Volume LXXIV, Number 7
Summer Camp Guide Pages 18-22 Send Hunger Packing Princeton to Honor Robert Ginsberg . . . . . 5 Witherspoon, Hinds Plaza to Get Improvements . . 10 Town, University Monitor Coronavirus Threat . . 11 Theatre Intime Presents Antigonick . . . . . . . . 27 PU Men’s Lax Opening 2020 Season by Hosting Monmouth . . . . . . . . . 37 PHS Boys’ Swimming Advances to Sectional Final . . . . . . 40
Celebrating the Life Force of Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) . . . . . . . 26 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . . 15-17 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Book/Film Review . . . . 26 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 32 Classified Ads . . . . . . 46 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 24 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 34 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 44 Performing Arts . . . . . 28 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 46 Religion . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Theater Review . . . . . . 27 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Two Incumbents, One Newcomer in Council Race So Far With the filing deadline for running in the June primary election seven weeks away, efforts are stepping up to secure places on the ballot for seats on Princeton Council and the office of mayor. Democrats Leticia Fraga and David Cohen, whose three-year terms on Princeton Council conclude at the end of this year, will run for re-election. Newcomer Dina Shaw has announced her candidacy for one of those seats. Mark Freda, also a Democrat, is the only candidate so far to announce a run for mayor (Liz Lempert will not run for a third term), and he will officially kick off his campaign at an event Wednesday, February 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Italian-American Sportsmen’s Club. Fraga, the first Latinx person to hold elected office in Princeton, serves as the town’s police commissioner on the Public Safety Committee, and liaison to the Youth Advisory Committee and Board of Health. She is Council’s elected representative on the Civil Rights Commission and Human Services Commission. “I see a second term as a chance to amplify the momentum, goodwill, and expertise I developed in my first three years, and to work alongside colleagues — elected and volunteer — to build on our accomplishments,” she said. “My approach to government is to endorse policies and form partnerships that support equity, inclusivity, and well-being, and that keep government responsive and transparent.” Cohen’s term on Council has included work on land use policies to encourage smart growth, alternative transport options, more sustainable development, advocacy for seniors, affordable housing negotiations, and ensuring emergency preparedness in the face of climate change. A press release announcing his decision to run for a second term referred to his work with Fraga. “Their areas of interest and expertise dovetail perfectly,” it reads. “Ms. Fraga’s commitment to advocating for the marginalized members of our community — her work on the Civil Rights and Human Services commissions, and with our Public Safety Committee — allows Councilman Cohen to focus on his committee assignments with complete confidence that these other crucial functions of local government will be guided with a steady Continued on Page 9
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Judge Approves Affordable Housing Settlement Princeton’s plan for affordable housing was approved by Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson on Friday, February 7. The settlement agreement between the municipality and the Fair Share Housing Center ends litigation dating back to 2015. The municipality now moves into the compliance phase of the process, with a hearing planned for June. Several steps must be taken before that time, involving zoning changes, agreements, updates, and a spending plan, among other actions. “There will be several ordinances that Council will be considering, required as part of the plan,” Mayor Liz Lempert said on Monday. The all-day hearing was held to make sure the plan is fair, and protects the interests of low and moderate income households. There were objections by several parties, including the Princeton Progressive Action Group and the owners of The Ivy Inn on Nassau Street. According to Lempert, the town also got positive feedback. ”Judge Jacobson commended Princeton for exceeding its
affordable obligation and praised the proposed redevelopment of the Thanet property in particular as both an innovative and realistic financing approach to constructing 100 percent senior affordable housing,” she said in an email. “Adam Gordon of Fair Share Housing Center also spoke in favor of Princeton’s plan and cited Princeton’s existing developments as model examples of how 100 percent affordable and mixed income communities could both be built and operated successfully.” Along with West Windsor, Princeton entered into litigation nearly five years ago disputing the number of affordable
units that were required by the nowdefunct Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). COAH was created by the New Jersey Legislature in response to the Fair Housing Act of 1985 and a series of rulings known as the Mount Laurel doctrine. As part of the third round, which is the years 1999-2025, Princeton’s obligation was set at 753 units. From past rounds, the town has already built approximately 1,000 units of affordable housing for families and individuals who qualify. Lempert said Monday that she wants to make sure people are aware that there are both Continued on Page 7
W-J Engages Public on Multiple Fronts: Planning, Sustainability, Library, Mural
The Witherspoon-Jackson (W-J) community is working to envision its future, and two public meetings over the next 10 days will accelerate the process towards achieving that goal. This Saturday, February 15, at the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), Parking Task Force (PTF) members will discuss plans for a pilot program for parking in the W-J and
Tree Streets neighborhoods; and on Saturday, February 22 the W-J Neighborhood Association (WJNA) will sponsor a public engagement workshop at the First Baptist Church featuring presentations on infrastructure led by the Princeton Engineering and Planning departments; on sustainability and emergency preparedness Continued on Page 8
MOMENT OF TRIUMPH: Members of the Princeton University wrestling program celebrate last Sunday after Travis Stefanik, left, topped Cornell’s Jonathan Loew 10-4 to clinch victory in a 19-13 triumph by Princeton over the Big Red at Jadwin Gym . In beating Cornell, the Tigers handed the Big Red their first Ivy League defeat since 2002 to snap a 92-match league winning streak and earn Princeton’s first Ivy crown since 1986 and the school’s 500th league title overall . For more details on the win, see page 35 . (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
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