Volume LXXII, Number 17
Flemington and Beyond Pages 15-18 Talk Focuses on Dangers of Vaping . . . . . . . . . . . 5 48th Communiversity ArtsFest . . . . . . . . . . 8,9 The Kinks 50 Years After Village Green Preservation Society . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Kelsey Theatre Presents Titanic . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Boheme Opera NJ Double Bill at TCNJ . . . . . . . . 27 PHS Boys’ Track Dominates at Mercer Relays . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 McGwire Tuffy Is Catalyst for Hun Baseball . . . . 34
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Six Candidates Vie For Two Council Seats In June Primary
With two open seats on Princeton Council — Heather Howard and Lance Liverman stepping down at the end of the year — six candidates, all Democrats, have been gearing up for the June 5 primary that will most likely determine the winners in the November election. Adam Bierman, Michelle Pirone Lambros, Alvin McGowen, Eve Niedergang, Surinder Sharma, and Dwaine Williamson are all vying for the two available spots. Niedergang and Williamson have been endorsed by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO), and also won the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee (PDMC) vote to determine recommended ballot placement. The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area and Princeton Community TV are co-sponsoring a forum for council candidates on Tuesday, May 1, 7-9 p.m., in the Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street. The deadline to register to vote in the June primary is May 15. The candidates discuss their backgrounds, qualifications, and priorities below. Adam Bierman
Cammie Sullivan Helps PU Women’s Lax Defeat Cornell . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .24, 25 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 29 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Classified Ads . . . . . . 40 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Music/Theater . . . . . . 23 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 19 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 37 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
“My background, ideas, analytical ability, open mind, and flexible work schedule prepare me for work on Council. I would: legalize ‘motherin-law’ [one-room] apartments; use regulatory and monetary incentives to reduce ‘tear-downs’ and/or the size of new homes being built; provide incentives to businesses whose workers ride the bus or bike to work; leverage our assets; monitor the proposed building of a 5/6 school on the old Valley Road School site — and make sure your money is spent wisely; meet with neighborhood groups at least monthly to ensure local government transparency; gather a volunteer team of local experts to shepherd short-term projects to successful completion; encourage more voter participation/ candidates, and consider non-partisan local elections.” Bierman has served on the PCDO executive board and as treasurer for the Mercer County Democratic Municipal Committee. He works at a state-run school for teenaged mothers in Trenton where he is Communications Workers of America shop steward, organizing and protecting workers’ rights. Continued on Page 11
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Wednesday, April 25, 2018
School Board Approves Referendum Proposal Addressing needs for more space and major infrastructure upgrades, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education last week sent their proposal for a $129,863,570 bond referendum to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) for review and approval. On track to go to voters on October 2, the proposal, that would include more than $56M for extensive renovations to Princeton High School, about $40M for the creation of a new 5/6 School on the Valley Road site, and about $15M for upgrades at the elementary schools and John Witherspoon Middle School, was approved at the Board’s April 17 meeting by an 8-1 margin. “Congratulations to this board,” said Board President Patrick Sullivan after the vote, that culminated a two-and-a-halfhour meeting. “Like a lot of the people who spoke tonight, I moved here because of the schools. I saw what the people before us had built, and it was wonderful. We do owe it to you, and we owe it to ourselves to maintain the excellence of this school system. And we did that tonight.” In the 8-1 vote Board members Betsy Baglio, Beth Behrend, Debbie Bronfeld, Bill Hare, Dafna Kendal, Evelyn Spann,
Greg Stankiewicz, and Patrick Sullivan voted yes to send the Board’s referendum proposal to the state. Board member Michele Tuck-Ponder voted no. Also included in the referendum proposal are the purchase of property on Herrontown Road for maintenance, transportation, and bus parking that would be moved from Valley Road; an addition at JWMS for central administration, also currently at the Valley Road site; security improvements in all schools, heating, ventilation and air
conditioning upgrades, and improvements to athletics fields and facilities. Claiming “a critical need,” “a transformative opportunity,” and “a responsible investment,” the PPS referendum proposal will be reviewed by the NJDOE in the coming months. After suggestions and, presumably, approval from the DOE, the Princeton Board must approve what goes on the ballot 60 days prior to the October 2 public referendum vote. Continued on Page 10
Safety, Housing on Agenda At Princeton Council Meeting The introduction of a new municipal arborist, a report on pedestrian safety efforts, and some new ordinances related to the ongoing harmonization of the former Princeton Borough and Princeton Township were among the topics at the Princeton Council meeting on Monday, April 23. The governing body voted to bring back to Princeton a county nutrition program for the elderly, which has been operating in Lawrence for the past five years. The program will be returned to the Princeton Senior Resource Center.
The town’s new arborist is Taylor Sapudar, replacing Lorraine Konopka, who departed the position last year. Sapudar’s background includes work in New York’s Central Park for Hill International. He grew up in Mercer County and graduated from Mercer County Community College and Rutgers, and has been an arborist for the past decade. Sapudar will start work on Monday, April 30. The Council gave a round of applause to departing planning director Lee Solow, who is retiring after more than 23 years Continued on Page 7
GO FLY A KITE: The sky above Terhune Orchards will be filled with brightly colored kites in a variety of shapes and sizes on May 5 and 6 for Kite Days, the annual tradition to welcome spring at the farm. Bring a kite, make one at the farm, or fly one already made in the 10-acre pasture. The days also include games, races, wagon rides, animals, music, food, and wine for the grownups. Admission is $8 for ages 3 and up. Visit www.terhuneorchards. com for more information. (Photo Courtesy of Terhune Orchards)
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