Town Topics Newspaper, March 8, 2023

Hughes Vows to Fight To Continue Campaign For County Executive

Despite losing the Mercer County Democratic Organization’s endorsement to Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton) last Sunday, as well as the Princeton Community Democratic Organization’s (PCDO) backing a few weeks before, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes is not giving up on his bid to continue in the office he has held since 2004.

“Today’s convention results come as no surprise considering the planned and orchestrated maneuvering by the Mercer County Democratic Chair Janice Mironov and my opponent, Dan Benson, who are intent on weakening our party for their own personal ambitions and gain,” Hughes said in a statement issued after the gathering at the Hyatt Regency on Route 1. “I believe the voters of this great county recognize effective leadership and my long record of accomplishments. We have always put our constituents rst by providing critical services and opening up county government to everyone regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, or geography.”

In the 499 votes that were cast at the county gathering, 384 went to Benson while 109 were for Hughes. That means Benson will run on the primary ballot in June as the sole county executive candidate endorsed by the Mercer County Democratic Organization.

At the PCDO’s annual endorsement meeting on February 23, held at The Jewish Center Princeton, Benson was endorsed with 76 percent of the vote. Also endorsed at that event were Andrew Zwicker (one seat) for Senate, Roy Freiman and Mitchelle Drulis for Assembly (two seats), John Cimino and Lucy Walter for Mercer County commissioners

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Jugtown Residents Air Concerns Over Development

As of Monday afternoon, a petition on change.org titled “Save Jugtown Historic District” had collected 537 signatures. Residents of the neighborhood and others who have signed the petition are concerned about a project that would add a four-story addition behind two, two-story buildings at 344 Nassau Street, on the corner of a busy intersection with North Harrison Street.

Part of the Affordable Housing Overlay Zone 2, which addresses a mandate for Princeton to expand housing around town, the site includes ve buildings in the Jugtown Historic District. The owner, RB Homes, would create an apartment building with 20 units, four of which would be designated affordable.

A zoning overlay is a zoning district that is applied over one or more previously established zoning districts to establish additional zoning standards, such as affordable housing. The project was given a concept review before the Planning Board on February 2, and the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) on February 27. No applications have been led by the developer.

Residents say they are not opposed to affordable housing. “That’s not the issue,” said Clifford Zink, who lives in the neighborhood. “Almost everybody in town is in favor of affordable housing. It’s about balance. When you have a historic area, how do you balance that with bringing in affordable housing?”

“We don’t have a problem with affordable housing in our neighborhood,” said Catherine Knight, who started the petition and lives on Nassau Street. “We’re not

trying to come out and say we’re against the whole idea. We’re just trying to protect this one intersection.”

The existing building facing Nassau Street, which the developer would leave intact, was built in 1760 and is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad, according to the petition. Princeton designated Jugtown as a local historic district in the 1990s.

“The Harrison Street crossroads is a gateway into town,” said Zink. “It used

Princeton’s Pi Day Celebrations Feature Fun and Learning for All

Any way you slice it, what could be as ful lling as Pi Day in Princeton, where scientist Albert Einstein lived and worked while on the faculty of the Institute for Advanced Study?

Since Einstein was born on March 14, the numeric equivalent of the first three digits of Pi (3.14), Princeton offers a full menu of events beginning on Saturday, March 11 at 8 a.m. at LiLLiPiES in the Princeton Shopping Center with a “Pie Flight” experience. Festivities on Saturday and on actual Pi Day,

Tuesday, March 14, include tours, Einstein Look-Alike Contests, presentations, Dinky rides with professional Einstein reenactor Bill Agress, an event at the Princeton Public Library with children’s book author Dan Gutman, and more. This year Pi Day falls on Einstein’s 144th birthday.

“Only in Einstein’s hometown, where there is one of the top math departments in the world, are there an ‘irrational’ number of events,” said Mimi Omiecinski, founder and coordinator of Princeton’s

Continued on Page 12

SNOWY GREETING: The Princeton area fi nally got a lovely brushing of snow early Tuesday, but it was gone by mid-morning. The next chance for snow is on Saturday. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

THANK YOU FOR VOTING Best

Thomas Edison Nursing Student Receives Scholarship

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program student Amanda Weber of Thomas Edison University is a recipient of this year’s New Jersey Nursing Students, Inc. (NJNS) Annual Scholarship. The award was conferred during the organization’s annual convention at Harrah’s in Atlantic City on February 17.

“I lost both parents to cancer at a young age,” said Weber, who is scheduled to complete the 15-month Accelerated BSN Program at TESU in April. “Before they passed, my siblings and I were continuously in and out of hospitals. The nursing care they received and our exchanges with nursing staff at the time were a determining factor in our ability to work through the ordeal.”

Inspired by those interactions, Weber gravitated to the profession and now envisions her future as a critical care nurse. The recent NJSN acknowledgment and tuition support have reinforced her resolve.

“The NJNS Annual Scholarship is a competitive statewide award and a distinction that I’m very proud of,” said Weber. “I honestly did not expect to be selected but receiving it has put

everything I have accomplished so far into perspective. I am thoroughly committed to my nursing education and it’s nice to be recognized for that effort.”

NJNS is the state constituent of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), a pre-professional organization dedicated to fostering the professional growth of nursing students across the country. Weber will use the $500 scholarship funding from the organization toward her program tuition.

The University’s scholarship programs also helped ease the burden of cost for Weber, who left full-time employment behind to concentrate solely on her nursing curriculum. She received a $1,500 Student Relief

Fund Scholarship in 2021; a $4,000 Switzer Foundation Scholarship in 2022; and a $3,000 Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Scholarship in 2022.

Weber was formerly enrolled in a local community college nursing program and one course shy of earning her diploma when her mother’s unexpected death scuttled those plans. When she began searching for accredited nursing programs in which she could continue her education, she found herself consistently waitlisted. She was on the verge of giving up when she learned about TESU’s program and enrolled in prerequisite courses in order to be admitted into the Accelerated BSN Program.

Topics In Brief A

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Four new dual-port charging stations for eight vehicles are now available to the public, including an accessible charger, at the Municipal Building, 400 Witherspoon Street. The cost is $2 an hour during the day and $1 for overnight charging between midnight and 8 a.m., the same as in the Spring Street Garage.

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.

Call For Land Stewards: Join the Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) in March and April for morning or afternoon volunteer sessions under the guidance of FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship to assist with various conservation projects at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Weekday and weekend sessions available. More at fopos.org/getinvolved.

Recreation Department Summer Jobs: The Princeton Recreation Department is looking for customer service staff, a day camp counselor, teen travel camp counselor, day camp supervisor, seasonal maintenance worker, and lifeguard/swim instructor for the summer season. Visit princetonnj.gov.

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.

Literacy New Jersey Online High School Diploma and Citizenship Classes: For Mercer County residents 18 and older, free classes will be held starting April 3. The diploma classes are held on Zoom; citizenship classes are on Zoom and in person at Princeton Public Library. For more information, call (609) 587-6027 or email mercer@LiteracyNJ.org.

Help in Removing Spotted Lantern Fly Egg Masses: Student researchers from the Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science are available to examine your property and assist in removing the masses. Contact joseph.miller@prismsus.org or SLFresearch@prismsus.org.

LOCAL WINNER: Amanda Weber, far right, is joined at the NJSN Annual Award Ceremony on February 17 by fellow Accelerated BSN Program cohort members, from left, Isabelle Reyes, Linlin Wan, Shakira Taylor, and Brandi Brydges.

PERMANENT FIXTURE: “Yankee Doodle” by artist Norman Rockwell, shown here at work on the painting in 1937, turned out to be a “sticking point” in the recent renovation of the tavern at the Nassau Inn.

Yankee Doodle Tap Room Reimagined Around Painting by Norman Rockwell

art behind the bar that had to be protected. The plan was to safely remove and store “Yankee Doodle,” the painting by artist Norman Rockwell and the namesake of the tavern, when renovations got underway.

TOPICS Of the Town

But the famous work of art was not cooperating. Commissioned by Edgar Palmer when Palmer Square was built back in the 1930s, it was painted on a canvas that was attached to plaster covering the masonry. Removing it would have entailed taking down an entire masonry wall — not an option.

“The University owns the painting, so Palmer Square reached out to them about removing and storing it,” said Mark Sullivan, a partner with JZA+D who worked on the project. “They said, ‘It’s not a painting’ [that can be removed]. We all kind of said ‘What is this, the Sistine Chapel or something?’ I didn’t even know Norman Rockwell painted on plaster. I thought it was a big canvas screwed to the wall, but it’s a canvas embedded in plaster on masonry.”

The goal of the project was to restore the bar element to its original linear profile, replacing the Ushaped bar that was installed some years ago. “The gesture returns the room to its original layout, and allows patrons to see the painting up close, while introducing more room for tables and better access for all to the fireplace,” reads a release from JZA+D. “The new bar was designed and milled offsite, to be assembled in the Tap Room.”

New glass was put in to protect the artwork during and after the renovation. The millworker who fabricated the new bar also replicated the painting’s original frame. “Luckily, this was a millwork project, so the millworker built everything off-site,” said Sullivan. “So it wasn’t like we were doing dirty millwork on the site.”

The project required replacing the tap lines, new paneling for the walls, and wood-look plank vinyl flooring specified to improve the

acoustics. The existing Ushaped bar was in serious need of refurbishment. “It was pretty worn out,” said Sullivan. “Heavily lacquered varnish only lasts so long. So they wanted to replace it for aesthetics, but also to make it more functional. I don’t think they were enamored with the way it protruded into the space. They showed me a black-and-white photo of the Tap Room from the ’30s or ’4 0s that showed the bar straight across that opening. I thought, that makes sense. The flow is back to where it originally was, and it works better for servers.”

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YankeeDoodleTapRoom

Continued from Preceding Page

The Tap Room is known for its walls lined with photos of famous Princeton University graduates, and the carvings of past guests in the solid oak tabletops. But the Rockwell painting, the largest mural by the artist, is perhaps its most notable feature.

In a 2012 description by Christie’s auction house, the “Yankee Doodle” song is said to have been “written by English soldiers to mock the new Yankees for a lack of sophistication.”

It continues, “Rockwell’s gift was in the expressions of his subjects and in this work — the finished version of which included 19 people, two dogs, one pony, and one goose — no two expressions are the same. Rockwell did a number of preliminary works, some of which were individual portraits, in advance of the final mural and he made several slight compositional changes between this oil study and the final work. The charcoal drawing, the largest and most complete of the preliminary works, is in the collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum.’

Those sitting at the Tap Room’s bar now have a direct view of the painting. “We’re pleased with the way it turned out,” said Sullivan. “It was demanding but not complicated, and worth the considerable effort of paying close attention to countless details to preserve this local treasure.”

—Anne Levin

Trenton Circus Squad Holds Annual Fundraiser

On Saturday, March 25 at 7 p.m., Trenton Circus Squad (TCS) will hold its 5th annual Get On Down! fundraiser, titled “Ripple Effect,” at 675 South Clinton Avenue in Trenton.

This year’s theme showcases the transformative power of circus arts in the lives of current squad members, alumni, and the larger TCS community. The program fosters self-efficacy, teamwork, creativity, and resilience. Many participants have moved on to other circus programs, college, or careers serving their communities.

For this year’s fundraiser, Trenton Circus Squad has assembled a stellar lineup of current squad members and alumni to raise money for their program, which is open and free to all youth, ages 6-18. Last year, the organization hosted over 215 workshops and 30 performances, entertaining nearly 8,000 children and families in New Jersey.

“Watching rehearsals and hearing everyone’s reflections and stories has brought back so many meaningful memories. The audience is in for a treat on March 25,” said Executive Director Tom von Oehsen.

Guests will have classic circus concessions — popcorn, cotton candy, and other goodies. Tickets can be purchased at trentoncircussquad.org or at the door. Call (609) 984-8599 with questions.

TOWN TALK©

A forum for the expression of opinions about local and national issues.

Question of the Week:

“Who is your favorite magical character?”

(Asked Saturday at the Winter Fairy Festival at The Watershed Institute) (Photos by Weronika A. Plohn)

“My favorite fairy is the Sunshine Fairy because she makes everything bright and beautiful.”

—Allana Spewak,

“Hermione

Leyla: “I love mermaids. There is really nothing like a mermaid. They are beautiful and they swim in the water.”

Adrianna: “I like Aurora the princess. I like her because my favorite color is pink. Aurora has sleeping powers.”

Haidyn: “I saw a frog earlier! It was jumping and can camouflage and I think that is super cool. I wish I had some secret powers like that.”

Wren: “The book Flower Fairies of the Summer is my favorite, and there is a Rose fairy there. In the book she sings a song that has my name in it, and that is why I like her so much.”

Sharlotte: “Tinker Bell is my favorite magical character. She has beautiful fairy rings.”

Lucas: “I like Aquaman a lot. He has the power of the sea and he can talk to animals and make them do things. I think I would like to be able to do that too.”

—Leyla and Adrianna Bortnowski, West Windsor

Lawrenceville

—Wren Bullard, Lawrenceville with Haidyn Coffey, Bound Brook

—Sharlotte Asay, Princeton with Lucas Volpe, Hopewell

Granger from Harry Potter, because that was my first eye into magical worlds and wizards, and she was a strong female character and I truly admired her.”

—Allison Willick, Hopewell

Ragamala. Photo by Arun Kumar; Randall Goosby. Photo by Jeremy Mitchell; Filipe DeAndrade. Photo by Mike Rollins.

Credits: (Center) Eleanor Sutton, (L-R) Katy Ellis, Tama Phethean, Jordan Laviniere and Stephanie Elstob in Wuthering Heights. Photo by Roy Matusek.

PRISMS Student Researcher Helps Detect

Local Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses

On a clear day this past weekend, a local high school student ventured into a local backyard looking for the larvae of spotted lanternflies. With spotted lanternflies proliferating in the area, the student, Joseph Miller, a senior at the Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science (PRISMS), gets a lot of requests, especially since he has offered this environmentally helpful service through the Municipality of Princeton Newsletter.

As a high school junior last year doing a two-year research project identifying clusters of spotted lanternflies, Miller realized he was fairly adept at finding the eggs. Figuring he could prevent more infestations by this invasive species by eradicating the eggs, he and another student last year turned this expertise into a community service.

The research began, said Miller, with a two-year project in which he uses thermal imagery to detect clusters of spotted lanternflies. While most people look for infestations with binoculars, Miller employs a heat sensor in a drone to help locate large clusters, possibly through flyovers of farms or forests. That research is still ongoing.

The search for larvae is an extension of that research. Miller figured he “might as well look at the eggs,” which tend to blend in the environment so “most people don’t know they have them.”

Usually, he explained, the eggs are on the surface of a tree, but underneath the branch, possibly as natural protection from the environment. The eggs prefer smoother bark, such as Japanese maples, and tend also to congregate on river

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birch. “I check those first,” he said.

They are usually in clumps of 40 to 60 and are easily dislodged with a putty knife. Miller usually sprays rubbing alcohol on the eggs because moisture makes them easier to dislodge, and he puts them in a bag and seals it.

Last year his expertise was so popular that he and another student, who has since graduated, estimated they prevented some 30,000 spotted lanternfly eggs from hatching.

Miller’s teacher Adam Kemp, who is assistant principal, head of the STEAM department, and research coordinator of PRISMS, noted that “Joe’s extraordinary work is the product of our multi-year research program where each of our 11th and 12th grade students have the opportunity to dive deep into a STEMfocused topic. We love to see our students find ways in which their investigations can support the local Princeton community, and Joe’s effort to tackle the lanternfly infestation has been second to none.”

Kemp said the school’s research program, one of its highlights, begins during the ninth grade with an interdisciplinary research program called BASE (Bridging the Arts, Science, and Engineering). All ninth graders work in small teams to develop an agricultural study and engage in a field research project during the spring semester.

“The goal is to give them a first-hand research experience and help them see the connections that exist across disciplines,” said Kemp. This sets the stage for specializing in a STEM discipline by taking Advanced Placement courses. By the end of 10th grade, students choose from one of nine science research areas and embark on a twoyear project.

PRISMS is a four-year international boarding and day school for students in grades nine through 12. It was founded in 2013 emphasizing STEM education and the research and development process. The campus is on Lambert Drive.

A school flyer notes that “the spotted lanternfly is an invasive species native to East Asia that has been damaging agricultural crops and native plants in our state. By the end of spring, the spotted lanternfly begins to hatch out of its egg and grow into an adult. The spotted lanternfly feeds on tree sap, excreting honeydew which in turn grows mold and damages the plant.”

Lanternflies can especially wreak havoc on fruit trees and vines. In fact, Miller said, he visited residents who had their grapevines destroyed by the lanternflies but it was too late. The flyer also notes that the students would not use anything damaging to the environment.

On its website, the New Jersey’s Department of Agriculture (NJDA) notes that the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula , “was first discovered in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in Berks County in 2014 and has spread to other counties in Pa., as well

as the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Ohio.”

This insect, it continues, “has the potential to greatly impact agricultural crops and hardwood trees,” by feeding off the sap. The NJDA asks residents to “stomp out” the fly itself.

The Princetonnj.gov website has information on the spotted lanternfly, and a video from Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia on how to remove eggs.

Miller, who is waiting to

hear from colleges, is a busy senior who does his egg-hunting on Sundays and some days after school. He is trying to get more student help. Because he has limited time, he prefers, he said, to be called by property owners with heavier infestations. To contact Miller for the service, email moseph.miller@prismsus.org or SLFresearch@prismsus.org. In a busy season, he may teach homeowners how to spot the eggs and remove the eggs themselves.

—Wendy Greenberg

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ON THE HUNT: Joseph Miller, a senior at the Princeton International School of Science and Mathematics, checks for spotted lanternfly eggs under a branch at a residential property in Princeton. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Miller)

Jugtown Residents continued from page one to be a separate village, mostly called Queenston. Every time I come into Princeton from that area, you ride along Carnegie Lake, which has kind of a suburban feel. But as soon as you get up to the Jugtown area, it’s the entrance into Princeton. You suddenly realize you’re in a special place.”

History is one part of the story; safety is another. The corner is already a dangerous intersection, and adding more traffic would make it worse, residents say.

“We’ve seen the lights knocked over. The sidewalks outside the Michael Graves [architecture] office have truck tire tracks. Buses roll over the curbs,” said Knight. “The idea of people pulling in and out, moving vans, deliveries and trash, with no place to turn, is just scary.”

Residents have cited other locations in Jugtown that would be better suited to affordable housing development, specifically mentioning the Bank of America parking lot, the Princeton Hook & Ladder Company on North Harrison Street, and the Whole Earth Center parking lot.

“There are some great opportunities to do this,” said Zink. At those locations, “we wouldn’t have to diminish the significance of the historical district.”

The proposed addition is 45 feet tall, which “will overwhelm the existing building and neighborhood,” reads the petition. “The existing two-story building is 29 feet to the peak of the pitched roof. Along Nassau Street between Kingston and Witherspoon Street there are no four- story buildings, and in our opinion this addition will look totally out of scale. If this project goes through, the possibility of similar projects on all four corner lots at the historic intersection is truly concerning, and would forever change this key entrance to our town.”

The recently approved Affordable Housing Overlay-7 zone in the WitherspoonJackson historic district allows a maximum of 3.5 stories, with the attic floor no more than 50 percent of the floor below. Residents who signed the Jugtown petition are hoping the HPC will recommend a reduction in building height to 3.5 stories at most, and no installation of rooftop equipment.

“In summary, we support affordable housing and development in some great locations in Jugtown,” the petition reads. “But we believe development in the historic district should follow provisions of the Princeton Historic Preservation ordinance and National Park Service guidelines for the treatment of historic properties.”

—Anne Levin

Hughes continued from page one (two seats), Jack Kemler for sheriff (one seat), and David Cohen and Leticia Fraga for Princeton Council (two seats).

The PCDO meeting was held at an earlier date than in recent years to give the membership a chance to make their voices heard before the March 1 Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee meeting, which recommends ballot placement for the municipal candidates; and the county meeting, which awards the party’s official endorsements for county, state, and federal offices (when applicable).

The candidates had the opportunity to address attendees with prepared statements, and to answer questions submitted by PCDO members. The contested county sxecutive race generated the most questions, which were focused on budget priorities, fiscal oversight and control, the Bridgepoint 8 warehouse project, the American Rescue Plan, the Mercer County Correction Center, income inequality, public health services, and the Better Ballot initiative to abolish the “County Line.” Hughes’ statement following the county meeting said Benson’s campaign “will no doubt release a statement that he has been ‘chosen’ by the party to be our next county executive. But that is not true. A mere 384 party insiders voted for Benson — many of them hand-picked by our Democratic Party boss. I believe that the more than 120,000 Democratic voters in this county should have a

say in who their nominee for county executive is, so I am confi dent that those voters will nominate me on June 6 to continue our record of accomplishments.”

Hughes cited job creation, economic development, more parks, and improvements at Trenton-Mercer Airport as accomplishments he plans to build on. “We have much more to do, and we have every intention of getting it done,” he said. “Make no mistake, I am fully committed to being successful in the primary and I am excited about fi nishing what I have started.”

In his speech to delegates before the convention vote, Benson said, “I’m focused on the needs of Mercer County. I’m committed to working with our local elected officials to bring real innovation, transparency, and collaboration. As county executive, you will always know where I stand. I will invest in our future through better infrastructure, education, and helping those that need it most. I believe diversity is our strength and we will make county government even more diverse in every aspect moving forward.”

He added, “Sometimes the status quo is riskier than making a change. With the Hughes administration, we’ve seen too many missed opportunities, empty promises, and wasted taxpayer dollars. To keep winning in November, we need to make the right choice today and make a change for the future of Mercer County.”

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 6.

—Anne Levin

Childhood Cancer Fundraiser in Lawrence

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of children’s cancer research grants, will host a hybrid head-shaving event on March 11 at Amalfi’s Restaurant, 146 LawrencevillePennington Road. Participants also have the option to participate virtually.

Local schools will host team shave events. Registration is open with the hope that more than 100 volunteers will once again shave their heads to raise money for life-saving research. “Shavees” can sign up now for the St. Baldrick’s “Lawrenceville2023” event at stbaldricks.org. Instructions will be provided to the registrants prior to the event.

This year marks the 16th anniversary of this community event, and one of the largest of the organization’s more than 1,100 around the country. The cumulative fundraising of this annual turnout has surpassed $1.6 million and continues to grow. Originated by local chiropractors Drs. Michael and Melissa McCue, this family-friendly hybrid event will honor children affected by cancer and include a ceremonial shaving of heads to stand in solidarity with children in the midst of cancer treatment.

This year, Bear Tavern Elementary School’s team in Hopewell has raised close to $21,000 of the over $85,000 raised so far for this year’s event. Principal Chris Turnbull has a team of 40 students that will proudly shave their heads at Bear Tavern Elementary on March 10, at 2 p.m. This team gained momentum during the pandemic, organizing a festive hybrid shave event, and setting a great example for how young students can stand in solidarity with children facing a cancer diagnosis.

Donations raised at events like this have made it possible for St. Baldrick’s to fund more than $325 million, making it the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. Visit Stbaldricks.org/get-involved to learn more.

Kremer is Speaker For Gotham Princeton

Isaac D. Kremer, executive director of Experience Princeton, will be speaking at the March 17 networking event of Gotham Princeton, being held at Trattoria Procaccini, 354 Nassau Street.

special improvement district that was established by the municipality to improve the community and business landscape in Princeton.

The meeting is from 12:30-2 p.m. Reservations are required in advance. Visit gothamnetworking. com for more information.

Maplewood Senior Living Receives 2023 Award

Maplewood Senior Living has announced that 14 of its communities, including Maplewood at Princeton, have received the 2023 Best of Senior Living Awards, many for the sixth year in a row. The award was given by A Place for Mom, the online ratings and reviews site for senior care providers in North America.

Virtually all of the Maplewood properties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Ohio were recognized as the top 2-3 percent of all senior living communities nationwide. A Place for Mom also awarded Maplewood the 2023 Best of Senior Living Customer Engagement Award and the Esteemed Organization Award.

“Since opening our very first community, we have been on a mission to redefine expectations for the later years in life by offering senior living communities that provide the very best hospitality, care, and lifestyle,” said Gregory D. Smith, president and CEO of Maplewood Senior Living and Insp ı r. “Receiving positive reviews from our residents and their families is the greatest form of compliment and offers validation that we are fulfilling our mission. We are honored to have 14 of our communities recognized with Best of Senior Living Awards and look forward to continuing to help fulfill each resident’s personal vision of the good life.”

The 2023 Best of Senior Living Awards mark Maplewood’s sixth consecutive year of inclusion in the annual ranking. A Place for Mom is in its 10th year of hosting the Best of Senior Living Awards. The winners represent the highest caliber of senior living providers, based on the online reviews written by seniors and their families across the United States and Canada. To qualify for inclusion in the Best of 2023 Awards, care providers must have maintained an average overall rating of at least 4.5 stars while receiving at least 10 new reviews on A Place for Mom during the award period, as well as offer assisted living, in-home care, independent living, skilled nursing or memory care. To qualify for the Customer Engagement Award, the organization must have five or more communities win the Best of Senior Living award.

TOWN TOPICS

Isaac D. Kremer

Kremer specializes in the Main Street approach to commercial district revitalization, which emphasizes grassroots action in four ways — organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality. Experience Princeton is the new

Princeton

Future Seeks Consensus on Land Use and Circulation in Princeton

When Princetonians talk about mobility and circulation issues such as traffic speed, transit, congestion, parking, and pedestrian paths, they want to be heard. And Princeton Future wants to hear them.

As Princeton Future enters its 22nd year, a series of community input meetings have been ongoing on topics such as housing justice and mobility and circulation.

A workshop is planned for Saturday, March 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Princeton Public Library, in person and virtually, in the

Community Room. The topic is “How We Get Around: Land Use and Circulation in Princeton.”

Planner Tony Nelessen will lead the workshop on exploring strategies for better mobility and possibilities for Princetonians to live in Princeton without owning a car, with the goal to generate a consensus for a holistic mobility plan.

No registration is required for the in-person event. Registration for the online session is at https:// princetonlibrary.libnet.info/ event/8027370.

According to Nelessen, the workshop will consider questions like “Can we work together with the Municipality of Princeton, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Princeton University to plan and implement a holistic mobility, circulation, and parking framework?”

“I’m excited about Saturday,” said Nelessen. A November 2022 meeting saw 10 teams that contributed to a set of ideas. “Saturday, I will present, ‘here’s what the group told me. What do you think?’” he said.

The topics range from loop systems and sidewalks, to traffic noise and speed, to where the town might need traffic circles and transit stops, to where pedestrian paths should be in addition to Nassau Street, Additionally, a bicycle network and on-demand transit in areas not served by a loop will be discussed. “Princeton could be the first place in the U.S.” with an on-demand transportation system, said Nelessen. “It’s perfectly possible.”

Transportation in Princeton encompasses University buses, New Jersey Transit, and other modes, including shuttles, “but nothing is coordinated,” he said. “We are looking for as much input as possible, trying to develop a consensus. Can we make this work? Would you use it? What is the cost benefit?”

How the town can interface with what is available is something that “has to be talked about,” he said.

Nelessen, a member of the Council of Princeton Future, has been teaching urban design and professional practice first at Harvard and then at Rutgers for the past 39 years. He has won numerous professional awards and is considered a pioneer in urban planning and design through public participation using his trademarked Visual Preference Survey and Vision Translation Workshop. He has consulted for developers, architecture and landscape architecture firms, environmental groups, national and local transit agencies, municipalities, and counties.

Anyone is welcome to the open meeting. Sheldon Sturges, Future Princeton co-founder and administrator, said the Future philosophy is that it is “important to know that people are heard.” After each meeting, Sturges puts together a book of comments and information from the meeting. “We hope planners will use the book,” he said. “The idea of Princeton Future is to listen to what people think.”

Princeton Future plans a follow-up meeting in the fall to consider, said Nelessen, “If we get a consensus, what does it look like?”

—Wendy Greenberg

Princeton’s Pi Day continued from page one Pi Day. “It’s geared to everyone. If you want serious, there is a lecture by a Nobel winner or an exhibit at the historical society. If you want to feel like a kid again, go to the look-alike contests. And there are two adult pub crawls.”

The first Pi Day in Princeton in 2009 attracted nearly 4,000 visitors and crowds grew through the years, she said. This year, events are being held in downtown areas and at the Princeton Shopping Center. Omiecinski, owner of Princeton Tour Company, credits collaboration between Princeton businesses, nonprofits, academic institutions, and residents.

“Pi Day Princeton was virtual for three years due to COVID,” she said. “While it was disappointing not to celebrate in person for that long, the 2023 partners are delivering events with so much creativity and planning you can really feel that their heart and soul are into each event. If an experience seems interesting, you can bet it will exceed your expectations.”

Pi, an irrational number that begins at 3.14 and continues indefinitely, is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle, regardless of the circle’s size. The calculation predates Einstein, but he is connected with Pi Day because of his mathematical abilities and his birthday.

Saturday’s events begin at LiLLiPiES at the Princeton Shopping Center at 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. — “a completely retooled event,” noted Omiecinski, and continue with the Arts Council of Princeton hosting a PreTeen Einstein Look-Alike Contest at 10:30 a.m. and Pre-Teen Pi Recitation Contest at noon where winners take home $314.15.

Dave Fiore of Chicago, the first person to recite 10,000 digits of Pi, is expected to visit, said Omiecinski, perhaps offering his secrets to memorization. This is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at Arts Council of Princeton, followed by a “Pi-Rade.”

Dan Gutman, author of Einstein was a Dope! Wait! What? will appear on Zoom or on a big screen in the Princeton Public Library Community Room at 1:30 p.m., and the library hosts the Einstein Open Archive Event for families, with crafts, STEM activities, and interactive projects on the third floor from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., co-sponsored with the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP).

The Princeton Einstein Museum, projected to open in 2025 in downtown Princeton, will be part of the Princeton Public Library event on Saturday, March 11 from 3 to 5 p.m., offering fun family activities such as learning about the

speed of light, making a beaded bracelet or necklace that represents the first six digits of Pi (3.14159), getting a free space tattoo, and testing a prototype exhibit about black holes.

The “Ask a Physicist” table will have Frances Kraus, staff research physicist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, supplying the answers.

Saturday’s events also include a Princeton School Gardens Cooperative (PSGC) Fundraiser with the bent spoon and LiLLiPiES beginning at 1 p.m.; Dinky train rides with Einstein reenactor Bill Agress, who hasn’t missed a Pi Day celebration in 15 years; an Adult Look-Alike contest; and an adults-only Pi Day Pub Crawl beginning at the Yankee Doodle Tap Room at 5 p.m.

The festivities continue Tuesday with the PSGC fundraiser from 1-5 p.m. at the bent spoon and LiLLiPiES.

An associated event, the Albert Einstein Memorial Lecture Series, sponsored by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, will be held on Tuesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Robertson Hall at Princeton University. Robert W. Wilson of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics, will speak on “The Discovery of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation and its Role in Cosmology.”

The annual event is the only Nobel laureate speaker series of its kind presented by a Chamber of Commerce. The lecture is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required at princetonmercerchamber.org.

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, an Adult Look-Alike Contest and Pub Crawl begin at Winberie’s on Palmer Square, and the Einstein Open Archive is at the Princeton Public Library from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Throughout the festivities, the HSP offers an in-gallery interactive experience where visitors to the Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, can listen to stories about Einstein directly from his friends and colleagues. Expanding on its “Einstein Salon” exhibition featuring some of his personal items, the interactive experience has curated audio clips drawing upon oral history interviews conducted by author Jamie Sayen for his book, Einstein in America, which were donated to HSP.

The celebration, said Omiecinski “is meant to honor Pi, mathematics, science, famous Princeton geniuses, local merchants and of course, Einstein’s big day.”

For a full schedule of events, or to register for contests, visit princetontourcompany.com and check Facebook and Twitter.

—Wendy Greenberg

BY THE BOOK: In preparation for the Princeton Future meeting on Saturday, March 11, planner and session leader Tony Nelessen, left, looks over books compiled from past meetings with Sheldon Sturges, Princeton Future co-founder and administrator, who compiles the books. The topic for the next meeting is “How We Get Around: Land Use and Circulation in Princeton.”

WINNING TEAM: Members of Rider’s student-run radio station 107.7 The Bronc WRRC-FM recently accepted the award for Best College/University Radio Station (under 10,000 students) at the 2023 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Media Awards.

Rider Radio Stations

Named Best in Country Rider University’s studentrun radio stations won big at the 2023 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Media Awards.

107.7 The Bronc WRRCFM was named the Best College/University Radio Station (under 10,000 students). Junior film and television major Jake Serrano won the Best Sports Update award for The Overtime, a daily two-minute sports report on 107.7 The Bronc Retro WRRC2. This is the second consecutive win for The Overtime in the category.

“For our students to be recognized as the best radio station on college broadcasting’s biggest stage, in front of their peers and peer institutions, is a remarkable engaged-learning experience,” said John Mozes, general manager. “This award is a testament to our students’ hard work, dedication to their craft, and passion for the medium. The creativity of our on-air product is obviously now second to none.”

The awards recognize outstanding programming from college and university radio stations throughout the U.S. Mozes and some of his student staff members attend-

ed the awards ceremony on February 25 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.

“As a recent transfer student, I think it’s remarkable that, in less than two semesters at Rider, I won a national award with 107.7 The Bronc Retro, despite never working at a radio station previously,” said Serrano, a resident of Lanoka Harbor.

“I am grateful to the radio station and Rider for supporting my success.”

The awards ceremony was part of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Conference, which provides attendees an opportunity to

learn about and exchange ideas in the field of broadcasting through featured guest speakers and informational sessions. Prior to the ceremony, Mozes and his staff held a panel discussion as part of the event’s Marconi Spotlight Series in which National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Radio Award-nominated stations answer audience questions and reflect on their year in broadcasting.

Rider’s exclusively student-run stations are consistently recognized as some of the best in the nation, with 107.7 The Bronc being nominated for the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for College Radio Station of the Year in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Last year, 107.7 The Bronc also earned three National Electronic Media Association Awards. In addition to their radio programming, the stations produce some of Rider’s most popular events such as the drive-in movie and trunk-or-treat experience Scream Screen, the Eggscellent Egg Hunt, and Cruisin’ From Commencement, a yearly competition where members of the graduating class have the opportunity to win a new car.

“Whispers of Freedom”

Premieres at Trent House

The Trent House Association presents the premiere of its newest video, Whispers of Freedom Just Between Us – A Trent House Story , on Sunday, March 12 at 2 p.m. in the Visitor Center of the William Trent House Museum. The museum is located at 15 Market Street, across from the Hughes Justice Complex, in Trenton.

Mary, Joan, and Nanny were the three women in William Trent’s household at the time of his sudden death in 1724. All three lived in the shadow of uncertain futures in the years before the disposition of Trent’s estate. The video portrays what Joan and Nanny, the two women enslaved by Trent,

might have been thinking, feeling, and discussing as they confronted the possibilities before them. A previously released video about Mary Coddington, Trent’s widow, will also be shown, contrasting the possible futures faced by these three women and the options they had to shape the future for themselves.

Space is limited and preregistration is required at tinyurl.coom/THMarch12. A free-will donation of $10 is encouraged.

The William Trent House Museum is a National Historic Landmark in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail.

Wondering Who Bene ts From New Garbage Collection System

To the Editor:

When I married and moved to Princeton Township in the mid-1970s, garbage collection was a pretty simple affair. An independent contractor backed his pickup up our driveway, opened the garage door, and emptied our garbage into the back of his truck. The profits went to support his family. When recycling started in Princeton he had less to pick up. I was glad. Perhaps it gave him a little extra for his family.

The Township and Borough merged. The independent contractor lost his business as the newly created municipality contracted with a company to collect the garbage all over Princeton, my home included. The garbage had to be taken out to the curb, but whether there was a little or a lot to be taken away did not matter. The profit from the garbage collection now went to a company, not to an individual contractor and his family.

Lately things have changed again. The contract with the new company requires that we use their specialized household garbage carts. If the specialized cart does not hold all a household’s garbage, the household can pay $300 annually for an additional 64-gallon cart or $150 for a 32-gallon cart.

In addition if there is some biggish item that does not fit in the new company’s cart, a phone call must be made to request a special pick-up which will be done on a Wednesday. It is not clear whether the Wednesday pick-up will occur promptly after the call or after an interval that fits the company’s convenience. For example, could a homeowner end up having items put out for a Wednesday pick-up linger on as the time for a party at the home approached?

I have wondered how a company proposing a whole new system — specialized household disposal carts and specialized trucks to pick them up — could come up a winning bid. Perhaps the new contractor used a loss leader strategy. The new company has essentially created a near monopoly position for itself. For a future contact, the only company that could compete would be one which had collection vehicles designed to work with our now newly delivered household carts.

Meanwhile the profits from our current successful bidder, as with the previous one, are going mostly to stockholders, not to the workers. Which brings me to a very important point. Nowhere in the public discussion of this new garbage collection contract has there been any reference to the welfare of the workers. Does the plan include a reasonable wage that could support a family? Are there any safeguards for worker health? Is the contractor encouraged in any way to permit the organization of a union? Has any severance package been set up for the workers who are losing their jobs as collection goes from three workers per truck to two?

Clearly the company side on the negotiations preceding the new garbage collection contract included a very good negotiator. I question whether the Princeton government side of the negotiations did.

DAWN DAY Meadowbrook Drive

Current Jugtown Proposal Will Create Traffic, Pedestrian Nightmare

To the Editor:

I am writing to echo the concerns highlighted by Donald Denny’s letter [Mailbox, February 22]. As a longtime homeowner in Princeton’s Jugtown Historic District, I take great pride in my home and ensuring that alterations I’ve made over the years respect the integrity of our historic community. The added burden of seeking the Historical

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Preservation Commission’s (HPC) approval to these improvements is not insignificant, but a burden I understood when purchasing my home. One I viewed positively, as a form of protection, ensuring the historic character of the neighborhood I fell in love with would be maintained. My neighbors and I view ourselves not simply as homeowners, but rather caretakers of these properties, so that future generations have glimpses into Princeton’s past.

That is why I am confused as to why the ordinance passed by Princeton in July 2020 (#2020-17) included five designated Jugtown Historic District lots at the Nassau-Harrison intersection within the AHO-2 overlay. Eased zoning restrictions afforded to the overlay allow for 45-foot-high structures, with no side yard setback requirements, and reduced parking needs. The concept design reviews held recently at both the Planning Board and at HPC for 344 Nassau, by RB Homes, proposed a massive four-story rear addition, with miniscule side setback. The sheer size and scale of this proposal will overpower the streetscape of the Jugtown Historic District, a notably intact streetscape that retains unique historic significance in Princeton.

As concerning, the traffic congestion and pedestrian safety that this development will undoubtedly create is frightening. As a mother to three elementary school-aged children, I dread the thought of them, and their Riverside classmates, traveling down Harrison to get to the middle school. The intersection is treacherous already. Vehicles regularly jump the curbs. 344 Nassau doesn’t have a grass separation between Harrison Street and the sidewalk. In the last several years, trucks have hit the traffic light, knocking the pole into the street. The idea that the proposed parking configuration by RB Homes, which includes 18 substandard spaces jammed into a covered lot, amidst what I imagine would be significant concrete piles needed to support the three stories above, will meet the needs of 20 residential units and an office, is completely unrealistic. Where do customers and guests park? What happens when the delivery driver pulls in and realizes there is no room to turn around? Do they back out onto Harrison amidst limited sightlines?

Finally, this isn’t about affordable housing. This is about maintaining the integrity of this neighborhood and property, one that dates to 1760, which was characterized in the 1982 National Historic Register Nomination as “the single most pivotal and important building at the Jugtown crossroads.” I welcome affordable housing at this site, and others, in Jugtown, but I urge the HPC and the Planning Board to ensure this proposal is not approved, nor granted variances, until its scale and setback are adjusted to be harmonious with the historic neighborhood, and not create the traffic and pedestrian nightmare the current proposal undoubtedly will.

Sharing Concern About Proposed Development at Nassau, Harrison Streets

To the Editor:

I would like to share my great concern about the proposed development at 344 Nassau Street at the corner of Nassau and Harrison streets in the Jugtown Historic District. Jugtown is a special and historically rich area. It would be a travesty to see it destroyed.

We have some of the oldest houses in Princeton on these corners. Jugtown is a treasured part of our town and should be respected for future generations in Princeton. The oversized four-story building that is being planned at 344 Nassau Street would tower over the historic homes in the neighborhood at 45 feet high and reach to the sidewalk on Harrison Street.

Anyone who knows Jugtown knows how congested and dangerous the intersection at Harrison and Nassau is. A building of the size proposed would be a real safety concern for pedestrians and traffic, especially the large trucks and buses that already find it difficult to navigate. I am also concerned that more traffic will try to avoid the congestion by funneling into the surrounding residential side streets.

Mr. Bill King, a developer, recently built apartments in an addition on the back of the historic home at 338 Nassau Street on the northwest corner of the intersection. He did it in a way that maintained the streetscape and considered the historic home and the surrounding neighborhood. It is an unobtrusive and sensible design, so we know it can be done!

I do question that Jugtown, which is on the local, state, and national historic registers, has been chosen for a four-story, 45-foot-high dense building on a dangerous corner with inadequate parking, difficult ingress and egress, and no open space. The proposed building towers over every other building in the neighborhood.

We all recognize that affordable housing is needed, and we totally support it. In a historic district, plans should be balanced against historic preservation. Rather than forcing an oversized structure into a too-tight location, developers should consider some of the more spacious options that are also in the AHO-2 overlay but outside the four corners central to Jugtown. If all four corners of Nassau and Harrison were to have 45-foot-tall, four-story blocks with no setbacks, as is allowed with the new AHO overlay ordinance, I just can’t imagine how this will work on so many levels. Jugtown would be unrecognizable. We need a balance.

I feel strongly that we are the custodians of our historical areas, and I need to understand why this ordinance has not taken the historic district into consideration, and why the present ordinance doesn’t mention it.

Has the Historic Preservation Commission the will to do what they are meant to do and support a balance between this development and the need to preserve our history here in Princeton?

I urge people to look at the plans and if they are concerned as I am, then sign the petition at change.org/p/save-jugtownhistoric-district.

Congratulating Princeton Health Department, Board of Health for Gold Star Recognition

To the Editor:

Congratulations and appreciation to our Princeton Health Department and Board of Health on achieving the Gold Star award from Sustainable Jersey in meeting “rigorous requirements” for the Health category.

Princeton is one of only three (out of 565) municipalities in New Jersey to receive this high recognition.

As a former member of the Board of Health, I know how much effort goes into such work, much more so in the almost three years of the COVID pandemic.

Appreciation also to our mayor and Council, and others, for their constant support of the extraordinary, increased health and other additional work involved during the pandemic.

Bravo to all!

Residential Cleaning

A. Pennacchi & Sons Co.

100%

Over

GRACE SINDEN

MAGGIE DEPENBROCK Nassau Street

TARA DENNISON Nassau Street Renata

Tickets Available for Book Lovers

Luncheon Featuring Lynne Olson Olson will discuss her new book Empress of the Nile (Random House $32) during the event, and will be joined in conversation by William Storrar, director of the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton.

Author, historian, and journalist Lynne Olson is the featured speaker at this year’s Book Lovers Luncheon hosted by the Friends and Foundation of Princeton Public Library. The annual fundraising event takes place April 28 at noon at the Nassau Inn. Tickets went on sale March 6.

Empress of the Nile tells the

story of French archaeologist, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, and the international effort she led in the 1960s to save ancient Egyptian temples from floodwaters caused by the new Aswan High Dam.

According to The Washington Post, Empress of the Nile “is a welcome and needed work of both rescue and reclamation.” A starred review in Booklist calls it “a gripping account of an extraordinary life.”

Tickets are $100 and include a copy of Empress of the Nile. They may be reserved online at princetonlibrary.org/booklovers-luncheon or by calling (609) 924-9529, ext. 1280. Reserved seating for groups up to 10 can be accommodated and there are special incentives for those who purchase an entire table. Proceeds benefit the library.

Additional information can be found at princetonlibrary. org/booklovers-luncheon.

“After Life” Discussed At Labyrinth March 9

In a Library Live at Labyrinth event, editor Rhae Lynn Barnes and contributor Tera Hunter discuss the newly released anthology After Life: A Collective History of Loss and Redemption in Pandemic America (Haymarket Books $24.95). The discussion will be held at Labyrinth Books on Thursday, March 9 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For further information, visit labyrinthbooks.com.

Reviewing After Life , which is co-edited by Keri Leigh Merritt and Yohuru Williams, the New Republic’s Sarah Jaffe says the book “can help us process

the pain of the last two and a half years of death and isolation. It attempts, through an honest accounting of harm done, to leave us with the hope that there’s something worth reconstructing out of the ashes of pandemic America.”

Barnes is assistant professor in the Department of History at Princeton University. She is a historian, public speaker, writer, editor, documentarian, and onscreen commenter specializing in the globalization of American popular culture.

Hunter is a professor of American history and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Her research focuses on gender, race, labor, and Southern histories. Her books are Bound in Wedlock: Slave and Free Black Marriage in the Nineteenth Century and “ To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors After the Civil War.”

Presented by the Princeton Public Library in partnership with Labyrinth Books, the event is co-sponsored by Princeton University’s Humanities Council with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Second Sunday Poetry

Reading at Princeton Makes Princeton Makes, a Princeton-based artist cooperative, and Ragged Sky Press, a local publisher focused on poetry, will host a Second Sunday Poetry Reading on Sunday, March 12 at 4 p.m. The readings will take place at the Princeton Makes store in the Princeton Shopping Center.

The March reading will

feature Liz Chang and Ber -

nadette McBride. Their readings will be followed by an open mic available to up to 10 audience members

Plainsboro Library Marks Women’s History Month

The Plainsboro Public Library will present South Brunswick writer Deepti Paikray discussing her recent book Stories at My Doorstep : Extraordinary Moments in Ordinary Lives (Notion Press $12.99) on March 11 at 2 p.m. Paikray immigrated from India some years ago and says that the separation from her home country was very difficult. In her adopted country she remains sensitive to the problems of “navigating two worlds every day” that she and her characters experience.

books 3-8 book lovers

They may run an ad this week?

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Chang was the 2012 Montgomery County poet laureate in Pennsylvania. Her poems have appeared in Verse Daily, Exit 7, Breakwater Review, and Stoneboat Literary Journal, among others. Her chapbook Museum of Things is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2023. Chang’s translation of Claude de Burine’s poetry is anthologized in Paris in Our View from l’Association des Amis de Shakespeare & Company. She is visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Moravian University.

A teacher of creative writing, Paikray will present tips on writing and may also present a small writing exercise. She emphasizes the importance of keeping a notebook and recording daily experiences. “It’s important not to let anything slip by.”

The library is located at 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. More information is available at plainsborolibrary.org.

Pi Day Discussion Features

Einstein Biography for Kids

McBride is the author of four full-length poetry collections. She taught creative writing and literature at Temple University for many years, served as poet-in-residence at DeSales University, and as poetry editor for the Schuylkill Valley Journal. Her writing honors include winning second place for the International Ray Bradbury Writing Award; recognition in the U.K., Canada, and on PRI’s The Writer’s Almanac; and three Pushcart Prize nominations. She is a Pennsylvania poet laureate emerita for Bucks County.

Princeton Makes is a cooperative comprised of 34 local artists who work across a range of artistic genres, including painting, drawing, stained glass, sculpture, textiles, and jewelry. Customers will be able to support local artists by shopping for a wide variety of art, including large paintings, prints, custom-made greeting cards, stained glass lamps and window hangings, jewelry in a variety of designs and patterns, and more.

Ragged Sky Press is a small, highly selective cooperative press that has historically focused on mature voices, overlooked poets, and women’s perspectives.

For more information, visit princetonmakes.com.

In an event presented in partnership with the Historical Society of Princeton as part of the town’s annual Pi Day celebration, Dan Gutman will talk about his recent biography for kids, Albert Einstein Was a Dope? (Wait! What?) , which is illustrated by Allison Steinfeld (Norton Young Readers $6.95). The event will take place on Saturday, March 11, from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Particpants can join from home via Zoom or watch on the big screen in the Library’s Community Room.

In the second book of the “Wait! What?” series, siblings Paige and Turner compete to dig up the weirdest, wackiest, and funniest facts about Einstein, from his childhood and school days through his time studying relativity and working on the atomic bomb. In addition to discussing the book and Einstein, Gutman will answer questions and give away a few prizes.

A starred review on Booklist comments: “Combining Gutman’s ongoing interest in biography with his talent for humor, this engaging new series for young readers is a winner.”

Gutman is the New York Times best-selling author of the My Weird School series. He lives in New York City with his wife. Steinfeld is an Atlanta-based illustrator who received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts.

To learn more about Pi Day Princeton and the complete schedule of events, visit the Princeton Tour Company website at princeton tourcompany.com.

Get the scoop from

Liz Chang

Bernadette McBride

Reading and Watching Balzac’s “Lost Illusions”

Don’t assume that everyone on earth has seen every movie you have seen.

—John McPhee

Now and then A Book of Days for the Literary Year (Thames and Hudson 1984) offers an entry that demands repeating, like the one for March 8: “1931: John McPhee ( Giving Good Weight ) is born in Princeton, N.J.”

Which follows a remark from journalist, novelist, and biographer Gene Fowler (March 8, 1890): “Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”

Which is followed by the news that on March 8, 1935, Thomas Wolfe’s second novel Of Time and the River “was published to great acclaim” and that on March 8, 1941, the novelist Sherwood Anderson “ingested a toothpick with an hors d’oeuvre at a cocktail party” and died of “complications of peritonitus.”

Approaching Oscar Night

In Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process (2019), John McPhee uses an example from the creative nonfiction course he’s been teaching at Princeton since 1975: “Another mantra, which I still write in chalk on the blackboard, is ‘A Thousand Details Add Up to One Impression.’ “ After admitting that it’s “actually a quote from [movie star] Cary Grant,” McPhee explains the “implication,” which is “that few (if any) details are individually essential, while the details collectively are absolutely essential.”

An essential “individual detail” buried in the star-crossed collective history of the Academy Awards is that Cary Grant — “the best and most important actor in the history of the cinema,” in the words of David Thomson’s Biographical Dictionary of Film (1994) — never received a Best Actor Oscar in his long Hollywood career (1932-1966).

“Lost Illusions”

Between us, my wife and I have viewed only half of the 10 Best Picture nominees. By far the best film we saw in 2022, Xavier Giannoli’s Lost Illusions , received no nominations, although it scored “Universal Acclaim” on Metacritic. The New York Times’ A.O. Scott put the film on his personal 10 best list, saying “if there’s any justice this movie will become a touchstone and cult object among the grasping, scheming denizens of the current media jungle.”

Discovering Balzac

Mindful of John McPhee’s admonition not to assume that everyone on earth has seen every movie you’ve seen, I have to confess that while watching Giannoli’s film, my wife and I were reliving the euphoria of discovering Balzac’s novel half a century ago in Bristol, birthplace of

Archie Leach (who became Cary Grant). The Georgian neighborhood we lived in was a stone’s throw from the Clifton suspension bridge, “a wonder of the age” designed by a young engineer named Isambard Kingdom Brunel at the time that Balzac was in Paris living and writing Lost Illusions — a title Brunel might have related to since the construction of his dream bridge (he called it “my first child, my darling”), begun in 1831, was not completed until 1864, two years after his death.

Moved by the “absolutely essential” collection of details in Giannoli’s film, I think back to the 682-page Penguin paperback of Lost Illusions that my wife disappeared into, reading it everywhere all at once — on the bus to Bath and back, at breakfast, and walking on the Downs — first thing in the morning, last thing at night, surfacing only to tell me “You have to read this!”

As soon as she handed over the book and disappeared into the Penguin Classics sequel, A Harlot High and Low , I was reading Lost Illusions on busses, on the Downs, and sitting on a cliffside bench overlooking Brunel’s storybook bridge. By the time I begin pestering my wife for the sequel, she was dealing with the death of Lucien de Rubempré, which Oscar Wilde famously said was “one of the greatest tragedies” of his life. For my wife, the total impact of both books caused a minor medical emergency, her cheeks inflamed, her forehead hot, her heart racing, as if Balzac’s own heavily caffeinated energy had livewired her nervous system. Where’s the Paracetamol, or at least some herbal tea? No, perish the thought: it has to be coffee and it has to be strong: this is Balzac!

Streaming’s the Word

We still own that fat Penguin paperback; in fact it’s sitting on the sofa between us as we watch the film Giannoli seems to have shot on the wings of a reading experience as intense and all-consuming as ours was. We streamed the film first in August and again last week, and streaming is the word, Giannoli’s vision of Balzac’s Paris overflowing our 36-inch screen, the literary force of it conveyed by a voiceover so compelling that we soon forget we’re reading English subtitles and it’s as if Balzac

MERCER MUSEUM & FONTHILL CASTLE

TWO TREASURED CASTLES IN THE HEART OF BUCKS COUNTY, PA

himself is the narrator. The words may not be exactly his, not to worry: this is the voice of the author speaking in the living moment, with a godlike grasp of a fascinating subject and we find his fascination fascinating.

Spoken, it turns out, by the fi lm’s only “serious writer” Nathan d’Anastazio (Xavier Dolan), the voiceover is paced to the coming and going of the rogues and knaves of the press, actresses and prostitutes and poets darting in and out of the wooden galleries of the Palais Royale. The camera never stops, everything as if gathered into a single monumental tracking shot, sheer momentum of voice and image with the narrator riding the tide: “To create an event, a paper could print any rumor. True or false, no one dwelled on such details. These men had understood, fake news and its denial were two events. The only truth that mattered were sales fi gures. The paper was now a shop that sold the public what they wanted to hear. One no longer enlightened, one flattered opinions. Or created them. News, debate, and ideas had become goods to palm off on subscribers. Journalists became retailers of phrases, wheelers and dealers of words, brokers between artists and the public.”

After observing that Giannoli “illuminates the dank frenzy of the 19th-century attention economy with an eye on our own post-truth era,” A.O. Scott ends his review by declaring that Lost Illusions is “sensational,” adding, “Nobody paid me to say that. Well, actually, The New York Times did, but you should believe me anyway.”

“Something That Overflows”

Now fast forward 150 years from the every-man-for-himself ambiance of the headquarters of the publisher Dauriat (Gerard Depardieu) to the headlong knockabout wonder of Maurice Pialat’s Loulou (1980), starring a young, roguish Depardieu and an impish Isabelle Huppert. In Loulou , all bets are off. This is ambiance in overdrive, ambience unplugged, however you spell it. What Pialat seeks, and captures, says Huppert in a 2021 interview, is “something that overflows.” The result is remarkable, life spilling out of the teeming moment, people in disarray, sexually, temperamentally, violently, funnily, sweetly, spontaneously, and for the

better part of two hours you’re an intimate witness to actors seemingly abandoned to their own devices, Huppert and Depardieu like overgrown children set loose, tumbling in and out of sex and sweet disorder.

It’s no surprise that the French have a gift for ambiance; it’s their word, and there are innumerable varieties: the ambiance of romance creating cinematic poetry in the “love is so simple” night scene between the mime Debaru (Jean-Louis Barrault) and the courtesan Garance (Arletty) in Marcel Carne’s Les Enfants du Paradis, which takes place in a Paris contemporary with Balzac’s; one of Giannoli’s captivating, string-driven (by Vivaldi) tracking shots sweeps past a billboard showing Debaru in action.

Team ambiance among actors is the collective essence of masterful French television series like Spiral, A French Village , and Le Bureau , in contrast to the mannered social ambiance of Eric Rohmer’s films, which can be both charming and callous, a society so shallow and unfeeling that it has no place for the suffering of shy outsiders like Marie Rivière’s beautifully played Delphine in Le Rayon Vert

The Presence of Cary Grant

With Oscar Night looming, I’m thinking again of the Motion Picture Academy’s three and a half decades of resistance to Cary Grant, at least until 1970 when he was placated with an Oscar for his “lifetime of achievement.” Probably one reason for the oversight is an inability to comprehend David Thomson’s rationale for ranking Grant above all the rest, “the essence of his quality being that he can be attractive and unattractive simultaneously, with a light and dark side, that no matter which is dominant, the other creeps into view.” After mentioning a number of specific roles as evidence of the actor’s “unrivaled sense of timing,” Thomson asserts that Grant “could not be the demanding portrait of man that he is but for a technical command that is so complete it is barely noticeable.”

A Birthday Lesson

Recalling the mantra McPhee the teacher found in Grant’s “thousand details” adding up to “one impression,” I think of McPhee the writer, as in “a technical command” so complete “it is barely noticeable.” Writing about Draft No. 4 in October 2017, I quoted a student of McPhee’s claiming that he is “of the school of thought that says a writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than for other people” (hopefully not so difficult that “drops of blood form on your forehead”). Perhaps the most essential quality Princeton’s John McPhee has in common with Bristol’s Archie Leach is that the one lesson he can’t teach is how to be John McPhee.

—Stuart Mitchner

SEVEN DECISIONS OF GANDHI WORLD PREMIERE

SAMEER PATEL, conductor WILLIAM HARVEY, composer and violinist

Saturday March 11 8pm Sunday March 12 4pm

Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University Campus

Alexander BORODIN / Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor

William HARVEY / Seven Decisions of Gandhi – WORLD PREMIERE

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY / Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”

TICKETS princetonsymphony.org or 609/497-0020

JUNE 26 -JULY 28 2023 SUMMER INTENSIVE

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THIS IN-DEMAND PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO NURTURE A DANCER’S TECHNICAL AND ARTISTIC PROGRESS. THIS PROGRAM ATTRACTS ADVANCED STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE INTERESTED IN STUDYING WITH OUR DISTINGUISHED FACULTY.

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MUSIC REVIEW

Princeton University Orchestra Acknowledges

One of Its Own in Pair of Concerts

Princeton University Orchestra has a history of paying tribute to past members, including the annual Stuart B. Mindlin performances honoring a past percussionist with the Orchestra. This past weekend’s concerts by the Orchestra honored class of 2003 ensemble cellist Daniel Ulmer, who passed away prematurely but had a significant impact on the Orchestra during his time at Princeton. Friday and Saturday night’s performances at Richardson Auditorium also presented two winners of the University Orchestra’s 2022-23 Concerto Competition.

Lest anyone think that the Orchestra members spend too much time on music, both of this year’s Concerto Competition winners already have accumulated diverse achievements rivaling people twice their age. Piano soloist and senior Richard Qiu is graduating with a degree in economics and certificates in Music Performance, Statistics and Machine Learning, and Technology and Society. Student conductor Adrian Rogers, also a senior, is earning a degree in economics and a certificate in Music Performance, but has added certificates in Architecture and Engineering, and History and the Practice of Diplomacy to his resumé. Any of these academic focuses is a career unto itself, and the confidence and drive of these two students was evident in their self-assured performances with the University Orchestra.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1786

Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor was unusual in its minor key and its wind scoring of both oboes and clarinets. Mozart used minor keys selectively, with different keys representing diverse emotions. One of only two Mozart piano concertos in a minor key, No. 24 has neither the horror and tragedy of the G minor Don Giovanni nor the darkness of the Requiem’s D minor key. Guest soloist Richard Qiu chose this work relating the contrasting somber melodies and bright passages to the ups and downs of his time at Princeton University. With 17 years of piano performance to his credit, Qiu was well up to the technical challenges of the work, and it was fitting that someone with such success at a young age should perform the music of a compositional child prodigy.

In Friday night’s performance at Richardson Auditorium (the concert was repeated Saturday night), Princeton University Orchestra conductor Michael Pratt and a scaled-down ensemble began the concerto delicately, leading to a forceful yet flowing full sound. Qiu also began the piano solo gracefully, with a playing style backed by clear intent and command of the score, as well as effortless crossed hands and clean runs. Qiu found the joy

in Mozart’s music, accompanied by an Orchestra featuring crisp wind passages and a steady pair of horns.

The second movement “Larghetto” was pure Viennese, as Qiu provided a dreamy piano bridge leading back to the principal instrumental theme. In this movement, the winds acted as a concertante ensemble against the full ensemble, with several wind players, including oboist Abigail Kim, provided elegant solo work. The final movement was a series of variations on an orchestral theme, each more elaborate and fiery than the one before. Qiu demonstrated a particularly decisive left hand, with the right hand playing increasingly complex nonstop passages. Mozart’s playful character was evident at the end of the work, as conductor Pratt and the instrumentalists brought out the martial and dramatic effects of this complex concerto.

Like the composer whose piece he conducted, Rogers was immersed in music from a young age, and immediately took command of both the score and the Orchestra from the podium in George Gershwin’s 1932 Cuban Overture . Gershwin drew inspiration for this piece from his travels to the raucous playground which was Havana, Cuba in the early decades of the twentieth century. As one might expect from a work rooted in Cuban musical style, the University Orchestra contained a large percussion section, including claves, maracas, and the Caribbean güiro Like pianist Qiu, Rogers was a poised and self-assured competition winner, leading the Orchestra with a strong beat and solid knowledge of the piece’s musical effects. Rogers conducted the ensemble in a suitably boisterous performance as wind players seemed to bend pitches to recreate a rowdy Havana. Aided by seven percussion players, the Orchestra changed textures well, with Rogers cleanly guiding the instrumentalists through the final coda. The performances of the two Concerto Competition winners bracketed a solid rendition of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s 1898 Ballade for Orchestra , led by Michael Pratt, with the ensemble crisply maneuvering the varied styles in this dramatic musical essay.

As the Princeton University Orchestra prepares for its upcoming tour to Eastern Europe and the last few months of the season, paying tribute to a former member with high-quality performance reaffirmed what the players have long recognized as the “camaraderie and lifelong bonds cultivated in the halls of Richardson.”

—Nancy Plum

Princeton University Orchestra will present its next set of performances on Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium. The annual Stuart B. Mindlin Memorial Concerts will feature Richard Strauss’ symphonic poem Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40. Ticket information about these performances can be obtained by visiting the Richardson Auditorium website at tickets.princeton.edu.

A Woman Visits the Past to Prevent a Prince’s Murder in “Autumn Rewind”; Theatre Intime Presents a Poignant Fantasy Staged by Student Playwright

In Autumn Rewind the protagonist, Saige, is given a chance to go back in time and prevent the assassination of her childhood friend and first love, Prince Rowan. This offer is Faustian, because it requires Saige to make an unthinkable moral decision.

Theatre Intime has presented (February 24-March 5) Autumn Rewind . The poignant fantasy was written and directed by Princeton University student Le’Naya Wilkerson. According to a program note, Wilkerson began writing the play in December 2021 — when she was “going through a difficult time” and “turned to writing, as I often do.”

This time frame probably is significant. The central themes of the play are loss, displacement, and a perception that all is not as it is supposed to be. During and after the pandemic, these things have been all too palpable.

“What does it mean to love?” Wilkerson asks rhetorically. “And how does grief and loss lead us on a path of self-discovery?”

At the beginning of the play Saige (portrayed by Lara Danisman) gazes at a single white lily that has been placed at the center of the stage; this represents Prince Rowan’s grave. She is approached by a medium, Selene (Xiani Fan), who offers her the opportunity to prevent Rowan’s murder.

Selene suggests that this action will save the kingdom as much as it does Saige’s first love. But there is a catch: Saige must choose another character to die in Rowan’s place. In grief and haste, Saige accepts the bargain — though later she agonizes over the choice of who will die instead of Rowan.

What makes the play’s resolution effective is that Saige’s eventual decision is both unthinkable and, in retrospect, beautifully inevitable. This is aided by Danisman’s contemplative performance. She clearly understands Saige’s dilemma, and she consistently conveys the character’s motivations without revealing too much.

The play leans on some familiar story beats and character archetypes. However, Wilkerson deftly recombines these recognizable elements, with the purpose of telling a story — and reflecting on its themes — from a clear viewpoint. Autumn Rewind is a (contemplative, at times somber) fairy tale for the 2020s.

One of the most recognizable archetypes is the scheming, corrupt official. Here, that role is filled by a character later revealed to be Saige’s father: the manipulative Prime Minister (whom Teddy Feig plays as entertainingly effete).

Lighting Designer Kat McLaughlin (assisted by Michelle Liu) assigns the Prime Minister the leitmotif of being lit in red — first when Selene shows Saige a projection

of the future, and then when the event actually happens. Red might be a somewhat obvious color choice for a villain, but the device nevertheless is an effective example of using a production element to define a character.

Another archetype is the banished, supposedly dangerous family member.

Ernest (Orion Lopez-Ramirez) is Rowan’s estranged cousin, and is being groomed by the Prime Minister as a rival for the throne. The brooding Rowan could not be more different from his sidekick, the affably placid, witty Ivan (Brendan Kehoe).

Costume Designer Clara Bloom underlines this contrast by dressing Ernest in black, and Ivan in white and tan; the latter color scheme is echoed by Saige’s outfit. (It is worth remembering that the lily is white.) Rowan — an essentially wellintentioned man who loves Saige, but lets mounting court intrigue darken his personality — wears a white shirt and black pants, making him something of a mix between Saige and Ernest.

Saige also encounters Rowan’s shrewd mother, Queen Helena (aptly infused with prissiness by Antea Garo); and Quinn (Britton Masback), an initially standoffish general who is loyal to Rowan, but develops a close friendship with Saige — and rebukes the prince for his increasingly unkind treatment of her.

when Saige visits the past; she finds that certain events happen differently from the way she remembers them. Characters arrive earlier than she thinks they should; and the lily conspicuously is moved closer to one side of the stage. Selene explains that it is inevitable that things would seem different, because Saige has gained perspectives that she did not have when living through the events the first time around.

Saige even finds herself displaced. Despite the love she has shared with Rowan (Zach Lee), she finds that the prince starts to push her away once they are betrothed, and the pressures of preparing to ascend to the throne mount. This is exacerbated when Princess Aspen (infused with charm by Soraya Patterson) is introduced as another possible bride for Rowan.

Where Wilkerson particularly succeeds as a director is in working with her cast and production team to make the play’s world feel vivid and inhabited. Sound Designers Daniel Viorica and Rilla McKeegan fill the outdoor scenes with birdsong; and dignified string music accompanies important court events.

Some of Wilkerson’s most effective staging is for a gala that ends the first act. This well-blocked scene’s focus is on Saige’s interference with an attempt to kill Rowan. But we never lose sight of the fact that the other characters are in the room.

production, the actors’ performances inevitably vary in quality. Vocal projection often is a bit of an issue, and that is true here. Certain lines are less audible than others (at least for this writer). Nevertheless, the performers clearly are making the most of their roles, and they make scenes such as the gala fun to watch.

This first attempt on Rowan’s life leads to an often-used plot element: the poisoning — and surreptitious, last-minute switching — of drinks. Everly (Heather Jung), the mild-mannered servant who pours the drinks, is conveniently oblivious to all of this, to an extent that stretches credibility. Using body language, the actors make it clear that multiple conversations are happening, and it is interesting to observe the characters’ reactions to each other.

Set Designer Eslem Saka furnishes the stage with formidable, ancient-looking columns, evocative of the Romans. In a play that explores the passage and reversal of time, the pillars seem to be steadfast, never-changing — even if age appears to be corroding them. Additionally, they are a humanity-imposed element that intrudes on nature, echoing the conflict between the world-weary court intrigue, and the innocent, genuine friendship between Rowan and the nature-loving Saige — a friendship that one wishes was presented more fully, perhaps via flashbacks.

The pillars probably also can be said to represent tradition, and correspondingly, patriarchal institutions. Despite the uneasy interactions between the Prime Minister and Queen Helena, both have accepted court-imposed, institutional traditions — and both Rowan and Ernest are groomed to continue them. Saige, the Prime Minister’s daughter, increasingly finds herself excluded by the courtiers and the institutional system they represent. Aspen, perhaps, is more able to mold herself to them.

Ultimately, Saige saves Rowan by moving in front of him, and taking a fatal stab wound that her father means for him. We realize that the Faustian bargain probably has less to do with supernatural elements than with basic circumstance; Saige physitakes Rowan’s place.

The opening scene is reversed when most of the characters stand at her grave, and pay tribute to her. (Ivan offers a bit of comic relief by comparing her to his “Aunt Susie.”) In a poetic epilogue, Rowan reads Saige’s final letter to him, as her spirit bids him farewell.

right).

For information about Theatre Intime’s upcoming productions call (609) 2585155 or visit theatreintime.org.

Autumn Rewind is an engaging inaugural effort by Wilkerson. (Hopefully) assuming that she continues to make theater, this play makes one excited to fast-forward and see what she creates next.

—Donald H. Sanborn III

Cranbury Design Center listens to your ideas and then uses color drawings of your space to help make your vision a reality. We assist with design decisions, cabinet, countertop and hardware selections, and finishing touches like backsplash tile and paint colors. Call us or visit us online to get started on your remodel. We look forward

“AUTUMN

REWIND”: Theatre Intime has staged “Autumn Rewind.” Written and directed by Le’Naya Wilkerson ’25, the play was presented February 24-March 5

at

the Hamil-

ton Murray Theater. Above: Saige (Lara Danisman, center) travels back in time to stop the assassination of Prince Rowan (Zach Lee, left). But this mission leads to encounters with dangerous people at court, including Rowan’s estranged cousin, Ernest (Orion LopezRamirez,

(Photo by Kate Stewart)

SUMMER STUDIOS at the Arts Council of Princeton encourage artists 5-16 years-old to enter our world of endless artistic opportunities. Our youngest artists will try their hand at painting, mixed media, clay, and fiber arts Teens and tweens will dive more deeply into various mediums to immerse themselves in a week of exploring their creative passions

JUNE 26TH TO JULY 21ST 2023

Camp Guide

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Struggling with your child’s behavior? Difficulties with your child in school?

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We can help you make sense of it all.

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As a BCBA with 25 years experience working in the autism field, Nina Finkler can provide consultations, therapy and training to families and professionals.

As a BCBA with 25 years experience working in the autism field, Nina Finkler can provide consultations, therapy and training to families and professionals.

As a BCBA with 25 years experience working in the autism field, Nina Finkler can provide consultations, therapy and training to families and professionals.

As a BCBA with 25 years experience working in the autism field, Nina Finkler can provide consultations, therapy and training to families and professionals.

As a BCBA with 25 years experience working in the autism field, Nina Finkler can provide consultations, therapy and training to families and professionals.

As a BCBA with 25 years experience working in the autism field, Nina Finkler can provide consultations, therapy and training to families and professionals.

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Learn more by visiting www.finklerautism.com or call (609) 608-5061

Learn more by visiting www.finklerautism.com or call (609) 608-5061

Learn more by visiting www.finklerautism.com or call (609) 608-5061

Learn more by visiting www.finklerautism.com or call (609) 608-5061

Learn more by visiting www.finklerautism.com or call (609) 608-5061

Performing Arts

CONCERT UP CLOSE: Audiences get to sit beside the musicians of the Chiaroscuro String Quartet, on stage at Richardson Auditorium, at an “Up Close” concert March 26. (Photo

Beethoven and

On Gut Stringed Instruments

Led by violinist Alina Ibragimova, the Chiaroscuro String Quartet performs music of the Classical and early Romantic periods on gut stringed instruments with historical bows on Sunday, March 26 at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., in Richardson Auditorium.

Unlike most string quartets, they also perform standing up at his concert, which marks their Princeton University Concerts (PUC) debut. On the program are Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95 “Serioso” and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 13.

Princeton’s First Tradition

The concert is part of PUC’s Performances Up Close series, which brings audiences onstage alongside the musicians. This season’s focus is on “leading ladies,” a new generation of female musicians who are leading the charge as classical music performance takes new directions. Every detail including seating configuration, a relaxed atmosphere, and audience interaction is curated to foster as direct an experience of the music as possible.

Prior to the both concerts, attendees are invited to connect over a shared love of music at Do-ReMeet social events for music lovers. There will be two types of pre-concert social

Worship Service

Sundays at 11am

experiences offered. At 1 p.m., a Do-Re-Meet: Speed Dating event for people seeking heterosexual romantic connection is paired with the 3 p.m. concert. At 4 p.m., there will be a DoRe-Meet: Find Your Friends speed-friending event, paired with the 6 p.m. concert. Both events will be held at the historic Maclean House on Princeton’s campus, just steps from Richardson Auditorium, and will include facilitated social activities with catered hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets for the concert, from $10-$40 are limited for the concert, and patrons are encouraged to buy them soon at puc.princeton.edu or by calling (609) 258-9220. The 3 p.m. performance is sold out, but tickets as part of the Do-Re-Meet: Speed Dating package remain. Tickets for the 6 p.m. concert and the Do-Re-Meet: Find My Friends package also remain.

The Doobie Brothers Come to State Theatre State Theatre New Jersey has added two performances featuring four-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Doobie Brothers, on Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m.

This extension of their 50th Anniversary Tour features Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons, and John McFee, again together for the first time in over 25 years. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m.

“We are thrilled to be back on the road in 2023 playing some cities we haven’t gotten to yet on this tour,” said Johnston.

PRE-POOH PLAY: Before “Winnie the Pooh,” A.A. Milne wrote the play “The Dover Road.” In this scene from the production by ActorsNET, Latimer (G. Anthony Williams) and his guest, Anne (Charlotte Kirkby), discuss the realities of marriage with their morning tea.

for their 1976 album, Best of the Doobies. The Doobie Brothers’ collection of hits will once again be played by the artists who wrote them, providing fans the rare opportunity to see these rock and roll legends performing their full catalog of songs on stage. The State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit STNJ.org for tickets.

Drama by A.A. Milne

On Stage in Morrisville

Creative partners Maryalice Rubins-Topoleski and Charlotte Kirkby have been unearthing the forgotten plays of the past, and

Their current project is the rare revival of a 1922 comedy The Dover Road by A. A. Milne, being presented by ActorsNET of Bucks County at the Heritage Center Theater, 635 North Delmorr Avenue in Morrisville, Pa., March 10-26.

Years before he created the iconic Winnie the Pooh, Milne was a popular dramatist. The Dover Road is about the fallacy of romantic love. “The most surprising thing about this show is how fresh and relevant it feels today despite the fact it was written about 100 years ago,” said Charlotte Kirkby, who plays Anne. “How many times have we

enter a relationship that makes us think ‘are you sure this is the person you want to be with?’”

The play focuses on the rich and peculiar Mr. Latimer, who occupies a house just off the Dover Road. His idea of philanthropy is to waylay eloping couples en route from London to Paris, and give them a chance to look at their relationship before taking the proverbial plunge.

Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Doors open one half hour before show time. For tickets or additional information, visit actorsnetbucks.org.

Princeton University Chapel

Open to all.

Guest Preaching Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 11am is Natalie Harvey, Chapel Seminarian. Music performed by the University Chapel Choir, Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music, Eric Plutz, University Organist. In honor of Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of women to society across history, this week’s music honors the work of Mathilde McKinney, Gwyneth Walker, and Amy Beach.

Selling nearly 50 million albums worldwide, the Grammy-winning Doobie Brothers have had five top-10 singles, 16 top-40 hits, three multi-platinum albums, seven platinum albums, 14 gold albums, and own a rare diamond record

Mendelssohn

by Eva Vermandel)

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY: The Doobie Brothers stop in New Brunswick in July as part of their upcoming tour. Tickets go on sale beginning March 10 at stnj.org.

Philadelphia Ballet presents a trio of works by George Balanchine at the city’s historic Academy of Music March 16-19. On the program are “Who Cares?” to music of Gershwin, “Agon” to Stravinsky, and “Ballet Imperial” to Tchaikovsky. Performances are Thursday and Friday, March 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 18 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, March 19 at 2 p.m. Visit philadelphiaballet.org for tickets.

Westminster Choir Performs

With Pittsburg Symphony

The Westminster Choir, composed of students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, will embark on a spring tour in Ohio and Pennsylvania from March 12-18. The tour includes an appearance by the choir’s tenors and basses with the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as a concert at the choir’s founding church in Dayton, Ohio.

Now in its 103rd year, the Westminster Choir was supposed to visit Dayton on its 100th anniversary, but those plans were canceled because of the pandemic. “It is only right that we sing there and perform for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the choir,” said James Jordan, the choir’s conductor. “It is wonderful to return to touring.”

This year’s spring tour program includes works by Thomas Tallis, Arvo Pärt, Felix MendelssohnBarthodly, Francis Poulenc, and more. It will begin with a concert on March 12 at 4 p.m. at Westminster Choir’s founding church, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio. It was there that John Finley Williamson originally founded the choir in 1920. Only two years later, the choir began touring the United States, going on to sing at performance venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and Symphony Hall in Boston.

The tour will continue with a stop in Columbus, Ohio, at Otterbein University on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. for a collaborative concert with the

Otterbein Concert Choir at Church of the Messiah United Methodist Church. Otterbein University was the alma mater of Williamson and his wife, Rhea Parlette Willamson, who graduated as a part of the Otterbein’s Class of 1911. Williamson brought the Westminster Choir there many times during his lifetime.

Members of the choir will then participate in three performances of Mozart’s Requiem at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, which is led by Westminster alumnus Matthew Mehaffey ’99, on March 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. and March 19 at 2:30 p.m.

These performances will be conducted by Manfred Honeck and include the soloists soprano Jeanine De Bique, mezzo soprano Catriona Morison, tenor Ben Bliss, and bass Tareq Nazmi.

Actor F. Murray Abraham, known for his Academy Award-winning role in Amadeus and more recently his performance in the HBO series The White Lotus , will narrate the program.

The tour will also include a concert at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh on March 18 at 2 p.m.

Westminster Conservatory Presents Faculty Concert

The monthly series Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will present a program of music for oboe, horn, and piano on Thursday, March 16 at 12 p.m. at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street. Admission is free.

The performers — Melissa Bohl, oboe; Craig Levesque, horn; and Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, piano — are members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty. The program comprises Incantation and Dance for oboe and piano by William Grant Still, Trio for oboe, horn and piano, op. 188 by Carl Reinecke, and the first performance of a new work by Levesque, Variation for oboe, horn, and piano.

Bohl is the principal oboist of the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey, the Orchestra of St. Peter-bythe-Sea, the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, and the American Repertory Ballet Orchestra. She plays oboe and English horn with the Plainfield Symphony and performs regularly with many other area musical organizations, including the Garden State Symphonic Band and the Central Jersey Symphonic Orchestra. At Westminster Conservatory, she teaches oboe and is head of the woodwind, brass and percussion department. Bohl has degrees in music from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Notre Dame, and Princeton University.

Levesque is a composer, arranger, engraver, and horn player based in central New Jersey. He holds degrees from the University of New Hampshire (B.A. in music theory and composition; M.A. in music history) and Rutgers University (Ph.D. in music theory and composi tion). Levesque serves as a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, where he has

taught theory, analysis, ear training, and orchestration. At Westminster Conservatory, he serves as head of the theory and composition department; director of the Honors Music Program; and teaches horn, composition, theory, and ear training. Levesque performs regularly with the Princeton Symphonic Brass, Westminster Winds, and the Atlas Brass Quintet.

Lehrer is a teacher, performer, clinician, author, and adjudicator. She has given master classes and workshops, and has enjoyed an active concert career as a soloist and collaborative artist in the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe. She is a professor emerita of piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and continues to serve on the faculty of Westminster Conservatory. Lehrer received a B.A. with music concentration from the University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music, and an M.S. in piano from the Juilliard School of Music.

Keith Spencer Performs

At Senior Center Benefit

On Sunday, April 30 at 7 p.m., Princeton Senior Resource Center will present “A Special Event with Keith Spencer in Concert” at Stone Hill Church, 1025 Bunn Drive.

The performance by Spencer, a baritone vocalist and concert entertainer, will be followed by a dessert reception. Tickets are $40 or $100 at princetonsenior.org or by calling (609) 751.9699.

Spencer recently performed his one-person concert experience, “Brothers on Broadway – A Celebration of Broadway’s African American Leading Men” with the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey. The program is a tribute to Broadway’s

African American leading men, including Sammy Davis Jr., Cab Calloway, Ben Vereen, Paul Robeson, and Gregory Hines. Music is by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Leonard Bernstein, and more.

The newest addition to the series is “Lord, Write My Name – From Slavery to Freedom: The Gospel and the African American Experience in Spirituals,” an inspirational blend of African American Spirituals interspersed with narratives, poetry, and letters penned by freed slaves and iconic Black figures throughout history.

Spencer has presented concert selections on WRTI 90.1FM Philadelphia as part of their LIVE In-Studio Performance Series. Elsewhere in the Philadelphiaarea, he has performed as concert guest artist for organizations such as the Quakertown Concert Band, Capital Singers of Trenton, Abington Choral Club, and the Choral Arts Guild. He is also a cabaret concert artist who appears regularly in various ensembles with the Jump City Jazz Orchestra.

Outside the theatrical stage, Spencer has backed vocals for artists such as Roberta Flack, Rosemary Clooney, and Sandi Patty.

University Dance Students

Perform at Hearst Theater

“Dissonance,” the annual dance concert presented by seniors in Princeton University’s Program in Dance, premieres new and adapted works on March 24 at 8 p.m., and March 25, 2 and 8 p.m., in the Hearst Dance Theater of the Lewis Arts complex on the campus.

The program includes a new group piece by faculty member Rebecca Lazier; new group pieces by seniors Jonathan Golden and Gigi Pacheco; a solo work by choreographer Adriana Pierce, performed by senior Lucy Sirrs; a solo work by Princeton alumnus Enver Ramadani, performed by senior Anastasia Poverin; and a duet work by the founder of YY Dance Company and New York City-based choreographer Yue Yin, performed by seniors Heather Samberg and Emma Wang.

Admission is free. Visit arts.princeton.edu.

He was a featured concert soloist for Paul Robeson’s 120th Birthday Celebration hosted by the Paul Robeson House of Princeton. Proceeds from this event benefit ongoing programs, and support and guidance services at the Princeton Senior Resource Center. Visit princetonsenior.org or call (609) 751-9699 for tickets. Tell

opportunity for the Princeton Community to enjoy performances by local, national, and international organists. Performing March 9 is Kathleen Scheide, Church of the Loving Shepherd, West Chester, PA. No performance March 16 as it falls during Spring Recess at Princeton University.

ON TOUR: The Westminster Choir will take part in a spring tour with stops in Ohio and Pennsylvania March 12-18.

(Photo by Peter G. Borg)

NEW STEPS: Cast members of Rebecca Lazier’s new work “With Each (a)Part” are shown in rehearsal for the performances on March 24-25.  (Photo by Jon Sweeney)

GERSHWIN AND MORE:

Keith Spencer

Art

Works by Paquet-Morante Now at David Scott Gallery

The latest installment at David Scott Gallery for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors is “Within View: Paintings and Drawings,” a solo exhibition of works by Léni Paquet-Morante, an accomplished painter and sculptor with the Johnson Atelier Studio Program in Hamilton. An opening reception is on Sunday, March 19 from 2 to 5 p.m.

“In my previous exhibition, ‘Intersection,’ I attempted to relate the connections between the visual language of four unique abstract artists,” said Scott. “With Léni’s show, I invite the viewer to seek out the intersecting elements within a single artist’s vocabulary.”

11 through April 2 at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell.

“Meditative Imagery” Joint Photo Exhibit at Gallery 14

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell presents “Meditative Imagery,” featuring the work of Phillip “Dutch” Bagley and John Stritzinger, March 11 through April 2. Both artists are known for their explorations of shape and form, both natural and man-made. For this exhibit they have taken a meditative approach to their images.

In “Expressive Trees,” Stritzinger looks at how the trees’ various parts create special shapes and personalities. He says, “Tree limbs emerge from trunks in a most engaging way, their shapes svelte, stocky, ramrod straight, inexplicably curved. Some limbs pair up as if cohorts in fun. Others seem very proper, regal even, soaring up or tapering in an expected way. A few trees draw attention to their roots, sinuous fingerlings that clutch the earth. While some trees bear a unique presence and stand on their own, in others the shapes of limbs and roots

grow anthropomorphic and suggest feelings and character.” Stritzinger spends time understanding how those parts create special visual personalities.

In “Structured Haiku,” Bagley goes an extra step in looking at man-made structures by writing Haiku poems to accompany his images of shapes and forms in the buildings. Just as the buildings have specific structure and form, his poetry using the highly structured form of the Haiku interprets the physical imagery. He asks, “Can a man-made structure inspire a sense of peaceful reflection and contemplation?”

His poetry reflects the feelings captured in his images.

An artists’ reception is on Saturday, March 11 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography is located at 14 Mercer Street in Hopewell. It is open Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, visit gallery14. org or email galleryfourteen@yahoo.com.

“Within View” is an exhibition of 36 works by PaquetMorante, all interpretations of the landscape and nature through plein air paintings, abstract drawings, and bold monoprints. Walking the gallery, one can explore the conversation between these different media, all tethered together by her use of color, line, and compositionas she seamlessly navigates the tenuous borders between representation and abstraction.

“The title, ‘Within View,’ is a reference to a duality that many artists embrace –subject matter that is represented more literally, as well as the more personal interpretation, expressed from ‘within,’” said Scott. “This harmonious duality is part of Léni’s DNA, so I saw it as essential that the show examine multiple aspects of her voice. One will easily recognize the interaction between the symbiotic elements in her work, without it ever feeling contrived or clever.”

Paquet-Morante said, “I look to the natural landscape to maintain connection to its color and structure, and to discover some of its nuanced complexity. The paintings in this show include work done in New Jersey as well as several other northeastern states, created in all seasons, at warm brooks and vernal pools, at blustery coastlines, and frozen marshlands. The interpretive work that I do in the studio has been built on an extensive library of notes, and it is through the plein air work that these notes are initiated.

“Following a shoulder injury making sculpture in 2021, I began what became an extensive series of small ink drawings made at the edges of brooks and puddles, at small piles of leaves, seeds, and mud, and the surrounding detritus. The larger ink works in 2022 are based solely on recall and with intention to compose an image that speaks as much to the act of drawing, as to an arrangement of landscape components with shallow water as the recurring theme. Through this work, I explore a contemporary interpretation of landscape, which explores the visual complexity within flooded potholes as freely as that within natural, undisturbed environments.”

David Scott Gallery is located at 253 Nassau Street in Princeton, across from Blue Point Grill. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are strongly encouraged to attend the show during weekends, at the opening or closing receptions, or schedule a guided visit with Scott or the artist. Email for more information at davidscottfineart@gmail.com or lenimorante@yahoo.com.

Scott is an independent curator that works with multiple art venues in central New Jersey.

Johnson Honored in Year-Long Art Project

Something really big is coming to Hopewell Valley thanks to the Hopewell Valley Arts Council and the Seward Johnson Atelier. Together, they are partnering on an ambitious year-long art project, “Seward

Johnson | Celebrating the Everyday,” to honor the late J. Seward Johnson II’s life and the things that he loved. The project runs from now through January 2024, and will incorporate sculpture installations, events, and community engagement.

An internationally renowned sculptor, Johnson was one of Hopewell Valley’s most beloved and well-known artists. Seward Johnson embodied the Johnson family’s long tradition of philanthropy along with his own interest, the arts. Serving as an influential mentor to many local artists, he was the founder of Grounds For Sculpture and the Seward Johnson Atelier in Hamilton.

A highlight of the project will be the installation of Johnson’s 70-foot-wide monumental sculpture, “The Awakening,” at D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township, just outside of Hopewell Borough. With support from the Atlantic Foundation, a Johnson family foundation, the Johnson Atelier received a generous grant for its installation. The public is invited to an artful gathering to celebrate the arrival of the sculpture on Sunday, May 21 at St. Michaels Preserve.

“This project truly celebrates Seward’s spirit,” said Lynn DeClemente Losavio, program officer at the Seward Johnson Atelier. “Seward loved Hopewell Valley — the beautiful expanse of field and forest of St. Michaels, a sense of wellbeing and return to nature. He would have loved people wandering, finding their own story as they take advantage of the surrounding trails and community. The ‘giant’ really amplifies this feeling.”

The project also aims to bring 14 of Johnson’s hyperrealistic bronze sculptures to Hopewell Valley for a special six-month exhibition. Seward Johnson’s everyday life sculptures are typically placed in cultural or historic contexts to create the opportunity for creative exploration and conversation. In Hopewell Valley, sculptures will be installed in high-visibility locations throughout Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, Pennington, and Titusville, including one at each school campus in Hopewell Valley Regional School District.

Funding for the 14 sculptures will be crowd-sourced from corporate and local businesses, as well as from the community.

“We’re excited about the buzz working its way through Hopewell Valley,” said Carol Lipson, HV Arts board member. “We hope that all of us who love Hopewell Valley will be inspired to contribute whatever they can to help reach our fundraising goals. This fun exhibition will bring together communities of Hopewell Valley, while helping our local businesses by attracting visitors and tourists.”

Additionally, the HV Arts Council is partnering with local artists, organizations, and businesses for a full celebration to include nature, music, theater, dance, poetry, and food: all the things Johnson loved. Fundraising for the project began in February and continues through midApril 2023.

For more information, visit hvartscouncil.org/sewardjohnson.

“WATERSHED SWAMP, SPRING”: This acrylic on canvas painting by Léni Paquet-Morante is featured in “Within View: Paintings and Drawings,” her solo exhibition on view at David Scott Gallery for BHHS Fox & Roach, Realtors on Nassau Street through April 15. An opening reception is on Sunday, March 19, from 2 to 5 p.m.

“THE EYE OF DOUBLE O”: This work by Phillip “Dutch” Bagley is part of “Meditative Imagery,” his dual exhibit with John Stritzinger, on view March

“THE AWAKENING”: The late J. Seward Johnson’s 70-foot-wide sculpture will be installed at D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township in May as part of the yearlong project “Seward Johnson | Celebrating the Everyday.” (Photo by Ken Ek)

“TREE EXPRESSIONS”: This work by John Stritzinger is featured in “Meditative Imagery,” his joint photography exhibit with Phillip “Dutch” Bagley, on view March 11 through April 2 at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell. An artists’ reception is on Saturday, March 11 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Onome Olotu Named ACP Artist-In-Residence

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) has announced painter Onome Olotu as its Spring 2023 Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence (AIR).

Olotu was born in 1993 in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied art as a painting major at the University of Benin. After graduation, she worked as a curatorial assistant at the National Gallery of Art, Abuja, and later as an art teacher before taking on full time studio practice at the Universal Studios of Art, La gos in 2018. Working pre dominantly in charcoal and acrylics, her work engages personal family and institu tional archives to respond to social and political events. Olotu’s work has been ex hibited across Nigeria and recently at the exhibition “Sankofa: African Routes, Canadian Roots” at the Museum of Anthropology, The University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada. She currently lives and works between Lagos and Princeton.

Olotu’s plans for her residency involve the immediate community. Having lived in Princeton for two years, Onome noticed few Black families in the area and was surprised to learn that the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood is a historically Black community. This put the wheels in motion for Olotu who wondered, “What would it have been like to live here at that time?”

During her residency, Olotu will meet with community leaders, longtime residents, and historians to collect archival images of Princeton and insert herself in historic

Princeton including former Witherspoon-Jackson landmarks. The entire Princeton community will be invited to “co-create” with Olotu in free art-making workshops that provide her pre-prepared images on paper that participants can embellish with personal memories. These individual pieces will be collected and displayed together to form one large “community postcard” to be displayed in the Arts Council’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts.

the limits of my current media of acrylic paint on canvas to include printmaking, taking advantage of the printmaking facility available in the Art Council studios. I will explore what a combination of printmaking and acrylic painting, texts and images, and personal and institutional archives will produce in a new body of work.”

Maria Evans, ACP artistic director, said, “The Arts Council is thrilled to be working with Onome. She brings such talent and joy to her projects, and I am sure the community will love creating a ‘giant’ postcard with her. We are fortunate to have Onome here before she travels back to Nigeria with her husband. Please stop by, say hello, and be sure to sign up for the workshop(s) as they are posted.”

This project would not be possible without the support of Timothy M. Andrews, longtime supporter of the Arts Council of Princeton, who has generously underwritten the Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence program.

Area Exhibits

Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Cycle of Creativity: Allison Saar and the Toni Morrison Papers” through July 9. 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” through May 7. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “Where Color Meets Memory” through March 11 and “Train of Thoughts” through April 15. artscouncilofprinceton.org.

“The opportunity to cocreate with a community like Princeton could not have come at a better time,” she said. “Through conversations with the remaining Black community and these historical images of Princeton, I hope to project a memory of acceptance at a time when it seemed impossible with a fast-disappearing Black community.”

The Arts Council’s newly opened Print Studio will also serve as inspiration during Onome’s time as resident. She said, “I intend to push

The Anne Reeves Artistin-Residence program, named after the ACP founding director, was established by the Arts Council in 2009 to offer artists the opportunity to conceptualize and create work while providing the community with creative interaction with working artists in all disciplines. Learn more at artscouncilof princeton.org.

Artworks Trenton, 19 Everett Alley, Trenton, has “The Women’s Caucus for Art” and “Metal Lucidity” March 14 through April 15. An opening reception is on March 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. artworkstrenton.org

David Scott Gallery at BHHS Fox & Roach, Realtors, 253 Nassau Street, has works by Léni PaquetMorante through April 15. An opening reception is on March 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. davidscottfineart@gmail. com.

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.

Ellarslie, Trenton’s City Museum in Cadwalader Park, Parkside Avenue, has “Trustees Collecting” through April 15. ellarslie.org.

Ficus Above, 235 Nassau Street, has “Winter’s Hearth” through March 26. ficusbv.com.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography, 14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, has “Meditative Imagery” March 11 through April 2. An artists’ reception is on Saturday, March 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. gallery14.org.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23A-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has “Youth Art Exhibition” through March 29. cranburyartscouncil. org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, 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 “Walé Oyéjidé: Flight of the Dreamer” through April 23 and “Mid-Century to Manga: The Modern Japanese Print in America” through July 30. michenerartmuseum. org

Milberg Gallery, Princeton University Library, has “Toni Morrison: Sites of Memory” through June 4. library.princeton.edu.

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has the online exhibits “Slavery at Morven,” “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761–1898,” and others. morven.org.

The Nassau Club, 6 Mercer Street, has “Christine Seo: Princeton Solo Show” through June 4. christineseo.com.

Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, has “Manifesting Love: Prints and Poetry” and “In Between Doodles” through March 25. princetonlibrary.org.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has mixed media art by Spriha Gupta through April 4. Bird photography by Ted Sumers is at the 254 Nassau Street location through April 4. smallworldcoffee.com.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “GR8 Works Fundraising Art Show” through March 25. A reception is on Friday, March 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. westwindsorarts.org.

Onome Olotu

(Photo by Emezie Asogwa)

Mark Your Calendar Town Topics

Wednesday, March 8

7 p.m.: PSO BRAVO violin masterclass by composer/violinist William Harvey at Wolfensohn Hall, Institute for Advanced Study. Free, tickets required. Princetonsymphony.org.

7:30 p.m.: “Rising,” with tenor Lawrence Brownlee and pianist Kevin Miller, song cycle of new settings of Harlem Renaissance texts by contemporary composers. At Richardson Auditorium. $10$40. Puc.princeton.edu.

7 p.m .: Diane Wilson and Tessa Desmond discusses the novel The Seed Keeper at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

8-10:30 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Ridge Kennedy with Raise the Roof. $15. Princetoncountrydancers. org.

Thursday, March 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.

5-7 p.m.: “The Entrepreneur’s Journey: How to Prepare for Fundraising,” hybrid event with panel discussion. Live event is at Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs, 303A College Road East. Princetonbiolabs.com.

6 p.m.: Rhae Lynn Barnes and Tera Hunter discuss After Life: A Collective History of Loss and Redemption in Pandemic America at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, and online. Labyrinthbooks.org.

6:30-8 p.m .: “Local Flavor: Artists’ Potluck Dinner” at the Arts Coun cil of Princeton, 102 With erspoon Street. Communal meal to bring together likeminded regional artists to connect, swap ideas, share photos, and hear from fea tured artists Katie Truk and Dolores Poacelli. Free. Register at artscouncilof princeton.org

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

7 p.m.: “Instruments of the Indian Subcontinent,” a talk by composer/violinist William Harvey, with tabla musician Dibyarka Chat terjee, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Free. Princetonli brary.org.

7-8:30 p.m .: “Ode to the Fallen Trees,” concert by Puerto Rican composer and improvisation concert pianist Alfonso Fuentes Co lon, with clarinetist Oskar Espina Ruiz. At Richard son Auditorium. Free. Plas. princeton.edu/events.

Friday, March 10

7-10 p.m.: “From El larslie with Love: Love

Songs Across the Decades with the Tom Chiola Quar tet and Jessica Briggs.” At Trenton Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton. Ellarslie.org/concert.

7:30 p.m.: Clean Slate: A World Premiere Musical, at Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. A co-production between Passage Theatre and Rider University. Rider.edu/arts.

MARCH

8 p.m .: Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Commu nity College, West Windsor, presents the play man’s Guide to Love and Murder. KelseyTheatre.org.

8 p.m.: ActorsNet pres ents the A.A. Milne play Dover Road, at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, Pa. Actorsnetbucks.org.

Saturday, March 11

8 a.m.: Princeton Pi Day begins at LiLLiPiES in Princeton Shopping Center with a Pie Flight Contest. Princetontourcompany.com.

9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Princeton Future meets at Princeton Public Library. The topic is “How We Get Around: Land Use and Circulation in Princeton,” led by planner Tony Nelessen. Free. Princetonfuture.org

9:30-11 a.m.: “Highfield Tokamaks: The Fastest and Surest Plan to a Fusion Energy Power Plan.” Devon Battaglia of Commonwealth Fusion Systems leads the discussion. 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: Birds, Nesting and Birdhouses. At Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. After storytime, each child participating will make their own birdhouse and get nesting materials to take home. $12. Registration required. Terhuneorchards.com.

10:30 a.m .: Pre-Teen Einstein Look-Alike Contests at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Part of Pi Day celebration. Followed ay 11:30 a.m. by Pre-Teen Pi Recitation Contest, and the Pi-Rade. Princetontourcompany.com.

12-5 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Live music from 1-4 p.m. with Brian Bortnick. Wine, light bites, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

2 p.m.: South Brunswick writer Deepti Paikray discusses her recent book Stories at My Doorstep at Plainsboro Public Library, 9 Van Doren Street. Free. Plainsborolibrary.org.

2 p.m.: Dinky train rides with Albert Einstein reenactor Bill Agress. Meet at the Wawa at Princeton train station. Princetontourcompany.com.

Chamber Meditations

Guided Breathwork and Ambient Sound Healing

2:30-4:30 p.m .: Einstein Open Archives event for families, with crafts and STEM activities. Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, 3rd floor. Princetontourcompany.com.

3 and 7:30 p.m.: Clean Slate: A World Premiere Musical, at Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. A co-production between Passage Theatre Company and Rider University. Rider.edu/arts.

3 p.m.: Virtual author appearance by Dan Gutman, who recently wrote a biography of Albert Einstein

for kids. Join via Zoom or watch in Princeton Public Library’s Community Room, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

5 p.m.: Adult Einstein Look-Alike Contest and Pi Day Pub Crawl, beginning at Yankee Doodle Tap Room in the Nassau Inn. Adults only. Princetontourcompany.com.

7:30 p.m.: La Fiocco period instrument ensemble presents “The Fiddler’s Dance” at Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane. $10$25. Lafiocco.org.

8 p.m.: Princeton Symphony Orchestra presents Seven Decisions of Gandhi, world premiere conducted by Sameer Patel with violinist and composer William Harvey. Princetonsymphony.org.

8 p.m .: Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, presents the play A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. KelseyTheatre.org.

8 p.m.: R.E.S.P.E.C.T., A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin, at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $40-$98. STNJ.org.

8-11 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents Saturday English Country Dance at Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monmouth Drive. Sue Dupre with Ginger Jam. $15. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

8 p.m.: ActorsNet presents the A.A. Milne play The Dover Road, at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, Pa. Actorsnetbucks.org.

Sunday, March 12

12-5 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Live music from 1-4 p.m. with Jerry Steele. Wine, light bites, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 p.m .: Free carillon concert at Cleveland Tower on the Princeton University graduate campus; listen from outside the tower. University Carilloneur Lisa Lonie and guest artists perform.

2 p.m .: Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society presents “Carlisle Indian School Students’ Experiences in Ewing Township 1885-1915” by Larry Kidder, at the Benjamin Temple House, 27 Federal City Road. Free. Register at info@ethps.org

2 p.m.: The Trent House presents the video premiere of Whispers of Freedom Just Between Us: A Trent House Story , at the Trent House, 15 Market Street, Trenton. Pre-register at tinyurl.com/THMarch12.

2 p.m.: ActorsNet presents the A.A. Milne play The Dover Road, at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville. Pa. Actorsnetbucks.org.

2 p.m.: R.E.S.P.E.C.T., A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin, at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $40-$98. STNJ.org.

2 p.m .: Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, presents the play A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. KelseyTheatre.org.

3 p.m.: Clean Slate: A World Premiere Musical, at Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front Street, Trenton. A coproduction between Passage Theatre Company and Rider University. Rider.edu/arts.

3-6 p.m.: D&R Greenway and Voices Chorale NJ hold a shared benefit event at the barn at Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place. Irish music, dancing, food and drink. $65. Drgreenway. org or voiceschoralenj.org.

3 p.m . Staged reading of plays by young winners of the playwriting challenge “Play with Words” at Phillips’ Mill, 2619 River Road, New Hope, Pa. Phillipsmill.org.

3-5 p.m .: Family Barn Dancing for All Ages, at Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Presented by Princeton Country Dancers, led by caller John Krumm. $5-$25. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

4 p.m.: Princeton Symphony Orchestra presents Seven Decisions of Gandhi , world premiere conducted by Sameer Patel with violinist and composer William Harvey. Princetonsymphony.org.

6 p.m.: Erica Moretti, assistant professor of Italian at the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY, discusses Italian educator and physician Maria Montessori’s pacifism, at Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street. Free. Bring refreshments to share. Dorotheashouse.org.

Monday, March 13 Recycling

10:30 a.m.: Sensory Storytime for children 2 and up, especially those who are on the autism spectrum, have sensory processing issues, or feel overwhelmed by noise or crowds. Registration required. Princetonlibrary.org

4:30 p.m.: Meet the Superintendent. Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Carol Kelley holds open office hours in the lobby of Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Open to students, parents, and community members. Princetonlibrary.org.

6:30 p.m.: The Historical Fiction Book Group discusses Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara. Sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton and held via Google Meet. Visit Princetonhistory.org to register.

Tuesday, March 14

5 p.m.: Albert Einstein Memorial Lecture, Robertson Hall, Princeton University. Princetontourcompany.com.

5-7 p.m.: Panel discussion: “Use of Academic and Federal Core Research/Lab Facilities in New Jersey,” at Princeton Innovation Center Biolabs, 303A College Road East. Princetonbiolabs.com.

7 p.m.: Adult Albert Einstein Look-Alike contest and Pi Day Pub Crawl, starts at Winberie’s on Palmer Square. Adults only. Princetontourcompany.com.

7-8:30 p.m.: Open Archive: Albert Einstein at Princeton Public Library. Princetonlibrary.org.

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

7:30 p.m .: The Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton meets at Peyton Hall, Princeton University, for a talk by Joseph DePasquale, “Unfolding the Infrared Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope.” Also available via Zoom. Princetonastronomy.org.

Wednesday, March 15

4:30 p.m.: Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees meeting, in the Community Room unless otherwise noted. 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m.: Jazz saxophonist Tia Fuller performs at Lawrence High School Auditorium, 2525 Princeton Pike, with pianist Alexis Lombre, bassist Laura-Simone Martin, and drummer Allison Miller. Presented by the Queen Amina Music Club. Free.

8-10:30 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Dave Roppu with Contragenarians. $15. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, March 16 12 p.m.: Westminster Conservatory faculty members Phyllis Lehrer, piano; Melissa Bohl, oboe; and Craig Levesque, horn; perform music by William Grant Still, Carl Reinecke, and Levesque. At Nassau Presbyterian Church, 60 Nassau Street. Free.

Friday, March 17

12:30-2 p.m.: Gotham Princeton networking event at Trattoria Procaccini, 354 Nassau Street. Guest speaker is Isaac Kremer, executive director of Experience Princeton. Reservations required. Gothamnetworking.com.

7:30 p.m.: Princeton Charter School presents Annie Jr. at the school auditorium, 100 Bunn Drive. $11. Fpcsch.ejoinme.org/ PCSAnnieJr.

8 p.m .: The duo Rakish performs at Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, in a concert presented by the Princeton Folk Music Society. $5-$25. Princetonfolk.org.

8 p.m .: Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, presents the play A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. KelseyTheatre.org.

8 p.m.: ActorsNet presents the A.A. Milne play The Dover Road, at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville, Pa. Actorsnetbucks.org.

Rafa Nadal Academy and Athena Programs Offer Tennis Camp at The Lawrenceville School

Young tennis players are excited about a new upcoming opportunity this summer. The Rafa Nadal Academy Camp, in partnership with Athena Programs, will be on-site at The Lawrenceville School July 24 through July 29. The chance to improve their game and maximize their potential is awaiting them.

IT’S NEW To Us

Headquartered in Mallorca, Spain, the Rafa Nadal Academy Camp now offers six locations at private schools in the U.S., including in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and now New Jersey.

“For me, it is very exciting to work with such a global brand like the Rafa Nadal Academy,” says Marta Ramos, president of Athena Programs, who, with her partner David Gray, founded Athena in 2021. “Also, as a Spaniard, I am proud to have helped expand the brand in the U.S. and to support U.S. youth tennis.”

A native of Spain, Ramos has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, working in New York City, developing Spanish language immersion programs. In addition to its tennis and soccer focus, Athena offers academic language immersion programs.

So Much Joy

“I decided to found Athena Programs after COVID,” she explains. “I love tennis, and I thought partnership with the Rafa Nadal Academy would be an excellent association for us. Rafa’s tennis skill and focus on sportsmanship would appeal to young tennis players in the U.S., and we will be able to expose young players to the Rafa Nadal methodology. The focus is not about winning, but on working hard, sportsmanship, enjoying the sport, and having fun. This focus brings so much joy.”

Of course, Rafa Nadal is one of the greatest players to pick up a racket, winning 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 French Open championships, four U.S. Opens, two Wimbledon titles, and two Australian Opens. He is also one of the most popular players worldwide, not only because of his exceptional talent, but because of his sportsmanship, respect for the game and other players, and overall graciousness. He is a role model for many young players.

The U.S. camps have been very successful, reports Ramos, and she is looking forward to the six days in July at The Lawrenceville School, located at 2500 Main Street in Lawrenceville. It offers 12 new Har-Tru courts, as well as a tennis pavilion and seating area, on-campus field houses, two gymnasiums, and a well-appointed fitness center.

“It’s not every day that the Nadal Academy rolls into town, and to have access to their methodology right here in the Princeton area is very valuable. We are excited to offer this opportunity,” points out Ramos.

Strategic Play

The junior program is available to experienced male and female players aged 9 to 16, and also to adults. The youth camp will be held Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a tournament and award ceremony on Saturday.

The adult camp is offered Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. The two-hour sessions focus on a different aspect of the game, such as technique, tactics, mindset, and performance. Participants can select which area of the game they wish to improve, and register for each session or for one or two. Training ranges from improving minor aspects of play to strategic play to competing at a championship level.

The clinic is open to 32 experienced players of various skill levels, who will be divided into groups of four. Beginners (both adult and junior) may register for private sessions.

The junior camp focuses on groups of four under the leadership of one of the Rafa Nadal Academy coaches. This player-to-coach ratio allows for as much individual attention as possible. Participants are grouped according to age (9 to 12 and 12 to 16) and ability. The morning session includes two hours of tennis drills and instruction. This is followed by one hour of fitness and lunch.

“In the afternoon, they will work on Building A Champion, a workshop that will cover the values of effort, discipline, honesty, commitment, and respect, among others, which are the identity mark of the Academy,” explains Ramos. “Each day, they will watch a video, have a discussion about the topics covered, and work on a project as a team. Also part of the afternoon schedule is the tennis program Learning To Compete. This involves games and sets, and is coach-led. They emphasize the skills practiced in the morning.”

“Rafa Values”

A tournament is held on Saturday, followed by an award ceremony, she adds.

“We give awards and prizes to the winners of the tournament, and we usually have three different groups competing. A special prize goes to the player who has displayed the best sportsmanship, work ethic, and ‘Rafa Values’ throughout the week. The winner receives a trophy with Rafa’s name on it.”

Fitness and proper nutrition are also stressed, she points out. “We emphasize the importance of fitness and good health. Tennis requires agility and speed and footwork. It is also a mental

game. It necessitates focus, concentration, and commitment.”

An important aspect of the Rafa Nadal Academy training is its emphasis on perseverance and determination. As Ramos says, “Rafa never gives up. He plays every single point.”

But — she adds — it is fun!

The camp encourages positive interaction among the players. “They have to have fun too,” she says. “This is very important. They work hard, put in the hours, and we want them to do their best, but it has to be fun too. You can make good friends playing tennis, and you can continue to play for many years.”

Patience and Endurance

Referencing its methodology, an Academy statement reports, “We understand that modern tennis and the tennis of the future is played first with the eyes, then with the mind, next with the legs, and finally with the hands. In the camp, we will apply training systems geared in this direction to prepare you to anticipate and take the initiative of the game.”

Consequently, focus on “patience and endurance, effort and power, risk management and tactical knowledge, tolerance and fighting spirit, confidence building, and emotional control and problem-solving abilities” are all areas to be addressed.

WHO’S BEEN SHOOTING AT MY TREES?

with Pepper deTuro WOODWINDS ASSOCIATES

The characteristic straight rows of holes from the pecking of the YellowBelly Sapsuckers are a curiosity to many. The birds are not searching for the larvae of boring insects as often assumed. What they do is eat the live inner bark (phloem) of the trees, as well as the insects that are attracted to the resulting wounded areas and sap flow that their pecking creates.

Unless the holes are close enough together to cause girdling of stems or branches, the trees are usually not affected. Once the birds have identified a suitable tree, they will return year after year.

For trees severely damaged, consider deep root bio-fertilization with organic stimulants to maintain health and improve stress resistance.

Call WOODWINDS (609) 924-3500 or email treecare@woodwinds.biz to schedule an assessment.

TOP-NOTCH

TENNIS:

“There have been various local tennis camps, including Nike, in the past, but to bring the Rafa Nadal Academy Camp from Mallorca is truly something unique and special. We thought there was a need for a specialized tennis camp with proven methodology both on and off the court.” Marta Ramos is president of Athena Programs, which is partnered with the Rafa

Many of the Nadal Academy coaches have played and coached at the highest level in the U.S., and are familiar with U.S. tennis, junior tennis, and NCAA competition standards, says Ramos. She is very encouraged about the current status and future of the Rafa Nadal Academy camp in the U.S. and its partnership with Athena Programs.

“We are here to support tennis and complement and supplement what players have already learned and hopefully show them something they have not seen before, and in a fun and challenging way.

“There is also a cultural element. The Spanish approach and the approach developed by Toni Nadal (Rafa’s uncle) is honed through the years of working with Rafa and other pros on the tour. Juniors and adults will learn how to see tennis in a different way from how it is traditionally taught in the U.S. Players are excited to have exclusive access to Nadal coaches, and it is refreshingly different from what they are used to. In addition, it can be a great first step for players who would like to attend the Academy in Mallorca in the future.”

The affection and re-

spect for Rafa throughout the U.S. camps has impressed Ramos. “I always knew how popular Rafa was here, but to see young players’ faces light up when they ask the coaches about Rafa or see how they try to imitate him when they play is special. He truly is a hero to them.”

And, she adds, they really take to heart Rafa’s counsel to: “Work hard, have fun, and make it happen.”

For further information and to register for the camp, visit athena. rafanadalacademycamp.com.

— Jean Stratton

Nadal Academy in bringing the Academy’s special training program to The Lawrenceville School this summer. She is shown with a number of coaches from the Rafa Nadal Academy.

S ports

Princeton Men’s Basketball Rallies to Edge Penn in OT, Earning Ivy Title, Priming for League Postseason Tourney

There were smiles and hugs as the Princeton University men’s basketball team held its annual Senior Day celebration last Saturday afternoon before playing Penn.

For Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson, this year’s senior group has carved out a special place in his heart.

“We took a break for a year and all of the guys stayed in school, so I only had three years with them,” said Henderson, whose Class of 2023 includes Tosan Evbuomwan, Konrad Kiszka, Jacob O’Connell, Ryan Langborg, and Keeshawn Kellman.

“From the top down, Tosan through to Konrad, Jacob, Ryan, and Keeshawn, there is humility and grace. Everything that I have asked them to do over the course of their time here they have done it and now they are passing it along to the next group. That is what you want and the only way a program works.”

Evbuomwan, a native of Newcastle, England, savored the pregame ceremony.

“It was amazing to be joined by my family,” said Evboumwan. “It is not the last time I will be on my home court (as Princeton is hosting the Ivy League postseason tournament), but it is super nice to go out in front of the fans and the rest of my team and share the honor.”

With a shot at the Ivy League regular season title on the line in the high noon clash between archrivals, Evbuomwan and his teammates trudged off the court with their heads down as the Tigers trailed the Quakers 42-25 at halftime.

Henderson acknowledged that Penn played superbly in the first 20 minutes of the contest.

“They ran us out of the gym in the first half, they were terrific,” said Henderson, referring to the Quakers who got 21 points from senior star Jordan Dingle in their first half onslaught.

“We talked at halftime that there is a path to this and this is what it looks like. At the 16 minute mark we wanted to be at 12 and at the 12 minute mark we wanted to be at eight. ”

With a Jadwin Gym throng of 3,243 roaring its approval, Princeton found a path to victory, overcoming a 64-55 deficit with 4:54 remaining in the second half, reeling off an 11-2 run to knot the game at 66-66 at the end of regulation and force overtime. Building on that momentum, Princeton pulled away to a 77-69 triumph in the extra session to earn its second straight Ivy regular season crown.

As confetti streamed down on the court after the final horn, the Princeton players were hugging again, holding the Ivy trophy before cutting down with nets.

The Tigers, now 19-8 overall and 10-4 Ivy, shared the title with Yale and will be back at Jadwin this weekend to host the Ivy postseason

tournament, which will decide the league’s automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Princeton is seeded second and will face third-seeded Penn in a semifinal on March 11 with the victor advancing to the final a day later to take on the winner of the Yale-Cornell semi.

In reflecting on the hardearned triumph, Henderson credited his senior group with setting the tone.

“This is a really hard championship and we got it done because of the togetherness of the group,” said Henderson, who got 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win from freshman star Caden Pierce with Evbuomwan contributing 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. “Caden is playing great and he is a great player, but the ability to do that comes from the seniors, the grace and the allowance to be that way. So first I want thank the seniors, Tosan and his fellow classmates.”

Staying together was critical as the contest turned into a nail-biter in the final minutes of regulation.

“The game gets tight and that is what happens,” said Henderson, whose team ended the second half on an 8-0 run with junior star Matt Allocco draining a jumper in the lane and a layup in the last 1:27 to force overtime. “There is tension that comes into the game when you get into single digits and anything can happen. I kept saying to the guys, ‘Believe, believe. You are there, you are going to get it done.’”

In reflecting on the rally, Evbuomwan never doubted that the Tigers would get it done.

“I am always believing that we are going to win, no matter the score,” said Evbuomwan. “We have been in this position multiple times this year and we have come back to win. It was the same thing with last season. We just have so many guys that make plays. The threes weren’t falling necessarily but Caden was tough on the boards, getting us extra possessions. Guys got to the rim getting fouled, that was a huge part of the game. You never stop believing. We have so much confidence in one another and it paid off today.”

Pierce saw Princeton’s hard work on the boards as changing the tone of the contest.

“We missed 28 threes so there is definitely opportunities for offensive rebounds,” said Pierce. “We knew eventually if we kept shooting, they were going to start to fall. It wasn’t just me, it was other guys getting offensive rebounds and getting us extra possessions. When you get an offensive rebound and kick it out and get a three. It is demoralizing for the other team. We kept trying to fight for every extra possession, every game comes down to two or three possessions.”

Having started for Princeton since game one of his career, Pierce credited the team’s seniors with helping

him excel.

“They have been unbelievable for me, that is definitely an understatement,” said the 6’6, 210-pound Pierce who is averaging 8.0 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds a game. “I can’t thank them enough — they just continually give me confidence. I missed plenty of shots in the first half. Every single one of them was loosening me up, telling me to keep shooting. Like coach was saying, that is the togetherness on the team. It is really special. They really helped us get it done tonight.”

For Evbuomwan, winning the title on Senior Day made for a special memory.

“It means everything, it feels especially good on the home court against Penn,” said Evbuomwan . “We are going to definitely enjoy it. We are definitely looking forward to next weekend and being able to hopefully finish the job.”

In Henderson’s view, the victory meant even more in the wake of a loss to Yale on February 18 which saw Princeton squander a 6344 second half lead on the way to a 93-83 setback in overtime.

“We lost that exact same game two weeks ago,” said Henderson. “It was awful, awful; it ripped us open. I am sure that is a very difficult loss for Penn. They played much better than us for large parts of the game but that is a hell of a win and a really, really satisfying championship.”

Losing Evbuomwan to graduation will be a huge loss for the program.

“Tosan is just an extraordinary player, literally a once in a generation type of player and is just a joy to coach,” said Henderson of the 6’8, 219-pound Evbuomwan, who is averaging 14.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists a game. “One thing I appreciate about him so much is his humility. He allows me to coach him hard and he takes it in front of his teammates and he just continues to keep improving. He wrote to me before the season, saying that humility, focus, joy, and light heartedness is what he wants his season to be about and that is us. We are imperfect, it is a special group. This is a very satisfying win and championship for this group.”

Evbuomwan believes that Princeton will keep its focus as it looks to win the Ivy tournament on its home court.

“The last stretch of this regular season, every game has been huge and every game has been a championship game,” said Evbuomwan . “That should give us confidence going into the tournament to be able to get it done. That was a championship game today and Harvard (a 58-56 win in February 25) the game before was similar. I think we are going to have great confidence going into the tournament, knowing we have been here. We have played in these type of games and we have been

TITLE PUSH: Princeton University men’s basketball player Tosan Evbuomwan pushes past a foe in recent action. Last Saturday, senior star Evbuomwan tallied 15 points with seven rebounds and six assists to help Princeton rally from a 17-point second half deficit to defeat Penn 77-69 in overtime. The win clinched a second straight Ivy League regular season championship for Princeton, which shared this year’s title with Yale. This weekend, the Tigers, now 19-8 overall and 10-4 Ivy, will be hosting the Ivy postseason tournament which will decide the league’s automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Princeton is seeded second and will face third-seeded Penn in a semifinal on March 11 with the victor advancing to the final a day later to take in the winner of the Yale-Cornell semi.

in these big moments. We know how to keep our poise and get it done.”

As he looks forward to his first league tournament, Pierce is determined to keep things simple.

“It is just one game at a time, just one possession at a time and don’t take any plays off,” said Pierce. “Like you saw today, you are nev -

er out of it, no matter what the score is. If you get stops and you can string together a couple of scores, the game is never out of hand. It is just keep playing.”

Henderson hopes the Tigers can keep playing well into March.

win and it is light out at 7 because we practice at 4:45 and we are still playing,” said Henderson. “We have one more week and a chance to do that in the middle of March. The birds are chirping at 7:30 and it is still light out and you have got to dance.”

“It is March; coach [Pete] Carril used to say the best thing is to walk out of Jadwww.princetonmagazinestore.com

John Rounds

—Bill Alden

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Showing Resilience by Topping Union in ECAH Playoff, PU Men’s Hockey Heading to Harvard for Quarters Series

Unable to get its offense going, the Princeton University men’s hockey fell 3-1 at Union College in its regular season finale on February 25.

Last Saturday, Princeton got another shot at Union in Schenectady, N.Y., as the teams met in an ECAC Hockey one-game first round playoff contest and the Tigers were clicking from the start.

Princeton jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Ian Murphy and Jack Cronin.

“Through the year, we have played well with a lead and held it,” said Princeton head coach Ron Fogarty. “We have struggled down the stretch to come back from a goal or two deficit but not because of a lack of trying. The two goals were good.”

Ninth-seeded Princeton extended its lead over the eighth-seeded Dutchmen to 4-1 early in the second period as Pito Walton and Murphy found the back of the net, but Fogarty knew things were far from over.

“There was still a lot of game left,” said Fogarty. “As a coach, you are always preparing for what-ifs and whatis. It was definitely an eventful game.”

Spurred by a raucous home crowd of 2,119 at Messa Rink, Union battled back to knot the game at 4-4. Senior captain Spencer Kersten, though, saved the day for Princeton, tallying two goals in the last 4:03 of the game as the Tigers prevailed 6-4. Princeton, who improved to 13-17 overall, will now play a best-of-three ECACH quarterfinal series at second-seeded Harvard (21-6-2) starting on March 10.

“It is where our culture is and how we handle adversity,” said Fogarty, reflecting on the grit his players showed in overcoming the Dutchmen. “The penalty kill

was big. Getting that too many men penalty in killed off (midway through the third period) helped the momentum change because they had two special team goals and a short-handed goal.”

Fogarty was thrilled to see Kersten come through. “Spencer is a gifted, talented offensive player, he has shown in the past that he can score,” said Fogarty of Kersten, who had 10 points this season on four goals and six assists. “It is not the season that he has wanted on the offense stat sheet. He has evolved into a defensive guy, he is a stalwart back there. He has been really good on the face-off dot for us this year and he took a lot of key face-offs against Union. He has always been capable of scoring. For him to unleash those two, I was really happy for him. I know our team was really happy too.”

The play of senior goalie Aidan Porter, who made 31 saves, also made Fogarty happy.

“He was solid,” said Fogarty of Porter, who was the backup for most of the season but has assumed starting duties with Ethan Person sidelined by injury. “In the first period, he made two point blank saves on d-zone breakdowns and gave us every opportunity to win.”

Cashing in on the playoff opportunity was important for the Tiger program.

“It is a big win for our young group, seeing a lot of hard work, dedication, and resiliency paying off in a one-game, winner-take-all situation,” said Fogarty. “It is great for the five seniors in the group (Walton, Kersten, Porter, Liam Gorman, and Matt Hayami) to be rewarded for a lot of work. The five seniors did a great job on Saturday.”

The Tigers are bringing

confidence into the quarterfinal match-up with the highpowered Crimson.

“Harvard is a team that we have a third period lead in both games; our guys believe we can get the job done,” said Fogarty, whose team led the Crimson 2-1 in the third period of the season opener on October 29 before falling 4-2 and then built a 3-0 third period lead in a rematch with Harvard on January 6 before losing 4-3 in overtime.

“We have to slow down their top two lines and just keep them to the outside and even then they are very talented and crafty. They are No. 6 in the country for a reason. They are heavily loaded offensively. They have a Hobey Baker candidate up front with [Sean] Farrell, they have [Matthew] Coronato, [Joe] Miller, and [Alex] Laferriere. It keeps going and going. They have six NHL draft picks on the defense. They have all of the glitz and glamour. We just have to play a strong team game. It is just to make sure that they have to go 200 feet to get pucks in deep and limit our turnovers.”

In coming through against Union, Princeton displayed strong character as it stayed in the present.

“The game at Union was in a hostile environment, it was a great crowd for Union,” said Fogarty. “There was a lot of adversity in the game. We get out to a lead and then lose a three-goal lead and battle back. We only had one power play, they had more special team opportunities; they capitalized on two power plays and a short-handed goal. There was a lot of momentum swings and our guys did a great job of just being in the right mental framework of focusing on what the task is at hand . It is not worrying about the score, it is the next shift.”

—Bill Alden

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For more information, visit nassaunursery.org or call 917.698.2118

We are currently accepting applications for 2021-2022

We are currently accepting a pplications for 2018-2019

For more information, visit nassaunursery.org or call 917.698.2118

For more information, visit nassaunursery.org or call 609.924.0566

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ranked ninth in the FCS in receiving yards and 14th in receptions per game (6.6) and 16th in receiving yards. Iosivas ended his Princeton career ranked sixth all-time in receiving yards (1,909), 12th in receptions (125), and third in touchdown catches (16).

A 6’3, 200-pound native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Iosivas was also 2022 NCAA AllAmerican in the heptathlon at the indoor championships highlighted by the fastest 60-meter time (6.71) in the event. He was also a threetime Ivy champion in the heptathlon.

The unanimous First-Team All-Ivy selection is the first Tiger to participate in the combine since quarterback Kevin Davidson in 2020. In addition, Iosivas played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this month.

well loved and well read since 1946

Coming Up Big in Run to 2nd Straight Girls’ State Title, Rose Finishes her PHS Wrestling Career on a High Note

Ava Rose completed a dominant run to her second straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Wrestling Championship.

It’s another achievement for the Princeton High School senior, who has far bigger aspirations, including an Olympic gold medal.

“It was a lot cooler,” said Rose of capturing back-toback crowns at 114 pounds. “It was really awesome. I didn’t really take it all in until I was on the podium, and then I was looking around.”

Rose pinned Lennix Horsburgh of Bound Brook in their first-ever meeting after 4:40 to take gold at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday. Rose already had a commanding lead when she got Horsburgh on her back. Rose stayed away from Horsburgh’s top strength and focused on her own key move.

“The blast double because I knew her set-up and I knew it was going to be the same,” said Rose. “All her matches she did the same set up, and the blast double is one of my best moves.”

It completed a state title run in which only one wrestler didn’t get pinned by Rose. Pennsaucken’s Jada Pichardo fell, 17-2, in a technical fall in the quarterfinal round. In the semifinals, she dispatched of Lyndhurst’s Ava Krzykalski in under a minute. PHS head coach Jess Monzo believes Rose’s dominance is all in her approach.

“It’s her mindset,” said Monzo. “She believes she’s the best in the weight class. She doesn’t really believe that anybody can compete with her. She wants to dominate everyone when she steps on the mat.”

PHS came a match away from having a chance for another medalist. In the boys’ state tournament on Friday, sophomore Blaise Mele bowed out after reaching the fourth round of wrestlebacks at 126 pounds.

“We get to the wrestlebacks and now the name of the game is you have to advance,” said Monzo. “You want to place, you have to win and advance. We wrestled a couple matches and did really well and then we drew a kid that beat us twice during the year, in district finals and region finals. We’re top 12 this year. It wasn’t our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal was to be on the podium. But to be one round away is good for motivation for next season.”

Mele opened as the No. 17 seed with a 9-2 win over No. 16 seed Mason Livio of Pinelands. Mele fell in the pre-quarterfinal round to eventual Most Outstanding Wrestler and top-seeded Anthony Santaniello of Brick Memorial. In wrestlebacks, Mele was an 11-4 winner over Eastern’s Gavin Haegele, and won by default of eighth-seeded Giovanni Scafid of Howell before falling for the third time this year to Patrick O ’ Keefe of St. John Vianney. Mele went 37-6 this season.

“ We know we belong,” said Monzo. “ We ’ re one match away from placing ourselves. Luckily we have

two years left. So we can do some good things in the next two years and we’re looking forward to doing that.”

Another PHS sophomore, Cole Rose — Ava’s younger brother — also has two years left after making his first trip to the boys state tournament. Cole Rose got three matches of experience at 113. After losing in the first round to third-seeded Robert Duffy of Christian Brothers Academy, the 30 th -seeded Rose rebounded with an 11-6 win over 14th -seeded Christian Hoopes of Washington Township.

“He’s grown,” said Monzo.

“Being down on the mat and actually getting a win does tremendous things for you knowing you have two years left. Getting yourself on that flood under those bright lights at Boardwalk Hall is something that not a lot of people can say they did.”

Cole Rose’s season ended with a tight 4-2 loss to fourth-seeded Jake Talarico of St. Peter s Prep in the second round of wrestlebacks. He finished 34-10 in his second high school season and advanced a step further than last year to states.

“To be in the top 24, to get your hand raised once, says you’re on the right track and doing the right things,” said Monzo. “He realized he can really do this.”

Ava Rose has had her hand raised plenty over the season. She went 20-2 with a 13-2 record against boys and 7-0 mark against girls after coming off an offseason when she was focused on freestyle wrestling, not the folkstyle of the high school season. She made her place in PHS history with two state gold medals.

“ I thought it was good; I wish I would have beat the two people I lost to,” said Rose. “They were close matches and I honestly should have beat them. This season, I improved a lot. Even though my neutral was good coming in, better than my top and bottom, I think I also improved my neutral. It s exciting to see. Maybe I’ ll see more little opportunities when I’m wrestling. I can see an opening or understand things better, and it’s really sweet. I’m coming into the freestyle season and I ’m feeling good about my neutral and I m ready to add stuff to my neutral. I feel really good.”

Rose is gearing up for the next steps in her promising career. She is looking forward to competing for a national title in Fargo, N.D., before she begins her college career at wrestling powerhouse Iowa where she will compete for its women’s program.

“ I already got committed to the college I was dreaming of wrestling for,” said Rose. “This was like a victory lap. It was a goal I was working towards. I put a ton of effort into it and I wanted this. But I have bigger goals to work towards. I have a lot of bigger stuff to work towards.”

Rose credits hard work for getting her to the top of the podium at states. It hasn’t been the easiest of paths. The COVID-19 pandemic cut her freshman year, then

Rose battled through weakening anemia her sophomore year before being diagnosed and recovering for a breakout junior year. The adversity that she faced strengthened her.

“My sophomore year that was so hard for me really made me love the sport a lot more because of how bad it was,” said Rose. “And when I came back, wrestling was magical because it was so much better than it had been.”

Rose grew remarkably over last year while finally healthy enough to compete up to her potential. She rode the momentum of that success this year with no signs of settling for a little success. Regardless of where she is practicing, she makes it a point to be noticed for her work ethic.

“Everybody says that they work the hardest, but I feel like I work the hardest,” said Rose. “ I know everybody thinks that. I always think that. I definitely think the girls’ wrestling in New Jersey has grown tremendously, but I put in the work and I care about my wrestling. I ’m always wanting to improve on my wrestling. I ’ m looking at spots some girls aren ’t looking at, and I ’ m training with some that girls aren’t training with. I ’ ll be in the room with boys state champs and training with them. I seek out places out where I can get better that are hard for me because I want to have it hard. Sometimes some girls don t have opportunities to get in these really good rooms.”

Challenging herself allowed her to grow more. She focused this year on improving in neutral and top and bottom, and using fakes effectively. She tried to incorporate more variety into her repertoire of moves so even if an opponent knew one of her tendencies, she had another to go to. With her technical improvements came the same intense resolution before every match.

“ Her way of approaching every match, when she gets that game face on, it’s something different,” said Monzo.

“It’s a scary look in her eyes and I don’t know if I want to talk to her, go over our game plan, or leave her alone. It frightens me. I ’m thankful I m not on the mat with her. She’s really excelled the last couple of years.”

Rose was happy with another state title, but she still has a lot to accomplish on her checklist. Another gold was confirmation that she is on track to bigger things.

“ My main goal overall is to keep improving,” said Rose. “My goals are points that I can set as motivation. I improve a lot more with those high goals than without them. That is what I really want to take away. All my goals in general, I want to improve and be the best wrestler I can be. That’s important to me.”

Rose doesn’t want to miss an opportunity to improve. It’s why she seeks new ways to develop and focuses on multiple aspects to become more dominant. She will have more opportunities ahead at the next level as college brings its own challenges.

“ She’s approaching every day like ‘if I don’t win the

day, I ’m in trouble,’” said Monzo. “ Her approach is right for that level. She’s doing really, really good things and the sky ’s the limit for her. She has aspirations to win an Olympic gold medal in the future. I think that ’ s what makes her so dominant right now — is she ’s not training to win a state title. She wasn’t training to win a region title. She’s training right now as a 17-year-old girl to win an Olympic gold medal.”

Ava Rose was happy to win

another state championship to cap her high school career. There are other goals ahead that will drive her into the future after leaving her mark at PHS.

“ She’s been such a factor in our program and such a leader in our room the last couple years,” said Monzo. “From last year to this year, her mentality changed. Her match preparation and how she went about business has been really second to none.”

—Justin Feil

ROSE IN BLOOM: Princeton High senior Ava Rose is all smiles last Saturday at Atlantic City as she shows off her path to victory at 114 pounds at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Wrestling Championships. It marked the second straight state title for Rose, who is headed to the University of Iowa where she will be competing for its women’s wrestling program.

(Photo provided by Bruce Rose)

Capping Superb Season Which Saw it Win MCT Title, PHS Boys’ Hockey Advanced to Public A State Quarters

Heading into its first-round contest of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tournament at Passaic Tech, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team didn’t know exactly what it was getting into.

“It was a game where we didn’t have much intel about them and I don’t know what they knew about us,” said PHS first-year head coach Rik Johnson as he looked ahead to the February 23 contest.

Coming off a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory against Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Tournament final a week earlier, the Tigers were determined to stick their winning formula.

“We just figured, go in and do what we have been doing,” said Johnson.

“Going from the Mercer County tournament win, we went in with the same attitude — you have got to put your head down and get to work.”

PHS got to work early, jumping out to a 4-1 first period and never looking back on the way to an 8-5 triumph. It was a special win for the Tigers as it marked the program’s first win in the state tournament since topping Jackson Memorial 8-4 in the 2019 Public B tourney.

“The seniors were not quite on the team yet, so it was their first state win,” said Johnson, who got two goals and two assists from senior star Cooper Zullo in the win with junior T.T. Zhao chipping in two goals and an assist, senior Charles Ross tallying a goal and two assists, and sophomore Brendan Beatty contributing a goal and an assist.

“It is the first time we have put in Public A to my knowledge. Princeton is the smallest school playing in Public A. To get a win after that time frame in a new group against bigger schools, that is really tremendous.”

In the Public A quarterfinals, PHS ran into a tremendous Ridge squad, falling behind by three goals in the first period on the way to a 9-2 defeat as it ended the winter with a 15-7-1 record.

“They are defending state champs so you know they

are tough,” said Johnson of Ridge, who went on to win its second straight state title by defeating Hillsborough 5-2 in the Public A final last Monday. “We were down 3-0 after the first period. We probably could have chipped away better.”

In reflecting in his first campaign at the helm of the program, Johnson was proud of what the Tigers accomplished.

“I am guessing we met or exceeded expectations from the team and family standpoint,” said Johnson. “As a first-year coach, I don’t know what people were expecting from me. I certainly set my goals and standards high so I wanted to meet those. The guys seemed happy, they really wanted the MCT.”

Johnson was very happy with the progress he saw from sophomore goalie Noah Vitulli, who was making his varsity debut this season.

“Noah just got stronger and stronger and made some big saves when we needed them,” said Johnson of Vitulli, who made 389 saves on the season and had an .821 save percentage. “There were some ugly games in there, but he really held us in there. His saves are tough ones. We are giving up a breakaway and he has got to defend that.”

The squad’s senior group of Cooper Zullo, Ethan Garlock, Gabe Silverstein, Julian Drezner, Charles Ross, Nico Vitaro, and Andrew Benevento made a strong impact on the program.

“They are just tremendous leaders all of the guys,” said Johnson. “We have the three captains in Cooper, Ethan, and Gabe. Julian didn’t need a letter on his shirt because he has an ‘S’ on his chest.”

Star forwards Zullo and Garlock gave the Tigers a powerful one-two punch offensively as Zullo tallied 52 points on 33 goals and 19 assists while Garlock piled up 44 points on 16 goals and 28 assists.

“Cooper always gives his best for us; he gets knocked down and he doesn’t want to come off the ice,” said Johnson. “He just wants to play. Ethan was fantastic, he started getting a little more physical as the season went

on. That made him more imposing as a big guy.”

The quintet of Ross (8 goals, 12 assists), Benevento (4 goals, nine assists), Vitaro (2 goals, 5 assists), Silverstein (7 goals, 10 assists), and Drezner (5 goals, nine assists) proved depth and balance.

“Ross is all over the place on the ice, he played with Cooper’s line for the better part of two years,” said Johnson. “He is a good read and reactor. Andrew just hustles — he is a dog for the puck. We had Gabe, Nico, and Julian on one line and you had you had Coop, Benny, and Ross another line.”

Senior Garlock teamed up with sophomore Beatty (10 goals, 23 assists) and junior Zhao (12 goals, 19 assists).

“The second line was kind of young with Beatty and TT and Ethan centering them,” said Johnson. “They had played in peewees so they had chemistry there.”

A trio of freshmen — Anders Hedin (1 goal, 1 assist), Liam Campbell (3 goals, 2 assists), and Ryan Garlock (2 goals, 2 assists) — showed some chemistry as they formed one line.

“I call them the young guns,” said Johnson. “They really hustle. Assistant coach Cliff Higgins and I just have a blast watching them because they were like the energy line.”

The Tiger defensive unit was young this year and figures to be a strength of the team going forward.

“The entire defense returns for next year,” said Johnson. “Mike [Prete] and Graham [Baird] were one pairing and Jack [Zimet] and Oisin [O’Dell] were another. The third pairing was Wyatt [Arshan] and Ed [Zhao].”

Johnson, for his part, is looking forward to returning for a second year guiding the program.

“I focused on emotional management,” said Johnson, crediting assistant coach Higgins with being a great sounding board. “I would evaluate things in practice. I wanted to put everybody where they could succeed. It is pushing the right buttons. I think the senior class has had three different coaches in four years. If they will have me back, I will be back. On Tuesday, I start looking to next season.”

—Bill Alden

Sticking Together Through Frustrating Campaign, PHS Girls’ Hockey Laid Groundwork for the Future

Although the Princeton High girls’ hockey team didn’t taste victory this winter, Christian Herzog had a positive message for his players at their yearend banquet.

“I was, ‘Look ladies, I appreciate you sticking with it — the season is what it is,’” said PHS head coach Herzog, whose squad ended up with a final record of 0-15. “‘You could tell that your hockey skills got better from the first practice to the last game; 99 percent of the girls on this team are still new to ice hockey. We have a lot of sophomores and freshmen.’”

One of those sophomores, Cassie Speir, emerged as the go-to scorer for PHS, tallying 18 of the team’s 20 goals this season.

“Cassie got our MVP award, she is a workhorse,” said Herzog, noting that Speir earned second-team All-NJIHL honors. “She is putting goals in the net and she is the player all of the kids want to be.”

Another workhorse for PHS was junior goalie Logan Hollingsworth, who made 247 saves in her first season between the pipes.

“Logan definitely made progress from where she started at the beginning of the year,” said Herzog of Hollingsworth, who earned the team’s Head, Heart, Hustle award. “She was always smiling, she never got down.”

Senior star and assistant

captain Annie Terry set a positive tone.

“Annie ended up getting the Coaches Award,” said Herzog, whose senior class also included Chiara Lavino, Kayla Christopher, Hannah Christopher, Ash O’Dell, Sofia Mauger, Jessica Zimet, and Natalya Caime. “In the room, she was a great captain, always getting them all together.”

Another senior, O’Dell, got things together in her first year with the program.

“Ash ended up with Rookie of the Year award,” said Herzog, adding that sophomore Maddie

Merritt was tabbed for the Captains’ award. “She wasn’t a goal scorer, but she started playing defense and really helped us.”

Looking ahead, Herzog believes that weathering through tough times this winter will yield dividends down the road.

“Everybody wants to win, it is incremental for us,” said Herzog, whose roster this season included seven freshman and nine sophomores. “We have got a lot of new players. We have to focus on the future. We are looking more for our standout year to be in two years. We have got good numbers, we are building for the future.”

—Bill Alden

STRENGTH

coach

IN NUMBERS: Princeton High girls’ hockey head

Christian Herzog addresses his players during a stoppage of play in a game at Hobey Baker Rink this season. The Tigers stuck together as they posted a 0-15 record this winter. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

FEAR: Princeton High boys’ hockey goalie Noah Vitulli makes a save in action this winter. Sophomore Vitulli emerged as a key performer for the Tigers in his first season of varsity action. PHS won the Mercer County Tournament and advanced to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tournament quarterfinals this winter on the way to posting a 15-7-1 record.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Staying Positive as it Dealt with Ups and Downs, Hun Boys’ Hoops Advanced to MAPL, Prep A Semis

For the Hun School boys’ basketball team, its two games against the Lawrenceville School this winter proved to be a microcosm of a season filled with highs and lows.

In a regular season meeting between the local rivals on January 31, Hun sputtered in a disappointing 8565 loss. But when the foes met in the first round of the Prep A state tournament two weeks later, the Raiders turned the tables on the Big Red, rallying from a late deficit to pull out a dramatic 68-66 win as Anthony Aririguzoh drained a half-court buzzer beater.

In reflecting on his team’s 14-13 campaign, Hun head coach Jon Stone acknowledged that it was a bit of a roller coaster ride.

“We were definitely up and down; we had some great moments and some great wins and we had some not so good moments,” said Stone. “Yet it was a really fun group to be around. It is a really, really great group of guys and fun to go to practice every day and work with them. Unfortunately we didn’t quite achieve what we were hoping to, but we still had a good season and a lot of good wins.”

Another very good win for Hun came when it edged 61-60 at Academy of New Church (Pa.) on February 2.

“They are tough to beat at home, they came out and they were beating us up pretty good,” said Stone. “We were down 15, I think, at two different points during the game. We kept grinding it out, we had some different guys make some really big buckets and really big plays. We took our first lead with a minute to go. Anthony

Loscalzo hit a three when we were down two and took a one-point lead. Mac Kelly hit a really big shot that put us up by three. We wound up pulling out the game in the last 30 seconds. It was a really good road win for us.”

The Raiders faced two tough foes to end the season as they lost 86-51 to the Patrick School in a regular season contest on February 18 and then fell 77-43 to St. Benedict’s in the Prep A state semis three days later.

“We scheduled the Patrick School game because we knew we might have to play St Benedict’s in the Prep A tournament,” said Stone, whose team also advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) tournament semis where it fell 76-57 to Blair Academy. “We knew they we would be tough and we were trying to prepare ourselves. We ran into a little bit of a buzz saw. We could not have shot the ball any worse and I am not sure they could have shot the ball any better. It was a tough game. We couldn’t right the ship for St Benedict’s — we didn’t shoot the ball well.”

Stone created his senior group with providing the right stuff for the squad.

“We relied a lot on our seniors this year, they were a great group,” said Stone, whose Class of 2023 included Dan Vessey, Ethan Gross, Michael Jolly, Anthony Aririguzoh, Anthony Loscalzo, and Symeon Efstathiou. “Three of them (Dan Vessey, Ethan Gross, and Michael Jolly) have been around for four years. We are going to miss all of them. They all brought different things to the table and really helped us.”

Sharpshooting guard

Vessey, a career 1,000-point scorer who is headed to Army West Point where he will be playing for its men’s hoops program, brought a special work ethic to the program.

“Throughout his whole career, he has been a model of consistency,” said Stone. “He was the ultimate gym rat. We have been spoiled by him. It is going to be tough not having him here next year for sure.”

Loscalzo gave the Raiders a one-two punch with backcourt running mate Vessey.

“He hit some really big shots for us his year and yet as great of a shooter that he is, he led our team in assists,” said Stone of Loscalzo, who has committed to Stevens Institute of Technology and will be playing for its men’s basketball team. “He was best in assist to turnover ratio and he led our team in steals. He has proven to be way more than just a great shooter. We are going to miss him tremendously too.”

Aririguzoh, an athletic 6’6 forward, developed into a force for the Raiders.

“He has grown and matured so much in the time he has been with us,” said Stone of Aririguzoh, who will be going to Wesleyan University and playing for its men’s hoops program. “He was with us three years and his development has been tremendous. He is really an emotional leader for us and more of a rah-rah guy. He was able to really give us the spark and also have the poise to be patient and make good plays. He is so versatile, he does everything from blocked shots to post up to shoot jumpers and he could make great passes. His versatility was really great for us.”

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Efstathiou gave the Hun squad some international flair.

“Symeon bought a special skill set,” said Stone of Efstathiou, who has committed to Brown University and will be joining its men’s hoops team. “You talk about versatility, from shooting threes to his passing ability was really, really incredible. His posting up, handling the ball, and rebounding was great. He was a rebounding machine for us. He had a triple double for us and he had a 24-rebound game this year. He is really versatile and had the ability to do a lot of things.”

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Gross and Jolly made some special contributions over the years to the Raiders.

“Their dedication and the commitment to the program has been terrific,” said Stone, noting that Gross is headed to the University of Rochester where he will be playing for its men’s basketball squad. “The improvement we have seen in both of them has been terrific.”

With a group of returning players including junior Mac Kelly, junior Matt Land, sophomore A.J. Mickens, and sophomore Drae Tyme,

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Stone believes the Hun program is in good shape going forward.

“We are really excited about those guys,” said Stone. “Mac proved to be a super valuable part of this team with his ability to score and yet guard really, really good players as well. He was remarkable. We were really happy with the progress Matt and A.J. made as guards. Drae gave us tremendous energy off the bench; he gave us a lot of pop with his athleticism.”

—Bill Alden

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INSIDE JOB: Hun School boys’ basketball player Anthony Aririguzoh heads to the basket in a game this season. Senior star Aririguzoh provided leadership and production this winter to help Hun go 14-13 and advance to the semis of both the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and Prep A state tournaments. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PDS

Girls’ Hockey : Brigid Milligan played well in a losing cause as fourth-seeded PDS fell 5-0 to top-seeded Morristown-Beard last Thursday in the semifinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Tournament. Junior goalie Milligan made 46 saves in the contest as the Panthers finished the winter with a 7-6-3 record.

Local Sports

Princeton 5K Race

Slated for March 18

The Princeton 5K is returning on March 18 for its 14th year.

The event annually brings together athletes — young and old, big and small, fast and not as fast — to run or walk while supporting the Princeton High cross country and track programs.

The in-person race starts in front of the Princeton Middle School at 217 Walnut Lane at 8:30 a.m. The event will also include a 300-meter kids dash for all children under the age of 10.

Alternatively, there is a virtual option to participate between March 18-25. One can choose when and where to run (or walk) the 5K in that time period.

To register and get more information on the event, log onto runsignup.com/ Race/Info/NJ/Princeton/ PrincetonNJ5K.

Registration is also available in person on race day.

The Princeton 5K is the largest annual fundraiser for the Princeton High School Cross Country Track and Field Booster (PHSCCTF) a 501(c)(3). All donations directly support the PHS boys’ and girls’ cross-country and track teams.

Dillon Youth Hoops

Playoff Results

In semifinal action last weekend in the Boys’ 4th5th grade division of the Dillon Youth Basketball League, Proof Pizza edged Princeton Restorative Dental 20-16 as Theo Henderson led the team to victory

with 11 points. Aidyn Shah had eight points in a losing cause. In the other semi, Ivy Rehab defeated Jefferson Plumbing 28-20. Hugh Kelly led Ivy Rehab with nine points while Ilan Spiegel had 15 points for Jefferson Plumbing. Second-seeded Ivy Rehab will now square off against fourth-seeded Proof Pizza in the final on March 11.

In the Boys’ 6th-7th grade d ivision semis, Corner House won 34-17 over PBA #130. Quinton deFaria had 11 points for the victors while Aaron Wang led the PBA with six points. Le Kiosk defeated Pizza Den 23-20 as Joe Vales tallied seven points for the victors. Ai ’ Bree Green scored a game-high 12 points for Pizza Den. Top-seeded Corner House will take on second-seeded Le Kios k in the final on March 11.

In the Boys’ 8th -10 th grade d ivision semis, the Nets rolled past the Knicks, led by 23 points from Leone Westricks. Jeremy Wachtel had 12 points for the Knicks. The Sixers topped the Celtics 39-31 as Andrew Spies scored 16 points for the Sixers while Owen Kelly had 11 points for the Celtics. In the finals on March 11, the top-seeded Nets will pay the second-seeded Sixers.

In the Girls’ d ivision semifinal matchups, Ficus defeated Planted Plate 21-14 as Luwam Tsegay led the victors with eight points. Sedona Arminio had seven points for Planted Plate. Woodwinds edged Delizioso Bakery+Kitchen 18-14 in the other semi. Renee Schemmann scored eight points

STROKE OF BRILLIANCE: Princeton High boys’ swimmer Daniel Baytin displays his breaststroke form in a meet this season. Last Sunday, senior star Baytin took third in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 55.76 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Meet of Champions at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology pool. Baytin and fellow senior Julian Velazquez teamed with sophomore twins Jaiden and David Xu to finish fifth in the B heat of the 200 medley relay to place 13th overall. David Xu finished second in the B heat and 10th overall in the 200 individual medley. In the girls’ MOC, PHS junior Kyleigh Tangen placed 11th in the 100 freestyle and 12th in the 50 free.

for Woodwinds while Elena Barreto tallied 11 points for Delizioso. Second-seeded Ficus will now face secondseeded Woodwinds in the final on March 11.

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, day camp assistant director, teen travel camp counselor, Community Park Pool lifeguard/swim instructor, Community Park Pool

manager, Community Park Pool customer service and seasonal park maintenance.

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.

Princeton Athletic Club

Holding 6K Run April 15

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

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

The Princeton Athletic Club is a nonprofit running club for the community. The club, an all-volunteer organization, promotes running for the fun and health of it and stages several running events each year.

Thank you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

Since [1950] Conte’s has become a Princeton destination; a great old-school bar that also happens to serve some of New Jersey’s best pizza, thin-crusted and bubbly. The restaurant hasn’t changed much since then; even the tables are the same. It’s a simple, no-frills space, but if you visit during peak times, be prepared to wait well over an hour for a table.

We could not have reached this accomplishment without our dedicated employees and customers.

“these accomplishment without our dedicated employees and customers.

Thank you from the owners of Conte’s Serving the Princeton community for over 80 years, and we will continue to serve you another 80 years and more.

Thank you from the owners of Conte’s Serving the Princeton community for over 80 years, and we will continue to serve you another 80 years and more.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

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Start Prepping for Spring Planting

Spring is just a couple of weeks away, and although it ’s too early to start planting, it is a good time to start prepping your garden for April or May planting. Here are a few of early spring gardening tasks to tackle over a couple of weekends.

1) Clear away yard debris left over from the winter. This includes any remaining dead leaves or branches that may be covering the ground around your yard, trees, shrubs and garden beds.

2) Add mulch to areas around trees and shrubs. Consider a mixture of compost and manure to add extra nutrients to the soil.

3) Start weeding now. If you get a head start on weeding, your plants won ’t be competing with weeds for nutrients once the warm weather arrive.

4) Prep your soil. Winter tends to compact the soil, so it needs to be loosened before planting. Start by digging eight inches or so to loosen the top soil. You can also add compost or coffee grounds to your soil now.

5) Take inventory of your outdoor tools, containers, and garden hoses. Start repairing or replacing items before you start planting.

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