Volume LXXV, Number 43
www.towntopics.com
Council Passes Ordinance To Ultimately Phase Out Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
Arts Council Expands Tradition Celebrating Dia de los Muertos . . . . .5 Town, Gown Move Forward Together on Plans for Prospect Avenue . . . . .13 A Halloween Journey Through the Buffyverse . .17 NJSO Presents Digital Concert of “Prodigies” . . 18 PU Football Outlasts Harvard 18-16 in 5 OT Thriller . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Roth Leads the Way as PHS Girls’ Cross Country Wins County Meet . . . . . . . .30
PU Professor KeeangaYamahtta Taylor Wins MacArthur Grant . . . . 10 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classified Ads . . . . . . 36 New to Us. . . . . . . . . . 25 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Music Review . . . . . . . 18 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 35 Performing Arts . . . . . 19 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 36 School Matters . . . . . 12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
An ordinance banning the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers during summer and winter months was adopted unanimously by Princeton Council Monday night, capping 10 months of deliberations by several individuals, boards, commissions, and nonprofits involved in the effort. In a meeting that stretched longer than five hours, Council also heard testimony on the proposed rezoning of two parcels on the campus of The Hun School, and an application by Claridge Wine and Liquor to transfer its liquor license to the former location of Landau’s at 102 Nassau Street, where it would relocate. No final decisions were made on either proposal. Council also introduced an ordinance enabling the acquisition of a major parcel of open space (see accompanying story). Princeton was one of nine cities to be awarded a $55,000 Partners for Places grant last December to support work with the landscaping community to adopt practices that protect the health of both the landscapers and the environment. Work on developing an ordinance has been underway since then. Sustainable Princeton, Quiet Princeton, the Princeton Environmental Commission, and the Board of Health have been part of the effort, which was led by Councilmember Eve Niedergang. “This is an attempt to achieve an environmentally sustainable goal while simultaneously focusing on social justice and racial equity,” Niedergang said. “It’s been a long haul, but we’re here, and I think our project partners are happy to be here and excited about the outcome of moving this forward.” As part of the plan, the town will hire a code enforcement officer to help make sure landscapers are phasing out gaspowered in favor of electrical equipment. Up to two warnings will be issued before any punitive action is undertaken. “We want to ensure that this is used as an education rather than punitive opportunity,” Niedergang said. Councilmember Michelle Pirone Lambros asked if the current supply chain crisis would affect the purchase and delivery of electric equipment. Niedergang said that gas-powered equipment is permitted until the end of December, by which time the supply chain issues Continued on Page 12
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Open Space Parcel to Be Preserved At its meeting Monday night, Princeton Council voted to introduce an ordinance enabling the acquisition of the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land in Princeton. The 153-acre parcel, which has frontage on Province Line and Cherry Valley roads, will be preserved instead of turned into a housing development. The municipality recently announced its agreement with Bryce Thompson and Lanwin Development Corporation to buy the parcel for $8.775 million. Private donations, grants, and nonprofit partners from the New Jersey Green Acres program and Mercer County’s Open Space program, as well as monies from the municipal open space tax trust fund, are paying for the purchase. The acquisition saves some 4,000 trees that form part of an old-growth forest of oak, beech, and hickory trees that would have been destroyed. “Instead, those trees will continue to sequester an estimated 340 megatons of carbon annually, to help prevent flooding on Cherry Valley Road, and to provide habitat for songbirds and many other species,” wrote Wendy Mager, president of the Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), in a message. FOPOS, The Watershed Institute, the
New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and the Ridgeview Conservancy were involved in a collaboration with the municipality, led by Councilmembers Eve Niedergang and Mia Sacks, and Municipal Administrator Bernie Hvozdovic. The acquisition is part of “Princeton’s Emerald Necklace,” an initiative that aims to connect open spaces throughout the town and provide greater access to a more diverse group of community members. The Lanwin tract has long been listed in
Princeton’s Master Plan as a property that should be acquired because of its environmental significance. The development company also owns a separate, 90-acre parcel on the other side of town bordering Herrontown Road, Herrontown Lane, and Mount Lucas Road. Lanwin wants to to put an affordable housing development, Thompson Woods, on three acres of the site, leaving the rest as open space. The application is still under review by the Regional Planning Board. Continued on Page 12
Early Voting Continues Through Oct. 31; Election Day is Next Tuesday, Nov. 2
In-person early voting, continuing through Sunday, October 31, was already in its third day on Monday at Princeton’s designated early voting location at the Princeton Shopping Center (PSC) to the left of the Bagel Nook. Foot traffic was light on Monday afternoon, but the five poll workers on duty reported that the turnout had been steady, that voters had mostly been coming in waves, and that they all seemed to appreciate the comfort, security, and the leisurely pace of the spacious location in the PSC, as well as the new voting machines using digital technology. Early voting will
be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Early voters can visit the PSC site or any of the seven other early voting sites in the county. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law in March making New Jersey the latest of dozens of states to have early in-person voting at centralized locations. Mail-in voting has also begun, and voters can still cast ballots the traditional way at the usual polling places on Election Day, November 2, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked Continued on Page 8
MAKING APPLE BUTTER: Heart to Hearth was at the Rockingham State Historic Site in Kingston on Saturday to show how it’s done from start to finish. Visitors observed the ongoing process throughout the day and helped with the stirring. Participants share what they learned at the event in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)