Volume LXXV, Number 17
www.towntopics.com
Frank Chmiel Ready To Take Reins As New PHS Principal
Choreography and History Meet on the Princeton Battlefield . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Planning Board Votes to Recommend Redevelopment Designation . . . . . . . . . 10 A Medieval Morality Play at Rider Theater . . . . . . . 18 PU Athletics Returns to Action as Crew Teams Hit the Water . . . . . . . . . 28 Caputo Making Immediate Impact as PDS Girls’ Lax Starts 4-0 . . . . . . . . 32
A Book About Yoga For Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .22, 23 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 26 Classified Ads . . . . . . 37 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 16 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 27 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 35 Performing Arts . . . . . 19 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 38 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 36 School Matters . . . . . . 13 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
Frank Chmiel, selected last week as the next principal at Princeton High School (PHS), reflected on the school’s motto, “Live to Learn, Learn to Live.” “When I first saw ‘Live to Learn, Learn to Live’ etched into PHS’s outer wall, I thought about how great it would be to work there. It has been many years since then, and I still embrace that motto, and now I have the chance to serve as Princeton High School’s principal. I am excited about becoming the learning leader of PHS’s phenomenal learning community,” he said. A Princeton resident since coming to Princeton University as an undergraduate 26 years ago, Chmiel has been serving as principal of Franklin High School in Somerset for the past three years. His selection as PHS principal culminated a “rigorous hiring process including four rounds of interviews,” according to Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso, who noted that the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) began its search in January, conducting extensive interviews with more than a dozen candidates. “We were fortunate to see many qualified candidates, Galasso said. “Frank Chmiel stood out for several reasons, including his excellent academic and leadership credentials, as well as his commitment to and knowledge of the Princeton community.” Chmiel’s appointment was scheduled to be voted on by the Princeton Board of Education at a public meeting on April 27, and he will officially assume his role as principal on July 1, 2021. PHS Assistant Principal Jared Warren has served as acting principal since mid-January after taking over from former Principal Jessica Baxter. Chmiel discussed what living to learn and learning to live might mean for him and for the future of PHS. “A lot of times when schools put out mission and vision statements, they’re very long and complicated. This one is very short and easy to remember as a reminder of everything we’re supposed to be trying to work for with our students.” He continued, “We want to instill in our students a love of learning that will carry them for the rest of their lives. At the same time the content and skills that we’re teaching them throughout high school will help them to live happy,
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Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Just One New COVID-19 Case in Princeton This Week The Princeton Health Department on Monday, April 26, reported just one new case of COVID-19 in Princeton in the previous seven days (0.14 daily average), and just six cases in the previous 14 days (0.42 daily average). “In the past two weeks, Princeton has seen a 60 percent decrease in the rate of confirmed cases,” said Princeton Health Officer Jeff Grosser. “Much of what we continue to observe in new COVID-19 cases in town is in the 30-year-old range. Princeton’s average age of new cases over the past two months is 34 years of age.” Grosser said that health officials expect the numbers to remain low and ultimately to decrease further as younger residents continue to get vaccinated. The Princeton Health Department, which has so far vaccinated 1,000 individuals who work, go to school, or live in Princeton, is running vaccination clinics each week. The department continues to receive about 80 doses of vaccine per week and will continue to make vaccines available to the community. Information and registration for upcoming clinics can be found on the health department website at princetonnj.gov. The health department will be holding
a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Princeton YMCA on Thursday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to noon for those who live, work, or study in Princeton. Individuals 18 and older are permitted to register at 2021covid19vaccine.as.me. The clinic will use Moderna vaccine and will accommodate first doses only, with registration closing after 80 doses have been scheduled. The Princeton Health Department has teamed up with Hamilton, West Windsor, and Olden Pharmacy to provide a Pfizer
vaccine clinic for local 16- and 17-yearolds who live, work, or go to school in Princeton. Vaccine recipients must have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine (and not currently have an appointment) and be able to attend a clinic with a parent or guardian between 3 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28 or Thursday, April 29. Residents seeking vaccines should pre-register through the state at covidvaccine.nj.gov and also check Mercer Continued on Page 9
School Board Expected To Approve $96.3M budget for 2021-22 School Year At their Tuesday night, April 27, meeting, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) was expected to approve a $96.3 million operating budget for the 2021-22 school year, the lowest percentage tax increase in nine years, according to a PPS press release. PPS Business Administrator Matthew Bouldin pointed out a tax increase of just one percent for the general fund and a 0.564 percent overall increase, including the general fund and debt service. The operating budget is $700,000 more than the 2020-21 operating budget of
$95.6 million. The total budget, including debt service and grants, Bouldin added, is $108.2 million, an increase of about $2 million over the previous year. He added that the proposed budget would most likely not necessitate any cuts in staff or programs. “The district’s financial position is strong,” said Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso, “and Mr. Bouldin and the Board of Education have done excellent work in identifying savings and opportunities to reduce the growth rate in several expense Continued on Page 12
LANDSCAPING SUSTAINABLY: Residents gathered at Princeton Shopping Center last Saturday to learn how to keep lawns and gardens in shape without harming the environment . Electric mowers, organic techniques, and using native plants were just some of the topics organized by Sustainable Princeton team members, from left: Eve Coulson, Molly Jones, Yamile Slebi, and Christine Symington . Read what participants learned in Town Talk on page 6 .
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Join us tomorrow for our annual Downsizing Seminar via Zoom at 11:00 AM Call 609.520.3700 to R.S.V.P. Princeton Windrows Realty, LLC | 2000 Windrow Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 | 609.520.3700 | www.princetonwindrows.com All homes located in Plainsboro Township.
(Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)