan, Asher (Ryan), and Zane (Kylee); his sister, Susan (Joe);, his brother, Richard (Jennifer); and nieces and nephews. Services were held at Trinity Church, in Princeton, NJ, on Saturday, October 12, 2024. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Wayne’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Tunnel to Towers, two organizations Wayne strongly believed in.

Extend condolences and share memories at The KimbleFuneralHome.com.

Joseph James Needham

Joseph James Needham, 91, of Princeton, passed away peacefully on the morning of October 8, 2024, surrounded by his family. Born in Philadelphia, PA, to Joseph and Teresa Needham, Joe had been a resident of the Princeton area for the past 64 years.

Joe was a true gentleman, a selfless person who always thought of others before himself. He had an abundance of wit and quiet charm. Though he will be sorely missed, his love and sense of decency will never be forgotten. He was known for his generous and loving spirit, always willing to help others. He was determined and accomplished in everything he set his mind to, whether building a business, racing cars, or skiing.

members of the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association.

He is predeceased by his wife, Joan Needham, his sister, Nancy, and his grandson, Ian. He is survived by his children: Linda, Scott, Leslie, Dian, Lisa, and Christine; his siblings: Robert, Teresa, Lillian, Donald, and Jack; his eight grandchildren and his four greatgrandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 216 Nassau Street, Princeton, New Jersey, 08542. Interment followed in the Princeton Cemetery.

Arrangements under the direction of The MatherHodge Funeral Home, Princeton.

Margaret Brooks McCloskey

Margaret Brooks McCloskey, 102, passed away into eternity on October 8, 2024, at her home. She was born in Plainsboro, N.J. on July 8, 1922, in a small home on Edgemere Avenue. Her father, David Brooks, and her mother, Mary, worked at Walker Gordon Laboratories The family eventually moved to another Walker-Gordon property on Plainsboro Road, which they purchased in 1936. She married Leo J. McCloskey in 1949 (died 1969) and, except for a few years at several Princeton addresses, lived in Plainsboro the rest of her life.

Special thanks to all the supportive personnel from Penn Hospice at Home for their loving care during her last weeks, and to Stella, her special home helper for the preceding four years. There will be no formal funeral or memorial services following cremation, per her wishes.

In lieu of flowers, donations to either the Plainsboro Fire Company or Plainsboro First Aid Squad are suggested.

of Princeton Junction, NJ, died peacefully at home at age 88 on October 12, 2024.

We pride ourselves on

After attending Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Joe joined the U.S. Army as a cryptographer stationed in Austria In 1971, he started Princeton Air, where he created a lasting legacy. As a visionary executive, he built his company based on high standards and excellent relationships with his employees, clients, and partners.

Joe became an accomplished Porsche racer, competing as a member of the Schattenbaum Racing Club at tracks like Lime Rock, Bridgehampton, Watkins Glen, and Road Atlanta. He was an avid skier, enjoying the sport until the age of 84. Both he and his wife Joan were also longtime

Margaret was very intelligent, skipped two elementary grades, and graduated from Princeton High School at the age of 16. She was employed at several Princeton locations, including The Institute for Advanced Study, Weller Insurance, Howe Travel Agency, Helen Van Cleve Real Estate, and K.M. Light Propertie. She retired in her late 70’s and was active in local social groups and Plainsboro community activities through her late ’90s. Margaret was a member of Plainsboro Presbyterian Church. She was an avid reader until age 100, when advanced macular degeneration detracted from her enjoyment. Margaret remained fiercely independent and unassuming her entire life. She enjoyed travel, visits with her family and playing Rummikub with her friends and neighbors.

Born and raised in Highland Park, NJ, Iris was a proud graduate of Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia and taught second grade at Memorial School in East Brunswick. Iris was a classic “homemaker” of the ’60s and ’70s, serving as a President of the PTA and many other community organizations in North Brunswick, where she raised her family. She later became a full-time substitute teacher at North Brunswick High School, followed by a successful career as a realtor with Coldwell Banker. After moving to West Windsor in 2000, she served as Chairman of the Village Grande Social and Trip Committees. Friends and family uniformly remember her big smile and sunny disposition She was one of those people that made others feel better for having spent time with her. She loved spending summers down the shore in Beach Haven with her family.

small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.

on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.

We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.

We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

She considered herself wonderfully fortunate for having married a fellow from “the wrong side of the tracks” who “made good” and gave her a wonderful life. Asked years later why she dated a fellow who was “trouble” she replied, “I guess I was looking for trouble!”

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.

encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

Margaret is survived by her son Dennis and daughter-inlaw Diane McCloskey; three grandchildren, Shannon (Lee) Grajzar, Heather (Hal) Pruitt, and Matthew (Ashley) McCloskey, as well as great grandchildren, Lily, Cohen, Trevor, Maddox, Maisie, and Matilly, all of Georgia. She is also survived by nieces Karen (Bill) Thomas of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Gail (Doug) Bowers of Palm Desert, California; Peggy (Flavio) Fener of Princeton; and Maureen (Ken) Bruvik of Skillman, as well as many other nieces, nephews and family throughout the U.S.

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

ITS

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you

Sign up for The Weekender

She was predeceased by her parents Michael and Dorothy (Zagoren) Rosenthal and her husband of 43 years, The Hon. Martin S. Goldin. She is survived by her daughter, Tamara Eisenberger of Somerset, NJ; her son Steven and his partner Cynthia Bratman of Princeton Junction, NJ; her former daughter-in-law Evelyn Goldin of Ewing, NJ; her grandson Michael and his wife Jo-Ann, grandchildren Will, Beau, Devon.

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

A Town Topics Community Update Eblast

Each Friday afternoon, we send a roundup of the week’s top stories, breaking news, and upcoming events, right to local inboxes.

Don’t miss out on The Weekender — Go to www.towntopics.com and sign up today!

A Memorial Service was held at Star of David Memorial Chapel, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08542 on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 11 a.m. Burial was at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Iselin.

Wayne Richard Carlson

Iris (Rosenthal) Goldin

Iris (Rosenthal) Goldin,

Clara Banta Kennedy, a beloved matriarch and dedicated community member, passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 101. Born on March 10, 1923, in Buffalo, New York, she was the daughter of Charles Woodbury Banta and Clara Urban Banta. Clara spent her childhood on a farm on Pine Ridge Road in Cheektowaga, which belonged to her grandfather, George Urban, Jr., a prominent Buffalo businessman.

Clara attended the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry,

New York, and graduated in the accelerated wartime program from Smith College in August 1944. Shortly after, she worked for the U.S. Naval Intelligence in the New York City office before marrying Kevin Kennedy, also from Buffalo, in March 1945. During Kevin’s service as a naval officer in the Pacific, Clara worked as a social worker at the American Red Cross in Buffalo. In the fall of 1946, the couple moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where they lived on a farm and raised their

four sons: Kevin, Charles, Alexander, and Shaun. Clara’s entrepreneurial spirit flourished when she started an antique business with a friend, eventually becoming a partner in several stores near Princeton and two on Martha’s Vineyard.

In 1969, Clara and Kevin built their home on Husselton Head in Vineyard Haven, where they joyfully hosted family and friends until Kevin’s passing in 1992. After his death, Clara remained an active and cherished member of the community, engaging with the West Chop Club, Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club, and the Want to Know Club of Vineyard Haven. She was an avid reader throughout her life and maintained a keen interest in local, U.S., and world affairs.

Clara’s life was marked by a deep commitment to education and service. She worked with children through summer Bible camps, served as a teacher’s aide in Trenton, NJ, and taught English as a second language. Her 23 years of volunteering at the Island Food Pantry exempliﬁed her compassion and dedication to helping others. She always championed the underdog and will be remembered for her warmth, wisdom, spirited personality, and deep love of her family and friends.

Clara is survived by her four sons and their wives, eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, four nephews, and one niece. A memorial service will be held in June 2025 in Vineyard Haven, where family and friends will gather to celebrate Clara’s remarkable life.

Charles Lutz Taggart 1927 – 2024

Charles L. Taggart, age 97, passed away on August 15, 2024 in Princeton, NJ. He was born on May 2, 1927 in Ponca City, Oklahoma, the son of Adelaide Lutz and Carl Stolz Taggart. He leaves behind a legacy of being known as someone who always wanted to make the communities he lived a better place.

Charlie graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1947 after serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII. After studying Architecture at Princeton University, he graduated in 1951, and worked as a draftsman for Embury and Lucas, Architects in New York until 1953 when he returned to Oklahoma City to join his brother J. Thomas Taggart at the family real estate investment and management firm.

He married Sydney Shaffer in 1955, and moved back to Princeton, NJ, in 1959 where he worked for Princeton University for 25 years, serving as Director of the Alumni Council, Assistant Dean of the Graduate College, and then Director of Development. In Princeton, and later in life, he was an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Trustees

of Princeton Day School, and the Community Fund Board. He also served his Princeton Class of 1951 in various roles, including as Treasurer, Vice President and President, as well as Reunion Chair and Annual Giving.

After Princeton, Charlie went on to lead Development at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology. Upon his retirement, the Taggarts moved to Wakefield, RI, where he joined the Board at Willow Dell Beach Club and the Courthouse Center for the Arts before returning to Princeton in 2009.

Charlie and Sydney spent the last 15 years as active residents of Stonebridge at Montgomery, in Rocky Hill, NJ. It became their home, and Charlie became active in many aspects of the community, serving as Chair of the Residents Council, the Facilities committee, and he spent many hours in the woodshop. An avid tinkerer and handy man, improving the various homes in which his family lived, room by room, gave him great enjoyment. In his own wood shop and then at Stonebridge, he would joyfully repair and craft custom furniture, skills he learned while he was a Board Member at the Worcester Center for Crafts. While at Stonebridge, he was frequently asked to

repair a chair or table or refinish a treasured antique that had seen better days. He and Sydney were also keen travelers, visiting many countries together in his retirement, as well as numerous trips throughout the US southwest. One of his favorite places was France, where he traveled to spend time with his brother and wife, Tom and Norma Taggart.

Charlie’s quick wit, focus, and curiosity made him a thoughtful and loving husband, father, grandfather, colleague, and communicator, and he was lovingly embraced by his friends for his trustworthiness and sense of humor. Throughout his life he was known for “challenging the status quo” and his life’s work of fundraising and hard work has left the world a far better place.

Charlie is predeceased by his parents and his brother Tom. He is survived by his wife Sydney of nearly 69 years, and three sons Peter (Judy), Denver, CO, Ward (Rebecca), Las Vegas, NV, and Carl (Kim), Wayne, PA, and seven grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Stonebridge at Montgomery on October 26 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Stonebridge Employee Appreciation Fund by contacting Keith Ikola at kikola@springpointsl.org or (609) 759-3614.

DIRECTORY OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES

S unday S

8:00 am: Holy Communion Rite I

10:00 am: Holy Communion Rite II

5:00 pm: Choral Compline or Evensong

The Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector The Rev. Canon Dr. Kara Slade, Assoc. Rector Wesley Rowell, Lay Pastoral Associate

33 Mercer St. Princeton 609-924-2277 www.trinityprinceton.org

Wherever you are in your journey of faith, come worship with us

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Princeton 16 Bayard Lane, Princeton, NJ

You are welcome to join us for our in-person services, Sunday Church Service and Sunday School at 10:30 am, Wednesday Testimony meetings at 7:30 pm. Audio streaming available, details at csprinceton.org.

Visit the Christian Science Reading Room Monday through Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm 178 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ For free local delivery call (609) 924-0919 www.csprinceton.org • (609) 924-5801

“A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit; it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding."

- Abdu'l-Baha

Principles of the Baha'i Faith: One God- the Mover of the Universe Oneness of Religion

All People are members of One Human Family

Elimination of all forms of prejudice

Equality of Women and Men

For more information go to: https://princetonbahais.org

https://www.bahai.org/beliefs

Princeton Area Baha’is Welcome You

Clara Banta Kennedy

TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIEDS

EXPERIENCED AND PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVER

Available part-time With excellent references in the greater Princeton area (609) 216-5000 tf

FOX CLEANING (609) 547-9570

eqfoxcarpetcleaning@gmail.com Licensed and insured Residential and commercial Carpet cleaning and upholestry Pressure and soft washing • Area rugs

Strip and wax ﬂoors • Sanitizing Water damage • Grout cleaning

01-17-25

271-8860. tf

JOE’S LANDSCAPING INC. OF PRINCETON Property Maintenance and Specialty Jobs Commercial/Residential Over 45 Years of Experience • Fully Insured • Free Consultations Email: joeslandscapingprinceton@ gmail.com Text (only): (609) 356-9201 Ofﬁce: (609) 216-7936 Princeton References

• Green Company HIC #13VH07549500

HOME REPAIR SPECIALIST:

Interior/exterior repairs, carpentry, trim, rotted wood, power washing, painting, deck work, sheet rock/ spackle, gutter & rooﬁng repairs. Punch list is my specialty. 40 years experience. Licensed & insured. Call Creative Woodcraft (609) 586-2130

CARING AND EXPERIENCED

BABYSITTER

Available for part-time position

Excellent local references! (609) 216-5000

TRINITY CHURCH

RUMMAGE SALE

Preview sale, $10 admission: Thursday, Oct 17, 4-7 pm

No admission: Friday, Oct 18, 12-4 and Saturday, Oct 19, 9 am-12 pm (half-price sale!) 33 Mercer (609) 924-2277 for more information 10-16

CLEANING, IRONING, LAUNDRY by women with a lot of experience. Excellent references, own transportation. Please call Inga at (609) 530-1169 and leave a message. 11-06

I BUY ALL KINDS of old or pretty things: China, glass, silver, pottery, costume jewelry, evening bags, fancy linens, paintings, small furniture, etc. Local woman buyer. (609) 9217469. 10-11-24

BUYING: Antiques, paintings, Oriental rugs, coins, clocks, furniture, old toys, military, books, cameras, silver, costume & ﬁne jewelry. Guitars

WE BUY CARS

Belle Mead Garage (908) 359-8131

Ask for Chris

KARINA’S HOUSECLEANING:

Honest. Reliable. Looking for house cleaning. Best prices. Week days only. English speaking. Call for estimate. (609) 858-8259. 10-30

STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT 10 minutes north of Princeton, in Skillman/Montgomery. Discounted monthly rents: 15x22 $280, 21x22 $330. November availability. https://princetonstorage.homestead. com/ or call/text 609.333.6932. 11-13

BARBARA’S HOUSECLEANING

SERVICES: Strong references; work in the Mercer County area. Very experienced, dependable, honest, and punctual. Call Barbara at (609) 8657417. 10-30

WHAT’S A GREAT GIFT FOR A FORMER PRINCETONIAN?

A Gift Subscription! Call (609) 924-2200, ext 10 circulation@towntopics.com tf

YARD SALE + TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIED = GREAT WEEKEND! Put an ad in the TOWN TOPICS to let everyone know! Call (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classiﬁ eds@towntopics.com

DEADLINE: Tues before 12 noon tf

HOME HEALTH AIDE: 25 years of experience. Available mornings to take care of your loved one, transport to appointments, run errands. I am well known in Princeton. Top care, excellent references. The best! Call (609) 356-2951 or (609) 751-1396. tf

LOLIO’S WINDOW WASHING & POWER WASHING: Free estimate. Next day service. Fully insured. Gutter cleaning available. References available upon request. 30 years experience. (609) 271-8860. tf

JOE’S LANDSCAPING INC. OF PRINCETON

Property Maintenance and Specialty Jobs Commercial/Residential

Over 45 Years of Experience • Fully Insured • Free Consultations

Email: joeslandscapingprinceton@ gmail.com

Text (only): (609) 356-9201 Ofﬁce: (609) 216-7936 Princeton References • Green Company HIC #13VH07549500 tf HOME REPAIR SPECIALIST: Interior/exterior repairs, carpentry, trim, rotted wood, power

Why Fall is the Perfect Time to Start Staging for a Spring Home Sale

If you're planning to sell your home next spring, fall is the ideal time to start the staging process. The cooler weather and longer nights make it the perfect time to focus on interior improvements, decluttering, and creating a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. By starting early, you ’ll have plenty of time to deep clean, make small repairs, or even tackle minor renovations without feeling rushed.

Fall also offers a great opportunity to refresh your home ’s curb appeal. Simple changes like tidying up the yard, adding seasonal décor, and sprucing up your exterior can make a big difference when potential buyers see your listing.

Reach out to your realtor now to get professional advice on the best updates to maximize your home’s value. They’ll help you prioritize changes, ensuring your home is in perfect shape for the competitive spring market. Get ahead of the game and set the stage for a successful sale!

Interior Painting, Exterior Painting, and Drywall Repair

•

(609) 799-9211 www.fivestarpaintinginc.com License # 13VH047 Professional, Courteous and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

•

•Quality Craftsmanship

•Reasonable Rates

•Licensed, Bonded & Insured

•Free Estimates