Volume LXXVI, Number 8
Summer Camps Pages 21-28 Gary Mount Publishes A Farmer’s Life . . . . . 5 May’s Barden Café in Herrontown Woods . . . 8 The Castle at 100 — Kafka’s Unfinished Symphony . . . . . . . . 16 Passage Theatre Presents The OK Trenton Project . . 17 Takács Quartet Returns To Richardson . . . . . . 18 PHS Boys’ Swimming Wins Sectional Title . . 35 PHS Star Wrestler Munford Takes District Crown . . 37
Alex Slusher Stars as PU Men’s Lax Wins Opener . . . . . . . 32 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 30 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 43 Healthy Living. . . . . . . 13 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 31 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 40 Performing Arts . . . . . 19 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 11 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 43 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
County Taking Steps To Improve Safety At Rosedale Crossing At Princeton Council’s virtual meeting on February 14, some members of the public voiced their frustrations about a lack of action to improve safety at a pedestrian crossing on Rosedale Road. It was at this crossing, between the access driveways to Greenway Meadows and Johnson Park School, that 82-yearold Pinghua Xu was fatally struck by a vehicle last August. Aware that the roadway is under the aegis of Mercer County, as opposed to the municipality, the residents implored Council to implement traffic calming, and use influence at the county level to speed improvements. Deanna Stockton, Princeton’s deputy administrator for engineering, responded that the town has been in touch with the county, and was hoping to have some information about safety improvements in the near future. Worry about this crossing is nothing new. In 1999, then-Princeton Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand met with Johnson Park’s principal and officers of its Parent Teacher Organization to talk about the dangers of the intersection. Nearly six years ago, it was flagged as an area of concern in the New Jersey Safe Routes to School report. Asked this week whether any progress has been made, Stockton referred the question to Mercer County Director of Communications Julie Willmot. Willmot said in an email that representatives of the county watched the meeting, and want to assure residents that County Executive Brian Hughes’ engineering office has been working on a solution for Rosedale Road since last year, along with design consultant Traffic Planning and Design (TPD). The consultant submitted to the county a design solution of roundabouts at the intersection with Elm Road, General Johnson Drive, Province Line Road, and Carter Road, and a changed speed limit through the corridor. This proposal was forwarded to the municipality on January 26. “On February 14, Princeton informed the county that it supported the roundabout at General Johnson but sought more design information about the proposal at Elm Road,” Willmot wrote in an email. “The municipality was also supportive of reducing the speed limit to 35 miles per hour, which was recommended Continued on Page 10
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Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Charting “New Normal” as Case Numbers Drop With COVID restrictions and mask mandates being lifted across the country and New Jersey schools and child care centers scheduled to remove their mask mandates on March 7, millions of people are looking forward to a “new normal” as the pandemic continues into its third year. Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Services Jeff Grosser, in a February 22 email, pointed to the sharp decline in new COVID-19 cases in the state, from more than 30,000 new cases each day during the height of the Omicron surge to just 681new cases on Monday, February 21. “Princeton COVID-19 cases have decreased on a similar trajectory,” he said. “During the height of the surge Princeton was experiencing between 50 and 55 cases a day, and we are now averaging around five-six cases a day.” Grosser noted that the Princeton Health Department has been working with Princeton schools to address the question of mask-wearing following the March 7 termination of the state mandate. “Strategies include monitoring transmission rates in New Jersey, as well as keeping up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations,” he said. “When in high transmission, the Princeton Health Department
will continue to recommend that individuals wear a mask in public settings or high risk settings.” The daily average for new cases in New Jersey on Monday was down 38 percent over the past 14 days, according to the New York Times, and totals for COVID-related deaths and hospitalizations were also down sharply. In Mercer County the 14-day change was down 52 percent. Numbers have fallen to the level they saw in early December before the recent Omicron surge.
The transmission rate for New Jersey on Sunday was 0.63, with any number lower than 1 indicating each new case leading to fewer than one additional case. The Princeton Public Schools saw a total of just five new COVID-19 cases in the week ended February 18, down from 27 in the previous week and 24, 46, 39, 79, and 96 in the weeks before that. Princeton University, where the Campus Risk Status was reduced from “High” to “High to Moderate” and certain Continued on Page 7
Sustainable Princeton Teams With PPS To Improve Schools’ Energy Efficiency
In terms of energy efficiency the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) are underperforming, but help is on the way in the form of a partnership with Sustainable Princeton (SP). The two entities have developed a variety of plans for progress on multiple fronts. Working together for the past five months, PPS and SP have created a “sustainability timeline” for the PPS facilities department, focusing on energy, transportation, natural resources, materials management, and resiliency. “We’re thrilled to be working with the district to help them achieve their sustain-
ability goals,” said SP Program Manager Jenny Ludmer at a February 16 Zoom webinar devoted to sustainability in the schools. “Our mission is to inspire the community to develop and implement solutions that positively impact the environment.” In a 30-minute presentation Ludmer outlined what is currently known about PPS buildings through a benchmark and carbon footprint analysis; plans for the future, including the sustainability timeline, plans for solar and greater energy efficiency, and workplace charging potential; Continued on Page 11
PALMER SQUARE ON ICE: An ice carver entertained passers-by Monday afternoon on the Palmer Square Green as he created a sculpture in honor of Presidents Day. The event was also held on Sunday. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)