Volume LXXVII, Number 44
Princeton Pianists Ensemble Coming to Richardson Auditorium . . . . . . . . . . .5 Livestrong Program for Cancer Survivors is Back At Princeton YMCA . . . 9 CFPA to Hold Conference, Multifaith Service for Peace on Nov. 12 . . . 10 Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists Present Performance Of Bach . . . . . . . . . . 18 PU Men’s Hoops Tipping Off 2023-24 Campaign By Renewing Rivalry With Rutgers . . . . . . . 26 PHS Boys’ Soccer Posts Two Shutouts as it Advances to Sectional Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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Election 2023 is in Home Stretch; Vote Early or on Nov. 7 Registered voters in Princeton have many opportunities to exercise their right to vote, with early voting in progress since last Saturday, October 28, and continuing through next Sunday, November 5; Election Day polls open on Tuesday, November 7, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and vote-bymail ballots due by 8 p.m. on Election Day. There are seven local, county, and state contests and a school bond referendum on the Princeton ballot, and Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello emphasizes that every single vote can make a difference. “Who represents you makes a huge difference in your taxes and in policies that you will live with,” she said in an October 30 phone conversation. “We have learned over the past few elections that who leads you does matter and does make a difference.” She continued, ”I’ve seen elections where candidates have won by one or two votes. It happened in Princeton in the School Board. It happened in Trenton last year with the city council. I’ve seen it many times. Don’t think our vote doesn’t matter. It absolutely matters, and it’s important that we take advantage of this opportunity that has been fought for by many.” Jean Nitzberg and Chrystal Schivell of the League of Women Voters of the Greater Princeton Area echoed Sollami Covello’s urging. In an October 29 email they wrote, “Citizens should vote because it is our right, and in a democracy it is the process by which we may get the laws, economy, and environment we want. It’s like a basketball game. We have the ball and we may or may not make a basket. But if we don’t shoot, we definitely won’t score.”
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Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Kelley Resigns, Gold is Interim PPS Supt. Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Carol Kelley’s resignation, effective September 1, 2024, and her request for a paid leave of absence from October 27, 2023 through August 31, 2024, were approved by the PPS Board of Education (BOE) at a special board meeting on Monday, October 30. In the third item on the agenda of the 25-minute meeting, Rebecca Gold, PPS interim assistant superintendent of human resources, public information and community relations, was appointed interim superintendent until November 30, 2023. Kelley had announced her resignation on October 27 in an email to PPS staff, stating that “for personal and professional reasons, I must take some time to reset and recenter myself.” Her email was followed later that day by an email from the BOE to the PPS community announcing Kelley’s leave of absence and
resignation and thanking her for her service to the district. Monday night’s BOE vote was 7-1 on the questions of Kelley’s resignation and leave of absence, with Michele Tuck-Ponder in opposition in both cases. The vote on Gold’s appointment was 7-0 with TuckPonder abstaining. “The most important responsibility of a BOE is to manage, support, and protect its chief executive,” Tuck-Ponder said in a prepared statement that she read before voting against accepting Kelley’s resignation. “We are in this position today because of how this responsibility was managed (mis-managed) by this Board from the outset.” She continued, “We will be held accountable by the public for our actions and decisions and that is appropriate. I can only hope that we hold ourselves accountable and that going forward, we resist the urge to act in haste and without
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consideration of the long-term consequences of our actions.” Following the adjournment of the meeting, Tuck-Ponder declined to elaborate on her statement. In response to a question as to whether she thought the Board had learned any lessons that would be helpful as they embark on the search for and working with a new superintendent, she replied, “I hope so.” Kelley faced a number of controversies in her tenure of less than two and a half years as PPS superintendent since July 2021 when she succeeded Barry Galasso, who had served as interim superintendent for a year after taking over from Superintendent Steve Cochrane. In addition to student protests, a tumultuous public hearing, and widespread dissatisfaction expressed over Kelley’s dismissal of Princeton High School Principal Frank Chmiel last spring, there has been conflict over the hiring of a controversial Continued on Page 11
Since Forming Last Year, Lunch $23.95 • Dinner $28.95• Kids Dinner $15.95 Experience Princeton (under 4.5’) Defines its Vision
Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 36 Arts and Health . . . . . . . .20, 21 Mailbox . . . . . . . . .14, 15 New to Us . . . . . . . . . . 25 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 35 Performing Arts . . . . . 19 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 11 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 36 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6 Young Princetonians . . . 2
12 11 1 10 2 9 (609) 520-8883 3 Tel: 8 4 7 5 6
Tel: (609) 683-2222
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Art . . . . . . . . . . . .22, 23
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On Stephen Crane’s Birthday: War and World Series Baseball . . . . . 17
In March 2022, Princeton Council passed an ordinance creating a special improvement district (SID). Now known as Experience Princeton, the organization — at first called the Princeton Business Partnership — is funded through fees paid by business owners in town. The SID took the place of the Princeton Merchants Association, an all-volunteer, less formal organization of local businesses. Late last fall, Experience Princeton hired Isaac Kremer, former executive director of the Metuchen Downtown Alliance, as executive director. The organization is currently putting the finishing touches on Continued on Page 12 its first annual report. Kremer, who gives regular, fast-paced progress updates to Council, said this ▲ week that efforts to fill empty storefronts, bring together the business community through monthly “meetups,” and more effectively spotlight the town are succeeding. “One of the big accomplishments right out of the gate was to establish a discernible brand, with a new logo and website presence to help position us strongly, both 415 Nassau Park Blvd. 1378 Route 206 locally and regionally, in the marketplace,” by the Arts of he said. “The new logo and website really Princeton, NJ 08540HOMETOWN HALLOWEEN PARADE: Hosted Skillman, NJCouncil 08558 Princeton, the annual parade weaved its way through Palmer Square describe the work we do as an organiDaylight Saving TimeClub) on Friday evening before heading to the Princeton YMCA, where the (near Sam’s zation. We have welcomed 20 new busi(behind Wells Fargo Bank) All You Can Sushi You Can Eat festivities Sushi continued. Participants describe theirEat Halloween costumes nesses to town, and have had 11 ribbon ends this All Sunday at 2 a.m. this week’s page 6. • Dinner $28.95• (Photo courtesy Arts Council of Princeton) Lunch $23.95 KidsofDinner $15.95 Dinner $28.95• KidsinDinner $15.95 Town Talk on TurnLunch clocks$23.95 back •one hour. cuttings. We’re seeing the vacancy rates (under 4.5’)
(under 4.5’)
Tel: (609) 520-8883
Tel: (609) 683-2222
Tel: (609) 520-8883
Tel: (609) 683-2222
415 Nassau Park Blvd. Princeton, NJ 08540 (near Sam’s Club)
1378 Route 206 Skillman, NJ 08558 (behind Wells Fargo Bank)
415 Nassau Park Blvd. Princeton, NJ 08540 (near Sam’s Club)
1378 Route 206 Skillman, NJ 08558 (behind Wells Fargo Bank)
masa8restaurant.com
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Lunch $23.95 • Dinner $28.95• Kidsmasa8restaurant.com Dinner $15.95 morisushinj.com (under 4.5’)
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Continued on Page 8