Volume LXXV, Number 40
www.towntopics.com
Council Considering Forming a Task Force On Structural Racism
Balanchine Documentary Explores His Teaching, Choreography . . . . . . . 5 Local Pharma Company Invests in App Geared To Moms . . . . . . . . . . 11 Being Jessie Buckley . . 16 PSO Returns to Live Indoor Performance . . . . . . . . 17 Theatre Intime Presents Sniper . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Pinto Enjoys Superb Ivy League Debut as PU Men’s Soccer Edges Dartmouth . . . . . . . 34 Rougas Starring as PHS Girls’ Soccer Produces Sizzling 7-0 Start . . . . 37
PU’s Syukuro Manabe Awarded Share of Nobel Physics Prize . . . . . . . . . 9 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .24, 25 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 23 Classified Ads . . . . . . 44 New to Us. . . . . . . . . . 32 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 42 Performing Arts . . . . . 19 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 10 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 44 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
At its September 27 meeting, Princeton Council was asked to consider establishing a task force to help address racism as a public health crisis. Princeton Board of Health member Darrell Penn, who chairs a committee on the subject, made the request during a brief presentation. “The resolution asks that you consider setting up a task force that would be empowered to really bring community stakeholders together in order to tackle what is a very significant and complicated issue,” he said. “The second piece is to focus on structural systemic racism.” Council members responded to Penn’s report with enthusiasm. There were some suggestions, including one that urged including an honorarium for those who participate, and another urging the subcommittee to make sure its efforts don’t duplicate the work on any other boards or commissions. Penn is currently working with Council President Leticia Fraga and Councilmember Dwaine Williamson to incorporate some of those suggestions, and put together a measure to be considered at a future meeting. “This all stems back to the death of George Floyd,” Penn said in a phone conversation this week. “Soon after that, Council passed a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, and that spoke to us on the Board of Health in a very meaningful way. We wanted to respond in kind.” The Board of Health’s committee on structural racism was formed at the beginning of this year. Penn and colleagues had an earlier idea for a resolution, but decided against it. “We wanted to move beyond something that was just a declaration,” he said. “We wanted something action-oriented. We went through a bit of a journey as a committee. We wanted to respond to what Council had already done with its resolution. Our original thinking was to look at public health issues related to racism. We ultimately decided to really stay true to what Council had defined, and focus on racism as a public health issue.” The task force’s emphasis should be on structural racism “because it affects everybody,” said Penn. “It’s not just outright racism. Structural racism is the kind that hides behind policies, practices, and cultural representations. And those Continued on Page 10
MARA
FRANCESCHI
4
BOARD of EDUCATION
75¢ at newsstands
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Health Dept. Sees COVID Cases “Plateauing” With 12 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the previous seven days and 29 cases in the previous 14 days, Monday’s report from the Princeton Health Department looked promising to Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser, but he was not making any predictions. After surges in case numbers in Princeton in July and August, September’s final totals were down 21 percent from the previous month. “Our weekly and biweekly case counts are a little under 50 percent of our peak witnessed in the second week in September,” said Grosser, “but I’m more and more skeptical of predictions of what the virus will do next within communities.” He continued, “So much has been learned with the recent surge of cases, including how quickly things can change with this virus.” He emphasized the importance of trying to increase vaccination rates worldwide, along with keeping a close watch on new variants and their trajectories. Grosser went on to discuss the three
main surges of cases — spring 2020, winter 2020-21, and late summer 2021 — noting that Princeton generally followed the regional/state pattern, but lagged two or three weeks behind with its surges and declines. “We know that the vaccinations have drastically reduced severe illness, hospitalizations, and death,” he said. “What we are still determining is the ebb and flow of the virus and how we as a community can prevent or slow down surges. Yes,
masks, physical distancing, and capacity restrictions work, but ultimately the virus will impact anyone vulnerable so long as there are still cases circulating. The key is decreasing that vulnerable number by getting vaccines into arms.” Grosser pointed out that a local vaccination rate of 98 percent in those 65 and over has helped to keep the hospitalization rate low and that high vaccination rates among middle school and high Continued on Page 8
Betsy Baglio Is Seeking Third Term On Princeton Public Schools Board
Betsy Kalber Baglio, a former public school teacher, leader of the Princeton Public School’s (PPS) Board of Education’s (BOE) recent superintendent search, and the mother of a son at Princeton Middle School and a son at Princeton High School, is running for a third threeyear term on the BOE. In the November 2 election, she is facing another incumbent, Brian McDonald,
and two new candidates, Mara Franceschi and Jeffrey Liao, in the race for three available spots on the BOE. The four candidates will participate in a virtual forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area tonight, Wednesday, October 6, at 7 p.m. It will be live-streamed via facebook.com/ PrincetonTelevision, and a recording will Continued on Page 12
Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 . 60
September 18 - Octo
FRESH FROM THE FARM: Shoppers found local produce and more on Saturday at the West Windsor Community FarmersCold So Market in the Vaughn lot at the Princeton Junction Train Station. Patrons share their favorite fall foods in this week’s LIVE MU Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
330 COLD SOIL ROAD PRINCETON, NJ
609-924-2310 terhuneorchards.com
FALL FAMILY FUN WEEKENDS
Sep PONY R CHILDREN’S Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 . 609-9 & ACTIV SEPTEMBER 18 - OCTOBER 31 FARM MA WEEKENDS ADVENTURE HAY BALE 10 AM - 5 PM CIDE WEEKEND FESTIVAL ADMISSION (3 YEAR & OLDER) LIVE MUSI PUMPKIN P ADVANCE ONLINE TICKETS WWW.TERHUNEORCHARDS.COM PAINT PONY& RIDE CORN G S CHILDREN’S MAZE W
September 18 - Octobe