Morven Hosts “Grand Homes & Gardens” Series . . . . . . . 5 PPL Invites Public to Join Great Backyard Bird Hunt . . . . . . . . . 8 Princeton Festival Will Return with New Venue At Morven . . . . . . . . 16 PU Women’s Hockey Stars Fillier, Thompson Heading to Beijing Olympics . . . . . . 23, 24 PHS Swimming Sweeps Team Titles at County Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
On Joyce’s Birthday: Celebrating the 100th Birthday of Ulysses . . 15 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classified Ads . . . . . . 34 Education & Recreation . .20 Local Treasures . . . . . . 2 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 22 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 32 Performing Arts . . . . . 16 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 7 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 34 Service Directory . . . . 36 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6 Valentine's Day. . . . . . 13
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Responding to Students’ Demands, Seminary To Rename Chapel Princeton Theological Seminary’s (PTS) chapel no longer bears the name of slaveholder and anti-abolitionist Samuel Miller, following a unanimous vote by the seminary’s board of trustees last Tuesday, January 25. The seminary trustees also voted to establish a task force to develop guiding principles “for naming, renaming, and the conferring of honor on all other physical sites and objects related to the seminary.” The trustees’ action followed a January 18 demonstration led by the Association of Black Seminarians (ABS) and attended by more than 100 students and other supporters. Demonstrators called for removal of Miller’s name from the chapel and establishment of a renaming process for all buildings on campus named after people associated with slavery. The protestors stated that they would no longer worship at the chapel unless Miller’s name was removed. “This decision to disassociate the name Samuel Miller from the chapel is another step in Princeton Theological Seminary’s earnest commitment to greater equity, including reformation and repair of yesterday’s wrongs,” the trustees’ announcement stated. In their announcement, the trustees also seemed to acknowledge and appreciate the input from the voices that had spoken up to urge positive reforms. The statement continued, “The board of trustees wishes to thank the student community in general and especially the Association of Black Seminarians, as well as the faculty and committed alums, for their thoughtful and spirited engagement over the years in seeking a more just and faithful witness of the seminary’s mission.” The ABS also issued a statement applauding the trustees’ decision and claiming that it was “a result of the efforts led by ABS in partnership with other student organizations.” On the day after the trustees’ decision, ABS held a follow-up rally to respond to the decision and to physically remove the “Miller” sign from the chapel. Speakers praised the trustees’ decision, and their responsiveness to the students’ demands, emphasizing the crucial role of student activism. Many alumni, community members, clergy, and faculty supported the ABS initiative, with a number of letters to Continued on Page 9
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Omicron Surge Recedes, Mask Mandate Ends The Princeton Health Department reported Monday that COVID-19 case numbers dropped again, down to 83 new cases in Princeton over the previous seven days and 209 cases in the previous 14 days. Princeton registered its highest new case numbers of the pandemic less than a month ago with a seven-day total of 287 cases from January 4 to 10 and highest 14-day total of 568 from December 28, 2021 to January 10, 2022. Infection rates have declined steadily since then. Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Services Jeff Grosser noted the decrease in cases from the Omicron spike, and pointed out, “During the spike Princeton saw some of its highest rates of COVID-19 cases, but despite the higher case rates hospitalizations of Princeton residents remained lower than the state average.” Grosser went on to express cautious hope for the weeks ahead. “It’s too early to tell, but we do know that with the high number of infections, there should be some form of community protection,” he said. “Whether or not this protection provides longstanding support against new variants or case surges is still to be determined.” On New Jersey’s COVID Activity Level
Index (CALI Score), Mercer County, in the Central West region of the state, has dropped from “very high” to “high” for the first time in four weeks. Princeton Public Schools reported 46 new cases for the week ended January 28, an uptick from the previous week’s 39, but far below early January totals. The Princeton University campus risk level remained at “high,” but the asymptomatic testing rate continued to decline with 177 positive new cases for a positivity
rate of 1.05 percent, down from 1.58 percent, 2.91 percent, and 5.65 percent in the previous three weeks. Throughout the state the Omicron surge continues to decline, with the seven-day average for new cases down 41 percent from a week ago and 76 percent from a month ago, as reported by the New Jersey Department of Health on February 1. Hospitalizations in the state were also down significantly, and Monday’s statewide transmission rate was 0.55, Continued on Page 10
Voters Approve $17.5M Referendum To Upgrade Aging School Buildings
On January 25, Princeton voters supported the Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) $17.5 million facilities maintenance referendum by a margin of more than 3 to 1, in unofficial results pending tallying of provisional and some mail-in ballots, according to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office. Of the 3,041 votes counted so far, 2,320 (76 percent) were cast in favor and 721 against (24 percent). Final numbers and certification were expected to be announced today, February 2. “I’m grateful to the community for their overwhelming support of the referendum,”
said PPS Board of Education (BOE) President Dafna Kendal. “Approval from voters will provide funds for the district to make needed repairs of the school buildings while allowing the district to benefit from state debt service aid, which will significantly reduce the financial impact and overall costs of the project to Princeton taxpayers.” The State of New Jersey approved the referendum projects and declared them eligible for 34 percent reimbursement from the state for principal and interest payments. Continued on Page 10
WASSAILING THE APPLE TREES: Despite Saturday’s snowstorm, Terhune Orchards hosted its annual celebration on Sunday afternoon to ensure a good apple harvest in the coming year. The free event featured dancing, singing, merrymaking, a bonfire, and refreshments. Participants share their favorite winter activities in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
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