Superintendent Search Is Underway at PPS; Job Description Posted
Ndlovu Youth Choir Joins Princeton University Glee Club Concert 5
Town Awarded $245K Grant to Expand Food Scraps Collection Program 9
Proposal for Expansion Of IAS Library Goes to Planning Board 10
PSO Presents “Triple Header” of Classical and Neo-Classical Music 18
Kelsey Theatre Presents Jekyll & Hyde 19
The search for a permanent superintendent of the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) was officially launched on Thursday, October 17, with School Leadership LLC consultants advertising the position in numerous outlets, as well as reaching out to target organizations and implementing additional recruitment strategies.
“The consultants have said that they are seeing interest in the position,” the Princeton Board of Education (BOE) reported in a statement Tuesday.
Election Day Approaches, Voting Has Begun
Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, is less than two weeks away with highpro le races on the ballot for U.S. president and vice president, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and a heated local battle for three seats on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).
Early voting starts this Saturday, October 26 and continues through November 3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at any one of seven Mercer County locations, including the Princeton Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street.
sample ballot with you when you vote will expedite the process, Covello noted.
“Everyone should vote and use their vote as their voice to express their views on the direction of the country and also on taxes and the direction of their schools and how the local government is going to be run,” said Covello. “Those local offices impact citizens most directly.”
She added, “Every election is important, and especially this year when you’ll be voting on who will be leading our country.”
Covello recommended early voting. “I vote early,” she said. “It’s convenient. You can go when you want to go, and you avoid Election Day lines.”
On the ballot for PPS School Board are incumbent Mara Franceschi and new candidates Christopher Santarpio, Lisa Potter, Shenwei Zhao, Ari Meisel, and Erica Snyder, with voters asked to select three of the six.
The intensity of the competition for the three BOE positions has been re ected
QB Hipa Stars as PU Football Defeats Brown 2917, Improving to 2-3 Overall, 1-1 Ivy League .
The hiring process, a rolling search with applications submitted online, is expected to continue into the winter with a candidate and contract approved by March. Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster will continue to lead the district through June, with the new superintendent stepping into the position on July 1, 2025.
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Sparked by Hamerschlag’s All-Around Play, PHS Boys’ Soccer Edges Trenton Central to Make CVC Tournament Semis 36
Seeking broad-based participation in developing the criteria to guide the search and selection process, the consultants during the past month have conducted a series of 24 forums and focus group meetings, and an online poll. They have gathered information from participants about “the community and its schools, its leadership challenges, and the quali cations, experiences, and characteristics that should be prioritized in candidates for the position.”
The Board noted, “We appreciate the feedback we received from the community through the public forums and the survey. The next step will be screening applications and interviewing candidates for the position. We will provide updates to the community as soon as we are able.”
At a special meeting of the BOE on October 16, Martin Brooks and Rina Beder from School Leadership LLC reported on the forums and focus group meetings, with a total of 225 participants, as well as the results from 512 respondents to the extensive survey.
Included in the groups and individuals participating in the meetings were various parent groups; administrators; teachers from all levels; BOE members; staff members; individual parents; leaders from administrators, teachers, tech staff, and staff unions; BOE candidates; representatives from Princeton University; community members; and high school students.
Vote by mail ballots have been mailed to all voters who have requested them, applications continue to be processed, and drop boxes to return those ballots are open throughout the county. Visit the Mercer County clerk’s website at mercercounty.org for locations and further information on the election and ways to vote.
Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello will be mailing out sample ballots in the coming week, and on Election Day the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. She urges Princeton residents to take note of information on the sample ballot because there have been some changes in Princeton polling locations. Taking your
Princeton Future Invites Community To Explore Housing Possibilities
Seeking to encourage “housing that’s affordable for schoolteachers and other middle-income families,” an assortment of experts and ordinary citizens under the auspices of Princeton Future will gather in the Theron Room of the Princeton Theological Seminary Library at 25 Library Place on Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to discuss possibilities.
This particular Princeton Future forum will focus on North Tulane, a small block between Wiggins and Spring streets, and “the question for all of us,” according to Princeton Future cofounder
and administrator Sheldon Sturges, is, “What would be the best thing for this community?”
Sturges reflected on the overriding goals of Princeton Future, which is beginning its 25th year in existence, during which time it has conducted many sessions and explored numerous important issues with wide-ranging impact on the town of Princeton.
“The concept of ‘What if?’ is key,” said Sturges. “What if we do this? What if we do that? Taking the ‘What if?’ out into the community for discussion, the ideas
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR: Pumpkin painting was among the children’s activities at the annual event on Saturday in the courtyard at the Princeton Shopping Center. Trick-or-treating, live music, a pet costume contest, balloon artists, and more were also featured. Attendees discuss their costumes in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)
Please
Please come to the Theron Room of the Princeton Theological Seminary Library [25 Library Place] at 9 AM - Noon, Saturday October 26, 2024
Princeton Future Invites All Princeton Residents to a Workshop & Listening Session
2. Municipal Investment in the Streetscape Underground Wiring, Lights & Trees?
- Tony Nelessen, Emeritus Rutgers Professor, Urban Planning, Princeton Future
Q & A
A
Case Study (50 minutes)
25 Wiggins Street, and 57 and 61 Tulane Street
1. What can be built now
2. What could be done?
Presenters
3. What might be?
Tony Nelessen, Nelessen Associates, Princeton Future
Chris Myers, Pinneo Construction & Helios LLC
Brom Snyder, Pinneo Construction & Helios LLC
Dan Chamby, Helios LLC
Marina Rubina Architect, Princeton Future Q & A
Responders
Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Professor, Sociology, Princeton University, Princeton Future
Sam Bunting, Walkable Princeton
Aubrey Haines, Princeton Property Partners
Carlos Rodrigues FAICP, Design Solutions for a Crowded Planet, Princeton Future
ARTISANAL BRICK OVEN
Princeton Adult School Tells Button Stories
“Buttons 101: Every Button Has a Story” is the title of a workshop being held Tuesday, October 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Princeton Adult School. The hands-on event is one of two; the second is November 12.
In the first workshop, the focus is on buttons made in 19th century England. Participants will receive vintage and antique buttons to make their own “button sampler.”
OPEN WEDNESDAYS
The “Buttons 102” workshop is about modern buttons made in the 20th century – including synthetic polymer, Bakelite, vegetable ivory, horn, and rubber. Attendees can bring some of their own buttons to be analyzed as time permits.
The instructors — Barbara Fox, Susan Freeman and Virginia Fuerstenberger — are members of the New Jersey State Button Society. The workshops will be held at Princeton High School, 151 Moore Street. Register at PrincetonAdultSchool.org or (609) 683-1101, or email
info@PrincetonAdultSchool. org. The cost is $35.
On a national level, the National Button Society invites newcomers to learn about buttons at its website (NationalButtonSociety.org) and by attending online zooms from October 18-20. Request a link from ButtonU@national buttonsociety.org.
www.towntopics.com
Leighton Listens: Councilman Leighton Newlin holds one-on-one conversations about issues impacting Princeton from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on October 23 at Mi Espana, Princeton Shopping Center, and on 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.
April 3 through May 1
September 4 through October 30
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza
Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza
FEATURING
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.
Carlito’s Taco Wagon • Catalina Empanadas
Carlito’s Tacos • Catalina Empanadas
The Granola Bar • Ice Dreamz • Judith’s Desserts
The Granola Bar • Little Star Foods • Nutty Novelties
Lee’s Honeybees • Little Star Foods • Nutty Novelties
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.
One Up One Down • Picklelicious • Pies and Quiches Sprouts Flowers • Roper’s Way Farm Terhune Orchards • Tico’s Eatery and Juice Bar
Ooika Matcha • One Up One Down • Picklelicious Pies & Quiches • Roper’s Way Farm • Sprouts Flowers Terhune Orchards • Tico’s Eatery and Juice Bar
WooRi Mart • Yardley Refillary
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.
BUTTON UP: In a workshop at the Princeton Adult School, members of the New Jersey State Button Society show how to make button samplers. Two sessions are being held on October 29 and November 12.
CHORAL COLLABORATION: The Ndlovu Youth Choir, familiar to many
television show “America’s Got Talent,” is being hosted by the Princeton
on Saturday, October 26 at Richardson Auditorium.
Internationally Known Choir from South Africa Joins Princeton University Glee Club Concert
Each fall, Princeton University’s Glee Club presents a concert at Richardson Auditorium with the glee clubs of either Harvard or Yale. It was Harvard’s turn this year, but the date — October 26 — conflicted with another event the Cambridge, Mass., club had on its schedule.
Gabriel Crouch, a professor of music at Princeton and the director of the glee club, found out about the conflict last summer.
“I was racking my brain for an alternative, and I started
to look at the itineraries of international choirs,” he said. “The idea of collaboration has always appealed to me. I happened to notice that the Ndlovu Youth Choir was doing a concert at Carnegie Hall on October 27. I thought maybe there was a chance I could get them to Princeton the day before. And it all worked out.”
The Princeton University Glee Club is presenting the Ndlovu Youth Choir at Richardson on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($5 for students). Visit princetongleeclub.com.
TOPICS Of the Town
The two choirs couldn’t be more different. “They are amplified, choreographed, costumed, and backed with a band,” Crouch said. “It’s designed for a big auditorium or stadium experience. We are essentially a classical choir, without amplification or anything like that. So this will be an interesting combination of cultures.”
Familiar to many from its multiple appearances on the television show America’s Got Talent, the Ndlovu choir sings songs in all 11 South African languages. Their repertoire includes ancient tribal chants, gospel, contemporary Afro-Pop and jazz, as well as original songs describing African life with a call for African unity, according to the website for the show.
“They do some of the most polished, uplifting, generally impressive group singing you could see anywhere in the world,” Crouch said. “Our singers are hugely excited.”
The Princeton University Glee Club includes about 100 members, most of whom are undergraduates. “They come from every conceivable academic walk of life,” Crouch said.
The Princeton club is hosting the Ndlovu choir. “We’ll open for them, do a short set of four pieces at the beginning of the concert, as a sort of welcome gesture,” Crouch said. “Then we’ll give the stage to them, and they’ll perform for about 45 minutes. We will close the concert by doing some things together — workshopped pieces they will teach us during the day. We’ll learn all the music in that session.”
Founded in 1874, the University club tours internationally and performs a repertoire ranging from
Renaissance motets to 21st century choral commissions. Recent collaborations have been with such groups as Tenebrae, Roomful of Teeth, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
“Those collaborations always seem to be the experiences that live with [members] the longest,” Crouch said. “I think it is an important part of the mission of the glee club to expose them to musical experiences and styles which lie outside of what I’m trained in. I’m very keen for them to have experiences with other kinds of music-making.”
—Anne Levin
well loved and well read since 1946
Our guidance, from an oral health perspective: THE BEST—
Chocolate: washes off teeth easier; dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate. Sugar-free candy: ’nuf said. THE WORST—
Gummies: stick to teeth, hard to remove. Hard candies: can break teeth; stay in mouth longer, exposing more sugar to teeth. Sour candies: contain a lot of acid that can weaken tooth enamel.
BOTTOM LINE — HAVE FUN, STAY SAFE, BRUSH WELL, CALL FOR A CHECKUP!
The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Mercer (JCFGM) has selected Amy Zacks of Princeton as its next executive director, effective November 18. She will succeed Linda Meisel, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
Zacks has been the Foundation’s director of philanthropy since 2018. She has worked closely with fund holders and partners to inspire philanthropy and develop charitable resources. During her tenure, the assets of the Foundation have grown from $11 million to nearly $20 million.
“Amy’s exemplary performance and dedication have significantly contributed to the Foundation’s success,” said Chip Loeb, president of the JCFGM board of trustees. “We believe she is the ideal person to partner with our leadership and guide us into the future. As much as I, and the rest of the board, will miss working with Linda, we are eager to begin this new chapter in our Foundation’s 60-year history of serving our community.”
forum for the expression of
about local and national issues.
Question of the Week:
“What is your costume, and why did you choose it?”
(Asked Saturday afternoon at the Princeton Shopping Center Halloween Spooktacular)
Originally hired as the JCFGM legacy coordinator, Zacks has steered the communal Life & Legacy program to achieve 824 legacy promises, with $2.3 million in promises fulfilled and an additional $30 million projected in future gifts for the benefit of 24 community partners. These donations are critical to growing the legacy funds that will sustain local Jewish organizations into the next generation. In 2022, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, sponsor of the Life & Legacy program, presented Zacks with its Gail Littman z”l Leadership Award, recognizing the achievements of a legacy coordinator within its North American network.
A fundraiser for national nonprofits who served on the Women in Development board of trustees, Zacks has resided in Mercer County for more than 16 years. She and husband Eran are members and Promise Makers at The Jewish Center of Princeton, and they support charities through their Zacks Family Tzedakah Fund at JCFGM.
“A fairy, because it’s pretty.”
— Adeline Demmel, Princeton
Astra: “I’m Elsa. I have powers.” Logan: “A dragon rider. I like the weapons.” — Astra and Logan Ozarowski, Lawrenceville
Ella: “I’m a zombie cheerleader, because I like cheerleaders.” Benji: “A policeman. On Halloween, I’m going to ring the doorbell, and I’ll have a notepad and pen, and I’m going to give everyone a ticket.”
— Ella and Benji Ash, Montgomery Township
Aria: “I’m a Ghostbuster. I watched the movie and really liked it, and I wanted to be it because I thought it was cool.” Paridhi: “I’m an inflatable dinosaur. I wanted to make people laugh, and it’s really fun to be him.”
— Aria Agrawal, Old Bridge, with Paridhi Behera, Princeton Junction
Amy Zacks
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According to Brooks and Beder, the meetings, focus groups and online survey focused on three broad issues: “What qualities, skills, characteristics, and experiences do you feel are most important for the next superintendent?” “What are the key strengths of the District?” and “What are the major challenges for a new superintendent?”
Acknowledging that there were differing perspectives on issues and something short of unanimity in responses to the questions, the consultants nonetheless stated that “all of the data collected suggest that Princeton’s stakeholders share similar views of the district and its schools, its challenges, and the qualities it seeks in its new superintendent.”
As derived from the input received and approved by the Board, the recruiters/consultants and BOE are looking for: “an experienced, knowledgeable, and inclusive educational leader with a strong background in enhancing curriculum, instruction, and student achievement and wellbeing and a commitment to addressing the diverse needs of all learners; a compassionate, thoughtful, and active promoter of Princeton Public Schools’ mission; a collaborative, energetic, team builder … who engages with parents, faculty, staff, students, and the broader community; a clear, proactive, and transparent communicator; a skilled and adaptive finance manager with expertise in budget development; and a courageous, ethical, visible,
and accessible leader who is excited about becoming a member of the Princeton community.”
Among the strengths of the district most often noted by respondents in the meetings and on the survey were a strong team of committed administrators and staff members, a multi-cultural community that cares about children and values public education, a history of strong community support for its schools, outstanding students who receive “a stellar education,” a strong special education program, and proximity to Princeton University.
Leadership challenges noted on the job posting and also cited by forum and survey respondents included: “engaging the educational and broader community in the creation of a vision for the future; meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of a wide range of learners; effectively and transparently communicating with all segments of the community; and establishing clear, consistent systems that promote the district’s mission.”
Other leadership challenges mentioned frequently by school and community participants included taking on
the achievement gap in the district; strengthening the DLI (dual language immersion) and ESL programs; working in a racially diverse community; space issues in schools and the potential for redistricting; enhancement of facilities; and “restoring trust: ‘Lots of scar tissue in this community.’”
The job posting for PPS superintendent, which can be found, along with additional information on the search, on the PPS website at princetonk12.org, describes the PPS as “a renowned, vibrant, and diverse educational community advantaged by its proximity to and relationship with Princeton University.” It also notes the district’s “abundant cultural resources, an engaged and supportive community, and a devoted team of skilled faculty and staff.”
No salary amount is mentioned in the job posting, but the new superintendent will be offered a contract for a minimum of three years and maximum of five years.
Foster’s salary for the 202425 school year is $1,133 per diem.
—Donald Gilpin
Get the scoop from
New Speaker Series
At Stuart Country Day
Stuart Country Day School has launched the Cor Cordis Speaker Series, a new initiative hosted by Stuart’s National Center for Girls’ Leadership (NCGLS) and part of the newly opened Cor Cordis. The series kicks off Monday, October 28 at 4:15 p.m. with a talk by Dr. Rebecca Boswell, a clinical psychologist with Penn Medicine, on nutrition and body image in teenage girls.
The series is designed to offer thought-provoking discussions led by experts on a wide range of topics, including spirituality, neuropsychology, nutrition, body image, neurodiversity, and leadership in action.
In early October, Stuart celebrated the grand opening of Cor Cordis, an integrated hub of student services that supports academic excellence and embodies a holistic approach to leadership development by recognizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. Cor Cordis brings together key resources, including the library and Learning Commons; counseling services and the health office; college counseling; the office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; Campus Ministry; and the National Center for Girls’ Leadership at Stuart.
Boswell will address topics including the unique nutritional needs of teens, especially athletes, and how parents can support healthy body image discussions. The session will also equip parents with strategies to recognize early signs of disordered eating and promote
INAUGURAL
wellness habits that benefit their daughters’ long-term growth.
Through the Cor Cordis Speaker Series, the NCGLS furthers its mission of empowering young women to be confident and purposedriven leaders by providing transformative educational experiences. This series will foster impactful conversations by drawing connections between learning, wellness, and leadership.
“Our goal is to cultivate meaningful dialogue within our community — among students, educators, and
parents — on the complex issues that shape adolescent well-being,” said Marissa Muoio, director of the NCGLS and head of Upper School at Stuart. “We are committed to creating spaces where dialogue can thrive.”
The Cor Cordis Speaker Series will feature seven programs throughout the school year, with sessions tailored for Middle and Upper School students during the school day. Visit stuartschool.org/ support-stuart/cor-cordis/ speaker-series.
SPEAKER: Dr. Rebecca Boswell, a clinical psychologist with Penn Medicine, opens Stuart Country Day School’s Cor Cordis Speaker Series with a talk about nutrition and body image in teenaged girls.
Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Princeton households will be able to recycle food scraps at an expanded number of dropoff sites.
The municipality has been awarded a $245,590 Compost and Food Waste Reduction grant to expand its food scraps recycling program, currently serving 223 residents at two sites, 400 Witherspoon Street and Monument Hall. The town plans to add 10 locations to be determined, which will serve about 1,200 households. The program is free for all Princeton residents.
Princeton Council approved the pilot program for two sites in May 2023. The goal, which aligns with the town’s Climate Action Plan, is to divert food waste from landfi lls. This helps reduce methane and carbon dioxide emissions, two potent greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
“Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas,” said Jenny Ludmer of Sustainable Princeton, which has been working on the plan. “Food waste generates methane, and it goes to the landfi ll. It is a significant waste stream.”
Once collected at the sites, the food scraps are processed at Trenton Renewables, which uses anaerobic digestion technology to generate electricity and soil amendment from the food scraps.
“Based on the amount of food scraps collected from the two existing sites, Princeton anticipates the expansion to 12 sites could result in diverting 63 tons of food scraps from the landfill each year,” reads a release from the municipality, adding that it is equivalent to growing
Collection Program
230 tree seedlings for 10 years.
Another feature of the expanded plan is to ensure equitable implementation. “All residents can participate at no cost, regardless of where they live within Princeton,” reads the release. “By creating 12 strategically located drop-off points across the municipality, Princeton aims to significantly increase participation in the program by a variety of residents, including its underprivileged community members.”
Sites under consideration include “several neighborhood schools and other municipally-owned sites.”
“As a participant in Princeton’s food scraps program, I’ve found the drop-off system incredibly easy and convenient,” said Princeton Councilmember Eve Niedergang.
“It’s a great way to make a difference without much effort, and I’m excited to see more locations added around the municipality.”
Princeton previously had a curbside recycling program, including over 1,200 households at its peak. But it was discontinued due to factors including the inclusion of unacceptable items, such as plastic bags, with the materials to be composted; and evidence that the materials were not being taken to the proper facility.
The main driver for the new model versus curbside was cost.
Having the drop sites is a more fiscally responsible way for a municipality to collect the waste,” said Ludmer. “I would encourage everyone to think about joining one of these sites as they become available. It’s actually easier than you might think.”
—Anne Levin
Valentin Among Honorees Of 2024 Policy Makers
On October 22 at 6 p.m. at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, Executive Women of New Jersey (EWNJ) recognized Nelida Valentin from the Princeton Area Community Foundation, alongside New Jersey’s most distinguished women in leadership during the organization’s biennial gala, Salute to the Policy Makers.
Valentin was honored for her professional achievements and her dedication to advancing women’s representation in leadership roles.
“The Executive Women of NJ amplifies and lifts up the power of women’s contributions and service,” said Valentin. “Thank you for the recognition in this year’s Salute to the Policy Makers. I’m proud to serve the community through our philanthropy at the Princeton Area Community Foundation.”
“We’re proud to celebrate Nelida Valentin and the other exceptional women on this year’s list of honorees,” said M. Courtney McCormick, president of EWNJ and senior vice president of Audit, Enterprise Risk & Compliance at PSEG. “The extraordinary contributions of these trailblazers represent the power and potential of women’s leadership across sectors and underscores the critical need to address the ongoing challenges in achieving gender and racial equity in the workplace.”
The Salute to the Policy Makers Gala raises funds for all of EWNJ’s networking programs, advocacy work, and leadership and mentoring initiatives including its signature Graduate Merit Award Program, which is focused on ensuring new generations of women leaders.
The EWNJ Graduate Merit Award Program is the largest provider of scholarships to women who are non-traditional graduate students at New Jersey colleges and universities. To date, the program has awarded over $1.4 million in tuition assistance.
Washington Crossing Park Awarded $75,000 Grant
The Washington Crossing Park Association of New Jersey has received a $75,000 National Park Service Semiquincentennial Grant to update the National Historic Landmark (NHL) Boundary for Washington’s Crossing.
Thanks to the famous painting by Emmanuel Leutze, Americans are familiar with the image of “Washington Crossing the Delaware. Some know that the site of the Crossing is marked by two State Parks: Washington Crossing State Park in New Jersey, and Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania. However, few people are aware that the National Historic Landmark that marks this important historic site is one of the few that straddle two states. The Foundation will
be undertaking this NHL update in collaboration with colleagues at the Pennsylvania sister park, who have received a similar grant of their own.
The original 1961 NHL listing for both parks was incomplete. Thanks to this funding, the two parks will undertake a complete update to the current boundary delineation of this bi-state National Historic Landmark.
This includes an analysis of existing NHL boundaries of both parks’ state and national register nominations, along with updating descriptions for all the Landmark’s cultural/historic resources to incorporate current research and present a more inclusive interpretation of the site.
This National Historic Landmark update is being supported in whole by a Semiquincentennial grant
from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The update will make the park eligible for muchneeded future funding as it prepares for a restoration which will include a new Visitor Museum, new roadways and signage, and the installation of a stunning mural of Washington Crossing the Delaware, painted in 1921 by military artist George Matthew Harding. The Washington Crossing Park Association (WCPA), which is the officially recognized Friends organization of New Jersey’s Washington Crossing State Park, has also received funding to renovate the Park’s Nelson House, near the Delaware River. Visit washington crossingparkassociation. com for more information.
Nelida Valentin
RIDE TO FIGHT HUNGER: The 4th Annual JFCS Wheels for Meals on October 13 welcomed 350 participants, the largest turnout in its history. The event collectively raised $100,000 in support of JFCS food programs, which support thousands of food-insecure individuals across Greater Mercer County.
tecture + Site for the Historical Studies-Social
Advanced Study.
Proposal for Expansion of Institute Library To Go in Front of Princeton Planning Board
At a special meeting on Thursday evening, October 24, the Princeton Planning Board is scheduled to consider a proposal by the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) to add a second level to its existing main library.
Designed by architecture firm Harrison & Abramovitz and dedicated in 1965, the modernist library was built at the request of former IAS Director J. Robert Oppenheimer. Wallace K. Harrison was known for his work on New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House, Rockefeller Center, and the United Nations building. He also designed Jasna Polana, the estate of J. Seward Johnson and his wife, Barbara Piasecka Johnson, on Route 206.
While praised in its early years, specifically for the way its roof lets in light, the building has suffered from a growing series of leaks over the years. The expansion project addresses the leaks as well as “providing new spaces where scholars can collaborate and share ideas,” reads a release from the IAS issued last May. “It will also create additional office space for the Institute’s renowned scholars, including some who now must work in temporary structures.”
Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site of Blue Bell, Pa., are the architects for the current project, which is estimated to be completed in 2027. In addition to expanding and revitalizing the space for scholars, it is designed to preserve significant collections, including rare books and manuscripts.
“For a place dedicated to discovery, there is nothing more important than preserving what we know, and providing the kinds of spaces necessary for the possibilities of thought and
the advancement of knowledge,” said IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor David Nirenberg in the release.
“The Library restoration and expansion will provide our faculty and members with an environment in which they can explore the intellectual frontiers of both established and emerging fields.”
There was some resistance to the plan after it was announced last year, particularly to the enclosure of the original roof. “The approach navigates away from Harrison’s glass-heavy modernism, instead offering a massing that hangs over the ground level,” reads a June 6, 2023 article published in The Architect’s Newspaper.
“The addition, as designed, would eliminate the lighting conditions of Harrison’s original building.”
The IAS was quoted as saying that the roof’s problems threatened the library’s collections, and that it had been advised that a direct replacement was not viable given the local climate.
A letter signed by many current and former IAS faculty members and quoted in The Architect’s Newspaper criticized Kimmel Bogrette’s approach as “assembling all the clichés of commercial architecture as if it were generated by a computer. It is as bulky and obtrusive as Harrison’s gem is delicate and discreet.”
Institute spokesperson Lee Sandberg said that to advance the plan to preserve and expand the library while protecting collections at risk, “the Institute engaged architectural advisor Frances Halsband, a founding partner of Kliment Halsband Architects whose work is widely recognized for preservation, adaptive reuse, and master planning, to help guide our design approach.
The current designs reflect this guidance and represent
a substantial evolution of earlier design concepts.”
Halsband dates the idea for a new library to the late 1950s.
“A committee was formed in 1957 and architects were contacted, including Richard Neutra, Louis Kahn, Edward Barnes, and Robert Venturi,” he wrote. “Marcel Breuer, who had just completed the Institute’s member housing, made a proposal but it was rejected. Princeton architect Kenneth Stone Kassler proposed an underground building, which was also rejected.”
Harrison had recently completed Oppenheimer’s beach house in the Virgin Islands. He was approached, and accepted the commission. It took until 1962 for a design to be approved. While Oppenheimer proposed a second floor as a means to provide future flexibility, there were no funds for it at the time.
In his conclusion, Halsband writes that climate change makes the project an urgent one. The project as proposed “will make the library significantly more efficient and environmentally sustainable, substantially reducing heat loss, cooling needs, and nighttime light pollution,” reads the release. “By expanding without enlarging the building’s footprint, it will also help the Institute to steward its renowned grounds, which are important not only to the IAS community but also to neighbors and the larger Princeton community.”
The Planning Board meeting, which is on Zoom, begins at 7 p.m. Visit princetonnj.gov for the link.
—Anne Levin
RESTORATION AND EXPANSION: A rendering of the design by Kimmel Bogrette Archi-
Science Library at the Institute for
(Illustration courtesy of Kimmel Bogrette)
become better. That’s where we are. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Sturges has assembled a number of experts on real estate, finance, urban planning, construction, and development to present ideas and lead the discussion, and he’s hoping that the municipality will be adding its support, possibly through zoning and land use reform, to whatever promising plans evolve in the effort to build a more inclusive town.
“There are a lot of people in this town who know things,” said Sturges. “We’ve been trying to get people who know things. And the question is, ‘How can we have more inclusionary housing that allows a broader spectrum of people to live here and work here without having to get into their cars to drive here?’”
Several experts who will be in attendance at Saturday’s meeting are also property owners on North Tulane, looking to move forward in developing their real estate and respond to some of Sturges’ overriding questions.
Saturday’s Princeton Future session will open with a presentation on “Defining Affordable Housing and Missing Middle Housing” with TAPinto Princeton Editor Rich Rein and Josh Wilton from Queenston Realty. Rein will present “a story of a teacher and an aspiring resident” and Wilton will review “what’s on the market in those ranges.”
A Q&A session will follow, after which, focusing on North Tulane, “our community’s ‘near downtown,” architect Joshua Zinder will discuss “MIssing Middle Housing in Princeton: Model for Success,” and Rutgers Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning Tony Nelessen will explore “Municipal Investment in the Streetscape — Underground Wiring, Lights, and Trees?”
The third portion of the program will be a case study of 25 Wiggins Street, and 57 and 61 North Tulane, with presenters Nelessen, Chris Myers and Brom Snyder of Pinneo Construction and Helios LLC, Dan Chamby of Helios LLC, and architect
Marina Rubina, all taking a look at “What can be built now?” “What could be done?” and “What might be in the future?”
Q&A sessions will continue throughout, and final responses will be delivered by Princeton University Sociology Professor Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Sam Bunting of Walkable Princeton, Aubrey Haines of Princeton Property Partners, and Carlos Rodrigues of Design Solutions for a Crowded Planet. Rein, Zinder, Nelessen, Rubina, Fernandez-Kelly, and Rodrigues are all Princeton Future board members.
Princeton Future invites all Princeton residents to have their say at this workshop and listening session. “We have to do something different in the downtown,” said Sturges. “The important thing here is what the people in the audience have to say.”
Depending on what transpires at Saturday’s session, Princeton Future, Sturges suggests, might follow up with a “call to action” proposal that would include an invitation to the town to consider redoing North Tulane in partnership with the property owners, widening the sidewalks, putting wiring underground planting trees, and increasing stormwater protection.
Princeton Future might also invite the town to speed up timing of the planning, zoning, and permitting procedures for the developers on this street. Sturges also suggests that all North Tulane property owners bring forward possible case studies for presentation to the community at an open meeting on April 5, 2025.
And further into the future, Sturges urges other neighborhoods in the community to ask Princeton Future to hold open meetings about areas that are susceptible to change, where developers and property owners are investing or are considering making investments according to the 2023 Community Master Plan. The possibilities are numerous, from individually-owned properties to Princeton University-owned real estate, to land owned by the municipality, the Princeton Public Schools, and others.
—Donald Gilpin
Talk at Bonaparte’s Home
By Journalist Dan Aubrey
The life and loves of noted area 19th century beauty
Annette Savage will be the topic of an event on Saturday, November 16, 2 p.m., at the Discovery Center at Point Breeze, 101 East Park Street, Bordentown. Journalist and writer Dan Aubrey is the speaker.
The admission cost of $20 supports the Discovery Center at Point Breeze, which was home to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and exiled King of Spain, from 1816–1839. Bonaparte fled Europe after his brother was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and eventually settled in New Jersey.
At one point, Joseph Bonaparte owned around 2,200 acres in and around Bordentown City. Annette Savage, the French-speaking member of an old Virginian planter family, met the former King of Naples and Spain when she was 18 years old and he was shopping for suspenders at her mother’s upmarket shop in Philadelphia.
Savage accompanied Bonaparte when he moved to the Trenton/Bordentown region to build his Point Breeze mansion and estate. The couple became the parents of two daughters. The eldest, Pauline, was killed in an accident in 1823 and is buried at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in downtown Trenton. She was later recognized as a member of French royalty.
Although Bonaparte ended the romantic liaison with Savage, he continued to support and communicate with her until his death in 1844. Savage died in 1865.
Aubrey will lead the program that looks at Savage from a historic and creative perspective. The program will include readings from Aubrey’s The Rooms, a fictional look at Savage’s time with Bonaparte.
Created in 2011, The Rooms is a site-specific work that has been read during tours of Bow Hill Mansion, the historic structure that Bonaparte rented for Savage across the marsh in Hamilton.
Aubrey is the former arts editor of U.S. 1 newspaper, a past writer for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and New Jersey State Museum, and a regional arts organizer. A Bordentown resident, he was also involved with the Friends of the Abbott Marshlands and the establishment of the Tulpehaking Nature Center.
The Discovery Center at Point Breeze, which is managed by D&R Greenway Land Trust, was the historic home of Joseph Bonaparte’s gardener. It is believed that Bonaparte stayed in the house after fire destroyed his first mansion and while his second mansion was being built. The house has been converted into a museum with exhibits including the Crown Jewels Gallery, an exhibit on the Lenape Nation, archeological displays, and a natural history room. Those who wish to tour the museum before or after the program are encouraged to do so.
Advance reservations are requested. Visit drgreenway.org.
BONAPARTE’S MISTRESS: This detail of an 1823 painting by Bass Otis shows Annette Savage, the lover of Joseph Bonaparte, and her daughters. Savage is the focus of a lecture at Point Breeze in Bordentown.
(Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art)
Election Day
continued from page one
in a number of local forums, an abundance of lawn signs, and a constant flow of letters in the Town Topics Mailbox in recent weeks. Further information about the candidates is available on the Princeton Parent-Teacher Organization Council (PTOC) website, at princetonptoc.weebly.com, and on candidates’ websites.
In other local contests, Mark Freda is running unopposed for a second term as mayor, and incumbent Leighton Newlin and new candidate Brian McDonald are also unopposed in the election for two seats on Princeton Council.
In the contest for three seats on the Board of County Commissioners, three incumbent Democrats — Samuel Frisby, Kristin L. McLaughlin, and Terrance Stokes — are running against Republicans Andrew Curcio, Pedro Reyes, and Denise “Neicy” Turner. In the 12th District race for Congress the major party candidates are incumbent
Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman and Republican Darius Mayfield. The New Jersey contest for U.S. Senator is pitting Democrat Andy Kim against Republican Curtis Bashaw. At the top of the ballot are major party candidates for president and vice president are Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz for the Democrats and Donald J. Trump and JD Vance for the Republicans.
Covello encourages interested Mercer County residents to visit her Election Page, accessed through the “Election” tab on the left side of the County Clerk’s web page, and to watch the video on voting options for New Jersey residents.
“Whether you prefer mailin ballots, early in-person voting, or casting your vote on Election Day, this video has all the details you need to make your voice heard,” she wrote. “Don’t miss it — your vote matters!” Princeton Mayor Freda assisted with the two-minute video production and plays a supporting role on screen.
—Donald Gilpin
HomeFront Holiday Market Supports Families in
Need
HomeFront’s Holiday Market 2024 is an arts and crafts event with proceeds going to support local families in need. The market is at HomeFront’s Lawrence Township campus, 1880 Princeton Avenue, on Saturday and Sunday, November 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The theme is “Homemade for the Holidays,” featuring over 40 area artisans and vendors offering one-of-kind gifts, clothing, visual art, fine crafts, handsewn items, home and holiday decor.
HomeFront’s mission to end homelessness in Central New Jersey is accomplished through the agency’s comprehensive slate of supportive programs. The Holiday Market is hosted by the agency’s healing art programs, ArtSpace and SewingSpace, which stress the life-affirming powers of creativity. Several of the vendors at the Holiday Market will be prior clients and volunteers of these programs.
“Not only is this a fun event, HomeFront’s Holiday Market delivers significant impacts across many areas. We are supporting struggling families, while encouraging the HomeFront artists and artisans, boosting their feelings of selfworth. Shoppers are giving back to their community in a valuable way,” said Ruthann Traylor, director of ArtSpace and SewingSpace.
“HomeFront is seeing increased numbers of families in need in Mercer County,” said Sarah Steward, CEO of HomeFront. “And we deeply appreciate all the community
a chance for kids of all ages to put on their costumes and celebrate to the music of the Princeton University Band. On Friday, October 25, meet at Palmer Square Green starting at 5:15 p.m. The parade begins at 5:45 p.m. and makes its way to the YMCA
support and volunteerism that happens at the agency every day. The holidays are an opportunity to share your own abundance and blessings with others who may not have as much.”
Visit homefrontnj.org for more information.
Peddler’s Village Hosts Annual Apple Festival
Peddler’s Village, the countryside shopping, dining, lodging, and family entertainment destination in Lahaska, Pa., will host its annual Apple Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, November 2 and 3.
live musical performances by the Michael Christopher Band, Vintage Village Tribe, Funkin’ Soulnuts, Big Chill, and Rendition Jazz Band, among others. Activities include axe throwing, lawn games, sand art, face painting, bounce houses, pony rides, a petting zoo, and mural painting.
Fresh local apples from Bechdolt’s Orchards, cider, apple fritters, lattice apple pies, and other apple-themed treats, food, and drinks will
be available for purchase all weekend long while supplies last. Apple pies can be preordered until November 1 at PeddlersVillage.com
Peddler’s Village-owned restaurants will also offer apple-themed food and drink specials every day from November 1 through 11.
Visit peddlersvillage.com for more information.
Think Global Buy Local
The weekend festival will include live entertainment, family activities, apple-inspired food and drinks, and a selection of baked goods, including lattice apple pies that are also available for pre-order. Admission is free. Entertainment will include
Writing in Support of Ari Meisel, an Innovation Leader for School Board
To the Editor:
Eight years ago, my wife, Liesl Geiger, and I moved here with two kids, then 4 and 9. After over two decades in New York City, we chose Princeton for a variety of reasons, but mostly for the schools — and the committed citizen oversight that makes them great.
It’s a rite of fall in Princeton. Trick-or-treating takes place amid the lawn signs of civic-minded neighbors we’ve met at school, on the sports fields, or around town.
This year, I know one of the candidates for School Board quite well. I’ve spent the last year and a half building a leadership academy with Ari Meisel. Since his business expertise is relevant to his candidacy, which I wholeheartedly endorse, I should explain what drew me to Ari as a business partner.
In his corner of the executive coaching world, he is an efficiency guru with a dedicated following I call the Ariverse — made up of customers, clients, fans, and evangelists around the world who’ve bought his books, watched his masterclasses, attended his summits, and otherwise found growth with his Less Doing system of productivity.
His approach to problem-solving is grounded in his belief that every organization — whether a business or a school district — can be improved by streamlining processes to focus on what truly matters. Just look at his “process hack” for the Princeton Fire & Rescue Squad, where he’s a vice president. Using no-code automations, video asks, credentialing tools, and other innovations, he streamlined their hiring and on-boarding process significantly, freeing up many hours each week for senior leaders to focus on more strategic efforts.
Many of you know Ari from his multiple volunteer positions around town. I can introduce you to the thinker, process hacker, and methodologist. At Princeton Kaizen, we teach entrepreneurs and business leaders how to build Smart Orgs, and Ari’s contribution is a GPT-integrated program on strategic optimization and leadership.
For our kids, AI and automation will play as large as role in their lives as the internet has in ours. In the realm of education, they will create more time for teachers to teach, streamline administrative processes, and free up focus and resource for student development. And yet, AI presents a seismic challenge to educators. It’s a conversation going on in every educational institution, and I can’t think of a person I’d rather have representing my children’s interests than Ari.
He is not just an expert in efficiency; he is a leader who lives a simple credo: kaizen, a Japanese business philosophy meaning change for the good . He knows how to transform organizations and foster an environment where innovation is not just encouraged but expected.
I am confident that his unique perspective will benefit every student, teacher, and parent in our district.
CHRIS KINCADE CEO, Princeton Kaizen
Parkside Drive
Endorsing Lisa Potter and Shenwei Zhao
For
Election to Princeton Board of Education
To the Editor: Princeton Public Schools (PPS) needs leaders who offer independent thinking and act decisively during complex situations. That is why we are endorsing Lisa Potter and Shenwei Zhao for the Board of Education. Both candidates bring distinct strengths that will help PPS thrive.
With extensive human resources experience, Lisa Potter emphasized proactive communication to avoid preventable conflicts. Reflecting on these same situations, Potter shared how earlier action would have minimized disruption and maintained stability. Her focus on risk management and strategic foresight will be critical as PPS navigates challenges such as hiring a new superintendent and deepening community engagement.
Shenwei Zhao’s leadership style centers on balancing diverse perspectives and building consensus. When asked how he would have handled the superintendent transition and the principal’s dismissal, Zhao highlighted how he would have sought solutions to reduce costs and maintain community trust. His thoughtful, consensus-driven approach ensures that difficult decisions are handled with care, fostering transparency and collaboration.
We value both candidates’ responses to these scenarios because they demonstrate that neither will succumb to groupthink. Potter and Zhao have shown that they will think independently, ask the tough questions, and prioritize the needs of the entire community.
Beyond their unique strengths, Potter and Zhao also are role models within the Asian American community, proving the power of civic involvement in building a more inclusive society.
We are confident that Potter and Zhao will provide the leadership that PPS needs to ensure that our students grow intellectually and emotionally, while maintaining the trust of parents and staff.
We enthusiastically endorse Lisa Potter and Shenwei Zhao for the Princeton Board of Education.
JING CONOVER & MING
BOE Candidates Should Be Judged by Positive Changes They Bring, Not Baseless Accusations
To the Editor:
There is a growing concern in our community that certain Board of Education candidates are being unfairly labeled as racist, often without substantial evidence. These accusations can be especially damaging when they come from influential figures within the dominant local political organization, whose voices hold considerable weight in shaping public opinion. It is vital that we question these claims and not accept them at face value, as they can undermine both the integrity of our elections and trust in our democratic processes. What is particularly troubling is that these accusations seem to target not only those who hold differing opinions on how best to support minority students, but also those merely perceived as having such views. In education, as in any field, there are often multiple perspectives on how to address complex issues. Yet, if a candidate’s viewpoint — or even just the perception of their viewpoint — conflicts with the beliefs of key figures in education and the community, they may quickly find themselves unjustly branded as racist. This happens not because of what these candidates have actually said or done, but because their opinions seem to rub leading figures the wrong way.
These accusations are especially unfair considering the positive actions these candidates have taken for the benefit of our children and community. Shenwei Zhao successfully worked to stop the opening of a cannabis store just hundreds of feet from our schools. Lisa Potter rallied parents upset by the Principal Chimel firing into a school watchdog organization to monitor the Board of Education’s governance and finances, particularly highlighting governance failures that were evident during the Chimel incident. These are just two examples of their work, and there are many more in a similar vein. Is doing these things for our children racist? If that’s the case, then count the majority of the parents in this town as racist too, because most of us want these positive changes for our children’s future.
It seems these candidates’ actions have upset certain local figures, and in retaliation, the easiest but most vile tactic — accusing someone of racism — has been used to tarnish their reputations and hinder their election success. This tactic not only silences meaningful debate but also discourages other well-meaning individuals from serving our community out of fear of unjust attacks.
We must not allow such baseless accusations to be accepted without question. Instead, the public should ask: “What has the person actually said or done that is racist?” Too often, these claims are exaggerated or completely unfounded, meant to discredit rather than engage in thoughtful discussion. Racism is a serious issue that needs addressing wherever it genuinely exists, but the term should not be used as a tool for political gain. In the upcoming Board of Education elections, I urge voters to look beyond these harmful labels and examine each candidate’s actions and ideas. Let’s ensure that our elections remain fair and that candidates are judged by the positive changes they bring—not by baseless accusations.
JUNGLIEN CHEN McComb Road
Gretalia Hospitality Group Head Thanks Clients For Long-standing Support and Dining Local
To the Editor:
Thank you to Jenni and Gordon for their letter [“Writing in Praise and Support of Jugtown Neighborhood Restaurant,” Mailbox, October 16] and for choosing Trattoria Procaccini to host your 50th wedding anniversary dinner party. We do our utmost to create an amazing experience for all our clients with great cuisine, an amazing atmosphere, and professional and courteous staff. It has always been my goal to make everyone feel like extended family when they dine with us, and it gives me great pleasure to know that you both feel the same. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and we thank you for your long-standing support over the years and by dining local. Many of us small businesses rely on loyal customers like yourselves and it means the world to us. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Continued on Next Page
JOHN S. PROCACCINI
Lifelong Princeton resident
Gretalia Hospitality Group Tree Farm Road, Pennington
BOE Candidate Z. Lisa Potter Calls for Standing Up to Bullies, Unity in Princeton
To the Editor:
During this election cycle, rumors are circulating that the two Asian candidates for BOE are racist. These accusations are not just absurd — they are divisive and dangerous. Whispered within the community, they sow distrust and disconnection. People I once considered friends now avoid my gaze. Neighbors have grown distant, treating me like an outsider in a place where I’ve worked hard to serve and belong.
This smear campaign feels eerily familiar. When my family first arrived in America, we lived in a rough part of Hollywood. My mother, a single parent who didn’t speak English, worked as a housekeeper in Beverly Hills. My brother and I stayed in a motel, watched over by an auntie who provided us with a foothold in this new life.
One day, three teenage siblings blocked our way home from school. They called us “chinks,” mimicking Chinese accents with cruel voices that still linger in my memory. The next day, I tried a longer route home — 45 minutes instead of 15 — bypassing pimps, prostitutes, and junkies. This was not sustainable.
Eventually, we asked Lynn, the only other Asian student at school, for help. Though she was Vietnamese, and we didn’t speak the same language, she understood. I told her, “If bullies come, you run. Go get help.” She did. After that day, the bullies never returned. Most importantly, I learned a valuable lesson: You have to stand up to bullies. Today, I am standing up again. The bullies look different, but their tactics are the same — using fear and lies to block people. These self-appointed leaders fear losing power. They demand explanations from us while offering no proof to support their accusations. It’s gaslighting — flipping the narrative to make victims look like the aggressors.
This smear campaign isn’t just an attack on me personally — it undermines everything that I’ve built. As an HR professional, I’ve spent my career fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) —creating spaces where everyone belongs. Being accused of racism not only is insulting; it’s a direct attack on my integrity and life’s work. These bullies have no regard for the impact on my children or my family.
Bullying has consequences. It teaches children that intimidation is acceptable, feeding the mental health crisis we see today.
When I entered this race, I learned that Asian Americans are labeled “adjacent white” — supposedly too privileged to need inclusion. It’s a label that erases the struggles that my family and I endured, reducing us to outsiders once again. This isn’t the Princeton I believe in, and I know this isn’t the Princeton most of us want. DE&I isn’t a term you twist to decide who belongs — it should mean that everyone belongs.
On Election Day, I ask you to stand with me. Vote for candidates who believe in unity and authenticity — not those who divide us with fear and lies. Together, let’s build a Princeton where everyone has a place, and no one needs to fight alone.
Z. LISA POTTER BOE Candidate Gordon Way
Arguing that Princeton’s TRW Campus Historic
Neighborhood Should Be Preserved As It Is
To the Editor:
Every time I drive by Princeton Theological Seminary’s Tennent/Roberts/Whiteley campus located between Edgehill Street and Hibben Road, my heart sinks. Trees have been cut down, three buildings have been razed, and a multi-family development by Herring Properties has been challenged by concerned neighbors and town citizens at public hearings.
One of Princeton’s major assets is its historic neighborhood. I grew up in The Barracks on 32 Edgehill Street and later my husband and I purchased it from my parents. (My father, Lewis B. Cuyler, was president of the Princeton Historical Society). I ask myself, “What was the Seminary thinking when it decided to sell their historic campus (originally Hun School) to Herring Properties?” How can the PTS sell property to a developer who has plans for 238 apartments? Five acres with three- to four- story buildings and underground parking. A monstrosity in a historic district. It’s irresponsible.
Why not preserve Princeton’s valuable historic district as is? The Barracks was a hospital during the French and Indian War and once again, served as a hospital for British and Hessian soldiers during the Battle of Princeton. The Stocktons lived in the house as Morven was being built. Other houses on Edgehill have historic significance as well. It’s a travesty that Princeton’s town Council seems married to the financial gain of a modern apartment building in the heart of Princeton’s historic district at the expense of Princeton’s earliest neighborhood and its historical integrity.
MARGERY CUYLER
BOE Candidate Snyder is Strong Leader Who Has Hands-on Experience as Career Educator
To the Editor:
This is our first letter to Town Topics and we are doing so to endorse Erica Snyder’s candidacy for a seat on the PPS Board of Education.
Erica’s daughter is classmates with our fi rst-grade daughter at Community Park. We have always been impressed by Erica’s commitment to public service and her extensive experience as an educator. While working full time she nonetheless served as a co-president of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), helping facilitate community activities that immediately allowed new families like ours and so many others to feel at home at Community Park. Also, at a school with significant income disparities among its families, Erica oversaw fundraising initiatives that ensured that all families were able to participate fully in extracurricular activities regardless of their ability to pay. And she did this in the aftermath of the pandemic and the massive disruption this caused for the PTO and the rest of the community.
We appreciate that Erica is a lifelong educator. Isaac began his professional life as a high school teacher but lacked the mettle to do it for more than three years. Erica, on the other hand, has committed herself to being a stable and nurturing figure in the lives of children for decades. Before her current tenure as the director of the Cherry Hill Nursery School, Erica worked in diverse communities from rural Ecuador to South Side Chicago to Charlotte, North Carolina. These experiences will serve our community and our children well if Erica is elected to the PPS School Board.
Finally, we have experienced fi rsthand Erica’s fantastic communication skills. She has been a fi xture at BOE
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.
meetings and Board Committee meetings and would provide invaluable information and insights about evolving district policies. Even better, she always fi nds the time to answer questions and help new families decipher the necessary but often arcane processes of PPS. Erica is fl uent in Spanish, a key qualifi cation in our diverse and multicultural district. We are very excited to cast our votes for Erica this November and if you are looking for a strong leader who has the hands-on experience as a career educator and a demonstrated commitment to the children of our district, we would strongly urge you to also consider voting for Erica as well.
ISAAC SOLOTAROFF
ILYANA KUZIEMKO Valley Road
Considering Westminster Choir College Campus Opportunities and Potential Costs
To the Editor:
Council’s foresight to preserve and utilize the Westminster Choir College campus is commendable. We have not heard how this purchase will be utilized, so we look forward to public input from our residents for how this asset can be utilized with minimal cost to Princeton’s residents. With the wisdom and financial acumen of our neighbors, we should reconsider past municipal practices of retaining costly consultants who know less about Princeton than its residents.
Use of the existing classroom buildings by the BOE may be feasible if large expenditures are not required to update the facilities to a state-of-the-art design statement. The $49 million purchase price could easily generate additional costs if the entire 23-acre campus is not considered as an income producing opportunity.
With 23 acres, might I suggest that Council consider selling the rear portion (a large expanse of parking lots) for residential development? Ideally, a 100 percent low to moderate income, moderate density residential community would help Princeton meet its mandated low-income requirement without the current 20 percent developer requirement that has resulted in excessive apartment developments, which will eventually impact BOE school facility capacity. A partial sale will also offset the $49 million purchase price and potential additional costs for public reuse.
While the purchase may not jeopardize Princeton’s bonding capacity, it will create an additional tax burden to its residents. The ability to retain lower to moderate income residents for the diverse community that Princeton aspires to be are challenged by continuing bond and tax increases for municipal facilities. This acquisition may be a wonderful preservation opportunity, but the initial and potential costs and the ability of partial sale to offset those costs should be considered if we are to encourage and retain Princeton’s diversity.
PETER MADISON Snowden
Lane
Birchwood Court
Candidate Zhao Clarifies Response to Webinar
Question Regarding Books in School Libraries
To the Editor:
Several people have reached out to me seeking clarification on my response to a question asked at the PTOC Candidate Forum Webinar on October 1. Before I dive into the details, please let me share the exact question: In PPS, librarians and educators choose the books housed in the school libraries. Do you think the Board should be involved in choosing or banning books?
Based on the pre-set rule, I was the first to respond to this question. I admit that I was initially a bit confused by how the question was worded. I later had a chance to discuss this with the PTOC Forum organizers at a “Meet the Candidates” event, and I got the sense that they might have agreed with me that the question could have been phrased better, especially since it was presented in a simple “yes or no” format.
For reference, a similar question was asked at the Planet Princeton forum in September, the video of which was released on October 12. In that setting, all candidates were given more time and freedom to elaborate on their views. I encourage you check that discussion for my view on this topic.
With this background, I would like to make the following clarifications:
I categorically do not support banning books. It is wrong, it should never happen here. Coming from a place where books have been and continue to be banned for various reasons, I have seen firsthand what this leads to. Typically, it involves the following: the book disappears from circulation and can’t be found anywhere; if someone somehow finds a copy and takes it home, people may report them; authorities show up at their door for possessing the book; and punishment follows, whether through confiscation, fines, or even jail time.
I’ll leave it to you to judge if that’s what is happening here.
However, I do support giving the Board of Education (BOE) and schools more options when it comes to choosing books in school libraries. In fact, I recently learned that State Senator Andrew Zwicker is a co-sponsor of the Freedom to Read Act (S2421), in which the sponsors state “A board of education shall adopt a policy establishing a procedure regarding a request for removal of library material within a school library.” While the reasons for requesting the book removal are always worth debating, it’s clear the bill’s sponsors had a purpose in including this requirement.
Here’s another perspective: Schools and teachers should have the option to choose books they use for instruction. Many Princeton residents hold teaching positions. Hypothetically, for any reasons, if you decide not to choose a particular book as teaching material, does that mean you, and the institutions you are working for, engaged in banning the other books you didn’t pick?
I hope this clarifies my position and response. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions. I welcome open debate and discussion.
SHENWEI ZHAO BOE Candidate Prospect Avenue
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.
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.
Supporting Mara Franceschi for Reelection To BOE Because Experience Matters
To the Editor:
I have had the pleasure of knowing Mara Franceschi since I moved to Princeton nine years ago and the opportunity of working with her as a PTO officer at Johnson Park Elementary School for many years. I am grateful for her contributions on the Board of Education and am excited to support her reelection for a second term.
Mara’s candidacy is an obvious choice to me due to her extensive experience as a Board member. She not only understands the role’s responsibilities, but embodies the leadership qualities needed to mentor new Board members over the next three years. But it is not just her experience that I find invaluable, it is her commitment and dedication to our school district that I have witnessed that garners my unwavering support. For over 14 years, she has given her time, talent and energy to our school district, children and community. Her advocacy for all children and her determination to maintain our district’s high standards sets her apart.
Mara’s background in finance is a key asset when addressing the budget. She knows how to maximize spending to benefit our children’s education and keep tax increases at a minimum. She will be thoughtful when tackling capacity challenges that our schools face due to rising enrollment, and she will remain diligent in the ongoing search for a new superintendent. These, combined with her integrity, passion, and honesty make her someone that I trust completely.
I feel fortunate to have Mara in our community and hope you will join me and vote for Mara on November 5!
MARIA PALMER MAURER
Pretty Brook Road
BOE Candidates Santarpio and Snyder Understand That Every Student Deserves Opportunity to Thrive
To the Editor:
We are writing to express our strong support for Chris Santarpio and Erica Snyder as candidates for our Princeton Public Schools’ Board of Education. As a family committed to our public schools for over 20 years, we have witnessed firsthand the profound impact that quality and equitable education has on our community. Chris and Erica’s commitment to inclusion and equity is both commendable and essential. Chris and Erica have a proven track record of working well together and collaborating with others. As co-presidents of the Community Park PTO, they have successfully brought parents, teachers, and administrators together to create a more supportive school environment. Their ability to foster teamwork and engage diverse perspectives has led to initiatives that benefit all students.
Chris and Erica are uniquely positioned to bring about positive change. Chris is a community advocate, who has cultivated strong relationships with local organizations. He emphasizes partnership between schools, families, and our community to empower all students to achieve their goals. Erica is an experienced educator with a deep understanding of the challenges teachers and students face. Her experiences will enhance the board’s work to prioritize student engagement and support educators and administrators effectively.
Both candidates understand that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background. They’re dedicated to cultivating an inclusive atmosphere so that all voices are heard and valued in our schools. Chris and
Erica advocate for policies that promote equity and address the unique needs of our diverse student body. As we look toward the future, it is crucial that we elect representatives who reflect our community values. Together Chris Santarpio (ballot column “J”) and Erica Snyder (ballot column “O”) can leverage their unique strengths to foster a more inclusive, effective, and forward-thinking board. We urge our fellow Princeton residents to support their candidacy in the upcoming November election.
MARISABEL FERNÁNDEZ
RAÚL FIGUEROA ISABEL FIGUEROA FERNÁNDEZ
Herrontown Circle
Princeton Author James “Murr” Murray Celebrates New Thriller at MarketFair
James “Murr” Murray, known as host of television’s Impractical Jokers, will be at Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Princeton MarketFair on Route 1 on Friday, October 25, at 6 p.m. to celebrate his new thriller novel, You Better Watch Out, co-written with Darreen Wearmouth. He will be doing a book signing and “meet and greet.”
Seating is prioritized for customers with books purchased at Barnes & Noble, and customers must show receipt or proof of purchase. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 6 p.m. Standing room will be available. Signing order will be designated by numbered tickets distributed entering the event space.
According to the publisher’s synopsis, the book (St. Martin’s Press, $28) takes place 48 hours before Christmas, when Jessica Kane wakes up injured with a gash in her head and blood running down her face, and the last thing she remembers is going for a run and something, or someone, hitting her in the head. She realizes she is trapped in an unknown, deserted town with five other strangers who share similar stories of being attacked, unsure of why and how they got there. But someone is orchestrating their deaths, one by one.
“I was hooked by the terrifying shock at the end of chapter one,” said R.L.Stine, bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street. “I had no idea that the shocks would keep on coming. Frightening nonstop fun!”
Murray is a writer, executive producer, and actor, best known as “Murr,” on Impractical Jokers on truTV and TBS. He is the owner of Impractical Productions, LLC and co-owner of Bad Woods Entertainment. He is the author of the Awakened trilogy, the thrillers Don’t Move and The Stowaway, and the children’s sci-fi book series Area 51 Interns
economics and behavioral economics. He now teaches at Princeton University. His short fiction was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and recognized in Best American Nonrequired Reading. Spence-Ash’s fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. Her critical essays and book reviews appear regularly in the Ploughshares blog. She received her MFA in fiction from Rutgers–Newark.
Lewis Center Reading Series Features Choi and Schweblin
The Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing at Princeton University, continues its 2024-25 season with a reading by National Book Awardwinning poet Don Mee Choi, author of the KOR-US trilogy and National Book Award-winning fiction writer Samanta Schweblin, author of the story collection Seven Empty Houses. The reading begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. The event is free and open to the public, with the authors’ books available to purchase and have signed.
Houses . Her debut novel, Fever Dream, was a finalist for the International Booker Prize, and her novel Little Eyes and story collection A Mouthful of Birds were both longlisted for the same prize. Chosen by Granta as one of the 22 best writers in Spanish under the age of 35, Schweblin has won awards around the world including the El Premio Iberoamericano de las Letras Jose Donoso in 2022. Schweblin’s books have been translated into over 40 languages, and her work has appeared in English in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Harper’s Magazine, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. Her forthcoming short story collection, Good & Evil and Other Stories, will be published by Knopf in September 2025. Originally from Buenos Aires, Schweblin lives in Berlin.
Originally from Staten Island, N.Y., he now lives in Princeton.
Wearmouth is the author of numerous novels, including the Awakened trilogy, First Activation , Critical Dawn , and The Stowaway. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers Group and lives in Canada. For fmore information, call Barnes & Noble at (609) 7509010.
Varun Gauri, an economist and lecturer at Princeton University and author of
For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus , will discuss his award-winning debut novel with Laura Spence-Ash on Tuesday, October 29 at 7 p.m. in the Princeton Public Library Community Room.
For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus (Washington Writer’s Publishing House, $18.95), the winner of the 2024 Carol Trawick Fiction Prize, is a comedy of manners about immigration and assimilation. Disillusioned with modern romance, a globe-trotting woman tries an arranged marriage with an aspiring politician in Ohio, according to the publisher. But when a political opponent launches racist attacks, the couple defends their immigrant community.
“This is an achingly intimate, irreverent novel about trying to find love in a marriage while failing to fit into an immigrant community filled with social anxieties and unrealistic aspirations,” writes Leeya Mehta, director of the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center. Gauri was born in India and raised in the American Midwest. After studying philosophy in college and public policy in graduate school, he worked for more than two decades on global poverty and human rights, publishing academic articles and books on development
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Choi is the author of the KOR-US trilogy: Mirror Nation , the National Book Award-winning collection DMZ Colony , and Hardly War. She is a recipient of fellowships from the MacArthur, Guggenheim, Lannan, and Whiting foundations, as well as the DAAD Artistsin-Berlin Program. In 2021, Choi was selected as one of the inaugural Royal Society of Literature International Writers. In addition to her own writing, Choi’s translations from Korean to English of Kim Hyesoon’s poetry have received accolades. She was a 2021 Picador guest professor at Leipzig University. This fall at Princeton, Choi is the Bain-Swiggett Visiting Professor and Visiting Lecturer in Poetry in the Department of English. Her reading is supported in part by the Department of English’s Bain-Swiggett Fund.
Schweblin is the winner of the 2022 National Book Award for Translated Literature for her latest story collection, Seven Empty
“Life Beside Bars” is Discussed at Labyrinth In Life Beside Bars : Confinement and Capital in an American Prison Town, author Heath Pearson showcases dynamic, interdependent community as the best hope for undoing the systems of confinement that reproduce capital in Cumberland County, home to three state prisons, one federal prison, and the regional jail.
Pearson will be in conversation with Naomi Murakawa at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, on Monday, October 28 at 6 p.m.
Pearson places today’s prisons within the region’s longer history of Lenape genocide, chattel slavery, Japanese American labor camps, and other forms of racialized punishment and carceral control. From this vantage, prisons appear not as the structural fix for the region’s failed political economy, but as a continuation of the carceral principle that has always sustained it. Through ethnographic vignettes written in story form, Pearson offers an alternative history of the unruly and unexpected ways that people resist, get by, make money, find joy, and build radical social life in the small, unseen spaces beside large-scale confinement.
Pearson is an assistant professor of anthropology and justice & peace studies at Georgetown University. His writing has appeared in NBC News, VICE News, The Atlantic, and numerous academic journals. He is a graduate of Princeton University, Anthropology Department and Department of African American Studies, an affiliate of the American Studies Program, and a fellow in The Center for the Study of Religion.
Murakawa is an associate professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. She is the author of The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America , and her work has appeared in Law & Society Review, Theoretical Criminology, Du Bois Review, and several edited volumes. She has received fellowships from Columbia Law School’s Center for the Study of Law and Culture, as well as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Program.
This event is cosponsored by Labyrinth Books, Princeton University’s Department of African American Studies, and The School of International & Public Affairs in NJ.
Author Ben Yagoda to Offer View of British English with Afternoon Tea
Enjoy a spot of afternoon tea and biscuits while author Ben Yagoda discusses and signs copies of his new book Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English. The program is on Sunday October 27 at 3 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library Community Room, 65 Witherspoon Street.
According to the publisher ( Princeton University Press, $24.95), “The British love to complain that words and phrases imported from America — from French fries to ‘Awesome, man!’ — are destroying the English language. But what about the influence going the other way? Britishisms have been making their way into the American lexicon for more than 150 years, but the process has accelerated since
the turn of the twenty-first century.” The book is “a witty, entertaining, and enlightening account of how and why scores of British words and phrases — such as oneoff, go missing, curate, early days, kerfuffle, easy peasy, and cheeky — have been enthusiastically taken up by Yanks.”
Yagoda has published more than a dozen books, including Will Rogers: A Biography ; About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made ; When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better and/or Worse ; and The Sound on the Page: Style and Voice in Writing. He is professor emeritus of English at the University of Delaware, and has a blog, Not One-Off Britishisms.
NOVEMBER 3 @ 3PM
Don Mee Choi (Photo by Song Got)
Samanta Schweblin
(Photo by Suhrkamp Verlag)
Pity, Terror, and Tragedy Within and Without James Joyce’s “Portrait”
In the final chapter of James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man (1916), Stephen Dedalus tells two of his fellow students what happened to a girl who got into a hansom cab “a few days ago” in London. “She was on her way to meet her mother whom she had not seen for many years. At the corner of a street the shaft of a lorry shivered the window of the hansom in the shape of a star. A long fine needle of the shivered glass pierced her heart. She died on the instant.”
Reading Portrait my senior year in college, I put a ballpoint asterisk next to the anecdote in the Viking Compass paperback (“copyright renewed in 1944 by Nora Joyce”) and above it scrawled the words “accidental causation,” which were probably cribbed from something the teacher said. Although I underlined Stephen’s prosy remarks on “pity” and “terror,” delivered as he explained why it was not “a tragic death,” all that stayed with me was the girl in the hansom cab and the style Joyce had devoted to the brutal, uncanny happenstance of the event, the “shape of a star” and the “fine needle of shivered glass” he employed to finesse a freak accident. Pity, terror, and “the tragic emotion” were secondary; all it finally came down to was the way Joyce had composed it. It Killed Me
I was Holden Caulfield’s age when I first read Joyce’s Portrait in my mother’s Signet paperback, the one with a photo of an eyepatched Joyce looking like a pirate on the back. Although I was beginning to think of myself as a “young artist” at the time, having composed a series of e.e. cummings travesties, my response to Joyce’s novel was 100 percent Holden: “It killed me.” The moocow coming down the road-and-nicens baby tuckoo opening; the schoolboy at play scenes; the hairraising sermon; the descent into Dublin’s red light district; and the vision of the girl on the strand — they all killed me. Except, the sermon about hell and eternity didn’t kill me; it terrified me. And the vision of the girl, under which I scribbled “the epiphany!” I was sure it had changed my life. It was my epiphany, even though I thought the part where Stephen’s “soul” cried “Heavenly God!” in “an outburst of profane joy” sounded, well, pretty damn phoney.
As for the fifth and last chapter, what can I say? All that talk about Aristotle and Aquinas, aesthetic theory and Roman history — to me it sounded only a step above the phonies raving about the Lunts that Holden endured when he took Sally to the theater. The one thing that got me and shook me and followed me around for years was the dead girl in the hackney. Why?
Because it came while I was still blissed out over the girl on the strand, who “stood
before him in midstream, alone and still, gazing out to sea. She seemed like one whom magic had changed into the likeness of a strange and beautiful seabird. Her long slender bare legs were delicate as a crane’s and pure save where an emerald trail of seaweed had fashioned itself as a sign upon the flesh. Her thighs, fuller and softhued as ivory, were bared almost to the hips where the white fringes of her drawers were like feathering of soft white down. Her slateblue skirts were kilted boldly about her waist and dovetailed behind her. Her bosom was as a bird’s, soft and slight, slight and soft as the breast of some darkplumaged dove. But her long fair hair was girlish: and girlish, and touched with the wonder of mortal beauty, her face.”
I was going to condense the part about her thighs and her drawers and the “darkplumaged dove,” but it would have been a violation of the original moment: “Long, long she suffered his gaze and then quietly withdrew her eyes from his and bent them towards the stream, gently stirring the water with her foot hither and thither. The first faint noise of gently moving water broke the silence, low and faint and whispering, faint as the bells of sleep; hither and thither, hither and thither; and a faint flame trembled on her cheek.”
By then I was okay with “the outburst of profane joy,” and how “His soul was swooning into some new world, fantastic, dim, uncertain as under sea, traversed by cloudy shapes and beings.”
up today’s date, October 23, in Wikipedia’s list “Events 1901-present,” and found the real-life horror, freak accidents, pity, terror, and tragedy that actually set this column in motion. Given the approach of Halloween and a monstrously fateful Election Day, I was going begin with The Thing, the original 1951 version, which I saw when I was 12 and had never heard of James Joyce or, for that matter, Howard Hawks, who I later came to admire as one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers.
Like the vision of eternity and hell in Portrait, The Thing haunted me for years, the impact of that first and only viewing heightened by the screaming of the matinee audience (mostly kids my age), which actually reached such a pitch that the projectionist stopped the film. I wasn’t screaming. I didn’t have to be. Surrounded by so much sheer sonic turbulence, it was as if I was being screamed . In fact, the appearance of the projectionist himself was as shocking as the monster because I could see him looming hugely, alarmingly, outside the projection booth, as if the noise had driven him mad.
tried to extinguish the burning film, but the hot gases exploded, blowing him out of the projection booth, allowing the fire to spread and destroy the building, killing 21 people and injuring 28. The idea of the teenage projectionist burned alive in a freak accident that destroyed a theatre and incinerated 21 human beings brings to mind the girl killed in the London hackney, whose death according to Stephen Dedalus was not “tragic,” that being “the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings and unites it with the secret cause.” In the cinema fire, the unsecret cause was the combustible nature of nitrate film stock. That the community of Tamare considered the event a tragedy is underscored by the fact the over 20,000 people came to the funeral of the victims.
The “Saddest Fire”
Reading the passage now, I’m there again, and it still kills me.
Discoveries
Almost 11 months into 2024 and only now do I realize how Joycean a year it is, all the fours in play, the most obvious being the day Joyce met Nora, June 16, 1904, Bloomsday in Ulysses, then Dubliners in 1914, and of course Nora’s copyrighted 1944 edition of Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man. Plus this is the centenary of the first English (Jonathan Cape) edition, published in 1924.
Portrait surprised me. My only intention had been to write about the girl in the hackney in relation to the movie theatre catastrophes I’d discovered when I looked
“The Wages of Virtue”
The last of the epigrams prefacing Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is “All art is quite useless,” which follows from “The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.” Before that, Wilde says “No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything. Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art. Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.”
On October 23, 1927, at the Imatra cinema in Tampere, the third largest city in Finland, a Gloria Swanson film called The Wages of Virtue was playing. Mordaunt Hall’s New York Times review describes Swanson as “lithe and vivacious, with swiftly changing moods” in the part of Carmelita, the girl who mothers the regiment of gruff soldiers and in a dilettante manner presides over a café, to which the nondescript volunteers come to forget their disappointments or misdeeds with a cheering glass of cheap wine.”
About 200 people were in the audience at the Imatra when the nitrate film ignited. The projectionist, who was 18,
After typing a few words online, I came up with the “Saddest Fire” at the Laurier Palace cinema in Montreal, which happened nine months earlier on January 9, 1927, as a matinee audience, almost all of them under 16, was watching a short slapstick feature starring Stan Laurel. This time the actual cause of the fire was never officially determined beyond the fact that it was not caused by a nitrate explosion but more likely by a lighted cigarette tossed on to the floor of the balcony. The death toll was 78 grade schoolers and teenagers, an audience like the one I was part of when I saw The Thing. The title of the film was Get ‘Em Young, which burns with a fiendish irony, all the more because it has nothing to do with the plot: a man and his butler and the man’s wild attempt to marry someone in time to satisfy the provisions of a million dollar will. While there are lots of rough and tumble gags throughout (that old standby seasick passengers on a storm-tossed ship), the funniest scene by far is the denouement in which Stan Laurel ends up reluctantly, drunkenly posing as the bride, which involves being forcibly encased in a bridal gown by the groom. The scene would have prompted screams of laughter if the half-hour-long film had ever reached that point. Get ‘Em Young can be seen on YouTube. The Wages of Virtue is now considered “a lost film.”
The Fifth of November
And so we stagger toward Halloween and the Fifth of November, the date John Lennon cries out at the climax of his primal-therapy-inspired song “Remember,” followed by the sound of an explosion, a reference to Guy Fawkes Night, which is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires. In Lennon’s Rolling Stone interview posted on September 7, 2007, it amused him to suggest the song successfully accomplished a failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
—Stuart Mitchner
LarryLarry Fuller
Trio
PSO Presents “Triple Header” of Classical and Neo-Classical Music
TDRUMS
he works performed by Princeton Symphony Orchestra this past weekend may not have all been from the Baroque and Classical periods, but they were all tied in some way to the 18th and early 19th-centuries. The trio of pieces by Michael Abels, Sergei Prokofiev, and Ludwig van Beethoven demonstrated to the audience at Richardson Auditorium how music from these earlier eras has stood the test of time in a concert also showcasing two of the Orchestra’s own members.
Music Director Rossen Milanov and the Orchestra began Saturday night’s performance (the concert was repeated Sunday afternoon) with a compositional new twist on an old favorite. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels has been commended for his “unique ability to blend diverse elements.” In his 1999 More Seasons, the “elements” blended were themes from Antonio Vivaldi’s popular The Four Seasons , with Abels using motives from the “Spring” and “Summer” movements to create what he has called “Vivaldi in a Mixmaster.”
movement “Gavotte,” based on a French dance from the 17th and 18th centuries. The closing “Finale” moved along at a brisk clip, with clean wind solos from oboist Gilles Cheng, clarinetist Pascal Archer, flutist Ji Young Kim, and bassoonist Bard Balliett. Throughout, the players executed the rhythmic motives precisely, maintaining clarity within the instrumental texture.
The chamber music combination of piano, violin, and cello was popular in the early Classical Period, both in private salons and on the concert stage. Beethoven, being the revolutionary that he was, took this tradition into new territory by not only incorporating these instruments into symphonic form but also utilizing the newly-evolving and fashionable 18 thcentury piano. In the 1804 Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major, Beethoven transformed what had been a salon ensemble into a symphonic work combined with a Classical musical form.
Abels’ piece was immediately engaging, with a Baroque lower string ostinato and numerous melodic sequences reminiscent of Vivaldi’s time. Milanov led the Orchestra through refined dynamic contrasts and shadings, complemented by violin solos from concertmaster Claire Bourg. Harmonic progressions and patterns were derived straight from Vivaldi, but the use of trumpets, horns and timpani brought this music into the modern era. An intense duet between Bourg and principal second violinist Jeremiah Blacklow well captured the fierce heat of summer, and Milanov consistently maintained steady control over passages of swirling thematic activity.
Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev composed Symphony No. 1 in D Major (known as the “Classical” Symphony) in 1917, an ironic year to be looking back through music history for inspiration with the Russian Revolution underway. In this work, Prokofiev fused early 20th-century harmonies with late 18th-century form and structure. The Symphony was unusually short for the early 20th-century, harking back to the music of the early Classical Period, and freely borrows from the compositional style of Franz Joseph Haydn.
Princeton Symphony Orchestra began Prokofiev’s Symphony with a delicate opening theme punctuated by timpani and horns. Milanov took a gentle tempo to the opening, with clocklike rhythms from a pair of bassoons and the upper strings. The subsequent “Larghetto” was marked by a lyrical melody from the violins, with all sections playing in a detached manner reminiscent of the Baroque era. Conductor Milanov kept a stately lilt in the third
For soloists, Princeton Symphony turned to its own roster, with violinist Basia Danilow and cellist Alistair MacRae, with the addition of pianist Steven Beck. The Orchestra began the Concerto gracefully, building tension and volume and successfully conveying the many familiar Beethoven melodic figures. Knowing that the cello could be buried within the orchestral texture, Beethoven composed the solo cello lines in the instrument’s upper register and assigned the cello to introduce many of the themes. From the outset, MacRae played with sensitivity, building intensity in tandem with the Orchestra. Danilow expressively the challenges of demanding solo violin lines, while Beck demonstrated consistently fluid and clean keyboard playing.
The soloists well brought out the serenity of the second movement “Largo,” as MacRae again introduced the principal theme and then smoothly passed the material onto Danilow and Beck. The Concerto closed in typical Beethoven joy, with an elegant dialog among the three soloists in music rooted in the aristocratic “polonaise.” There was an overall martial effect to the texture at times, reflecting Napoleonicera roots, and Milanov well led the Orchestra through a quick final coda requiring nimble playing from all participants. Although now popular in the orchestral repertory, this Concerto was met with little interest after its premiere, even with the composer as pianist. The success of this piece rides on the soloists, and in Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s presentation this past weekend, there was no question that both soloists and ensemble players well achieved a heroic Beethoven musical task.
— Nancy Plum
Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s next Classical Series performances will be on Saturday, December 14 at both 3 and 6 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium. Conducted by John Devlin, this “Holiday Pops” concert will feature vocalist Andrea Ross and the Princeton High School Choir, conducted by Vincent Metallo. Ticket information can be obtained by visiting princetonsymphony.org.
“Jekyll & Hyde” Continues Kelsey Theatre’s Season of “Transformations”; Performances,
Edgy Creative Choices Give the Popular Musical
“A New Life”
Kelsey Theatre is presenting Off-Centre Stages’ production of Jekyll & Hyde.
The popular musical continues Kelsey’s “Season of Transformations” by portraying one of the most famous literary metamorphoses: doctor into murderer.
Loosely adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), Jekyll & Hyde is conceived for the stage by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The book is by Leslie Bricusse, who also is credited with the lyrics, though a few of the songs have words by all three writers. Using the novella as a point of departure, the musical adds a romantic element, as well as themes of class tension, ambition, and autonomy versus community.
Composed by Wildhorn, the music blends a pop idiom with cabaret, traditional musical theater, and liturgical music. In turn, the libretto blends Victorian melodrama with classic Greek tragedy (complete with a chorus that comments on settings and events), leavened by comic moments. (Jekyll’s engagement party, awkwardly attended by the aristocratic hospital board that has just roundly rejected the proposal for his experiment, has some sparkling dialogue.)
Wildhorn’s lushly melodic score marks a thorough embrace of the “pop opera” style of Les Miserables and The Phantom of The Opera. Key songs from Jekyll & Hyde (especially “Someone Like You,” and “A New Life”) have been widely performed and recorded by Linda Eder, who originated the role of Lucy Harris.
Jekyll & Hyde’s 1990 premiere at the Alley Theatre, and the release of an initial concept album the same year, have been followed by two other concept albums, a tour, and two Broadway productions (the 1997 debut and a 2013 revival).
The production now at Kelsey is directed by Genevieve Estanislau, who also provides the choreography and set design. Estanislau takes advantage of the show’s strengths, while bringing creative choices that depart from previous productions.
As a set designer, Estanislau artfully minimizes any sense of stability or order, by eschewing a straight-ahead proscenium view. Frequent Kelsey audiences will notice that the orchestra is not in its usual platform off to one side, but instead is concealed right under it. Instead, the platform is occupied by the most lavishly detailed setting: Jekyll’s consulting room.
Covered in tiles of black and white (a choice reinforced in some ensemble members’ costumes), the stage itself initially is furnished only by a ladder and a hard wooden chair (which, as the show opens, is occupied by a mysterious figure). The stage is bookended by a portrait of Jekyll on one end, and Hyde on the other.
Estanislau is particularly deft in making heightened use of choreography to illustrate key moments, especially Jekyll’s first transformation into Hyde. Whereas the Broadway production had the actor on stage alone, Estanislau has him surrounded by dancers — perhaps
representing distortions of people with whom he recently has come into contact — who, in an eerie sequence that almost recalls Bob Fosse, portray Jekyll’s inner demons rising to the surface, ready to rewrite his soul.
William Kamps delivers an outstanding performance as the title characters. A sturdy baritone, he brings both requisite vocal power and a dramatic arc to his songs. For Jekyll’s signature ballad, “This is the Moment,” Kamps opens with affable, almost boyish eagerness, letting the rendition build in intensity as he steels his resolve to test his theories, and a dangerous chemical formula, on himself.
The anthemic music for the song captures the heroism Jekyll aims to embody — he wants to believe his actions are in service of scientific advancement — while the lyrics (especially in the short bridge) accentuate the doctor’s ambitious, less noble motivations, suggesting that the formula is merely a vehicle for a dark descent on which Jekyll might have embarked with or without it. Estanislau’s staging entails a literal descent, as Jekyll processes downstairs from his study to his laboratory.
A natural inclination is to compare the portrayal of Jekyll to that of Hyde. Kamp’s performance underlines that actually there are three iterations of the protagonist: pre-transformation Jekyll, Hyde, and post-transformation Jekyll. Kamps satisfyingly contrasts the frustrated, driven passion of pre-transformation Jekyll with the still determined but increasingly desperate post-Hyde Jekyll who steadily loses control over his experiment as his alter ego wreaks havoc in London.
The best sequences with Hyde (a character depicted via a lower tone of voice) come when Kamps uses menacing eye contact and in the menacingly seductive choreography of “It’s a
but kindhearted songstress at the Red Rat, the brothel where Jekyll meets her. Rosen’s belting but controlled mezzo-soprano gives a pleasing shape to Lucy’s solo ballads, the plaintive “Someone Like You” and wistful “A New Life.” Rosen and the ensemble infuse their raunchy, uptempo showpiece “Bring on the Men” with plenty of earthy sensuality — though Estanislau uses movement sparingly, likely so that the number does not overshadow Jekyll’s transformation.
Angel Aucker also shines as Emma, Jekyll’s headstrong, staunchly supportive fiancée (and the daughter of Sir Danvers Carew). Varying both her vocal inflections and body movement, Aucker imbues her duet with Kamps, “Take Me as I Am,” with a touch of whimsy (helping to negate Variety’s 1997 quip that the show has “half the personality of its title character, and it’s the dour, humorless half”). Aucker brings a pleasant soprano and sensitive phrasing to her soothing solo “Once Upon a Dream;” and her showpiece duet with Rosen, “In His Eyes.”
As Sir Danvers, chairman of the hospital board, Edward J. Forsthoffer III captures the character’s mixture of reserve, tact, and eagerness to protect Emma. Forsthoffer and Aucker deliver a sweet rendition of their tender duet “Letting Go.”
J. Ryan Harmer ably portrays lawyer Gabriel John Utterson’s mixture of supportiveness, concern, and frustration with Jekyll’s increasingly erratic behavior. Here, Utterson is played more as a brother figure for Jekyll, rather than the paternal figure of the Broadway version. Harmer, Kamps, Aucker, and Forsthoffer sound good together in their tense quartet “His Work and Nothing More.”
Matt Keelan is suitably effete as Mr. Simon Stride, a board member and Jekyll’s embittered rival for Emma’s affections. Similarly, Leah Panuccio is entertainingly snobbish as Lady
Music Director Madelyn Curtin ably conducts the orchestra, which does justice to Kim Scharnberg’s orchestrations. The woodwinds seem to come to the forefront a bit more here than on Broadway, where the strings were noticeably prominent. A flute restatement of “In His Eyes,” leading into “A New Life,” is nicely rendered.
Nick Mastalesz’s sound design generally serves the performances well (though at the October 20 performance, Kamps’ microphone briefly stopped functioning in the middle of one of his solos). Christian Confalone’s lighting enhances the spookiness of the murder sequences, and punctuates the moods of the songs.
Taking a cue from the show’s mixture of Victorian setting with contemporary music, the costumes (by Kelly Plexico, Zhi Sharpe, Kit Weeden, and Justine DeNicola) suggest the time period rather than attempt to strictly imitate it. Jekyll’s patterned shirt — which looks less formal and historic than the outfits worn by Sir Danvers and the other hospital governors — underlines his defiant outsider status.
The cast is ably rounded out by John Dwyer (Bishop of Basingstoke), Joseph Schachter (General Lord Glossop), TJ Walton (Sir Archibald), Jessica Steele (Poole and Lady Savage), Belle Salvatore (Nellie), Mary Sudol (Bisset), and Allana Harrell (Spider). Well serving Jason Howland’s musical arrangements, the ensemble satisfyingly blends the voices of Rocky Addison, Julia Beckman, Sean Gavin, Megan Moyers, Travis Weaver, and Kit Weeden.
“Comments on style … should never be made by those who have none.” A tempting parallel exists between Jekyll’s adversarial relationship with the governors, and reactions to the creative approach of Wildhorn and his collaborators. Anyone who followed musical theater in the mid-1990s may remember that opinions about this show’s merits felt particularly divided and intense. Snide condescension from detractors was matched by fervent enthusiasm from fans. In response to the original Broadway production’s impending closing, an online chat post paraphrased a lyric line: “One sweet chance to prove the critics wrong!”
To be sure, some stretches of the show remain uneven. This particularly concerns the lyrics, as there are quite a few forced rhymes (such as “Simon” with “waste your time on”). Examples of this abound in “Murder, Murder,” which is musically interesting but seems to defy smooth choreography. Certain scenes call for over-the-top acting that will seem ridiculously camp to some audiences.
“JEKYLL & HYDE”: Performances are underway for “Jekyll & Hyde.” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and Off-Centre Stages, and directed by Genevieve Estanislau, the musical runs through October 27 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Dr. Henry Jekyll (William Kamps) struggles to
“Jekyll & Hyde” will play at the Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor, through October 27. For tickets, show times, and more information call (609)570-3333 or visit kelsey. mccc.edu/shows_current.shtml.
Generally,
though, the online fan need not have worried; the show has proven its detractors wrong, by holding up remarkably well as a work of theater. What emerges is a cautionary parable about excessive selfisolation — it is easy to compare Jekyll to sufferers of any number of additions or adversities. It is fortunate that Estanislau and a talented cast are able to give Jekyll & Hyde “a new life” at Kelsey.
—Donald H.
Sanborn III
NOVEMBER 9 - DECEMBER 7, 2024
These large dynamic paintings by ‘MUTTS’ creator Patrick McDonnell continue the journey of self-discovery that began in his Marvel graphic novel, ‘The Super Hero’s Journey’ Captivated by the raw beauty and energy of both comic art and abstract expressionism, McDonnell celebrates the surprising connection between these two vibrant art forms
GALLERY OPENING: NOVEMBER 16 • 3-5PM
ARTIST INTERVIEW: NOVEMBER 30 • 3-4PM
learn more
Performing Arts
A DANCER’S STORY: Manich Chauhan speaks about his career at a screening of “Call Me Dancer,” part of the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival, which runs from November 7-21. Chauhan’s talk is on the final day of the series.
Rutgers Jewish Film Festival
Marks 25th Anniversary
The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival’s milestone year will feature 14 films, discussions with filmmakers and special guests, and numerous New Jersey premieres on dance, music, the LGBTQ+ experience, American Jewish history, and Israeli society.
Twelve films will be screened at the Regal Cinema Commerce Center, North Brunswick (November 7–17), and five films will be available virtually (November 15–21). The festival is sponsored by Rutgers’ Allen and Joan Bildner Center for
the Study of Jewish Life.
Opening day, November 7, features two Israeli narrative films. Running on Sand , which has its New Jersey premiere at the festival, is a lighthearted look at healing racial divisions in contemporary Israel; Seven Blessings , winner of 10 Israeli Academy Awards in 2023, unlocks secrets of a large Moroccan Jewish family as they observe the traditional week of sheva brachot (seven blessings), celebratory meals after a wedding.
Closing Day, November 17, will feature two special
events at the Regal Cinema. Singer-songwriter Janis Ian and director Varda Bar-Kar will speak at the New Jersey premiere of the documentary about Ian’s life, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence . In the evening, professional dancer Manish Chauhan will speak at the screening of Call Me Dancer, which tells his story, from his early years as a street dancer in Mumbai, India, to training with an Israeli ballet master and following his dreams.
In-theater and virtual tickets are $15. Discount passes are available. Visit BildnerCenter.Rutgers.edu/film.
Halloween Playfest at West Windsor Library
The Halloween Playfest at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library System will feature four original short plays written by librarian Michael Kerr: The Stay-Behinds; Words Will Never Hurt Me; The Life of the Party; and Backstage. Performances will be on Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, October 26 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 27 at 3 p.m.
All the plays will be performed by teens from the local area. All performances will take place at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library System, 333 North Post Road, West Windsor Township. Recommended for ages 10 and above. Admission is free. No registration required.
Doors open 20 minutes before showtime. Call (609) 799-0462 or email westprogs@mcl.org for more information.
Champions of Magic
In “Masters of Illusion”
State Theatre New Jersey presents award-winning magicians in “Masters of Illusion” on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m. The show features Greg Frewin, Alexandra Burgio, and shock illusionist Dan Sperry.
Frewin is currently ranked as the International Grand Champion of Magic, having won every major award offered within the magic community. Burgio is the only female Canadian magician to ever fool Penn and Teller on the hit show “Penn and Teller: Fool Us .” Sperry, known as “The Anti-Conjuror,” has performed at such venues as The Magic Castle, The Sydney Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, and live on tour with Masters of Illusion.
State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit stnj. org for tickets, which range from $29-$99.
“Blithe Spirit” On Stage At MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre
Two wives, one dead and one alive, combine for a spooky, comedic experience when Theater to Go presents Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit, October
31-November 3 at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor Campus. Kitty Getlik directs.
First performed in 1941, the play follows the story of a novelist struggling with writer’s block, who invites an eccentric medium to his home to hold a séance to gather material for his new book. The séance inadvertently summons the ghost of his deceased first wife, Elvira, who wreaks havoc on his life and his relationship with his very much alive second wife, Ruth.
Halloween costumes are welcome for the opening night performance on October 31, which will feature a post-show Halloween party with the cast and crew. That show and the following night, November 1, are at 8 p.m. On Saturday, November 2, the play is at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday’s show is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20-$22. Visit kelseytheatre.org.
Larry Fuller Trio
To Perform Locally
The Larry Fuller Trio will appear at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 27, at Hillman Performance Hall located on Westminster Choir College campus at 101 Walnut Lane. Although a Princeton resident, Fuller rarely appears locally.
A pianist, Fuller learned his craft the “old school” way — on the bandstand, where he played with jazz greats including vocalist Ernestine Anderson, drummer Jeff Hamilton, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, and bassist Ray Brown.
In his programming, Fuller includes the Great American Songbook, jazz, blues, pop standards, and originals, bringing his own take to a variety of music. At Hillman Performance Hall, expect to hear anything from Stevie Wonder to Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery to Ray Brown, George Gershwin to Joni Mitchell.
Completing The Larry Fuller Trio is Hassan “JJ” Shakur on bass (Monty Alexander Trio, Duke Ellington Orchestra) and George Fludas on drums (Ray Brown Trio, Diana Krall). Fuller has appeared at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Grand Ole Opry, Shanghai Center Theater, Blue Note (Milan, Tokyo, NYC), Auditorio Ibirapuera with Symphony Orchestra Brazil, and many more. Visit larryfuller.com/ events for tickets.
(Photo by Sonam Dekar)
MAGICAL MYSTERIES: Greg Frewin is one of the stars of “Masters of Illusion” at the State Theatre New Jersey on October 24.
NOEL COWARD CLASSIC: In the 1941 comedy “Blithe Spirit,” two wives — one dead, one alive — cause a ruckus.
Dance
and Live Jazz
At McCarter Theatre
On Friday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m., McCarter Theatre Center presents SW!NG OUT, a swing dance performance choreographed and directed by Caleb Teicher. The show, which concludes with an on-stage jam session, is accompanied by live music from Eyal Vilner’s 10-piece Big Band.
“ SW!NG OUT has been a dream project for me, bringing together 12 allstar swing dancers and a live 10-piece big band to celebrate Lindy Hop in a way that resonates with audiences everywhere,” said Teicher. “It’s thrilling to see the impact this show has had on so many, inspiring them to dance and engage with the swing dance community. We aim to share the joy and energy of Lindy Hop with a broader audience. Each night, the performance concludes with an on-stage jam session, welcoming attendees to join in and celebrate the dance with us.”
The show serves as a testament to the power of collaboration in dance.
“Collaboration is at the heart of what we do in SW!NG OUT. It’s about creating an environment where each dancer can showcase their unique style while contributing to a collective experience that is both exhilarating and inclusive,” said Teicher.
Teicher is an NYC-based dancer and choreographer specializing in musically driven dance traditions and interdisciplinary collaboration. Teicher began their career as a founding member of Michelle Dorrance’s critically acclaimed
tap dance company, Dorrance Dance, while also freelancing in contemporary dance (The Chase Brock Experience, The Bang Group), Lindy Hop (Syncopated City Dance Company), and musical theater (West Side Story International Tour and London).
McCarter Theatre is at 91 University Place. Visit Mccarter.org for tickets.
The
Temptations’ Story On Stage at State Theatre
State Theatre New Jersey presents the Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations for five performances on Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday; October 26 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$105.
Featuring Grammy-winning songs and Tony-winning moves, Ain’t Too Proud follows The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating 42 Top 10 Hits with 14 reaching No. 1, and were voted the greatest R&B group of all time by Billboard Magazine in 2017. The rest is history — how they met, the groundbreaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the U.S. fell into civil unrest.
The musical opened on Broadway on Thursday, March 21, 2019, and was nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
The State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit stnj.org.
Princeton Triangle Club Presents “Pageant Pending”
The newest Princeton Triangle Club show, Pageant Pending, comes to the stage of McCarter Theatre on Friday and Saturday, November 15 and 16 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, November 17 at 2 p.m. The show is an annual tradition featuring undergraduates from Princeton University.
“Welcome to America’s Most Wanted, the biggest pageant event in all 50 states,” reads a release about the show. “The lights are blinding, the competition is cutthroat, and the interview questions must be answered in 20 seconds or less. Dreams, schemes, and ripped seams are all exposed under a merciless spotlight in this new musical comedy about a series of sash decisions!”
The 134-year-old Triangle Show is the oldest touring collegiate musical comedy troupe. Based at McCarter Theatre, it is written and performed by students; directed and choreographed by professionals. Alumni include F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Stewart, Brooke Shields, and Ellie Kemper, among others. More than 100 students are involved in this year’s show.
Visit triangleshow.com/ tickets for tickets.
America Tour Performs At State Theatre NJ
Grammy Award-winning rock band America comes to the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick with its Ride On Tour on Friday, November 1 at 8 p.m.
The band’s best-known tunes — which include “A Horse with No Name,” “I Need You,” “Ventura
Highway,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” and “Sister Golden Hair” — were cornerstones of 1970’s Top 40 and FM rock radio. Their combination of melodic pop-rock and folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms, and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted with other more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.
The trio won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1972, and began working with George Martin and Geoff Emerick in 1974. This successful team went on to record seven albums and several Top 10 hits, including “Tin Man,” “Sister Golden Hair,” and “Lonely People.” In 2020, the band released their ultimate eight-disc anniversary box set, Half Century (America Records), and streamed their concert special America — Live at the London Palladium for the very first time
State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue. Visit stnj.org for tickets, which range from $59 to $359.
Wednesday, October 30 at 8pm Princeton University Chapel
An inclusive experience of poetry, music, and quiet centering, featuring saxophonist Audrey Welber, pianist Adam Faulk, and members of the Chapel Choir.
Friday afternoon,
LINDY HOP AND MORE: Joshua McLean has Rachel Pitner in the air at “SW!NG OUT” at McCarter Theatre Center on Friday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m.
SIGNATURE SOUNDS: The America: Ride On Tour mixes pop-rock with folk-jazz at State Theatre New Jersey on Friday, November 1.
JOURNEY TO FAME: “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations” tells the story of the group’s rise from Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It will be performed October 25-27 at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.
(Photo by Johan Persson)
Lynda
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“UNTITLED #1383 (SISTERS – TWO TREES)”: This large-scale work by Peta Coyne is on view in the Museum Building at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton through March 2. pares and contrasts elegantly with the garden landscape of GFS. The view from inside the gallery looks out upon the gardens, inviting opportunities for deeper discussions on nature, climate, temporality, and whimsy.
Grounds For Sculpture Now Exhibiting Work By Coyne Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton has announced that Petah Coyne’s Untitled #1383 (Sisters –Two Trees) is now on view in its Museum Building through March 2. The large-scale sculpture is on loan from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), which is sharing this work from its permanent collection through Art Bridges Foundation’s Partner Loan Network.
Created using unconventional materials such as apple trees and taxidermized peacocks, Untitled #1383 (Sisters – Two Trees) com -
These core themes underscore the inherent interplay between sculpture and landscape, a cornerstone of GFS founder Seward Johnson’s, vision for the park.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to exhibit Untitled #1383 (Sisters –Two Trees) at Grounds For Sculpture,” said Kathleen Greene, chief audience officer at Grounds For Sculpture. “This work’s use of
unconventional, yet natural, materials enables us to expand the experience of contemporary sculpture at GFS while considering key themes surrounding nature, preservation, and fantasy. We are very grateful to both PAFA and Art Bridges for their support in presenting this installation to our community, which will help us deepen our engagement with key stakeholders and forge a relationship with our peer institution, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.”
In Untitled #1383 (Sisters – Two Trees), flora and fauna are brought together in a reverential yet imaginative
way. The installation’s central element is made from two real trees that were cut and reformed to create one large branching shape that is 15 feet high and 25 feet wide. Upon the branches, Coyne places more than a dozen taxidermized peacocks. Surrounding the tree are floral elements, which rest on the branches and on the floor around its base. Peacocks are a reoccurring theme throughout literature and folklore, where they are often used to represent many different ideas and concepts. Coyne incorporates these birds often in her work, and she notes their association in Irish folklore with escorting the dead to the afterlife.
“We are excited to partner with Grounds For Sculpture to bring Petah Coyne’s remarkable work, Untitled #1383(Sisters – Two Trees), to the sculpture park,” said Art Bridges CEO Anne Kraybill. “This collaboration highlights our ongoing mission to share significant works of American art with diverse audiences, fostering reflection and engagement.”
Coyne (b. 1953, Oklahoma City, Okla.) graduated from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1977. Her work has been the subject of more than 30 solo museum exhibitions and resides in numerous permanent museum collections. She is the past recipient of grants from the Pollock Krasner Foundation, Anonymous was a Woman, and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2024 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center.
Grounds For Sculpture is located at 80 Sculptors Way in Hamilton. For more information, visit groundsforsculpture.org.
Flemington Fine Artisans Show At Stangl Factory November 3
The Flemington Fine Artisans Show will return to the Stangl Factory, located at 4 Stangl Road, on Sunday, November 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This curated event will showcase a great selection of local and regional artists, offering a diverse array of handmade goods including jewelry, ceramics, artisan woodwork, home décor, fiber art, one-of-a-kind clothing, photography, and paintings.
Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit flemingtonfineastisansshow.com.
Princeton Makes Series
Features Cathy Dailey
On Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m., visual artist Cathy Dailey will be the featured speaker for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” series at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center. Dailey, a Princeton Makes cooperative member, creates vivid, whimsical images of cats, dogs, and birds, as well as abstract art, in a variety of media including colored pencil, oil pastel, and collage. In her talk, entitled “My Artist Road Trip,” she will share her 30-plus-year artistic journey.
“My plan is to quickly show and tell my life story, and then focus on my artistic life, which feels more like a road trip to me than a journey,” she said. “It will be fun to talk about how my work has evolved over the years.”
ART TALK: Visual artist Cathy Dailey will be the featured speaker for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” talk on Thursday, October 24 at 7 p.m. at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center on North Harrison Street.
Dailey, a Princeton resident, grew up in northern California where her mother, an artist herself, taught her watercolor, design, and composition. Her father fostered her love for animals and nature by teaching her to observe birds, a hobby she continues to this day.
“I have such a passion for animals, nature, and art,” she said. “I get a lot of joy from bringing them together and making people smile in the process.”
Dailey earned her B.F.A. at Mississippi University for Women (MUW) in Columbus in 1990. Soon after, she moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where she began creating watercolors of imaginary people inspired by her time overseas. Later moving to Chapel Hill, N.C., Dailey continued to develop her style while manag -
TOWN
ing an American craft gallery. In 2000, she relocated to Athens, Ga., to emerge as a highly recognized local artist. Dailey currently lives in Princeton with her husband, Andrew Cole, and their cute kitties, Dora and Elsie.
This month Dailey is the featured artist at Princeton Makes. Her work is highlighted in the front window and retail space. The “Inside the Artist’s Studio” talk series, part of the cooperative’s programming initiatives, offers the public a monthly opportunity to learn about and from its creatives.
The event will begin with a reception and light refreshments at 6:30 pm. Artwork by all cooperative artists will be available for purchase. For more information, visit princetonmakes.com.
TOPICS
is printed entirely on recycled paper.
“FUELING MIGRATION”: This watercolor by Joanne Amantea is featured in the “95th Juried Art Show” at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa., which closes on October 27.
Final Days to See “Juried Art Show” at Phillips’ Mill
The “95th Juried Art Show”at Phillips’ Mill, whcih has welcomed over 1,200 visitors since it opened last month, closes this Sunday, October 27.
Among the over 200 artists exhibited in the historic 18th century gristmill are Princeton artists Joanne Amantea, Linda Bachert, Joanne Donnelly, Paul Giancola, Katarzyna Iwaniec, Lori Langsner, Helene Mazur, Meera Pradhan, Delphine Salzedo, and Melanie Teasley.
“The artwork on display can only be matched by the beauty of the season in Bucks County,” said show organizers. Hundreds of works by regional artists can be seen on the Mill walls, on pedestals, and in portfolio displays throughout the two floors of gallery space, including oils, watercolors, drawings, collages, pastels, acrylics, sculpture in clay, metals, wood, and mixed media. All artwork is for sale.
Phillips’ Mill Community Association is located at 2619 River Road, New Hope, Pa. The gallery is open daily from 1 to 5 p.m. and there are still opportunities to meet some of the artists whose work is on display. Check out the “Meet the Artists” schedule at phillipsmill.
org/art/meet-the-artists for more information. Admission to the show is $6 for adults, $2 for students, and free for Mill members and exhibiting artists. The show can also be viewed online at phillipsmillexhibition.org.
NJ State Museum Hosts Halloween Spooktacular
The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton will host its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Sunday, October 27 from 12 to 4 p.m.
Guests can enjoy Halloween-themed games and crafts in the Museum’s Riverview Court. Children in costume may participate in trick-or-treating on the Museum’s front lawn at 1:30 p.m. Following the trickor-treating, there will be a raffle for Museum-themed prizes. Event participants will receive one raffle ticket each when they check in for the event. Free planetarium shows will be offered at 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets for those shows will be available on a first-come, first served basis at check-in.
The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; closed on all State holidays. General admission is free. For more information, visit statemuseum. nj.gov,
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. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.
David Scott Gallery, 253 Nassau Street, has “Available Light,” a collection of paintings by New York architect and artist Mark Oliver, through December 31. 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.
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. Groundsfor sculpture.org.
event.
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
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. 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 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.
“LEARNING CURVES”: Instructor Nancy Toolan receives flowers at the recent opening of “Learning Curves: Works from the Beginning Drawing Classes,” featuring works by residents of Princeton Windrows. The exhibition is on view in the Russell Marks Gallery on the Princeton Windrows campus, 200 Windrows Drive, through the end of December.
SCIENCE IN DOHM ALLEY: Join the Princeton Einstein Museum of Science on October 26 in Dohm Alley, next to 102 Nassau Street, from 2 to 5 p.m. to see its current exhibit, “Einstein’s Attraction to Magnetism,” which has been extended through November 30. Kids can try experiments and get activity sheets and compasses at the free
Wide Range of Full-time Care and Services
Are Available at The Meadows at Lawrence
Helping to care compassionately for an older person. Cooking something that she or he would like to eat. Helping them to put on a shirt or sweater that won’t irritate thinning skin. Trying to think of something that might make them laugh. Sharing a story.
IT’S NEW
To Us
All ways to treat someone with dignity and respect, and all important values at The Meadows at Lawrence, emphasizes Daisy Newson, director of community relations.
“The well-being of our residents is our NO. 1 priority,” she explains. “We are based on the Greenhouse Model. This includes individual cottages, a low population, and a higher staff-resident ratio. We provide people with all levels of care here; a nurse is on-site 24/7, with a nurse station in each cottage, and a doctor comes every day. And all the food is cooked right here. Everything is baked fresh, and all dietary needs are accommodated.”
The Meadows at Lawrence, which is affiliated with the Lawrence Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, opened in 2015 at One Bishops Drive in Lawrenceville. It is set apart from most long-term health care facilities because of its cottage environment, offering a more home-like atmosphere. Its six cottages are each home to 10 residents, and all are fully staffed with aides to help each individual as needed.
All Their Needs
As a long-term care center, The Meadows helps residents with all their needs, including daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and medicine scheduling. All levels of assistance, including specialized nursing care, are provided.
As its mission statement states: “The Meadows at Lawrence strives to provide a superior experience and exceptional outcomes for residents and families through progressive, innovative care; advanced technology; and investment in service excellence. Highly motivated staff members work to inspire our residents to live life to the fullest, offering an active and warm environment.”
Both independence and comfort are priorities, and each resident is provided with individual care and support, determined by their specific needs and requirements. Specialized care plans are created for each person.
As its report points out, “A home that engages the mind, body, and spirit is what we aim to provide at The Meadows at Lawrence, which is why we have reinvented residential longer care with modern cottage living.”
Innovative Approach
“We take an innovative approach to long-term living that places our residents at the forefront of all that we do,” the report continues.
“We take care to maximize the independence of each and every one of our seniors to the highest possible degree. We provide them with the power and autonomy needed to live a fulfilling life along with the level of care and support necessary to upholding their optimal health and wellness.”
And again, according to its mission statement: “The Meadows at Lawrence is licensed to offer skilled nursing, which means that unlike a traditional assisted living facility, we are equipped to provide comprehensive care, including total care for those who require it and special memory care options.
“The Meadows at Lawrence is a truly unique, concierge-like modern nursing home experience that unlike
a traditional nursing home embraces a more personalized approach to care, fosters independence with support, provides an elegant home environment, a high quality of life for residents, and wonderful experience for families.”
As part of the home-like setting, each light-filled cottage offers an array of comfort-focused amenities. Every cottage includes an open layout, with a state-ofthe-art kitchen, dining area, library, fireplace, patio, and spa area. Each resident has a private bedroom with a TV, spacious bathroom, and a locked cabinet for medications.
This cottage-style home allows individuals to continue to engage in activities and routines in an atmosphere that fosters a sense of well-being and comfort.
The variety of activities offers everything from arts and crafts to card games to music, movies, and exercise options, reports Newson. “Residents, who are able, can go outside for walks, and also participate in chair yoga and mild stretching. These can be done under the guidance of an exercise specialist who comes to help them.”
Optional Activities
The extent to which residents engage in these optional activities varies according to interest and ability, but most are involved in some social interaction, says Newson.
“One of our residents is very interested in history, and gives talks for the other residents. Everyone has different levels of interest, and of course, each has their own story and history.”
The Meadows’ lifestyle is purposely flexible, points out Newson, who has long experience in the senior care field, and who joined The Meadows at Lawrence last January. “When residents first come, we have a questionnaire in order to
determine their likes and dislikes regarding food, activities, and habits. For example, some people like to get up early, others prefer to sleep in. So they can have breakfast whenever they want, with choices of cereal, eggs, pancakes, etc.”
Lunch and dinner times are specific, but again, people’s individual diets and choices are accommodated. Also, snacks, including fresh fruit, juices, ice cream, and more are available at all times, she adds.
Special events are also planned, such as outdoor cookouts on the patio, holiday parties, and family-focused activities.
“Family members visit, and we have family parties and events,” says Newson. “In addition, in the summer, we have a three-day camp with visiting children.”
Therapy Dog
A very popular program focuses on their visiting golden retriever therapy dog, who spends time in each cottage. Residents very much enjoy these visits, and studies have shown that dogs can have a very positive effect on many people who are constrained by physical or mental difficulties.
JUNCTION BARBER SHOP
Campus security, transportation, and religious services are all available, and additional amenities include weekly laundry service, spa area salon and hair service, and a Jacuzzi bathtub.
Residents vary in age from 52 to 104 years old, with the majority in their 80s, reports Newson.
For individuals coping with Alzheimer’s disease or other cognitive difficulties, The Meadows offers the “Journeys” memory care program.
“Memory care programs are secured environments designed to support maintaining a safe, home-like environment for persons living with Alzheimer’s or related dementia,” explains the organization’s literature. “The programming is person-centered to maximize independence, and support a routine in keeping with a lifestyle, leisure pursuits, and preferences.
“Our trained team of memory care specialists have the expertise to provide your loved ones with a better quality of life. They can benefit from specially-designed memory care programs — support with activities of daily living in a safe, peaceful, and homelike atmosphere.”
33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554 Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm Oct 5th - Oct 27th •
Fully Licensed
The attractive landscaped outdoor surroundings of The Meadows at Lawrence are often the focus of conversation among visitors. Its serene setting can also offer a pleasant experience for the residents who are able to enjoy time spent outside.
The Meadows at Lawrence is fully licensed by the State of New Jersey’s Department of Health for Skilled Nursing. Payment is on a monthly rental basis, and is competitively priced, says Newson.
Newson knows that she has made the right career choice. Even before working professionally, she volunteered to help older people. She remains dedicated to creating meaningful change and elevating the standard for senior care.
“I always enjoyed being with them and hearing their stories. Now, I feel I am able to make a real difference for people. I like to spend time with the residents and hear their stories. It is continuity and a sharing for them, and an opportunity for me. This is very rewarding work.”
For further information, call (609) 240-5217. Visit the website at meandowsatlawrence.com.
—Jean Stratton
COMPASSIONATE CARE: “At The Meadows at Lawrence, our residents have social engagement, people to be with, and spend time together. This is so important. The residents really seem to be happy here, especially in our home-like cottage environment. And we have an outstanding staff. We are all part of a team.” Daisy Newson (second from left), director of community relations at The Meadows at Lawrence, is shown with members of the “team.”
COTTAGE ENVIRONMENT: An aerial view of the grounds at the Meadows of Lawrence.
Discover A New Alternative In SENIOR CARE
TOWN TOPICS | Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday, October 23
11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton University Farmers Market, Firestone Library/ Chapel Plaza. Fresh, locally grown produce and other goods from area businesses using sustainable practices. Pumarket@princeton.edu
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m .: Leighton Listens. Councilman Leighton Newlin is available to discuss current events with members of the public at Mi Espana in Princeton Shopping Center.
5 p.m .: The 2024 Geddes W. Hanson Lecture at the Theron Room, Wright Library, Princeton Theological Seminary, presents Claudrena N. Harold, whose topic is “Go Tell Somebody: Gospel Music, Black Liberation, and the Politics of Freedom in the Soul and Hip-Hop Eras.” Free and streamed on YouTube. Ptsem.edu.
5-6 p.m.: The ABCs of Planned Giving, free presentation at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. In recognition of National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Followed from 6-7 p.m. by “Meet the Curators” tour of “Morven Revealed” exhibit. Morven.org.
5 p.m .: “Photo History’s Futures: Mark Sealy,” a lecture at Princeton University, A71 Louis A. Simpson building. Sealy speaks about his
books. Free. Art.princeton. edu.
6-7:30 p.m .: “Voice and Resistance” and “Language/ Lenguage,” discussion hosted by poets Enriqueta Carrington and Carlos Hernandez Pena at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.
6:30 p.m .: Antique appraiser and auctioneer Gene Pascucci appears at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Princeton Public Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike, to discuss the subtleties of the appraisal business and provide an appraisal of one item per patron at no charge. Mcl.org.
8-10:30 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents a dance featuring Christie Reihl with Rum & Onions at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Princetoncountrydancers.org.
Thursday, October 24
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.
12:30 p.m .: Organist Brenda Day performs at Princeton University Chapel. Free.
7 p.m .: “Beyond the Concert Keynote: Deborah Amos and Dalia Sofar.” A discussion of Sofer’s novel The Septembers of Shiraz in advance of the February 12 “Healing with Music” performance featuring Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor. On Zoom, visit princetonlibrary.org for the link.
7-10 p.m .: Bingo at Congregation Beth Chaim, 329 Village Road East, West Windsor. Open to those 18 and over. Bethchaim.org.
7 p.m .: Princeton Garden Theatre screens Picnic at Hanging Rock , in conjunction with “Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography,” on view at Art on Hulfish. Free. 160 Nassau Street.
Friday, October 25
5 p.m.: All Barracks Eve is celebrated at the Old Barracks Museum, 101 Barracks Street, Trenton. Living history demonstrations, stories around a bonfire, and more. $10 (children 5 and under free). Barracks.org .
5 p.m.: “The Past and Future of Ethics and Identity,” a conversation between phi-
losopher Kwame Anthony Appiah and Institute for Advanced Study Director David Nirenberg, at the Institute’s Wolfensohn Hall. Free. Preregistration required. Ias.edu.
5:15 p.m .: The Arts Council of Princeton’s Hometown Halloween Parade, starting at Palmer Square Green and departing at 5:45 p.m . to make its way to the YMCA for games, treats, and more. The Halloween Dance Party follows from 7-9 p.m. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.
6-8 p.m.: James “Murr” Murray of the TV show “Impractical Jokers” appears at Barnes & Noble in Princeton MarketFair, 535 U.S. 1, to sign his new book You Better Watch Out
7 p.m .: Roxey Ballet presents “C-Word: Stories of Triumph Over Breast Cancer,” in person at Mill Ballet School, 46 North Sugan Road, New Hope, Pa. Music, dance, and spoken word, choreographed by Mark Roxey. Also presented virtually. Roxeyballet.org.
7 p.m .: Old City Hall Bordentown presents the second “Jersey Devil Homecoming,” 13 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown. Halloween event celebrates the mythical creature’s connection to Bordentown. Presentations
OCTOBER
by journalist Dan Aubrey and novelist Dave Hart complement the Bordentown Walking Tours Haunted History tours. Facebook.com/OldCityHallRestoration.
7-9 p.m .: Dancing in the Dark at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road. $5. Shira Hofmekler hosts. Westwindsorarts.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.
8 p.m .: The musical Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations is at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $40-$105. Stnj.org.
Saturday, October 26
9 a.m.: Stepping Out for Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Walk, starting at Princeton YMCA parking lot. Sponsored by Olivia’s Wellness Connection. Oliviaswellnessconnection.com.
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more. Wwcfm.org.
9 a.m.-12 p.m .: Princeton Future holds a workshop and listening session, “How Can We Encourage Housing That’s Affordable for Schoolteachers and Other Middle-Income Families?” at the Theron Room of Princeton Theological Seminary, 25 Library Place. Open to all Princeton residents. Princetonfuture.net.
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
12:15 p.m .: Tour of Princeton Cemetery presented by the Historical Society of Princeton. $5. Princetonhistory.org.
1-4 p.m .: Heart to Hearth Cookery presents “Preserve or Perish: 18th Century Food Preservation” at Rockingham, 84 Laurel Avenue/ Kingston-Rocky Hill Road, Kingston. Rockingham.net.
2 and 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.
2 and 8 p.m .: The musical Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations is at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $40-$105. Stnj.org.
3-11 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents Rum & Onions XLIII at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Princeton countrydancers.org.
6-8:30 p.m .: Origins of Halloween Night Hike at The Watershed Institute, 31 Titus Mill Road, Pennington. A journey through the woods with stops to meet characters in an Irish folk tale. Designed to educate and enchant, not to frighten. Pre-registration required. Thewatershed.org.
7 p.m .: “Museum for All Ball” presented by Princeton University Art Museum at Frick Chemistry Laboratory atrium. Annual dance party featuring DJ Bonics, drinks, food, and fashion. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.
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 Bakersfield. $18 in advance; $22 day of the event. Terhuneorchards.com.
7 p.m .: The film Phantom of the Opera is screened at All Saints Church, 16 All Saints Road. A “Spooktacular” family evening fundraiser. Organist Kevin O’Malia provides improvised accompaniment. Donation of $20 ($10 for kids). Allsaintsprinceton.org.
7 p.m .: Roxey Ballet presents “C-Word: Stories of Triumph Over Breast Cancer,” in person at Mill Ballet School, 46 North Sugan Road, New Hope, Pa. Music, dance, and spoken word, choreographed by Mark Roxey. Also presented virtually. Roxeyballet.org.
7:30 p.m . Westminster Chapel Choir performs “Sanctuary” at Gill Chapel, Rider University, Lawrence Township. Led by Tyrone Clinton Jr. With pianist Akiko Hosaki. Spanning 500 years of choral singing. Rider.edu. 7:30 p.m.: Ndlovu Youth Choir from South Africa performs with the Princeton University Glee Club at Richardson Auditorium. $15 ($5 students). Music. princeton.edu.
S ports
Junior QB Hipa Throws for a TD, Runs For Another
As PU Football Tops Brown 29-17, Surviving Late Rally
Blaine Hipa struggled in his first three career starts this fall for the Princeton University football team, completing 46 percent of his passes with nine interceptions and three touchdowns as the Tigers lost all three games.
As Princeton hosted Brown last Friday night, Hipa was primed to put that rough stretch behind him.
“I definitely could have played a lot better in the first three games I played in,” said junior Hipa, a 6’2, 195-pound native of Kailua, Hawaii. “As an offense we were just inconsistent, turning the ball over too much. We were super excited to get in here against a really good Brown team that beat Harvard. We are going to fight our hearts out.”
In his fourth start, Hipa showed a lot of heart, completing 15 of 26 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown and rushing for another as Princeton held off a late Brown rally to prevail 29-17 before crowd of 4,173 at Princeton Stadium to improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 Ivy League.
Getting his first career win as a starter was an exciting breakthrough for Hipa.
“It means everything; I love this team, I love my teammates,” said Hipa. “We work really hard, we have come a long way. This is not the end. We are going to keep going, we are going to keep pushing and getting better and finish this season off.”
The Tigers got going early against the Bears, putting together a pair of scoring marches in the first quarter to jump out to a 12-0 lead. Princeton took the opening kickoff and got on the board as John Volker raced 66 years up the middle on a fourth down and one to score a touchdown. Senior Volker added a second TD later in the quarter with a seven-yard jaunt to culminate an 11-play, 90-yard drive,
“That was huge, we have struggled to score early on overall,” said Hipa, reflecting on the early scores. “Starting the game off like that is a real confidence boost, it is what we need as an offense.”
In the second quarter, Hipa helped Princeton cash in an interception by Torian Roberts, sprinting in for a 13-yard touchdown run as the Tigers went up 19-0.
“That play broke down a little bit, they had a weird bracket coverage going on both sides of the field,” said Hipa. “Coach told me to use your legs when needed. That was an opportunity for me to use them. Thankfully I got into the end zone carrying the ball.”
Later in the quarter, Hipa came up big with his arm, hitting senior star receiver Luke Colella for a 60-yard bomb to set up a 28-yard field goal by Sam Mastic as Princeton built a 22-7 halftime lead.
“We had a game plan to attack down the middle of the field,” said Hipa. “We knew we had a one-on-one matchup with Luke right there. I dropped back and I just delivered the ball to a really good
receiver and he made a play down the field.”
In the second half, the Brown offense made some plays as the Bears scored 10 unanswered points to trim the Princeton lead to 22-17 midway through the fourth quarter. Hipa threw an in terception early in the fourth quarter which led to the Brown field goal that make it a five-point game.
But with the game hang ing in the balance, Hipa en gineered an 8-play, 73-yard scoring march that culminat ed with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Colella.
“We know it is not going to be easy, this is team football,” said Hipa. “It is unfortunate that I turned the ball over. It is never over until the clock hits zero. We decided we are going to go finish, we are not going to roll over. We are go ing to finish the football game and we did that tonight.”
Hipa’s TD pass finished off the Bears. “It is a base call we worked on all week,” said Hipa. “I just kicked it out to Luke. We let our playmakers go and make a play.”
In reflecting on his prog ress, Hipa attributed it to better decision-making with the ball.
“It was just being smart with the ball, using my legs when I need to be keeping the ball in our hands and delivering the ball well,” said Hipa, who did have two interceptions in the win. “I missed some throws this week, I know I can make. I have made them the whole week. That was a big thing, just stay back there confident and know that I worked on all year and my whole life for this.”
Princeton head coach Bob Surace saw the early drives against Brown as a big confidence builder for his squad.
“Oh my goodness, we haven’t finished drives against some good defenses,” said Surace. “Brown has a really good defense. To finish those was great.
Volker’s first TD run helped set the tone for the Tigers. “I thought we had the first down on the play before and they said fourth down,” said Surace. “I was ‘OK, we need about that much (holding his finger apart), so go for it.’ It wasn’t a long yard. That was a huge play.”
The Tiger defense made several big plays, forcing five turnovers as Roberts, Tyler Morris and Nasir Hill each had interceptions while Tahj Owens recovered two fumbles.
“Brown stresses you every single play, you hold your breath every play and to our guys’ credit, we were in the right responsibilities almost every single time,” said
we were last weekend (a 34-7 loss to Mercer) and certainly better than Columbia (a 3417 defeat on October 5),” said Surace. “But we are not good enough if we are going to have false starts or offsides. It was six penalties, but they were controllable. It wasn’t a guy holding, it was false starts; you cannot have those.”
With Princeton heading up to New England this Saturday to play at Harvard (4-1 overall, 1-1 Ivy), the Tigers will be looking to extend a six-game winning streak against the Crimson.
“Every year is new, they have a new coach (former Princeton offensive coordinator Andrew Aurich),” said Surace. “They always have good players there. Andy is outstanding, just like James (Brown head coach James Perry and former Princeton offensive coordinator). It is back-to-back weeks going against a guy who was with us who I just admire.”
Hipa is confident that Princeton will keep going in the right direction.
“We are going to build on this win,” said Hipa. “Harvard is a good team. We are going to put our heads down and work really hard this week and go out there Saturday up north and keep the momentum going and win another game.”
—Bill Alden
HIP HIP HOORAY: Princeton University quarterback Blaine Hipa gets ready to unload the ball last Friday night against Brown. Junior Hipa completed 15-of-26 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another score as Princeton held off a late rally by the Bears to prevail 29-17 and improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 Ivy League. The Tigers play at Harvard (4-1 overall, 1-1 Ivy)
Brilliant Goal Makes the Difference
As Princeton Men’s Soccer Edges Colombia 2-1
Gabe Duchovny wasn’t thinking about his shot or he might not have taken it. It wasn’t a high percentage shot, but the junior midfielder couldn’t have hit his rocket from 30 yards any better for the game-winner in the Princeton University men’s soccer team’s 2-1 comeback win at Columbia on Saturday.
“You don’t really think about those,” said Duchovny, reflecting on his second career goal for the Tigers. “That’s one of the cool parts. It just happens. You just see the ball sit up, I was on the half turn, and it was a bunch of things that turned out pretty well, and I figured I’d have a hit. But it wasn’t a conscious thing, it was more just muscle memory and doing that when you’re little with your friends and I guess that’s what it was. It’s not a shot you’re thinking about at all.”
Duchovny was at home on the shot though. He was playing on a Columbia field that he practiced on for club soccer in high school. And in the crowd were young players from that very Met Oval club team.
“I was there when I was their age, which I couldn’t have been more than 10-11 years old,” said Duchovny, who’s from Brooklyn. “That was like the first more serious stuff I did.”
Duchovny was a hero for them and for the Tigers, with his goal helping to snap a frustrating two-game losing streak. Princeton had been
shut out in back-to-back 1-0 losses at home to Cornell and to Army, the latter despite a 17-4 shot advantage for Princeton.
“There was definitely some frustration growing and then to give up a goal on the first corner kick at Columbia and go down early against a team that doesn’t concede many goals on their home field, it was really challenging,” said Princeton coach Jim Barlow. “It was a challenging situation to be in, and I think the guys responded really, really well in the second half. We needed a bunch of big performances and big plays and we got some from a lot of different guys in the second half.”
Princeton did not wilt when Columbia scored five minutes into the game. It wasn’t an ideal start to the game, but the comeback proved the Tigers have no quit.
“It was a hard goal to concede, but I think there’s a lot of resiliency in this group,” said Duchovny. “We have a lot of faith in the team so I don’t think a lot of heads dropped. I think obviously it’s hard to be down at halftime, but I think we kept our minds in it the whole game. We stayed in it and it worked out for us.”
While the defense did its part by shutting out the Lions over the final 85 minutes, the Tigers mounted several solid scoring chances. After still trailing at halftime, Nico Nee snapped the Princeton scoreless streak and gave the Tigers a huge
boost of momentum and energy when he dribbled through the Columbia defense to tie the game barely three minutes into the second half.
Nico Nee’s goal is something that he does in practice – a lot,” said Duchovny. “He’s good and we’ve seen him do that. We’re very happy for him to score a goal like that, especially coming off of an injury. It was a great thing.”
Fifteen minutes later, it was a less expected score. Duchovny had scored only once before in his Princeton career, as a freshman. He came up with an important goal Saturday before anyone could question his decision to shoot.
“It happened so fast you almost didn’t even have time to react like that,” said Barlow. “But I think when you look at the reaction from his teammates, they’re all like dumbfounded, a bunch of guys are just standing with their hands on their heads. Like, did that really go in? But credit to him for having the confidence to turn and know where the goal was and just like he did his freshman year to score on a goal similar to that from the top of the box as well. He picked what he thought was a good opportunity and went for it. We needed a spark like that, and he and Nico provided them.”
The win helped Princeton improve to 6-5 overall, 3-1 in the Ivy League. That mark has them squarely in second
place behind unbeaten 4-0 Penn. The Tigers were hoping to build momentum with a game at Fordham slated for October 22 before they host Yale this Saturday.
“We’re playing all right,” said Duchovny. “I think we’re at our best when we’re really working hard and we’re really getting after teams and I think we probably would have wanted to start the Cornell game and the Columbia game a little bit more aggressively. But I think we’re confident in the group that we have and we’re confident that we can push the soccer along and really kind of start connecting and do well.”
Duchovny has been a steady contributor in his three seasons with the Tigers. He came in having to adjust to the Princeton style of playing. The style of play of his club was more focused on possession and often had him bumping the ball back
from his defensive midfield spot. Duchovny last summer spent time further digesting that philosophy of play while translating from Italian to English two theses on Roberto De Zerbi’s tactics, but he’s taken to the Princeton philosophy.
“It was a little bit of a culture shock for him, I think,” said Barlow. “And he’s just embraced it and grown with it. The other thing that he’s really done is become a leader. He’s one of the fiercest competitors. He’s totally engaged and into it every day, whatever we’re doing in training he’s pushing his teammates to find a way to win, to not take plays off, to be completely tuned in all the time. And that’s translated into the games too.”
Duchovny has helped bolster the midfield that has been a key to the Tigers’ good start. Princeton has been able to rely on their depth there.
“One of the things that has been really important to our team’s success this year is our ability to cover ground in the midfield, and for the midfield to be a real hardworking engine to disrupt the other team from being able to control possession and keep the ball and to break up plays and then to start our attack and continue our attack by getting good balls forward and connecting good passes,” said Barlow. “And Gabe’s been great in all those areas.”
Sun, November 3, 2024 | 3PM Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall Igor Levit: Pianist and Advocate for Change
IGOR LEVIT Piano with DEBORAH AMOS Moderator
Related Events:
• Recital on Wed, Oct 30
• Documentary Screening at the Princeton Garden Theatre on Sat, Nov 2
Two seasons of college soccer helped Duchovny understand the demands of that level and have him even more prepared for this year. Princeton can’t rest of their laurels with three league games still remaining to lock up a spot in the Ivy League Tournament. Included in that trio of games is a showdown with current top Ivy team, Penn.
“The keys are just kind of working hard and working for the group,” said Duchovny. “I think we’re really at our best when we play high velocity, aggressive football, which doesn’t mean you’re kicking it long. It doesn’t mean hopeful long balls. But when we’re dictating the tempo of the game and we’re playing on the front foot and we’re taking it to teams, I think that’s when we do well. So as much as we can, playing like that and playing kind of high octane. And also trusting that the connections will come and the passes will come and the interchanges will come with that intensity. That’s the key.”
The Tigers will be looking for more big plays too. Saturday’s game-winner from Duchovny will stand out as an important play that helped Princeton break a losing streak and get back toward the top of Ivy play.
“He’s not a guy that takes a ton of shots,” said Barlow. “To see him just turn and rip it from like 30 yards out and have it just dip under the crossbar, it’s just an amazing, amazing moment for him and for the team.”
—Justin Feil
Get the scoop from
MOMENT OF BRILLIANCE: Princeton University men’s soccer player Gabe Duchovny, left, goes after the ball in a 2023 game. Last Saturday, junior midfielder Duchovny scored the winning goal as Princeton rallied to edge Columbia 2-1. The Tigers, now 6-5 overall and 3-1 Ivy League, host Yale on October 26.
(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
PU Sports Roundup
PU Women’s Hockey Sweeps Robert Morris
Sarah Paul starred as the Princeton University women’s hockey team swept a two-game set at Robert Morris University to start its 2024-25 season.
On Friday, junior forward Paul tallied three goals and an assist as Princeton posted a 7-1 win in its season opener. A day later, Paul chipped in a goal as the Tigers rolled to an 11-1 victory over the Colonials.
Princeton plays at Yale on October 25 and at Brown on October 26.
Tiger Women’s Soccer Tops Harvard 3-1
Pietra Tordin came up big as the Princeton University women’s soccer team defeated Harvard 3-1 last Saturday.
Junior star Tordin tallied a goal and an assist as the Tigers improved to 9-4 overall and 4-1 Ivy League.
Princeton hosts Dartmouth on October 26.
PU Women’s Volleyball Defeats Cornell 3-1
Kamryn Chaney starred as the Princeton University women’s volleyball team topped Cornell 3-1 last Saturday.
Sophomore Chaney tallied 23 kills and 11 digs to help the Tigers prevail 21-25, 2520, 25-21, 25-19.
A day earlier, the Tigers defeated Columbia 3-0 (25-
19, 25-13, 25-12) to give Princeton head coach Sabrina King her 200th career victory at the helm of the program. King’s 200 career wins add to an impressive list of coaching accolades that include five Ivy League titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances, three Ivy League Coach of the Year awards, and four Ivy League Players of the Year coached.
Princeton, now 8-9 overall and 6-2 Ivy League, hosts Marquette on October 26.
PU Men’s Water Polo Defeats Cal 11-9
Roko Pozaric starred as the No. 7 Princeton University men’s water polo team edged No. 8 California 11-9 last Sunday on Berkeley, Calif.
Senior Pozaric tallied four goals as the Tigers posted their first-ever victory over Cal in program history and moved to 16-8.
Princeton hosts LIU and Iona on November 2.
Tiger Men’s Cross Country Takes 3rd in Fall Classic
Myles Hogan set the pace as the Princeton University men’s cross country team placed third in its Princeton Fall Classic last Friday on the Meadows Campus course.
Junior Hogan posted a time of 23:04.1 over the 8,000-meter course to place eighth individually.
Princeton had a team score of 92 in taking third at the event won by Villanova at 70.
The Tigers will be next in action when they host the Ivy League Championships on November 2.
PU Women’s Cross Country Takes 8th in Fall Classic
Anna McNatt led the way as the Princeton University women’s cross country team placed eighth in its Princeton Fall Classic last Friday at the Meadows Campus course.
Sophomore McNatt posted a time of 20:10.2 over the 6,000-meter course to place 18th individually.
Princeton had a team score of 202 in taking eighth at the event won by Georgetown at 59.
The Tigers will be next in action when they host the Ivy League Championships on November 2.
Princeton Men’s Golf
Wins Georgetown Event
Led by a brilliant performance from William Huang, the Princeton University men’s golf team placed first at the Georgetown Intercollegiate last week at the Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield.
Senior Huang fired an 8-under 205 in the threeround event to place first individually by nine strokes.
In the team standings, Princeton had a total score of a +7 859 to edge runner-up Campbell by eight strokes in the event which took place from October 14-15.
The Tigers ended their fall season with the tournament and won’t be in action until next year when they compete in The Prestige at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.
Tell them you saw their ad in
5K 10K FUN RUN 5K 10K FUN RUN
FUN
FOR THE
WHOLE FAMILY: NOVEMBER 2 ROSEDALE PARK
USATF-NJ Grand Prix
5K and 10K
Finisher medals
Overall and age category winner prizes
Face painting
Bubble palooza
School of Rock performance
Pre-race warm up with The Max Challenge
Dozens of community vendors
Post Race Party - music, games and more!
Proceeds benefit individuals with autism and Princeton Child Development Institute. For more information, visit: www.meadowsmiler.com or scan the QR code above.
CASHING IN: Princeton University field hockey player Ella Cashman hits the ball upfield in recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore Cashman scored the winning goal in overtime as No. 15 Princeton defeated No. 10 Harvard 2-1 in an Ivy League first place showdown. The Tigers, now 9-4 overall and 5-0 Ivy, host Maryland on October 25 and Dartmouth on October 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
With Hamerschlag Making Smooth Transition to Back 4, PHS Boys’ Soccer Primed to Battle Steinert in CVC Semis
Chase Hamerschlag provided a spark off the bench as a reserve forward for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team last fall as it won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state title. Backing up high-scoring striker Pasquale Carusone, Hamerschlag contributed five goals and two assists. But with PHS losing star center backs Nick Matese and Jamie Reynolds to graduation, Hamerschlag volunteered to move back to the back line this season to help fill that void.
“It was great last year being behind Pasquale, I knew that here were going to be huge roles, especially with Nick and Jamie leaving,” said junior Hamerschlag, a versatile athlete who has competed in wrestling and baseball for the Tigers. “I worked on it over the summer. We have captain’s practices where we just come in and kick the ball. I really just put myself back there and practiced. I like the transition.”
Last Monday, as secondseeded PHS hosted 10thseeded Trenton Central in the quarterfinal round of the
Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament, Hamerschlag’s work paid off as he blasted a free kick past the Trenton goalie to give PHS a 1-0 lead with 16:33 left in the first half.
“When I see that they are all lined up, I am looking at the right side of the net,” said Hamerschlag. “I know that I can kick the ball pretty hard. I am looking for that top right corner, especially since the guy was a little bit off to the left side, more center goal. I just knew with my power. I could put it up in the top right.”
With his size and athleticism, Hamerschlag has helped the PHS back four develop into strong crew.
“We have been working for a while now and we have really established a back line,” said Hamerschlag. “We are a unit.”
That unit was put to the test when the Tornadoes scored a goal with 2:17 left in regulation cut the PHS lead to 2-1. The Tiger defense stiffened from there as the squad pulled out the win by that margin.
“There is that little concern, I know our defense and I know what we can do,”
Princeton
soccer player Chase Hamerschlag rises up for a header in recent action. Last Monday, junior center back Hamerschlag scored a goal and played strong defense to help second-seeded PHS defeat 10th-seeded Trenton Central 2-1 in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament. The Tigers, now 12-2-3, will face third-seeded Steinert in the CVC tourney semis on October 24 at Hopewell Valley with the victor advancing to the final on October 26.
said Hamerschlag. “That goal was just a weird goal.”
The Tigers, now 12-23, will face third-seeded Steinert in the CVC tourney semis on October 24 at Hopewell Valley with the victor advancing to the final on October 26.
PHS head coach Ryan Walsh knew his was going to be pushed by a feisty Trenton squad which upset seventh-seeded Hightstown 3-0 in the first round of the CVC tourney on October 19.
“The Trenton teams always battle, they won three in a row coming into it,” said Walsh. “They had a nice result against Hightstown on Saturday. We knew that they were going to come in and it was going to be a fight to the end.”
Hamerschlag’s free kick helped turn the tide in favor of PHS.
“Chase hits the ball really hard in those situations, he is an asset to us,” said Walsh of Hamerschlag, who has now tallied four goals and two assists this season. “He is an elite athlete in a lot of ways. The transition wasn’t smooth in the beginning but he has really grown into it now and has played a big role for us this year.”
Walsh likes how the squad’s back four has raised the level of their game as the season has unfolded.
“These guys have now played a lot of minutes together,” said Walsh, whose defensive unit also includes seniors Connor Hewitt, Thomsen Lord, and Matt Chao in addition to Hamerschlag. “When you don’t win every match, that is when guys get a lot closer, it is just learning from one another. Building off wins and losses gets the guys together.”
Senior star midfielder Archie Smith helped PHS build a 2-0 lead as he found the back of the net with 12:57 left in the second half.
“Both him and Azariah [Breitman] played well, they work well together,” said Walsh. “Credit to Trenton, they did a really good job of trying to neutralize those two guys.”
PHS did a good job of neutralizing Trenton down the stretch as it held off the late flurry from the Tornadoes. “We work on that a lot, trying to kill the game off up one goal late in the game,” said Walsh. “We did a really good job of getting the ball into the attacking half away from their keeper in the last two minutes and just keep it.”
With PHS getting a rematch in the CVC semis against Steinert, who defeated the Tigers 2-0 on October 8, Walsh believes his squad has what it takes to win the tournament.
“I have a lot of confidence in these guys, these guys want to win so bad,” said Walsh. “No matter who we play, we will be ready for sure. There are some good teams in the CVC, we respect them but we don’t fear them.”
Hamerschlag, for his part, is fired up to get a second shot at Steinert.
“They scored two early goals on us and we are not going to let that happen again,” said Hamerschlag. “We want Steinert and Robbinsville (the top-seeded team in the CVC tourney who edged PHS 2-1 in midSeptember).”
—Bill Alden
Howes Stars for PHS Girls’ Soccer in a Losing Cause As Tigers Battle Hard in Defeat to PDS in CVC Tourney
With the Princeton High girls’ soccer team having lost 2-0 to Princeton Day School in September, it looked like the Tigers were about to be blanked again in the rivalry when the local foes met last Saturday in the first round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament.
Midway through the second half, 10th-seeded PHS trailed the host and seventhseeded Panthers 3-0 despite generating some good scoring chances on set pieces, including a free kick that flew inches over the goal and a corner kick that resulted in the ball ricocheting off the crossbar.
But showing resilience, the Tigers got a pair of goals from junior star Kacey Howes to trim the margin to 3-2 and put the Panthers on their heels.
While PHS didn’t score the equalizer and fell by that 3-2 score, Tiger head coach Meghan Brennan was proud of how her team battled against PDS.
“We are confident in our abilities but we knew it would be a fight, we knew
it could go either way,” said Brennan. “Going down 3-0 and coming back to 3-2 shows that fight. Kacey is incredible. She is such a good player and a great finisher. She really came through in the clutch. That just shows her character and grit for it to be 3-0 and for her to push and get two goals. It shows everyone’s grit.”
Brennan was not surprised that Howes sparked the rally. “She is a true fighter a true leader,” said Brennan of Howes. “She also has such good technical skills. She has a great first touch, a great first shot and a really good understanding of the field. She always knows what needs to happen and where. Her soccer IQ is really high. The other thing is she is always seeking feedback and incorporates it right away. She is so coachable.”
Sophomore Mathilde Pouliot has been displaying plenty of skill on the back line.
“I think Mathilde has been doing awesome, she is playing left back right now,” said Brennan. “She is really, really strong, she is a great
defender. Mathilde has really stepped up. She is hard to beat, she is very, very good.” Looking ahead, Brennan believes that Tigers will step up when they get to the state tournament.
“I feel our losses could have gone either way, I am excited for states,” said Brennan. “These are things we can keep building on. We made some mistakes today and they capitalized on them. Overall, especially in the second half, I am proud of how we played.”
Brennan is proud of how her squad has rebounded from a 1-8-2 start that saw it score just one goal in eight games from September 19-October 7.
“We have been getting more goals; when we started getting a few wins a few weeks ago, it was the confidence piece,” said Brennan, whose team defeated Hightstown 2-0 in a CVC consolation contest on Monday to move to 5-9-2 and hosts the Peddie School on October 29. “I think at the beginning we were having a lot of close losses and feeling down on ourselves. I think it was getting the confidence back, that was good.”
—Bill Alden
KACEY PRIME: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Kacey Howes, left, gets ready to boot the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior star Howes scored two goals in the second half as 10th-seeded PHS produced a late rally against seventh-seeded Princeton Day School in the first round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament but came up short in a 3-2 loss. The Tigers, who defeated Hightstown 2-0 in a CVC consolation contest on Monday to move to 5-9-2, host the Peddie School on October 29.
(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
HAMMER TIME:
High boys’
(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
After Switching to Tight End from Quarterback, Tyme
Emerges as a Key Weapon for Hun Football
Drae Tyme’s position switch after his sophomore year for the Hun School football team opened up an opportunity and rekindled his career goals.
Tyme always wanted to play Division I college football. He came to Hun as a quarterback from Canada, but after two seasons without many snaps he saw another chance to get on the field and reinvented himself at tight end.
“I just went into it with an open mind,” said Tyme, who now lives in Princeton. “I was like, if I’m more athletic and I can be put somewhere else that will get me to play college football, I’d do it. I just want to find the best opportunity for me. And it was obviously switching to tight end. So I think it was just being open minded about it and just accepting what it could mean.”
Tyme has become a reliable target for fellow senior Jack Moran this year. He’s made a big step in his contributions since last season.
Tyme caught one of Moran’s six touchdowns in a 51-14 win over the Hill School (Pa.) at Hun’s Homecoming on Saturday night. Tyme’s touchdown reception was his ninth of the season on 24 catches. He had one touchdown last year on 11 catches.
“It’s just getting comfortable with the position and knowing what to do,” said Tyme. “Last year was my first year at tight end. I’m still trying to get used to it and now that this year I have the grasp, I’m getting more comfortable with it. And I think what was kind of the bigger change was the fact that I am able to do a lot more this year, both blocking and catching because I felt more comfortable and I was just doing it and not thinking.”
Tyme also has sprouted from his 6’1, 205-pound quarterback frame of three years ago to now being 6’4 and 235. Like stellar NFL tight ends Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jimmy Graham, Tyme is a tall, strong, fast athlete who also plays basketball.
“I do think I fit that mold and I’ve had people tell me that’s kind of the common thing,” said Tyme. “So I would say it’s a good comparison.”
Tyme’s change helped him reach his ultimate goal when he committed to continue playing Division I college football at Holy Cross.
“Holy Cross liked what they saw in my film and they recruited me and I loved the coaching staff and the energy they were giving me,” said Tyme. “It’s a great place for me. It was a really good option. My family loved it and I loved it. It was the best option for me.”
Tyme’s father would have been thrilled to see his son’s development. Dave Tyme inspired Drae to start playing football at age 9. He played football at Saint Mary’s University and he played tight end. The elder Tyme passed away suddenly in June, 2022. He never had a chance to see his son play his new position, but he’s always on Tyme’s mind.
“I wake up every day and
then I thank God that I’m here and that I know he’s watching over me and he’s here with me every step of the way,” said Tyme. “This journey is dedicated to him. He put so much time and effort into when I was younger to make sure I was the best of where I was at and made sure I put the work in and now it’s just all dedicated to him and I think about him every day.”
He would be proud of the weapon that Tyme has become in a potent Raiders offense and impressive Hun team. Tyme finished Saturday’s game with three catches for 75 yards in a win that helped Hun improve to 7-1 with two games remaining in the season. The Raiders had won their first six games in a row before losing to St. Frances Academy of Maryland a week earlier.
“I think it brought a lot of us to gain confidence again to get back to our usual selves of playing well,” said Tyme. “It was just a good reset for us, and then we just move on to the next one, which is St. Thomas More (Conn.), which would be a good matchup.”
Hun will travel to New England for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. The Raiders finish by hosting another Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) team, Peddie, on November 2. Hun’s game in Connecticut this weekend will take them on the road again in a season when they’ve been out of state more often than at home.
“It’s a great experience be able to travel to Illinois, Georgia and Virginia to play all these good teams,” said Tyme. “A lot of us enjoyed it. There was a lot of team bonding happening and obviously walking away with wins made our trips even better. So I think the experience of being able to travel and play the top teams in their states is just great. It’s amazing.”
Each game has given the Raiders a chance to showcase their talents. Their win Saturday in front of their Homecoming crowd was no exception. Wake Forestbound Bryce Kania caught two of Moran’s touchdown tosses, Stanford-bound Liam Thorpe had one touchdown reception, Jack Garbolino had a touchdown catch and a touchdown run and Ryder Kusch had a touchdown reception. Moran also had a touchdown run on his big day.
“The guys just played for each other,” said Tyme. “A lot of us were just making extra plays, blocking for each other after the routes, and then we’re all playing as a team.”
He’s hoping that will continue over the final two games. Hun wants to close out the year at 9-1 and knock off all three MAPL teams it has faced having defeated the Blair Academy (48-0 on October 5) before the win over Hill.
“For the next two weeks it’s just basically perfecting everything that we’ve done all season, staying healthy and just playing for each other and for all the seniors that we’re counting down the clock now to our last game,” said Tyme.
“So it’s just like we’ve got to give it our all every time now.”
Tyme is thrilled to be able to contribute, now in a new position. He’d played quarterback since he started playing flag football, though he dabbled with tight end one year in middle school in Canada. The new spot in high school came with some adjustments.
“It was just like the change of tempo,” said Tyme. “With quarterback, you can kind of take your time and you have your progressions, whereas tight end, you just have a job. You get it done now and do it as fast as you can. So I think it was just the change of tempo I was moving at.”
There are different demands and different assignments, but Tyme’s athleticism helped. Part of that is his basketball background. He’s continued to play basketball for Hun while making his move on the football field, and his time on the court has helped.
“It helps with the turning and the change of direction defi nitely,” said Tyme. “And then it just helps with the explosiveness, like moving off of a hard ground compared to where I can dig my feet into turf or grass. It definitely helps.”
Tyme has taken off over the last year in his new position. He is looking forward to continuing to develop at tight end in college. He’ll have the opportunity to expand his skills further at Holy Cross.
“Obviously playing in college is going to be a big deal, and I’m honestly just going to take it and play football and where it takes me, it takes me,” said Tyme. “If I move on and go to some bigger league, then that’d be great. And if I have to hang it up after college, I’d be fi ne with that too. I mean, I love the sport and I’ll just do what’s best for me.”
At Hun, that meant giving up a longtime position for another that could get him on the fi eld and use his athleticism and size to contribute in a new way. It’s worked out to help the Raiders and Tyme.
“The overall goal was to go D-I and play football in college, and obviously the position changed, but it didn’t really change the goal much.,” said Tyme. “It was just a different outcome I guess.”
— Justin Feil
Trumbull’s
2024
Lifted by Amin’s Leadership, Excellence at 1st Doubles, PDS
Girls’ Tennis Advances to Non-Public State Final
As a senior captain for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team, Kavita Amin aims to positively influence her teammates.
“I really like being a mentor to the younger players and keeping the team culture really high which I think we have done good job of,” said Amin. “We have become really close, not only as teammates but we are really good friends. We know how to look out for each other.”
Last Thursday, Amin and one of those younger teammates, sophomore Zarna Kalra, did a good job at first doubles as PDS faced undefeated and top-ranked Pingry in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state final at the Mercer County Park tennis complex.
Facing Isabelle Chen and Leila Souayah, the 2022 NJSIAA state doubles champions who made it to the quarterfinal this fall, Amin and Kalra looked to stay in the moment.
“It was a challenging match but coming into it my partner and I just wanted to keep our energy up and think about taking each point as a new one,” said Amin. “We wanted to just make the best of the situation and take every opportunity that we could.”
While Amin and Kalra challenged the Pingry pair, they ended up falling 6-1, 6-2. Their loss was a microcosm of how things went for
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the Panthers as they fell 5-0 to the powerhouse Big Blue, who won each match in straight sets as they earned their fourth straight NonPublic state title.
“We had a few pretty good rallies, we tried to keep it high crosscourt, go for angles and go for opportunities when we had them,” said Amin. “Despite how each point went, we thought of each point as new one. We tried to change up our strategy and tried to keep them on their toes.”
The team of Amin and Kalra have kept on their toes in their second year playing together.
“I had a great time with my partner, “ said Amin. “We like it when we are challenged. We welcome every opportunity. We really wanted to continue playing from last year, we have really good chemistry. We know how to lift each other up. We complement each other’s games really well and we know how to set each other up and we know our strengths.”
Amin credited PDS assistant coach Jon Brown with playing a key role in helping the pair produce a strong campaign.
“He has done a really good job of encouraging us throughout the season,” said Amin. “He gives us great advice and teaches us how to work well with our partners.”
For Amin, making the state final was special for her and the squad.
“I am super proud of myself and the team, I am really happy with how everybody played,” said Amin. “It definitely wasn’t up to just one person, we did a really good job of keeping everyone together and encouraging everybody along the way.”
With PDS competing in the Prep B state tourney and the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament this week, Amin is primed to keep playing well.
“I am excited, we want to take on the hard matches we have played this year and take on the same strategy,” said Amin. “It was good practice playing with Pingry. We learned a lot of things playing them and with North and PHS too.”
PDS head coach Michael Augsberger liked the way that Amin and Kalra competed against Pingry.
“First doubles performed really well, I think they had the strongest chance to put a dent in the armor today,” said Augsberger. “They were in sets early until Pingry eventually ran away with each set later on. We were able to be aggressive with them at first doubles.”
Augsberger also cited Brown’s influence as a key factor in the pair’s success.
“JB had a big impact on that first doubles team,” said Augsberger of Brown, who is in his 16th year with the program. “I would say he is responsible for that sort of turnaround where over the last half of the season they
the
fell
have become the best that they have ever been.”
Augsberger has seen a turnaround in Amin as she has matured into a senior captain.
“Kavi has grown from being a really shy, quiet really small freshman to a very communicative, good leader,” said Augsberger. “She is so much more aggressive at the net, even in the last half of this season.”
PDS showed a lot of growth collectively in making it back to the Non-Public fi nal after having advanced that far in 2022.
“Especially after last year when we had had the really tough loss (in the sectional final), I remember feeling that one for a couple of days,” said Augsberger. “We were so close to doing it then. So to turn it around this year and
to Pingry.
take care of business with all of the new faces with a lot of stalwart seniors high in the lineup having left, that is really good performance from the girls.”
Augsberger was looking for some more good performances from his players as they competed in the Prep B and CVC tourneys.
“It is nice to be able go from this and have this sort of amazing test to still have something left because we have our sights set on the Prep tournament and CVC,” said Augsberger.
In Augsberger’s view, battling Pingry was good preparation for those competitions.
“It shows you the height of what’s out there and we know that we are willing to face it,” said Augsberger, whose team saw freshman Arundhati
Prabhu make the Prep B final at second singles with Amin, moving to third singles with two starters missing, advance to the final at third singles.
“What is coming up is strong but it is not going to be that strong, nobody is that strong. That gives you confidence when you are able to come out here and hold you own against them.”
Amin, for her part, is looking to enjoy a strong finish to her PDS career.
“I am just trying to have a lot of fun, I don’t want to think about it being the end of the season,” said Amin. “Every match is different and I am just really excited to play with my partner. I am really happy for the team. I think we have come a long way and played really well together.”
—Bill Alden
CALABRIA
CALABRIA
CALABRIA
Night
CALABRIA
CALABRIA
Night
CALABRIA
Night
CALABRIA Night
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes
CALABRIA Night
CALABRIA Night
Night
CALABRIA Night
CALABRIA
Appetizer
Appetizer
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $ 15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $ 15 fried eggplants
Appetizer
Appetizer
Soup Celery Soup
Appetizer
Appetizer
Soup Celery Soup
Appetizer
Appetizer
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $ 15 fried eggplants
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $ 22
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $ 15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $15 fried eggplants
Soup Celery Soup
$ 10 PASTA
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $15 fried eggplants
$ 10 PASTA
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes fried eggplants
Soup
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $ 25 and Sausage
Soup Celery Soup
Soup
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja”
Soup Celery Soup $ 10
$ 22
Appetizer
Appetizer
Second Course
Celery Soup
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $ 22
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Soup Celery Soup
Appetizer
Celery Soup
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
$10
$ 10
Soup Celery Soup $10 PASTA
Soup Celery Soup $10
Parsons
$10
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes
PASTA
PASTA
PASTA
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja”
PASTA
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $ 30 and Anduja
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $ 15 fried eggplants
“Frittelle di Melanzane”- Eggplant Frittes $ 15 fried eggplants
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $22
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $ 22
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $ 25 and Sausage Second Course
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja”
Dessert
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“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $22
$ 22
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $22
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $22
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $ 25 and Sausage Second Course
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $22
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja”
Soup Celery Soup
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
$22 Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
“Chimullille” $ 10
Soup Celery Soup $ 10 PASTA
$ 30 and Anduja
Gabe Parsons
25 and Sausage Second Course
Since [1950] Conte’s has become a Princeton destination; a great old-school bar that also happens to serve some of New Jersey’s best pizza, thin-crusted and bubbly. The restaurant hasn’t changed much since then; even the tables are the same. It’s a simple, no-frills space, but if you visit during peak times, be prepared to wait well over an hour for a table.
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja”
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja” $ 22
“Strozzapreti all’Anduja”
fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Dessert
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $25 and Sausage
Second Course
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $ 30 and Anduja
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $ 25 and Sausage
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage
Second Course
Second Course
Dessert
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $ 25 and Sausage Second Course
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $25 and Sausage Second Course
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $25 and Sausage Second Course
Pasta with tomatoe and anduja sausage “Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $25 and Sausage Second Course
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $25 and Sausage
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $25 and Sausage Second Course
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms
“Chimullille”
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms
640-867-4783
25 and Sausage
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $ 30 and Anduja
$ 10
“Chimullille” $ 10
and Anduja
“Mafaldine with Porcini Mushrooms $ 25 and Sausage Second Course
Dessert
Gabe Parsons
We
(playing from 6pm-8pm)
fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey Gabe Parsons
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $ 30 and Anduja
fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey
and Anduja Dessert
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $ 30 and Anduja Dessert
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $30 and Anduja Dessert
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $30 and Anduja Dessert
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $30 and Anduja Dessert
“Chimullille”
Chicken with Porcini mushrooms $30 and Anduja Dessert
and Anduja
Dessert
“Chimullille”
“Chimullille”
“Chimullille”
“Chimullille”
301 North Harrison street
“Chimullille”
and Anduja Dessert
“Chimullille”
fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey
640-867-4783
640-867-4783
$ 10
“Chimullille” $10 fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey
“Chimullille” $10 fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey
“Chimullille”
fried ravioli filled with ricotta and orange zest, served with honey
“Chimullille”
(playing from 6pm-8pm)
(playing from 6pm-8pm)
HOLDING COURT: Princeton Day School girls’ tennis player Kavita Amin follows through on a shot last Thursday as PDS faced the Pingry School in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state final at the Mercer County Park tennis complex. Senior Amin and sophomore Zarna Kalra lost 6-1, 6-2 to Isabelle Chen and Leila Souayah at first doubles as
Panthers
5-0
Sparked by Senior Graham’s Speed, Finishing Touch, PDS Girls’ Soccer Tops PHS in CVC Tourney Opener
For Makena Graham and her teammates on the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team, hosting Princeton High last Saturday in the opening round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament was an opportunity to turn the page on an uneven campaign.
“We have had a rough start to the season so we all said today is a reset, today nothing else matters,” said Graham of the Panthers who had gone 1-5 in their previous six games before the CVC opener.
“It didn’t matter that we beat them before (2-0 on September 24). Our record didn’t matter. It was come in like a new team. We were going to possess, we were going to play our way. We weren’t going to panic.”
Seventh-seeded PDS played its game, jumping out to a 1-0 lead over 10thseeded PHS on a goal by Nica Martin.
“We had momentum,” said Graham. “We had to keep going after that.”
Graham got things going in the second half, racing down the sideline and then setting up Mackenzie Brodel for a goal, slotting a cross to her that she tapped into the back of the net.
“It was amazing,” said Graham, reflecting on the goal. “I was able to get into the right space and they were able to find me. That was only because the possession was so good from behind. The team did an amazing job there.”
Minutes later, Graham got loose again on the wing, sprinting to goal and blasting the ball past PHS goalie Julia Zaladrriaga.
“Coach was talking to me before cutting off the defender and taking a positive touch,” said Graham. “That was what I was really trying to tell myself. That was the only reason I was able to get that third goal.”
That third goal turned out to be the game winner as the Tigers responded with two unanswered goals by Kacey Howes to put the Panthers on their heels before succumbing as PDS held on for a 3-2 win.
“I was really nervous, it got a little frantic,” said Graham. “We don’t want to go into overtime, we need to end this here. Everyone was so tired.”
PDS, though, couldn’t keep its CVC run going as it fell 4-1 to second-seeded Notre Dame in a quarterfinal contest last Monday in moving to 7-8-1.
While the Panthers didn’t advance, Graham has taken her game to a higher level.
“I think I am more of a team player now,” said Graham. “At first when you are a freshman, you are so distracted with school and all of the headlines. Now I am playing through the team, being together and enjoying that.”
Graham is enjoying having her younger sister, junior defender Zuri, as a teammate.
“I love playing with my sister,” said Graham. “It has been great being on the field together. It is so fun.”
PDS head coach Chris Pettit was looking for his squad to play with a renewed intensity against PHS.
“That is what we talked about, ‘OK, at this point we
haven’t lost a trophy, the season starts here,’” said Pettit. “These are the games that really count. I think everybody would admit and know that we have not hit the standards this year for many different reasons. So today was about it is a whole new tournament and everything else is water under the bridge at this point. We need to focus on ourselves.”
PDS displayed a sharper focus as they took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
“It was good for us to get a lead because obviously when you have had a run of a couple of losses if you concede first then you start to look uphill a little more,” said Pettit. “If you score first, you are, ‘OK maybe we can do this.’”
While Pettit was happy to see his team jump ahead, he urged his players to push harder.
“We spoke at halftime; they were bigger and stronger than us and they were beating us to all of the first balls,” said Pettit. “I said if we are not going to beat them to the first balls, we have got to win the second.”
That approach opened things up for Graham. “I thought for that opening 25 minutes, we won every second ball and from there we moved it around quickly, we played position,” said Pettit. “We were able to release Makena which is how we wanted to play for her. It worked perfectly and she obviously did what she did which was phenomenal. She is fast and we have been working with her on that first touch to come in and do what she did. It is enter the space, the space is her friend, and then look to either pull it back to the assist for Mac or take it through for the goal.”
PHS took it to the Panthers in the final, as Howes scored a goal with 16:15 in regulation and then adding a second tally two minutes later.
“They have a couple of really dangerous players, and we as coaches, just before they scored their first goal, commented that they were starting to win the second balls,” said Pettit. “That is where the kid hit the goal from a long way out. As soon as that happens, they grow in confidence and we tighten up a bit. From that point on, all of the good work we had been doing for that first 25 minutes in terms of composed possession on the ball, their tails were up and we started panicking. It was basically backs to the wall until we closed it out.”
Although things got dicey in the waning moments of the contest, PDS was able to close the deal.
“I wasn’t happy with the second goal, we gave it away,” added Pettit. “I was very happy with our grit and determination, however ugly it is, we just have to get it over the line at this point.”
With PDS playing at the Pennington School on October 25 and hosting Hightstown on October 30 before starting play in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Tournament, Pettit believes his squad can produce a big stretch run.
“I think we have had the potential all season, that opening 25 minutes of the second half shows what we are about,” said Pettit, whose team won the NJSIAA NonPublic A title last fall.
“It is, ‘Can we build on that and do it consistently because if we can, we have a chance of making a run.’ As we have also proven this year, it has been hard to do that.”
Graham, for her part, is looking to end her PDS career with a bang.
“I want this to be the best last season and put it all out there, because there is nothing left for me next year,” said Graham.
—Bill Alden
The Protests and Free Expression website is a one-stop resource for information about Princeton University policies relating to protests and demonstrations.
Before the football game vs. Cornell and the Tiger Tailgate, join fellow alumni and friends for an engaging discussion with MICHAEL G. LITTMAN , professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. The lecture will examine key engineering innovations since the Industrial Revolution, highlighting the innovators behind these breakthroughs and the social contexts that shaped their work. Learn more: alumni.princeton.edu/GameDayLecture2024
NOVEMBER 2
Lawrenceville
Football : Earning its second straight win, Lawrenceville defeated the Kent School (Conn.) 35-24 last Saturday. The Big Red, now 4-2, host the Hotchkiss School (Conn.) on October 26.
Field Hockey : Unable to get its offense going, Lawrenceville fell 4-0 to Point Pleasant Boro last Monday. In upcoming action, the Big Red, now 6-6-1, will be starting play in the Prep A state tournament where they are seeded sixth and will be playing at third-seeded Hun in a quarterfinal contest on October 23. Lawrenceville will also be hosting Hun on October 26 in a regular season game.
Lawrenceville on October 26 and at Lawrence High on October 29 in regular season contests.
Boys’ Soccer : Chris Meehan and Luke Donahue scored goals in a losing cause as Hun fell 3-2 in double overtime to the Hill School (Pa.) last Saturday. The Raiders, now 9-3-2, host Lenape on October 24, play at Lawrenceville on October 26, and host Pingry on October 29.
Girls’ Soccer: Falling short in a tight contest, Hun lost 2-1 to the Hill School (Pa.) last Friday evening. The Raiders, now 1-9-4, play at Lawrenceville on October 26.
23, play at Jonathan Dayton High on October 24, and then host the Lawrenceville School on October 29.
Field Hockey : Running into a buzz-saw, Hun fell 11-0 to the Hill School (Pa.) last Saturday. In upcoming action, the Raiders, now 7-7, will be starting play in the Prep A state tournament where they are seeded third and will host sixth-seeded Lawrenceville in a quarterfinal contest on October 23. Hun will also playing at
Boys’ Soccer : Todd Devin scored the goal for ninth-seeded PDS as it fell 4-1 to eighth-seeded WW/ P-South in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament last Saturday. The Panthers, who moved to 4-10 with the defeat, host Delaware Valley on October 25.
Girls’ Volleyball : Competing in the Prep state tournament, PDS fell 2-0 to Montclair Kimberley Academy on October 15. The Panthers, now 6-12, are scheduled to host Morristown-Beard on October
Pennington PHS PDS
Football : Excelling on both sides of the ball, Pennington defeated Long Island Lutheran 42-13 last Saturday. The Red Hawks, now 5-3, host the Peddie School on October 26.
Field Hockey : Devan Tirendi scored the lone goal for Pennington as it fell 2-1 to the Lawrenceville School last Friday. The Red Hawks, who moved to 8-4-1, host Princeton Day School on October 23 before playing at South Hunterdon on October 29.
Cranbury Middle School whose parents, Dan and Val, are both former coaches at Princeton High. In taking second, Rodriguez competed against wrestlers from all over the country.
Local Sports Hun
MAKING HISTORY: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Naomi Lygas goes up for a block in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star Lygas tallied 13 kills and 12 digs as PHS, ranked No. 2 in the state by NJ.com, defeated No. 1 Williamstown 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-14). In so doing, Lygas moved her career kills total to 736, breaking the previous program record of 724 set by Gillian Hauschild ’20. Senior star Lois Matsukawa had 25 assists to hit the 1,500 career assist milestone. Senior libero Pearl Agel made 19 digs to go over 750 for her career. Last Monday, PHS defeated Kingsway 2-0 (25-19, 25-9) to improve to 18-1. The Tigers host the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) tournament on October 24. In addition, PHS will be hosting Lawrence High on October 23 and playing at Paul VI on October 28 in regular season contests. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Boys’ Soccer: With Alvaro Carnicer Cozar triggering the offense, Pennington defeated the Westtown School (Pa.) 4-0 last Friday. Carnicer Cozar contributed one goal and two assists as the Red Hawks improved to 10-1. Pennington hosts Columbia Prep (N.Y.) on October 25.
Girls’ Soccer : Sparked by Maya Raghanundanan, Pennington defeated the Lawrenceville School 6-0 last Monday. Raghanundanan tallied three goals in the win as the Red Hawks improved to 10-2. Pennington is next in action when it competes in Prep A state tournament where it is seeded second and will host third-seeded Blair in a semifinal contest on October 30.
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 53 rd 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.
added a rushing TD. For the Eagles, Christian Barr connected with Theo Henderson on two touchdown passes. Henderson also threw a TD pass to Hudson Hanley while Kaayan Shah hauled in a TD pass from Shaan Patel.
Football : Travis Petrone starred as PHS defeated visiting Trenton Central last Friday evening in its annual Homecoming contest under the lights. Senior quarterback Petrone completed 9 of 12 passes for 171 yards and rushed for 48 yards and two TDs as the Tigers improved to 4-4. PHS hosts the West Windsor/Plainsboro football co-op on October 26 in its regular season finale.
Girls’ Tennis: Producing a dominant performance, PHS defeated Valley 5-0, winning each match in straight sets. The Tigers, who improved to 11-2 with the win, will be playing at Robbinsville on October 25. In addition, PHS is competing in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament at the Mercer County Park tennis complex with the semis and finals slated for October 23.
Stuart
Field Hockey : Emily Harlan starred in a losing cause as Stuart fell 1-0 to Academy of St. Elizabeth last Monday in the quarterfinal round of the Prep B state tournament. Senior goalie Harlan made nine saves for the Tartans, now 5-8-1. Stuart will be playing at Lawrence High on October 23 in a regular season contest.
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.
Princeton Junior Football Recent Results
In action last Sunday in the Princeton Junior Football League (PJFL) Seniors division (Grades 7-8) , the Princeton Global Packers defeated the UOA Broncos 39-21 as Luke Giannatasio ran for multiple touchdowns for the victors with Mathew Robinson throwing two TD passes to Aiden Davidson and one to Kyle Dauber. For the Broncos, John Monica threw touchdown passes to Nathan Stock and to Nate Shackney. The Christine’s Hope Giants topped the Besler Chiefs 40-13. Everett Marcus caught a touchdown pass and had an interception in the win for the Giants while Bree Green returned a punt for a score and added two TD catches. The Petrone Associates Steelers defeated the Mercato Eagles 4828. For the Steelers, Luke Branagh returned a kickoff for a touchdown and threw two touchdown passes, one to Sunny Coulianidis and one to Reggie Wright. Sunny Coulianidis and Cooper Casto each threw a TD pass to Reggie Wright and Casto
In the Super Juniors division (Grades 5-6), the University Orthopedic Associates Broncos rallied to edge the Petrone Associates Steelers, 21-19. Hugh Kelly threw a touchdown pass to Milo Hedges and James McFarlane and Christopher Pepek had rushing touchdowns for the Broncos. The Christine’s Hope Giants defeated the Besler Chiefs 32-0 as Leo Miele ran for three touchdowns and connected with Ben Heady for a TD pass. George Hogshire had an interception return for a TD in the win. The Woodwinds Associates Eagles defeated the C.O.E. Packers 45-28 as James Carter connected with Geordie Feller for three touchdown passes and Henry Thomas and Boone Sferro for one each. Carter also caught a TD pass from Kam Weiss. The Packers were led by Nazir Rolins who rushed for three touchdowns and also had a TD reception.
In the Juniors division (Grades 3-4), t he Mercato Ristorante Eagles topped the Lululemon Packers 2014 behind Aiden Russo’s three touchdown catches. Chase Barr threw two touchdown passes with Jamison Keel passing for one in the win. Noah Fairey and Rehm Casto each tossed a touchdown pass for the Packers with Duncan Harrison and Sebastian Cole on the receiving end of those TDs.
The Christine’s Hope Giants cruised to a 34-8 win over the Woodwinds Associates Chiefs. The Giants were paced by Aiden Spies who accounted for five touchdowns, with four rushing and one passing to Alberto Buzali. James Armstrong
ran for the Chiefs’ lone score. In other action, the Petrone Associates Steelers defeated the C.O.E. Broncos 24-20. Jack Stephan and Connor Ryan each scored two touchdowns to fuel the Steelers. For the Broncos, Parker McEvoy led the offense with two rushing touchdowns and a TD pass to Everett Zweig.
GIVE YOUR TREES AND SHRUBS A WINTER COAT with Pepper deTuro WOODWINDS ASSOCIATES
You can’t buy this coat at a local department store, but it will shield your valuable evergreens from fierce and frosty winter winds.
Azalea, Rhododendron, Holly, Southern Magnolia, Andromeda, Laurel and similar species are especially susceptible. Frozen ground inhibits the intake of water through the roots, while icy winds accelerate the process of transpiration (the passage of water out of a plant in the form of vapor) through leaves and stems, resulting in a wilting and browning condition known as winter kill. A strong root system is vital to maintaining happy, healthy, sustainable plants. Fall biofertilization for your key trees will encourage root growth and give them additional protection and a head start for spring.
Winter proofing with anti-desiccant spray to evergreen leaves and stems, forms a colorless, wax-like film, reducing excessive water loss but does not cut off oxygen and sunshine, therefore, there is no inhibition of plant growth. Ideally, plantings should be sprayed with an anti-desiccant material once in early to mid winter. Anti-desiccant spraying is environmentally friendly and safe for your garden and community.
Call WOODWINDS (609) 924-3500 or email treecare@woodwinds.biz to protect your evergreens this winter.
SILVER LINING: Gavin Rodriguez shows off the silver medal he earned for placing second in the 11U 105-pound division at the Super 32 Challenge tournament held earlier this month in Greensboro, N.C. Rodriguez is a sixth grader at
Obituaries
Pryde Brown
Pryde Brown , an American photographer and lifelong feminist, died at her home in Ringoes, NJ, on September 29, 2024. Pryde was best known for her portrait and wedding photography; she expressed the joy she found in people through the lens of her beloved Rolleiflex. Her career began in 1970 when she purchased a photography studio in Princeton. There she honed her skills and developed a reputation for her extraordinary portraiture and black and white analogue archival printing. Her archive, including hundreds of thousands of negatives, is a testament to her talent and dedication to her art.
Born January 27, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY, Pryde grew up in Ridgewood, NJ, and graduated from Sweet Briar College in 1956. In 1957, she married John McPhee, who was to become a renowned non-fiction writer, and together they raised four daughters: Laura, Sarah, Jenny, and Martha. When her marriage to McPhee ended, she became a professional photographer and was in business for over 40 years. Her second marriage to Dan Sullivan brought her five stepchildren and a fifth daughter, Joan. Together on their 45-acre property in Ringoes, NJ, this large blended family raised goats and chickens, tended fields of raspberries and strawberries, and became a magnet for many artists and intellectuals of the time.
Pryde later placed the property in the D&R Greenway Land Trust; it is now known as “Pryde’s Point” and the land is preserved and open to hikers.
In addition to her career as a photographer, Pryde was a fierce advocate for women’s rights. She joined the National Organization for Women in the early 1970s and co-founded the group Women on Words and Images. Together, they wrote the influential Dick and Jane as Victims, a work that exposed gender biases in children’s literature and textbooks. She continued her advocacy with the publication of Channeling Children: Sex Stereotyping on Prime Time TV. Her belief in the power of education led her to mentor scores of high school students in her photography studio, helping them to identify their passions and to write about them eloquently in college application essays.
Pryde is survived by her five daughters — Laura McPhee, Sarah McPhee, Jenny McPhee, Martha McPhee, and Joan Sullivan Anane — as well as her five stepchildren and numerous grandchildren. In lieu of flowers or gifts, you may make a donation “In memory of Pryde Brown” to D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton, 08540, (609) 9244646), or online at drgreenway.org. D&RG’s Tax ID # is 22-3035836 and NJ Charity number is CH0469400.
Memorial Service
Dorothy “Dosky” F. French
Dorothy “Dosky” F. French, 94, of Princeton, NJ, passed away at home on August 22, 2024. A Memorial Gathering for Dosky will be celebrated on Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Pub Room in the main building of Princeton Windrows, located at 2000 Windrow Drive, Princeton.
Lucille (McCracken) Carnevale
Lucille passed away at University Medical Center at Princeton on October 19, 2024, at the age of 93 years. Born and raised in Perth Amboy, NJ, she attended local schools, graduating from Perth Amboy High School in 1949 as a member of the National Honor Society. She came to Princeton in 1953. She and her sister opened The Fabric Shop on Chambers Street. Eventually she became sole owner moving to the Princeton Shopping Center. She closed the door in 1983. Boredom setting in, she worked at LaVake Jewelers then Hamilton Jewelers.
Daughter of the late Robert and Rose McCracken and wife of the late Anthony Carnevale, she is survived by her son Gary; daughter April and her husband Richard Dombey; grandchildren Courtney, Anthony (A.J.), Catherine Carnevale, Jessica and husband Joshua Barkauskie; and greatgrandchildren Christian, Nicholas, and Benjamin. Lucille is also survived by her sister, Eleanor Nelson, brother-in-law, Michael Carnevale, as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family, and dear friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, October 25, 2024 at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church, burial will follow in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in memory of Lucille Carnevale to the Salvation Army (Trenton), 575 E. State Street Trenton, NJ 08601-1101 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, 370 7th Avenue, Suite 1802, New York, NY 10001.
Ernest Mario 1938 – 2024
Dr. Ernest Mario, a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, passed away at his son’s home in Durham, NC, on October 20, 2024, after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking leadership and contributions to healthcare and education. He lived at various times in Cherry Hill, NJ; Bridgewater, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Palo Alto, CA; London, England;
Wilmington, NC; and Key West, FL. He was 86.
Married for 59 years to the former Mildred Martha Daume, who passed in 2020, “Pop-Pops” was deeply loved and respected by his surviving family: three sons, Christopher Mario of Key West, FL, Greg Mario (Lauren) of Miami, FL, and Jeremy Mario (Jennifer) of Durham, NC; eight grandchildren, Griffi n, Chloe, Madeleine, Brigitte, Gretchen, Reid, Charlie, and Millicent); two greatgrandchildren; and many dear nieces, nephews, greatnieces, and grand-nephews.
Born in 1938 in Clifton, New Jersey, to immigrant parents, Dr. Mario was educated in public schools, graduating high school at just 16 years old before earning his Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University College of Pharmacy, which in 2001 was renamed the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy in his honor. He went on to earn his MS and then his PhD in physical science at the University of Rhode Island.
Dr. Mario began his career as a pharmacist and researcher, working his way up through quality control and manufacturing at Strasenburgh Labs, SmithKline, and Squibb, to eventually become the CEO of Glaxo Inc (USA) and then Glaxo Holdings (Worldwide) from 1986 to 1993, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s growth.
After Glaxo, he served as chairman and CEO of Alza Corporation, guiding it through its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in 2001. He then served as CEO of Reliant Pharmaceuticals in Liberty Corner, NJ, helping lead the company to its acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline in 2007.
Throughout his career, he served on numerous corporate boards including Celgene Inc. in Summit, NJ, Boston Scientifi c Corporation, and Kindred Biosciences, and was actively involved in healthcare education, notably as honorary chairman of the APhA, and as chairman of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Board for 15 years.
Dr. Mario’s contributions extended to the non-profit sector, where he served in leadership roles with organizations such as the American Lung Association, the President’s Council on Fitness, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, The Gladstone Institute, and Stanford Hospital, among others. He has served as a trustee of Duke University (1989-2007), Rutgers University (1986-1992), University of Rhode Island (1978-1986), and Rockefeller University (1989-2000).
As a boy in Clifton, NJ, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, and was especially proud in 2000 when he was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award for his service to youth.
In 2007, Dr. Mario was awarded the Remington Honor Medal, the highest recognition in the pharmaceutical profession.
Along with his family, philanthropy brought Dr. Mario one of his great joys, especially the creation of the Mario Family Foundation, which aims to support educational and economic opportunities and historic preservation.
He will be remembered
by his family and friends not just for his business success, uncompromising integrity, and philanthropic endeavors, but also for his love of family get-togethers, classic Corvettes, sitting in the sun working the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, and making enormous pots of his famous spaghetti Bolognese to be shared around a large
table. He had formidable card-playing skills, which he continued to display and teach to his grandsons right up until his final weeks. He will be greatly missed. A public memorial event will take place at the Edith Memorial Chapel at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ, on December 7 at 2 p.m. Reception to follow.
(Photo by Herman Laesker)
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Fall Gutter Cleanup: A Vital Home Task
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 tf
After the fall leaves come down, it's crucial to clean your gutters to avoid potential damage to your home. As leaves accumulate, they can block water flow, leading to clogs that cause water to overflow onto your roof or pool near your foundation. Over time, this can result in roof leaks, foundation cracks, or water damage to your home’s exterior and interior. Additionally, standing water in clogged gutters can attract pests like mosquitoes and rodents, and can lead to mold growth, further damaging your home’s structure.
Cleaning gutters after the fall ensures proper drainage and protects your home from costly repairs. It’s a simple maintenance task that can prevent larger problems, especially as winter approaches with the possibility of ice dams forming. By keeping your gutters clear, you maintain your home ’s integrity and avoid unnecessary risks. Investing time in gutter maintenance saves money and stress in the long run.
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I BUY ALL KINDS of old or pretty
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I will clean out attics, basements, garages & houses. Single items to entire estates. No job too big or small. In business over 35 years, serving all of Mercer County. Call (609) 306-0613. tf WE BUY CARS Belle Mead Garage (908) 359-8131 Ask for Chris
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Alana Lutkowski
Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty
4 Nassau Street, Princeton
O: (609) 921-1050 M: (908) 227-6269
alana.lutkowski@sothebysrealty.com
Alana Lutkowski is a trusted advisor, a dedicated advocate, and a compassionate ally who takes on her clients’ goals as her own. With a commitment to providing white glove service, for over a decade, Alana has earned a reputation as one of the top agents serving the greater Princeton area.
With a degree in marketing and communications from the University of Pennsylvania, and a background as a luxury retail executive in NYC, Alana brings a unique blend of marketing expertise and customer service excellence to the table. Her authentic approach to selling and buying homes is rooted in trust and integrity. When not selling real estate, Alana is raising two school aged children, is involved in the Princeton Public Schools and multiple athletic and cultural organizations in the area.
Bringing Clarity To Your Real Estate Experience. Passionate about property and a real estate investor in Mercer County herself, Amanda is in the best position to help you find your ideal home or investment property. Her clients’ best interests are always at the center of her dynamic approach to real estate and she will carefully listen to your requirements and take all factors into consideration when helping you to select the best area, property, or solution for you and your family. Amanda works diligently to ensure clarity throughout the home buying, selling, and rental process. With her home renovation experience, a keen eye for interior design and staging experience she helps put you in the best position to succeed in your real estate dream, whether that be a first home buyer purchase, buying, flipping, or renting.
Amanda relocated from the U.K. in 2015 with children who attend local schools, including Peddie and the Princeton Public Schools, for which she is a local volunteer and co-president of the Princeton Education Foundation. If you are relocating from near or far Amanda can help you navigate the New Jersey home buying process, the community, and the lifestyle. Always discreet and confidential, she is in a unique position to support, guide, and direct you through the myriad of information and processes you will encounter when searching for your place to call home.
Barbara Blackwell
Callaway Henderson | Sotheby’s International Realty
As a Princeton native, I love sharing my knowledge of
and passion for this beautiful, culture rich, and historic community. I have been specializing in listing and selling homes and estates in the Princeton area for over 30 years and I value all my past and current client relationships. I love the real estate business and look forward to guiding new clients through this challenging market. Stay well and stay optimistic.
hallmark stands as consummate professionalism and transactional companionship for the vast array of clientele he has served. An expert negotiator, an acute sense of design, a distinct aptitude for real estate evaluation combine to position him as a top choice as you consider buying or selling a home. The lion’s share of Ira’s clients conclude their transaction having morphed into lifelong friends.
2023 NJ REALTORS® Circle of Excellence
c 609.203.2099 o 609.921.1050 ilackey@callawayhenderson.com iralackey.callawayhenderson.com 4 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542 Each office is independently
Rocco D’Armiento
Beatrice Bloom
Princeton Residential Specialist
Weichert Realtors
350 Nassau Street, Princeton
O: (609) 921-1900 | M: (609) 577-2989
info@beatriceBloom.com
beatriceBloom.com
Beatrice’s strong sales and excellent negotiation skills stem from her earned MBA degrees in finance and international business and a lucrative career on Wall Street as a bond trader. Her international upbringing, as well as her foreign language skills, offer a unique service for an all-inclusive clientele. Whether
you’re moving to, moving within, or moving from Princeton, Beatrice is your best resource for real estate. Her professionalism, dedication, and the added value of Weichert All-UnderOne-Roof is your guarantee for a stress-free home buying and selling experience.
Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty
4 Nassau Street, Princeton (609) 921-1050
callawayhenderson.com
Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty is central New Jersey’s premier real estate firm. Combining a rich heritage and deep rooted local expertise with unparalleled
Barbara Blackwell, Broker Associate LOCAL EXPERTISE. GLOBAL CONNECTIONS.
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2023 NJ REALTORS® Circle of Excellence Sales Award® at the Platinum Level c 609.915.5000 o 609.921.1050 bblackwell@callawayhenderson.com barbarablackwell.callawayhenderson.com
4 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
international reach, we are uniquely qualified to serve communities that are at once small and tight-knit, yet a magnet for the world’s best and brightest. We are a locally owned market leader with offices in Princeton and Lambertville, serving Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Bucks counties.
Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty is the exclusive local affiliate of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. The Sotheby’s International Realty network has more than 25,000 sales associates located in approximately 1,000 offices in 75 countries and territories worldwide, connecting the finest independent real estate companies to the most prestigious clientele in the world and providing a powerful marketing and referral program for luxury listings.
Former teacher in West Windsor, Princeton and Hopewell achools. No. 1 Single Agent Keller Williams Princeton. My expertise is in pricing homes that sell for the highest possible price. I also love working with first time home buyers. I educate all my clients about the current market so that they can make their own educated decision. I am passionate about my work and meeting your needs. My track record states that since 2008, year to date, I have been able to get my sellers an average of 130.4% list price to sale price ratio.
I understand the complexities and changing landscape of the real estate market in Central Jersey. I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years full time with previous experience in the software and finance industries. I thrive on all aspects of real estate and I have a zest for striving to improve the community around me as I serve on the boards of Housing Initiatives of Princeton, Princeton Junior School, and the recently launched 120 East State in Trenton which seeks to transform the historic First Presbyterian Church downtown into a center for the performing arts and a hub for civic engagement. I relish my association with Callaway Henderson because the brand elevates not only my ability to serve my clients but the ability to serve my network. Truly global ... undeniably important in today’s market.
A seasoned and top producing agent, I am absolutely in love with what I do.
My journey as a young woman began as a student at the University of Illinois, majoring in human development and family studies. Then moving to Chicago, I taught English at City Colleges and studied music at University of Chicago. Traveling to Spain for a year, I taught English in Madrid and studied culture and design at Museo del Prado. After, I worked at the American Antiquarian Society, a rare book library of Americana, in Worcester, Mass., and enrolled in the master’s library program at University of Rhode Island. Subsequently, I worked as a teaching librarian in independent schools for 20 years, and completed my Masters in Communication and Information Studies from Rutgers University. I also opened an art gallery of early-to-mid-20th century art and design on N. Union in Lambertville and helped clients from all over the country find art that was meaningful to them. I went on to co-author a book on the revival of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, then worked at ETS in Princeton as an editor for The Nation’s Report Card. I’m also a proud mother, with two educated, successful, highly motivated daughters.
There’s joy in hard work and meaning in being part of life’s transitions and flux. In my search for the sense of things, I came to understand the rhythm of change . . . and continuity . . . and change. And for me, it was an awakening, the explanation of my journey. I remember Emily’s line from Our Town — “Oh, Earth, you are too wonderful for anyone to realize you!” Living here, growing up here, leaving, returning, transition ... and home — beholding all its beauty and wonderment.
What does any of this have to do with real estate? For me — everything. My profession as an agent requires a myriad of sensitivities, skills, hard work, and discipline. I am easily accessible, answer my own phone, and work with you directly. I’m a different kind of real estate agent, providing concierge service — adapted specifically to you.
Maura has been successfully serving the real estate needs of Princeton area buyers and sellers for over 30 years. Her comprehensive knowledge of the local housing market, combined with her uncompromising integrity and warm personality, has earned her the trust and loyalty of many clients who return to her time and again. Maura takes great pride in serving her clients and finds joy in helping them achieve their real estate goals.
Rocco D’Armiento
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS
Rocco is a full-time residential and commercial Realtor working from Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore. He works with residential and luxury homes, commercial sales and leases, as well as rentals.
After college, Rocco became the owner of Cranbury Paint & Hardware in Cranbury until 2004. Rocco had over 200 commercial accounts, giving him great insight into the commercial business world. He was also heavily involved in master planning and zoning and was a board member of the Cranbury Business Association for 30+ years. Because of this experience, he understands the construction of homes and what it takes to repair and maintain a home of any age.
Inspired by his own entrepreneurial spirit, Rocco began his real estate career in 2004. Having this past experience with historic homes in the Cranbury and surrounding areas, real estate quickly grew to be a great fit for him. Combine that with his familiarity with the New Jersey and Bucks County, Pa., areas on account of growing up in both, he can offer his clients a wealth of knowledge in both states and a clear picture on commuting between the two. Rocco will now be expanding his business footprint for buyers and sellers to Long Beach Island and the Jersey Shore area on a more regular basis. Whether it be a beach house for yourself, investment, or a summer rental — Rocco can help!
Rocco’s reputation and success are direct results from the referrals of his past clients, colleagues, and friends who trust and believe that he has a commitment to each and every one of them.
“Born in New York and having spent time in Italy, Rosaria Lawlor brings a world of experience to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania real estate markets. Her academic background, especially in Math, laid the foundation for a successful career as vice president and controller of an electrical construction company in NJ. This role honed her analytical skills and prepared her for the complex world of real estate.
Since 2008, Rosaria’s transition from numbers to homes has been seamless, thanks to her innate ability to analyze facts and figures. Her clients benefit from her unique perspective, ensuring they make informed decisions whether selling or buying a home. Her diplomatic skills, developed through years of interacting with diverse people and cultures, make her a strong and effective negotiator.
Rosaria’s passion for real estate is evident the first time you meet her. Licensed in both NJ and PA, Rosaria is not just an agent; she’s a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, a CB Luxury Property Specialist, a Certified Residential Specialist, and more. Her extensive list of designations is a testament to her commitment to excellence.
But what truly sets Rosaria apart are the heartfelt endorsements from her clients. They speak of a professional who makes the stressful experience of selling or buying a home a positive one, who is always accessible, and who tirelessly works to make dreams come true. From the first visit to the final handshake, Rosaria is there, guiding, supporting, and celebrating the important milestones in her clients’ lives.
Choosing Rosaria Lawlor means partnering with a realtor who is not only knowledgeable and diligent but also genuinely invested in your happiness and success. She’s the professional you want by your side in the everchanging real estate landscape.
Robin L. Wallack
Broker Associate
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox & Roach, REALTORS Princeton Home Marketing Center 253 Nassau Street, Princeton O: (609) 683-8505 | C: (609) 462-2340
robin.wallack@foxroach.com
robinwallack.com
Robin’s experiences in the workplace and the community are both extensive and intensive. She spent many years working as assistant to the director of Career Services at Princeton University. Robin served on the Princeton Regional Board of Education for six years as both president and vice president. Robin also served as vice president of the Mercer County Board of Education, as a Princeton Civil Rights Commissioner, and as a member of the Site Plan Advisory Board.
Robin says, “Real estate is a process, and I will be with you every step of the way. For me, real estate is deeply rooted in relationships. Even after you close on your house, you can always feel free to call me for advice, for help, for information. As one of my customers once said, ‘Once we work with you, we’re velcroed together forever!’ I will be there for you, both as you change and as your real estate needs change. I recognize that ‘home’ means different things to different people and my success is predicated on knowing what my customers expect, and then showing you those homes that meet your specific needs.”
Truly Frameless Shower Doors
Lutkowski is a trusted advisor, a dedicated advocate, and a compassionate ally who takes on her clients’ goals as her own. With a commitment to providing white glove service, for over a decade, Alana has earned a reputation as one of the top agents serving the greater Princeton area. As a multimillion-dollar top-producing agent, Alana’s business is built predominantly on referrals and repeat business, a testament to the exceptional service she provides. Alana Lutkowski,
