Town Topics Newspaper, November 13, 2024. by Witherspoon Media Group

Morven’s Annual Festival of Trees Highlights Traditions And Celebrations 5

Princeton Folk Music Society Plans 60th Anniversary Season 13 New Dormitory Campus Under Construction for HomeWorks Trenton 14

Princeton Pro Musica Opens Season with Haydn Oratorio 19

Lewis Center for the Arts Presents A Life Worth Living 20

PHS Girls’ Cross Country Makes History as it Wins First Group 4 State Title 34

Looking Dominant as it Pursues a 2nd Straight State Title, 25-1

PHS Girls’ Volleyball Rolls Into Sectional Final 35

Princeton University Reports 3.9% Endowment Gains, Lowest in Ivy League

Princeton University’s endowment fund has reported a return of 3.9 percent and a total value of $34.1 billion for the scal year ending on June 30, 2024. The University has recorded an average annual return of 9.2 percent over the past 10 years, but the 2024 gain was the smallest among the eight Ivy League universities and follows Princeton’s losses of 1.5 percent and 1.7 percent in the two previous years.

Returns for the 2024 fiscal year at other Ivy League institutions ranged from 11.5 percent at Columbia to 5.7 percent at Yale, with Princeton’s underperformance for the year apparently due to large investments in private equity and venture capital at a time when publicly traded stocks, particularly technology stocks and the S&P 500 index, have outperformed most experts’ predictions.

PRINCO, the Princeton University Investment Company, emphasizes a “long horizon” investment strategy, focusing on many decades rather than a single year.

The endowment’s investments returned 46.9 percent in 2021 and have averaged 9.9 percent over the past 20 years.

Vincent Tuohey became president of PRINCO this past June, succeeding Andrew Golden, who had served as PRINCO president since 1995.

Princeton University reported the 3.9 percent return in an October 24 press release, but declined to comment further on their investment results, whether there were any changes in strategy contemplated, or whether the past three years’ weak returns have put any constraints on the University’s budgeting decisions.

The University press release emphasized the importance of Princeton’s endowment, which ranks fth in size in the country behind Harvard, University of Texas, Yale, and Stanford. The endowment funds teaching and research at Princeton, as well as support for undergraduate and graduate students from all backgrounds.

“Generations of generous philanthropy, coupled with excellent stewardship of our endowment, enable the University to make bold investments in human talent,” said Princeton University Provost Jennifer Rexford. “The endowment allows us to offer unparalleled nancial support to our students, launch major research initiatives, and build state-of-the-art facilities.”

BOE Winners Look to Upcoming Challenges

With a few nal mail-ins and provisional ballots still being counted, incumbent Mara Franceschi and new candidates Christopher Santarpio and Ari Meisel have won three-year terms on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) beginning January 1, 2025, defeating three other challengers in a hotly contested race.

The unofficial results based on most recent tallies show Franceschi as the top vote-getter with 5,617 votes (20.66 percent), followed by Santarpio with 4,851 (17.84 percent) and Meisel with 4,662 (17.15 percent). Erica Snyder fell short with 4,523 votes (16.64 percent), as did Z. Lisa Potter with 4.385 (16.13 percent) and Shenwei Zhao with 3,084 (11.34 percent).

Final counts and certi cation by the Mercer County clerk are expected to take place next week.

Franceschi re ected on her success, which she saw as a vote for experience and for the accomplishments of the current Board. “I ran because I truly think experience matters and is important,” she wrote in an email. “I believe our community shares this value. I hope my reelection re ects the community’s satisfaction with the direction of the district and the Board’s positive work over the last year and a shared optimism for the future.”

Franceschi went on to express her commitment to “build on the positive momentum in the district,” and she added, ”We have exciting challenges coming up in the next months as we hire our new superintendent and bring the referendum to the voters.”

Santarpio thanked the community “for their support and con dence in me” and “for entrusting me with this incredible responsibility.” He noted his intention to help foster “further collaboration with the town and external organizations.”

He continued, “I am excited to embark on this journey with each of you, collaborating to enrich our programs, support our teachers, and build a safe and dynamic environment where students thrive.”

Meisel also affirmed his gratitude for the “trust Princeton voters have placed in me,” and stated, “I see it as a clear message that our community values collaboration, inclusivity, and a student-centered approach to education.”

He added, “As I begin this journey on

Ribbon Cutting to Ofﬁcially Open 153-Acre Green Space Preserve

On Friday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m., municipal and environmental officials will cut the ribbon on Princeton’s newest open space preserve. The 153-acre expanse formerly known as the Lanwin tract has frontage on Province Line and Cherry Valley roads and is located in the northwest corner of Princeton.

The parcel was at one time targeted for a housing development, which would have resulted in the loss of some 4,000 trees that form part of an old-growth forest. But through an agreement struck in October 2021 between the municipality, Bryce Thompson, and Lanwin Development,

the tract was acquired for $8.775 million and set aside for conservation and passive recreational use.

The purchase was part of the “Princeton’s Emerald Necklace” initiative, which aims to connect open spaces throughout the town and provide greater access to a more diverse group of community members. Among the organizations involved in the agreement were Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) and the Ridgeview Conservancy.

“Going back to the 1960s, people who later founded Friends of Princeton Open

with the win over the Bears. Princeton is headed to the NCAA tournament where it will play at Virginia (12-5) in a ﬁrst round contest on November 15. For more details on the game, see page 30.

GRIN AND BEAR IT: Members of the Princeton University women’s soccer team are all smiles as they celebrate after defeating Brown 2-0 last Sunday afternoon in the Ivy League Tournament ﬁnal at Roberts Stadium. The Tigers improved to 14-4

(Photo by Bill Alden)

Featuring Broadway vocalist Andrea R with Princeton High School Choir

Topics In Brief A Community Bulletin

Leighton Listens: Councilman Leighton Newlin holds one-on-one conversations about issues impacting Princeton from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on November 13 at Rojo’s Roastery, 33 Palmer Square (grassy area on the square), on November 20 at DeAngelo’s Market, 35 Spring Street, and on November 27 at Maman Princeton, 43 Hulfish Street.

Winter Clothing Drive: Through December 31, donations of gently used coats, jackets, scarves, gloves, and other winter wear are being accepted for needy families at The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street. Collection bins are in the lobby TuesdaysThursdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fridays 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sundays 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Winter Coat Drive : Through November 18, the Princeton Police Department is collecting new or gently used winter coats, hats, and gloves to be donated to Cornerstone Community Kitchen. A dropbox is outside of the Communications desk at the department’s headquarters, 400 Witherspoon Street.

Volunteer Land Stewards Wanted: On November 20 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) holds stewardship sessions. Volunteers will work under the guidance of the FOPOS stewardship staff at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve to help habitat restoration projects. Register 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 November and December, from 2-4 p.m. Fresh produce, eggs, milk, frozen proteins, and quality baked goods as well as canned and boxed items and personal care items are available for those in need.

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

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.

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.

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.

Donate Blood: The American Red Cross needs blood and platelet donors, especially type O blood, as the holiday season approaches. In Princeton, donations can be made at Frist Campus Center on the Princeton University campus, or Stone Hill Church on Bunn Drive. Additional opportunities in Trenton, Plainsboro, Pennington, Hopewell, Hamilton, and Ewing townships are available. Visit RedCrossBlood.org for dates and times.

to January

Morven Museum’s Annual Festival of Trees Highlights Traditions and Celebrations

Morven Museum & Garden’s 19th annual Festival of Trees will open on Wednesday, November 20 with displays by a wide variety

of decorators representing more than 20 different local nonprofits, schools, garden clubs, community groups, and individual artists.

Running through January 5, 2025, the Festival will feature a juried selection of creations by groups and individuals who submitted applications to decorate trees and mantels throughout the museum’s galleries.

TOPICS

Of the Town

“The level of detail and ingenuity in this year’s applicant pool was very impressive,” said Morven Executive Director Rhonda DiMascio. “While selecting the right mix of exhibitors can be challenging, with the breadth of decorators the committee selected, the Festival of Trees 2024 will be a season highlight for longtime and new visitors alike.”

Traditions and Celebrations is the theme of this year’s festival, with decorators drawing inspiration from Morven’s history and stories of its residents, based on the current exhibition “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home.”

Morven, an 18th century house at 55 Stockton Street, was built in the 1750s and was home to Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Five generations of Stocktons lived there, then Robert Wood Johnson Jr., before Morven became New Jersey’s first governor’s mansion, where five New Jersey governors lived between 1944 and 1981. It has been a museum since 2004.

An indoor/outdoor Winter Garden Party at Morven on Thursday, December 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. will celebrate the Festival of Trees. In addition to seasonal food and drink offerings around the fire pit and the displays of decorated trees and mantels and holiday songs in the galleries, there will be family holiday stories told by Honey Hughes, daughter of the late Richard Hughes, who served as the 45th governor of New

Jersey and lived at Morven with his family from 1962 to 1970. Tickets, available at morven.org or by contacting Morven Chief Development Officer Megan Shackney at mshackney@morven. org, will include exclusive access to a special exhibit, “20 Years of Exhibits,” on view in the Stockton Education Center at Morven, along with a 10 percent discount in the museum gift shop. Along with the Festival of Trees, programs and events in the month of December will include wreath-making

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Festival of Trees

Continued from Preceding Page

workshops on December 2 and 3, holiday teas on December 8, an after-hours tour on December 11, family night with gingerbread house decorating on December 18, and A Night Out at the Museum with choral singers from Westrick Music Academy on December 20.

“Our program and events schedule for December is a mix of Morven history, music, art-making, and holiday celebration,” said Morven Curator of Education and Public Programs Greer Luce. “December is certainly a special time at Morven.”

This year’s Festival of Trees decorators include American Repertory Ballet/Princeton Ballet School, Arts Council of Princeton/ Princeton Nursery School, Contemporary Garden Club of Princeton, Adam Fenstersheim, The Garden Club of Princeton, Historical Society of Princeton, Lawrenceville Main Street Landscape Committee, Katelyn Liepins, Mount Laurel Garden Club, Nottingham Garden Club of Hamilton, Princeton Garden Theatre, Princeton Ski and Sail Club, Stony Brook Garden Club of Princeton, Toobydoo Princeton, the West Trenton Garden Club, Westrick Music Academy: Princeton Girlchoir and Princeton Boychoir, and West Windsor Arts.

Corporate sponsors include Baxter Construction; Ronica A. Bregenzer, Architect LLC; Capital Health; Glenmede Trust; Honda of Princeton; and the Lopez Real Estate Group/Keller Williams Princeton.

Question

the Week:

“How do you feel about the election results?”

(Photos by Sarah Teo)

“I feel terrible about it. I’ve spent years canvassing in Philadelphia — I belong to a group called Changing the Conversation Together. We don’t talk about issues; we talk about love by trading personal stories, which helps us ﬁnd common ground.”

“Beyond thrilled. Trump winning the popular vote showed widespread support for him across virtually every demographic and widespread rebuke of far-left woke ideology and the Biden/Harris agenda. Next step: Electing Bill Spadea as governor in 2025.”

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Visit morven.org for further information and registration for events and the Festival of Trees.

—Donald Gilpin

More than 1,600 Runners Compete in Half Marathon

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Embark on a journey to the heart of Italy with Aperitivo Bar, yet another fantastic addition to the Gretalia Hospitality Group and Martin Food Group, nestled in the Pennington Shopping Center.

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25 Route 31 S., Pennington, NJ 08534 The holidays are almost here!

The 12th Annual HiTOPS Princeton Half Marathon welcomed more than 1,600 runners across the ﬁnish line at Paul Robeson Place on Sunday, November 10, after they completed their 13.1-mile run on the challenging course throughout historic Princeton.

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda helped start the race, setting runners off on the course that included the landmarks of Princeton Battlefield, the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University, the Princeton Boathouse, Westminster Choir College, and more.

Founded in 1987, HiTOPS is a Princeton-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that empowers youth with sex education, social support, and communities that afﬁrm them.

“I’m disappointed in the outcome. It’s not what I had hoped for, and done some volunteer work towards. I do remain optimistic that our country will shift back to the left with the effort of a lot of people, and the right messaging.”

Princeton

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The Top Male Finishers were Ruaridh Mon-Williams (1:09:35), Kanato Goto (1:12), and Sam Fowler (1:15:25). The Top Female Finishers were Ingrid Wells, repeating her win from 2017 more than three minutes faster (1:23:13); Andrea Allen (1:25:26); and Emily Sherrard (1:26:39). A complete list of age group top ﬁ nishers can be found at results. raceroster.com.

Raf: “I’m super disappointed that, as a country, we picked someone who doesn’t respect democracy, who doesn’t respect women’s rights; someone who’s been convicted 34 times as a felon.”

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The event drew runners 489 runners from Princeton plus runners from 40 states and seven countries including Canada, Germany, Denmark, Spain, the U.K., Ireland, and Portugal.

Ranajoy: “I’m a little anxious given the track record and policies of the candidate who won and his feelings toward my demographic: ﬁrst-gen, Asian, and in a minority. These next four years are deﬁnitely going to be a wild ride. At the same time, I feel that it will be OK in the end, but that it will be a challenge.”

— Lola Kamp, Highland Park

— Colin Vonvorys, Princeton

— Raf Basas, Elk Grove, Calif., with Ranajoy Gupta, Egg Harbor Township

— Tim Freeman,

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PU Reports

continued from page one

THANKSGIVING DINNER FROM LUCY’S

Bell & Evans Fresh All Natual Turkeys

Prepped and ready to cook in YOUR oven with simple cooking instructions.

Small Feeds 10–12

$115.00

Off the Wall Holiday Market in West Windsor

Medium

PRINCE TO N

Feeds 14–16

Large Feeds 18–20

Extra Large Feeds 22 & up

Earnings from the endowment provide about twothirds of the University’s net annual operating revenues, according to the University press release, and that percentage has increased as the endowment has grown. In 1997 only one-third of the University’s operating revenue was funded by endowment earnings.

West Windsor Arts’ annual, juried Off the Wall Holiday Market opens on November 17 at West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road.

the Wall Market, and the West Windsor Arts community. “I was looking for opportunities and came across this show. When I got to the arts center, and saw it was in a renovated fire station, I said, ‘Oh my God, this is so amazing,’” she said.

Butternut

Featured are unique and affordable gifts, from original artwork to jewelry, functional pottery to women’s accessories. For five weeks, shoppers will find carefully selected handmade items for sale in the arts center’s gallery as well as online at westwindsorarts.org.

THANKSGIVING DINNER FROM LUCY’S

$135.00

$155.00

PRINCE TO N

THANKSGIVING DINNER FROM LUCY’S

Bell & Evans Fresh All Natual Turkeys

Squash Soup

$11/24 oz.

Prepped and ready to cook in YOUR oven with simple cooking instructions.

Bell & Evans Fresh All Natual Turkeys Prepped and ready to cook in YOUR oven with simple cooking instructions.

Small Feeds 10–12

THANKSGIVING DINNER FROM LUCY’S

Cranberry Orange Relish

As Princeton University works to increase the socioeconomic diversity of the student body, endowment funds currently cover about 70 percent of the undergraduate financial aid budget.

Bell & Evans Fresh All Natual Turkeys

Extra Large Feeds 22 & up $175.00

Lucy’s Cider Gravy $11/24 oz.

Bell Evans Fresh All Natual

Bell & Evans Fresh All Natual Turkeys

$115.00

Price has been having fun mixing her own pigments, experimenting in her new garage studio and creating clay pieces using a Japanese technique called Nerikomi. “I have really gotten into the process — I love the innovation and the play. It helps keep the joy in my life,” she explains. “I will be selling mugs, plates, vases and tumblers at the show, items you can use every day,” she added. Visit westwindsorarts.org for more information.

Small Feeds 10–12

Medium Feeds 14–16 $135.00

Large Feeds 18–20 $155.00

Sides

Prepped and ready to cook in YOUR oven with simple cooking instructions.

$115.00

$135.00

$115.00

Butternut Squash Soup $11/24 oz.

Cranberry Orange Relish $9/16 oz.

Medium Feeds 14–16 $135.00

$11/lb

Large Feeds 18–20 $155.00

Medium Feeds 14–16 $135.00

Feeds 10–12 5.00

Lucy’s Cider Gravy $11/24 oz.

Large Feeds 18–20 $155.00

Extra Large Feeds 22 & up $175.00

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 4-6)

Large Feeds 18–20 $155.00

Cranberry Orange Relish $9/16 oz.

Butternut Squash Soup /24 oz.

Extra Large Feeds 22 & up $175.00

Candied Sweet Potatoes & Pecans

Distributions from the endowment totaled $1.7 billion in the 2024 fiscal year, and over the past 20 years the endowment has contributed $19.8 billion toward the University’s operations.

—Donald Gilpin

Red Cross Advises Preparation for Wildﬁres

Butternut

Butternut Squash Soup $11/24 oz.

Squash Soup $11/24 oz.

Butternut Squash Soup $11/24 oz.

Sides

Savory Vegetarian Corn Bread & Leek Stuf

Cranberry

The event got its name from the affordable, original artwork also on display, ready to be purchased on the spot and literally taken “off the wall.” Through December 21, a juried exhibition of fine art by local and regional artists — working in oils, acrylics, photography, mixed media, watercolors and more — provides an opportunity for shoppers to pick up an original gift while supporting local artists.

Lucy’s Cider Gravy $11/24 oz.

$11/lb

Sides $11/lb

Tuscan Bread & Sausage Stuffing

$16.00/32 oz. $16.00/32 oz. $10/16 oz.

Cranberry Orange Relish $9/16 oz.

Orange Relish $9/16 oz.

Cranberry Orange Relish $9/16 oz.

Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 4-6)

Sides

Candied Sweet Potatoes & Pecans

Macaroni & Cheese $65/Tray

$12.50/lb

$11/lb

Sign Up for Our Weekender Community Update Eblast

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 4-6)

Savory Vegetarian Corn Bread & Leek Stuffing

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 4-6)

Candied Sweet Potatoes & Pecans

Tuscan Bread & Sausage Stuffing

Candied Sweet Potatoes & Pecans

Vegetables

Candied Sweet Potatoes & Pecans

Candied Sweet Potatoes & Pecans Savory Vegetarian Corn Bread & Leek ngfiStuf Tuscan Bread & Sausage ngStuffi Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes Macaroni & Cheese $65/Tray

Residents in parts of New Jersey are facing an abovenormal wildfire season as the climate crisis threatens to upend more communities. With much of the state under a Red Flag warning, the American Red Cross New Jersey Region advises everyone to learn more about potential wildﬁ re threats that may affect their community and how to get ready now.

Savory Vegetarian Corn Bread & Leek Stuffing

Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Savory Vegetarian Corn Bread & Leek Stuffing

$11.25/lb

Macaroni & Cheese $65/Tray

Tuscan Bread & Sausage Stuffing

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 6-8)

Tuscan Bread & Sausage Stuffing

Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Wild Rice Dressing with Dried Cranberries, Mushrooms and Pecans

Vegetables

Green Beans w/Dried Cranberries & Orange Zest

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

Macaroni & Cheese $65/Tray

$11.25/lb

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Thyme

Vegetables $11.25/lb

Classic Creamy Mashed Potatoes

“This show is all about providing an opportunity for local artists and artisans to share their craft and giving them space to sell their work,” said Aylin Green, executive director of West Windsor Arts. “You can feel good about it, knowing that you are sustaining the local arts economy, and finding one-of-a-kind items. We create a festive environment and encourage shoppers to get to know the makers, many of whom count on events like this to sustain their artistry.”

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 6-8)

Roasted Cauliflower & Golden Raisins

Vegetables

Macaroni & Cheese $65/Tray

Green Beans w/Dried Cranberries & Orange Zest

Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf

$11.25/lb

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Thyme

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 6-8)

Vegetables

$12.50/lb

Roasted Cauliflower & Golden Raisins

Creamed Spinach Casserole $65/Tray

Green Beans w/Dried Cranberries & Orange Zest

Green Beans w/Dried Cranberries & Orange Zest Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Thyme Roasted Cauliflower & Golden Raisins Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf Creamed Spinach Casserole $65/Tray

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

“Today, the Red Cross is responding to more large disasters — almost twice as many — than we did a decade ago,” said Rosie Taravella, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “The best defense during an emergency is to be prepared and the Red Cross would like to help you get your household ready.”

Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf

(order by the pound, 2 lbs serves 6-8)

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Thyme

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Thyme Roasted Cauliflower & Golden Raisins

Green Beans w/Dried Cranberries & Orange Zest Oven

Creamed Spinach Casserole $65/Tray

Roasted Cauliflower & Golden Raisins

Lucy’s Pies & Desserts

Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/Thyme

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - $19.95

Roasted Cauliflower with Caramelized Onions

Creamed Spinach Casserole $65/Tray

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - $19.95

Creamed Spinach Casserole $65/Tray

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - $19.95

This year, dozens of local artisans will participate, including a mother-daughter team who specialize in handsewn gifts, an amigurumi crochet artist who crafts whimsical characters, a scented candle maker, and so many other makers selling jewelry, pottery and home decor.

Creamed Spinach Casserole tray

Apple Crumb Pie - $17.95

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - $19.95

Pumpkin Cheesecake - $16.95

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - $19.95

Apple Crumb Pie - $17.95

Pumpkin Cheesecake - $16.95

Mini Pumpkin Muffins - $14.95/dz

Apple Crumb Pie - $17.95

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - $25

Pumpkin Cheesecake - $16.95

Emma Price, a ceramics artist and instructor who recently moved to the area after living and working in Chester County, Pa., for nearly 10 years, is very excited to be part of the Off

Pumpkin Pie - $23

Pumpkin Cheesecake - $16.95

Breads

As conditions are heightened, the Red Cross is urging families to take action now to be ready. Families may need to evacuate quickly with little notice, and should create a family plan that includes how they’ll stay connected with each other, where they’ll go, how they’ll get there, and where they’ll stay. People should sign up for free emergency alerts from local government, which will include important information such as evacuation orders in an emergency.

Traditional Apple Pie - $23

Mini Pumpkin Muffins - $14.95/dz

Cranberry Nut Loaf - $7.95

Pumpkin Cheesecake - $17

Pumpkin Cheesecake - $16.95 Mini Pumpkin Muffins - $14.95/dz Breads Cranberry Nut Loaf - $7.95 Pumpkin Loaf - $7.95

Cranberry Nut Loaf - $7.95

Pumpkin Loaf - $7.95

Breads

Pumpkin Loaf - $7.95

Breads

Buttermilk Biscuits - $9.95/dz.

Breads

Cranberry Nut Loaf - $7.95

Buttermilk Biscuits - $9.95/dz.

Buttermilk Biscuits - $9.95/dz. NYC Dinner Rolls - $9.95/dz. Zucchini Bread - $7.95

Pumpkin Loaf - $7.95

Pumpkin Loaf - $9

Pumpkin Loaf - $7.95

NYC Dinner Rolls - $9.95/dz. Zucchini Bread - $7.95

Buttermilk Biscuits - $9.95/dz.

Buttermilk Biscuits - $14/dz.

NYC Dinner Rolls - $18/dz.

NYC Dinner Rolls - $9.95/dz. Zucchini Bread - $7.95

Buttermilk Biscuits - $9.95/dz. NYC Dinner Rolls - $9.95/dz. Zucchini Bread - $7.95

Orders will be ready for pick up on Wednesday, November 27st from 12:00–5:00pm. Place orders by Sunday, November 24th, $50.00 minimum order. For late comers, items will be available in our case on Wednesday after 12:00pm

Orders will be ready for pick up on Wednesday, November 27st from 12:00–5:00pm. Place orders by Sunday, November 24th,

Jazz Vespers

A wildfi re can spread very quickly, leaving little time to get to safety. Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice and obey all evacuation orders from officials, the Red Cross advises. Back your car into the garage or park it outside, facing the direction of your evacuation route. Keep pets in one room, so you can find them if you need to evacuate quickly. Limit exposure to smoke and dust. Keep indoor air clean by closing windows and doors to prevent outside smoke from getting in. Don’t use anything that burns, such as candles, fi replaces and gas stoves.

$50.00 minimum order. For late comers, items will be available in our case on Wednesday after 12:00pm

Wednesday, November 13 at 8pm Princeton University Chapel

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the Chapel Choir.

If you’re trapped outdoors, crouch in a pond, river, or pool. Don’t put wet clothing or bandanas over your mouth or nose, as moist air can cause more damage to your airway than dry air at the same temperature. If there is no body of water, look for shelter in a cleared area or among a bed of rocks. Lie flat, face-down and cover your body with soil. Breathe the air close to the ground to avoid scorching your lungs or inhaling smoke.

For additional information , visit redcross.org/ wildfires.

Audrey Welber, pianist Adam Faulk, and members of

Ribbon Cutting

continued from page one

Space, and others, recognized what an incredible environmental asset the forests of the Princeton Ridge are,” said FOPOS President Wendy Mager, in an email. “Language about protecting the Ridge was incorporated in the Master Plan, but the large-lot zoning that was put on the Ridge was inadequate to preserve its value, because of the huge negative impacts of forest fragmentation on habitat and ecosystem services. FOPOS is so excited about our role in preserving these 153 contiguous acres on the Ridge because in a sense we are helping to fulfill a promise that was made some 60 years ago. The benefits of this refuge for the health and wellbeing of ‘all creatures great and small’ are incalculable.”

Ridgeview Conservancy

Board Member Patricia Shanley expressed similar sentiments.

“Until recently, this was the largest, oldest, unprotected forest in Princeton, facing development of 19 luxury homes,” she wrote in an email. “Preservation of this precious, century-old woodland exemplifies the best in our community — transformational collaboration among thoughtful citizens,

conservation organizations, and municipal, county, and state agencies for the common good. An essential lesson from the 153-acre Wood is to stand up for forests, and for the generations to come.”

Shanley referred to the Emerald Necklace project as an aim “to create a ring of forest parks in and around Princeton to protect and connect our community, and to make green areas accessible to all. Given the astounding ecosystem services and human health benefits of forests, it is critical we preserve the few remaining green spaces left,” she said.

According to a release announcing the project in October 2021, financing came from $3 million in private donations, including a leadership gift from the George H. and Estelle M. Sands Foundation, grants to the municipality, nonprofit partners from the State Green Acres and Mercer County’s Open Space programs, and the municipal open space tax trust fund.

The groundbreaking on Friday is open to all and will be followed by a guided tour through the preserve, led by the Ridgeview Conservancy. Visit princetonnj.gov for more information.

—Anne Levin

Postcolonial Preachi ng Sessions Begin May 7, 2025

in Paterson, a Negro League ballpark in severe disrepair,

back to life by Trenton-based Clarke Caton Hintz, which was awarded

BOE Winners

continued from page one

the BOE, my priorities will focus on strengthening community collaboration, enhancing student preparedness, and supporting staff through professional development initiatives. We need to ensure that all students have the resources they need to thrive and that we’re fostering an environment where every family feels engaged and supported.”

Local municipal elections were uncontested with Princeton Mayor Mark Freda winning another four-year term and incumbent Leighton Newlin and new candidate Brian McDonald both securing three-year terms on Princeton Council.

Freda thanked his constituents and reaffirmed his commitment “to work hard for everyone that lives in Princeton.” He also highlighted some of the items on his agenda going forward.

“Many issues will come up over the next few years,” Freda wrote. “A happy event, the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding will be celebrated in 2026, and a lot of planning for that is going on already. We will hopefully own Westminster

Choir College property and be working on a plan for that. There are housing needs, affordable per the State, but also affordable for working class families. Density will be another topic as we look at how to provide more housing. And transportation — can we develop a real transportation system for Princeton?”

He continued, “The stormwater utility idea continues to be developed — how to address the needs of our stormwater system and address the climate changes that impact our ability to deal with more storms and flooding. Attracting new businesses to Princeton — what do we need to do to make Princeton the choice as the place to start a new business? And we need services for those in our community who are facing challenges with food, clothing, and shelter. We have a lot to do, we need residents to be involved, we need to work together.”

Newlin echoed some of the points on the mayor’s agenda, and emphasized the importance of “continuing to build our human infrastructure of care around social services and also elevating the quality of life

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and living for marginalized residents, especially those who live in public housing.” He also called for “taking a deeper look at the impact of short-term rentals, absentee landlords, and gentrification on our senior residents and homeowners.”

Newlin went on to advocate increasing representation of minority- and women-owned businesses in Princeton’s central business district, as well as building diversity and inclusion in affordable housing units, “in a town where the gap between those who have and those who have not grows wider by the day.”

Other items on Newlin’s agenda include working on a cooperative agreement between the municipality and the housing authority to reduce operating expenses through shared services, and continuing talks with Princeton University about its growth and development and possibilities for drawing on University resources to assist the Princeton Housing Authority.

“Last but not least,” said Newlin, “I’ll continue to listen carefully to the residents to make myself available, and why? Because I’m local.”

McDonald, who will join Council on January 1, 2025, expressed his anticipation of working closely with the mayor and members of Princeton Council. “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves, I’m eager to listen to and work with residents, taxpayers, businesses, institutions, schools, nonprofits, and houses of faith, and to do all that I can to make sure that we remain a strong, diverse,

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affordable, and compassionate community.”

McDonald went on to praise Eve Niedergang, who will be stepping down from her Council seat at the end of the year. “I am very grateful for Eve Niedergang’s six years of service on Council and for her longstanding and continuing commitment to our community,” he said. “I look forward to advocating for many of her priorities, especially her focus on sustainability and our local environment.”

In other local elections on the ballot last week, Democrat Andy Kim secured New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Robert Menendez. With 2,084,418 votes (53.4 percent) at most recent count according to the Associated Press, Kim defeated Republican Curtis Bashaw, who had 1,727,066 votes (44.2 percent).

In the contest for U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 12th District, incumbent Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman with 188,440 votes (61.1 percent) defeated Republican Darius Mayfield, who has received 112,834 votes (36.6 percent).

In the election to three seats for three-year terms on the Mercer County Board of Commissioners, Democrats Kristin L. Mclaughlin with 95,204 votes (22.27 percent), Samuel Frisby with 93,157 votes (21.79 percent), and Terrance Stokes with 93,035 votes (21.76 percent) prevailed over Republican opponents Andrew Curcio with 49,227 votes (11.51 percent), Pedro Reyes with 48,542 (11.35 percent) and Denise “Neicy” Turner with 48,265 votes (11.29 percent).

—Donald Gilpin

JUNCTION BARBER SHOP

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Transportation and Technology And How to Navigate Them

Many people in our community do not know the public transportation system well enough to feel comfortable using it. The Great Mercer TMA Travel Training Program will assist everyone, especially seniors, individuals with disabilities, and people with lower incomes, to overcome these obstacles and improve their mobility at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System on Thursday, November 21 at 11 a.m.

Patrons will learn how to use technology, such as apps, to get around at any time.

“A public transportation system is only as good as people’s ability to use it,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “As chair of the Assembly Transportation I worked to make public transit more accessible, and as county e xecutive we’re always looking for ways to make it easier for people to get where they need to go.”

Advanced registration is appreciated at mcl.org. The Lawrence Headquarters Branch is located at 2751 Brunswick Pike. The program is sponsored by Friends of the Lawrence Library.

Peddler’s Village Begins Annual Holiday Season

Peddler’s Village, a countryside shopping, dining, lodging, and family entertainment destination in Lahaska, Pa., will begin the holiday season on Friday, November 15 with its Holiday Kickoff Weekend, beginning with an evening Grand Illumination Celebration, during which Santa and Mrs. Claus switch on a million colorful lights.

The Holiday Kickoff Weekend also marks the opening of the annual Gingerbrea d Competition and Display which includes more than 100 gingerbread creations. There will be live entertainment on Saturday and Sunday. The holiday lights and gingerbread display

continue through January 19, 2025.

Through December 8, Peddler’s Village will also be hosting a toy drive in partnership with the Salvation Army. Guests are encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys, socks, gloves, and blankets. which will be collected at Village restaurants, Giggleberry Fair, and the Visitor & Event Center.

On weeknight evenings in December, Peddler’s Village will present a free Enchanted Evenings series of events that feature afterdark entertainment as well as the opportunity to shop, take photos, and stroll the Village when it is less crowded than it often is on holiday weekends.

Photos with Santa are Fridays through Sundays, through December 21 (excluding December 20). Breakfast with Santa is at the indoor Giggleberry Fair, and will include story time, a singalong with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more. Reservations are necessary at (215) 794-4037. For more information and a complete calendar, visit peddlersvillage.com.

Awards to be Announced For Vegan Chef Challenge Winners of the recent Princeton Vegan Chef Challenge (VCC) will be announced on Monday, November 18 at 2 p.m. at Pastiamo Pasta Bar and Café in Princeton Shopping Center. Ten local businesses participated in this year’s edition of the VCC, and several members of the community provided feedback on their favorite dishes. To be celebrated with special awards and prizes are the chefs, volunteers, and voters. Hosts are Vegan Outreach, NJveg, and Vegan in NJ. Vegan Outreach is an international nonprofit aiming to reduce animal suffering by promoting a vegan lifestyle through education and making vegan options more accessible. NJveg’s mission is about educating the public on the benefits of a plantbased diet via free literature, speakers, and more; and providing support to those in transition. Vegan in NJ supports people on their vegan journey with restaurant reviews, vegan-owned businesseses, restaurant maps, and more resources. Visit veganoutreach.org for more information.

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

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

Eclectic Range of Folk Musicians To

Perform in Anniversary Season

From its earliest days on the Princeton University campus, the Princeton Folk Music Society (PFMS) has been an active participant in the local music scene. What started in 1965 as an informal organization holding group sings soon grew into a nonprofit presenting such noted folk artists as Mick Moloney, Beppe Gambetta, and Elizabeth Cotton, a tradition that continues today.

The PFMS, which brings the duo Mustard’s Retreat to Christ Congregation Church on Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m., is about to enter its seventh decade. To mark this milestone, the 2025 season has been curated to include an especially diverse roster of musical events. Among them are John McCutcheon, The Ebony Hillbillies, Poor Man’s Gambit, and a Phil Ochs Song Night, to name a few.

“Sixty years is a big deal,” said Peter Kernast, a long-serving member of the PFMS board who hosts a radio show, “Legacy with Peter Kernast,” on the College of New Jersey’s channel WTSR. “To exist for 60 years couldn’t be done without the effort and time and work that people have put in. People do it for the love of the music, the history, and the meaning of what this music is.”

The PFMS actually dates a bit further than 60 years, “largely through the initiatives and leadership of Yvonne Aronson,” reads a release on the anniversary season. “Drawing folks from the Princeton community, Aronson began organizing and leading informal folk music sings. Then, in 1965, a more formal organization that could sustain a budget and sponsor concerts and

additional activities, was established and incorporated.”

In those early days, a majority of the members were University students who took part in concerts and monthly sings on the campus.

“Members would gather and perform on their instruments, participate in singalongs, or just listen and enjoy the camaraderie,” reads the release. “In addition, and to more actively engage with the community, some members performed at local bookstores or venues and community events. Others became professionally recognized musicians.”

Just what folk music is, and how to define it, “is an openended term,” said Kernast. “Everyone gives you a different definition. It’s an ongoing discussion that people who talk about music discuss all the time.”

What everyone does agree on is that folk music is built on the oral traditions of many communities in different parts of the world. “The immigrants that came to this country had their own traditions, stories, and songs,” said Kernast. “Some grew out of the lore of their communities — whether it was from the British Isles, the African American experience, or Europe — It’s pretty broad.”

The 60th anniversary season begins in January with fiddler Mari Black, and continues throughout the year with blues, Americana, Celtic, country, bluegrass, African American string band, and more. The season will conclude with a presentation by author Michael Gabriele about folk music history and tradition in New Jersey, along with a celebration of the life and music of Pete Seeger.

Though the performers are well known professionals, the concerts are kept intimate enough to allow for interaction with the performers during intermissions.

“While some activities have ebbed and flowed over the years, the PFMS continues as an all-volunteer organization committed to its mission of preservation, presentation, and promotion of folk music in all its diversity in the greater Princeton community and beyond,” reads the release.

“We’re trying to keep that tradition going,” said Kernast. “We also have to continue with how things are moving, and how the dynamic has been changing. If you look at our program for the anniversary year, it’s pretty diverse.”

—Anne Levin

APPETIZERS

Stuffed Clams

Clams Oreganata

Oysters Florentine

Shrimp Cocktail

Coconut Shrimp

Cakes

Annual Service, Conference

Held by Peace Coalition

The 45th Annual Conference and Multifaith Service for Peace sponsored by the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) and co-sponsored by 34 religious and civic groups in the region will be on Sunday, November 17 starting at 11 a.m.

The Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President of Sojourners based in Washington, DC, will preach for the Multifaith Service for Peace at Princeton University Chapel. All are welcome to attend in person or via livestream at youtube. com/officeofreligiouslifeprinceton. Taylor will also speak at the afternoon Conference for Peace.

Taylor is the author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. He previously led the Faith Initiative at the World Bank Group, served as the vice president in charge of Advocacy at World Vision U.S. and was the senior political director at Sojourners. He is ordained in the American Baptist Church and the Progressive National Baptist Convention and serves in ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va.

Faith leaders from a wide range of major world religions will co-lead the liturgy. The Service is free and open to the public; a free will offering to support CFPA’s ongoing work will be received.

The afternoon Conference for Peace is from 1:30-4:30

p.m at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road. To ensure seating, attendees must pre-register at peacecoalition.org. Registration deadline is 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 14.

Confirmed speakers, in addition to Taylor, are Sébastien Philippe, a research scholar with Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security; Heather Brandon-Smith, the legislative director for foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL); and William D. Hartung, Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, where he focuses on the arms industry and US military budget.

“With multiple hot wars underway; nuclear weapon build-ups planned by the US, Russia, and China; and an urgent need for peaceful, nonviolent alternatives, this is an incredibly important period to educate the public about peace issues. We are thrilled to have such an outstanding group of speakers for our 45th Annual Conference and Multifaith Service for Peace. I encourage all interested people to attend the Multifaith Service and/or Conference for Peace to be more empowered to advocate for peace policies more effectively,” said the Rev. Robert Moore, CFPA Executive Director.

Visit peacecoalition.org for more information.

SOUPS & CHOWDERS

Butternut Squash Bisque

$8.99 pt

Mushroom Bisque $8.99 pt

New England $8.99 pt Clam Chowder

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Blue Point She-Crab

$8.99 pt

$8.99 pt Chowder

Lobster Bisque $9.99 pt

DIPS & PÂTÉS

Jose’s Salsa $4.99 ½ pt

Jose’s Guacamole $6.99 ½ pt

Smoked Tuna Pâté

$9.99 ½ pt

Montauk Clam Dip $9.99 ½ pt

Smoked Salmon Pâté $9.99 ½ pt

Smoked Salmon Tartare $9.99 ½ pt

Artichoke Spinach $14.99 ½ pt

Crab Dip

SEAFOOD PLATTERS

House-Smoked Salmon $54.99

House-Smoked Fish $59.99 (assorted)

Shrimp Cocktail (40 shrimp) $59.99

Shrimp Cocktail & $74.99

Crab Claws (20 c/25 s)

CAVIAR

Farmed Sturgeon, U.S.A. $40 oz $180 4oz

Wild Salmon Roe, U.S.A. $40 4oz

Wild Trout Roe, $55 4oz Copenhagen

Farmed Golden Osetra, $125 oz Poland

Farmed Beluga, China $125 oz

SEAFOOD SALADS

Seafood Ceviche $18.99 lb

Jumbo Shrimp Salad $29.99 lb

Fruits de Mer $29.99 lb

Lobster Salad $MP

RAW BAR

OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL (½ dzn)

East Point, Cape May, NJ $14.99

Savage Blondes, P.E.I. $17.99

Tuxedo Point, P.E.I. $17.99 Moonstone, RI $18.99

Katama Bay, Massachusetts $18.99

FOLK HEROES: Members of the Princeton Folk Music Society have been busy planning their 60th anniversary season in 2025. From left are Frank Kubitsky, Dave Leonard, Bill Houston, Robert Ey, Mary Curtis, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Peter Hester, Madhumita Chakrabartti, Peter Kernast, Alexandra Radbil, Lisa Roth, and Walt Miziuk. Not present: Pat McDonnell and Anne Gribbon.

New Dormitory Campus Under Construction

For HomeWorks Trenton Leadership Program

This past weekend, construction got underway on the transformation of a freestanding house into the cozy headquarters for HomeWorks Trenton, an after-school boarding program for marginalized girls who attend the city’s public schools.

If all goes according to schedule, 42 high school girls, staff, and their families will be living in the repurposed, state-of-the-art building on Edgewood Avenue, near Cadwalader Park, by September of next year. The young scholars, as co-founder Natalie Tung refers to them, will go home on weekends but live in the facility during the week. The idea is to provide a supportive environment that will prepare the young residents to excel in high school, college,

and beyond through tutoring, leadership development, and community involvement.

Present for the November 10 groundbreaking were local leaders including Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, Mercer County Commissioner Samuel Frisby, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and Trenton Councilwoman Teska Frisby.

“The turnout was incredible,” Tung said. “It was supposed to rain, and we really weren’t sure how many people would show up. I think we had around 80 — our neighbors, families, volunteers, every kind of supporter. We really felt the power of community, and it was thrilling.”

It was back in 2016 that

Tung, then a sophomore at Princeton University doing some teaching at Trenton High School, first came up with the HomeWorks concept. Previous to Princeton, the Hong Kong native had graduated from the Lawrenceville School. She wondered if that kind of supportive, boarding school experience could be brought to the girls she was teaching — whom she witnessed too often as destructively pitting themselves against each other.

Three years ago, Princeton architecture firm JZA+D, headed by Joshua Zinder, got involved in the project, and is designing the building’s renovation. A recent gift of $2.1 million from the Lumena Foundation is the largest in the nonprofit’s history, and

succeed. The organization

will significantly expand its reach.

“Lumena Foundation searches for sources of light,” said Michaela Finley, Lumena’s co-founder and codirector, in a press release. “Think of us as a venture fund without capitalism. We seek, find, and invest in inspired organizations and individuals committed to securing the rights, autonomy, and choices of all women. By investing in a permanent home for HomeWorks, we’re saying a loud ‘yes!’ to identity-driven leadership for the young women of Trenton.”

Tung said the new building will not only serve as an anchor for the organization, but will help establish it as a model for similar ventures across the country and the world. Dorm rooms, study spaces, a teaching kitchen, teen lounge, ofﬁce space, outdoor learning space, and laundry facilities are part of Zinder’s design.

“The laundry room is so important, because we’ve found that it can be a big barrier for chronic absenteeism,” said Tung.

A continuing campaign seeks to raise $7 million for the project to support the building and erase existing debts.

“In terms of where we are today, it’s because our community is behind us,” said Tung. “It’s such a major milestone to think of how HomeWorks was a class project back in 2016. And now we’re breaking ground on an entire campus. It give me so much hope about what is to come, and the vision we have of what we want HomeWorks to be. This is just the beginning.”

—Anne Levin

DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNITY: Jim McCaffrey, left, was presented with an award by Pennsylvania State Sen. Steve Santarsiero at a recent dinner held by the New Hope Historical Society.

Jim McCaffrey Honored in New Hope and Harrisburg

The New Hope Historical Society honored Jim McCaffrey, president of McCaffrey’s Food Markets, for his work as a business and community leader. Founded in 1958, the Society presents its “History Hero Award” in appreciation for an individual’s dedication to preserving New Hope’s historic past.

At the same dinner, Pennsylvania State Sen. Steve Santarsiero presented McCaffrey with a “Senate Citation,” recognizing his impressive contributions to the community. In addition to the citation, Jim received a Pennsylvania flag from Santarsiero that was flown in his honor at the State’s Capital.

“We are certainly dedicated to providing the highest quality, fresh food for our customers,” said McCaffrey. “But equally important to me, as a small, independent grocer, is the commitment to the communities in which we do business — from providing food for people in need to offering financial support to worthwhile organizations, like The New Hope Historical Society.” McCaffrey’s is a locally owned food market, with stores in Princeton and West Windsor in New Jersey, and in Yardley, New Hope, Newtown, Blue Bell, Doylestown, and Gladwyne in Pennsylvania. Visit Mccaffreys.com for more information.

LASAGNA AL FORNO

Layer of Lasagna with Pastiamo Ragù, béchamel, and parmesan cheese

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Layer of Lasagna with Squash and Mushroom Ragù, parmesan cheese

CHARCUTERIE

Assortment of imported deli meats and cheeses

VEGETABLE PIE

Savory puff pastry pie filled with vegetable like artichokes or spinach and mushrooms

FOCACCIA

Our classic Focaccia

BREAKING GROUND: Pictured with local ofﬁcials, Natalie Tung, fourth from left, co-founded HomeWorks Trenton to give high school girls the tools to

has ofﬁcially begun the renovation of an existing house into its permanent home.

By Charles Dickens

Adapted and Directed by

Lauren Keating

Use code JOY25 to save 10% o tickets for December 10 and 11. Not valid on previously purchased tickets and cannot be combined with other o ers or on Zone D seats.

29,

Coming Soon!

Randal Goosby Returns: Renaissance Quartet

Thu, Nov 21, 7:30PM

Rooted in tradition yet boldly embracing the spirit of the 21st century, these four virtuosos journey through diverse musical landscapes, infused with jazz in uences and remarkable technical prowess.

The Brandenburg Concertos

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall on the campus of Princeton University

Mon, Dec 16, 7:30PM

Hailed by the New Yorker as ‘joyous, e ervescent, and yes, festive.’ As a pinnacle of Baroque musical art, the Brandenburg Concertos showcase Bach’s unmatched mastery and musical ingenuity.

Here There Are Blueberries

By Moisés Kaufman & Amanda Gronich

Conceived and Directed by Moisés Kaufman

2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist

Jan 24 – Feb 9

Based on real events, Here There Are Blueberries tells the story of newly discovered historical photographs and the shocking truth behind them—what they reveal about the perpetrators of the Holocaust, and our own humanity.

Sun Ra Arkestra in partnership with the Lewis Center for the Arts

Thu, Jan 30, 7:30PM

Join the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra for an evening of cosmic jazz and Afro-futurism. Founded in the mid-1950s by the innovative Sun Ra, the Arkestra blends big-band swing, space-age jazz, and vibrant Afro-pageantry into their electrifying performances.

The Crossing

David Lang’s poor hymnal Donald Nally, Conductor Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall on the campus of Princeton University

Tue, Feb 4, 7:30PM

A trailblazing and Grammy award-winning chamber choir helmed by the visionary Donald Nally, The Crossing pushes the boundaries of choral music presenting a dynamic fusion of new work.

Don’t miss out! Buy your tickets today!

Pictured: 2023 A Christmas Carol Cast. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The views of the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of Town Topics.

Asking Community to Consider How it Can Better Promote Diversity in Local Leadership

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to the recent Princeton Board of Education election results. First and foremost, I extend my congratulations to Ms. Franceschi, Mr. Santarpio, and Mr. Meisel on their election to the Board. Their dedication to our community is appreciated, and I trust they will work diligently to serve the best interests of our students. However, I must express my disappointment at the placements of Lisa Potter and Shenwei Zhao. Although I no longer have children in PPS — my 19-year-old is now in their second year of college — I remain deeply invested in the future of our education system. After witnessing the tumultuous four years my child experienced in high school, marked by challenges such as COVID-19 and administrative upheavals, I recognize the significant impact that Board of Education decisions have on our students’ lives. Our schools currently have a 52 percent minority enrollment, yet our Board of Education appears not to reflect this diversity. For a community renowned for its commitment to inclusiveness, this lack of representation in our elected leaders is concerning. It’s paramount that our Board mirrors the diverse makeup of our student body to better understand and address the unique needs and perspectives of all students.

I was particularly impressed by Mr. Zhao’s technologyfocused background and his understanding of the implications of our new AI-driven societal landscape. His expertise could have been invaluable in navigating the challenges and opportunities that technology presents to education. Similarly, Ms. Potter’s experience in complex corporate environments, where building consensus is crucial, would have brought a valuable skill set to the Board. I encourage our community to reflect on these election results and consider how we can better promote diversity in our leadership. Regardless of the outcomes of national politics, we have the power to make a significant impact on our children’s daily lives by focusing on local leadership. Let us strive to set a powerful example for our children by embracing the richness of ethnicities reflective of not just the student body but our entire country.

STEPHANIE SELIG Dempsey Avenue

Trees in Hinds Plaza Provide Welcome Shade, And There is No Reason to Replace Them

To the Editor:

On page 1 of the October 30 issue of Town Topics is a report of a discussion by the Princeton Council of a proposal to “revitalize’” Hinds Plaza [“Council Hears Report from Consulting Firm on Revitalizing Hinds Plaza” ]. In my opinion, the plaza is a valuable, charming, and functional component of the downtown landscape just as it is, and is in no need of reconstruction.

What particularly galls me is the assertion by the consultant, Mr. Ribaudo, that the honeylocust trees in the plaza are at the end of their life span and need to be replaced. That is nonsense. As a lifelong, Princeton-born

nurseryman and New Jersey certified arborist, I know my trees. My father, William Flemer III, introduced one of the first approved honeylocust cultivars, ‘Shademaster,’ to the market in the 1950s. Many of those trees are still alive and growing in our area. There is no set lifetime for honeylocusts. They can, and do, get a lot older and larger than the ones on the plaza. Many can be seen growing healthily on New York City streets, under conditions far more adverse that we have here.

The trees on the plaza are only now big enough to provide welcome shade to the many people who enjoy gathering there. There is no reason to replace them. If that means the “revitalization” of the plaza cannot proceed, so much the better!

BILL FLEMER IV Ewing Street

Mara Franceschi Thanks All Those Who Supported Her Reelection to Board of Ed

To the Editor:

I am writing to express my gratitude to the Princeton community. I am humbled and honored by the support shown in reelecting me to a second three-year term on the Board of Education.

Thank you to everyone who hosted a lawn sign, amplified my name, and otherwise supported me. It is a privilege to serve you all and, most especially, the children of Princeton. I look forward to continuing my work on the Board and building on the positive momentum in the district as we work together to provide the best education possible for all our children.

Running for the Board is demanding and difficult. I applaud all the candidates for the effort they put into their races and their dedication to public service. Their ideas and perspectives challenged us all to think more deeply about our schools’ needs and future. It has been a pleasure getting to know them and I look forward to working with Chris and Ari on the Board.

Thank you again for your support.

MARA FRANCESCHI Greenhouse Drive

Arguing that John Witherspoon’s Legacy is Something to Be Understood, Not Celebrated

In the October 16 issue of Town Topics readers were presented with the decision of the Princeton University Trustees regarding the fate of the John Witherspoon statue on Firestone Plaza [“Despite Controversy, Witherspoon Statue Will Stay at University,” page 1]. After two years of “debate and deliberations,” the Trustees decided the statue should remain. The question Princeton Trustees had to wrestle with was whether to honor Witherspoon’s legacy in light of the fact that he was a slave owner and advocate against abolition.

One of the main arguments forwarded by Witherspoon’s apologists during those two years of deliberations was that Witherspoon was “more enlightened” than many others of his time, as he provided educational opportunities for some “free Blacks” and made some semblance of arguments for eventual abolition. They also lauded Witherspoon’s advocacy for the humane treatment of the enslaved.

The fact of the matter is that Witherspoon owned and trafﬁcked in human beings for his own beneﬁt. Witherspoon did this even though he lived in both Scotland and Princeton during periods when advocacy for emancipation was spreading among the educated classes and clergy, to which Witherspoon both belonged.

Witherspoon owned and trafﬁ cked in human beings by choice. He was aware of strong arguments against slavery; he was aware of the humanity of those he enslaved, and he still chose to do it. And not only did he choose to enslave others, in 1790, while serving as chair of the New Jersey Committee considering abolition, he advocated against immediate emancipation. Witherspoon argued for “eventual abolition,” which he believed would manifest from already existing New Jersey laws regulating slavery. Unfortunately, for thousands of those enslaved in New Jersey, freedom would not come until 1866, a year after the Civil War ended, and later than for any other slaves living in Northern states.

Witherspoon’s defenders do quite a job in bringing “context” to his views and his behavior. But the fact of the matter is that Witherspoon should have known better than to enslave others. He had the intellect, the spiritual understanding, and was in the company of others who deftly made arguments for emancipation. When given the power and opportunity to further those arguments, Witherspoon demurred, and slavery continued in New Jersey for more than a half century.

For me, in the Trustees’ decision, I feel a troubling déjà vu. We witnessed this “context” dance play out when the University considered how to appropriately “honor” the legacy of Woodrow Wilson. It took the tragic horror of George Floyd’s murder to properly bring that legacy into focus and for the University to do the right thing. Must we endure another unspeakable injustice for University trustees to ultimately understand that legacies marred by the denigration or enslavement of humans should not be honored with statues but be relegated to the history books where they belong?

FRANK (DEAN) SMITH Maclean Street

In time of Drought, Try to Keep Birdbaths Clean and Replenished

To the Editor:

This is a request to all Town Topics readers who have a bird bath in their yard.

As the days and weeks tick by with little or no rain, I’ve observed an ever increasing number of birds of all kinds (and squirrels) drinking from the two birdbaths in my yard from dawn ’till dusk, indicating to me that their usual sources of hydration have vanished. Yes, we need to conserve water more than ever, but the joy that New Jersey’s native flying feathered creatures bring to our lives merits the small amount of effort and resources required to keep these avian water resources of last resort clean and replenished.

Waking up to the sound of birdsong may seem like a small thing, but life’s simple pleasures are often the things we take for granted, until they’re gone.

GEORGE POINT

Lawrenceville Road

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.

Books

Sarah Gronningsater’s “Rising Generation” Is Topic of Book Conversation at PPL

Historian Sarah Gronningsater will discuss her book, The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom, with legal historian Jane Manners on Sunday, November 17 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Registration is requested at princetonlibrary.libnet.info.

The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom, published in July (University of Pennsylvania Press, $45), explores the long and legallyoriented transition from slavery to freedom in New York from the first widespread

Quaker emancipations in the 1750s to the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments at the close of the Civil War. Born into precarious freedom after the American Revolution and reaching adulthood in the lead-up to the Civil War, this generation ultimately played an outsized role in political and legal conﬂ icts over slavery’s future, inﬂ uencing both the nation’s path to the Civil War and changes to the U.S. Constitution, according to the publisher. The book is particularly concerned with the lives, politics, and legal efforts of the “children of gradual abolition” — the generation of black children born into quasi-freedom in

the years after the American Revolution. Gronningsater shows how, as the children of gradual abolition reached adulthood, they took the lessons of their youth into midcentury campaigns for legal equality, political inclusion, equitable common school education, and the expansion of freedom across the nation.

Gronningsater is assistant professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania. As a historian of the 18th- and 19th-century United States, she has particular interests in slavery and abolition, and in the history of American democracy. She received an A.B. from Harvard University, an M.St. from the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Manners, assistant professor at Temple University’s Temple Beasley School of Law, is a legal historian who teaches torts, legislation, and American legal history. She has written on the development of congressional petitioning, early American understandings of the president’s war powers, and the evolution of laws governing ofﬁcer removal. Her articles have appeared in the Fordham Law Review and the Columbia Law Review, and she has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Nation, among other publications.

The program is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Rider Furniture

PU Grad Simon Wu Discusses New Book with Monica

Emerging writer, art critic, and curator Simon Wu, Princeton University Class of 2017, will discuss his new book, Dancing on My Own, with Monica Youn Princeton ’93, Visiting Professor of Creative Writing and Theodore H. Holmes ’51 and Bernice Holmes Visiting Poet, on November 21 at 6 p.m. at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. The program is free and open to the public, and is followed by a book signing and reception, with books available for purchase.

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

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

Dancing on My Own is Wu’s recently published collection of essays that discuss the institutions of art, capitalism, and identity. In the 2010 track, “Dancing on My Own,” the Swedish pop singer Robyn chronicles a night on the dance ﬂoor when she is bitter and angry, yet, by the time the chorus arrives, dancing alone has transformed her solitude into a more complex joy. Taking inspiration from Robyn’s seminal track, Wu dances through the institutions of art, capitalism, and identity in these “expertly researched, beautifully rendered essays,” states the publisher (Harper Collins $36.99). In “A Model Childhood,” he catalogs the decades’ worth of clutter in his mother’s suburban garage and its meaning for himself

Youn and his family. In “For Everyone,” Wu explores the complicated sensation of the Telfar bag (often referred to as “the Brooklyn Birkin”) and asks whether fashion can truly be revolutionary in a capitalist system — if something can truly be “for everyone” without undercutting someone else. Throughout, Wu centers the sticky vulnerability of living in a body in a world where history is mapped into every choice we make, every party drug we take, and every person we kiss. Wu’s message is that to dance on one’s own is to move from critique into joy. Wu is a curator and writer

involved in collaborative art production and research. He has organized exhibitions and programs at the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney Museum, The Kitchen, MoMA, and David Zwirner, among other venues. In 2021 he was awarded an Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant and was featured in Cultured magazine’s Young Curators series. He was a 2018 Helena Rubinstein Curatorial Fellow at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program and is currently in the Ph.D. program in History of Art at Yale University. Youn is the author of three books of poetry, most recently Blackacre, which won the William Carlos Williams Award of the Poetry Society of America, and was a ﬁnalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Kingsley Tufts Award, and the PEN Open Book Award, and was longlisted for the National Book Award, as well as being named one of the best poetry collections of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and BuzzFeed. Her previous book Ignatz (Four Way Books, 2010) was a ﬁ nalist for the National Book Award. She has received numerous prestigious fellowships and awards, and is a member of the curatorial group, The Racial Imaginary Institute. The event is co-sponsored by Labyrinth Books, and Princeton University’s Center for Career Development, and Department of Art & Archaeology.

Princeto

Open Houses at the Princeton Eating Clubs

Princeton Prospect Foundation is pleased to announce free public access to Princeton University’s iconic eating clubs where generations of students have taken meals and socialized in historic and architecturally significant clubhouses that date as far back as 1895. Upcoming open houses will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates (no reservations are required):

rinceton University’s iconic eating clubs where generations of students have taken meals and socialized in historic and architecturally significant clubhouses that date as far back as 1895. Upcoming open houses will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates (no reservations are required):

Sun., Oct. 6th: Cannon Club, Colonial Club, Cottage Club, Quadrangle Club, Terrace Club, Tower Club

Sun., Oct. 20th: Cap & Gown Club, Charter Club, Cloister Inn, Ivy Club, Tiger Inn

Sun., Nov. 17th: Charter Club, Cloister Inn, Cottage Club, Quadrangle Club, Tiger Inn

The fascinating origins and evolution of the clubs, along with many archival images and spectacular photos, are presented in The Princeton Eating Clubs, written by awardwinning author Clifford W. Zink in 2017. This beautiful book is available at Labyrinth Books and the Princeton University Store, and on Amazon.

The fascinating origins and evolution of the clubs, along with many archival images and spectacular photos, are presented in The Princeton Eating Clubs, written by award-winning author Clifford W. Zink in 2017. This beautiful book is available at Labyrinth Books and the Princeton University Store, and on Amazon.

For more information, go to: http://princetonprospectfoundation.org

Princeton Pro Musica Opens Season with Haydn Oratorio

Certain musical pieces are tailormade for specific ensembles.

Princeton Pro Musica, now celebrating its fourth decade of music-making, has long excelled at choral/orchestral works requiring precision, block sound and expert counterpoint. Eighteenthcentury Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn composed numerous sacred masses combining chorus, soloists, and orchestra, but fewer oratorios. The first of these was Die Schöpfung ( The Creation ), Haydn’s musical interpretation of the creation of the Earth, the animal world, and man. Premiered in 1798, The Creation was an immediate hit in Vienna, receiving instant acclaim and becoming an unofficial anthem of Vienna until falling into obscurity toward the end of the 19th century. Revived in the mid20th century, The Creation is now a staple of choral societies worldwide and an audience favorite.

Led by Artistic Director Ryan J. Brandau, Princeton Pro Musica presented Haydn’s illustrative oratorio Sunday afternoon at Richardson Auditorium. Together with a chamber orchestra and three vocal soloists, the 100-member chorus performed Haydn’s uplifting music showing solid preparation and command of the music. Conductor Brandau began the long orchestral introduction with restraint, as the earth slowly came into being. The string sections demonstrated an ability to play very quietly, with wind solos depicting life forms emerging amid the murky chaos. Clearly rooted in the oratorio tradition of George Frideric Handel, The Creation also showed the influence of Mozart in lyrical arias and poignant duets. Haydn assigned a great deal of the narration in this piece to the bass soloist. Bass-baritone Edmund Milly, whose Princeton connections date back to his time as a student at the American Boychoir School, consistently sang with his trademark diction and told the story well. He found a variety of expressive emotions in the text, singing clean duet passages with soprano Elisse Albian and creating gracefulness more commonly found in the operas of Mozart.

A seasoned and refined Baroque and Classical era music artist, Albian sang from the outset with clarity and sparkle.

Several of her arias and ensemble numbers included passages racing up and down to high B-flats, which she handled with ease. Albian and Milly were especially well matched as Adam and Eve in the oratorio’s third part. Joining this pair of soloists was tenor Brian Giebler, also an experienced oratorio singer. Giebler possessed a light and expressive voice, at times getting lost in the orchestral texture, but always paying close attention to the text and effectively communicating the introduction of man into the creation story.

The Creation was a concise oratorio creating a musical bridge between the elegance of the 18th and the drama of the 19th centuries. Haydn’s orchestration paid tribute to a Renaissance era concept of conveying musical characteristics to animals, with heavy lower strings representing whales, decisive motives as lions and tigers and dotted rhythms introducing the “noble steed.” Agitated strings portrayed a host of insects, and bass Milly and the orchestra humorously stretched out the musical lines of the sinuous worm.

For this performance, Brandau had compiled a crisp and efficient chamber orchestra. A small group of winds, comprised of flutists Reva Youngstein and Gretchen Pusch, oboist Keve Wilson, clarinetist Daniel Spitzer, and bassoonist Atsuko Sato provided unique orchestral coloring and individuality. A pair of horns played by Karl Kramer and Sarah Boxmeyer, combined with trumpeter Brad Siroky added precision and majesty as the world came to life. Harpsichordist Eric Plutz and the lower strings provided precise continuo playing, moving the recitative sections along well.

Oratorios by nature use the chorus at explicit times for dramatic moments and commentary on the story. Princeton Pro Musica proved itself as an ensemble capable of a variety of musical effects, well handling the complex Baroque-style fugues and raising the roof with full sound when appropriate. For Haydn, The Creation was a risky foray into the unknown world of oratorio, but for Pro Musica, these works have always been the ensemble’s bread and butter, and Sunday’s concert was a solid way to start the new season.

—

Nancy Plum

Princeton Pro Musica will present its next performance on Sunday, December 15, at 4 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium. “A Feast of Carols” will feature music of the season, including selections from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” and the Christmas works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Ticket information can be obtained by visiting princetonpromusica.org.

NOVEMBER 15

PAUL MULDOON, Princeton’s Howard G.B. Clark ’21 University Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Creative Writing, offers “A History of Ireland in 10 Poems ”, a brief survey of Irish history from earliest times to the present day through the prism of his own poems.

Free and open to the public

4:30 p.m.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast November 8-24

The Best Time of The Year November 29 - December 1 ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas... December 6-8 The Nutcracker December 13-15

White Christmas - Movie Sing-Along December 14 The Kelsey Holiday Extravaganza Remixed December 20-22

photo by Christine Harris

A Teenager is Sent to a Mental Health Facility in “A Life Worth Living”; Lewis Center for the Arts Presents a New Musical by Jeffrey Chen ’25

The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University is presenting A Life Worth Living. The new musical has a book, music, and lyrics by Jeffrey Chen, a senior who is majoring in neuroscience, with a minor in musical theater.

A Life Worth Living is described by the Lewis Center’s website as a “dramatic-comedy musical.” Its plot centers on Gavin, a teenager who is involuntarily sent to a residential mental health treatment facility. He reluctantly but steadily forms bonds with the other residents, as the staff works to uncover the past experiences leading to the incident that necessitates his treatment.

“Using music — a mix of contemporary pop-rock with hip-hop and jazz — and comedy, A Life Worth Living focuses on topics of platonic love, mental health, and suicide, while exploring themes of grief, acceptance, and radical hope,” the website states.

A Life Worth Living is a “musical that I think is topical, especially among people in my generation,” Chen tells this writer in a Zoom interview conducted last Friday, the day of the first performance. “I think there’s been a mental health epidemic going on in this country, especial post-COVID. So I hope that this musical, which focuses a lot on (adolescent) mental health treatment, can resonate with these audiences.”

Chen portrays Gavin, the show’s main protagonist, who is sent to the facility. Kimberlynn Bjurstrom plays Riley, Gavin’s friend. “Riley took Gavin under her wing when he moved to her high school, when he was in sophomore year,” Chen explains. “Their relationship forms the emotional core of the show, even though Riley isn’t in the residential facility.”

Nicholas Pham plays Gavin’s father, Samuel, “who brings a parental perspective of mental health treatment,” Chen says. Kailani Melvin and Kareish Thon portray, respectively, Cecilia (a therapist) and Jesse (a counselor), staff members at the facility. Chen describes them as “the ‘adults in the room.’ They take care of the kids; they make sure that the kids are all eating and staying safe, but also helping the kids break down traumas.”

“All the rest of the characters are the kids in the facility, who all have their own personalities,” Chen says. Residents include Talia (portrayed by Sydney Hogan), who “is rude but funny.” Khai (Sydney Grunden) “is super quiet.” Gavin’s roommate, Adrian (Sahaf Chowdhury), “is excited that there is another boy coming to the [facility], because he’s been the only boy there.” Two different residents, Penelope and Natasha, are played by Rosa Hernandez Diaz.

Of the residents, Chen says, “I wanted to give all these characters some kind of human quality, even though they are ‘supporting characters.’ Each has their own story — and this musical could have been about any one of those characters.”

Chen explains that conceiving the story and writing the book and lyrics came most

was more challenging, but he is grateful for the guidance and assistance of his faculty music advisor, Vince di Mura, who writes the musical arrangements — “He’s a genius!”

A four-piece band accompanies the actors on the songs, with Music Director and Conductor di Mura on keys. The other members are Garrett McKenzie (drums), Jonathan Palafoutas (guitar), and Lucien Chidester (bass).

Asked how this production came about, Chen explains, “For the Princeton minor in musical theater you have the opportunity to propose, in your junior year, a project. In February of this year I had already written a first draft of the script, and four of the songs. That helped me when I was proposing it, because it’s difficult to put a new musical on its feet, especially in such a short amount of time, with a writer who hasn’t written musicals before.” He emphasizes, “I’m grateful that the school took a chance on this production.”

Lewis Center faculty member Shariffa Ali is the production’s primary advisor. The production’s other faculty advisors include Proposer Advisor Solon Snider Sway; Co-Producer Tess James; and Director Chesney Snow. Ava Adelaja, a sophomore majoring in comparative literature, with minors in theater and creative writing, is the production’s assistant director.

Chen is grateful for the contributions of the co-directors. “Both of them have brought amazing insight from their background. Chesney has done productions on and off Broadway; Ava writes well-written plays.”

Snow says of Chen, “When you’re writing a musical, and starring in it in a lead role that requires an immense amount of vulnerability and technical precision, that is beyond extraordinary. This is a personal show for him, and he … pushed himself to want to help other people if they needed help with their work.”

Snow explains that he wanted to stage the production lightly, though “there are some choreographic numbers. But it’s mostly made for a workshop, so it’s not made with the resources that you might see in McCarter’s Berlind Theater,” where the Lewis Center sometimes mounts productions.

Adelaja adds, “We wanted the actors to find their own natural staging, because the best scenes can come out organically. But as the process went on we realized that sometimes people need a little bit of a nudge. Chesney and I would meet before rehearsals, and map out the scenes on paper, and then we’d go into rehearsals and walk the cast through the scenes.”

Asked about their process of co-directing the show, Adelaja describes it as “very informal. Sometimes … if he needs me to grab something or take notes for him, I’ll do that. Other times he’ll direct one portion of the scene, and then I’ll take the helm of directing another portion. Most of all, I’m grateful just to learn from him, because he’s an amazing professional, and an amazing force in the theater world.”

Snow praises Adelaja’s “incredible eye for detail. She also was attuned to the needs of other people beyond the story, which is critical. One of the primary goals of a director is to create the space for

Presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University, “A Life Worth Living” will play in the Wallace Theater at the Lewis Arts complex, 122 Alexander Street in Princeton, through November 16. Content Advisory: The Lewis Center cautions that the production “ heavily focuses on suicide and mental health issues; and contains violence, strong language, flashing lights, and loud noises ” For tickets or additional information, visit arts.princeton.edu/events/a-life-worth-living-a-new-musical-

people to feel like they can take risks.” He adds, “Obviously we want the product to be of high aesthetic quality. But what’s more important is the process.”

Choreography is by Kate Stewart. Set Designer Annalise Schuck, Costume Designer Keating Helfrich Debelak, Lighting Designer Alex Piccoult, Sound Designer Elisabeth Weidner, and Fight/Intimacy Coordinator Jacqueline Holloway complete the creative team.

Asked what he hopes audiences take away from A Life Worth Living, Chen replies that he wants to educate “the world on mental health rehabilitation, especially among adolescents — because it’s difficult for people to imagine if they haven’t been in that situation, or they don’t know anyone who’s been in that situation. So I wanted to portray these kids as people who are going through very difficult times, and have a lot of struggles; but they’re also kids. They have fun with each other, gossip, make jokes, and get annoyed with each other.”

Snow shares a painful personal story. “My close cousin had struggled with schizophrenia, after she was sexually assaulted when she was in college. A year before the pandemic, she went out to go to the grocery store — and she didn’t come back, because she had a schizophrenic episode. She got lost; we looked for her for two weeks, and we couldn’t find her. She passed away from dehydration, because people would see her and say, ‘She’s crazy.’ Nobody was going to help her; they feared her. And she was a brilliant woman before this happened.”

He adds, “We have to investigate ourselves, and create a community to heal each other. I hope that this musical can be a doorway to beginning to have a conversation about mental health — without the stigma — and that it will help students, and other people in our community, feel heard.”

Chen echoes this point. “There’s still a lot of stigma around mental health treatment or suicide. Even though people are like, ‘Oh, you should seek help,’ that doesn’t necessarily mean people seek help for themselves. I hope that this show can open up peoples’ minds to seek treatment — and to take care of themselves. Even though things might look difficult right now, just keep pushing forward. There’s always hope for a better tomorrow.”

Adelaja says that the show’s “message of hope” resonates with her. “When I first read the script, that was the thing that struck me the most: you feel unsure of yourself or your ability to continue living — there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. I think that hope can empower people through difficult times.”

Snow concludes, “This piece, I hope, will be a space where people can see part of themselves, or see part of their community; and cry, laugh, and enjoy the moment of being in that theater — seeing our stories in a way that is healing.”

—Donald H. Sanborn III

“A LIFE WORTH LIVING”: Performances are underway for “A Life Worth Living.” Presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and directed by Chesney Snow (assisted by Ava Adelaja), the musical runs through November 16 at the Lewis Arts complex’s Wallace Theater. Above, from left: Cecilia (Kailani Melvin), a therapist at a mental health facility, attempts to help Gavin (portrayed by writer and composer Jeffrey Chen) heal from a traumatic past.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski/Lewis Center for the Arts)

Performing Arts

American Repertory Ballet

Presents “The Nutcracker”

American Repertory Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is one of the longest running in the nation. Performances will take place from Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 22, in Princeton, Red Bank, Trenton, and New Brunswick, starting with McCarter Theatre November 29-December 1.

Students from Princeton Ballet School (PBS), the official school of American Repertory Ballet (ARB), participate in the ballet, which tells the story of Clara, a young girl who receives a magical Christmas gift and embarks on an enchanted journey. Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battle largerthan-life mice alongside toy soldiers, and travel through a whirlwind of dancing snowflakes to the Land of Sweets. Greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, Clara enjoys a suite of dances before opening her eyes to the familiar sights of her home, wondering if it was all a dream.

professional artists. I often wonder how many children watching the performances will be inspired by the magic and want to join the wonderful journey that this artform provides,” said Samantha Dunster, ARB’s director of artistic operations.

The orchestra for these performances is conducted by Kenneth Bean, and members of the Princeton Girlchoir are also part of the production.

“Every button, crystal, and sequin has been intentionally placed to provide the maximum artistic impact for both the audience and the performer. While the audience may not see many of these tiny details, the dancers wearing the costumes certainly do, and it’s so important for them to feel the character they are portraying in order for the audience to be swept away in the magic of the story.”

Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue Play Brass Band

State Theatre New Jersey presents Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue with support from New Breed Brass Band on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$79.

The show is crafted in the rich music scene of Trombone Shorty’s hometown of New Orleans, La. Evoking the tradition of the secondline parades of the city, the performance fuses jazz, funk, pop, hip hop, and rock music into a celebratory bayou sound.

On April 29, Trombone Shorty released his new album, Lifted , his second release for Blue Note Records. Special guests on the album range from Gary Clark Jr. and Lauren Daigle to the rhythm section from Shorty’s high school marching band.

Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at 4, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at 6, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour.

Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival; performed four times at the Grammy Awards, and five times at the White House.

The Trombone Shorty Foundation supports youth music education. Shorty received the Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book.

Performances at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, are Friday, November 29 at 2 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 30 at 1 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, December 1 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $43-$73.

At the Two River Theater in Red Bank, shows are Saturday, December 7 at 1 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, December 8 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $32.50-$65.

Since 2010, he has released four chart topping studio albums; toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless others; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk,

Orleans Avenue, coproduced by Andrews, is Trombone Shorty’s longtime band. Orleans Avenue includes guitarist Pete Murano, bassist Mike Ballard, and drummer Joey Peebles.

This funky band combines New Orleans band music with an R&B style. New Breed Brass Band presents a brand of secondline music in conversation with everything from Caribbean music to No Limit Records to modern R&B in the vein of Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak’s Silk Sonic. State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj. org for more information.

Continued on Page 24

“Company dancers explore new interpretations of roles within this timeless ballet, and PBS students have the opportunity to perform in major venues alongside

The company’s production team, including Rylee Berger (production manager), Janessa Cornell Urwin (resident costume designer and wardrobe supervisor), Devon Nicole Austin (associate wardrobe supervisor), and Cheryl Mintz (production stage manager), have been working since the beginning of September to put all elements of the large scale, month-long production into place. For example, it takes over 100 hours to make one singular tutu, including hand-finishing, gluing, and sewing on around 200 Swarovski crystals.

“Every costume in this production has been carefully thought out, from the grand vision of the designs to the tiny details of the fabrics and trims in each costume piece,” said Urwin.

At Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, performances are Saturday, December 14 at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets are $15-$35.

The shows at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, are Friday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m. ; Saturday, December 21 at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, December 22 at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets are $29-$69. Visit arballet.org for more information. a Princeton tradition!

HOLIDAY BALLET: American Repertory dancers, from left, Lily Krisko, Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, Rachel Quiner, Roland Jones, and Tomoya Suzuki will appear in “The Nutcracker” at McCarter Theatre and other New Jersey venues this season. (Photo by Harald Schrader)

NEW ORLEANS SOUNDS: The music of Trombone Shorty’s native city is the focus of his appearance at State Theatre New Jersey on November 21.

Lynda

MOVIE WITH MUSIC: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert” mixes the famed ﬁlm with music by a live orchestra on November 14 at State Theatre New Jersey.

Performing

Orchestra Accompaniment

At “Spider-Man” Screening State Theatre New Jersey presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert on Thursday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29$99

Building on the success of the sold-out global shows of the first Oscar-winning Spider-Man animated Spider-Verse film, comes the sequel: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The popularity of these films is largely due to their soundtracks, praised for their fusion of orchestral and electronic elements alongside scratch DJ techniques. The upcoming performance will feature the movie showcased on a colossal HD screen, complemented by a diverse ensemble of musicians and instrumentalists

performing the film’s score and soundtrack live. This lineup includes a full orchestra, a skilled scratch DJ on turntables, percussion, and electronic instrumentalists.

The score for the film was created by Daniel Pemberton, known for his work on movies such as Ferrari , The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Oceans 8, Enola Holmes , The Bad Guys, and Steve Jobs.

Pemberton took influence for both Spider-Verse film scores from growing up amid the London rave scene in the ’90s, where he regularly immersed himself in ambient and techno nights.

He also drew inspiration from the scratch DJs at The Blue Note Club in East London, where he first witnessed scratching vinyl being used in an artistic form. This, coupled with heavy-drumming and punk guitars, gives the soundtrack its unique sound.

“Across The Spider-Verse is probably the most exciting, groundbreaking, and impactful score I’ve written,” said Pemberton. “I’ve always believed that there should be no barriers to music, but it’s rare to get the opportunity that you get within the Spider-Verse. Where else could you have powerful orchestral themes side by side with punk drum solos, virtuoso record scratching next to twisted electronics, offkilter whistling next to hiphop beats?”

The ﬁ lm’s soundtrack was curated by Metro Boomin, and features Future, Nas, Swae Lee, James Blake, Lil Wayne, Lil Uzi Vert, and more.

“Watching the film with the live band performing in a huge room of people is one of the most thrilling ways to experience it, and it’s a huge honor to know that audiences are going to get a show that delivers a unique emotional hit they will hopefully

remember for a long, long time after,” said Pemberton.

State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj. org for tickets.

Holiday Movies Planned At the Garden Theatre

The Garden Theatre has announced its programming lineup for the holiday season. Starting on Black Friday and running through Christmas Eve, the selection features cheerful classics, from Jim Henson to Jimmy Stewart to Dr. Seuss to Bruce Willis.

On Black Friday, November 29, Elf will be screened as part of the $5 Family Matinee series, which is free for members. The following day, A Christmas Story, the definitive Christmas film, is on the schedule. This series continues throughout December with The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, the 2018 animated The Grinch , and a rare exhibition of the cherished Rankin & Bass work, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, on Christmas Eve.

The $5 Family Matinee series is underwritten by jaZams, YWCA Princeton, Color Me Mine Princeton, and McCarter Theatre Center.

A Garden tradition is the annual presentation of Frank Capra’s parable It’s a Wonderful Life , starring Princeton University alumnus Jimmy Stewart ’32. Another Hollywood holiday classic, It Happened on 5th Avenue, will play on the big screen before patrons will have the opportunity to join Turner Classic Movies’ writer Hannah Jack in discussion for the Deep Focus Online Seminar series. Home Alone and Die Hard , which are the Garden’s December picks in their Retrograde series, are also scheduled.

The Garden Theatre is at 160 Nassau Street. Dates, times, and tickets can be found at the box office or at princetongardentheatre. org/specials/.

AIRBORNE: Roxey Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” now in its 29th season, is onstage at Villa Victoria Theater in Ewing Township November 30 to December 8. The schedule includes a sensory-friendly performance on December 1, school matinees, and a tea dance party. Visit roxeyballet.org/ nutcracker for dates, times, and tickets.

Richardson Chamber Players Present “Songs With/out Words”

On Sunday, November 24 at 3 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium, performance faculty from the Princeton University Department of Music comprising the Richardson Chamber Players will present “Songs With/out Words,” a program of songs with and without words written by female composers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano by lieder composer Josephine Lang, and for mezzo-soprano and mixed chamber ensemble by Dame Ethel Smyth, bookend the program. Included are works for string quartet, solo piano, and flute, viola, and harp

EARLY MUSIC PRINCETON

that reference American, Jamaican, and European song and poetry in between. In addition to Lang and Smyth, the program includes music by Florence Price, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and Eleanor Alberga.

Performers are John Ferrari, percussion; Francine Kay, piano; Jacqueline Kerrod, harp; Kelly Kim ‘26, violin; Anna Lim, violin; Alberto Parrini, cello; Barbara Rearick, mezzo-soprano; Sarah Shin, flute; and Jessica Thompson, viola.

“We are always excited to hear the Richardson Chamber Players — both the talent of Princeton University’s Music Department faculty and their thoughtful programming,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Their programs tend to open our ears to lesser-heard compositions performed in unique conﬁgurations. It is thrilling to be able to hear these works all on the same program.”

Tickets are still available and are $15 general/$5 s tudent. Visit puc. princeton.edu.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2024

(Photo by Victor Frankowski)

HOLIDAY MUSICAL REVUE: The MTM Players celebrate Christmas at Kelsey Theatre, on the campus of Mercer County Community College, November 29-December 1.

Family Show Followed

By Treats in the Lobby

The MTM Players bring the family-friendly musical revue “ The Best Time of the Year – Music & Memories of Christmas” to Kelsey Theatre, on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, for one weekend and five performances, November 29-December 1.

The show celebrates the holiday season with song, dance, visual projections, snow — and even kazoos — featuring carols and Christmas songs. The hour-long performance is followed by treats and pictures in the lobby with Santa.

Shows are Friday, November 29 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, November 30 and December 1, at 1 and 4 p.m. Santa will be available in the lobby for photos after each performance.

In addition, Kelsey Theatre is returning as a partner with the U.S. Marine Corps for the annual “Toys for Tots” campaign during performances at Kelsey during the holiday season. Patrons can donate a new, unwrapped toy for a needy child in the lobby.

The 1 p.m. November 30 performance will be presented in American Sign Language (ASL) for the hearing impaired by cast member and ASL coach Reba Dell’Angelo, with the

cast performing one of the numbers in ASL for each performance. Special seating is available.

Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, veterans, children, and students. Visit kelseytheatre.org. or call (609) 570-3333.

Two Area Choruses

Collaborate for Concert

A celebration of the holiday season featuring Voices Chorale NJ and the Trenton Children’s Chorus will take place on Saturday, December 14 at 4 p.m., at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street.

“Sing Out, My Soul!” features Vivaldi’s Gloria accompanied by a chamber ensemble, as well as contemporary choral compositions and arrangements that invoke the many moods of the holiday season. Following Gloria , which Vivaldi wrote over 300 years ago, the program fast-forwards through the centuries, presenting old and new texts set to music by contemporary composers as well as a Hanukkah prayer, and a song of rejoicing in Latin (Gaudete!).

As a special touch, the audience is treated to sideby-side contrasting musical settings of the same texts to underscore their beauty through different musical prisms.

Voices Chorale NJ (VCNJ) is an auditioned chorus with members from throughout

central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Under the direction of David McConnell since 2018, VCNJ continues its mission to inspire audiences with outstanding music, performance opportunities for skilled singers, and musical education opportunities for youth and adults.

Trenton Children’s Chorus (TCC) empowers the academic and social development of children through artistry in music, providing opportunities to the young people of greater Trenton. Founded in 1989 as an outreach project of Nassau Presbyterian Church and Trinity Episcopal Church, TCC began as an entirely volunteer-run program. Today, it offers choral music education, drumming and keyboard instruction, performance opportunities, music theory instruction, tutoring, homework assistance, SAT prep, college application help, and summer camp scholarships.

Tickets and information are available at Voices ChoraleNJ.org.

Holiday Pops Concerts

Feature Andrea Ross

The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is set to celebrate the holiday season with Broadway vocalist Andrea Ross at this year’s Holiday POPS! concerts on Saturday, December 14 at 3 and 6 p.m., at Richardson Auditorium.

Mentored by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ms. Ross, a soprano, will perform “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,”

“The Christmas Song,” and more. The Princeton High School Choir lends its collective voice to choral favorites including “Joy to the World” and “O Holy Night,” and leads the audience in the annual carol sing-along. Returning to Princeton from West Virginia’s Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, John Devlin conducts both performances.

“I’m thrilled to once again conduct Holiday POPS! and to work with the talented Andrea Ross to immerse audiences in the spirit of the season,” Devlin said. “It’s such a joyful time of year, and I love hearing patrons chiming in on holiday carols.”

Devlin is a champion of American music, an innovator of concert design, and a thought leader in the field of classical music. In his fourth season as Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Devlin was recently named a recipient of the 2023 Georg Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. His guest engagements include performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and the American Repertory Ballet.

Ross has performed lead roles in Broadway national tours of Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music . She has appeared the Boston, Baltimore, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, BBC Concert Orchestra, and many more. She was a guest artist for Concert for Diana, Princess of Wales , hosted by Prince William and Prince Harry. Visit princetonsymphony. org for tickets.

a Princeton tradition!

JOINING FORCES: Voices Chorale NJ and the Trenton Children’s Chorus are presenting a concert together to celebrate the holiday season on December 14 at Trinity Church.

FESTIVE GATHERING: Members of the Princeton High School Choir are among the performers at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s annual Holiday POPS! concerts on December 14, at Richardson Auditorium. (Photo courtesy of PSO Staff)

Covered Bridge Artisans Tour Celebrate 30 Years

This Thanksgiving weekend, the Covered Bridge Artisans will celebrate three decades of artistry, craftsmanship, and community with their 30th Annual Studio Tour. Taking place from November 29 to December 1 from 10 a,m. to 5 p.m. each day, this event invites visitors to explore the studios and workspaces of some of the Delaware River Valley region’s most talented artisans.

This self-guided tour will take place in nine professional artists’ studios in Lambertville, Stockton, Sergeantsville, and New Hope, Pa., areas with 12 additional artists at the Sandy Ridge Church.

What began in 1993 as a collaboration among six local women artisans has since grown into a tradition that draws art lovers and holiday shoppers alike to discover the beauty and creativity thriving in Hunterdon County and beyond.

The group’s symbol, the historic covered bridge in Delaware Township — the last standing covered bridge in New Jersey — remains a testament to their commitment to preserving the region’s charm while showcasing handmade works. While some original members have retired, new artists have continued to join the tour, bringing fresh perspectives while maintaining the high standards of craftsmanship for which the group is known. Founding member

Helène Aylon: Undercurrent

Thursday, November 21, 5:30 p.m.

Art on Hulfish or Stream it live

Speakers will consider various aspects of Aylon’s fifty-year career as a feminist artist and ecological activist, including her approach to making art, her Jewish upbringing, reconciliation, and liberation

panelists:

Rachel Federman, guest curator

Katherine Bussard, Peter C. Bunnell Curator of Photography

Esther Schor, John J. F. Sherrerd ’52 University Professor and Professor of English

Stacy Wolf, professor of theater in the Lewis Center for the Arts and American Studies Reception to follow.

Katherine Hackl said, “This show has certainly evolved over the years and so have the artists’ work. It is exciting to see how each artist takes on new challenges and refines their vision and skills.”

The tour features a variety of fine crafts, including ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, textiles, glass blowing, and more, all created by local artisans.

Founding member Karen Caldwell recalled the inspiration behind the first tour, “We wanted to invite people into our studios to see where our creations came to life, to experience the craftsmanship firsthand, and to offer a more intimate connection with art. It’s about more than selling crafts — it’s about building a community, and the friendships we’ve made along the way have lasted a lifetime.”

The 30th Annual Studio Tour will feature a diverse range of high-quality craft, from the classic to the contemporary, appealing to both seasoned art collectors and casual visitors alike. Attendees can look forward to exploring unique spaces, from historic barns and charming rural homes to modern studios, all while enjoying a leisurely drive through some of the most

“ECLIPSE”: This acrylic on canvas work by Larry Mitnick is featured in “Making Space,” an exhibition of his paintings at Belle’s Tavern, 183 North Union Street, Lambertville, through the end of December. Mitnick’s work has been exhibited internationally and he is currently a member artist at Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville.

picturesque landscapes in the region.

The tour is free and open to the public. Visit CoveredBridgeArtisans. com for more information and the tour map.

WEDGE MUSSEL”: Mary Waltham of Princeton received an honorable mention for this watercolor work at the “11th Annual New Jersey Highlands Juried Art Exhibition,” presented by New Jersey Highlands Coalition at the Maxfield Engine House in Boonton. The exhibit features a mix of photography, paintings, mixed media, prints and sculpture focused on the landscapes, flora, fauna and historic and cultural resources of the Highlands region. A virtual exhibit featuring all of this year’s artists can be viewed at highlandsart.org.

“COTTAGE FLOWERS”: Works by Karen Caldwell of Sunflower Glass Studio and others can be viewed November 29 through December 1 on the 30th Annual Covered Bridge Artisans Studio Tour.

“DWARF

MASTER POTTER: Caryn Newman, shown here creating a hand-built vase, holds her annual Open Studio Holiday Sale this Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Willowood Pottery, 7 Willowood Drive, Ewing.

Open Studio Holiday Sale

At Willowood Pottery

Once a year local Master Potter Caryn Newman opens her studio to the public – this year on Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Busy firing work in her kiln from the past six months for this show, Newman said her latest work has some changes.

Decades of pottery-making added up, and she needed a shoulder replacement this past May. After a short break, she got back into the studio and started with

hand-building new pieces as she recovered, instead of using the pottery wheel.

The effort to center the clay on the wheel for her regular line of wheel-thrown functional pots was off limits for a few months. “Bowls of all sizes are my specialty, and I used different handbuilding techniques to make even larger bowls and new shapes,” said Newman.

She said she made the tallest vase she has ever made, “It is 28” high – the maximum height of the interior of my kiln.”

Her utilitarian pottery includes cups, bowls, vases and serving pieces. “Nothing pleases me more than when a customer tells me they use my mug every morning and think of me,” said Newman. “There is a huge upswing in the use of handmade objects in everyday living. People are realizing that handcrafted functional art enhances the enjoyment of food and home décor.”

Newman works in both stoneware and porcelain clays. This year’s sale will also feature a special

selection of vintage work from her archive.

Willowood Pottery is shown at HomeFront’s annual ArtJam pop-up gallery in Palmer Square and was featured in the juried Trenton City Museum’s “Ellarslie Open” for several years. She is a member of the Red Tulip Gallery, an artists’ cooperative in New Hope, Pa.

Willowood Pottery is located at 7 Willowood Drive, Ewing, open for the sale weekend and year-round by appointment. For more information, call (609) 2037141, email caryn@willowoodpottery.com, or visit willowoodpottery.com.

Area Exhibits

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

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Chromatic Wanderings” through December 1. 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 “The Super Hero’s Journey” in the Taplin Gallery and “Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story” in the Lower Level Gallery through December 7. 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 “In Plain Sight: A Lingering View of the World Around Us” through November 26. 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. Groundsforsculpture.org.

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

Milberg Gallery, Princeton University Library, has “Monsters & Machines: Caricature, Visual Satire, and the Twentieth-Century

Bestiary” through December 8. Library.princeton.edu/ monstersandmachines.

Morpeth Contemporary, 43 West Broad Street, Hopewell, has “At First Light” through November 24. morpethcontemporary.com.

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home,” through March 2. Morven.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 “Flore Organic Botanics” through December 3. Acrylic canvases by Bhumika Raghuvanshi are at the 254 Nassau Street location through December 3. 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 “Off the Wall Affordable Art Show ” through December 21. 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.

Get the scoop from

Town Topics | Mark Your Calendar

Wednesday, November 13

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Leighton Listens. Councilman Leighton Newlin is available to discuss current events with members of the public at Rojo’s Roastery, 33 Palmer Square (grassy area on the square).

6-7:30 p.m : Discussion on the new affordable housing bill at The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street, by state and local experts including Adam Gordon of the Fair Share Housing Center. To register and send specific questions, contact Linda Oppenheim at linda.oppenheim@gmail.com

6 p.m .: Lecture: Saladin Ambar, “What is Political Leadership?” at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m .: Screening of Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s film The Unburied Sounds of a Troubled Horizon , at Betts Auditorium in Princeton University’s School of Architecture. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.

7:30 p.m : The Ebene and Belcea String Quartets perform at Richardson Auditorium. Works by Mendelssohn and Enescu. Puc.princeton.edu or (609) 258-2800.

Thursday, November 14

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.

10:30 a.m : Fiction Book Group of Princeton Public Library discusses North Woods by Daniel Mason. In the Newsroom, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

4 p.m : Voices Chorale NJ and the Trenton Children’s Chorus present “Sing Out, My Soul!” at Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street. Vivaldi’s Gloria , works by other composers. VoicesChoraleNJ.org.

5:30 p.m . : Elson Artist Talk with Princeton University artist-in-residence Tuan Andrew Nguyen at Robertson Hall 016. Artmuseum. princeton.edu.

6 p.m.: New Yorker cartoonist Ken Krimstein discusses his work with Gil Roth, host of the podcast “The Virtual Memories Show.” At Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

6:30-8 p.m : Fall poetry reading and open mic at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. Poets Coleen Marks, Winnifred Hughes, and Barbara H. Williams read. Register at mcl.org.

7:15 p.m.: The Black Voices Book Group discusses Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead via Google Meet. Visit princetonlibrary.org for details.

7:30 p.m : Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert is at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Film backed by live orchestra. $29-$99. Stnj.org.

8 p.m.: The n ew musical A Life Worth Living is at the Wallace Theater in the Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. Free but tickets required. Arts. princeton.edu.

Friday, November 15

2:30 p.m.: Ribboncutting ceremony at 153Acre Wood , Princeton’s newest Open Space preserve. Park on Stout Road

(avoid parking on Province Line Road). Princetonnj.gov.

4:30 p.m.: “A History of Ireland in 10 Poems” by Paul Muldoon, presented by the Fund for Irish Studies and the Lewis Center for the Arts, at James Stewart film Theater, 185 Nassau Street. Free

5 p.m : The documentary The Hunt for Planet B is screened at Wolfensohn Hall on the campus of the Institute for Advanced Study as part of the S.T. Lee Film Series. A discussion with the filmmakers follows. Ias.org.

8 p.m : The new musical A Life Worth Living is at the Wallace Theater in the Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. Free but tickets required. Arts. princeton.edu.

8 p.m : Princeton Folk Music Society presents Mustard’s Retreat at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane. $25 ($20 members, $10 students). Princetonfolk.org.

Saturday, November 16

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.-4 p.m : Flea Market fundraiser with vendors inside and outside at Mount Pisgah AME Church, 170 Witherspoon Street, followed by spaghetti dinner. Eat in or take out. $10 (for the dinner).

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

10-11 a.m.: Mid-Day Toastmasters meets on Zoom. Tinyurl.com/zoomwithmidday.

11 a.m.: Author Tracey Gates discusses her book The Power of a Few Kind Words, at Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, light fare, and music from 1-4 p.m. by Chris P. Terhuneorchards.com.

2 p.m.: Journalist and writer Dan Aubrey gives a talk on Joseph Bonaparte’s mistress, Annette Savage, at Point Breeze Discovery Center, 101 East Park Street, Bordentown. $20. RSVP in advance to drgreenway.org.

2 p.m : The new musical A Life Worth Living is at the Wallace Theater in the Lewis Arts Complex, Princeton University. Free but tickets required. Arts. princeton.edu.

2 p.m : Princeton Storytelling Circle presents “Storytelling with Grateful Hearts” at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. For all ages; bring nonperishable food for the Princeton Mobile Pantry. Princetonlibrary.org.

3 p.m.: Chemistry for Kids , at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Demonstrations and hands-on experiments led by Princeton University chemistry graduate students. Registration required. Princetonlibrary.org.

4:30 p.m.: Paula Ryan performs songs of Ireland as part of her tour of the Eastern Seaboard, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

Sunday, November 17

11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Coalition for Peace Action’s 45th Annual Conference and Multifaith Service for Peace. The service is at Princeton University Chapel; the afternoon conference is at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road. Both events are hybrid. Peacecoalition.org.

12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, light fare, and music from 1-4 p.m. by Barbara Lin Band. Terhuneorchards.com.

12:30-5:30 p.m.: Grand opening of the Off the Wall Holiday Market at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road. One-of-akind artisan products and original artwork on view and for sale. Free. Westwindsorarts.org.

1-4 p.m.: Courthouse Quilters Guild of Flemington hosts a Sew-in, followed by a lecture from 6:30-8:30 p.m. by Eileen Porretta and Barbara Gates from the Quilts Valor Foundation. Courthousequilters.org.

3 p.m.: Sarah Gronningsater discusses her book The Rising Generation: Gradual Abolition, Black Legal Culture, and the Making of National Freedom at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

NOVEMBER

3 p.m.: Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey presents “Mixed Media: Wings and Strings” with flute, oboe, violin, viola, and cello at Turning Point United Methodist Church, 15 South Broad Street, Trenton. Music from classical Vienna to Jazz Age London. Capitalphilharmonic.org.

3 p.m : “The Wide Open Wild West Indies: Pirates, Sugar, and Slaves in the British Virgin Islands,” presented by Bart Jackson at a meeting of The English Speaking Union, Princeton Branch, at the Center for Modern Aging, 101 Poor Farm Road. Free. Legacy. esuus.org/Princeton.

3-5 p.m.: All Ages Folk Dance at the Suzanne Patterson Building, 1 Monument Drive. Princeton Country Dancers sponsors this event featuring square dances, contra dances, play party games, and more, for ages 4 and up. Music by Mixed Age Dance Band. Musicians of all ages and abilities can join; there is a rehearsal immediately before each family dance. No partner or experience needed. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

4 p.m : Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs presents “Let’s Just Sing! Choral Reading of Bach Mass in B Minor” at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road. Vocal scores provided. $10 (free for students and nonsinging guests). Conducted by Frances Fowler Slade. Musicalamateurs.org.

Monday, November 18 Recycling

1-3 p.m.: Women’s College Club of Princeton meets at Morven’s Stockton Education Center, 55 Stockton Street. Ewa Dziedzic will discuss current challenges in education such as censorship, representation, and access to quality information; as well as librarians and their preparedness to improve growth through library programs. Free. Wccpnj.org.

Tuesday, November 19 5 p.m.: Fall Student Reading, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing, at Chancellor Green Rotunda, Princeton University. Free.

Wednesday, November 20 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Leighton Listens. Councilman Leighton Newlin is available to discuss current events with members of the public at DeAngelo’s Italian Market, 35 Spring Street. 12:30 p.m.: Live Music Meditation with the Isidore String Quartet, at Richardson Auditorium. Free. Instruction begins at 12 p.m. Guided by Matthew Weiner of Princeton University’s Office of Religious Life. Puc.princeton.edu. 4:30-5:45 p.m .: Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of The Cook Political Report, speaks at Arthur Lewis Auditorium, Robertson Hall, Princeton University. Free.

New Sticky Fingers Cooking Program For Kids

Offers Fun and Creative Cooking Opportunities

interest in bringing Sticky Fingers to their venues.”

Chris Johnson knew about cooking from a young age.

“I was always interested,” he recalls, “and I especially enjoyed watching and helping my favorite aunt in the kitchen.”

A New Englander from Maine and Massachusetts, he headed to New York for job opportunities, eventually working in the corporate world, focusing on legal technology. His career continued to evolve, and he came to Princeton, where he spent nine years at Educational Testing Service (ETS). The advent of COVID changed so many aspects of life for people and how they spent their days, and during this time, Johnson rediscovered his pleasure in cooking at home with his family.

IT’S NEW To Us

the sixth franchise when he opened in August of this year.

Interest in the Sticky Fingers franchise is growing, he adds. There are now seven across the country, and his is the first in New Jersey.

“The franchise determines the territory,” he reports, “and mine is central New Jersey. It includes public and private schools and other organizations.”

Weekly Recipes

Sticky Fingers is a unique operation. It offers creative cooking classes for students K through 12 in after-school outreach programs.

“We offer school cooking classes where children already are — in schools, libraries, community centers, day cares, religious organizations, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other venues.” says Johnson. “We also offer camps for nonschool days, during vacations, and over the summer, as well as private parties.

Career Direction

“I started doing more exploratory cooking,” he explains. “My daughter Ellie and I do Saturday pancakes together, and she loves it. We have all these nice pictures from when she was on a little step stool just watching me scoop the pancake batter, and now she is able to flip her own pancakes!”

As people’s business lives continued to change, Johnson began to think about his own career direction. “When the opportunity to consider leaving ETS came along, I realized I had always been interested in having my own business. The franchise model appealed to me because you’re on your own, but there is a foundation for you. I began to research franchise projects, and the Sticky Fingers project jumped out at me.”

After meeting with the Sticky Fingers founder and CEO Erin Fletter, who had started the franchise in Denver in 2022, he decided to go forward. He became

“No kitchen is needed,” he continues. “Our unique weekly recipes are designed with our portable chef kits in mind. Each globally-inspired recipe is vegetarian and nutand allergy-free. All allergies are accommodated at the class level.”

Everything needed is included in the portable kit, he explains. “All we need is a sink! The kit contains an electric skillet, cupcake baker, stick blender, measuring cups, and knives and forks.”

Each week, a new recipe is available, provided by the franchise. It could be pasta, soup, bread, dessert, and beverage. Recent recipes included Steamy Pasta e Fagioli Italian soup, Dunkable Dinner Rolls, and “Water You Cooking Up?” flavored water.

Others have featured Indian Butter Chickpeas with Spiced Onion Pakora Bites and Indian Nimbu Pani Limea de; and Gung Hay Fat Choy New Year’s Potstickers with Chinese Sweet FiveSpice Dipping Sauce and Steamy Ginger Green Tea.

“We start the class with

the ABCs of cooking, and we tell the kids there may be a surprise ingredient,” points out Johnson. ‘We’ll give some history of the cuisine, demonstrate the measuring cups, etc. This is for a quarter of the hour. We’ll talk about the recipe, even the language, if it is from another country.

Hands-On

“Then the kids go to work, hands-on. In the case of the Pasta e Fagioli, which was very popular, we had two groups; one was making pasta, and one slicing garlic and onions. They even made the bread, with the yeast and flour. They loved this, and then they were able to eat what they had made.

“They are so enthusiastic. They’ll say ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever done, and I want to make it at home for my family.’ There really has been an incredible response.”

Each class typically has 10 to 12 students and one or two chef instructors. “It is interesting that you can have the same recipe, but in two different classes, it will be a completely different experience because of the kids’ reactions,” observes Johnson. “Also, the individual chef instructors bring their own personalities to the class. And the way they interact with the students adds to the tone of the class.”

Johnson is very encouraged. Sticky Fingers has already had after-school classes at Johnson Park Elementary School in Princeton, and also at a private school in East Brunswick.

“In addition, we have several upcoming projects in Hopewell, Kingston, and Princeton, including Johnson Park in Princeton, the Princeton Public Library, and the Princeton Recreation Department,” adds Johnson.

Age-Related

Some of the classes are age-related, he notes, and can be adapted to the skills and abilities of the children, especially kindergartners.

Program arrangements can vary as well. Classes can be a one-time event, one week, or a package of six weeks. Classes are typically Monday through Friday after school, but camps and other time frames can also be available.

Payment plans also vary. “It is basically $26 per child,” he explains. “Payment can be one class at a time, or with a package plan. Scholarships are also available. We want the program to be as accessible as possible.”

Chris Johnson could not be happier with the new direction his career has taken. As an independent franchise owner and chef instructor, he has been able to fulfill two of his lifelong pleasures and aspirations: his love of cooking and his one-time hope of becoming a teacher.

“Now,” as he explains, “it’s about getting our message in front of the right stakeholders in schools and other venues that support child enrichment programs, clubs, and camps. We hope to encourage folks to contact their after school program coordinators to express

The benefits of the program for the students are so important, he believes. “It creates understanding and appreciation of what they are eating. And it’s the pride they derive from being hands-on, creating the dish, and then eating it.”

New Ideas

As for himself, “It has not felt like work at all. I am very, very busy, but I love it! It’s fun to be with the kids. There is always something happening, and we are getting new clients all the time.

“In addition, having joined the Chamber of Commerce has meant so much to me. Meeting other small business owners, meeting new people, and learning about new ideas has been invigorating.”

His passion for his work has also been evident to his family and those he works with.

“When my daughter came home from sleepaway camp this summer, she told me even before I shared my Sticky Fingers Cooking journey with her that I seemed ‘lighter.’ She was intuitively attuned to the fact that I was, for the first time in recent memory, living a life led by passion and genuine

interest, in contrast with an effective yet unfulfilling career in corporate.

“My colleagues within Sticky Fingers Cooking and, most critically, the students of our program, have picked up on the joy and passion I am now able to bring to the table. I look forward to being able to inspire them through

that confidence and, hopefully, encourage them to find what brings them joy, through the myriad skills they will learn through cooking for themselves.”

or further information, call (609) 301-2303. Visit the website at stickyfingerscooking.com.

—Jean Stratton

A Princeton tradition!

CREATIVE COOKING FOR KIDS: A group of children in the Sticky Fingers Cooking program are not only learning to cook exciting new creations, but are also learning about different cuisines and cultures. Under the guidance of their chef instructor, they are engaged in hands-on cooking classes.

COOPERATION AND COOKING: “With the program, I can dedicate my efforts to focusing on community, cooperation, acceptance and kindness for and with children.” Chris Johnson, owner of the Sticky Fingers Cooking franchise in Princeton, is enthusiastic about this new after school cooking program for children.

S ports

Sparked by MacNab’s Playmaking, Stellar Defensive Play, PU Women’s Soccer Tops Brown in Ivy Final, Back in NCAAs

In early October, Princ -

eton University women’s soccer player Heather MacNab left the field at Roberts Stadium on a cart after suffering a severe gash to her forehead in a scary collision with a Penn player.

As senior defender MacNab lay on the ground that night, she was already planning her return.

“What was on my mind was that we play Yale this weekend and I better be stitched up in time to come back,” said MacNab. “I was pretty disappointed that I wasn’t able to but I was back the next weekend and that is all I could ask for.”

Last Sunday afternoon, MacNab flew across the pitch at Roberts Stadium, hugging her teammates after getting two assists and spearheading a stifling defensive effort to help Princeton defeat Brown 2-0 in the final of the Ivy League Tournament.

The Tigers, now 14-4, are headed to the NCAA tournament where they will play at Virginia (12-5) in a first round contest on November 15.

For MacNab, winning the tournament in her final home game left her with her indelible memory.

“Honestly I would not have wanted to do this in any other year or with any other group,” said MacNab, a 5’10 native of Indianapolis, Ind. “This team is so special from freshmen to seniors and all of the coaches. We just have such a love for one another and such a camaraderie. We believe in one another so much. I am without words.”

Having routed Brown 8-0 in a regular season meeting on October 5, the Tigers knew they were in for a scrap in the rematch.

“We definitely didn’t come in with the expectation that was going to be the case this time,” said MacNab. “We knew they had a chip on their shoulder against us. This is a really scary place to play and we knew that they were preparing well for that. At the end of the day, we have to protect our house so that is what was on our mind for 90 minutes.”

Weathering an early surge from the Bears, the Tigers started to find their rhythm as the first half went on.

“We knew the first five, 10 minutes they were really going to try to rattle us, play direct, and be physical,” said MacNab.“Once we got the ball on ground, there is no keeping up with us. There wasn’t a doubt in our mind that the ball was not going to go in the net.”

MacNab helped Princeton find the back of the net as she assisted on a goal by Drew Coomans with 11:27 left in the first half.

“Pietra [Tordin] pulled wide; when she has time and space on the ball she is unstoppable,” said MacNab. “I knew once she was driving on line, she was going to pick someone out in the box and the goal came from that.”

Early in the second half, MacNab picked up a second assist, lofting a corner kick that Lily Bryant banged home with 43:21 left in regulation.

“We work on corner kicks a lot, we work on set pieces at almost every single practice,” said MacNab. “The balls we played with today were a little bit lighter than the ones we usually play with so I knew it was going to be a little bit flighted. I saw her open at the back post and I was just hoping that it was going to get to her. She is a clinical finisher.”

At the defensive end, the Tigers thwarted the Bears, holding them to three shots on goal.

“We defend with all 11,” said MacNab. “Our front three is frightening in their press, our midfield is unbeatable and we have a really, really strong back four. There is lot of chemistry between us. Once you get past that four, we have the best goalkeeper (Tyler McCamey) in the nation.”

Having played all over the field for the Tigers in her career, MacNab has found a home on the back line this fall.

“I have come to become kind of a utility player on the team,” said MacNab, a first-team All-Ivy selection who now has two goals and eight assists this season. “I found my niche at left back this season. I get forward, I have a good vision of the field and more time on the ball so I think I have thrived there. I am excited to continue playing there.”

Princeton head coach Sean Driscoll believed that a goal was coming in the first half as Princeton got more and more possession of the ball.

“We had done enough to create chances,” said Driscoll. “I thought Brown did a really good job, their game plan was good. They gave us space in the wide areas. I thought our possession would hopefully break them down. It came out of kind of an odd play. I think we deserved it.”

Bryant’s goal gave the Tigers a cushion. “That certainly made life a lot easier for us, it takes a little bit of the pressure off,” said Driscoll. “I just thought it was a really compelling game with two different styles. They made it very difficult for us but I am proud of the kids for fighting through it.”

Driscoll was proud of how the Tigers played at the defensive end.

“We had another shutout, we defend really well as a group,” said Driscoll, whose team now has nine shutouts this season with a goals

against average of 0.56. “That is what makes us an interesting team. We can win the game in a multitude of ways. We can lock down defensively, we can do really well in transition and we can also possess. We have a lot of pieces.”

The multi-talented MacNab has been a key piece for the Tigers.

“We talked to her halfway through the season about changing positions,” said Driscoll. “We moved her to left back and she made such a huge difference for us. I am really happy that she gets the attention that she does. Getting the assists is amazing but it is only part of what she does.”

Earning its first Ivy tournament title was a happy moment for Princeton who had gone 6-1 in league play this year to earn the regular season championship.

“We got knocked out last year so it meant a lot to us,” said Driscoll. “We are the first team to win both the regular season and the Ivy tournament. It has only been around for two years but it is nice to be the trailblazers, it is really awesome. It is a really good feeling to know that all of their hard work has paid off.”

In reflecting on the qualities that make this team special, Driscoll pointed to its special chemistry.

“I think it starts with the captains (MacNab and McCamey) and the seniors, it is a very kind group, they work very well together,” said Driscoll. “They care about each other and they are all such good players.”

With Princeton having topped Michigan 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year before falling at Texas Tech on penalty kicks in a second round contest, Driscoll believes that experience will serve the Tigers well as they face Virginia.

“Fortunately we have been in the tournament in six of the last nine years,” said Driscoll. “We have had a lot of experience there. We played so well in Texas and it just didn’t happen. The result in the end didn’t work out but we played so well. We are looking forward to wherever our name is called.”

In MacNab’s view, the Tigers are in a good place as they make a return trip to the NCAAs.

“We played in maybe the most brutal environment last year at Texas Tech,” said MacNab. “We have a ton of experience now in that environment. I think we are more prepared than we have ever been going into the NCAA tournament.”

—Bill Alden

BIG MAC: Princeton University women’s soccer player Heather MacNab, left, chases after the ball in recent action. Last Sunday, senior defender MacNab had two assists to help top-seeded Princeton defeat third-seeded Brown 2-0 in the Ivy League Tournament final. The Tigers, now 14-4, are headed to the NCAA tournament where they will play at Virginia (12-5) in a first round contest on November 15.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With Star Yeager Back from Olympics to Lead Attack, PU Field Hockey Earns Berth in NCAAs, Will Face BC

The last time Beth Yeager and the Princeton University field hockey team lost, they bounced back with seven straight wins.

The Tigers would settle for four straight this time in the wake of being awarded an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament hours after falling to Harvard, 2-1, in the Ivy League Tournament final in overtime Sunday. When Harvard scored with less than three minutes to play in regulation, Princeton responded with Yeager’s corner smash redirected in by Ella Cashman with 59 seconds left to force overtime. The Crimson scored 4:11 into the OT to pull out the win.

“I think we’ve shown when we do face adversity, we respond very positively and we raise our game,” said Yeager, a junior forward. “We don’t go down and so I think for this team in particular that moment, and then the game as a whole I think will be really good for us going forward because they both push us to be more determined and have a bit more like composure in big moments.”

Princeton, now 13-5, will open the NCAA tournament against Boston College (146) on November 15 at Saint Joseph’s. Host and fourthseeded Saint Joseph’s (17-3) will face Lafayette (14-6) in the pod’s first game of the day. The winners meet Sunday at noon in the quarterfinal round.

“It’s a pretty deep field this year, so I don’t think we really care one way or the other,” said Princeton coach Carla Tagliente. “We’re just happy to be in.”

Princeton is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since Yeager’s sophomore year in 2022. Yeager took last year off from school to train to compete with the United States women’s field hockey team and competed for the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As incredible as that year was, she’s been thrilled to be back in a Princeton uniform.

“It’s been amazing honestly,” said Yeager. “I think I really missed Princeton as a whole when I was away, certainly the team, but also just like the academic piece and the social aspects as well. I loved my year off, but I definitely missed Princeton field hockey specifically and missed being with the team. I think Princeton field hockey has a very unique culture and the college games are just so fun to play and there’s a lot of pride in them because you are representing your school.”

Yeager has had no difficulty fitting back in for the Tigers. And her international playing experience has been a bonus as she returned and adjusted to the college game.

“The biggest thing is just like the speed of play, things internationally just happen a lot quicker and you have less time to make decisions than you do in college field hockey,” said Yeager. “I think the other thing is internationally you have more time to prepare for games, even in a tournament. You’ve had like six weeks prior to the tournament starting

to be able to prep, you know what teams you’re playing, and there’s also less teams generally. So a lot of girls have played teams multiple times and so you kind of know their style of play and the players and things like that. So you have the luxury of being able to prep more.”

The game itself feels no different to Yeager, who has represented the Tigers well in her return. Her assist Sunday added to her teamand Ivy-leading total of 41 points (15 goals and 11 assists), more than double all but one other player in the league (Brown’s Katie McCallum has 22). Yeager was named Ivy Offensive Player of the Year unanimously, the third time she’s won that award. And she was firstteam All-Ivy League unanimously for the third time as well. Yeager, though, is back for the team accolades and so the Ivy tournament loss was a disappointment, and the NCAA berth is an opportunity.

“The thing that brings teams success in the tournament is their ability to seize the moment and recognize that this is all you have, like this game in front of you is the most important and you have to take every opportunity because it might be your last,” said Yeager. “The teams that do that and play without fear and play fluidly and they play to win, I think are the teams that ultimately become champions. So I do agree with Carla that this is like a good wake-up call for us because (Sunday) we had to face the tough feeling of our season potentially being over. And I think sitting with those feelings for a second kind of helps us understand how much we don’t want to feel that again.”

For about seven hours after their heartbreaking loss to Harvard in the fourth minute of overtime — after the Tigers had a chance to end it a minute earlier — Princeton was in limbo. Without the Ivy tournament’s automatic bid, they were at the mercy of the NCAA tournament selection committee.

“Everyone had a little bit of a different coping mechanism,” said Yeager. “For me, I kind of tried to forget about it. So I tried to study and just forget about field hockey and the fact that it existed for a little bit. But I think regardless what you did, regardless what everybody did, it was definitely a stressful and an emotional couple of hours.”

The Princeton coaches were following the results of UConn’s tight 1-0 win over upset-minded Temple in the Big East tournament championship that had UConn lost would have further shrunk the at-large spots. They crunched numbers to pass the time, but eventually

had to put away their computers and hope that their late-season run was enough to show the committee they deserved a spot. When the brackets were announced, they were relieved to know they were in.

“We were on a nice run since the Syracuse loss,” said Tagliente. “I think it’s somewhat healthy to have a reset here and a little bit of a chance to rebound and react. Last night we talked about just doing that. The Syracuse game was a big wake-up call for us. I thought we put in a good stretch of games after that. I think we knocked off seven straight wins in a tough stretch of games.”

Tagliente is hoping that the Tigers can get back to playing the way they were through much of that stretch. Princeton was getting away from possessing the ball as much as they wanted to over the last few games, and their pressure hadn’t been as consistent as they aspire it to be.

Princeton was missing those components in part of their Ivy title game with Harvard, whom they beat, 2-1, in the regular season in overtime. When the Crimson scored Sunday, finally solving Princeton goalie Robyn Thompson, who earlier stopped a penalty stroke, it put the Tigers up against a wall and they responded.

“I just thought that we finally switched on and started to put more thought in and play with more intention,” said Tagliente. “I think when you go down that late in the game, there’s a sometimes a tendency to just kind of just force it and try to get it back immediately. But I actually thought we played with a lot more intention, made some good decisions, got in the circle and got a quick penalty corner.”

Yeager’s drive off the corner was tipped in perfectly by Cashman. Just like that, the momentum swung back to the tournament top seeds and hosts.

“I was really proud of the team at that moment,” said Yeager. “I think that was maybe our best moment the entire game. It’s definitely possible for teams to score with two minutes left, but it’s tough, especially collegiately, and it doesn’t happen a ton, especially in a game where it is like high stakes and the opposing team has a strong resolve to make sure you don’t score. We should take a lot of confidence from that because it shows our ability when we are a little bit more like determined and have kind of a cool collected desire to score.”

Princeton will need to be on its top game to defeat a Boston College team that lost just twice in the competitive ACC. They fell to

unbeaten North Carolina in the conference final. The Tigers saw BC earlier in the year while scouting their Northwestern game and saw a skilled, fast team.

“What stuck out to me is just their pressure,” said Tagliente. “When I talk about a wave of pressure, that’s how they play. Their athletes are fast. They remind me a little bit of a Maryland-type team. I think it’ll be a good matchup for us.”

If Princeton wins Friday, it will face either Lafayette or St. Joseph’s. The Tigers

were supposed to play Saint Joseph’s in the regular season, but both teams agreed to cancel the game due to schedule demands. Princeton knows less about Lafayette, which upended Patriot League powerhouse American 2-1 to reach the NCAAs. The Tigers feel they have a winnable bracket and are in good position to earn a pair of victories that would earn them a trip to the Final 4 at Michigan.

“I’m just excited looking forward to this upcoming weekend to have another

chance to represent Princeton and compete with my best friends,” said Yeager. “It’s a really special time of year because we have worked so hard and we’ve overcome so much and now it’s kind of like we’re reaping the rewards and we are given the chance to compete for a national championship, which is what you work for.”

—Justin Feil

STICKING OUT: Princeton University field hockey player Beth Yeager, right, dribbles the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Sunday, junior star Yeager picked up an assist in a losing cause as Princeton fell 2-1 to Harvard in overtime in the Ivy League Tournament final. Yeager, a U.S. Olympian who was named the Ivy Offensive Player of the Year this fall, will look to keep producing as the Tigers, now 13-5, start play in the NCAA tournament where they are an at-large selection and will face Boston College (14-6) in a first round contest on November 15 at Saint Joseph’s. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Football Produces Spirited Effort Against Dartmouth

But Loses 26-17 in Moving to 2-6, Falling into Ivy Cellar

On paper, it looked like a mismatch when the Princeton University football team hosted Dartmouth last Friday night.

Ivy League frontrunner and once-beaten Dartmouth entered the evening tied for first place in the league standings while Princeton was mired in a three-team tie for last, having been routed by Harvard (45-13 on October 26) and Cornell (49-35 on November 2) in its last two contests.

Looking to get back on the right track, Princeton junior defensive back Nasir Hill and his teammates were determined to produce a spirited effort against the Big Green.

“We knew it was going to be a hard 60-65 minutes,” said Hill. “It all goes back to what coach [Steve] Verbit says, don’t flinch, trust in our technique, trust in the little things, and play fast, physical ball.”

Princeton got off to a fast start as it forced a fumble on Dartmouth’s first drive recover by Jackson Proctor. The Tigers cashed that in as quarterback Blaine Hipa connected with Connor Holstein for an eight-yard touchdown pass as Princeton took a 7-0 lead.

Dartmouth responded by outscoring Princeton 21-0 in the second quarter to go up 21-7 at halftime. Showing resilience, the Tigers clawed back to narrow the gap to 2417 with 6:30 left in the fourth quarter but yielded a late safety to lose 26-17 and move to 2-6 overall and 1-4 Ivy.

The defeat clinched the program’s first losing

campaign since 2011 and left the Tigers alone in the Ivy cellar while Dartmouth improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 Ivy, tied with Harvard atop the league standings.

Hill was proud of how the Tiger defense stepped up in the second half.

“We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game for the entirety of the game and it was make sure that nobody ever gave up on a play,” said Hill, who made 12 tackles in the game. “It was constantly be physical each and every down and not giving up, that is why we played so well.”

Hipa, for his part, liked the way the Tigers started as they converted the early Big Green turnover into points.

“It was huge, that is complementary football as we say,” said Hipa. “Our defense gets a big turnover on the first drive of the football game and we take it down and score. That is a great way to start the game. We just have to keep that momentum going.”

In the third quarter, the Hipa helped Princeton gain some momentum as he hit Luke Colella for an 18-yard TD pass.

“That was a great designed play, we worked it all week,” said Hipa, who connected in 11 of 18 passes for 137 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. “We ran it, just how we thought it would work .and I just got the ball to a playmaker and he ended up finishing it in the end zone.”

Reflecting on the strong second half performance by

the Tigers, Hipa saw a lot to build on.

“That is our culture here, we don’t give up, we keep fighting,” said Hipa. “It is football, things aren’t going to go your way all of the time but if we keep fighting, we will be good. We always have to get better, no matter win or loss. I thought we improved but we just have to keep getting better.”

Princeton head coach Bob Surace credited his shorthanded squad with showing a lot of grit.

“Our guys are fighting,” said Surace. “We have 15 guys in the two-deep that are out and we are just struggling with that. One of them you lose Thursday at 4:45. I couldn’t be more proud of them. We are just a little short and the ball is not bouncing great for us.”

The bounces went against Princeton in a pivotal sequence at the end of the first half when Dartmouth scored with 5:16 left in the second quarter to go up 14-7 and then blocked a punt and added a late TD to take a 21-7 lead going into halftime.

“You have these little opportunities, we didn’t end the first half well,” lamented Surace. “These swings that we have given up in the last two, three weeks have been tough.”

Surace liked the way the Tigers bounced back in the second half as they outscored the Big Green 10-5 over the last 30 minutes in the contest.

“I told them at halftime, take a deep breath,” said

Surace. “I am frustrated, you guys are frustrated. We are doing enough good, we just have to tighten it up this much and we will execute on offense. The reality was that was better but then we had some special team mistakes.”

Princeton executed a lot better on defense as they tightened things up after getting gashed the last two weeks.

“I just thought we played really tough defense,” said Surace. “We tackled so much better against a really good team. We got out of contain a couple of times and they hurt us on it a couple of times. But on the whole, I thought on defense we were this close to playing about a perfect game. They didn’t play a perfect game, but they played really well.”

While Surace is seeing progress, he acknowledged that the Tigers have been plagued by inconsistency in key moments.

“I feel that we have made progress, it doesn’t always show in the result,” said Surace. “We have made some really good progress at times but we are shooting ourselves in the foot on winning plays. I look drive by drive and when I look at the offensive drives that didn’t score, there are usually 10 players doing it right and we have a bust. We are not consistent enough for 60 minutes.”

Playing at arch rival Yale (5-3 overall, 2-3 Ivy) on November 16, Surace is hoping to have more players on hand.

“We have got to get our health back; tomorrow, they have to be off, getting treatments,” said Surace. “You can’t have 35 guys on Tuesday against Dartmouth

missing practice. We can’t come out against Yale with 35 guys not practicing so hopefully that number is diminished. If it is 25 we will be OK. It is just frustrating; it is presenting some challenges we haven’t overcome and that is tough.”

Hill, for his part, believes the Tigers must show attention to detail no matter who is on the field.

“Everything is the same, it is just preparing for them the right way,” said Hill. “It is doing the little things, doing the things that we know best, just making sure we follow the details, the fundamentals, and play fast, physical with effort.”

—Bill Alden

Get the scoop from

I Am Waiting

A Chapel Choir Advent Concert Sunday, November 24 1:30pm Pre-Concert Conversation with Poet and Composer 2:30pm Concert

The Chapel Choir presents a concert for the season of Advent, featuring J. S. Bach’s cantata “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” and the world premiere of The Princeton Motets (And I Saw), a collaboration between poet Euan Tait and composer Shawn Kirchner written especially for the Chapel Choir. Free admission.

[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.

HILL TO CLIMB: Princeton University football defensive back Nasir Hill tracks down a Dartmouth ball carrier last Friday night. Junior defensive back Hill made 12 tackles in the game as the Princeton defense battled hard in a 27-16 loss to the Big Green. The Tigers, now 2-6 overall and 1-4 Ivy League, play at Yale (5-3 overall, 2-3 Ivy) on November 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Princeton Men’s Soccer

Edged 1-0 by Penn

Coming up just short in a battle for Ivy League regular season title, the Princeton University men’s soccer team fell 1-0 to Penn last Saturday.

The Tigers, who moved to 10-6 overall and 5-2 Ivy, will now compete in the league’s postseason tournament at Penn where it is seeded third and will face second-seeded Cornell in a semifinal contest on November 15 with the victor advancing to the final on November 17. The winner of the tourney will earn the league’s automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Tiger Women’s Hoops Defeats DePaul

Sparked by Madison St. Rose, the Princeton University women’s basketball team defeated DePaul 79-58 last Saturday.

Junior guard St. Rose tallied a game-high 24 points to help Princeton improve to 1-1.

The Tigers will host Villanova on November 13 in their home opener before playing at Quinnipiac on November 16.

PU Women’s Hockey Edges Dartmouth

Angelina DiGirolamo and Izzy Wunder sparked the offense as the Princeton University women’s hockey defeated Dartmouth 4-3 last Saturday.

Freshman DiGirolamo and junior Wunder each had a goal and an assist in the win to help the Tigers to improve to 4-4 overall and 2-4 ECAC Hockey.

Princeton returns to action when it hosts Colgate on November 22 and Cornell on November 23.

Tiger Men’s Water Polo Defeats Brown

Finn LeSieur starred as the Princeton University men’s water polo team defeated Brown 16-12 last Sunday.

Sophomore star LeSieur

fired in four goals as the Tigers improved to 21-8 overall and 9-1 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC), clinching the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NWPC Tournament.

Princeton will be hosting the NWPC tourney from November 22-24 at DeNunzio Pool.

PU Women’s Volleyball Tops Columbia 3-0

Kamryn Chaney came up big to help the Princeton University women’s volleyball defeat Columbia 3-0 last Saturday.

Sophomore star Chaney contributed seven kills and eight digs to help the Tigers prevail 25-26, 25-11, 25-9.

Princeton, now 12-10 overall and 10-2 Ivy League, plays at Dartmouth on November 15 and at Harvard on November 16 to wrap up regular season action.

PU Women’s Golfer Duan Wins Ivy Monthly Award

Princeton University women’s golf star Olivia Duan has been named Ivy League Golfer of the Month for October.

Freshman Duan placed second of 78 players at the Evie Odom Invitational to begin the month, carding a final score of -7 after rounds of 72-68-63. Her closing 63 in the final round was the lowest total in a round by a Tiger all-time. She would go on to follow that up with a +5 (71-73-74; 218) result at the Stanford Intercollegiate, finishing 36th out of 99 players in one of the toughest fields of the season.

Men’s Golf Star Huang Earns Ivy Monthly Honor

Princeton University men’s golfer William Huang has earned Ivy League Golfer of the Month honors for October.

Senior standout Huang placed first individually at the Georgetown Intercollegiate, coming in at -8 in posting rounds of 65-70-70 and helping the Tigers to the overall team championship at the event. Earlier in the month, he followed up a tough opening round in the Hamptons with closing rounds of 72-69 to finish at +8 and secure a T29 finish out of 80 players.

PU Men’s Hockey Shows Flashes on Opening Weekend But Goes 0-2 in First Action Under New Coach Syer

Playing in its first game under new head coach Ben Syer, the Princeton University men’s hockey team put on quite a show as it hosted Harvard in its season opener last Friday.

Battling the Crimson in a back-and-forth contest before a standing-room only crowd of 2,352 at Hobey Baker Rink, Princeton jumped out to a 2-1 lead and then rallied from a 3-2 deficit to force overtime before falling 4-3.

Heading into its game against Dartmouth a night later, the Tigers were looking to build on their effort against Harvard.

“It was fun to get out there and get their first game under our belt, a couple of bounces didn’t go our way,” said Princeton senior captain and star defenseman Noah de la Durantaye. “Chalk it up to experience, it is a young team coming in looking to establish themselves. I thought it could have gone either way.”

For the first 18 minutes against the undefeated Big Green, the Tigers were on point as the foes were knotted in a scoreless stalemate.

“I was super happy with our first period,” said de la Durantaye. “We were battling, skating with them. We fought tooth and nail with them. We were right there and the second period comes around.”

But Princeton gave up a goal with 1:36 left in the first period and then yielded two more scores in the first 2:07 of the second period as the Big Green built a 3-0 lead on the way to a 5-1 win and improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 ECAC Hockey.

With the Tigers trailing 4-0 heading into the third period, they settled down and got a goal from Ian Devlin and put together a good final 20 minutes.

“I was super proud of the way we fought, it is not easy coming out there being down a few goals and trying to battle back,” said de la Durantaye. “I am super proud of the resilience and the effort that we gave. I think ultimately we got back to what is going to make guys strong as a team, hunting pucks, getting pucks deep, and going to the net. It is not the result we wanted but at least there is that to build off of and we can go from there.”

The Tigers are building a strong connection with new coach Syer.

“I think it has been super exciting for us; it is a new generation of Princeton hockey and I am just happy to be part of it,” said de la Durantaye. “It is new philosophies, new systems which is awesome for us. It is a breath of fresh air, especially for the older guys.

Everyone is getting adjusted, it is not only the younger guys. That being said, we still have to work hard and get the ball rolling here because the season has started. We start late so we have to hit the ground running. We will use this weekend as experience and look forward for sure.”

As one of the older guys on a team that has just four seniors, de la Durantaye has looked to help his younger teammates adjust to the rigors of college hockey.

“I think the biggest thing is to communicate and just bring them along and have one-on-one conversations with every guy as much as you can,” said de la Durantaye. “It is just going through things that maybe they are thinking and asking them questions just to get their thoughts flowing and get it out in the open. You can be a sounding board to them. We have been through a lot of things that they are going to go through. That is my way of doing it, that is what worked for me when I was coming up. I am just trying to implement that for them.”

Princeton head coach Syer believes the squad is bonding. “I always look at a team as like a family, when you talk about a new group coming in, it is harder to get acclimated and for them to know what is expected of them,” said Syer. “The flip side of that is that is the older guys are expected to do what they are responsible for and that is to do things the right way so the younger guys can see it.”

While the Tigers didn’t get a win on opening weekend as rowdy moved to 0-2 overall and 0-2 ECACH, Syer saw some good things.

“I thought our effort in the first period was extremely good,” said Syer. “I thought the majority of our effort in the third period was pretty good. Obviously last night and tonight our second period’s not good.”

At the second intermission in the Dartmouth game, Syer urged his players to play as a unit.

“I think the message was if you look at what our first period was for the majority of it and the majority of last night when we were at our best, we are doing it together as a group,” said Syer. “I think hockey is the ultimate team game. The harder you play as a group of five, the more you execute. When you start to cheat that process, you don’t get the rewards. If you respect the process, it gives you opportunity. It doesn’t always give you the result that you seek but it gives you opportunity to obtain the result you are looking for.”

Syer credits de la Durantaye with having a big influence on the group.

“Noah has been extremely positive in the sense that he wants the best for the team,” said Syer. “He has an appreciation and an understanding for our team to have success, we need all of our classes to have success. That success leads to team success and individual success as well. He has been doing a great job.”

For Syer, his first weekend at Baker Rink was a great experience.

In Praise of Racial Liberalism

“It is a lot of fun to be able to prepare and that is what we do,” said Syer. “Our staff is up late last night and back at it early today. Obviously you want a better outcome for your guys. I thought we showed some flashes of some really good things. Now it is on us as a staff to keep morphing that group to be more cohesive as we move along here. That will be the next challenge. So you close the book on this weekend on Monday and move on to the next weekend.”

The Tigers will be hitting the road next week as they play at Yale (1-2-1 overall, 1-0-1 ECACH) on November 15 and Brown (0-2 overall, 0-2 ECACH) on November 16.

“Yale is always a great defensive team they don’t give up a lot,” said Syer. “They beat Cornell in a shootout last night. Brown plays their tail off so we will have two real tough competitions here coming up next week. It is just a matter constantly of a group being together, talking with the guys and not mixing the message here.” De la Durantaye is looking forward to having that time tougher with his teammates.

“I think it will be fun to get away from school; it’s always fun to get away and have that focus only on hockey,” said de la Durantaye. “It is being in the hotel, being around the guys and really use it as an opportunity to get even closer. We are really close right now but there is always opportunity for growth in that regard. That is going to be a good experience for all of us.”

— Bill Alden

CAREER DAY: Princeton University men’s basketball player Dalen Davis dribbles upcourt in recent action. Last Sunday, sophomore guard Davis poured in a career-high 25 points to help Princeton defeat Northeastern 79-75. The Tigers, now 3-0, host Loyola on November 15 and then play at Merrimack on November 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PHS Girls’ Cross Country, Karra Helps Tigers Win Their 1st-Ever

Kajol Karra was looking for a new start and a positive community when she joined the girls’ cross country team last fall in her first year at Princeton High A year later, she’s helping to pace the Tigers’ historic season.

Junior standout Karra placed eighth individually to lead PHS to its first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship at Holmdel Park on Saturday.

“I definitely would not expect to be where I am today, but I am very grateful for all of it,” said Karra. who clocked a time of 19:26 over the 5,000-meter course. “And it’s very exciting to see the team get all the success and since we’ve seen how hard everybody on the team works, it’s very rewarding.”

All seven of the Tigers placed in the top 40 as PHS won the team title, 84-95, over Ridgewood while thirdplace Cherokee scored 118. Sophomore Grace Hegedus ran 19:32 for 10 th , sophomore Eowyn Deess placed 17th in 19:59, senior Rica Eleches-Lipsitz finished 26 th in 20:17, and sophomore Phoenix Roth rounded out the scoring in 30 th in 20:26. Freshman Rosemary Warren took 33rd in 20:32 while classmate Sevanne Knoch was 39 th in 20:44.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team,” said PHS coach Jim Smirk. “They’ve grown tremendously in the year. I think if anybody coming out

of the fall last year pegged us to be Group 4 champions this year, they have a better crystal ball than I do. But the girls put in a ton of work. They’ve set their goals. They stuck to it. They committed to doing the work. And I think more importantly, they committed to each other.”

PHS has gained confidence with each race together this year. They came off a win in an ultra-competitive sectional last week at Thompson Park.

“I think it definitely gave us a bit of confidence knowing that we won against Manalapan and Freehold,” said Karra. “So coming into groups, we were kind of confident about that a little bit more than we probably would have been if we didn’t win sectional.”

PHS wanted to build on its sectional win. They were racing at Holmdel for the first time since the Shore Coaches Invitational on October 5, which Karra missed due to SATs. This time, with the full team together, they executed their game plan for the historic team title.

“It was kind of just to run our race and make sure that we won the battle that we were in,” said Karra. “Just make sure that we did our best and ran our best race and that we all kind of come together.”

The Tigers race together again at the Meet of Champions at Holmdel this Saturday. PHS boys’ star Felix Farrugia placed 31st in 16:55 to secure one of the

Group 4 State Title

last four wild card spots for the boys’ MOC after the Tigers took 11th in the team standings at the Group 4 meet. The girls will be looking for their highest finish in program history. They placed fifth in 2002, 13 th last year and 16 th three years ago.

“There’s an opportunity for us to take a step forward across the board,” said Smirk. “Meet of Champions is funny. You kind of go out there and kind of swing it out there and however it shakes out, it shakes out. I don’t necessarily know you can game plan too much for it because the talent is so deep. There’s a lot of things outside your control, so you really look to just kind of run the best race you can potentially run and try to run as mistake free as you can and hope it works out your way.”

It’s worked out for Karra since moving from WW/PSouth after her freshman year. She had run cross country in eighth grade, but not in ninth grade. The Tigers gave her an opportunity last season.

“It was to kind of to meet people,” said Karra. “And I wanted to do a sport at a new school in the fall. So definitely meeting people was an aspect and I’d always liked running, so that played into it. But definitely I wanted a sense of community going into the school.”

Karra became a staple in the lineup last year, and found more success in her first season than she could

ware they won for placing first in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state meet last Saturday at Holmdel Park. It

program history. The

will

on November 16 at Holmdel Park.

have anticipated. That set the stage for this season and a significant jump in her times and places.

“Cross country last year was like my first season pretty much ever running, especially because eighth grade, I guess I don’t think that counts really,” said Karra. “I think coming off of the cross country season from 10th grade, I didn’t really have any experience at all actually, and it was kind of like my base was coming from pretty much nothing. And then over the course of the year, just all the training I’ve been doing, I think that’s what kind of added to that jump.”

The goals themselves got a foundation last year. Then they started to take a different shape after last year’s winter track season.

“I was kind of thinking of running a lot more competitively,” said Karra. “That was something that I wanted to get a lot better at. So I put in a lot more work than I might have if I didn’t think that way. And I think that played a part and I knew that I had improved from last year to this year in cross country.”

Her teammates helped to drive her further. Specifically Hegedus, who proved

a talented freshman last year at the top of their lineup and began this season atop again, though Karra has finished a few footsteps ahead of her over the Tigers’ last four races.

“It’s definitely really great because we kind of push each other, not only in races but in practice,” said Karra. “We’ve trained a lot over the summer together and we do all our workouts together. So we kind of know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and going into this race, we’ve had so many races together so we kind of know when to push each other. It’s just really nice to have someone to race with and run with on a daily basis.”

PHS couldn’t have been happier how it’s worked out. They added a dedicated runner who has grown to thrive with her new sport and teammates.

“She just kind of gave it a try,” said Smirk. “She just kind of loves the kids on the team and wanted to work hard and that has paid off tremendously for us in part because she obviously is very talented, but also because she and Grace work so incredibly well together. When you can have a pairing like that, that can work

off each other and play to each other’s strengths in a race, that’s a really difficult thing to deal with for other teams.”

The combination at the top has been strong all season for the Tigers. But what ultimately clinched Saturday’s state title was the second half of PHS’s lineup. The Tigers did not gain the team lead until their fifth finisher, Roth, secured their 84 th point, 21 spots better than Ridgewood’s fifth runner

“It’s been exciting on the back half of our team because they’re running incredibly well,” said Smirk. “And then because of that, they trust each other and then they take these kind of really meaningful risks. And then even if they’re not working perfectly, they know that their teammates right there. And so I think it really encourages them to try stuff that maybe if they’re out there by themselves, they wouldn’t necessarily think about.”

The risks and results Saturday pushed PHS into the Meet of Champions. It’s another chance for the Tigers to compete and prove themselves in a season in which they’ve already won the Colonial Valley Conference and sectional crowns. Karra has been embracing her second season of success with PHS.

“I’d definitely say I’m pretty satisfied with how I’ve done,” said Karra. “Of course, there are races where I’ve wanted to do better in things, but overall I think I’m pretty happy with where I’ve been placing and my times on certain courses. And definitely as a team I’m obviously very ecstatic because there’s not much better than first place. I’m definitely very happy with the team and how far we’ve come since last year.”

It’s worked out far better than she could have even imagined when she joined last year. She’s been a key part of the Princeton High girls’ success and one reason that the Tigers have a chance to make more history at the MOC.

“I definitely feel lucky to be a part of this team because first I just love every single person and we get along so well,” said Karra. “So I just love being a part of the team and the fact that the whole team is so deep. And I just feel lucky to have a bunch of people to back each other up in the race and not just like one or two strong runners, but everybody is very strong.”

—Justin Feil

was the first Group 4 title in

Tigers

next be in action when they compete in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions

Looking Dominant as it Pursues a 2nd Straight State Title, 25-1 PHS Girls’ Volleyball Rolls Into Sectional Final

Many coaches aim to have their teams peaking as they head into postseason action but not Patty Manhart.

Having guided her Princeton High girls’ volleyball team to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state title last season and the squad to a 25-1 record this fall and a spot in the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional ﬁ nal, PHS head coach Manhart strives to have her players clicking on all cylinders any time they step on the court.

“Instead of having to raise the level at each step, I want them to be at the top of their game every time,” said Manhart, whose top-seeded Tigers were slated to host third-seeded Middletown South (22-6) in the sectional ﬁ nal on November 12 with the victor advancing to the Group 3 state semis on November 14.

“The way that it is formatted, we are going to start

with lower seeds and then make your way up. I tell the girls, I don’t want you to have to elevate each time with each round. I want you to just play at the top of your game and win in a dominant way. We just practice being consistent as we make our way toward the 16th (the Group 3 state ﬁ nal).”

Looking to sharpen its game heading into the state tournament, PHS topped formidable foes Paul VI 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-10) on October 28 and Union Catholic 2-0 (25-18, 25-20) on October 30 to wrap up regular season action.

“I hope it gives our girls the right level of conﬁ dence knowing that we can beat top teams in the state and establish our level of play,” said Manhart. “Paul VI really challenged us on defense. Union Catholic really pushed us on serve receive. It is keeping those lessons of what we had to do in those games to carry it through.”

HITTING THEIR STRIDE: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Kaelin Bobetich goes up for a big hit in recent action. Last Friday, junior star Bobetich contributed nine kills, ﬁve digs, and two blocks to help top-seeded PHS defeat fourth-seeded Jackson Memorial 2-0 (25-9, 25-8) in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional semis. The Tigers, who improved to 25-1 with the win, were slated to host third-seeded Middletown South (22-6) in the sectional ﬁnal on November 12 with the victor advancing to the Group 3 state semis on November 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Taking the first step in their bid for a title repeat, the Tigers topped eighthseeded Northern Burlington 2-0 (25-14, 25-5) in the sectional quarterﬁ nals last Wednesday.

“I think it shows they played hard, like we are ready for the next game,” said Manhart, reﬂ ecting on the win. “We know that there is work to do before we get there, we are ready for this big ﬁ nal push this week.”

Junior Charlotte Woods starred in the win, contributing ﬁve kills and nine digs.

“Charlotte is just such a smart hitter,” said Manhart, who got 11 kills from junior star Naomi Lygas in the victory with senior Lois Matsukawa tallying 20 assists and 20 service points. “She is aggressive, she is able to mix up her shot to see what is open. She is able to use the block, she is someone who is really multi-faceted. She scores points at the right time for us.”

On Saturday, the Tigers keep rolling, defeating fourth-seeded Jackson Memorial 2-0 (25-9, 25-8) in the sectional semis.

“I was a little surprised by the speed of those games, especially in the second set,” said Manhart. “I knew they had one good server that got a couple of points off of us and then it kind of turned it around and ran from there. Charlotte had a really great service run at the end of the second set. I expect the strengths to show at this point of the season.”

The Tigers got a strong performance against Jackson Memorial from junior Kaelin Bobetich, who had nine kills, two blocks, and ﬁve digs.

“Kaelin is not someone who is always going to swing even though she is really powerful,” said Manhart. “She will rip it down the line if she sees an open spot on the court. She has that really nice, soft touch and smart hitting IQ to just put the ball where it needs to go.”

Looking ahead to the matchup with Middletown South, Manhart was conﬁdent that the Tigers could keep going in the tournament.

“They look really consistent as we scout them, I think we should be OK if we play like how we have been playing,” said Manhart. “They are a team that is really good at the fundamentals, they have a couple of girls that can hit and are able to put it away. If we really push them and we challenge them on receive and defense, they won’t be able to do what they are good at and that is going to help us win.”

In Manhart’s view, the experience of winning the state title last year should give her squad an edge down the stretch.

“We know what to expect, we understand the path ahead and we have a very clear vision of what that looks like,” said Manhart. “Instead of last year having to imagine what it would feel like or predict what to expect, it is now we know what to expect and we want to get there again. We know what we need to do so there are no unknowns. The bar is high for this team but rightfully so. I think everyone is doing well, it is deﬁ nitely a team effort right now.”

— Bill Alden

Senior Breitman Comes Up Big for PHS Boys’ Soccer

As Tigers Top New Brunswick to Make Sectional Semis

As the Princeton High boys’ soccer team battled New Brunswick in the first half of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional quarterfinals last Friday, Azariah Breitman implored his teammates to pick up the intensity.

Yelling “Let’s go boys, energy” at various points, PHS senior striker Breitman made several forays into the box to no avail in the early going as the thirdseeded Tigers were locked in a scoreless draw with an upset-minded 11th-seeded New Brunswick.

But after PHS midfielder Archie Smith missed a penalty kick, Breitman lurked in front of the goal and made an energetic, savvy move, sprinting in between the goalie and a defender to pick off a lazy kick and slotted the ball into the back of the net with 13:55 left in the half.

“They were just all excited because they made a big play and they turned off,” said Breitman. “They just passed it right across the box. I saw it, I swooped in there, and I got the goal. It felt pretty good.”

About eight minutes later, Breitman knocked in a rebound off of a shot by Aaron Thyrum to give PHS a 2-0 lead.

“Before the game, coach [Patrick] Remboski told us that the keeper is not going to hold the ball, follow every shot,” said Breitman, who now has a team-high 21 goals. “When Aaron takes that at the keeper, I know I just had to keep going. It fell to me luckily, I am happy to get the goal.”

The Tigers got a third goal from Smith with 4:49 remaining in the half and never looked back as they won by that 3-0 margin. PHS, who improved to 162-4 with the win, was slated to play at second-seeded Manalapan in the sectional semis on November 12 with the victor advancing to the final on November 15.

After averting an upset in the first round of the sectional as PHS edged 14thseeded Hightstown on penalty kicks, Breitman and his teammates were focused on getting off to a fast start against New Brunswick.

“We knew that this team is an emotional team, the team we played last time was an emotional team,” said Breitman. “They run off of emotion, they run on hope. The farther you go into the game without scoring. the more hope they get, the more energy they get.”

Smith’s goal gave the Tigers an emotional lift. “That was beautiful, that was a classic Archie goal, just dribble it past the entire team and bang it off the crossbar,” said Breitman. “I knew that missing a penalty is not going to do anything to his confidence. He is going to come back, he is going to score a great goal. You love to see it.”

In the second half, PHS took care of business as it held off the feisty Zebras.

“At halftime, coach (Ryan Walsh) told us, kill the game, don’t do anything stupid,” said Breitman. “Let’s do it

and we did. I am happy with my team, I am happy with my defense as always and ready for the next round. It feels great to get a 3-nil win, especially against a team like this. I am sure that the whole team is really confident and ready for the next one.”

As a senior, Breitman is bringing a special urgency to postseason play.

“Every game could be my last playing with these guys,” said Bretiman. “Waking up going into it, I don’t want to think about it like that because it might get me a little stressed out. Before the game in the huddle, I said boys I love playing with you don’t let this be our last game. It just feels great to keep winning.”

PHS head coach Walsh felt that his squad was controlling the game even though it was knotted at 0-0 for the first 25 minutes.

“The coach over there (Joseph Dziuba) does a really good job with that team and program,” said Walsh. “They are well organized and they play pretty well. We felt like we were getting pretty dangerous and in behind early on. We just couldn’t quite get the right bounce.”

Walsh was not surprised that Breitman broke the ice for the Tigers. That is the way he is; he is such a workhorse, he has been like that for four years with us,” said Walsh. “He is a straight dog in a good way, that is the only way to describe that kid. When he scores, sometimes the goals are great and pretty and sometimes they are like that. I will take every goal, he can give us.”

Smith’s goal was a very good moment for PHS as well. “It was great for him to

be resilient and not let that effect the rest of his game,” said Walsh. “He has been resilient all year, he had a great finish on that goal.”

The Tiger defense displayed resilience, thwarting New Brunswick as it pressed forward.

“In the second half, they pushed numbers forward and we had to defend a little bit more,” said Walsh. “Our back four has been great for us all year, they have really developed a great chemistry together. Chase [Hamerschlag] and Thom [Lord] lead in the back. Matt Chao has been so consistent, he sometimes gets forgotten back there.”

With PHS having won the NJSIAA Group 4 state title last fall, Walsh believes that this year’s squad has what it takes to produce an encore performance.

“I have a lot of confidence in this team; this team is definitely different than last year in a lot of ways,” said Walsh. “We still have a lot of talent, we have a lot of fight in us. I have a lot of confidence that we can continue on Tuesday. We definitely have gotten better as the season has gone on. We are a totally different team now than we were back in early September. I think the team we are now could still win the title.”

Breitman, for his part, is confident that the Tigers can contend for another title.

“I think 100 percent we have the quality, the confidence, the ability, the players, and especially the coaching staff,” said Breitman. “When we started out, it was a little shaky but as the season has gone on, we keep scoring more goals, we keep winning more games, our confidence keeps building. I know we can do it.”

— Bill Alden

STEPPING UP: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Azariah Breitman goes after the ball in a 2023 game. Last Friday, senior star Breitman scored two goals to help third-seeded PHS defeat 11th-seeded New Brunswick 3-0 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional quarterﬁnals. The Tigers, who improved to 162-4 in the win, were slated to play at second-seeded Manalapan in the sectional semis on November 12 with the victor advancing to the ﬁnal on November 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PHS Girls’ Soccer Sees Cinderella Run End,

Losing to Montgomery in Sectional Quarters

When the Princeton High girls’ soccer team lost 2-0 to Steinert on October 7 to fall to 1-8-2, it would have been understandable if the squad threw in the towel on the campaign.

The defeat marked the sixth straight loss for the Tigers in a stretch that saw them outscored 11-1.

But PHS edged Nottingham 1-0 three days later, triggering a remarkable reversal of fortune. The Tigers went 5-1-1 heading into the Central Jersey Group 4 tournament where 16th-seeded PHS faced topseeded Freehold.

Pulling off a monumental upset, the Tigers edged the Patriots 5-4 on penalty kicks after the foes had played to a scoreless draw through regulation and overtime.

Last Thursday, the team’s Cinderella run ended with

a 1-0 loss at eighth-seeded Montgomery in the quarterfinal round, leaving the Tigers with a final record of 7-10-3.

PHS first-year head coach Meghan Brennan credited her players with staying the course as they overcame the shaky start.

“It is almost hard to believe that there was a time when we were 1-8,” said Brennan. “Honestly, I don’t know many teams that could go with that record and turn it around to be 6-2-1 and upset one of the best teams in New Jersey. It speaks to their character, their grit. They have so much guts. They are a strong team and a strong group of girls to be able to keep showing up, fighting hard and keep believing in themselves and to turn around the season like that. It is really remarkable.”

HEADY PLAY: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Romy Johnson, right, heads the ball last Thursday as PHS played at Montgomery in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals. After upsetting top-seeded Freehold on penalty kicks in the first round of the sectional, the 16th-seeded Tigers fell 1-0 to eighth-seeded Montgomery. PHS ended the fall at 7-10-3, rebounding from a shaky 1-8-2 start. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Coming into the Freehold game, the Tigers were ready to fight hard.

“Freehold is obviously a great team, they always have been,” said Brennan. “They were super strong this year, they have a lot of really talented players. I feel like we really embraced being the underdog. We felt like we have nothing to lose after the tough start to the season. We had gone 6-1-1. We are playing our best soccer, the girls are finally feeling confident so they just gave it their all and it went our way, which is awesome.”

In pulling off the upset, PHS produced one of its best defensive efforts of the season as it held the highpowered Patriots scoreless through 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime.

“It was incredible, Kacey [Howes] marked their leading scorer,” said Brennan. “We dropped her to the center mid and she just did a phenomenal job. Their leading scorer is very, very talented. I give Kacey a ton of credit. In the past, she has played center mid. She is one of those players who can do anything.”

When the game went to penalty kicks, sophomore goalie Julia Zaldarriaga came up big, making a save and converting a PK.

“They are such a challenge, Julia is somebody who thrives under pressure,” said Brennan. “She is a great person to have on your side in those scenarios. She saved the second PK and then immediately turned around and nailed her PK. It was iconic.”

Ava Tabeart, Clara Burton, Romy Johnson, and Collette Colarusso also came through in the pressure cooker as they buried their PKs.

“Every single girl nailed their PK, it is a huge mental challenge so I was extremely proud of them,” said Brennan. “Credit to Freehold, they put all of theirs on frame as well. Julia made the save but I was wow, it is not very common to see every kick on frame in a high school game.”

Coming through with the stunner was emotional for the upstart Tigers.

“We have been feeling fairly confident going in, we knew it would be a challenge but we felt like we were playing our best soccer,” said Brennan. “If there was ever a time we would have an upset, it is now. The girls were just thrilled, they were so ecstatic, so proud of themselves and each other. It was a really, really great win for us.”

As PHS prepared for Montgomery, the squad was primed for another challenge.

“We still had that underdog mentality, we saw Montgomery in August in a scrimmage so we knew they were talented,” said Brennan.

“We had also seen their record, we know they have a lot of good players. We still had that sort of mentality, that this is going to be a huge challenge. It is going to be 80, maybe more really tough minutes, We can’t let up at all but still felt like we can do this. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. We played a good game.”

The game turned out to be an uphill battle as goalie

Zaldarriaga was knocked out early on due to injury.

“It was a good defensive effort, unfortunately Julia got hurt in the first five minutes of the game,” said Brennan. “We played Mona [Mobin-Udin] for a few minutes at first and the just put Olivia [DeLuca] in for the rest of the game.”

Raising their game, the Tiger back four excelled, yielding only a second half goal.

“They played excellently, Romy [Johnson] was super clutch,” said Brennan. “Montgomery is very good at finding those through balls and Romy was very great at shutting them down, tracking them down and taking away opportunities.”

At the offensive end, the Tigers generated opportunities but failed to cash in.

“In the last 20 minutes of the game, we got a ton of chances but we just didn’t put them in the back of the net,” said Brennan. “We had a bunch of shots. The goalie made some saves and a few shots were wide or over.”

In reflecting on the loss, Brennan was sad to see things end for her senior group which included Manuela Dante Boarato, Virginia Marchesi, Nadia Mauger, Marina Zaldarriaga, and Robyn Wachtel in addition to Tabeart and Colarusso.

“We have an awesome group of seniors, they are super strong,” said Brennan. “There are seven of them and we will miss them all a ton. That is always the hardest part of losing in states, that is their last time.”

Breanna credited captains Tabeart and Zaldarriaga with holding things together for the squad through its early struggles.

“Ava and Marina are our senior captains and they just did a wonderful job; from the beginning, they took a larger leadership role,” said Brennan, who also had two junior captains in Howes and Johnson. “They helped foster such a positive and inclusive environment. They were really excellent in making sure that our new players felt welcome and included. When things aren’t going well, it becomes so much harder to keep everyone positive, to keep everybody working hard. But they truly modeled believing in ourselves and working hard every single day. When they did that day in, day out, it just catches on with the rest of the team.”

With such stars as sophomore Taylor Hamerschlag, junior Quinn Gallagher, sophomore Mathilde Pouliot, freshman Malia Yates Burnett, and sophomore Julia Zaldarriaga returning along with junior Howes, junior Burton, junior DeLuca, and junior Johnson, things look positive for the Tigers going forward.

“We are a young team so it feels good to have so many key players return next year,” said Brennan. “We just had such a strong second half of the season. To come back from such a challenge to end the way we did with probably the biggest upset in the history of Princeton girls’ soccer is such a good thing for them to carry for next year. They will be able to teach the younger players that we can face adversity and we can overcome it.”

—Bill Alden

Hun Boys’ Soccer Falls to Pennington in Prep A Final Battling to the End as it Posts Stellar

When the Prep A boys’ soccer final was over last Wednesday, Hun School stars Luciano Verduci and Gonzalo Perez Nunez were lying prone on the ground near the bench, getting treated for some knocks to their legs and spent from running all over the field.

Verduci and Perez Nunez exemplified how hard secondseeded Hun battled as it fell 6-1 at top-seeded Pennington.

Having pushed the Red Hawks hard in a regular season meeting on September 18, losing 3-1 to Pennington after the foes were tied at 1-1 late in the contest, Hun head coach Pat Quirk fine-tuned some tactics for the playoff rematch.

“We thought maybe we could press them a little bit higher,” said Quirk. “We thought we could win the ball in some dangerous spots and I thought we did. We created a bunch of chances early on and didn’t finish.”

Pennington, though, finished their chances in the early going, tallying two goals in the first 10 minutes to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

“They got the first and the second and we put ourselves in a little bit of a hole,” said Quirk.

With 22:28 left in the first half, Hun got on the board as senior goalie Diego Pena scored on a penalty kick to cut the Red Hawks’ lead in half.

“The 2-0 lead is always tough, I thought we had a little momentum going there after that,” said Quirk.

But Pennington responded with two goals in the last 10 minutes of the half to go up 4-1 at intermission.

“The halftime message was, ‘hey keep your heads up, keep grinding and do what we are doing,’” said Quirk. “We weren’t going to abandon the game plan, We wanted to get one and make it a two-goal game with 20 minutes left and we should have a good chance there.”

While the Raiders pressed forward at various points in the second half, they couldn’t narrow the gap and the Red Hawks tacked on two more goals to make it a 6-1 final. Quirk credited Pena with doing all he could to thwart Pennington.

“He makes a lot of good saves, he keeps us in the game,” said Quirk of Pena, who ended the night with 12 saves. “We are going to miss him.”

While the result stung, Quirk had no qualms with how his players competed collectively to the end of the game.

“These guys and their character, there is nothing else you can say,” said Quirk. “They didn’t give up, they just kept fighting.”

That character and fight helped Hun produce a stellar 13-4-2 campaign this fall.

“It was very, very successful,” said Quirk in assessing the season. “It is a great group of kids that battled for each other. The record is one of the best ones we have had in a while. Everybody knew what their role was each and every day. Every single kid had something to do with a win within the season. It wasn’t that we would only go 12 guys deep, we played everybody as much as we could.”

In a lengthy postgame huddle that saw the players and coaches standing together with arms interlocked, the squad reflected on its memorable run.

“It was just keep their heads up and how proud we were of them we are and how thankful we are to be able to coach them,” said Quirk of the postgame talk. “Pennington is a really good team so don’t put your heads down. They are a team that can expose little mistakes and that is what happened.”

—Bill Alden

STANDING TALL: Hun School boys’ soccer goalie Diego Pena surveys the action in a game earlier this fall. Last Wednesday, senior standout Pena made 12 saves and scored a goal on a penalty kick as second-seeded Hun fell 6-1 at top-seeded Pennington in the Prep A state final. The Raiders finished the fall with a 13-4-2 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PDS Boys’ Cross Country Wins Non-Public B Meet

As McLaughlin Sets the Pace for Young Panthers Squad

The Princeton Day School boys’ cross country season that began with uncertainty is ending with confidence.

Last Saturday, junior star Grayson McLaughlin finished third to lead a young Panther boys’ team to its first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B state championship on the heels of its first Prep B state championship in 15 years.

“It’s been amazing,” said McLaughlin, who clocked a time 17:29 over the 5,000 meter course in the NonPublic B meet at Holmdel Park. “Everyone on the team is so nice. Our community is amazing. We are like a brotherhood on the team. So to win it with this group of guys, it’s been amazing. And it’s so nice seeing all the hard work pay off and it’s a great feeling.”

It feels like just a starting point for the Panthers, who do not have a senior among their top seven varsity. That perceived lack of experience hasn’t hurt them. McLaughlin, Alexander Chia (11th in 18:36) and Luke Nolte (19 th in 19:03) are the eldest PDS runners as juniors.

Edward Letko, who was fifth in 17:56, is just a sophomore and Michael Zhou, a freshman who was 22nd in 19:19, rounded out the top five Saturday. Sophomores Jasper Mackey (25th in 19:20) and Cy Cooper (29 th in 19:35) have also bolstered the Panthers’ depth.

“It’s really exciting honestly to see what we can do next year and in years to come because last year we graduated a few seniors so this year we kind of had low expectations going into it,” said McLaughlin. “But then, come race time, we started putting up these great times and we got really excited. It’s just special because we’ll be able to replicate this for years to come if we continue to put in the work. I think we’re only going to get better from here.”

PDS lost three runners from last year’s top seven, but have found their replacements. Their depth has delivered time and again.

“We definitely put an emphasis on ensuring we had a more stable team one through seven so that if one of our kids had a bad race, someone else would step up,” said PDS coach Mike Mazzei. “And I think we did a good job of that this year because then our four, five, six, seven each race have been different. They always kind of switch off that back half of our varsity team and it just goes to show you how close they are.”

The Panthers return to racing this Saturday when they’ll compete against the best of the best in the Meet of Champions, again at Holmdel Park. Each group champion received an automatic berth, plus the next eight fastest teams from across all groups. It is expected to be the final race for the Panthers this fall unless they elect to run at a regional race.

“Hopefully we can get a good place as a team scorer at Meet of Champs and kind of show Princeton Day is a legit program and we’re just

going to keep getting better and better,” said Mazzei. “No one is leaving in our varsity seven, which is awesome. We have such a young team and I think that’s what’s going to be big is we’re having all this success now and I think after winning these two championships with preps and state, I think a lot of kids are going to get very excited now and be very motivated to train this summer and the upcoming seasons. And I think next year we’re going to come out even better. I think we’re going to even grow the program a lot more going into next year.”

PDS is playing with house money at the Meet of Champions. They are going out to run personal records on the course and see how they stack up with a team that could all be back. They will be setting a standard for next year.

“We want to keep developing that,” said Mazzei. “We want to keep winning consistently. That’s the goal. And then hopefully each year to keep moving ourselves up in the state rankings, I think that’s big too. When they do the compressed results of all the groups, I want to see where we ranked this year and then make it a goal next year to be a higher ranked team in the whole state when they combine the groups.”

The Panthers could see they were on an upward trend last year. A narrow miss in Prep B actually helped to spark this year’s success.

“We just missed winning preps by one point last year,” said Mazzei. “I think those seniors like Arun (Patel) last year were very good with rounding those kids up and telling them, keep putting the work in, you guys are going to, if you keep doing what you have to do, you will be good next year and you have the potential to have a really good team. And I think that’s what happened.”

McLaughlin has been an up-and-coming runner since he arrived at the high school level. He came with some impressive middle school credentials, which had Mazzei interested in how he would develop. McLaughlin has been able to contribute since his freshman year, with his role also increasing on the team each season.

“Obviously as a freshman, I really looked up to my seniors,” said McLaughlin. “We had great seniors, upperclassmen and captains to look up to. And then last year as a sophomore becoming one of the top guys, I started to become a role model and this year I’m a captain. I’m one of the oldest. There’s no seniors on the varsity team, so I’m like the oldest on the varsity team, so it’s been great. I’ve been able to become a leader and I think I’ve done a good job at bringing the team together.”

Letko’s development has helped to push along McLaughlin for the top spot, and getting Chia back after he didn’t run last season has further improved the Panthers. They’ve filled in the other varsity spots with motivated runners that showed early at the Cairn University Highlander Invitational that

they would make PDS a strong contender.

“It was our first race win in a while as a team and we had some young guys step up and put up some really good times,” said McLaughlin. “Everybody PR’d that race, so that was kind of the turning moment where it was like, we really have a chance. That’s where it kind of started to all click for us. And then after that we had our CVC race where everybody continued to PR by like 30 seconds and our team average was 17 something which was insane.”

Races continued to give the Panthers good feedback. A few weeks after the Cairn meet, McLaughlin broke the school record on the Robbinsville 5K course with a 16:47.60 clocking at the CVC Divisional XC Championships.

“It was amazing,” said McLaughlin. “I kind of knew in the back of my head what the school record was, and it wasn’t my goal. But then during the race I was like, I have a chance and so I just started to kick. It was motivating me throughout the race and then after it felt great. It was super rewarding. Everyone was congratulating me at school.”

McLaughlin has been lowering his times by nearly a minute each successive year. He ran 20:00 at groups his first year, then 18:12 last year, and now 17:29 last Saturday at groups.

“I think it’s just consistency,” said McLaughlin. “It’s going to practice every day, doing the workouts, and our coach has been great. He’s been tapering us recently to allow us to perform at our best at the championship time. So consistency is what it comes down to.”

McLaughlin has been doing all this as a top runner for the Panthers despite not running year-round like most other elite runners. He has played ice hockey the last two years and intends to do the same again this year, but will also do some winter running. Then in the spring, he expects to return to baseball, where he plays infield and also pitches some.

“Probably all of my main competitors, they all run track, so it’s really tough,” said McLaughlin. “I’m kind of stuck between baseball and spring track, but I really do love baseball. But I may have to switch maybe this year or next year now.”

The PDS cross country team is thrilled to have him running whenever they can. He’s been an example of what hard work can produce.

“I know he’s going to develop more and I’m excited,” said Mazzei. “He’s just been a great kid to coach. I put the belief in him how good he can be and he knows how good he can be and I feel like his ceiling is just so high. He works his butt off every day and wants to be better every day he comes to practice. He just puts everything into it. He puts his heart and soul out there when he comes to practice. He gives it all and his hard work pays off and that shows his success.”

McLaughlin has been happy to be a contributor to the team’s success. The Panthers

Princeton

after they placed first in the New Jersey

Non-Public B state meet last Saturday at Holmdel Park. It marked the first Non-Public title in program history for the squad. It was also the second title this fall as the Panthers had previously won its first Prep B state championship in 15 years on October 30. PDS is next in action when it races in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on November 16 at Holmdel Park.

already have a prep and group state title this year, and it sets the bar for next year when expectations will be high with so much back.

“I think we’re all so excited for next year,” said McLaughlin. “I think we’re kind of hungry to see how far we can go next year and to see how many we can get in the top 10, see how good each of us can be. And I think it’s really motivating for a lot of the kids maybe who aren’t on varsity yet because they’re seeing our success. They’re probably getting motivated to put in the work. So I think this is only going to make us stronger in years to come.”

—Justin Feil

Princeton Charter School is a free, K-8 public school. We encourage you to learn more about us in order to see whether Charter is the right option for your family.

National Blue Ribbon School

Saturday, November 23, 2024 Virtual Panel – 11:00 AM In-person Open House - 1:00 PM PCS, Charter Room, 100 Bunn Drive

We welcome all applicants from Princeton. Students are admitted to Charter based on a random lottery. Students who qualify for a weighted lottery based on family income will have their names entered into the lottery twice.

TITLE DOUBLE: Members of the

Day School boys’ cross country team are all smiles

State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA)

Pennington PDS

Boys’ Soccer : Sparked by Elvis Appiah, top-seeded Pennington defeated secondseeded Hun School 6-1 last Wednesday in the Prep A state final. Appiah tallied three goals and an assist in the win as the Red Hawks ended the fall with a 16-1 record.

Girls’ Soccer : Nora Close scored a goal late in the second half to give second-seeded Pennington a 1-1 tie with fourth-seeded Pingry in the Prep A state ﬁnal last week. Close scored with 3:34 left in regulation in the November 5 contest as the teams shared the title. The draw gave the Red Hawks a ﬁnal record on 11-2-1.

Girls’ Soccer : Unable to get its offense going, seventhseeded PDS fell 2-0 to second-seeded Bishop Eustace last Thursday in the quarterﬁnal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B Tournament. The defeat left the Panthers with a ﬁ nal record of 8-9-1.

Girls’ Volleyball : Getting off to a slow start, eighthseeded PDS fell 2-0 (25-13, 25-21) to top-seeded Mother Seton last Friday in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B

Tournament.

Lawrenceville

Football : Ending the fall on a high note, Lawrenceville defeated the Hill School (Pa.) 26-14 last Saturday in its season ﬁnale. The Big Red won their last ﬁve games in posting a 7-2 record.

Field Hockey : Running into a buzz saw, Lawrenceville fell 6-0 to the Hill School (Pa) last Saturday. The loss left the Big Red with a ﬁnal record of 9-9-1.

Stuart

The Dillon Youth Basketball League is entering its 53rd season and is a cherished tradition in the

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 nonresidents who attend school in Princeton

The league’s games will be taking place from JanuaryMarch 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.

Wilberforce Girls’ Cross Country Takes 2nd in Non-Public B Meet

Laura Sallade set the pace as the Wilberforce School girls’ cross country team placed second in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B state championship meet last Saturday at Holmdel Park.

Junior Sallade placed third individually, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 19:50. Junior Adeline Edwards was the next ﬁ nisher for Wilberforce, taking seventh in 20:47 with sophomore Stella Blanchard coming in 10th in 22:20. In the team standings, Wilberforce had a team score of 53 with Villa Walsh taking ﬁ rst at 25.

The Wilberforce boys placed sixth at the meet, led by sophomore Elias Edwards, who placed 10th individually in 18:21. The Wolverines had a team score of 152 in the event win by Princeton Day School at 60.

Volleyball : Battling hard, sixth-seeded Stuart fell 2-0 (25-23, 25-20) to secondseeded Bishop Eustace last Monday in the semiﬁnal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey NonPublic B Tournament. The Tartans ended the fall with an 11-8 record.

Local Sports

Catholic in the sectional semis on November 12 with the victor advancing to the ﬁnal on November 15.

PENN STATE: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Penn von Zelowitz, right, controls the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, sixth-seeded PDS edged third-seeded Doane Academy 1-0 in the quarterﬁnals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B Tournament. Keegan Fullman scored the lone goal in the contest as the Panthers improved to 7-13. PDS was slated to play at second-seeded Wildwood

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Obituaries

Patricia Strazza

Patricia Jean Peterson Strazza died peacefully on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, in her home on a warm and sundrenched fall day, surrounded by family, her dear caregivers, and the art and beauty she loved. Born in Logan, Utah, January 30, 1933, “PJ,” as she was known, had western roots and grew up surrounded by pioneer spirit, often taking road trips with her adventurous parents to national parks and other points of interest. In 1948, the family moved to Washington, DC, her father taking a job in the US Department of Interior and her mother starting her career at Sidwell Friends School. PJ blossomed during her time attending Sidwell Friends where she excelled in academics, played the piano and organ, even performing at the National Cathedral. After graduation she went north to Cornell University where she embraced college life and made numerous lifelong friends. Big Red held a special place in her heart thereafter. She also found there the love of her life, Richard Strazza, the lucky third wheel she met while dating Dick’s roommate. They married in 1955, the year she graduated from what is now Cornell’s College of Human Ecology.

Once married, she followed her mother’s footsteps into teaching, but soon found her hands more than full, with three children. She and Dick moved to Princeton in the mid ’60s where they raised their children (with a parenting style she jokingly called “benign neglect”) as well as a gaggle of Newfoundlands. PJ was a lover of dogs, people, and good times. No college football or hockey season went by without a raucous Cornell/Princeton party at the house; it remains surprising that a porch full of attendees collapsed only once. At various gatherings, holidays, and the annual Strazza Christmas Eve Open House, she could usually be found at the bench behind the piano singing hymns and Cornell songs, family and friends crowded around her, delighting in the glow of her warmth and merriment. She always welcomed her children’s many friends who hold their own fond remembrances of her from those times at the piano and of the smile she seemed to always wear.

During her time in Princeton, she volunteered for many causes including the

Nassau Street in Princeton. They loved befriending and supporting local artists and that the gallery became a gathering spot for many.

It was her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that brought her the greatest joy. She reveled in their accomplishments, attending countless sporting events, school ceremonies, birthday parties, marching band competitions, and band concerts, always looking for a chance to celebrate them. She cherished the times she and Dick spent at their vacation home in Treasure Cay, Bahamas, where she escaped winter to soak in the sun sparkling off the turquoise blue water, loving the Abacos for their warm Bahamian people and island lifestyle. She shared their paradise with dear friends from Cornell and elsewhere. The door was always open there. And her heart was always open everywhere.

“We had so much fun” was the refrain as she contemplated her life these past years. Indeed, she did.

She was predeceased by her younger sister, Mary Lou of Portland, Oregon, and her husband, Dick Strazza . She is survived by her three children, Sophia Tomasi (Ted), Craig Strazza (Ann), and Karen Strazza (Jeff Heath); her sister, Sue Peterson Huguely (Geoff); as well as eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren (with another on the way!). They, and her many nieces and nephews, in-laws, step grandchildren, friends, and all she touched in her unique way, will miss her terribly. But they also know that she is celebrating with her beloved “Pop Pop” and the family and friends that have gone before her.

She always shouted out to those leaving after a visit “Don’t change!” Same to you, PJ; know that the deeply fond memories of all those you have known will never change.

Arrangements and cremation services were private under the direction of the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ 08822. For further information or to send an online condolence, please visit PJ’s memorial page and guestbook below at holcombefisher.com.

Jean Hoy Hoover

Jean Hoy Hoover of Princeton, NJ, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family on October 22.

Born in 1930, Jean resided in Princeton for 61 years after moving from Lafayette Hill, Pa., in 1963. She spent many summers in Avalon,

met the love of her life, John L. Hoover Jr. They were married and went on to have five children. A woman and mother of her generation, she stayed at home to care for her children. At age 44, she was predeceased by her husband and Jean became a tireless household manager and single mother.

As her children matured, Jean pursued her love of art and began her career as an interior designer and fashion illustrator. Her interior design work included the Nassau Inn in Princeton. Her fashion illustrations appeared in publications including The New York Times as well as local Princeton newspapers.

Jean also enjoyed her gardens and spent endless hours moving earth, rocks, plants, and shrubs to achieve just the right garden design. She was a longtime member of the Dogwood Garden Club as well as the Present Day Club. For many years Jean was an active volunteer at the Princeton Hospital and the Princeton Hospital Auxiliary. She also was an avid tennis and paddle tennis player well into her sixties. Her pride and joy was her family and “Grandy,” as she was known by her grandchildren, was the matriarch.

Predeceased are her parents, William F. and Anna M. (Gebhart) Hoy; siblings Elizabeth Gerhard, William F. Hoy, Jr., and Anne Finkbiner; and her husband John L. Hoover Jr.

Jean is survived by her five children, Curry Simmel (Scott), Stuart Hoover (Carey), John L. Hoover III, Eric D. Hoover, and Christian Hoover (Marianne); six grandchildren, Sarah A. Reynolds (Whitney), Alexandra J. Stabert (Samuel), Eric W. Hoover (Mary), Anne Cardew (Griffin), John R. Hoover (Sara), and Grace Hoover; six greatgrandchildren, Callan, Eloise, Theodore, Eleanor, Wesley, and Sloane. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

A private Memorial Service will be held on Friday, November 29, 2024, at The Mather Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton. The interment of Ashes will follow at Trinity-All Saints Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to All Access Mental Health, 819 Alexander Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 (aamh.org ).

Religion

Annual Thanksgiving Service At Earlier Date and Time

The Princeton Clergy Association and the Princeton University Office of Religious Life are collaborating to once again provide a Community Thanksgiving Service to be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 25, at the Princeton University Chapel. This multi-faith worship service is open to all members of Princeton University and the wider community.

The move of the service from Thanksgiving Day to the Monday evening before Thanksgiving is designed to make it easier for members of the community to attend.

Clergy and faith leaders from around Princeton will lead this service of giving thanks in unity. Organist Kerry Heimann, director of music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Trenton, will play a prelude and postlude and will lead the congregation in hymn singing. Attendees are urged to bring nonperishable canned or boxed food as a donation to Arm In Arm. The monetary offering will support the Department of Religious Ministries at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.

For those who cannot attend in person, there will be a livestream of the service that can be accessed by selecting the Thanksgiving Service at youtube. com/officeofreligiouslifeprinceton.

Newsstand Town Topics

Can be purchased Wednesday mor nings at the following locations:

Princeton McCaffrey’s

Kiosk Palmer Square

Speedy Mar t (State Road)

Wawa (Universit y Place)

Hopewell

Village Express

Rocky Hill Wawa (Rt 518)

Pennington Pennington Market

Princeton’s First Tradition Worship Service

Sundays at 11am

Open to all.

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business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

the many options available to you.

ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL

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

Princeton University Chapel

Preaching Sunday, November 17 is Adam Taylor of Sojourners.

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

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FLEA MARKET AND SPAGHETTI DINNER (take out or eat in) Mount Pisgah Church 170 Witherspoon Street

Saturday, November 16, 9-4

Questions? Call Frances Craig: (609) 947-3009. 11-13

PRIVATE ROOM FOR RENT

with senior couple, overlooking wooded area. Hardwood ﬂoors; walking distance to Veterans Park in Hamilton. Minutes from 295, 195 and Turnpike. $950/month. References required. Call or text: (609) 977-3638 or (201) 362-5561. 11-13

ESTATE SALE/GARAGE SALE/ POP-UP SHOP-THREE IN ONE!

Unique new and vintage items at the best prices! Furniture, home goods, clothing, jewelry, unique gifts and more! Sat/Sun, Nov 16 & 17, 9 am to 1 pm. 276 N. Main St, Pennington (back of the building) 11-13

YARD SALE

Sunday, November 17, 9-4. 106 Battle Road Circle No early birds! 11-13

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

BUYING: Antiques, paintings, Oriental rugs, coins, clocks, furniture, old toys, military, books, cameras, silver, costume & ﬁne jewelry. Guitars & musical instruments. I buy single items to entire estates. Free appraisals. (609) 306-0613. tf TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIEDS GET TOP RESULTS!

Whether it’s selling furniture, ﬁnding a lost pet, or having a garage sale, TOWN TOPICS is the way to go! We deliver to ALL of Princeton as well as surrounding areas. (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classiﬁeds@towntopics.com

ESTATE LIQUIDATION

SERVICE:

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

STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT

10 minutes north of Princeton, in Skillman/Montgomery. Discounted monthly rents: 15x22 $280, 21x22 $330. November availability. https://princetonstorage.homestead. com/ or call/text 609.333.6932. 11-13

WHAT’S A GREAT GIFT FOR A FORMER PRINCETONIAN?

A Gift Subscription!

Call (609) 924-2200, ext 10 circulation@towntopics.com tf CLEANING SERVICES

Every week, every two weeks and once a month, and even just once. Also on Saturdays and Sundays. I am a responsible person, I do my job conscientiously, I take care of clients’ homes and take their opinions into account. If you need help, call me. I am available anytime. Malgorzata: (609) 594-0991. 11-13

Witherspoon

YARD SALE + TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIED = GREAT WEEKEND! Put an ad in the TOWN TOPICS to let everyone know! Call (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classiﬁ eds@towntopics.com

Establish

The

Collaborate

Prepare strategic sales communications and presentations for both print and digital.

Develop industry-based knowledge and understanding, including circulation, audience, readership, and more.

Prepare detailed sales reports for tracking current customers’ activity and maintain pipeline activity using our custom CRM system.

Positions

Compensation

Please

Professional, Courteous and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Interior Painting, Exterior Painting, and Drywall Repair

•

•Quality Craftsmanship

•Reasonable Rates

•Licensed, Bonded & Insured

•Free Estimates

•Deck Sealing/Staining (609) 799-9211 www.fivestarpaintinginc.com License # 13VH047

Introducing: Prospect Avenue Princeton, NJ | $3,877,000 Princeton Office: 609.921.1050 callawayhenderson.com/id/K6HWZD

Introducing: Red Maple Lane

Montgomery Township, NJ | $1,250,000

Alana Lutkowski: 908.227.6269 callawayhenderson.com/id/LN6HWE

Introducing: Markham Road

Princeton, NJ | $925,000

Barbara Blackwell, Susan A Cook: 609.915.5000 callawayhenderson.com/id/VPTMKG

Introducing: Dutchtown Zion Road

Montgomery Township, NJ | $550,000

Kim E Schneider Sohmer: 908.421.6390 callawayhenderson.com/id/SCXB7M

Introducing: Varsity Avenue West Windsor Township, NJ | $1,345,000

Linda Twining: 609.439.2282 callawayhenderson.com/id/F6T249

Open House: Ireland Brook Drive South Brunswick Township, NJ | $1,150,000 Vanessa Diaz: 908.952.5554 callawayhenderson.com/id/3RWC53

Introducing: Park Place Princeton, NJ | $849,000 Sylmarie ‘Syl’ Trowbridge: 917.386.5880 callawayhenderson.com/id/MSW5ER

Introducing: Spring Street

New Brunswick City, NJ | $470,000

Taylor Panconi: 609.651.0165 callawayhenderson.com/id/NGTM63

Introducing: Governors Lane Princeton, NJ | $1,100,000

Kimberly A Rizk, Eleanor Deardorff: 609.203.4807 callawayhenderson.com/id/Y8E362

Introducing: Canter Place

Chesterfield Township, NJ | $634,900

Danielle Spilatore: 609.658.3880 callawayhenderson.com/id/4W24YJ