Town Topics Newspaper, February 1, 2023

Science on Saturday is Back at PPPL 5

Alexandra Day to Lead Strategic Initiatives At IAS 7

Thomas Edison Film Festival Returns to PU 9

We’re All Passengers On Cormac McCarthy’s Double-Decker 11

McCarter Theatre

Presents Between Two Knees 12

With Nweke Starring Off The Bench, PU Women’s Hoops Routs Yale 20

PHS Wrestling Takes 2nd in Mercer County Tournament 24

Public Encouraged to Offer Feedback for New Resource Inventory

In the Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI), currently available on the Princeton Environmental Commission’s (PEC) website, there are more than 150 pages covering everything from ooding and groundwater contamination to rare animal species and soil limitations for development.

That exhaustive document was compiled in 2010. The PEC, in partnership with the town’s municipal staff and Ecotone, Inc., has recently announced plans for an update — not to replace the 2010 inventory, but to augment it. And they want input from the community, to be gathered at a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, February 22 at 7 p.m. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, pose questions, and provide feedback.

“We want people to ask questions,” said Tammy Sands, PEC chair. “We are highly recommending that people rst take a look at the old inventory — at least the introduction — which will give them

The 2010 ERI was completed when Princeton was still divided into Borough and Township. “The town has changed,” said Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, who serves as liaison to the PEC. “The new ERI will look into similar aspects of the old one, like areas for natural vegetation, our animal communities, our little ecosystems, and our waterways. But this one will look at new priorities. What are they? Invasive plants, perhaps? It will be based on data we receive from the consultant.”

The ERI “provides information on the natural resource characteristics and environmentally signi cant features in Princeton,” reads a release from the PEC. “An ERI acts as a baseline for measuring and evaluating resource protection issues, and serves as a tool for decision-making by the municipality, including its environmental commission and planning board. It also informs the public on the status and value of our natural resources.”

The 2023 update will provide updated information based on the new data, and will conduct analyses not undertaken in the last report. Both the 2010 and 2023 ERIs may be used as references to inform municipal decisions.

“What we’re really looking for is how the information from this ERI might be able

Continued on Page 8

Court Clubhouse Almost Ready for Move

The former Court Clubhouse has been hoisted from its current location at 91 Prospect Avenue, with steel beams and hydraulic jacks inserted below the rst oor. Dollies are ready to be placed below the steel beams so the building can rotate 180 degrees and roll across Prospect Avenue to its new location.

The rotation is expected to take three days, currently scheduled for the week of February 13, and it will then take one day to roll the clubhouse across the street and set it on its new foundation adjacent to 114 Prospect, according to a January 20 Princeton University press release.

Constructed in 1927 as the Court Club, one of the University’s eating clubs, the building had more recently served as the home of Princeton’s Office of the Dean for Research. A University plan to move it across the street to a location occupied by three Queen Anne Victorian houses, which were to be demolished, met with resistance from the community and many University alumni until, in October 2021, the University came up with a compromise plan to preserve all three houses. One of the houses, 110 Prospect, was moved last fall to make room for the clubhouse building.

Sandy Harrison, a 1974 Princeton University graduate and board chair of the Princeton Prospect Foundation, a leading force in negotiating the University-community compromise, expressed his grati cation at seeing the completion of the 91 Prospect move.

“Princeton Prospect Foundation is very pleased that the moving of the former Court Clubhouse is about to come to fruition after months of public hearings and ultimately success-

ful negotiations with the University in 2021 to preserve it in a manner which also keeps three Victorian-era houses across the street from being demolished.”

He continued, “After the move is completed, everyone should next look forward to witnessing the renovation of all four historic buildings so that they will retain their original distinctive qualities and also be highly functional for hopefully many decades to come.”

Events Throughout Mercer County Mark Annual Black History Month

Ever since Carter G. Woodson inaugurated Negro History Week nearly a century ago, the annual observance has had a theme. Among the rst in 1928 was “Civilization: A World Achievement,” followed a year later by “Possibility of Putting Negro History in the Curriculum,” and “Signi cant Achievements of the Negro” two years on.

Negro History Week became Black History Month in 1976 when it was officially expanded and renamed by Congress.

This year’s theme, “Black Resistance,” marking the national community’s efforts to counter ongoing oppression and racial terrorism, seems especially pertinent.

As Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes wrote in a newsletter this week, “Every February, Mercer County joins the nation in celebrating Black History Month. This year, however, the celebration feels somber in the wake of yet another case of deadly over-policing, this time in the City of Memphis where Tyre Nichols,

were part of the annual celebration Sunday afternoon at Terhune Orchards on Cold Soil Road. The event follows an ancient tradition of protecting the apple trees to ensure a good harvest in the coming year. Attendees share their favorite winter activities in this week’s Town Talk on page 6.

WASSAILING THE APPLE TREES: Handsome Molly d ancers

(Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)

Winners of the 2022 Town Topics Readers’ Choice Awards Categories for Best Outdoor Dining Best Restaurant

Best Bakery Best Breakfast

TOWN TOPICS

Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946

DONALD C. STUART, 1946-1981 DAN D. COYLE, 1946-1973 Founding Editors/Publishers

DONALD C. STUART III, Editor/Publisher, 1981-2001

LAURIE PELLICHERO, Editor BILL ALDEN, Sports Editor

DONALD GILPIN, WENDY GREENBERG,

Plainsboro Library Marks

“Year of the Rabbit”

The Plainsboro Public Library will celebrate the Lunar New Year — Year of the Rabbit — on Saturday, February 4, from 12:45-3 p.m. Traditional Chinese arts, crafts, music, and dance will highlight the festivities.

At 12 p.m., there will be an opening reception for artist Lu Zheng, who will discuss her work at a “Meet the Artist” session. Her photographs will be on display in the library gallery through February 25. The festival follows at 12:45 p.m., when a new generation of the Huaxia Chinese School’s Dragon Dance team welcomes in the year with a performance.

Following the dance, and an introduction to the Lunar New Year by the High School South Chinese Club, the WULA (“wise, unique, lovable, and amazing”) Academy will conduct a Chinese First Writing ceremony. This ceremony was an important event for students in ancient China,

HAPPY NEW YEAR: A celebration of the Lunar New Year will take place at Plainsboro Library — with music, dance, and more – on February 4. marking their entry into school and their introduction to the pursuit of knowledge.

Next, winners of the library’s Rabbit Art Contest will be announced.

The children’s chorus of the WULA Academy will perform “Happy New Year of the Rabbit,” and the school will also present a traditional Chinese fashion show. Local artist and art teacher Yuchen Chen will hold a demonstration of Chinese brush painting.

The Moon and River dance troupe, under the direction of Gao Li Hun, will perform two

dances that illustrate the relationship between modern Chinese culture and ancient tradition. “Thinking of My Lover in Autumn,” expresses nostalgia and romance. Its title is based on an idiom from the ancient Book of Poetry (600 B.C.). The troupe will also present a Tibetan ethnic dance, “The Night I Dream of You.”

All participants will receive gifts of red envelopes and candy, donated by the Asian Food Markets of Princeton. The library is at 9 Van Doren Street in Plainsboro. Visit plainsborolibrary.org for more information.

Topics In Brief

A Community Bulletin

Venue Change: The February 11 Cupid’s Chase 5K race has a new course. Starting at 10 a.m., the race now begins at Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, 16 Walnut Lane. Early registration and warm-ups begin at 8:30 a.m. Register at allittakes. comop.org/Princeton2023.

Dog Park Opens: On Sunday, February 5 at 11 a.m., a grand opening is scheduled for the dog park in Community Park. All members for the governing body will be on hand with their dogs, and refreshments will be served. This event will be held rain or shine.

Volunteer at Mountain Lakes Preserve for Valentine’s Day: Join the Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) for a volunteer stewardship session on Saturday, February 11. Help continue to beautify the entrance to the preserve by removing invasive plants and learn how to identify invasive and native species, and to use tools safely. Registration is required, BYO water bottle and work gloves. Meet at the Mountain Lakes Preserve main parking lot. Morning and afternoon sessions available. To sign up, visit fopos.org/getinvolved.

Pickleball Courts Now Open to the Public : The courts behind Community Park Elementary School and Community Park Pool are open dawn to dusk on a first-come, first-served basis. Free, no reservations required. This is a trial period through April 1.

Ice Skating on the Square : On Hulfish Street behind the Nassau Inn, skate on the outdoor synthetic rink through February 26. Tickets are $10, sold at the door. Visit palmersquare.com.

Join Boards, Commissions, or Committees : The municipality is looking to fill vacancies with residents of Princeton who are willing to attend regularly scheduled meetings. Visit princetonnj.gov for more information.

Princeton Farmers Market Winter Market : On Thursdays: February 9 and 23, March 9 and 23, and April 6 and 20 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Dinky train station lot, 172 Alexander Street. Local farms, baked goods, artisan foods, unique gifts, and more. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

Blood Donors Needed: The American Red Cross needs blood and platelets to keep supplies from dropping. All types are needed, especially type O. Visit RedCrossBlood. org or call (800) 733-2767 for more information.

Speak Up for a Child : Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children seeks volunteers to speak up in Family Court for the best interests of Mercer County children removed from their families due to abuse and/or neglect, and placed in the foster care system. Volunteers advocate for the educational, emotional and physical well-being of these children. Upcoming one-hour information sessions are February 6 and 15 and March 1 at 1450 Parkside Avenue, Ewing. Casamb.org.

Free COVID-19 Test Kits: Available at Princeton Health Department, 1 Monument Drive, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. There is limit of four per household; you must reside in Princeton to get the kits.

Free Vision and Dental Services for Low Income Residents : The municipality is offering these services for low-income Princeton residents impacted by the pandemic. For application information, visit Princetonnj.gov.

Science on Saturday is Back In Person, Starting Feb. 4 at Plasma Physics Lab

Featuring presentations on a genetic variant in dogs and humans that’s connected to friendliness, the impacts of climate change on the weather, the latest developments in technology, a 1905 version of voicemail, and a fusion energy power plan — Science on Saturday

is back in person, and also online, February 4 through March 11 at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).

In its 39th year, the PPPL Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday lecture series will present the first of five weekly lectures this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. with Yasaman Ghasempour, Princeton University assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, discussing “The Race for 6G Wireless: The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead.”

genetic variants connected to friendliness.

On February 18, Adam Finkelstein, Princeton University computer science professor, will discuss the sonorine, an early 20th century form of voicemail; and on March 4, Lisa Thalheimer of the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security will explore with participants the impacts of climate change on the weather through the rising seas.

This year’s final lecture will take place on March 11, when Devon Battaglia, of Commonwealth Fusion Systems and formerly of PPPL, will discuss “High-field Tokamaks: The

“I guarantee you will be enthralled by the discoveries that are presented,” said Andrew Zwicker, head of strategic relationships at PPPL and the host of Science on Saturday. “Our speakers are presenting their cutting edge research — Where do black holes come from? How do we know they exist? How do bacteria communicate among themselves? How are we going to design a space ship to get human beings to Mars? These are questions that you think about all the time when you think about science and discovery.”

Noting that the typical audience ranges in age from 9 to 90 and is drawn together by its love of science, Zwicker continued, “Scientists are so excited about presenting and sharing their work, and there’s this wonderful give and take.”

PPPL Science Education Department head Arturo Dominguez emphasized the impressive range of topics offered in the series. “I strive to never miss these lectures myself because they’re so interesting,” he said in a PPPL press release.

“You never know what you will learn!”

Following Ghasempour’s opening lecture on 6G wireless, the series will continue on February 11 with a presentation by Bridgett von Holdt, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, focused on “Dogs and Humans with Williams Syndrome.” She will discuss her team’s discovery that dogs and humans with Williams Syndrome share a handful of

SCIENCE ON SATURDAY: Sean Wu of Princeton Academy takes part in a magnet experiment with Arturo Dominguez, now head of science education, at a 2019 Science on Saturday talk. This year’s series begins on February 4 at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), in person for the first time in three years. (Photo by Elle Starkman/PPPL Office of Communications)

Science on Saturday

Continued from Preceding Page Fastest and Surest Path to a Fusion Energy Power Plan.”

The lecture series is aimed at high school-age students, but the hundreds of fans in the audience typically include science enthusiasts of every age, according to the press release, with some families in which three generations of Science on Saturday lovers are attending. The series is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy Sciences.

Both Zwicker and PPPL Science Education Senior Program Leader Deedee Ortiz, who organizes the program, emphasized how excited they are to be back at Science on Saturday in person, sharing the science and also sharing coffee, hot chocolate, bagels, and doughnuts.

“If you’re on the fence about waking up early and heading outside on a cold Saturday morning, you’re in luck!” Ortiz wrote in an email. “At the PPPL Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday Lecture Series, you’ll be greeted with a warm smile, a hot cup of coffee, and a doughnut as a thank you for coming out. Find a spot in the auditorium, make some new friends, and learn about some really cool science. While watching online is certainly convenient, there’s nothing quite like face-to-face interaction with the other members of the public and chatting with the speaker after the lecture.”

Ortiz noted that the most educational part of the event is often the Q&A, with the best and most difficult questions coming from the young children in the audience. Zwicker added, “The younger the audience member, the tougher the question. Young kids have no fear. They ask anything, and often they stump the scientists. When I see a young person raising her hand, I’m thrilled — can’t wait to hear the question that’s going to be asked.”

Zwicker noted that after the pandemic shut down the series in the first week of March 2020, Science on Saturday went online for the end of 2020 and for the 2021 and 2022 sessions. “It was great to see our audience expand not just nationally but internationally,” he said. “I loved that it meant that we could reach an even wider audience with these wonderful talks, but there’s something you can never replace and that is gathering together to interact with people, who are all there because they love science, to talk about science or their daily lives, whatever it might be. To come back together is so exhilarating. I can’t wait to see everybody again in the auditorium.”

PPPL urges visitors to arrive early for coffee, bagels and doughnuts, as well as a short COVID-19 health screening (face masks are optional), before the 9:30 to 11 a.m. presentations. Visit pppl.gov and find Science on Saturday under the “Events” tab for further information.

—Donald Gilpin

Question of the Week:

“What

are your favorite winter activities?”

(Asked Sunday at Terhune Orchards)

(Photos by Weronika A. Plohn)

“I love to walk when it is snowing outside and see the sun through the snowflakes. I also like to make hot apple cider or hot chocolate and read a book or play board games with my wife and friends. It is even better if I get to do those things by the fireplace.”

—Daniel Potter, Princeton Junction

Maniya: “I like to drink hot cocoa and play in the snow. If we get any snow this year, I would love to have a snowball fight. I also like building snowmen, but it is a lot of work.”

Alanna: “I like to play in the snow with my sister. When it snows we drive to a big hill and go sledding.”

Ingvar: “I like to go sledding in my backyard and on my driveway.”

Ingrid: “I like to build snowmen with my dad. He helps me push the big snow.”

Ingmar: “I like to drink apple cider, and hot chocolate with marshmallows.”

—Ingvar, Ingrid, and Ingmar Yip, Robbinsville

Tyler: “I like to make and store snowballs up in our playset, so when we have a snowball fight I have everything ready. I like to be prepared.”

Jackson: “I like to make snowmen. We make snowmen for each family member. There is one for daddy, mommy, my brother, and me. We tried to make one last year for our cat, but it was too hard.”

Jane: “Last year we made a snow igloo and sprayed food coloring on it to make it colorful.”

Henry: “I love snowball fights with my sister and friends.”

—Jane and Henry Farr, Princeton

—Tyler and Jackson Coe, Ewing

—Maniya and Alanna Weekes Jackson, Trenton

Day to Lead Strategic Initiatives At Institute for Advanced Study

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) has created a new administrative position to “enhance and expand collaborative activities” with “various intellectual communities and the broader public, including our Princeton neighbors,” according to IAS Communications and Public Relations Manager Lee Sandberg, and it has appointed Alexandra Day, who is currently deputy vice president

the U.S., including the International Herald Tribune, IMG Artists, and Universal Music. At Juilliard she worked on audience development, institutional storytelling, reputation management, and deepening engagement with a diverse community of academics, alumni, arts patrons, and prospective students. As vice president, she led Juilliard’s marketing, communications, editorial, digital, and

Court Clubhouse Move continued from page one

Emphasizing that moving and restoring the clubhouse building serves the goal of maintaining the character of Prospect Avenue, University Architect Ron McCoy, as quoted in the University press release, noted, “Moving a building is exciting, but this is an especially symbolic moment. It signifies a transformation of the University’s institutional commitments and weaving those together with the interests of the community.”

Historic preservation consultant Clifford Zink, author of The Princeton Eating Clubs and a leader in negotiating with the University, highlighted the benefits of the compromise for all involved.

“It’s impressive seeing the University’s work to move the former Court Clubhouse, as it was seeing the move last fall of 110 Prospect Avenue, the former Key and Seal Clubhouse,” said Zink. “It shows the benefit of the compromise in 2021 — preservation of the former clubhouses and the two adjacent Victorian houses, while the University will build its Theorist Pavilion as its Prospect Avenue entrance to its ES-SEAS [Environmental Studies-School of Engineering and Applied Sciences] development.”

for alumni engagement at Princeton University, to fill that position beginning February 15.

Taking charge as IAS’s first associate director for strategic initiatives, programming, and partnerships, “Day will seek to engage partners and audiences in programs that convene leaders from academia, industry, governments, and external communities to support the Institute’s core activities and new initiatives,” an IAS press release stated.

The release continued, “At a time when discussions around knowledge, science, and society are increasingly politicized, the Institute — an independent science and humanities organization with a 92-year tradition of fostering discovery, protecting intellectual freedom, and providing refuge for scholars at risk — has both the reputation and experience to provide a credible harbor for free and honest intellectual exchange.”

Day, a 2002 graduate of Princeton University, has been senior alumni affairs officer and a member of the president’s cabinet at the University over the past four years, leading alumni engagement activities as well as a range of public relations, events, and fundraising programs. Before returning to Princeton in 2019 she was vice president for public affairs at the Juilliard School and previously served as director of public relations at Lyric Opera of Chicago, director of communications for soprano Renee Fleming, and special projects manager at the Metropolitan Opera.

Day has also held positions at corporate and nonprofit institutions in Europe and

creative services functions, including advertising campaigns for performances, admissions, continuing education, and the Juilliard Store.

“We are fortunate to have gained Alex’s collaboration in shaping opportunities for the Institute’s scholars to share and test ideas and in building paths for those ideas to reach the audiences that can benefit from them,” said IAS Director David Nirenberg in the IAS press release. “Alex has repeatedly demonstrated her abilities to develop new partnerships, design innovative programming, and generate communicative engagement, while at the same time proving a careful steward of institutional values.”

Day commented on her new position and her role at IAS in the coming years. “It is a privilege to join the Institute for Advanced Study at this moment in its history, working in concert with its worldrenowned scholars and visionary leadership to advance independent inquiry and the vibrant exchange of ideas,” she said. “As we look to amplify the Institute’s flagship initiatives, expand programmatic offerings, and deepen the engagement of the IAS community, we can begin to broaden access to the transformative power of discovery and creative inspiration.”

She continued, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help sustain the Institute’s distinctive strengths and standing as a global center for generating and sharing knowledge.”

In her new position Day will also lead the Institute’s communications and events teams, working to bolster institutional messaging and broaden engagement with diverse audiences.

—Donald Gilpin

Zink added that the Prospect Avenue Historic District, approved by Princeton Council last year as part of the compromise, will guide the continuing preservation of this key element of Princeton history.

Starting on February 1, in preparation for the building move, a section of Prospect Avenue between Olden Street and Murray Place will be closed to most traffic, with some detoured walkways for pedestrians over

the next four weeks.

Local vehicle access to residences, eating clubs, Bobst Hall, the Prospect Avenue Garage, EQuad buildings, and the apartments at 120 Prospect will be accommodated during the closure, according to the University press release.

Preparations for the move, underway for months, are being overseen by the University’s construction manager, Whiting-Turner, and Expert House Movers of Sharptown, Md.

The University press release reports that, after arriving in its new location,

the clubhouse building will be renovated to include new office and conference spaces for the dean of research’s office and a larger veranda in the back. It will also be made fully accessible.

The current 91 Prospect site will become the location of an open space and pavilion leading to a new building for chemical and biological engineering and continuing into a “necklace” of connected buildings expanding the University’s engineering and environmental facilities.

“In our overarching effort to be good stewards of our history, we realized that we

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could move the building, maintain its current functionality as a whole for the Office of the Dean for Research, and preserve the character of the street, while still allowing us to realize the vision for Environmental Studies and the School of Engineering and Applied Science,” said McCoy.

The three Victorian houses on the north side of Prospect are all owned by the University. Both 110 and 114 will be used as residences, and 116 will contain business offices.

—Donald Gilpin

Alexandra Day

(Photo by Kevin Birch)

READY TO ROLL: The former Court Clubhouse, hoisted onto steel beams, will be rotated 180 degrees and rolled across Prospect Avenue the week of February 13 to be set on its new foundation. A section of Prospect Avenue between Olden Street and Murray Place will be closed to traffic for about four weeks starting February 1. (Photo courtesy of Clifford Zink)

Black History Month

continued from page one a 29-year-old father, became the latest Black man in a horrific line of abuse. Mr. Nichols’ death is a glaring reminder that efforts to reform policing have a long way to go. As we together peacefully protest this latest incident, let it spark broader conversations about the need for police reform, without losing sight of the important work done by police professionals in our communities.”

Numerous observances are planned throughout Mercer County and the surrounding area throughout the month. In Princeton, Morven Museum is offering an online exhibition, “Slavery at Morven,” highlighting the history of slavery at the historic houseturned-museum. “By not shying away from our story of enslaved people, we believe our visitors will have a better understanding of how our world evolved to where we are today,” reads a release. “Research into the men, women, and children enslaved by the Stocktons [original owners of the house] at Morven is ongoing, and this site will be updated as new information is discovered. Visit morven.org/ slavery-at-morven to view the exhibition.

The Women’s College Club of Princeton will host local historian Shirley Satterfield on Monday, February 20 at 1 p.m. at Morven’s Education Center, 55 Stockton Street. Satterfield, the founder of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, has titled her talk “The Other Side of King’s Highway.” Admission is free and open to the public. Visit wccpnj.org.

A virtual performance of Meet Harriet Tubman, with Daisy Century of American Historical Theatre portraying the abolitionist, is presented via Zoom on Tuesday, February 7 at 6 p.m. by the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum. Century considers Tubman her role model, “someone who found freedom herself and fought to bring it to others,” reads a release from the museum. “The brave Underground Railroad conductor who rescued more than 70 enslaved people once said, ‘I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.’” To register for the free event, visit ssaamuseum.org/tubman.

Then there is Harriet Tubman: Live, at the Old A.M.E. Church of Yardley, Pa., 188 South Canal Street, on Saturday, February 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. Shirley Lee Corsey plays Tubman in this reenactment performance. Tickets are $20 and reservations are required. Visit gatherplace.org.

Mercer County Community College is offering several events throughout the month, open to the public. Most are at the West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road; one is scheduled for the James Kerney campus, 102 North Broad Street, Trenton.

“Black History Month is a

time to honor and recognize the contributions of African Americans in our local communities and in our country,” said Marvin Carter, the college’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Yes, progress has been made, but more still needs to be done. In this moment, we say ‘thank you’ to those on whose shoulders we stand today, and ‘we are not done’ to those who will follow in our footsteps.”

The film Get Out, followed by a “film and chat” session, will be held in room CM 108 on the West Windsor campus on Thursday, February 2 at 3 p.m. Additional “film and chat” events, each held from 3 to 5 p.m., are scheduled. On Thursday, February 9, Fruitvale Station tells the story of the death of Oscar Grant in Oakland, Calif. The Hate You Give, about a young Black woman confronting racism in her community after a tragic police shooting, is screened on Thursday, February 16; and Judas and the Black Messiah, on the life of Fred Hampton of the Illinois Black Panther Party, is Thursday, February 23.

A “melanin market” with BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) entrepreneurs from across the country takes place Saturday, February 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown Trenton campus. On Wednesday, February 8 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Black History Month Trivia will be held in the Student Center in West Windsor.

Kelsey Theatre on the West Windsor campus hosts a “Generational Wealth Summit” Saturday, February 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Homebuyer and financial literary sessions will be followed by two presentations of The Maggie Walker Story, a play about the first Black female bank owner, at 1 and 4 p.m. The Student Center cafeteria hosts “Before the Glory: Stories of Overcoming Adversity for the Win,” with three former major league baseball players sharing their stories, on Monday, February 20 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Closing ceremonies are Tuesday, February 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Student Center cafeteria, featuring New Jersey activist Zellie Thomas speaking about the impact of advocacy and activism in the Black community. This talk is also available via Zoom. For information on all events, visit mccc.edu.

At the Dupree Gallery, 10 North Union Street in Lambertville, “Our His-story Month” runs February 3-26, with an opening reception scheduled for February 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibit showcases the importance of Black voices in the art world, institutions, and society as a whole. Artists include Barbara Bullock, Kenny White, Michael A. Wallace, Don Stephens, Preston Philmore, and several others.

—Anne Levin

Public Encouraged continued from page one to be integrated with the revised master plan,” said Niedergang. “They kind of go hand-in-hand, in a way. They reflect one another.”

Among the issues that have developed since the last ERI is the destruction of thousands of trees by the emerald ash borer, which has altered Princeton’s skyline. “We’ll be looking at what we can anticipate in terms of that destruction,” said Sands. “If we’re losing tens of thousands of ash trees, how do we restore the habitat? In what areas do we have dead trees that are creating a hazard? We need to understand that, and that’s part of what this ERI is.”

“The 2010 ERI provided an incredibly comprehensive and thorough assessment of Princeton’s natural resources,” Niedergang said in the release. “With this update, we’re looking forward to analyzing what has changed, and digging deeper into newer data and technology that was not available 13 years ago.”

Members of the public unable to attend the virtual meeting can view a recording that will be available on the PEC webpage at princetonnj.gov. Comments can be submitted until March 8 by emailing engineering@ princetonnj.gov.

—Anne Levin

WET PAPER IN THE DRIVEWAY?

Sorry. It Happens, even with a plastic bag. We can’t control the weather, but we can offer you a free, fresh and dry replacement paper if you stop by our office at 4438 Route 27 North in Kingston.

Police Brutality is Topic Of Upcoming Webinar

The Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) is sponsoring a webinar on “Addressing the Epidemic of Police Brutality” on Tuesday, February 7 at 7 p.m. The keynote speaker is Lawrence Hamm, longtime president of the Newark-based Peoples Organization for Progress. A Q&A period will follow his presentation.

The topic is especially timely given the brutal police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Pre-registration is required to receive the Zoom link by clicking the registration link at the event web page under Upcoming Events at peacecoalition.org.

“We are honored to present this urgent and timely presentation by Larry Hamm of Peoples Organization for Progress (POP),” said CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore. “Larry has been a leader against police brutality in our region for decades. He has not just ‘talked the talk,’ but has really ‘walked the walk.’ In 2021, CFPA co-sponsored POP’s multiday walk from Newark to Trenton to advocate for legislation to give subpoena power to civilian review boards, an important step to reduce police brutality toward people of color.”

Environmental Organization Holds Annual Photo Contest

Friends of Princeton

Open Space (FOPOS) has announced its eighth annual photo contest, with a new name, an expanded geographic area, and an extended timeline. “Perspectives on Preservation” has changes designed to encourage photographers to spend more time outdoors photographing nature in Princeton.

The geographic range now includes the entire Greater Mountain Lakes Recreation Area, which is comprised of the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, Mountain Lakes North/Coventry Farm Park,

Community Park North, John Witherspoon Woods, Tusculum, and the boardwalk at Coventry Farm.

Photos for submission can be taken at any time of year during the past three years as long as they have not been submitted in a previous FOPOS photo contest.

Photographers may submit up to three photographs. Twenty photos from the submissions will be selected for FOPOS’s annual photo exhibition in late 2023.

The photo contest was conceived as a local activity in support of REI’s annual Opt Outside initiative, which encourages everyone to skip the malls on the day after Thanksgiving and spend time in nature instead. REI Princeton is once again sponsoring the contest with gift card prizes.

First prize is a $100 REI gift card. Second prize is a $50 card, and third prize is a $25 card. Twenty photos from the submissions will be selected for FOPOS’s annual photo exhibition in late 2023.

Young photographers, aged 16 and under, are encouraged to enter for a chance to win a gift card to a local business. For questions and a full list of submission rules, visit photos@ fopos.org.

Senior Resource Center

Announces Evergreen Courses Highlights in the History of Philosophy, The French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon, and Holding Hands with the Brothers Grimm are just a few of the new courses that will be offered for the spring 2023 session of the Evergreen Forum, a program of the Princeton Senior Resource Center. Starting in February, the program will offer 24 courses for adults that focus on science, literature, art, history, social studies, and culture.

Returning instructors this spring include Stan Katz, who will be teaching America in the 1960s, and Ryanne Domingues who will teach Theatre Production: From Page to Stage.

Registration is first-come, first-served at princetonsenior.org. Electronic brochures are available online on the PSRC website.

Most classes begin the week of February 27 and meet once a week for two hours. Fees are $110 for a six- to-eight-week course, and $85 for a three- tofive-week course. Senior scholarships are available to those for whom the fee is a hardship. To apply, contact Sharon Hurley, director of social services, at shurley@ princetonsenior.org or (609) 751-9699, extension 104.

Police Blotter

Police Investigate School Social Media Incident

On Monday, January 30, at approximately 8 a.m. Princeton police officers responded to Princeton Middle School in response to a report of “alarming statements” that were made on a social media platform. Officers spoke with school administrators and determined that the 12-yearold male involved in the incident was not present in the school at the time. Princeton Middle School remained in a “shelter-inplace” mode while police officers investigated the incident. They later located the juvenile at his residence and determined that there was no immediate threat to safety. The Detective Bureau is continuing the investigation, according to the Princeton Police Department.

On January 28, at 2:06 p.m., a Mercer Street resident reported that, the day before, an unknown person used her personal information to open an extra line on her cellular telephone account. That unknown person then used her account to attempt to purchase two Apple iPhone 14s in one transaction, and one Apple iPad Pro in a separate transaction. The fraudulent iPhone order was denied after the account owner was notified by her provider. However, the iPad Pro was scheduled to be delivered. The total value of the fraudulently purchased merchandise was approximately $4,000. No monetary loss was suffered. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

On January 25, at 4:03 p.m., a Witherspoon Lane resident reported that she found the rear parking lot covered in graffiti writing stating, “love is everything” and some drawn hearts. The graffiti was made with pink spray paint and covered approximately four parking spots. The resident also reported hearing individuals on the roof around the same time. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

On January 24, at 11:11 a.m., an individual reported that his Apple iPhone was stolen from a restaurant at Palmer Square East sometime between 8 and 10 p.m. on January 23. There are no known suspects at this time. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

On January 23, at 10:02 a.m., an individual reported that, between January 14 and January 22, a sign she had placed in the ground near the entrance to Marquand Park on Lovers Lane was stolen. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

Touring Film Festival Will Present Animation, Documentaries, and More

Back in person after the pandemic, the Thomas Edison Film Festival (TEFF) returns to Princeton University February 17-25 with a screening, a virtual live-streamed discussion with filmmakers, and seven Stellar Award-winning films that can be watched on demand.

Formerly known as the Black Maria Film Festival and originally named for Thomas Edison’s West Orange film studio (dubbed the “Black Maria” because of its resemblance to the black-box police paddy wagons of the time), the festival is an international juried competition that has been around for more than four decades. This is the fifth year that the Thomas Edison Media Arts Consortium has collaborated with Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts.

The Consortium also showcases the New Jersey Young Filmmakers Festival and the Global Insights Collection, an archive of films focusing on the environment, LGBTQ+ subjects, people with disabilities, international issues, race and class, and films with themes of social justice.

“As usual, it is a varied program with a lot of new work that covers all the genres,” said Su Friedrich, a professor of visual arts at the University, of the upcoming events. Friedrich had a film of her own in the festival three years ago. “There is a huge variety of work from all over the world,” she said. “It’s always an interesting surprise for us, because there are many more films included in the selection, but Jane [Steuerwald, the festival’s director]

programs each show somewhat in mind of the venue where it will be showing. So we never know until she curates, but it is always very strong.”

First on the festival agenda is an in-person screening of five Stellar Award-winning entries at the James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street, on February 17 at 6:30 p.m. A reception will be followed by the five award-winning films, after which a Q&A with filmmaker Janelle VanderKelen will be held. On February 18, the live-streamed discussion with filmmakers begins at 6 p.m., hosted by Steuerwald; festival associate and juror Henry Baker; and curator emerita of the National Gallery of Art, Margaret Parsons. The five Stellar Award-winners and

two additional award-winning films will be available on demand February 18-25.

There were 585 submissions for the 2023 festival, from every continent except Antarctica. The jurors chose 117 films for the 2023 collection, and awarded the top prizes. Following the premiere in Princeton, the films will be made available for screenings in the United States and abroad.

The Stellar Award-winning films are Cornucopia, an animated feature by two filmmakers from Vienna, Austria; the documentary Inside the Beauty Bubble from two filmmakers from California; the experimental Language Unknown by a filmmaker in Wisconsin; The Boy Who Couldn’t Feel Pain, a narrative film by an artist from Germany; and The Shimmering Extraordinary, in the genre of screen dance, which tells the story of six individual dancers in the Scottish Ballet. The two additional films are the documentary In Love with a Problem, and Chicken, winner of the festival’s Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Award. Both are by filmmakers from Vancouver, Canada.

A R I O

Asked what makes the TEFF unique, Friedrich said, “It’s unique, period. There are thousands of film festivals now, and they benefit their local communities. But TEFF is unique in that it brings together these films that not only show in their first location, but travel all around the country. I don’t know of any other festival that does that.”

Admission is free to the screening/reception, livestream, and on-demand viewing. Visit arts.princeton. edu for links to all events.

—Anne Levin

Alexi Kenney Violin

Thu, Feb 16, 2023 | 7:30PM

SHIFTING GROUND: weaving together music for solo violin and violin/electronic by J.S. Bach and composers of our time.

puc.princeton.edu | 609-258-9220

Princeton Public Schools Now Enrolling

Princeton Public Schools Now Enrolling

For the 2023-2024 School Year

M

For the 2023-2024 School Year

Princeton Public Schools Now Enrolling

for PreK, Kindergarten and Dual Language Immersion Program

for PreK, Kindergarten and Dual Language Immersion Program

For the 2023-2024 School Year

Open Enrollment Period:

for PreK, Kindergarten and Dual Language Immersion Program

Open Enrollment Period:

February 6 -17, 2023

Open Enrollment Period:

February 6 -17, 2023

February 6 -17, 2023

Register Online at www.princetonk12.org/quick-links/registration Questions? Call the central registrar at 609-806-4203 or visit our website at www.princetonk12.org

Register Online at www.princetonk12.org/quick-links/registration

Questions? Call the central registrar at 609-806-4203 or visit our website at www.princetonk12.org

Child must be three, four or five years old on or before October 1, 2023

Register Online at www.princetonk12.org/quick-links/registration Questions? Call the central registrar at 609-806-4203 or visit our website at www.princetonk12.org

Child must be three, four or five years old on or before October 1, 2023

Child must be three, four or five years old on or before October 1, 2023

AT THE SALON: This still is from the documentary “Inside the Beauty Bubble,” among the works to be screened at the 42nd Annual Thomas Edison Film Festival’s in-person premiere at Princeton University’s James Stewart Film Theater on February 17.

Artwork by Nicole Steacy

New Composting Program Shouldn’t Be Considered Until Residents Recycle Properly

To the Editor: No. 1 — do not even consider composting until people know how to recycle properly. Check out how many plastic bags are in the bins, and why not? They still get picked up. How simple is it to understand no plastic bags? It doesn’t stop there. Take a look at the buckets on recycle day. One time there were red stickers put on unacceptable buckets, but only once.

I did pay for composting, and I liked it. However, expecting only compost-acceptable matter inside your free bucket is highly unlikely. Make recycling correctly a priority. This isn’t rocket science. People who have green compost buckets with wheels and a lid should be able to reuse them as recycling buckets.

ELAINE Y. STAATS Moore Street

NJ Transit Proposes to Make Public Transit Convenient to Ride

To the Editor:

The 2021 Princeton Mobility Survey shows that while very few Princeton residents get around town by bus, about half of the respondents said they would, if the bus were more convenient. This is good news for a town that wants to reduce its carbon emissions from transportation! A big part of that convenience is frequent service; another important factor is that it should not take too long to get to desired destinations. People most often say they want bus stops at the Dinky and Princeton Junction, the central business district, the Princeton Shopping Center, and most of all, “near my house.” In addition, multiple survey respondents said they would like to see a safe bike path alongside the Dinky. The survey report can be downloaded from princetonnj.gov.

NJ Transit’s concept proposal for the Dinky upgrade meets these needs. The core of the proposal is an upgrade of the service between Princeton and Princeton Junction stations to light rail; this is augmented by a bus line that reaches deep into town. The service will be frequent: every 6-10 minutes between the stations, every 15 minutes for the bus. Buses and trains will be electric, ADA-compliant, and equipped with Wi-Fi. NJ Transit proposes that buses get preferential green light at signaled intersections so they can remain on schedule. As for all NJ Transit trains and buses, schedules are easily accessible via Google maps, the NJ Transit app, or the Moovit app; both apps have real-time vehicle tracking. In response to public input, NJ Transit’s concept plan includes a walk and bike path alongside the Dinky that will give a truly safe connection across Route 1. (Yes, you “can” bike on Washington Road or Alexander Road — no, it’s not safe).

This proposal offers a realistic, practical way for commuters and visitors to get into and out of Princeton without their car, which will make Princeton’s streets safer and less congested, and bring welcome relief to the competition for parking space. It will bring health benefits and strengthen our community. So let’s make sure the upgrade gets built: ask your representatives at local, county, state, and federal levels to support funding it. Stay abreast of the developments and additional opportunities for public input at friendsoftheDinkycorridor.com.

TINEKE THIO

Dempsey Avenue

JESSICA WILSON Lawrence Drive

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.

Town Needs to Act Responsibly In Addressing Water Problem

To the Editor:

Lately, the news has been full of stories about the Colorado River running dry, and water shortages in Arizona. Climate change is partly to blame, of course, but these stories leave little doubt that a lot of the trouble is due to overdevelopment, promoted by a toxic alliance of greedy developers and corrupt politicians. Yet, in its own way, New Jersey (and the Princeton area in particular) is a mirror image of Arizona.

There are differences, of course. Arizona has too little water; we have too much underground water. Arizona is becoming a desert again; Princeton is becoming a swamp. Arizona has mainly Republican politicians, and New Jersey has mainly Democratic politicians, but in both states too many of them represent the interests of developers rather than the interests of ordinary citizens.

What causes water levels to rise? Climate change (and increased precipitation) is a factor of course. So is overdevelopment. It takes roughly two forms. The first involves rainwater, and it happens when a new development is built over a wider surface. A common example is when a Cape Cod cottage is replaced by a McMansion. There is less space where rainfall can be absorbed, and the resulting excess will tend to flow into someone’s basement. The second involves groundwater, and often it is even more destructive. It happens when a developer is allowed to dig deep into previously untouched earth, and groundwater is released (and will be continuously released) into neighboring buildings. A classic (and toxic) example is a multi-tiered underground garage.

There’s an urgent need for responsible action (and for more transparency) from the town and especially from the Planning Committee. If this does not happen, the water problem will soon become almost impossible to control. We might be better off in Arizona.

BETSY BROWN Edgehill Street

Governor Should Focus on Important Issues Rather Than Alcohol Availability

To the Editor:

Regarding “Many Princetonians Cheer Governor’s Proposal to Expand Liquor Licenses” [January 25, page 8], in George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, Oceania is a oneparty state in constant emergency status. The government tries to control discontent with a Ministry of Truth, which alters history and combats what it considers misinformation with constant surveillance and lots of cheap gin.

The state of emergency (Executive Order No. 103) remains in full force and effect in New Jersey, and there are numerous state and local issues that weigh heavily on the citizens of New Jersey. In his first term of office, the governor successfully lobbied for “legal” marijuana and now he proposes greater availability of alcohol.

If we are going to continue on this Orwellian track, I would much prefer scotch.

MARC I. MALBERG M.D. Autumn Hill Road

Princeton Environmental Commission Chairs Offer Suggestions for Reusing Old Trash Cans

To the Editor:

Princeton will soon begin delivery of new trash cans to over 7,000 households and is scheduling pickups of old cans later this spring. Some residents may be looking for alternatives to throwing out their old cans, especially as not all the containers will be able to be recycled. In any case, reuse is viewed as far more efficient than recycling. What follows is a list of reuse ideas.

Use as storage containers: Garbage cans with lids make great storage for a wide variety of materials, including open bags of fertilizer, animal food (keeps the food dry and the mice out), compost, or even leaves or brush waiting for pickup by the municipality.

Use as a transport container: Trash cans can also make great containers for transporting the free compost and word chips available to all Princeton residents from the joint Environmental Facility on the Princeton Pike to your yard.

Use as a tool caddy/storage container: Trash cans are well suited for storing long-handled lawn care equipment such as rakes, hoes, string trimmers, and the like. Since many trash cans also have wheels and handles, they can also be used to move these tools around to where they are needed.

Use in place of a wheelbarrow: Depending on the size of your trashcan and its wheels, many cans make ideal containers for moving materials around, and are often more stable and easier to use than a wheelbarrow.

Use as a planter: By cutting off a section of the top of the can, a planter can be constructed. It can even be decorated if desired. Depending on the depth, it could be used to grow root vegetables, herbs, or flowers. The cut-off top could be used to make a small, raised bed. If the can has wheels, it can even be mobile.

Use in the vegetable garden: For those residents lucky enough to have the space and time for a vegetable garden, a trash can on wheels can make a great substitute garden cart for moving the harvest from the garden to the kitchen. And, turned upside down, can provide a working surface for garden chores.

Use as a rain barrel: Videos showing homeowners how to convert a trash can to a rain barrel with a few simple tools

and supplies from the hardware store can be found online. One of the best DIY instructions is: bhg.com/gardening/ design/projects/how-to-make-rain-barrel.

Use as a composter: Commercially available plastic composters are expensive. It is relatively simple to construct your own composter from a trash can for free. Again, there are many videos on this, to start try: youtube.com/ watch?v=XZyox5yLiMU (short version) or youtube.com/ watch?v=28nJ_LzgSMk (long version).

We hope that the households in Princeton will find these suggestions helpful and seriously consider reusing their old trash cans. Workshops and demonstrations on how to do rain barrel/composter conversions will be offered in the spring.

Chair,

Princeton

TAMMY L. SANDS

Environmental Commission Winant Road

ANNE SOOS

Vice Chair, Princeton Environmental Commission Hun Road

Books

Book on Astronomers to Be Discussed by Panel Astrophysical scientists Jill Knapp and Neta Bahcall will be joined by science writer Liz Fuller-Wright in a discussion of their contributions to The Sky Is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words (Princeton University Press) at the Princeton Public Library on Thursday, February 9 at 7 p.m. This in-person and virtual event is a collaboration between the Library, Labyrinth Books, Princeton University Press and Princeton University’s Department of Astrophysical Sciences. To register for the livestream, visit labyrinthbooks.com.

Edited by Virginia Trimble and David A. Weintraub, The Sky Is for Everyone is, according to Joanna Behrman of Physics Today, “A communal love letter to astronomy and the broader sciences ... and a valuable read for astronomers and those interested in the status of women in science, but also for department heads and policymakers who should take note of how institutional barriers can be broken down and accommodations made to improve the astronomy community.”

The Eugene Higgins Professor of Astrophysics at Princeton University, Bahcall is director of the Undergraduate Program in Astrophysics, and past director of the Council on Science and Technology of Princeton University. Knapp came to Princeton University’s Department of Astrophysical Sciences in 1980 and was appointed as associate professor and director of graduate studies in 1984. In the late 1980s, she helped develop the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and carried out research on low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. Fuller-Wright is a science writer in Princeton University’s Office of Communications.

C.K. Williams Series

Presents Moniz, Seniors Pushcart Prize-winning fiction writer and National Book Foundation “5 under 35” honoree Dantiel W. Moniz will read from her work at 5 p.m. on February 6 in the Drapkin Studio at the Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. Beatrix Bondor, Noa Greenspan, Yunxia Hallowell, Amanda Kural, Sophie Lockwood, Alexis Maze, Luca Morante, and Nimrah Naseer, seniors in Princeton’s Program in Creative Writing, will also read from their recent work.

This event is part of the 2022-2023 C.K. Williams Reading Series, named after the late Pulitzer Prize and National Book Awardwinning poet who served on

Princeton’s faculty for 20 years. This series showcases senior students of the Program in Creative Writing alongside established writers as special guests. The event is free and open to the public, no tickets are required.

Author of the Florida Book Award-winning short story collection Milk Blood Heat, Moniz is also the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship and the Alice Hoffman Prize for Fiction. Her debut short story collection, Milk Blood Heat, was a finalist for the PEN/ Jean Stein Award, the PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Prize, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award. Her other short works of fiction have appeared in The Paris Review, Harper’s Bazaar, American Short Fiction, Tin House, Yale Review, and McSweeney’s among others. She teaches fiction classes as an assistant professor at the University of WisconsinMadison.

The eight seniors who will read from their work are among 25 Princeton students pursuing certificates in creative writing in addition to their major areas of study. Each is currently working on a novel, a screenplay, translations, or a collection of poems or short stories as part of their creative independent work for the certificate. These students in the Program in Creative Writing work closely with a member of the faculty, which includes award-winning writers Michael Dickman, Aleksandar Hemon, A.M. Homes, Ilya Kaminsky, Yiyun Li, Paul Muldoon, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Susan Wheeler, and a number of distinguished lecturers and visiting professors.

All visitors to Princeton University are expected to be either fully vaccinated, have recently received and be prepared to show proof of a negative COVID test (via PCR within 72 hours or via rapid antigen within 8 hours of the scheduled visit), or agree to wear a face covering when indoors and around others.

Dantiel W. Moniz

(Photo by Jason Moniz)

BOOK REVIEW

We’re

All Passengers on Cormac McCarthy’s Double-Decker

I was planning on writing about a woman for 50 years. I will never be competent enough to do so, but at some point you have to try.

—Cormac McCarthy, 2009

he’s in love with his sister and she’s dead.

—from The Passenger/Stella Maris

Cormac

McCarthy’s two-volume novel

The Passenger /Stella Maris (Knopf 2022) begins with the woman he had planned to write about for half a century.

“It had snowed lightly in the night and her frozen hair was gold and crystalline and her eyes were frozen cold and hard as stones. One of her yellow boots had fallen off and stood in the snow beneath her. The shape of her coat lay dusted in the snow where she’d dropped it and she wore only a white dress and she hung among the bare gray poles of the winter trees with her head bowed and her hands turned slightly outward like those of certain ecumenical statues whose attitude asks that their history be considered....”

The one-page prologue is printed in italics, as are all the first nine of 10 numbered, selfcontained chapters of The Passenger devoted to Alicia Western and the theater of her psychosis. Her older brother Bobby’s adventures and misadventures a decade later are recounted in the interspersed unnumbered chapters (including the 10th and last), all printed in standard type, albeit with the author’s characteristic disregard of conventional punctuation.

“Hold My Hand”

Stella Maris, the shorter second volume of this two-part novel, is titled after the name of the psychiatric hospital in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, where Alicia, who was born on December 26, 1951, spends the last months of her life and from where she will “wander away into the bleak Wisconsin woods” early on Christmas Day 1972. The book consists of almost 200 pages of conversation between Alicia and Dr. Robert Cohen, a psychologist attempting to conduct therapy sessions with a beautiful, suicidal, anorexic, schizophrenic 20-year-old mathematical prodigy who teases, provokes, charms, mystifies, challenges, dazzles, and confounds him. During the last of seven sessions, she says of her brother, the love of her life who she mistakenly thinks is dead, “There were times I’d see him looking at me and I would leave the room crying. I knew that I’d never be loved like that again.” Her willingness to tell the psychologist details of a passion she’d revealed to no one else but her brother leads to the request that brings the two-part 582-page novel to a close. After listening to her describe a suicidal dream of death in the woods, he says,

I think our time is up.

I know. Hold my hand. Hold your hand?

Yes. I want you to.

All right. Why?

Because that’s what people do when they’re waiting for the end of something.

“Perverted Commas”

Tomorrow, February 2, is the 141st birthday of James Joyce, who, like McCarthy, avoided the standard use of quotation marks in dialogue; for Joyce a simple dash was preferable to what he once called “perverted commas.” McCarthy not only scorns the “weird little marks,” he has no use for the dash. I reprinted the book’s last exchange as it appears on the page. It’s best seen that way, no clutter, nothing between you and the words and the moment.

It’s also worth noting that the hallucinatory vaudeville of the Alicia chapters of The Passenger has points in common with the Nighttown fantasia in Ulysses. The master of ceremonies conducting the weird troupe that Alicia calls penny dreadfuls and cohorts is the Thalidomide Kid, aka the Kid, a provocative, profane, compulsively punning dwarf with flippers for hands and a “small scarred head,” who looks “like he’d been brought into the world with icetongs.”

As for puns, Joyce would love him. Right away he’s at it with “unkempt premises” (her dumpy room in a Chicago rooming house), a play on unkept promises; “you know what’s in the offing” (her suicide); “the malady lingers on,” which she tells the creature in her head “won’t linger much longer,” another nod to her determination to end her life, and an indication that the wordplay originates in her own mind, the scenes with the Kid like satirical previews of Alicia’s sessions with Dr. Cohen.

One way McCarthy brings Alicia and her labyrinthine psyche to life is through the Kid’s rude name-calling (“Jesus, you’re a piece of work”) and her ability to ride out the playful abuse and give her own back. She’s variously Mathgirl, Presh, Birdtits, Luscious, Your Weirdness, Tuliptits, Doris, Jessica, even Alice. When she asks him why he never calls her by her right name, he says, “I liked it better when you were Alice. I thought you were a more down-to-earth girl. With Alice we just had the malice. With Alicia we got to call out the Militia.” Mathgirl is also Wordgirl, deep down in her mind. When she asks him what he gets out of calling her names, he says “Names are important. They set the parameters for the rules of engagement.” These playful turns all revert to her. This is who she is. She’s also Cormac McCarthy, much as Leopold and Molly Bloom are James Joyce.

McCarthy’s Nighttown

In Alicia’s second chapter she flashes back to her first close encounter. She was 12 in

a little room under the eaves of her grandmother’s house when she woke early one morning to find the chimeras assembled at the foot of her bed: “A matched pair of dwarves in little suits with purple cravats and homburg hats. An ageing lady in pancake makeup smeared with rouge. Antique dress of black voile, graying lace at throat and cuffs. About her neck she wore a stole assembled out of dead stoats flat as roadkill with black glass eyes and brocade noses. She raised a jeweled lorgnette to her eye and peered at the girl from behind her ratty veil.” Like an illustration in a child’s storybook, Alicia “clutched the covers up under her chin. Who are you? she said.”

McCarthy uses the Kid to “read” her in ways that develop the metaphor of the passenger. When she asks where he and the cohorts come from and how did they get there, he says they came on the bus; she asks how is that possible, what would the other passengers think, you didn’t get any funny looks? What kind of passenger can see you? Who do they think you are? What do they say? The Kid says “I guess they think I’m a passenger. Of course you could make the case that if they’re passengers then I must be something else ...You’re supposed to be this girl genius so maybe you’ll figure it out.” When he goes on to say, “To the seasoned traveler a destination is at best a rumor,” she catches him up, “I wrote that. It’s in my diary.” And he says, “Good for you. When you carry a child in your arms it will turn its head to see where it’s going. Not sure why. It’s going there anyway.”

Whoever’s carrying who and where and why, it seems a babe in arms is the primal passenger. As for how she got there, he throws out another pun: “she just rode in on her lunarcycle.”

Bobby’s Story

Between these first two Alicia chapters, the novel described in last fall’s media reviews begins. Few of The Passenger’s notices, even the favorable ones, give a fair indication of the book’s comic energies, of the wordplay inspired by Alicia’s psychedelic vaudeville and the earthy rants of Long John Sheedon, the Falstaffian scoundrel who calls Bobby “Squire Western” and is his favorite dining and drinking companion in the novel’s numerous New Orleans episodes.

To do justice to Bobby’s side of the story, I will need to write a separate piece next week. Bobby and his cat Billy Ray deserve a full paragraph. Same for Debussy “Debbie” Fields, the glamorous trans woman who knew both Bobby and Alicia back in

Knoxville when she was William; she’s the only person Bobby trusts to read Alicia’s last letter to him, which he’s never had the emotional stamina to open, even though it may contain information about hidden wealth like the whereabouts of his sister’s rare Amati violin, which is worth $230,000, money he’s in serious need of, having been made destitute by IRS raids on his bank account and their impounding of his possessions, apparently scaring away of his cat, which he never sees again.

And speaking of the cat, I need space to consider the chapter in which the Kid drops in on Bobby eight years after Alicia’s death. We’ve assumed that the pun master lives only in her haunted subconscious, so what’s he doing in Bobby’s shabby beach-bum digs almost a decade later asking “How come you never got another cat?” When Bobby says, “I just didn’t want to lose anything else. I’m all lost out,” it goes straight to the heart of his story as surely as the opening image of the body in the woods or the final moment when Alicia says, “Hold my hand.” Bobby’s attachment to the cat has been the closest he’s come to the old dream of intimacy in all the years of missing her, going to bed with “the cat humming against his ribs” and walking “purring up and back along the edge of the bed” as he reads her letters, which “he knew by heart yet he read with care,” except for the last one. Of course the Kid has to ask about the cat, because she would.

And I haven’t come back to Alicia’s body in the woods “her hands turned slightly outward ... that their history be considered” and that “the deep foundation of the world be considered where it has its being in the sorrow of her creatures. She had tied her dress with a red sash so that she’d be found. Some bit of color in the scrupulous desolation.” And, more important, I haven’t mentioned what happens following her last visit from the Kid. After he left, “she dreamt that she was running after a train with her brother ... and in the morning she put that in her letter. We were running after the train Bobby and it was drawing away from us into the night and the lights were dimming away in the darkness and we were stumbling along the track and I wanted to stop but you took my hand and in the dream we knew that we had to keep the train in sight or we would lose it .... We were holding hands we were running and then I woke up and it was day.”

DISTINCTIVESELECTIONSOF WOODS, FINISHES

INSPIRING CUSTOM

Next Week

Nextweek I’ll have a window seat on McCarthy’s double-decker, with stops in Knoxville, Los Alamos, a long layover in New Orleans, and a rough ride out west before touching down at a windmill on the coast of Spain, where The Passenger ends as Bobby Western lays back in the dark knowing “that on the day of his death he would see her face and he could hope to carry that beauty into the darkness with him ....” –Stuart Mitchner

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FROM CONCEPT

DISTINCTIVESELECTIONSOF WOODS, FINISHES AND STYLES

DISTINCTIVESELECTIONSOF

INSPIRING CUSTOM DESIGNS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

INSPIRING CUSTOM DESIGNS

DISTINCTIVESELECTIONSOF

PROJECT

FINISHES AND STYLES

DISTINCTIVE SELECTIONS OF WOODS, FINISHES AND STYLES

INSPIRING CUSTOM DESIGNS

INSPIRING CUSTOM DESIGNS

DISTINCTIVESELECTIONSOF WOODS, FINISHES AND STYLES INSPIRING CUSTOM DESIGNS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

McCarter Theatre Presents The 1491s’ “Between Two Knees”; Play Blends Indigenous History with Mel Brooks-Style Humor

Thatwas like three plays in one act,” Larry, portrayed by Justin “Jud” Gauthier, quips at the end of the first act of Between Two Knees. The play started performances January 31 at McCarter.

A January 26 “Director’s Cut” offers a glimpse into the rehearsal process (as the production entered tech week). A bright red curtain; Regina Garcia’s scenery; and Elizabeth Harper’s unabashedly, artfully gaudy lighting suggest that theater itself — especially from Vaudeville to the mid-20th century — will be satirized.

As a perk of membership at McCarter, the audience is given an opportunity to watch a brief excerpt until the actors are dismissed for a break. Subsequently, McCarter’s Director of Artistic Initiatives Julie Felise Dubiner co-hosts a discussion and Q&A with Director of Production Dixie Uffelman.

Written by the Intertribal sketch comedy troupe The 1491s, Between Two Knees blends Native American history with humor that multiple cast and production team members liken to that of Mel Brooks. Eric Ting directs the production.

The 1491s are Dallas Goldtooth (Mdewakanton Dakota-Diné), Sterlin Harjo (Seminole-Muscogee), Migizi Pensoneau (PoncaOjibwe), Ryan RedCorn (Osage Nation), and Bobby Wilson (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota).

The troupe’s viral YouTube videos, which they have been creating since 2009, showcase work that their website describes as “satirical and absurd comedy.” All five members are involved in Hulu’s award-winning series Reservation Dogs.

“We feel very privileged to put this play up at McCarter,” Pensoneau states in an email. “We like to think that for every harrumph and sidelong glance and restless turning in the grave, there are at least as many mild chuckles and one or two guffaws.”

A McCarter press release remarks that the play, whose title partially refers to the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee, “takes us from the forced reeducation at Indian boarding schools, through World War II, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, the 1973 takeover at Wounded Knee, and maybe even breaks time itself.”

Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen extols the show’s “incredible story of family and community,” adding that it “speaks to the power of comedy as a powerful tool of resistance, fostering resilience, and empowering healing.”

Dubiner has been the dramaturg for the play since its inception. It originally was commissioned through American Revolutions, an Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) program that commissions and develops plays about

know if it was that much of a transition for them, because the first act is almost like a sketch comedy show” in the vein of Monty Python and Mel Brooks (especially History of the World, Part I ). “It’s structured in these shorter bursts. The second act follows a melodrama pattern.”

Dubiner adds that her role in the play’s development largely has entailed finding the “balance between too much stuff, and not enough stuff.” She remarks, “The amazing thing to me, as a dramaturg, is that the story hasn’t really changed at all from what they first sketched out in their first workshop in Ashland all those years ago.”

“It’s the story of this couple, and their children, and what happens to them,” Dubiner continues. “Through this sort of wacky family drama, you understand what happened — in a broad stroke — in American history. But the script has gotten a lot tighter; the pieces match up better.” Later she adds, “But it’s still very silly!”

Dubiner offers that the play’s development has been “more collaborative than a lot of other projects.” She is quick to emphasize that the “actors have contributed tremendously to figuring out how the thing works.” She adds that Ting has been a “tremendous dramaturgical director on this.”

Asked how he approaches the play as a director, Ting is quick to emphasize, “I am not Native American. My parents were

immigrants from China, so I’m Chinese American. When The 1491s and I fi rst met, we wanted to make sure that this was the right fit, and that I could help them achieve their vision for this piece.”

Ting sees his function “through the lens of ‘servant leadership.’ My role is to make possible what is sometimes the very impossible vision of the playwrights — to make sure that we are honoring their particular tone, and their sensibilities. I see myself as creating spaces where all of the collaborators can feel ownership and agency in the development and creation of the piece.”

He adds that Between Two Knees is a work that “benefits from a plurality of points of view. That’s the kind of space that I work very hard to nurture.” Ting recalls his leadership of a Shakespeare theater. He observes that the majority of Shakespeare’s plays contained “both comedy and tragedy. The intention behind that was to be able to feel both the heights of the comedy, and the depths of the tragedy — by putting them up against each other.”

“That is also the truth of this piece, and I think that’s the truth of this kind of comedy,” Ting adds. “The size of the laughter is tied so utterly to the depths of the trauma,” that these seemingly opposing or contradictory elements invite a level of “understanding of lived experience, in a way that you wouldn’t otherwise perceive.”

Gauthier says that Larry, “for all intents and purposes, is the narrator of the story.” Gauthier describes the character as the “embodiment of The 1491s themselves.” He remarks, “There’s a popular meme, in Indigenous social media, that says, ‘They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.’ That’s my feeling of this show.”

He posits that Larry “knows that there’s a fifth wall out there somewhere — and that’s why he’s constantly breaking the fourth wall. He’s looking to break through to the audience, to invite them in: ‘Look at what happened to our people; look how we navigated the tragedy of the Indigenous experience, in dealing with colonization. But also, there’s something good in here. There’s a lot of heart, there’s laughter, there’s tragedy … there’s silliness.’”

Of Ting, Gauthier says, “Working with him is supremely collaborative. He pushes us to maintain a drive through the show.” Gauthier adds that Ting has an “incredible creative mind” and is “very human in his approach with the actors — always very giving in terms of time to dig into a scene, or a character’s action within a scene.”

Shyla Lefner portrays two characters: Young Irma, who was stolen from her family, and integrated into the boarding school; and Irene, a healer. Lefner describes Irma as a “strong, young woman who has had to have unfathomable trauma, and has to fight through it.” Lefner adds that Irma is a “powerhouse who powers through all this trauma, and all these institutions that were sent to lay her in the ground…. It’s that power that carries throughout the rest of the story.”

Irene “had a distance from her people in the beginning of her life, so she is reestablishing herself with the Tribe.” Of both Irma and Irene, Lefner observes, “They’re both powerful women, but in their own distinct way. Irma’s physically out there, in the world … willing to put down roots. Irene is a healer — putting down roots in her own way, but she’s come up against a wall, where she’s had to make the choice: ‘How can I push further, to be of service?’”

Like Gauthier, Lefner praises Ting, describing him as a “caregiver, such a leader, such a wonderful director to create space in a room for your voice.” She adds that Ting and The 1491s “have a wonderful comic language with each other, and it was important to have someone like Eric, who understands their comedy.”

Lefner, who describes the other actors as “my family,” appreciates that Rasmussen has “created an open room where we all can make suggestions.” She remarks that the play is “taking leaps and bounds here at the McCarter. It’s exciting, because we’ve had the time in the room, and the support of the institution. She adds that the show has “come together quite beautifully here.”

—Donald H. Sanborn III

Produced by McCarter Theatre with Seattle Rep, in association with Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Yale Repertory Theatre; and directed by Eric Ting, “Between Two Knees” will play through February 12 at McCarter’s Matthews Theatre. McCarter’s website notes that parental discretion is advised for strong language and themes; the play is recommended for ages 15 and up. For tickets or additional information, visit McCarter.org.

“BETWEEN TWO KNEES” : McCarter Theatre Center presents “Between Two Knees.”

Written by The 1491s, and directed by Eric Ting, the play runs through February 12 at McCarter’s Matthews Theatre. Above, back row (from left): Justin Gauthier, James Ryen (behind the parasol), Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Rachel Crowl, Wotko Long, and Jennifer Bobiwash. Front row: Derek Garza and Shyla Lefner.

(Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

Performing Arts

program are Beethoven’s Symphony Number 7 in A Major, Opus 92; and the Chamber Symphony Number 3 for Flute and String Orchestra by Ukrainian composer Yevhen Stankovych.

During its first season in 1902, the orchestra performed nearly 115 concerts, featuring the symphonies of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Dvorak, Bruckner, Mahler, SaintSaëns, and Tchaikovsky. Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, and Mieczyslaw Karlowicz performed as invited conductors with the orchestra during this first season.

After two seasons as the orchestra’s principal guest conductor, Kuchar was appointed the principal conductor of the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine in 2022.

Tickets are $17.50-$70. Visit Stnj.org.

McCarter to Collaborate

With Jazz at Princeton

University,” said Debbie Bisno, McCarter’s director of university and artistic partnerships. “We are excited and honored to be in creative conversation with Jazz at Princeton and to enhance our main stage season with this joyful concert.”

Music of “The Floyd”

Is The Machine’s Focus State Theatre New Jersey presents “The Machine Performs Pink Floyd” on Saturday, February 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $29-$59

The Machine, a quartet based in New York, has been extending the musical legacy of Pink Floyd for over 30 years. The group does a mix of Pink Floyd’s extensive 16-album repertoire, complete with faithful renditions of popular hits as well as obscure gems.

The Machine explores collective improvisation rivaling that of an early 1970s Pink Floyd, while their use of expanded theatrical elements and elaborate stage displays and lighting continues The Floyd spirit of the 1980s. The band is also known for re-creating entire albums as a part of their show, accepting requests from fans, and for taking an A–Z approach in which one song is played for every letter of the alphabet.

The Machine has performed at music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Riverbend, and Gathering of the Vibes, and shared the stage with full symphony orchestras, including the Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and San Diego symphonies, as well as the Buffalo Philharmonic.

The band features founding member Tahrah Cohen (drums), and longtime bandmates Scott Chasolen (keys, vocals) and Ryan Ball (bass, vocals). The band continues on to celebrate the music of Pink Floyd and to honor the life of Joe Pascarell, who cofounded the band with Tahrah in 1988.

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

Dryden Ensemble Concert On Anna Magdalena Bach

The Dryden Ensemble presents Anna Magdalena Bach: Her Story on Sunday, February 5 at 3 p.m. at the Princeton Theological Seminary Chapel, 64 Mercer Street. This concert is free and open to the public.

The concert is a special event based on the life of J.S. Bach’s second wife. It features a sequence of poems written by Jane McKinley interspersed with

chamber music by

and others, performed by Lisa Terry, cello and viola da gamba; and Webb Wiggins, harpsichord.

chamber music performed in the Bach home when his son Wilhelm Friedemann visited from Dresden in 1739.

The musical program features movements from Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Violoncello, as well as pieces from Anna Magdalena’s Notebooks , including Bach’s French Suites for harpsichord, which he copied out for Anna Magdalena in 1722, in the months after they married.

Webb Wiggins

Anna Magdalena was a well-paid, professional singer at the court of Prince Leopold in Cöthen where Bach was serving as Kapellmeister when his first wife Maria Barbara died in July 1720, leaving him as a widower with four young children. When he married Anna Magdalena in December 1721, she was only 20. She bore him 13 children, only six of whom survived past the age of 5. Very little is actually known about daily life in the Bach household; the poems rely on surviving letters and documents as points of departure. Subjects include Anna Magdalena’s famous Notebook, written requests by Bach’s cousin for carnation plants and a caged bird, and some “extra fine”

The Dryden Ensemble’s series continues on March 25 and 26 with Pergolesi & Bach, a memorial to those who died during the pandemic. The program features soprano Teresa Wakim and mezzo-soprano Kristen Dubenion-Smith in arias by J. S. Bach and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, a work written in the final weeks of the composer’s short life. Also on the program is Schmelzer’s Lament on the Death of Ferdinand III, both of whom died of the plague in the 17th century.

Visit Drydenensemble.org for more information.

Orchestra from Ukraine

Performs in New Brunswick

The Lviv National Philharmonic of Ukraine will appear on Friday, February 17, 7:30 p.m. at the State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Theodore Kurchar conducts, and Oksana Rapita is the soloist in Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Opus 16. Other works on the

In 1933, the orchestra became incorporated as the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine and was led by Adam Soltys. He actively worked with the orchestra until 1938. During this period, the orchestra collaborated in performance with prominent composers Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók, and Karol Szymanowski, as well as soloists Anton Rubinstein, Ferruccio Busoni, Wanda Landowska, Leopold Godowski, Jacob Milstein, and Eugene Ysaye, among many others.

McCarter Theatre and Jazz at Princeton University, led by saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, will begin a new partnership on Saturday, February 11 at 8 p.m. in the Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place. “For the Love of It” is a concert celebrating life, love, and culture through diverse musical styles and composers.

“We are thrilled about this new alliance with McCarter, and the value it will bring to the entire community,” said Mahanthappa. “Our talented students will benefit from opportunities to work with extraordinary talents like Camille Thurman, and community members get to experience the powerful music they create together.”

With the advent of the Soviet regime, the orchestra was led by Isaac Pain. Lviv conductor and composer Mykola Kolessa was also invited to work with the orchestra. During the German occupation, in 1941–1944, the Philharmonic did not operate. In the postwar period, the orchestra had to be reassembled, which was the joint effort of Isaac Pain, Dionysius Khabal, Nestor Hornytsky, and Mykola Kolessa.

Camille Thurman

The event features Princeton’s Jazz Vocal Collective under the direction of Trineice Robinson-Martin with special guest multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/composer Camille Thurman. Tickets are $15-$25.

TOPICS

“McCarter is collaborating in new and deeper ways with the extraordinary talent and minds at the

Thurman is known as a unique interpreter of the jazz tradition. She sings, plays tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, and piccolo. Her sax sound has been compared to Joe Henderson and Dexter Gordon, while her vocal approach, including scatting ability, has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Thurman has shared the stage with artists including George Coleman, Roy Haynes, Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste, Audra McDonald, Diana Krall, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Janelle Monae, Alicia Keys, Lalah Hathaway, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and many others.

Tell them you saw their ad in

BRAHMS &

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THE MACHINE: The quartet performs the music of Pink Floyd at the State Theatre New Jersey on February 4.

J. S. Bach

Art

“AN ETERNAL MOMENT”: Nature photographs by Lu Zheng will be on view at the Plainsboro Public Library February 4 through February 25. An opening reception is on Saturday, February 4 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Photographer’s Work Captures

Nature’s “Eternal Moments”

The Plainsboro Public Library will host an opening reception for artist and photographer Lu Zheng on February 4 from 12 to 1 p.m. During the event Lu will discuss her nature photographs, which she says capture “endless time in an eternal moment.” The theme of the show, which will remain at the library through February 25, is “An Eternal Moment.”

Born in Xinjiang, China, Zheng moved to the United States in 1995. In 2001, she traveled in Europe and says she became fascinated with

the “astoundingly beautiful landscapes and the power of Mother Nature to provide boundless imagery.” In November 2005, her first exhibition of her photographs, “Grateful Moments,” took place at the Asian Cultural Center in Edison, NJ.

Since then, she has exhibited at a number of venues in both China and the U.S., including Princeton University, the Xinjiang Arts Academy, and the Culture and Art Museum in Xinjiang. In February 2012, she had a solo exhibit at the Plainsboro Library. She has published two photo albums, both entitled Eternal Moments.

A pianist as well as a photographer, Zheng formerly taught at the Xinjiang Art Institute. She says that photography is one of the languages of art, and like other arts, it relies not on the camera alone, but on the heart. “With the camera,” she adds, “you can initiate a dialogue with nature, and through your photographs share the experience of being emotionally moved.” Plainsboro Public Library is located at 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. For more information, call (609) 2752897 or visit plainsboro library.org.

February 11–May 7

Latinx photographers from across the United States share their dynamic visions through images—focused on themes of family and community, fashion and culture, and the complexity of identity in American life.

Artists to Discuss Their Works at Princeton Library

“Manifesting Love: Prints and Poetry,” an exhibit of the works of artist Terrance Cummings accompanied by poems by Sonia Sanchez, is on view in the Reading Room on the second floor of Princeton Public Library through March 25.

Cummings is an awardwinning designer, illustrator, author, and teacher. He is a graduate of the High School of Music & Art in New York and received a BFA from Parsons School of Design. He has worked with many major book publishers, and his work is in private collections.

years old, is at 1 p.m., and “Making Tape Masterpieces,” for ages 12 and older, will be at 2:30 p.m. Registration through the library’s website is required and limited for the workshops which will be held in the STEAM Studio.

For more information, visit princetonlibrary.org.

Talk on Art as a Career Path at Phillips’ Mill

ter’s degree in art education from Penn State University, is an honors graduate from Moore College of Art and Design, and holds a bachelor’s degree in art education with a focus on sculpture. She has been with the Michener Art Museum since 2014.

Art on Hulfish

Saturday, February 11, 1–4 p.m.

Learn about the exhibition with Associate Curator Alexandra Letvin.

open house curator talk

Pilar Tompkins Rivas | Stream it live

Thursday, February 16, 5:30 p.m.

Exhibition curator Tompkins Rivas examines questions of visibility and belonging in US-based Latinx photography. Moderated by Assistant Professor Monica Huerta.

Cummings will discuss the inspiration and technique behind the works in the exhibit during a talk on Wednesday, February 8, at 7 p.m. in the library’s Newsroom. He will also discuss how he gained permission from Sanchez — the award-winning poet, writer, and professor — to pair the prints in this exhibit with her poems and haiku. A reception in the Reading Room will follow.

Also on view at the library through March 25 is “In Between Doodles,” an exhibit of works by artist and art educator Katelyn Liepins. The exhibit features individual pieces as well as an installation taped directly onto a wall on the second floor. Liepins’ work explores lines and how they can exist in multiple mediums beyond the traditional drawing form.

Liepins will be on hand during an open house event to discuss her work and process on Sunday, February 5 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Technology Center. Earlier that day, she will conduct two workshops: “Creating Cool Shapes with Tape and Paint,” for children 8-11

While most high school students choose a general academic path and others are being recruited for athletics, students in the arts face different and very specific requirements when applying to the art program or college of their dreams. Musicians and dancers must audition. Artists must create and present a portfolio. And in the background, parents may be worrying and wondering how their children will make a living.

Thompson, who has worked with students for many years, will discuss the excitement and challenges of this path and address the following topics: The myth of the starving artist: Can working artists make a living?; Career avenues: Nontraditional and other career paths artists can pursue; Pursuing art in college: The challenges and differences inherent in the application process; and Opportunities for students at the Michener Art Museum.

The hour-and-a-half program will allow plenty of Q & A time after Thompson’s presentation. All high school students are invited to attend. Parents are also welcome. This event is free and will take place at Phillips’ Mill, 2619 River Road, two miles north of New Hope. Registration is required at phillipsmill.org/event/art-as-alife-career-path.

If pursuing art in college is a topic of conversation in your household, consider “Art as a Life & Career Path,” Phillips’ Mill’s special presentation by Andrea Thompson, arts education manager of the Michener Art Museum, on Sunday February 5 from 2- 3:30 pm. Thompson holds a mas -

Phillips Mill now features the “10th Annual Youth Art Exhibition,” also free, on view weekends from 12– 4 p.m. through February 19. The exhibition showcases the works of 140 high school students from 22 area schools and includes paintings, works on paper, sculpture, photography and digital artwork.

For more information, visit phillipsmill.org.

“BLACK BUTTERFLY #2”: This work by Terrance Cummings is part of “Manifesting Love: Prints and Poetry” on view at the Princeton Public Library through March 25. Cummings will discuss the inspiration and technique behind the works in the exhibit during a talk on Wednesday, February 8 at 7 p.m.

Andrea Thompson

organizer and ACP Programming/Marketing Manager Melissa Kuscin. “At the same time, experienced artists were taking part alongside them. That juxtaposition is at the heart of the club, and made our time sketching together or sharing on Instagram so special. The only rule is that there were no rules: if you could dream it up, it could go in your sketchbook.”

The Princeton Sketchbook Club not only drew participation from its hometown and namesake, but attracted novice and professional artists from as far as Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and California. Locals, however, had an added bonus: the ACP welcomed sketchers for twice-monthly “Sketch-In” opportunities, social gatherings where club members chatted while working on their books and sharing materials and inspiration.

Area Exhibits

Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Colony / Dor Geuz” through February 12. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Metamorphosis” through March 31. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. lambertvillearts. com.

Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “You Belong Here: Place, People, and Purpose in Latinx Photography” February 11 through May 7. artmuseum. princeton.edu.

Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “What Remains” and “Painting Women: Variations on a Theme” through February 4. artscouncilofprinceton.org.

has “Nightforms: Infinite Wave” by Kip Collective through April 2, among other exhibits. Timed tickets required. groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery,” “Princeton’s Portrait,” and other exhibits. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m., Thursday to 7 p.m. princetonhistory.org

Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “(re) Frame: Community Perspectives on the Michener Art Collection” through March 5, and “Walé Oyéjidé: Flight of the Dreamer” through April 23. michenerartmuseum.org

D&R Greenway Land Trust Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, has “Land, Light, Spirit” through March 10 in the Marie L. Matthews Gallery. drgreenway.org.

ACP to Host Princeton

Sketchbook Club Celebration

In September 2022, the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) announced a community-wide project that would supply blank 5”x8” sketchbooks to anyone interested in participating in a new artistic endeavor, the Princeton Sketchbook Club. By mid-December, 300 sketchbooks were picked

variety and inspiring display of the creative community.

PRINCETON SKETCHBOOK CLUB: ACP’s Princeton Sketchbook Club Library showcases hundreds of diverse sketchbooks completed by local and nationwide participants. The public is invited to an opening celebration on Saturday, February 11 from 3-5 p.m. up by locals and sent across the country to be filled with doodles, poetry, collage, or whichever medium the recipient chose to fill its pages.

On Saturday, February 11 from 3-5 p.m., the entire collection of sketchbooks will be displayed together for the first time in a new Sketchbook Library at the Arts Council. The public is invited to peruse the

Like many ACP projects, the Sketchbook Club was open to artists of all ages and skill levels.

“Folks were writing to tell us that the Sketchbook Club was their first foray into making art, or that it was a welcome return to a forgotten practice,” said Sketchbook Club

“A core group of participants met regularly and formed the most fun connection,” said Kuscin. “You’d never know they all met just weeks before and were tethered just by this new project. Jokes, baked goods, and artmaking tips and tricks were shared; now, the group will continue to get together and make art after the Sketchbook Club culminates. That’s the dream when you begin such a project.”

The Princeton Sketchbook Club Library is on view in the Arts Council’s Solley Lobby Gallery beginning February 11. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Ellarslie, Trenton’s City Museum in Cadwalader Park, Parkside Avenue, has “Curated by Trenton” through February. ellarslie.org.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography, 14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, has “2023 Juried Exhibit” through February 5. Gallery14.org.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23A-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has “Princeton High School Emerging Artists Showcase 2023” through February 26. cranburyartscouncil.org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton,

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Ma Bell: The Mother of Invention in New Jersey” through March 5 and the online exhibits “Slavery at Morven,” “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761–1898,” and others. morven.org.

Phillips’ Mill, 2619 River Road, New Hope, Pa., has “10 th Annual Youth Art Exhibition” through February 19. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. phillipsmill.org.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has “Princeton Makes: Artist Collective” through February 7. “Zarina Morgan” is at the 254 Nassau Street location through February 7. smallworldcoffee.com.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Manifesting Beloved Community” through March 4. westwindsorarts.org.

Mark Your Calendar Town Topics

Wednesday, February 1

7:30 p.m.: Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato’s “EDEN,” at Richardson Auditorium. With the ensemble Pomo D’Oro and the Princeton Girlchoir. $15-$75. Puc. princeton.edu.

8-10:30 p.m.: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance; Michael Karcher with PPEG. $15. At Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, February 2 10 a.m.: The 55-Plus Club of Princeton will meet via Zoom. Michael Walzer, professor emeritus of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, will speak on “Toleration and its Discontents.” Free, with a suggested $5 donation. Princetonol. com/groups/55plus.

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber monthly membership luncheon, at Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, 100 College Road East. James Howard, lecturer, design historian, industrial designer/inventor is the speaker. Princetonmercer.org.

3-5 p.m.: The film Get Out is screened at Mercer County Community College, in Room CM 108, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Followed by a “film and chat” session. Free. Mccc.edu.

7 p.m.: “Vintage Valentine’s Day Postcards,” virtual event presented by Mercer County Library System. David Burchell is the lecturer. Email hopeprogs@mcl.org to register.

7 p.m.: Journalist Nate Schweber discusses his book This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wor ld, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Free. Princetonlibrary. org.

Friday, February 3

4:30 p.m.: Geraldine Parsons of the University of Glasgow presents “The Quiet Girls of Early Ireland: Women in Medieval Irish Literature,” at James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street. Free. Sponsored by Princeton University Lewis Center’s Fund for Irish Studies. Fis.princeton.edu.

Saturday, February 4

9 a.m.- 4 p.m.: “Melanin Market” is at the James Kerney campus of Mercer County Community College at 102 South Broad Street in Trenton. BIPOC entrepreneurs from across Mercer County will sell products. Mccc.edu.

9:30-11 a.m.: “The Race for 6G Wireless: The Challenges and Opportunities

Ahead.” With Yasaman Ghasempour, assistant professor of electrical and computing engineering at Princeton University. Held at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab as part of the Science on Saturday lecture series. 100 Stellarator Road. Coffee and donuts at 8:30 a.m. Pppl.gov.

10 a.m.: Read and Explore: Animal Tracks. At Terhune Orchards, 330

Cold Soil Road. Kids read books about animals in winter, make bird feeders, and visit farm animals if weather permits. $12. Register at ter huneorchards.com.

10 a.m. and 12 p.m.:

“Queen Nur: Milk and Cookies Music and Sto rytelling Series,”

Theatre Studio, State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Av enue, New Brunswick. Inter active storytelling accompa nied by jazz drummer Dwight James. $5. Stnj.org.

12-5 p.m.: Winery Week end Music Series Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, s’mores, hot cocoa kits, light bites, and music from 1-4 p.m. Terhuneorchards.com.

12:45-3 p.m.: Lunar New Year celebration Plainsboro Public Library, 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. Music, dance, food, art, and more. Plainsborolibrary.org.

8 p.m.: Princeton Sym phony Orchestra at Richardson Auditorium, conducted by Rossen Mila nov, with pianist Inon Barna tan in works by Brahms and Beethoven. $10-$100. Princ etonsymphony.org.

8 p.m.: Guitarist Sean Shibe performs at Wolfensohn Hall, Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive. Live and live-streamed. Ias.edu.

Sunday, February 5

11 a.m.: Grand opening for the dog park in Com munity Park. All members for the governing body will be on hand with their dogs, and refreshments will be served. This event will be held rain or shine.

12-5 p.m.: Winery Week end Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, s’mores, hot cocoa kits, light bites, and music from 1-4 p.m. Terhuneorchards.com.

3 p.m.: The Dryden Ensemble presents “Anna Magdalena Bach: Her Story,” at Princeton Theological Seminary Chapel, 64 Mercer Street. Free. Drydenensemble.org.

3 p.m.: Open Acoustic Jam Session at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. For local musicians; chord charts and lyrics for songs will be provided. Princetonlibrary.org.

3 p.m.: “A Servant at Mrs. Watkins’: Molly Pitcher’s Local Origin,” free program by historian John Fabiano at Crossroads Youth Center, 75 South Main Street, Allentown. Allentownvinj.org.

4 p.m.: Princeton Symphony Orchestra appears at Richardson Auditorium, conducted by Rossen Milanov, with pianist Inon Barnatan in works by Brahms and Beethoven. $10-$100. Princetonsymphony.org.

4 p.m.: Singer/composer Sarah Aroeste presents “Ladino Culture from Yesterday to Today: A Musical Journey,” at The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. for Sephardic food tasting. $12 for members, $18 non-members in advance or $25 at the door. Email info@thejewishcenter.org with questions.

4-5 p.m.: Artist Katelyn Liepins, whose work is on exhibit at Princeton Public Library, will discuss it in the library’s Technology Center. 65 Witherspoon Street. Princ etonlibrary.org.

5-7 p.m.: “Dining and Lovemaking in Pompeii,” talk by University of Pennsyl vania professor Brian Rose at Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street. Free; bring refreshments for post-program reception.

Monday, February 6

5 p.m.: Reading by Dantiel W. Moniz, awardwinning author, at Drapkin Studio, Lewis Center Arts complex, Princeton University. Free. Part of the C.K. Williams Reading Series organized by Princeton’s creative writing students. Arts.princeton.edu.

7 p.m.: Continuing Conversations on Race, Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Doctoral candidate Kristal C. Langford, lecturer of Black studies and psychology at William Paterson University, discusses the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project. Princetonlibrary.org.

Tuesday, February 7

6 p.m.: “Meet Harriet Tubman,” live on Zoom, with Daisy Century portraying Tubman; followed by questionand-answer session. Presented by Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum. Free. Register at ssaamuseum. org/tubman.

Wednesday, February 8

8:30 -9:30 a.m.: Business Before Business, presented by Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber. Virtual networking event. Princetonmercer.org.

11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Black History Month Trivia in the Student Center cafeteria of Mercer County Community College, West Windsor. Free. Mccc.edu.

7 p.m.: “Freedom to All: New Jersey’s African American Civil War Soldiers,” 435 Nassau Street, presented by Mercer County Library System. Author/historian Joseph G. Bilby is the speaker. Email hopeprogs@ mcl.org to register.

7 p.m.: “Jewish Doubt,” a hybrid class sponsored by The Jewish Center Princeton, with Fordham University professor Ayala Fader and Princeton University professor Leora Batnitzky; about Fader’s research in ultra-Orthodox communities focused on those who secretly explored the outside world. Register at bit.ly/ Jewishdoubt.

8-10:30 p.m.: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. $15. Bob Isaacs and Alex Burka with Crossing the Millstone. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, February 9

10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Princeton Farmers Market at the Dinky train station lot. Local farms, baked goods, artisan foods, gifts, and more. Free parking.

3-5 p.m.: The film FruitStation is screened at CM 108 on the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College, followed by a chat. Free. Mccc.edu.

6:45 p.m.: Mercer’s Best Toastmasters Club meets at Lawrence Community Center, 295 Eggerts Crossing Road, Lawrence Township. Free. Mercersbest.toastmastersclubs.org.

7 p.m.: Astrophysicists

Jill Knapp and Neta Bahdiscuss their contributions to the anthology The Sky is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words , with science writer Liz Fuller-Wright at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7:30 p.m.: Pianist Fred Hersch performs “Breath by Breath,” responding to illness through jazz, with Drew Gress on bass, Jochen Ruckert on drums, and the Crosby Street String Quartet, at Richardson Auditorium. Presented by Princeton University Concerts. $10-$40. Concerts. princeton.edu.

Friday, February 10

10 a.m.-2 p.m.: The Hunterdon Çounty Rug Artisans Guild holds its monthly meeting at Raritan Township Police Department, 2 Municipal Drive, Flemington. Guests welcome. Hcrag. com.

5:30-8 p.m., “Galentine’s Day Night Out,” at Princeton MarketFair. Guests receive a gift bag, and there are exclusive shopping experiences. Marketfairshoppes.com.

Saturday, February 11

9 a.m.-12 p.m.: “Generational Wealth Summit” at Kelsey Theatre, on the Mercer County Community College campus in West Windsor. Homebuyer and financial literary workshops.

9:30-11 a.m.: “Dogs and Humans with Williams Syndrome,” with Bridgett von Holdt of Princeton University. Held at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab as part of the Science of Saturday lecture series. 100 Stellarator Road. Coffee and donuts at 8:30 a.m. Pppl.gov.

12-5 p.m.: Wine and Chocolate Wine Trail Weekend at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Partnering with Pierre’s Chocolates of New Hope, Pa. Live music from 1-4 p.m. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 and 4 p.m.: The Maggie Walker Story, a play about the first Black female bank owner, is performed at Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor. Mccc.edu.

7:30-11 p.m.: Princeton Country Dancers presents an English Country dance at Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. $15. With Judi Rivkin. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

8 p.m.: The jazz-funk band Solid Bronze performs at Studio 17, 17 Seminary Avenue, Hopewell. $15. Soulselects.com.

8 p.m.: “For the Love of

It,” jazz concert featuring Camille Thurman with Princeton University’s Jazz Vocal Collective; new collaboration with McCarter Theatre, at the Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place. $15-$25. Mccarter.org.

Sunday, February 12

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Superbowl Sunday Flea Market at Princeton Elks Lodge, 354 Route 518, Skillman. Furniture, kitchen items, antiques, bric-a-brac, art, linen, jewelry, garden items, toys, and more. (609) 921-8972.

12-5 p.m.: Wine and Chocolate Wine Trail Weekend at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Partnering with Pierre’s Chocolates of New Hope, Pa. Live music from 1-4 p.m. Terhuneorchards.com.

4 p.m.: The Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs meets at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, Route 206 at Cherry Hill Road, for a choral reading of Beethoven’s Mass in C. Vocal scores provided $10 (free for students and non-singing guests). Musicalamateurs.org.

Monday, February 13 Recycling

4:30-6 p.m.: “Meet the Superintendent” in the lobby of Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Parents, students, and community members are invited to meet Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Carol Kelley during open office hours. Princetonlibrary.org.

Tuesday, February 14

7:30-9 p.m.: The Princeton Recorder Society meets on Zoom. For more information, contact jtanne1200@ gmail.com

8 p.m.: The Jersey Tenors perform at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $30-$40. Nbpac.org.

Wednesday, February 15

6:15 p.m.: Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees meeting, in the Community Room unless otherwise noted. 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m.: “The Life of Belle da Costa Greene,” virtual event presented by Mercer County Library System with Princeton University Art Museum docent Jeanne Johnson. Greene was a prominent librarian who worked at Princeton University library and the Pierpont Morgan Library. Email hopeprogs@mcl.org to register.

8-10:30 p.m.: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Jan Alter with Contra Rebels. $15. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, February 16

3-5 p.m.: The Hate You Give is screened in Room CM 108 at Mercer County Community College, followed by a chat. Mccc.edu.

7-8:30 p.m.: Story & Verse Open Mic: Poetry, Storytelling and Spoken

Word, at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. This month’s theme is “Bad Romance,” to be interpreted as broadly as the performer wishes. Hosted by Brass Rabbit. Free. Artscouncilofprinceton. org.

7:30 p.m.: Violinist Alexi Kenney presents “Shifting Ground,” with music by Bach and contemporary composers, at Richardson Auditorium. $10$40. Puc.princeton.edu.

8:30 p.m.: “On Being,” performance by the Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Dance at Hearst Theater, Lewis Arts complex, Princeton University campus. Works by seniors Becca Berman and Leah Emmanuel. Free. Arts. princeton.edu.

Friday, February 17

6:30 p.m.: Thomas Edison Film Festival, sponsored by Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street. Screening followed by question-and-answer session. Free. Arts.princeton.edu.

7 p.m.: Celebrate Mardi Gras at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Area musicians perform during the “My Big, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras Party,” after-hours multimedia celebration of the music and spirit of New Orleans. Princetonlibrary.org.

7:30 p.m.: Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine. With conductor Theodore Kuchar and pianist Oksana Rapita in works by Stankovych, Grieg, and Beethoven at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $17.50-$70. Stnj.org.

8 p.m.: The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Multi-instrumentalist Moira Smiley at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, and livestreamed over YouTube. $5-$25. Princetonfolk.org.

8 and 9 p.m.: “Disorder,” immersive theatrical installation presented by Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Theater at the Wallace Theater, Lewis Arts complex, Princeton University. Free; advance registration required. Arts.princeton.edu.

8:30 p.m.: “On Being,” performance by the Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Dance at Hearst Theater, Lewis Arts complex, Princeton University campus. Works by seniors Becca Berman and Leah Emmanuel. Free. Arts. princeton.edu.

Saturday, February 18

9:30-11 a.m.: “Saving the Sonorine: An Early 20th Century Form of Voice Mail.” Held at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab as part of the Science on Saturday lecture series. 100 Stellarator Road. Coffee and donuts at 8:30 a.m. Pppl.gov.

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Wuthering Heights Community Read-Aloud at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, in advance of the presentation Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights at McCarter Theatre. Register to participate at Princetonlibrary.org.

Annie Hung-Scanga, Owner of Atlantis Accounting, Guides Clients with Her Expert Financial Service

Peace of mind. Who doesn’t wish for such a welcome state of well-being?

Every era, every age faces its own challenges, but right now, we seem to have our full share. Turmoil throughout the world, including severe political division right here at home; cultural unrest; climate change with its extreme weather patterns; uneasiness about new technology and where it is leading us; cost of living increases; growing disparities between rich and poor — the list goes on.

math teacher. She came to the U.S. in the early 1990s to study, earning an MBA at the University of BuffaloSUNY, and was also certified as a CPA.

After time working for Arthur Andersen & Co. in Taipei, and later, at Bristol Myers Squibb in New York City, she decided to open her own accounting firm in Princeton.

Many Factors

“I liked the idea of having my own business,” she explains. “I could focus on what I wanted to do and the way I wanted to help people.”

She takes a very individual approach with each client, who can be of any age and at different stages of financial health. There are many factors to consider, she points out.

each client’s financial situation, and what they hope to achieve. What is their age, their current financial status, health concerns?

“Also, they may have a retail property, or a consulting business on the side. Some people started their own business during COVID. These are all factors in their financial planning and their tax situation.”

The Sooner, the Better Hung-Scanga will be very busy as the tax season gets underway. Tax preparation and planning are specialties for her, and she notes that the sooner people get their tax information in order, the better.

help determine your new tax position.”

Small business consulting is another service Atlantis offers, and as Hung-Scanga reports, “Providing financial information to our clients in the most timely and accurate manner is a commitment that we feel cannot be compromised. Meaningful, well-organized financial records ensure that your business operation will run more efficiently on a daily basis. Our firm provides a full range of cost-effective accounting services for you.

“Our goal is to assist small business owners to identify the most tax advantageous way of saving for their retirement and to fund their children’s education.”

Side By Side

And the personal financial troubles. Waking up in the middle of the night worrying about feeding the family, paying the rent, having enough resources to send the children to college, trying to save money before retirement — these are concerns that torment many people today.

Personalized Service

Annie Hung-Scanga, CPA, MBA, CKA, owner and managing member of Atlantis Accounting, located at 116 Village Boulevard in Princeton Forrestal Village, is fully aware of these concerns. It is her mission to help guide her clients to a more comfortable, secure financial situation, and try to relieve them of some of these anxieties.

Atlantis Accounting provides a wide range of professional accounting services and financial planning for its clients. “Because our firm is relatively small, our clients benefit by getting personalized, quality service,” explains Hung-Scanga.

“As a certified public accountant, I bring advanced accounting skills to the table, so my goal is always to personally help my clients plan wisely, and to effectively implement the best possible strategies in each situation.

“I want to help hard-working individuals, families, and small businesses put their finances in order by preparing a personalized financial plan; laying out possible tax-saving strategies; and preparing timely, accurate tax returns.”

A native of Taiwan, HungScanga grew up surrounded by the world of mathematics. Her mother was an accountant and her father a

“What stage of life are they in? What is their earning potential? What are their savings? Do they have an emergency reserve? What are their goals? Setting up a college fund? Retirement planning? Estate planning? Do they have a mortgage? Are they getting Social Security?

“So many older people are worried about running out of money, and I want to help them with that. I give advice to each client suitable to their individual situation.”

Honest communication with her clients is crucial to a good working relationship, she adds. “We need to have an open discussion about

“My clients generally have complicated tax returns, and they do rely on my expertise and long experience. It is also important to keep up with the changing rules and regulations for taxes, and I use professional software programs that help to keep me informed.

“I am careful to ask questions in order to seek the maximum tax deductions that our clients are entitled to; on the other hand, if you owe a large sum of taxes, we can help you to figure out a payment plan. We compare your tax situation with previous years to ensure that we cover all ground.”

“Also,” she continues, “if your tax situation changes dramatically due to life’s changing events, such as winning the lottery, marriage, divorce, loss of a spouse, etc., we are here to

We Buy Books

Estate planning and related taxes are another important feature of Atlantis Accounting’s work, explains Hung-Scanga. “The estate tax is a tax on your right to transfer property at the time of your death. It consists of an accounting of everything you own or have an interest in at the date of death.

“Estate taxes and planning are complicated,” she adds. “You really need an experienced estate tax professional to help you understand how to develop your own unique estate plan. And although we are not attorneys, we will work side by side with your estate planning attorneys.”

In addition, regarding estate planning, Hung-Scanga reports that it is not unusual for people to remember their animal companions at this time. “Pets are very important to people. Some clients set up special plans

POSITIVE PLANNING: “My main purpose is to guide my clients to a positive financial outcome. For each client, I set up a personalized plan, and together, we revise it every year. With my experience, I try to help them achieve their goals.” Annie Hung-Scanga, CPA, MBA, CKA, owner and managing member of Atlantis Accounting, specializes in tax preparation, tax and financial planning, small business consulting, estate planning, and trusts. She looks forward to introducing new clients to her services.

for their pet in their estate planning. This can include cats and dogs, as well as horses or other animals.”

She points out that her clients, many of whom have been with her for many years, are not only from Princeton, but statewide in New Jersey, as well as many areas in New York, including Manhattan.

“Also, clients may have moved to Florida or other places, or have second homes,” she says. “With the technology of today, I can really work with clients anywhere.

“I enjoy meeting different people from different professions and backgrounds. I like the challenge of the work and finding the best suitable plan for each client.

“I also help people who may have had an unsuccessful experience with a previous financial planner or tax consultant, who are looking for personalized service from someone they can count on. I always respond promptly to questions from clients and try to find the best suitable answers for them.

“I look forward to introducing myself to more people in the community, helping them get their finances in order, and achieving that all-important peace of mind.”

For more information and to make an appointment, call (609) 910-2600 or visit the website at atlantiscpa.com.

—Jean Stratton

609.258.9220 | puc.princeton.edu

JAMES A. MOFFETT ’29 LECTURES IN ETHICS

S ports

With Nweke Emerging as a Force Off the Bench, PU Women’s Hoops Routs Yale for 6th Straight Win

Chet Nweke has had to adjust to become a strong contributor for the Princeton University women’s basketball team.

After the Ivy League did not have a season in her first collegiate year 202021, Nweke played in every game of her sophomore season. She picked up the importance of being fully engaged defensively for Princeton head coach Carla Berube and the nuances of the offensive end in college. She did that while moving from starting the season at guard to playing a forward role. And for the first time that she could remember in her entire playing career, she came off the bench.

“ I never did that before Princeton,” said the 6’0 Nweke, who was a fouryear starter at Stone Ridge School in Bethesda, Md. “ I knew coming in, when you go to a school that ’s the No. 1 team in the Ivy League, everybody is coming from the best. You ’ re playing college basketball and everyone was the best player on their respective teams. You’re not going to college and playing with people that weren ’t really that good in high school. That ’s just the way college basketball is.”

Nweke returned for her junior season this year, and is again coming off the bench. But she’s having a greater impact for the Tigers, playing more minutes, and her statistics are up across the board.

“ Chet brings a lot of great energy,” said Berube. “ She’s very athletic. She’s got great bounce to her. She also works really, really hard. She ’s tough to box out so she ’s a great offensive rebounder, a great defensive rebounder, she runs the floor really well. She has great balance inside. She ’ s able to jump and grab a pass but then get herself set to be able to finish inside and she did that (Saturday) really, really well. She ’s long and athletic, the type of player that excels in our defense. She’s been a great lift off the bench for us.”

Nweke had a career-high 10 points and grabbed fi ve rebounds as the Tigers earned a 79-30 win over Yale

on Saturday at Jadwin Gym. Yale came into the game with just two losses in Ivy play. Princeton improved to 14-5 overall, 5-2 in the Ivies to sit tied for second place with Harvard and Penn at the halfway point of the season. The Tigers play at Cornell on February 3 and at fi rstplace Columbia (6-1 Ivy) a day later. Princeton has won six straight games – one nonconference game against Hartford and five Ivy games – since losing their first two conference matchups against Harvard and Columbia.

“ After the first two losses, we were all determined to be a lot more focused in practice, knowing that we play the way we practice,” said Nweke. “ Just being a lot more dialed in and focused and taking a lot of pride in our defense. We know we ’ re known for our defense and Coach really emphasizes that a lot every day in practice. We shifted our mindset to be a little bit more focused in working on the little things we know we need to do to be more successful.”

Princeton ’s defense has been stifling in two of its last three wins. It held Penn to 40 points in a 55-40 win on January 16 and held Yale to 30, including just nine points in the first half. Nweke was one of six Princeton players with at least eight points against Yale. Madison St. Rose remained red-hot with 17 points while Kaitlyn Chen chipped in 11 points.

“ We were making a lot of shots, which always helps,” said Nweke, who shot 4-for7 against Yale. “ You can ’t win a game without making more shots than the other team. I think we were dialed in. We had a whole week to prepare for Yale. We knew it wasn ’t going to be an easy game. I think that we were making shots, and talking a lot on the defensive end. Where slip-ups happen is when we ’ re not communicating or not communicating enough.”

Nweke ’s big game further improved her numbers. She is now averaging 4.0 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. She had her second block of the season against Yale and has five steals. She is averaging 12.7 minutes per game, has more than doubled her rebounds per game and is shooting 45 percent after shooting 40 percent a year ago.

“ This year I ’ ve made it my goal to be that energy player off the bench,” said Nweke. “Coach says my role is important coming off the bench and giving a good spark to the team. So I really focused on my ability to rebound the basketball, and offensive rebounding and being able to go back up with it strong — I think that ’s a really crucial part of my game. And seeing the opportunities to rip and drive. Coach always says you ’ re a good driver and you can drive in those lanes whenever I have them.

I ’ m working through what I know I can do and how I can help the team more in every game.”

Nweke has developed each year at Princeton. Last year, she leaned on the leadership of Abby Meyers and Neenah Young, last year ’s senior captains who both had experience coming off the bench in their careers. As a freshman, she valued the chance to work out on campus in the spring semester to get a taste of the Princeton program ’s demands. She has had to shift her mindset since starting her college career in a reserve role.

“

It ’s definitely more of an adaptation because I know that there are certain things that I can ’t really do when I ’ m on the floor,” said Nweke. “ Like I just have to stick to what offense we ’ re running or what my defensive assignment is for the given game. There ’s less room for deviation and I ’ m not used to that. In high school or before that, you can just basically do whatever you want, especially coming from a high school that wasn ’t good really at basketball.”

Nweke isn ’t being asked to carry the load for the Tigers, but Princeton relies on her for energy in a forward off the bench. Though she is only 6’0, she has worked hard to use her strengths to her advantage.

“

She ’s strong and she ’ s athletic and she works hard,” said Berube. “ To be able to defend inside, she just has to use her quickness instead of the length a Paige Morton or Parker Hill has. Grace Stone doesn ’ t have the height either, but she ’s able to be successful defending inside or scoring inside. It ’s about timing and on offense at least keeping the defense on their heels and not letting them know when you ’ re going to shoot and using your pivots well and your fakes well. She has a good feel for it inside.”

Nweke is more confident in her role. She played last year worried about making mistakes that would cost her minutes. Knowing the expectations after going through a season last year has given her a level of comfort.

“ There are certain things that my team needs from me,” said Nweke. “ It may not be scoring 20 points a game, but it ’s affecting the game in a positive way whenever I do get on the court. That ’s what I told myself then and what I continue to tell myself.”

Princeton too continues to focus on developing as a team. The Tigers have looked like a better team in recent weeks since starting the Ivy campaign with two losses, something that Berube says wasn ’t necessarily the worst for the team.

“ We ’ ve had some really good practices recently and I think we ’ re building,” said Berube. “ I think we ’ re getting better with each day. We ’ ve had a couple good defensive games that we ’ ve been really pleased with lately and hopefully we ’ re

BENCH STRENGTH: Princeton University women’s basketball player Chet

going to keep building on. When you ’ re playing well on the defensive end, it usually leads to good things on the offensive end.”

Princeton will look for more good things at both ends when it makes a weekend trip to New York. Cornell comes off a win over Brown and will be playing at home.

“ It ’s a really big road trip,” said Berube. “ It ’ s a tough one because of the

distance from us to Cornell and then Cornell to Columbia. But we ’ ll be ready and ready for the challenge of both games. We have to take care of business on Friday.”

Friday ’s game at Cornell could be a trap game but the Tigers can ’t be caught looking ahead to Columbia.

“ I don ’t think we ’ re taking Friday ’s game any lighter than we would take Saturday ’s game,” said Nweke.

“ We go in with the same mentality to each game that we are going to be the aggressors. I think we need to have a big statement game Friday to be able to carry us throughout that Saturday game. It ’s the Ivy League. There are upsets that happen. Every game is going to be a competitive game. That ’s our mindset right now.”

— Justin Feil

Nweke puts up a shot in a game earlier this year. Last Saturday against visiting Yale, junior forward Nweke tallied 10 points and had five rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench to help Princeton rout the Bulldogs 79-30. The Tigers, now 14-5 overall and 5-2 Ivy League, play at Cornell on February 3 and at Columbia on February 4.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Tiger Men’s Hoops

Defeated at Yale

Tosan Evbuomwan had a strong game in a losing cause as the Princeton University men’s basketball team fell 8765 at Yale last Saturday evening.

Senior star Evbuomwan tallied 15 points with six assists and five rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as Yale went on a 15-0 run midway through the second half to seize momentum on the way to the victory.

The Tigers, now 14-6 overall and 5-2 Ivy League, host Cornell on February 3 and Columbia on February 4.

Tiger Men’s Hockey Falls 6-4 to LIU

Squandering a 3-1 lead early in the second period, the Princeton University men’s hockey team fell 6-4 to LIU last Saturday night.

Nick Seitz, Spencer Kersten, Ian Murphy, and David Jacobs scored the goals for the Tigers as they moved to 10-12 overall.

In upcoming action, Princeton plays at Dartmouth on February 3.

EARLY PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE with Pepper deTuro WOODWINDS ASSOCIATES

Princeton Wrestling Tops Brown 36-6

Earning its first Ivy League victory of the season, the Princeton University wrestling team defeated Brown 36-6 last Saturday at Jadwin Gym.

The Tigers won eight of the 10 bouts in the match as they improved to 2-8 overall and 1-2 Ivy League. Victors for Princeton in the match included Nick Kayal at 125 pounds, Patrick Glory at 133, Ty Whalen at 157, Quincy Monday at 165, Kole Mulhauser at 174, Nate Dugan at 184, Luke Stout at 197, and Travis Stefanik at 285. Princeton wrestles at Cornell and Binghamton on February 4.

Tiger Men’s Track

Wins HYP Meet

Star pole vaulter Sondre

Guttormsen reached new heights as the Princeton University men’s track team rolled to a dominant win at the HYP meet last Saturday at the Gordon Indoor Track in Cambridge, Mass.

Senior Guttormsen flew to personal best of 19’2 in winning the pole vault. His performance is now the new world lead, a new Norwegian indoor record, an Ivy record, and ranks No. 1 in the NCAA this season.

Guttormsen’s leap highlighted a brilliant performance by Princeton as it totaled 159 points to win the meet with Harvard taking second at 107 points and Yale coming in third with 70.

The Princeton women totaled 159 points to finish first with Harvard taking second place with 127 points and Yale coming in third at 70 points.

Victors for Princeton at the meet included Abigail Loveys in the mile, Lily Parris in the 60-meter hurdles, Arianna Smith in the 400, India Weir in the 3,000, Maggie Hock in the 800, Tessa Mudd in the pole vault, and Alexandra Kelly in the triple jump.

Princeton returns to action when it competes in the New Mexico Collegiate Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., from February 3-4.

Tiger Men’s Volleyball

Edged by Ohio State

Ben Harrington and Nyherowo Omene both had big performances as the Princeton University men’s volleyball team fell 3-2 at Ohio State last Friday.

Harrington had 20 kills while Omene had 18 for the Tigers, but it wasn’t enough as the Buckeyes rallied to prevail 25-13, 23-25, 17-25, 25-17, 15-3.

Princeton, now 2-5, hosts Sacred Heart on February 3 and Tusculum on February 4.

Princeton Men’s Squash

Edges Yale 5-4

Pulling out a nail-biter, the No. 3 Princeton University men’s squash team edged Yale 5-4 last Sunday.

men’s swimming and diving team produced a split decision in the annual HYP meet last weekend, defeating Yale 231-122 while falling 181172 to host Harvard.

Princeton senior star Khosla placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200 breast, and 200 individual medley.

In upcoming action, the Tigers will compete in the Ivy League Championships from February 22-25 at the K atherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center in Province, R.I.

PU Women’s Swimming

Splits with Harvard, Yale Splitting in the annual HYP meet last weekend, the Princeton University women’s swimming and diving team topped host Harvard 212-88 but fell 155.50144.5 to Yale.

Nikki Venema and Emily Appleton had big meets for the Tigers as Venema took first in the 100-yard freestyle and took second in the 200 butterfly while Appleton won the 1,000 free and finished second in the 500 free. Star diver Charlotte Martinkus continued her impressive freshman campaign, winning on the 1-meter board.

Princeton, now 8-3 overall and 4-3 Ivy League, will next be in action when it hosts the Ivy League Championships from February 1518 at DeNunzio Pool.

In action on Saturday, the Tigers topped Bucknell on a forfeit, No. 15 UC San Diego 11-10, and No. 22 LIU 17-6. A day later, Princeton topped No. 12 UC Santa

Barbara 10-8 before falling 12-8 to No. 17 Wagner. Princeton competes in the Bucknell Invitational from February 11-12.

Trees and shrubs sleep in winter and so do the parasites. Horticultural oil application now, is safe for the environment and prevents overwintering pests from attacking your trees and shrubs in the spring. The application of horticultural oil on woody plants to control a large variety of pests is not a new practice, but it is one that has not been widely used.

With increasing public awareness to reduce chemical pesticide use, refined horticultural oils provide a safer and more environmentally friendly method of pest management. Oils are effective against a wide range of eggs and immature insects. They degrade quickly following application, are non-toxic to humans and wildlife and fit very nicely into a plant health care (PHC) program.

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Other victors for the Tigers at the meet included: Greg Foster in the long jump, Sebastian Clatworthy in the high jump, Jack Stanley in the mile run, Willam Doyle in the 400-meter dash, Daniel Duncan in the 60, Sam Rodman in the 800, Ibrahim Ayorinde in the 200, and Daniel O’Brien in the 3,000.

Princeton will next be in action when it competes in the New Mexico Collegiate Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., from February 3-4.

PU Women’s Track

Prevails at HYP Event

Displaying its depth, the Princeton University women’s track team prevailed at the HYP meet last Saturday at the Gordon Indoor Track in Cambridge, Mass.

Zain Ahmed provided the decisive point of the match when he posted a 3-2 win at No. 7 as the Tigers improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 Ivy League.

In upcoming action, Princeton has a match at Penn on February 4.

PU Women’s Squash

Tops Yale 8-1

Katherine Glaser and Charlotte Bell remained undefeated on the season as the fourth-ranked Princeton University women’s squash team defeated Yale 8-1 last Sunday.

Glaser prevailed 3-1 at No. 8 and Bell posted a 3-0 win at No. 5 to help the Tigers improve to 6-2 overall and 4-2 Ivy League.

Princeton has a match at Penn on February 4.

Tiger Men’s Swimming

Tops Yale, Falls to Harvard

Raunak Khosla starred as the Princeton University

Tiger Women’s Water Polo Goes 4-1 to Open Season

Getting its season off to a positive start, the 16thranked Princeton University women’s water polo team went 4-1 last weekend at its Princeton Winter Tournament at DeNunzio Pool.

HAT TRICK HEROES: Princeton University women’s hockey player Maggie Connors brings the puck up the ice in recent action. Last Sunday Connors scored three goals to help Princeton rout No. 4 Quinnipiac 11-2. Connors was one of three Tigers to get hat tricks in the win as Jane Kuehl and Sarah Fillier also tallied three goals. Princeton, which moved to 10-11-1 overall and 6-10 ECAC Hockey with the win, plays at Harvard on February 3 and at Dartmouth on February 4.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

HEADING TO HOUSTON: Goalie Grace Barbara gathers in the ball in a 2021 game during her senior season for the Princeton University women’s soccer team. Barbara, a former Princeton Day School standout and All-Ivy League performer for the Tigers, starred this past fall at the University of Arkansas as a grad student, posting a 0.74 goals against average and 11 shutouts to help the Razorbacks advance to the NCAA quarterfinals. Barbara has been invited to the preseason camp of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash. Barbara reported to the Dash on January 28 for the camp which started on January 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PHS Boys’ Swimming Wins 2nd Straight County Title As Baytin Leads the Way with Record-Breaking Effort

Carly Misiewicz sensed that her Princeton High boys’ swimming team was primed for a big performance at the Mercer County Swimming Championships when it met on Friday before the preliminary round of the competition.

“They were really fired up and focused for the prelims; we had our team lunch and our meeting beforehand and I feel like the energy was exactly where it needed to be,” said PHS head coach Misiewicz, whose boys’ squad was going for its second straight county title. “I see that as a fine line of cocky and confidence. Going off the regular season record (12-0), there are a lot of expectations and a lot of hopes but you never know. Anything could happen at the county meet. It is a very different situation.”

After a superb performance in the prelims Friday evening, the Tigers wasted no time dominating on Saturday at the WW/P-North pool, winning three of the first four events.

PHS went on to roll to its second straight county crown, scoring 312 points to take first with Notre Dame scoring 171 in taking second.

Saving his best for last, senior standout Daniel Baytin was named the boys’ Most Valuable Swimmer at the meet, placing first in both the 50-meter freestyle and 100 breaststroke. He set a meet record in the breaststroke with his time of 1:03.84 in the preliminary round.

“I was just really excited for Dan, it is something he really worked for; I think he felt a little disappointed that he didn’t get it last year,” said Misiewicz, referring to the MVS honor. “He annihilated the old county record in the breaststroke by almost two seconds in prelims. His time in finals (1:05.28) would have actually broken the record as well. He also had a great 50 free.”

In addition to piling up points for the Tigers, Baytin has had a great influence on his teammates over the years.

“Daniel is such an incredibly talented athlete,” said Misiewicz. “It has been great just being able to watch him grow and mature and develop over the last four years, not only as an athlete but as a person. He really, really loves Princeton High School swimming. Someone who is as talented as him could easily just make it, ‘OK, I just want to pad my resume.’ He truly, truly loves the high school team and the kids love him. Everybody on the team looks up to him as a motivator.”

PHS got some other great swims last Saturday as sophomore David Xu won the 200 individual medley and took second in the 100 butterfly while his twin, Jaiden, placed second in the 200 IM. Sophomore David Brophy took second in the 200 free, sophomore Daniel Guo took second in the 100 free and fourth in the 200 free, and senior Julian Velazquez placed fifth in the 200 free

and sixth in 100 fly.

“David Xu did phenomenal as well, he wasn’t super thrilled with his prelim swims; he felt that he underperformed,” said Misiewicz.

“To see his mentality change from one day to the next, he was so in the zone and so ready to go and to win the 200 IM and battle his twin brother. Jaiden had an awesome swim as well, he swam so well. David Brophy’s 200 free was something that stood out for sure, getting second place as a sophomore, and Daniel Guo took fourth. Julian, as a senior, always steps up, he got top six in both of his events.”

Misiewicz was not surprised to see her boys’ squad step up and earn the title repeat, given its special camaraderie.

“With this group of kids, there is something special — they really mesh so well with each other,” said Misiewicz. “It is so easy to be competitive with each other when you are on club and the different teams that you swim for. You want to get this time, you want that time, and it can be who wants to be on this relay, who wants to be on that relay. I changed relays from prelims to finals and I told the guys that too. I said listen depending on how we swim on Friday will determine who our relays will be because I will go with who the top 4 swimmers are. They all understood that.”

With PHS having fallen just short of a state title last winter, losing to Chatham in

DAN THE MAN: Princeton High boys’ swimmer Daniel Baytin flies through the breaststroke leg of the 200-meter medley last Saturday at the Mercer County Swimming Championships. Senior star Baytin placed first in both the 50-meter freestyle and the 100 breaststroke races to help PHS earn its second straight team title at the competition. Baytin, who was named the boys’ Most Valuable Swimmer, set a meet record in the breaststroke with his time of 1:03.84 in the preliminary round.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B final, Misiewicz believes that the performance in the county meet has her boys primed for another big state run.

“It allowed us to truly showcase what we are capable of in a competitive fashion, being able to have that prelim/ final situation,” said Misiewicz. “We had an undefeated regular season. That is great, that is awesome, but what else are we capable of? If everything stays the way it is over the next couple of days, we should have a good two weeks off before we have another meet. I think we need that little bit of a break. This sets up really well and gets us more excited and more fired up. We don’t want to come up short again, we don’t want anything like that.”

—Bill Alden

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Displaying Depth, Talent, and Competitive Focus, PHS Girls’ Swimmers Take 2nd Straight County Crown

It would have been easy for the Princeton High girls’ swimming team to have gotten a little flustered as they dealt with some chaos in the preliminary round of the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Thursday evening.

With the computer at the WW/P-North pool crashing, the competition got started an hour and a half late and didn’t end until 11 p.m.

Yet the PHS swimmers stayed locked in as they started their pursuit of a second straight county crown.

“It was tough; you warm up, you get changed, you get ready, you are mentally ready to get started and then they had no idea when they were going to start,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz. “Seeing how quickly we were able to turn around and get our focus and start up with a bang in the 200 medley relay speaks volumes to what the girls are capable of. I was so impressed with what happened on Thursday.”

In the fi nals on Saturday, PHS started with a bang, taking first in the 200 medley relay, edging runner-up Robbinsville by 0.58 seconds.

“We knew we were going to be pushed by Robbinsville, they have a very talented group of girls as well,” said Misiewicz. “It was going to be a great race. We were going to push them, they were going to push us. That is what it is all about, being able to have that competitiveness and ultimately to be the ones that come out on top.”

That win set the tone as PHS came out on top, cruising to the title repeat, piling up 345 points to place fi rst to more than double the 168 scored by runner-up Pennington.

Junior Kyleigh Tangen helped PHS take control of

the meet as she won both the 100 and 50 freestyle races early in the program.

“She definitely wanted to repeat in the 100,” said Misiewicz, nothing that Tangen won that race in the 2022 county meet. “She is just such a competitor and such an athlete. If I had told her she was going to swim the 200 and 500 free, she would be like, ‘OK.’ I do think she thrives in the sprints and the shorter distances more than in the 500.”

Another key competitor for PHS, junior Lauren Girouard, placed first in the 100 backstroke and third in the 100 butterfly.

“Lauren had such a big day, she was on our medley relay and was a crucial part that kept us in that race in that butterfly leg,” said Misiewicz. “She has just improved exponentially from her freshman year to this year. She is really coming into her own. I entered her in backstroke and she said, ‘I haven’t really been training too much in backstroke.’ We joked about it afterward, saying how is that for not training that much.”

Senior Annie Zhao displayed her improvement, winning the 100 breaststroke and taking second in the 100 free.

“Annie is having a great senior year,” said Misiewicz. “Kyleigh and her going 1-2 in that 100 freestyle was great, it really was a matter of who wanted it more. That was a huge part of the meet for us to go 1-2-3.”

PHS also got some great swims at the country meet from freshman Annie Flanagan, freshman Nia Zagar, junior Jesse Wang, and senior Beatrice Cai.

“For Annie to come second in the 200 free and third in the 100 free as a freshman, she is just such a

well-rounded athlete,” said Miseiwicz. “I can put her in the backstroke, the 500, and in the sprints. She was in our 200 and 400 free relays as well. I am very, very happy that we have her for three more years. Nia was in the top five in both of her events (third in 100 breast, fifth in 200 IM), as a freshman that is huge. Jesse and Beatrice did well. Jesse was second in the 100 back and second in the 400 free; Beatrice was fourth in the 100 fly and third in the 200 free.”

In reflecting on the girls earning their second straight county crown, Misiewicz believed they benefit from a synergy with the boys squad, which also repeated as county champions.

“I could not be more impressed and more proud of the entire team,” said Misiewicz. “They just get along with each other so well. The guys feed off of the girls and the girls feed off of the boys. We all swam well in prelims and stuff. When we are together as a team, I feel like we are unstoppable.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming state tournament, Misiewicz believes that her girl swimmers have a chip on their shoulder after falling to Summit in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North 2 Group B sectional semis last season.

“The girls are ready for a solid state run, they are coming in with a vengeance,” said Misiewicz, whose team has a 10-0 record in dual meet competition this season. “This talk has been happening with the girls before the season even started. They have been hoping to overcome that loss against Summit and to say, ‘OK we are ready to show that Princeton is a force to be reckoned with.’”

— Bill Alden

SENIOR MOMENT: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Annie Zhao heads to a first-place finish in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Saturday at WW/P-North. Senior Zhao, who also took second in the 100 freestyle, helped PHS win its second straight team title at the competition. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Highlighted by 2nd Straight Title from Sophomore Rose, PHS Wrestling Takes 2nd at MCT in Historic Performance

Cole Rose would like to become the second Princeton High wrestler to win four Mercer County Tournament titles.

The sophomore took a step in that direction when he captured his second county crown in as many years. Rose followed up his 106 title from a year ago with a 5-0 win over Luke Caldwell of Hopewell Valley in the 120-pound final Saturday at the championships hosted by Robbinsville.

“I think it’s really great because in middle school when I wrestled I lost to a lot of kids that I wrestle now and I beat,” said Rose, who also beat Caldwell last year at 106 for his first title. “It’s just been a change. I really like it. My goal is to win four in a row. I think Alec Bobchin did it before. I’m trying to compete with him and tie his record.”

Rose was one of two individual champions for PHS. Blasé Mele, who missed last year’s county meet due to injury, earned his first MCT title when the PHS sophomore pinned Steinert’s Devin Liriano in 1:09 for the 132-pound championship. Mele reached the state championships as a freshman last year.

“To come back this year and be healthy and to get that title means a little bit to him,” said PHS head coach Jess Monzo, whose team placed second in the MCT team standings with 164.5 points behind champion Hopewell Valley (216 points) and just ahead of third place Robbinsville (163), giving the Tigers their highest-ever finish in the competition.

“But with what he did last year and how the season ended, there’s definitely other things on his mind. Not saying the counties are obsolete but we’re looking towards districts and regions titles, state medals, state titles.”

PHS also scored big with another pair of finalists. Marty Brophy took second at 138 in his senior season. The top seed had wanted to go out with a crown, but can refocus for districts on a title.

“We felt he was wrestling really well,” said Monzo of Brophy. “He looked really good in his first couple matches going in. We’re in the finals and he took two really good shots and got the legs and just wasn’t able to finish. The second finish the kid hit a nice cutback and caught us on our back. It’s a little devastating. I’m a little heartbroken for Marty

because I think that title eluded him.”

Chase Hamerschlag gave the Tigers another budding star as the freshman earned a second-place finish at 165 pounds.

“Chase Hamerschlag wrestled terrific,” said Monzo. “He’s starting to really come out of his shell. He was a little heartbroken in the finals, I don’t think that was the match we were looking for. It just got away from him a bit early and we couldn’t come back.”

Atticus Ayres placed third at 113 pounds, Christian Paul was third at 157 pounds and Jordy Paredes came away with fourth at 175 pounds. Tyler Ehee was sixth at 126 pounds. Every point mattered for the Tigers as they eked out the runnerup spot over Robbinsville.

“I thought it was great,” said Rose. “We beat Robbinsville and we haven’t beaten them in a long, long time. Our team has grown throughout the years. With our middle weights and pretty good wrestlers that are outside of that little circle, I think our team is built pretty well. We dominated a couple teams, but we’ve also had some times where we could have done better. As a team, we’ve definitely improved a lot but we still have things to perfect.”

Rose was happy to be able to contribute winning points to the Princeton total. He has been working hard to adjust to the challenges of a new weight class. He has bumped up to 120 pounds, though he’s still light enough to consider wrestling at 113 pounds by the end of the season.

“The weight difference has been a lot,” said Rose. “Wrestling kids at 106, there were a lot of kids smaller than me. The weight difference was a lot bigger. There are kids that are more my weight in this one. A lot of kids are cutting down from 126 or some kids went down to 113 from 120. At 106, I would be wrestling kids that were 100 pounds. It’s just different.”

The effect of the move up is that Rose will have more competition. He has to approach matches a little differently than a year ago.

“My coach was telling me I can’t use pure muscle like I did before,” said Rose. “I had to work on my form. It’s definitely a lot different. When I was at 106 and the kids would be smaller than me, I would just barrel through them and I would just use my strength against

them. This year it’s different and I have to use more technique than I did before. I have to get in the room and keep drilling things that will help me and perfect my technique.”

Rose has some strong evidence to back up his moves. He has put together a 22-5 start to the season that continues Saturday as PHS looks to lock up its Colonial Valley Conference division title in a quad with Ewing, Lawrence, and Hamilton while its wrestlers look to build on their county success.

“I feel pretty good,” said Rose. “My record is OK how it is right now. I think for districts it’ll be tough, but once I make it out of districts, making it to states is a good possibility for me. My goal is just to make it to states and do well.”

Rose has been able to build on last year’s success and the challenge of wrestling more evenly matched opponents has driven him to keep developing his technique. Moving up is not

something that every wrestler handles well, but Rose has remained as successful in his heavier class.

“He was big. He was strong. Now coming up two weight classes and putting on 14-15 pounds, and still being able to perform at that level is terrifi c,” said Monzo. “We wrestled the kid in the fi nals earlier in the season. We beat the kid up and ended up pinning him in the first period. So we knew we were better, but we knew also that we can’t rely on past results and we can’t rely on paper to say we were going to win. That kid came out there knowing he had to change up his game plan a bit. And he did. He wrestled Cole to a 5-0 match, so kudos to Luke Caldwell from Hopewell, he wrestled a great match. He tried to keep it close and we were just able to fi nish on a couple shots and solidify the win.”

Rose never felt overly threatened in the final. His familiarity with his opponent helped, and he did everything that he had to for his second county title.

“I controlled the whole match pretty easily,” said Rose. “He didn’t score any points on me. I just con-

trolled the whole match. On bottom, I escaped pretty easily and then I took him back down. On bottom, he just knew how to defend what I did. He knew when he was on his belly, I couldn’t tilt or anything. I think I practiced more on bottom and how to defend my stuff rather than how to escape and score points.”

Rose’s strength has helped him regardless of whom he competes against. Having last year’s experiences has given him confidence as well. The combination has made him tough to beat.

“It’s really Cole’s strength,” said Monzo. “He’s got leverage. He’s a little lanky at times. He has that height and that length leverage that really helps. He is incredibly strong for his size and weight. He lifts all the time. He lifts when he’s in school. He’s not afraid to touch the weights and it really shows.”

Rose and his PHS teammates now focus on improving more as they head into the most important part of the season. The county meet kicks off the championship portion with districts looming ahead after they finish off the CVC season.

“We have to take everything one day at a time and keep moving forward,” said Monzo, whose team has a 14-4 overall record in dual meet competition. “We have a couple teams from Mercer County still left on our schedule. Saturday we wrestle Ewing and Lawrence, and both teams had some bright spots over the weekend. Chase wrestled a guy from Lawrence in the finals so it’ll be nice to get a crack at that kid and hopefully get a better match. And then we have one more weekend and it’s districts. It’s time to start buckling down and maybe using a little bit of unfortunate mishaps as motivational tools for the future.”

The Tigers have plenty to build on after coming in second in the county meet and earning a pair of individual titles. They can’t rest on those accomplishments with big goals ahead.

“Do well in our last couple meets, keep our record good,” said Rose. “I think we’re CVC champs. As a team we’re looking to keep wrestling with the same aggressiveness that we have been and stay strong.”

— Justin Feil

COLE POWER: Princeton High wrestler Cole Rose, bottom, battles a foe in a match last season. Last Saturday, sophomore Rose placed first at 120 pounds at the Mercer County Tournament at Robbinsville High. Rose’s heroics helped PHS finish second in the team standings at the MCT behind champion Hopewell Valley.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Owen J. Roberts/SpringFord (Pa.) 3-0 last Friday.

“She has been a really big player for us this year.”

The combination of sophomore Knox and junior Logan Harrison has given the Panthers a good one-two punch offensively.

“Eibhleann is consistent with the scoring and Logan supports that line,” said DeSimone. “Between the two of them, they are generating the chances.”

As PDS heads into the home stretch of the season, DeSimone is looking for her player to concentrate on cashing in on the opportunities that they generate and show intensity from the opening face-off.

“We need to focus on the scoring chances, I do think we have improved with that as the season has gone on,” said DeSimone, whose team fell 3-1 to Morristown-Beard last Monday in a rematch and plays at Trinity Hall on February 3 before hosting Oak Knoll on February 6.

“Just putting pucks on net is something that we need to continue to do. I think also working hard right out of the gate, starting the game with that momentum, and being the ones that are driving the energy as opposed to catching up to it.”

—Bill Alden

Entering into Partnership with FC Bayern Munich, Princeton FC Enhancing Experience for its Players

Over the years, Yordan Hristov has developed a deep affinity for the German soccer powerhouse FC Bayern Munich.

“My wife’s parents live in Bavaria near Munich and we are familiar with the surroundings and the area,” said Hristov, the director of coaching for the Princeton FC soccer organization.

“Every time we go there, we are in love with the place. We have been following FC Bayern for years. We always dreamed of establishing a professional relationship and connect our players with Bayern Munich.”

The founder of Princeton FC and its executive director, Stoyan Pumpalov, has long had aspirations of linking up with an international soccer power.

“Since I built the club, I always wanted to get connected with a big team in Europe,” said Pumpalov.

“We tried with some British clubs. We tried with PSG (Paris Saint-Germain Football Club) and we were very close.”

The dreams of both men have come true as Princeton FC and FC Bayern Munich recently reached an agreement for an official collaboration and partnership effective from January 1, 2023.

The agreement provides the Princeton FC players exclusive exposure to FC Bayern Munich’s player development model and curriculums, FC Bayern summer camps in Princeton, annual visits to Munich and

being trained by FC Bayern coaches, and attending a first-team game, among other things.

In addition, the Princeton FC coaches will gain access to FC Bayern’s existing and developing player development plans and curriculums, participate in monthly conference calls with FC Bayern Academy coaching staff, visit Munich as guests of the Academy, see their methodology in action, and get certified by FC Bayern.

The partnership is the product of a process that actually started in 2019.

The clubs connected via Zoom during the pandemic to discuss the possibility of a collaboration. Things were put on hold due to issues related to the pandemic and changes in Bayern Munich’s management team.

But last fall, talks resumed and the clubs were able to close a deal.

“We were patient with the whole process,” said Hristov. “Everything came to fruition. We resumed the meetings with a little bit more regularity and a little bit more certainty about what we would like to see happen and what they are looking for.”

Seeing things come to fruition meant a lot to Hristov.

“We were thrilled about how we were able to really fulfill our mission to provide the best possible youth soccer experience for our players,” asserted Hristov. “We all believe it can’t get any better than that. This is

exactly what we are trying to provide our players.”

For its part, the German club is looking forward to working with the U.S. club.

“FC Bayern is excited to welcome Princeton FC as an official Partner club here in the U.S.,” said FC Bayern Munich’s North America Development Manager Robert Peltram in a release announcing the partnership.

“We are convinced that our collaboration will have a positive impact on the athletes and the sport in the community.”

Pumpalov sees plenty of positives in the partnership.

“This is very exciting for everybody, the players and coaches,” said Pumpalov, noting that Princeton FC is the only exclusive partner with Bayern Munich in the northeast. “I hope everybody will take full advantage of the opportunity. Working with FC Bayern Munich will tremendously benefit our club. We will have the opportunity to continuously develop our players and coaches through new and innovative soccer methodologies.”

In addition, local players will have the opportunity to impress Bayern Munich, which was founded in 1900 and is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 32 national titles, including 10 consecutively since 2013, and 20 national cups, along with six UEFA Champions League titles.

“Another exciting thing is

that we are starting a tournament through Bayern Munich tournament tours,” added Pumpalov, noting that the event is slated for late June. “The scouts from Bayern Munich will be here to observe the games and eventually pick out players that they like and invite them to their academy.”

Looking ahead to working with Bayern Munich, Pumpalov acknowledges that there will be a learning curve.

“I am curious as to exactly what kind of new things we are going to learn,” says Pumpalov. “At the same time, we are not about to go copy and paste. We have to see if the things that they are doing are going to work for us. If there is something that you see and you like, it has to work for our players as well because their players might be more trained than ours. All of those type of things we have to figure out.”

In the view of Pumpalov, applying things learned from the German club to Princeton FC’s younger players is a key to the arrangement.

“If we start going what they

are doing at the younger age groups, then everything will be much easier,” said Pumpalov, who founded Princeton FC in 2007 and has helped guide the club to seven State, three Regional, and two National titles. “This is a most exciting part.”

Hristov is excited about the development piece across the board.

“It involves every age group, every level, boys and girls; it is for everybody,” said Hristov, noting that Bayern Munich has developed a strong girls’ academy and women’s team to go along with its storied boys’ and men’s programs.

“That is what we asked for, that is what we wanted. We made it clear from the beginning that we are an all inclusive club. We are based here in Princeton and we are focused on our community. We would like to present and provide our community with the best possible experience that they could have for all of our players, regardless of skill level and gender. One of the things that really fortified this relationship is that they

are also willing to do something like that.”

For Hristov, the relationship with Bayern Munich should prove to be inspiring on many levels.

“I would have to say that everybody who is in love with the game dreams that they will be able to be part of something big,” said Hristov.

“FC Bayern Munch is a German record holder, it is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is like a dream come true for our staff to be able learn from FC Bayern Munich academy staff and for players to be able to see and interact with the coaches who will be coming here in Princeton. Our players will be able to go there each year to interact and be coached by their staff and go to games. It is a spectrum of events, tailored just for our players.”

—Bill Alden

Think Global Buy Local

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT: Princeton FC Executive Director Stoyan Pumpalov, left, FC Bayern Munich’s North America Development Manager Robert Peltram, center, and Princeton FC Director of Coaching Yordan Hristov are all smiles as they attended the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Annual Convention earlier this year in Philadelphia. Princeton FC and German soccer powerhouse FC Bayern Munich recently reached an agreement for an official collaboration and partnership effective from January 1, 2023. (Photo provided by Yordan Hristov)

now 6-6-3, play at Lawrenceville on February 2 and at Delbarton on February 6 before hosting St. Peter’s Prep on February 7.

and then plays at Mount St. Mary on February 7.

Boys’ Basketball : Mac Kelly scored 26 points but it wasn’t enough as Hun fell 71-65 to the Hill School (Pa.) last Saturday. The Raiders, who moved to 10-8 with the loss, play at Academy of the New Church (Pa.) on February 2, at Solebury School (Pa.) on February 4, and at Perkiomen School (Pa.) on February 7.

Girls’ Basketball : Posting its fourth win in its last five games, Hun defeated St. Benedict’s 52-40 last Monday. The triumph marked the 200th career win for Hun first year head coach Sean Costello, who previously guided the Shipley School (Pa.) girls’ program. The Raiders, now 10-9, host the Pingry School on February 1 and then play at Life Center Academy on February 7.

Boys’ Hockey : Elian Estulin scored both goals for Hun as it fell 8-2 to Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) last Friday. The Raiders, now 8-10, host LaSalle College High (Pa.) on February 1 and then play at St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) on February 3.

Boys’ Swimming : Nick Danko came up big to help Hun place ninth in the team standings at the Mercer County Swimming Championships. Danko placed third in the 200 individual medley.

Hun Lawrenceville

Boys’ Basketball: Pulling out a nail-biter, Lawrenceville edged Life Center Academy 69-68 last Monday. The Big Red, who moved to 8-6 with the win, play at St. Benedict’s on February 1 and at St. Joseph (Metuchen) on February 3.

Girls’ Hockey : Sweeping a two-game set, Lawrenceville defeated the Winchendon School (Mass.) 5-3 last Saturday. A day earlier, the Big Red had defeated Winchendon 7-0. In upcoming action, Lawrenceville, now 10-4-2, plays at the Hill School (Pa.) on February 1.

PDS

Boys’ Basketball : Clicking at both ends of the court, PDS defeated College Achieve Central Charter 52-19 last Monday. The Panthers, now 7-10, host Bordentown on February 1 and then play at the Peddie School on February 3.

Girls’ Basketball : Mia Hartman scored 12 points in a losing cause as PDS fell 46-24 to WW/P-South last Saturday. The Panthers, who dropped to 2-13 with the defeat, play at Bordentown High on February 1, host Solebury School (Pa.) on February 2, and then play at Lawrence High on February 6.

Boys’ Hockey : Unable to get its offense going, PDS fell 4-0 to Don Bosco last Monday. In upcoming action, the Panthers,

Boys’ Basketball : Sparked by Dwayne “DJay” Snead, Pennington edged Solebury School (Pa.) 6159 last Friday. Snead tallied 14 points to help the Red Hawks improve to 1012. Pennington hosts Hightstown on February 1 and the Hill School (Pa.) on February 3.

Girls’ Basketball : Morgan Matthews had a big game in a losing cause as Pennington fell 57-49 to Trenton Catholic last Friday. Matthews posted a doubledouble with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Red Hawks, who dropped to 124. Pennington hosts Hillsborough on February 1 and then plays at the Peddie School on February 3.

Girls’ Swimming : Piper Dubow starred as Pennington placed second in the team standings in the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Saturday at WW/P-North. Dubow placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke and sixth in the 200 freestyle. In the team standings, the Red Hawks scored 168 points with Princeton High tallying 345 to take first.

Pennington PHS

Boys’ Hockey : Cooper Zullo had a big game to help PHS edge the Lawrenceville School B team 4-3 last Friday. Senior star forward and captain Zullo tallied three goals in the win for the Tigers. PHS, which fell 6-2 to Monroe on Monday to move to 9-6-1, faces Paul VI on February 1 at the Mercer County Skating Center and Central Bucks South (Pa.) on February 3 at Hobey Baker Rink.

Girls’ Hockey : Cassie Speir scored the lone goal for PHS as it fell 11-1 to Chatham last Monday. The Tigers, now 0-11, host Kent Place on February 2 and Westfield on February 3 with both games to take place at Hobey Baker Rink.

Local Sports

Recreation Department

Offering Summer Jobs

Applications for all Princeton Recreation Department 2023 seasonal and summer employment opportunities are now available on the department’s website.

Seasonal employment opportunities are available for the following positions: day camp counselor, day camp supervisor, teen travel camp counselor, Community Park Pool lifeguard/swim instructor, Community Park Pool customer service, and seasonal park maintenance.

COMMUNITY ASSIST: Members of the Princeton Middle School boys’ basketball team are all smiles after they served meals at the United Methodist Church last month as part of the Princeton Cornerstone Community Kitchen program. Twelve members of the school’s “A” team walked from PMS after practice to the church where they prepared trays of food and catered to families in a restaurant-style service. This involved gathering the food, cleaning up the dishes, and interacting with guests with friendly conversations. Members of the PMS team included Bram Reynolds, JJ Carter, Fletcher Harrison, Andrew Spies, Langsdon Hinds, Jaxon Carter, Raymond Buck, Gavin Levine, Henry Jamieson-Dove, Leone Westrick, Will Arns, and Ja’Den Colvin.

Fransson had 13 points for Princeton Pettoranello. Jefferson Plumbing, led by Ilan Spiegel’s 10 points, defeated Princeton Restorative Dental. James Monica had six points in the loss. Proof Pizza edged Mason Griffin & Pierson, PC 24-20 as Theo Henderson tallied 14 points for the victors. Alex Spies had 14 points in a losing cause for Mason Griffin. Locomotion nipped Majeski Foundation 31-28. Theodore Hogshire scored nine points for Locomotion, while Logan Aguila had 16 points for Majeski.

Princeton Athletic Club

run at the Institute Woods on April 15.

The 6,000-meter run starts at 10 a.m. from Princeton Friends School and is limited to 200 participants.

The entry fee is $33 plus a $2.80 fee until March 24, including the optional T-shirt. The fee increases after March 24. Same day registration is $55 and will be limited to credit card only — no cash — and space available. This event is chip timed. All abilities are invited, including those who prefer to walk the course.

club, an all-volunteer organization, promotes running for the fun and health of it and stages several running events each year.

Sound Journey with Ruth Cunningham

6K Run on April 15

Online registration and full event details are available at princetonac.org.

Girls’ Basketball Winters and Rachel Luo triggered the offense as PHS defeated WW/P-South 51-35 last Saturday. Freshman Winters tallied a gamehigh 20 points while senior Luo chipped in 16 to help the Tigers improve to 9-7.

PHS plays at Trenton Central on February 3, hosts Spotswood on February 4,

Instructions on how to apply as well as job descriptions can be found online at princetonrecreation.com under “Seasonal Employment.” All interested job seekers are encouraged to apply.

The Princeton Athletic Club will be holding a 6,000-meter cross-country

The Princeton Athletic Club is a nonprofit running club for the community. The

Live music for meditation and introspection

Sound Journey with

Sound Journey with Ruth Cunningham

Sound Journey with Ruth Cunningham

Live music for meditation and introspection

Wednesday

Wednesday September 14 5:30pm

Ruth Cunningham, a founding member of the world-renowned vocal ensemble Anonymous 4 and a sound healing practitioner, offers composed and improvised music for meditation, contemplation, and prayer. The program continues monthly: 10/5, 11/2, 1/11, 2/1, 3/1, 4/12, 5/10

TOWN TOPICS is printed entirely on recycled paper.

Lee Bienkowski, 62, of St. Augustine, FL, died on December 29, 2022, following a courageous battle with cancer. Lee, born in Boston, grew up in Princeton and graduated from Bryn Mawr College — but her true love was always the South. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky where she became a lifelong supporter of the Volunteers and Wildcats.

With her academic credentials, Lee entered the world of environmental consulting, centered in South Carolina and Florida, seeking to restore development-impacted sites to their natural state.

To those who knew her, Lee seemed to embody strength — physically, mentally, emotionally, and vocally. She also had strong beliefs and strong interests: from swords to canons, cats to horses, writing to drawing, tiki to reenacting the Revolutionary War, beach combing to global adventure travel. Lee embraced them all fearlessly and with a child-like enthusiasm.

She certainly believed in living life to the fullest. While Lee’s life was tragically cut short, she is one

of the very few who pursues every interest with everything she had, squeezing every last drop of experience from her latest interest, and then sharing her knowledge generously and without judgement. Over decades, and across her wide range of family and friends, Lee never missed sending a birthday card.

Lee was predeceased by her beloved father, George, and is survived by her husband, Richard Coyle; mother, Cindy Clark; brothers Jay, Drew, and Mark; Aunt Dix; and seven nieces and nephews. She is greatly missed.

Those who would like to contribute to her memory may send donations to the Sierra Club and to the Society of Concerned Scientists.

Joseph Sands

Wandelt

Joseph Sands Wandelt of Princeton, 72, passed away on December 14, 2022. He was born March 3, 1950 to Suzette and Fred Wandelt, who also rest in Princeton, and is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Wendy, and his beloved daughter, Whitney.

Known as “Sandy” to his

loved ones and coworkers, Sandy served the greater Princeton and Philadelphia areas. He and Wendy were the Vice President and President respectively of the family’s own company, Gipsy Horse — a well-known retailer that expanded throughout the region and made them a strong presence in the community. Sandy was also a VP at Corestates and Sun National banks, as well as a senior executive for Nickle Electric in Delaware.

Sandy was a very active member of the Big Brothers community as well as participating in executive

Princeton’s First Tradition

coaching. He helped several families during his time with Big Brothers. He is fondly remembered by those he coached in helping end toxic cultures within their corporate environments.

Sandy’s daughter, Whitney, remembers him as a man of wit, humor, intelligence, and compassion; revered for his empathy, he was a man committed to guiding others in the right direction.

In lieu of flowers and cards, please make a donation in his name to the Dementia Society of America.

Worship Service

Sundays at 11am

Open to all.

Preaching Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 11am is Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D., Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel. The Chapel Choir will perform works by Undine Smith Moore, José Mauricio Nunes Garcia, and the traditional Spiritual “I Don’ Feel No Ways Tired.” Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music & Choir. Eric Plutz, University Organist.

DIRECTORY OF RELIGIOUS

• www.trinityprinceton.org

Lee Bienkowski

Hospice is about living the fullest life possible according to a patient’s capabilities within a life-limiting condition. In hospice, your choices guide the care we provide. Hospice care affirms quality of life. Our goal is to prevent and relieve pain, discomfort, anxiety and fear.

We provide emotional and spiritual support to patients and their loved ones. Hospice care is provided wherever a patient feels most comfortable or where they call home. We help families and caregivers prepare for endof-life challenges and find creative ways to share in life review and legacy projects so that our patient’s wisdom and memories can be treasured for future generations.

At Greenwood House Hospice, our families and caregivers LOVE HOW MUCH WE CARE! AND YOU WILL, TOO.

“I am proud and honored to serve as Greenwood House Hospice Medical Director and to work alongside some of the best nurses, social workers, chaplains and volunteers in the business. Our team provides intimate and comprehensive care for our terminally ill patients. We support not just those in their final months but also their families and loved ones.”

Our Hospice Team consists of:

• Hospice Medical Director, a board-certified hospice physician

• Registered Nurses (RNs) monitoring pain, managing symptoms and guiding patient’s plan of care

• Hospice Certified Home Health Aides (CHHAs) providing personal patient care and companionship

• Social Workers supporting patients and families and connecting them with community resources

• Spiritual Counselors providing emotional support and personal counseling

• Bereavement Services offering guidance and education concerning anticipatory grief to families throughout care and bereavement

• Hospice Volunteers assisting with a variety of patient and family personalized support activities

Greenwood House Hospice is a nonprofit, mission-based organization rooted in cherished Jewish traditions and an industry leader in providing high-quality senior health care in the state of New Jersey. Seniors of all faiths are welcome.

Call us today: (609) 883-6026

Or email us at info@greenwoodhouse.org

greenwoodhouse.org

@GreenwoodHouseNJ

– DAVID R. BARILE, MD Medical Director, Greenwood House Hospice

Greenwood House is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Princeton, Mercer, Bucks. *Greenwood House Hospice was established in memory of Renee Denmark Punia.

It’s no surprise that Yael has received the New Jersey Realtors ® Circle of Excellence Platinum Sales Award, recognizing the top 1% of professionals in the state, for six years running.

As a Princeton real estate powerhouse and local, Yael delivers an award-winning approach to real estate that is knowledgeable, caring and thorough. Buyers and sellers consistently praise Yael’s extensive insider know-how and her ability to deliver optimal results. Since inventory is low in Princeton, now is the time to put your home on the market. Call Yael Lax Zakut for a free market analysis if you’re looking to make a move this spring.