Town Topics Newspaper, May 17, 2023

Mayor Mark Freda Joins National Group to Improve Pedestrian Safety

Princeton is well-known for being a walkable community. But vehicles are everywhere, and sometimes the two don’t mix well. How does a municipal government balance the two for its residents?

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda may soon have some answers as he joins a national conversation that will grapple with making improvements on dangerous streets, and developing implementation plans for long-term changes.

Freda is one of nine mayors nationally to be selected for the inaugural cohort of the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety, a collaboration between the Mayors Innovation Project, AARP, and Smart Growth America. The Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety supports mayors in creating communities “that are safe, vibrant, and equitable for people of all ages,” according to its website. The group will provide mayors an opportunity to learn from experts and their peers “about how to create safer streets and better protect their most vulnerable neighbors.”

“I think the challenges are nding the correct balance between pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles,” said Freda.  “We have been trying for a while to bring more focus to pedestrians and bicycles over vehicles; but doing that safely is a challenge in many locations.”

The solutions may be geared to different situations, he said. “For our business district, many customers are from out of town, so the solution there is likely to be different from the solution for customers from town. There is a mind and cultural shift that we need to help move along, away from vehicles.”

Princeton has been the site of several pedestrian accidents in the last few years. According to the Princeton Police Department Chief’s Monthly Report for December 2022, motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians numbered four in December 2022. By comparison, in 2019 there was one in December and also one in 2021. (There is no record for the year 2020.) In 2022, the report shows, there were 56 summonses for failure to yield to pedestrian in crosswalks. One fatal accident, and nine with injuries, are noted in the report.

Communities across the United States are facing record numbers of pedestrian fatalities, according to the Mayor’s

Chmiel’s Nonrenewal Stands in 8-2 BOE Vote

A crowd of about 200 — almost all supporting dismissed Princeton High School Principal Frank Chmiel — overflowed the Princeton Middle School cafeteria on Monday evening along with hundreds more watching his “Donaldson hearing” remotely on the district’s YouTube channel. They listened to an hour of public comment, then Superintendent Carol Kelley’s statement of reasons for Chmiel’s nonrenewal, then Chmiel’s lawyer and six witnesses refuting those reasons, and then Chmiel’s own 79-minute response to counter Kelley’s charges and cite his accomplishments, followed by the lawyer’s summation.

It was about four hours and fty minutes into the proceedings before it was nally the turn of the Princeton Public School’s (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) to take action. They could choose not to vote, which would end the hearing with the superintendent’s recommendation of nonrenewal upheld. Or they could vote and decide by majority either to support Kelley or to overturn her recommendation and reinstate Chmiel.

Within 10 minutes the outcome was determined, as BOE member Jean Durbin called for a vote and was seconded by Cranbury BOE member Robert Christopher. Though Durbin and Christopher then

voted to overturn Kelley’s recommendation, the other eight Board members supported Kelley’s recommendation.

Kelley’s reading of her 21-page “Statement of Reasons” was listened to closely by the crowd. Chmiel had waived his privacy rights for Monday’s session, and the public was hearing for the rst time exactly what the charges against him were.

They included PIPS (performance improvement plans) not effectively acted upon, lapses in attention to the safety and security of students and staff, “increasingly erratic behavior,” a vote of no condence by PHS teachers, criticism from the PREA teachers’ union, a “lack of trust and

National Bike Month Continues, Bike to Work Day is May 19

It’s officially National Bike Month, with a May 4, 2023 proclamation by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy highlighting the importance of walking and biking in New Jersey and celebrating such initiatives as the Safe Passing Law and Safe Routes to School Program.

“This is a great time to celebrate the joys of walking and biking and the victories we’ve won in New Jersey so far,” states a press release from the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition. “Remember to mark your calendar for Friday, May 19 — National Bike to Work Day!”

Princeton is a Bike-Friendly Community with silver status designation from the League of American Bicyclists, and one of the town’s great biking advocates is Community Park second grade teacher Adam Blejwas.

Every day Blejwas and his daughter, who is in fourth grade, ride together from their home in the Riverside area across town to Community Park Elementary School, a trip of about a mile and a half. And in following up on an idea from a student in his second grade class, Blejwas on Fridays leads a “bike bus,” a group of riders all riding their bikes to school.

“A light bulb went on for me and I decided to invite the whole second grade,” he said. “Then I decided to invite the whole school to join in. Now on nice days there are as many as 50 to 70 riding with us every Friday. We pick up people as we go.”

He insisted, “There’s no signi cance or value to this, except that it’s a fun way to

Continued on Page 11

BIKING IN TOWN: Improvements currently underway to the Witherspoon Street corridor include a range of traffic-calming measures to slow cars and make cycling less stressful. Bicyclists discuss their favorite places to ride in this week’s Town Talk on page 6.

(Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

On Saturday, June 10 at 1:30 pm, Alisa Dupuy of The Ladies of History will be presenting a first-person portrayal of Annis Stockton. This program will be held in the Dutch barn on the property.

Annis Boudinot Stockton was the wife of Richard Stockton, signer of the Declaration of Independence for New Jersey and owner of Morven in Princeton; the sister of Elias Boudinot, president of the Confederation Congress, while they were at Princeton in 1783; and an accomplished poetess. During the Revolutionary War and after, she wrote several poems about Washington and she and the Washingtons became friends, most likely exchanging visits while they were staying at Rockingham in 1783.

The event, sponsored by the Rockingham Association, is free, but donations to Rockingham are welcome. The Museum Store will be open and light refreshments will be available after the program. Registration is required (but free) at rockingham. eventbrite.com.

S U S T A I N A B L E P R I N C E T O N P R E S E N T S V I R T U A L S P E A K E R S E R I E S MAKING ELECTRIFICATION EQUITABLE SUSTAINABLE PRINCETON Thank you to our generous sponsor .

JAMAL LEWIS At this session, you'll understand how the experts are helping make this shift away from fossil fuels equitable for all people. AIA CREDITS PENDING Central New Jersey

DAPHANY ROSE SANCHEZ Executive Director (Kinetic Communities Consulting)

“MEET MRS.

“Meet Mrs. Stockton” at Rockingham Historic Site While Rockingham State Historic Site’s historic house is closed during renovations, the Dutch barn will be open

STOCKTON”: Alisa Dupuy of The Ladies of History will be presenting a first-person portrayal of Annis Stockton on June 10 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dutch barn at the Rockingham State Historic Site. and staffed most Sunday afternoons (and some Saturday afternoons, too) into the summer and will be where visitors can enjoy some special programming, as well.

Rockingham is located on Route 603 (Laurel Avenue/ Kingston-Rocky Hill Road), one mile north of Route 27 in Kingston and one mile south of Route 518 in Rocky Hill. Visit rockingham.net for more information.

Tell them you saw their ad in

Air Conditioning Work at Library: Ongoing work on the air conditioning system at Princeton Public Library could result in service interruptions, including possible unscheduled closures, through May 24. For more information, visit princetonlibrary.org.

Donate: At Monument Hall, Princeton Human Services is collecting workwear clothing through June 16 for the Summer Youth Employment Program participants. Visit humanservices@princetonnj.gov for a full list

Topics AMA S u s t a i n a b M i n d s Director of Policy Partnerships & Equitable Electrification (Rewiring America) MAY 18 7-8:30 PM (virtual) bit.ly/equitable-electrification

Call for Land Stewards: Join Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) on Saturday, May 20 for morning or afternoon volunteer sessions under the guidance of FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship to assist with various conservation projects at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Visit fopos.org/ getinvolved for more information.

Type O Blood Donors Needed : The American Red Cross asks the public to give blood or platelets during May, which is Trauma Awareness Month, to keep hospitals ready for emergencies. Donate at Princeton Family YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place, on May 21 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. RedCrossBlood.org.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Four new dual-port charging stations for eight vehicles are 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.

Denmark, mysteries, relationships, self-discovery, intergenerational stories, and Joseph Bonaparte, the story of the former King of Spain who lived in Bordentown.

Four filmmaker panel discussions have been added this year, for the audience to ask questions and interact with the filmmakers. The audience will choose their favorites in the various categories (fiction, documentary, animation, horror, music video, episodic, and student films) and the Princeton Tiger Award will be awarded to these films. Judges will select the Best of Fest winners in the seven categories after the conclusion of the festival.

was an outreach project of Bristol Myers Squibb employees and then eventually included volunteers from the Educational Testing Service. He was impressed. “It’s consistent with my worldview,” he said, “and also there is the story of the county and government level coordination.

“It’s a beautiful part of New Jersey, and I wanted to tell the story. Local people know about it but it may be overlooked outside the area.”

Local and International Films on Bill At Nassau Film Festival This Weekend

Having grown up in Trenton and Princeton, Rebecca Pack Burr returned to Princeton from the South to attend to her mother. That’s when she met a Trenton High School student — a caregiver’s daughter — who described the deteriorating physical conditions at the old high school.

Dismayed at the high school’s conditions, and the political process, Burr, who has been a filmmaker, video producer, and journalist, decided to document the sometimes contentious process that resulted in a new high school. The film , We Deserve Better; The Kids are Alright, takes the audience through the political process and closes at opening day of the new Trenton Central High School.

TOPICS Of the Town

The documentary film is an entrant in the Nassau Film Festival on Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21.

It is one of 63 short films selected for the festival, which is in its eighth year, and held this year at the Princeton Garden Theatre between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day. There is a virtual screening of films between May 22 and June 15.

The festival’s founder and director, Lew Goldstein, a former assistant superintendent of Princeton Public Schools, has seen the festival grow from some 30 submissions in 2015, screening 20, to about 500 submissions this year.

Goldstein’s own filmmaking start occurred in 2014 when he made the documentary film , St Louis Cemetery Number One , about the history of New Orleans through well-known and not-so-well-known political figures, entertainers, citizens, and families interred in this famous New Orleans cemetery.

Looking for places to screen it, he realized there were few festivals for short films, so he started one. In 2015, the first year of the Nassau Film Festival, he had 30 submissions and only 30 people came. But he kept his focus on short films, 20 minutes or less. During the third year, he opened it up to international filmmakers, and the festival began to grow.

“Short films have exploded over the last three years,” he said. One significant aspect of the Nassau Film Festival is that all proceeds are donated to a nonprofit — this year the Family Resource Network, which provides programming and care for

New Jersey residents living with epilepsy, autism, developmental disabilities, and chronic illness, as well as support for their caregivers.

Since its inception in 2015, the Nassau Film Festival has raised over $35,000 for various nonprofit organizations, donating proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships.

In this year’s festival are student filmmakers from Princeton High School, Princeton Middle School, Rutgers University, and Princeton University, and films originating in Australia, Ukraine, Lebanon, Iran, and South Korea, among others. Topics range from coming-of-age tales, three individuals with autism in

Burr, who won last year’s Best in Fest award for her film Sunday Afternoons at the Candlelight , also Trenton-centered, said her film about getting the new high school built shows “the power of community. There are moments that let you know who is boss, the people. You can’t underestimate the power of community. And the kids made things happen.”

Community collaboration is featured in the film

The Great Connector — writer, film director, actor and producer Tom Bentey’s film about the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, which spans Lawrence and Hopewell townships. Bentey was curious about the 22-mile-plus trail for bicycles and pedestrians. “As someone interested in cool stories, and an avid bike rider, I was riding along the trail and got interested in how it got started,” he said.

Bentey learned the trail

Bentey, who is an adjunct professor at Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media, hopes that the audience will see “how corporations and municipalities can really do good. And, also the importance of going outside, and being in nature for well-being. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get physical, mental, and spiritual benefits.”

Princeton viewers may recognize the scenery in The Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood , by filmmakers Nick Kochmann, a Princeton High School (PHS) graduate, who studied at the New York Film Academy, and Patrick McDonald, also a PHS graduate, who studied film directing at Farleigh Dickson University.

Kochmann, who now lives in Brooklyn and works as an associate producer at a documentary production company, said that when the neighborhood was having its inaugural Welcome Weekend in May 2019, “I decided I wanted to film it and felt this was a great opportunity to learn more about it.

Nassau Film Festival

Continued from Preceding Page I went with my co-director Patrick McDonald and we filmed both days of the Welcome Weekend and then later filmed more events and interviews with important people in the community over that summer. As this all came together, I was struck by people’s feelings of pride toward the neighborhood.”

McDonald, who returned to Princeton after college, created a television program, Princeton NOW, which highlights family friendly events around the Princeton area, and created his own production company called Princetonia NOW Media Group.

“After Nick told me about this video about this neighborhood he wanted to do I jumped in as codirector, coproducer, and editor,” he said. After filming the first Welcome Weekend, “throughout the summer we filmed multiple interviews with the community leaders and important people in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. After filming for a whole summer I learned about all the wonderful people and rich history surrounding the neighborhood that I didn’t know much about.”

The filmmakers hope others will learn about the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, and “and keeps its history alive.”

The Nassau Film Festival is an in-person and virtual event. The screening schedule, along with information on getting tickets and reservations for both formats, can be found at nassaufilmfestival.org.

— Wendy Greenberg

Dual Language Immersion Information Session on May 21

Families of rising pre-K through second grade students are invited to a special information session to learn about the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program on May 21 from 3-4 p.m. at Community Park School.

The event is free and open to families, with child care provided. Parents will have the opportunity to meet the school principal, teachers, current students and parents, and alumni to learn about the research behind the dual language immersion approach.

In DLI, students learn the same curriculum as in all the other PPS elementary schools, but they learn in English and Spanish, picking up one or the other language along the way — or both if a student speaks a third language at home.

DLI is open to all rising PPS kindergarteners, first, and now second graders, including those in the Littlebrook, Riverside, and Johnson Park neighborhoods. Busing is provided for students who live beyond walking distance.

Parents who are interested in DLI but unable to attend the information session may contact Community Park School at (609) 806-4230 for more information and registration details or visit the PPS website at princetonk12.org/academics/duallanguage-immersion.

TOWN TALK©

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

Question of the Week: “Where do you like to ride your bike?”

(Asked in honor of National Bike Month)

(Photos by Charles R. Plohn)

“Currently, my favorite place to ride is the Sourland Mountains.”

—Campbell

Princeton

“I am a daily rider, so I ride all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. I basically ride my bicycle anywhere I need to go. It’s how I commute.”

—Stephen Conrad Moore, New York City, New York

“I ride mostly on a day-to-day basis to get to and from class and meals. If I venture off campus for a longer ride, I usually go to the towpath.”

—Jonathan Lin, PU Class of 2024, Cranbury

Andrew: “I love the towpath. It’s always nice, as well as out toward the Princeton Battlefield and Institute Woods where there are some very nice trails. I’ve also really enjoyed a 20-mile trail that begins off Carson Road and loops through several areas.”

Kate: “I don’t know how to ride a bike. Unfortunately it takes me a lot longer to move around campus, but slow and steady wins the race.”

—Andrew Robbins, PU Class of 2025, with Kate Touma, both of Port Huron, Mich.

Sorenson,

Nassau Film Festival

Proceeds from the 2023 Festival will go toward the Family Resource Network (FRN). FRN provides more than 50 services and programs for NJ residents living with epilepsy, autism, developmental disabilities and chronic illness and support for their caregivers.

Chmiel continued from page one confidence of the staff,” false representation of vaccination status, incidents where decision-making and judgement were questioned, “failure to change and improve,” and communication failures, particularly with the superintendent. Kelley noted that there had been 11 different Rice notices, occasions when the Board felt obliged to hold formal discussion about Chmiel’s employment.

Chmiel’s attorney then

presented his case, culminating in Chmiel’s 79-minute appeal. “This is a document of historical fiction,“ said Schroth, referring to the superintendent’s Statement of Reasons. Schroth claimed that evidence to support Kelley’s criticisms had been requested but not provided, that documents supporting Chmiel that should have been in his file had been removed or not placed there, that there actually had not been a vote of no confidence by the PHS faculty, and that the BOE had received bad or incomplete information about Chmiel.

Schroth then called six different witnesses to attest to Chmiel’s effectiveness and to counter the superintendent’s reasons for nonrenewal. The witnesses included students and a parent, a security guard/ building monitor, a 40-year educator and experienced mentor of principals who had worked with Chmiel, and a PHS teacher with 30 years’ experience who called Chmiel “the best principal I’ve ever worked under.”

Chmiel then made his own case. “I feel you have been misled,” he told the Board. He went on to accuse the superintendent of dishonesty, noting his success at reducing absenteeism, at helping to make PHS a safe place and promoting greater security, at communicating effectively. He claimed that the central administration had failed to hold the required number of observations to evaluate him, and he said that he communicated frequently with the district leaders at Valley Road and that the communication failures had been Kelley’s.

“There is a pattern of bad information and dishonesty in the statement of reasons,” Chmiel charged.

One BOE member at the end of the evening described the proceedings as a considerable amount of “he said, she said,” and in fact Kelley’s and Chmiel’s descriptions of numerous incidents and situations were frequently vastly different.

As Chmiel finished his presentation, the crowd stood and cheered, loudly chanting “We want Chmiel” and waving the small blue flags they had waved to

signal their support throughout the evening.

The “Donaldson hearing” was not intended for debate or for Board members to enter into explanation or argument, but following Chmiel’s presentation and the superintendent’s comment that despite some inconsistencies between Chmiel’s account and hers she remained committed to her recommendation not to renew, two BOE members explained why they would not support Chmiel’s case.

In danger at times of being drowned out by unhappy members of the audience, BOE member Mara Franceschi addressed Chmiel. “This is not easy for me at all,” she said. “I take this very seriously. You have done many things very well and I thank you for that. The last thing I wanted for the high school was more change. I have listened to a huge outpouring of support, however I believe in the statement of reasons.”

She went on to add that there had been “a continuous drip, drip” of issues involving Chmiel over the past year and a half and multiple Board discussions about him. “You were ineffective in the basic boring job tasks that are nevertheless important,” she said, alleging a “general lack of judgement.”

She concluded, “Based on my continued concern I will not be able to make a motion to overturn the superintendent’s recommendation.”

BOE member Beth Behrend also expressed her unwillingness to support Chmiel’s bid for renewal.

“I’ve heard many great things tonight that we want for our kids and the

aspiration and hope that we needed after COVID,” she said. “I have also listened over the past 18 months to a disturbing number of complaints, investigations, and concerns about violations of procedures, rules and laws, all involving Mr. Chmiel in some portion.

“We have spent many hours as a Board on this. As a representative of parents in this district I count upon a principal who is responsible for 1,500 children and 200 staff to have excellent judgment, to be a true team player, to have the trust of staff, to be accountable to the rules necessary to ensure the safe and smooth functioning of the school. School spirit and communication are not enough for me as a fiduciary for our

children, and, unfortunately, I cannot make a motion.”

Durbin, in making her motion for a Board vote, first criticized the “flawed process” and the “circus” that had been brought to the district but continued, “I make a motion to overturn the superintendent’s recommendation. I’m making the motion because I’ve heard enough to concern me.”

Following Christopher’s second and the roll call vote, Board President Dafna Kendal announced that the BOE would send Chmiel official notice of his nonrenewal in the next three days, but whether there will be future measures by Chmiel and his lawyers or whether a parent group will mount a campaign to recall Board members is not known.

—Donald Gilpin

STILL SMILING: Frank Chmiel, ousted Princeton High School principal, thanked his numerous supporters following a fivehour hearing on Monday night in which he made his case for reinstatement. The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education voted 8-2 to support the superintendent’s recommendation that his contract not be renewed.

“When Compassion Defeated Cruelty,” Migrants and a Welcoming Community

Rachel Self, an immigration lawyer who lives on Martha’s Vineyard, got the call on September 14, 2022. “There were 49 people who had just been dropped off on the island, and none of them spoke English and nobody knew where they came from, and nobody knew what to do,” she told a gathering of Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) supporters at the Nassau Presbyterian Church earlier this month.

Self and Larkin Stallings, also a Martha’s Vineyard resident, told the story of how the island welcomed a planeload of Venezuelan immigrants, who had been transported from Texas by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

LALDEF Board Chair Pete Taft of Princeton noted in introducing the speakers, “We have a home in Martha’s Vineyard, and my two worlds collided last August when the governor of Florida, in a breathtaking act of cruelty, shipped 49 Venezuelans to the Vineyard, but my summer community embraced them with open arms and it was breathtaking compassion that I saw.”

Larkin, a tavern and restaurant owner and vice president of the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services organization, got involved soon after the immigrants’ arrival. He was sitting with his wife, a Mexican American from south Texas, at their restaurant when he got the call that the 49 had arrived and translators were

needed. They left their food and drinks on the table and met the immigrants a few minutes later at St. Andrews Church in Edgartown on the island.

“DeSantis, in an attempt to make himself look good and those of us who care about the issue look bad, took 49 individuals, put them on a plane, took them to an unsuspecting destination and set them on the street,” said Stallings. “They were told they were going to a spot where there would be jobs waiting for them, housing waiting for them, some sort of monetary relief, that they would be taken care of. But getting them to Martha’s Vineyard turned out to be a big publicity stunt.”

Stallings went on to describe the welcome that the Vineyard locals were able to offer to help the migrants and foil DeSantis’s publicity plan. “All it is is using these human beings as political pawns to gin up a part of our community that is fearful,” he said. “The reality about these folks, the reality of who came to stay with us, is that they were some of the most interesting, kind, generous, hardworking, loving folks I have ever come across in my lifetime. The beauty of it was the gift that DeSantis gave us in Martha’s Vineyard.”

He continued, “It was a chance for us to come together and meet and work in the trenches together as we had never done before. DeSantis did that. And the

work was getting these people to a place of safety and security.”

Noting that the volunteers —hundreds altogether, often 30-50 at a time — were mostly not the wealthy Vineyard summer crowd but people who live there yearround, Stallings emphasized the shortage of support facilities available in Martha’s Vineyard in the off-season.

“The vast majority of the folks who stood up and did the greeting and the string of beds and the feeding and the care of these individuals are folks who have other jobs,” he said. “When people step up, it turns out we can do anything.”

The Venezuelans all had immigration dates set in a wide range of locales across the country — none in Martha’s Vineyard — and they all were eager to find work, but first they needed food, beds, clothing, and in some cases medical attention. They ranged from 2-yearolds to a 68-year-old man who, before he crossed the border, had had his teeth pulled out and his jaw broken by bandits in Mexico.

Self described the relentlessly stressful life of an immigration attorney, always on call with “everything a fire to put out, everything an emergency, everybody needs something now, and lives are hanging in the balance.”

She knew that the situation at the church in Edgartown was confused and unsettled in the beginning,

but “what was clear was that there was a need for a response,” she said. “And because they were recently arrived, immigrants and asylum seekers who had just been paroled into the country — these were not undocumented individuals —they had their papers stamped by the Department of Homeland Security with protection lawfully guaranteed by this country.”

She explained that they needed legal assistance to make sure they didn’t miss their appointments with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or do anything that might imperil future immigration relief they might apply for.

“With a bare bones version of the story that we knew by the end of the day, I knew they had been victimized,” Self said. “I knew they had been victims of a crime.” She proceeded quickly to help organize support for the 49, with her own legal expertise and the enlisting of other pro bono attorneys to provide assistance. She

also, along with San Antonio Sheriff Salazar, helped to coordinate the criminal investigation with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department in Texas, resulting in U visa certifications for all 49 victims.

Self condemned the actions of the organizers of the September 14 flight.

“They told bald-faced lies, and on top of that they didn’t even bother to do basic research about the immigration system,” she said.

“They were so sure that they knew what’s best for our country and its immigration policy that they were willing to round people up, lie to them, and ship them half way across the United States for a ‘gotcha’ moment, but they didn’t know the first thing about how the system worked.”

She went on to describe the response in Martha’s Vineyard. “The way everybody came together on the island to coordinate assistance was amazing,” she said. “It has been amazing to watch everybody rise to

the occasion. Sometimes justice is elusive, but in some cases the most vulnerable among us will find it. Our community, which is now enriched and better with 49 more individuals, is incredibly strong.”

Starlings added, “My wife and I got to spend 48 hours doing something that was really incredible and working with folks we’ll be lifelong friends with. They have become part of our lives forever.”

Taft thanked Self and Starlings for sharing their “stories of compassion,” and added, “Their presence and presentations meant the world to us, and to the men and women and children we serve.”

LALDEF, based in Trenton, serves the Latino communities in the Mercer County region and beyond, seeking to prevent human rights violations, educate Latino immigrants about their rights and responsibilities, and foster their incorporation into their communities.

—Donald Gilpin

COMPASSION CONQUERS: Martha’s Vineyard residents Rachel Self, an immigration lawyer, and Larkin Starlings, a tavern and restaurant owner, told a gathering of Latin American Legal Defense and Education (LALDEF) supporters how they and their fellow islanders welcomed an unanticipated planeload of Venezuelan immigrants.

Mayor Freda

continued from page one Innovation Project. Estimates from the Governors Highway Safety Association show that 7,485 pedestrians were struck and killed in 2021, the highest number in 40 years and one of the biggest single-year jumps in decades. These deaths and serious injuries disproportionately impact Black and brown communities, lowerincome neighborhoods, and older adults, according to the project.

Freda hopes to look at alternatives. “We need to look at a well-thought-out and effective town-wide transit system — how to improve pedestrian safety at intersections and along many narrow sidewalks. And how do we provide enough safe biking opportunities for people to move all around town?”

Participating mayors will receive training and resources from experts in the field to make immediate safety improvements and gain support to develop plans for longer-term, systemic changes. Over the next six months, cohort members will meet virtually with national experts and each other to share experiences and identify solutions to their pedestrian safety challenges.

The mayors selected for this year’s cohort include the mayors of Emeryville, Calif., Knoxville, Tenn., Lancaster, Pa., Madison, Wis., Rochester, N.Y., St. Louis, Mo., and Stamford, Conn.

Freda is pleased to have been selected. “I would think my selection was based on a number of factors,” he said. “Some would be what we have done already. Also, the fact that we are very interested in doing more, which means what we learn will most likely be used in a timely manner.”

—Wendy Greenberg

National Bike Month

continued from page one get to school. It’s all about having fun.”

For those who want to “get on the bus” on Fridays, Blejwas offered the following schedule: “7:50 a.m. depart from Blejwas’ home in the Littlebrook neighborhood, about 7:53 we cross Harrison, about 7:57 we pass Princeton High School, turn right, then left on Guyot where we greet Cynthia the crossing guard who is always nice to us, then get on the Guyot bike path along the stream and come out of the woods by Conte’s Pizza, then on to Witherspoon Street and across to Community Park Elementary School at about 8:05.”

Another manifestation of Princeton’s affinity for bikes took place last Saturday, May 13, in the Princeton Municipal Building parking lot at the annual Wheels Rodeo event sponsored by the Princeton Police Department (PPD). About 60 kids attended, according to PPD Sergeant Dan Federico, who added, “It’s important to understand bike safety and to be able to ride safely on the street with other vehicles. Princeton is a bike-friendly community where lots of kids ride bikes.”

A road course was set up for the event with stop signs and yield signs, as the riders were given the opportunity to practice weaving in and out of obstacles. Princeton Human Services provided hamburgers and hot dogs, the Princeton PBA Local No. 130 donated two bicycles and two scooters to lucky raffle winners, and the Princeton Recreation Department donated a pool membership to the Community Park Pool.

Sustainable Princeton (SP) has consistently highlighted the importance of bicycling to the Princeton community and its future. “Choosing to take a bus, ride a bike, or walk rather than drive a car, is an act of hope for our future,” SP noted in a May 15 statement. “The ability to choose how you move is a privilege, and even if you are car-dependent you can still play a crucial role in helping make the road safe for cyclists. Everyone plays a role in making our community safe and keeping it that way for future generations of Princetonians.”

The SP statement went on, “In addition to being a fun and more affordable/ accesible way of transportation for many Princetonians, biking plays a key role in helping our community reach Princeton’s Climate Action Plan goals. To truly reduce our community’s greenhouse gas emissions, we need to reduce overall miles traveled by vehicles, and that includes electric vehicles. As a communitybased nonprofit, we make a point to promote carbonfree commuting at our annual eCommuter Fest, and we’ve enjoyed partnering with the Princeton Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC) and others to offer bike valet parking at community events.”

Princeton Councilman

David Cohen, the Council liaison to the PBAC, noted that the improvements currently underway to the Witherspoon Street corridor

include a range of trafficcalming measures to slow cars and make cycling less stressful. He also mentioned possibilities of additional corridors, notably Nassau and Harrison streets, looking to make improvements in both bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Princeton University, Cohen added, has presented a proposal for improvements to Washington Road, with a stretch of separated bike lanes.

Cohen emphasized the importance of the town’s Master Plan overhaul in determining priorities for further bicycle improvements in infrastructure in coming years. “Residents who are invested in making bicycling in Princeton even better should keep an eye out for opportunities to engage,” he wrote in an email. “Signing up at the Master Plan engagement hub is the best way to make sure to keep informed.”

Citing the increase in cyclists and bike-related initiatives throughout the country, the League of American Bicyclists website has celebrated all the ways people bike during the month. As the website states, “Whether you’re riding for fun, fitness, or with family, or taking essential trips to work or shop, you are part of our movement for safer streets, connected communities, a healthier planet, and happier people.”

—Donald Gilpin

“Morven Moves” Brings Dance

To Morven Museum & Garden

Morven has been a bastion of music, art, and culture since it opened as a museum and garden in 2004, and before then as a governor’s mansion and historic home. But it was not a showcase just for dance — until now.

The beautiful Morven backyard will be the scene of the first concert devoted solely to dance, “Morven Moves,” on Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m.

Although there have been what he called “bread crumbs” of dance at Morven, such as a Fourth of July Jubilee last year, said Marketing Manager Grant Jacoby, a full dance concert is a first. The idea germinated when Jacoby started working at Morven in January 2022, and saw the site. A dancer and choreographer himself, “the idea has been percolating since my interview,” he said.

The dance performance aligns with Morven’s mission, he said, which is “preserving and celebrating authentic stories.”

An in-house committee initiated an open call to New Jersey-based dance companies and choreographers, and considered the mission of telling authentic stories and also “what would translate well in the garden,” Jacoby said. “New Jersey has a lot of artists, and we are giving them a platform.”

The verdant stage will feature seven distinctive New Jersey-based choreographers and dance companies that represent dance genres ranging from contemporary and flamenco to

dance theater. Performers include Cara Hagan, Kiana Rosa Fischer, Lisa Botalico, mignolo dance, morgaine de leonardis, Yu.S.Artistry, and Jacoby himself, with his company of five, Grant Jacoby & Dancers.

Jacoby graduated with a degree in dance and theater from Connecticut College and with a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from Sarah Lawrence College. He performed in several dance troupes and presented his choreography nationally and abroad. As a teacher, he has been on faculty at Boston Ballet, The Boston Conservatory, Sarah Lawrence College, and The National Theater Institute.

His piece in the Morven program, “Untitled Sextet,” is an “antithetical response to the choreographic processes reflecting on tragedies,” he wrote. “Devoid of any intentional emotional influence, the work looks at the moving body as a piece of sculpture, and derives itself compositionally from structures in classical and jazz music, as well as chance-based procedures inspired by Merce Cunningham and John Cage. In doing so, the work is a continuous pushback against the notion that dances need to ‘mean’ anything.”

The performance program, in which each piece tells a story, includes the following pieces: “Al Ritmo de las Piedras (To the Rhythm of the Rocks),” choreographed by Lisa Botalico and performed by 11 dancers to a song

by F.G. Lorca; “Mama Piranh,” choreographed and performed by Cara Hagan, to a sound score by Hagan with music by Steve Combs and Dave Keifer; “L.O.V.E,” choreographed by morgaine de leonardis, performed by two dancers to music by Lous Armstrong; and “Triadic Concepts,” choreographed by Charly Santagado and Louisa Miller, performed

by the choreographer with music by Gian Torrano Jacobs.

Also “Reclaiming Me,” choreographed by Kiana Rosa Fischer (who wrote the text) performed by two dancers with music by Aaron Martin; “Memories of the Moon (excerpt),” choreographed by Yuki Ishiguro (Yu. S. Artistry) and performed by seven dancers, with music by Armand Amar and Rin Nagaya; and “Untitled Sextet,” choreographed by Grant Jacoby & Dancers, with music by Bruce Springsteen and John Wasson.

Reaction from the community has been positive, said Jacoby. “There is curiosity, and intrigue,” he said. “’What’s it going to look like?’ We hope they will experience Morven in a completely different way.”

Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for Morven members and students. Seating is limited to 50 tickets; standing room tickets will be sold once the seated tickets sell out, and will be $10 general admission, $5 for Morven members and students.

The rain location will be in the Stockton Education Center’s Gathering Space. Standing room tickets will be converted to virtual if the performance is moved indoors.

Purchase of a ticket also includes access to the museum to view the current exhibition, “Striking Beauty: New Jersey Tall Case Clocks, 1730 -1830.”

“Morven Moves” is sponsored by Keller Williams Realty Princeton.

Morven Museum & Garden is at 55 Stockton Street. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit morven.org.

—Wendy Greenberg

Kingston Presbyterian Church

Celebrates its 300th Year

Kingston Presbyterian Church (KPC), chartered in 1723 in the historic village of Kingston, is celebrating its 300th year, with celebrations throughout 2023. The church was originally located in a log building in the Church Cemetery, on the colonial era King’s Highway, now Route 27. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington met in front of the church with his offi cers on horseback after the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, where they decided to head to Morristown to rest their weary and battle-scarred troops. Today, the cemetery is a favorite local walking route where walkers can view Colonial era as well as modern headstones.

In 1852 the church moved to its present site, two blocks north of the cemetery, on Route 27. The church, and its iconic steeple constructed in 1856 and reconstructed in 2015 with modern long-lasting, weather resistant materials, is a landmark in Kingston village, founded in 1683.

The Rev. Sharyl Dixon, Kingston Presbyterian’s pastor since 2014, and members are inviting area residents and businesses to participate in this celebration of its history.

Upcoming celebrations include a May 21 Welcome Home Worship Service featuring the Rev. John Heinson, KPC pastor for 37 years, a June 3 Kingston Historical Society event at KPC, and the church’s June 24 Blueberry Festival, an annual community event enjoyed by area families on the expansive lawns of the church.

In September the church will celebrate those with 50 years+ of membership; in October the Kingston Historical Society will join with KPC members to host Cemetery Trails, a tour of the cemetery highlighting stories of village founders and veterans buried there; and in November children of the church will bury a time capsule. The Kingston Historical Society will feature a history of Kingston Presbyterian Church at the D&R Canal Lock-Tender’s House on Route 27.

For more information, visit kingstonpresbyterian.org.

AC Work Continues at Princeton Public Library

Ongoing work on the air conditioning system at Princeton Public Library could result in service interruptions, including possible unscheduled closures, through May 24. In preparation for replacement of cooling tower equipment, the air conditioning system in the Sands Library Building was shut down on Monday, May 15 and will remain off through the

duration of the project. The library building was closed on Tuesday while a crane placed new cooling tower equipment on the roof and removed old equipment.

“We are committed to remaining open as much as possible during this time and think our valued customers should know how they might be affected by this work,” said Jennifer Podolsky, the library’s executive director. “We know it will be significantly warmer in the building through May 24 and we may have to close on short notice depending on how warm it gets. We’re urging everyone to visit our website or call before planning a trip to the library.”

In anticipation of the potential for unscheduled closures, the library is waiving all extended-use fees accrued through May 24. Deadlines to pick up materials placed on hold will be extended. While paid rentals of larger spaces have been suspended through May 24, the library is still accepting reservations for study rooms. Those making reservations will be notifi ed in the event of an unscheduled building closure.

Podolsky said that Monday was the earliest possible date the work could begin and that the library had to balance short-term inconvenience with a possible loss of air conditioning during summer.

“Given the capital appropriation and competitive bidding processes required for public institutions, this was the earliest window we have to get this work done before summer,” Podolsky said. “Had we delayed until fall, we risked this old cooling tower equipment triggering a shutdown of the system during the hottest months of the year. Since we’re the busiest public building in town, the municipality relies on us as a cooling station in summer.”

The library is in the Sands Library Building at 65 Witherspoon Street. For more information about library programs and services, call (609) 924-9529 or visit princetonlibrary.org.

DANCE AT MORVEN: Morven Museum & Garden presents “Morven Moves,” its first concert devoted solely to dance, on Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m. Luminarium Dance, shown here, performed in the garden at last year’s Morven Fourth of July Jubilee. (Photo by Chroma Studios)

well loved and well read since 1946

Board of Education Must Earn Faith, Trust of Their Constituents

To the Editor:

In the past few weeks, Town Topics has published two letters that have argued that the large and diverse population of students, parents, and citizens who are distraught over Frank Chmiel’s sudden and wildly unpopular dismissal as principal of Princeton High School should put more faith in our Board of Education (BOE) members because they were elected in a fair and open process. What an absurd message that citizens should put faith in a person simply because they won an election. Donald Trump won an election a few years back. I suspect many Princeton citizens, myself included, put no faith or trust in him simply because he was elected. No, winning an election does not and should not automatically earn people’s faith.

I do not believe any of the BOE members are bad people or have bad intentions. But that does not mean they are making good decisions or earning our trust or faith. Based on dismissive comments I have heard attributed to multiple BOE members, along with the recent vote at Mr. Chmiel’s Donaldson hearing, I believe many of them are operating in a bubble that’s left them largely detached from their stakeholders.

Indeed, this entire episode has underscored precisely why the citizens of Princeton should critically evaluate the current BOE members’ performance rather than simply having faith in them. What exactly have most of the Board members done to warrant people having faith in them? Is it the ambiguous and opaque communications to students and their families? Is it the appearance of near total disregard for the turmoil this sudden decision has caused our students and community? Is it the hiding behind procedure and purported legal restrictions? Is it the body language that projects indifference and contempt towards anyone who challenges them? Surely, it’s not the mere fact that they were all well-connected and/or well-resourced enough to win a local school board election.

Perhaps if more of the BOE members would have the courage to engage their constituents in some genuine straight talk about the situation and perhaps show a little empathy towards students and families who are distressed by the sudden and shocking dismissal of their beloved school leader, people might have a little faith in them. But faith, patience, and trust — these don’t come for free. They must be earned.

SCOTT ROSS Moore Street

Witherspoon Street is the Wrong Place for a Coffee Roastery

To the Editor:

Next Wednesday’s [May 24] Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting will be the third time Sakrid Coffee Roasters will present their case to install a coffee roastery at 300 Witherspoon. In the last two meetings nothing has changed other than their acknowledgment that the amount of roasting will increase in the future. The proponents have yet to explain why nearby residents, pool and park users, and parents of Community Park students should risk diminished air quality for the luxury of witnessing coffee being roasted.

While we are excited and supportive of a cafe nearby, there is no compelling need to roast coffee where they are proposing, much less to change township statutes to enable this kind of use. A prior letter of opposition pointed out that other coffee shops in town roast their beans outside residential neighborhoods in industrially-zoned areas.

The smell of roasting coffee is far different than the aroma of a freshly-brewed cup. Roasting produces air pollutants and particulate matter, including VOCs and other chemicals that pose health risks to workers and neighbors

Letters to the Editor Policy

Town Topics welcomes letters to the Editor, preferably on subjects related to Princeton. Letters must have a valid street address (only the street name will be printed with the writer’s name). Priority will be given to letters that are received for publication no later than Monday noon for publication in that week’s Wednesday edition. Letters must be no longer than 500 words and have no more than four signatures.

All letters are subject to editing and to available space.

At least a month’s time must pass before another letter from the same writer can be considered for publication.

Letters are welcome with views about actions, policies, ordinances, events, performances, buildings, etc. However, we will not publish letters that include content that is, or may be perceived as, negative towards local figures, politicians, or political candidates as individuals.

When necessary, letters with negative content may be shared with the person/group in question in order to allow them the courtesy of a response, with the understanding that the communications end there.

Letters to the Editor may be submitted, preferably by email, to editor@towntopics.com, or by post to Town Topics, PO Box 125, Kingston, N.J. 08528. Letters submitted via mail must have a valid signature.

— which is the reason Sakrid proposes installing technologies to limit most of these pollutants. However, there is good reason to be especially cautious in areas so close to hundreds of residents and school children. Making an exemption for a use that has the potential to be unhealthy or a nuisance — and has become so in other places — is foolish.

Meanwhile the town is in a growth phase and trying to create affordable housing and find acceptable ways to incorporate higher density development. Along this section of Witherspoon, future development could include new shops, restaurants, and accompanying kitchen exhaust, A/C condensers, increased traffic, laundry, etc.

The town should be mindful of cumulative impacts with each new project that is proposed, especially in this neighborhood. For example, noise and municipal traffic often begins in the wee hours of the morning when the street cleaner heads towards other sections of town. Additionally, non-resident parking and traffic is steadily increasing, and includes the several-ton municipal trucks.

These issues go beyond this proposal, but are important for context. The quality of life of Princeton residents, including this neighborhood, should be more forcefully safeguarded when permitting new amenities and meeting township planning goals. The localized impact to air quality of increased residential and commercial development, and associated traffic in the Witherspoon corridor is already consequential to residents. Unnecessarily adding new emission sources that may impair air quality should not be allowed.

So while we are excited by the prospect of a cafe, granting a variance to roast coffee in this setting is unwise.

WILL PRICE

Birch Avenue

Thanking Supporters of Successful Book Lover’s Luncheon to Bene t Library

To the Editor:

Thank you so much, on behalf of The Friends and Foundation of Princeton Public Library, to all of you who came to the Book Lover’s Luncheon on April 28 at the Nassau Inn to hear author Lynne Olson speak about her new book, Empress of the Nile, in conversation with William Storrar, director of the Center for Theological Inquiry.

We had a record number of people attending at 211!

Thank you to Beatrice Bloom of Weichert Real Estate for her long-standing support. Thank you too to the library staff for all their hard work: Dawn Frost, Tim Quinn, Janie Herman, Mariem Mahmoud, and Joe Caruso.

Thank you to all our volunteers and supporters who help to make Princeton Public Library such a special place.

We look forward to seeing you all at Beyond Words on October 21, 2023.

AUDREY EGGER

Chairperson for Book Lover’s Luncheon Coniston Court

SHALU NASO

Vice President, Friends and Foundation of Princeton Public Library

Witherspoon Street

Urging PPS to Use West Windsor as Model for Math Program Reform

To the Editor:

Princeton residents may be surprised to hear that students in the Princeton Public Schools do not do particularly well on state math tests. While all schools took a hit from COVID, algebra scores in Princeton fell nearly twice as far as scores in New Jersey overall, and in 2022, PPS students floundered on the state exams for algebra and geometry. Despite its resources, Princeton barely beat the state average, and trailed far behind neighboring districts like West Windsor and Montgomery.

These lackluster results can be traced to the district’s incoherent middle school math curriculum. In recent years, administrators have adopted a haphazard approach to math placement, and in a well-intentioned but disastrous 2019 decision, the district combined all sixth graders into a single Accelerated Pre-algebra course. To make this feasible, critical content was removed, producing a wealth of unfortunate downstream consequences. For our middle school students in general, between 2019 and 2022, the proficiency rate plummeted from 72.6 percent to 52.3 percent for Algebra 1 and from 94 percent to 54 percent for Algebra 2. Students without outside tutoring have been hit especially hard: the percentage of economically disadvantaged students passing the Algebra 1 exam fell 41 percent between 2019 and 2022, down to a disastrous 10 percent proficiency rate.

The district is finally reckoning with the damage it has created. As it hires a new math supervisor and reviews the curriculum, it would do well to consider the rigorous and well-designed math program at West Windsor, a similar school district that far outperforms Princeton, with higher scores overall and smaller achievement gaps between demographic groups. In West Windsor in 2022, for example, despite COVID, nearly 57 percent of economically disadvantaged students taking the Algebra 1 test passed, as did nearly 84 percent of students at Thomas Grover Middle School.

One hallmark of successful math programs is that they use targeted direct instruction and focused practice, recognizing that different students learn at different paces and that all students learn the most when they are taught content that is neither over their heads nor so easy that they know it already. This approach, sometimes called “tracking,” has been disfavored in recent years in Princeton. Our low scores and widening achievement gaps should

prompt the Board of Education to revisit this prejudice. Math presents a particular challenge for heterogeneous classrooms, and struggling students are most likely to get lost in the shuffle. Genuine equity means giving all students the careful placement, direct instruction, and support they need to learn the most that they can within the framework of a rigorous and coherent curriculum.

I urge the district to hire a math supervisor with a strong math background and a record of running a highly successful program, and to use West Windsor as a model for reform. I am concerned that district leaders are more focused on making excuses than on making improvements. They have suggested that Princeton could not possibly match our neighbors’ success because of our demographics. That’s no excuse for not trying.

ELEANOR HUBBARD

Prospect Avenue

BOE’s Vote to Not Renew Chmiel’s Contract Leaves Un nished Business

To the Editor:

Monday night’s Princeton Board of Education meeting had regrettable moments. Notably when a few of the hundreds assembled interrupted comments by the single Princeton High School (PHS) student or Board members counter to the otherwise unanimous support of former PHS Principal Frank Chmiel. On behalf of the community, I apologize, especially to that student, for actions of the few. Our democratic process and society demand respectful interactions even with those we vehemently disagree with and a respect for facts.

In this regard, the most regrettable moment of last night was the Board’s failure to pass a motion to renew Chmiel‘s contract as principal of PHS. They failed to respect the facts or at least show a willingness to get them.

After dozens of parents and students spoke in support of Chmiel, Superintendent Kelley read her Statement of Reasons for non-renewal. On its face, it was a damning indictment of Chmiel‘s tenure as PHS principal. It’s accusations of failures to comply with policies; vote of no confidence from teachers; instances of putting students, teachers, or staff at risk; poor performance creating an inclusive environment; weak communication and need for excessive supervision; and, poor judgement were (and remain) in stark contrast to the experience of everyone in attendance.

Multiple relevant speakers called by Chmiel’s attorney refuted much of the “facts” in the Statement. Chmiel’s own comments strongly indicated that essentially all of the Statement was misleading, inaccurate, or simply fabricated. He made credible assertions that Superintendent Kelly failed to follow procedure, keep accurate and complete personnel records, weaponized the review and performance coaching process against him, and was non-responsive and non-communicative to him. His recitation of his accomplishments over two short years was long and detailed. He reaffirmed the broad community’s sense of his exceptional character, leadership, and uncommon care for PHS’s students, teachers, and staff.

The Board’s vote to not renew Chmiel’s contract leaves much unfinished business and open questions that the community deserves answers to. Chief among these are whether Kelley created the “constant drip, drip” of negative info about Chmiel that Board member Mara Franceschi referred to by failing to properly supervise and support the principal, inaccurate record keeping, or by outright lying to or misleading the Board. Fundamentally, last night’s meeting, rather than providing closure to a contentious issue, opened more concerns. Those concerns center not on Chmiel’s competence and judgement but rather on those of Kelley and the Board.

Jean Durbin, who is up for reelection this year and moved to overturn Superintendent Kelley’s recommendation, admonished Chmiel and his team of bringing “this circus to us.” But from the community’s perspective, the Board created the circus and leaves itself and community open to potential legal repercussions (and monetary damages) if Mr. Chmiel’s assertions about the process that Superintendent Kelley oversaw are anywhere near accurate. The Board has an obligation to get to the facts, report those openly to the community, and act if they show malfeasance on the part of Superintendent Kelley.

IAN COPELAND Christopher Drive

Author Maloof Talks at Library; Sessions Holds Virtual Discussion

Princeton Public Library is hosting two upcoming events, one virtual and one in-person.

Author Joan Maloof will be in the Princeton Public Library Community Room on Monday, May 22, from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

The author of Nature’s

Temples: A Natural History of Old-Growth Forests explores the science and alchemy of old-growth forests and makes a compelling case for their protection.

Maloof is professor emerita of biological sciences at Salisbury University in Maryland.

She is also the author of Treepedia and Teaching the Trees.

The program is presented in-person and via livestream, in partnership with the Friends of Herrontown Woods, Friends of the Drew Forest and Princeton University Press.

Note that the library will be replacing its HVAC system during this time frame. If required, due to heat this event will move to Labyrinth Books and begin at 6 p.m. Please register so you can be updated on the time and location.

On May 25 at 6:30 p.m. Jennifer Sessions, associate professor of history and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, will provide historical context for Joseph Andras’ book, Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us, in a Google Meet discussion. The program is presented by the Historical Society of Princeton.

Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us is the winner of the Prix Goncourt for fi rst novel, one of the most prestigious literary awards in France. Set during the Algerian War of Independence, the novel is based on the true story of a young man named Fernand Iveton (and a young politician named François Mitterrand). Register for the virtual session or Maloof’s talk at the library web site, at princetonlibrary.libnet.info/events. Or register for the Sessions talk at princetonhistory.org.

Labyrinth Hosts Program

On Post Roe v. Wade in N.J. Labyrinth Books, with ACLU-NJ, and Planned Parenthood NJ, will present a special event,

“Abortion Access in NJ: Rights & Realities,” on Tuesday, May 23 at 6 p.m. at Labyrinth. The program will address the fall of Roe v. Wade, and the access, or lack of access, to reproductive health care, dependent on your zip code.

Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU New Jersey, and Jackie Cornell, executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, will discuss how New Jersey fits into this new reality and the long-term path to ensure that access is not only protected but strengthened in the Garden State.

The program will be moderated by Heather Howard, former N.J. commissioner of health and senior services and current professor at Princeton University.

Topics will include the overall state of abortion access in N.J., including for undocumented women and other especially vulnerable populations; and the importance of civic engagement in this year’s statewide election and beyond.

Award-Wining Poet Smith Joins Lewis Center Faculty

Poet Patricia Smith, winner of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize, will join the Lewis Center for the Art’s Program in Creative Writing faculty at Princeton University in July. She has been appointed professor of creative writing and will teach introductory and advanced poetry workshops.

In 2021, the Poetry Foundation awarded Smith the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for her lifetime achievement in the genre. Smith is the author of nine books of poetry, including the recently published

collection, Unshuttered ; Incendiary Art, and winner of the 2018 Kingsley Tufts Award for Poetry, the 2017 LA Times Book Prize, the 2018 NAACP Image Award, and finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize. Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah was winner of the Lenore Marshall Prize from the Academy of American Poets; and Blood Dazzler, a National Book Award finalist. She has published three collaborations with award-winning visual artists: Gotta Go, Gotta Flow with Chicago photographer Michael Abramson, and the books Crowns and Death in the Desert with Sandro Miller. Her other books include the poetry volumes Teahouse of the Almighty, Close to Death, Big Towns Big Talk, and Life According to Motown ; the children’s book Janna and the Kings ; and the history volume Africans

in America , a companion book to the award-winning PBS series.

Smith is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Pushcart Prizes, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and fellowships at Yaddo and MacDowell. As a four-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam, she is the most successful poet in the competition’s history. In 2022 Smith was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and she was recently named a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

“Patricia Smith is among a small number of American writers who have undoubtedly gained the prestige of being called a living legend,” said Yiyun Li, director of the Program in Creative Writing.

Previously, Smith was a distinguished professor for the City University of New York and an instructor for Cave Canem and the Vermont College of Fine Arts PostGraduate Writing Program. At Princeton, she has taught introductory and advanced poetry courses since fall of 2021 as a visiting professor. This coming fall, she will teach advanced poetry workshops in the creative writing program.

Patricia Smith

(Photo by Rachel Eliza Griffiths)

If I had any plan in composing this theme, I was thinking only of sound. I wanted to ‘sing’ the melody on the piano, as a singer would sing it.

—Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) on Piano Concerto No. 3

Because Rachmaninoff was born on April 1, NPR.org ran a 2016 April Fool’s jeu d’esprit on the composer’s “secret career” as a “performer of amazing feats of strength” in various English music halls. The most amusingly convincing of three doctored photographs of “Rock Mannenough” shows him riding a bicycle carrying three leggy, scantily clad females, one with her thighs locked around his neck, the other two hanging on either side waving to the crowd. The composer’s deadpan face has been photoshopped onto the bike rider’s body.

The painting on the cover of Max Harrison’s book Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings (Continuum 2006) reminds me of poker-faced Hoagy Carmichael, composer of “Stardust” and “Georgia On my Mind.” Although he’s in shirt and tie, Rachmaninoff looks a long way from the concert hall. He could be playing in a bar or a nightclub or at home. Put a trench coat and a fedora on him, give him a gun, and he’s a Russian Bogart with the existential charisma of Albert Camus.

Smiling with Rach 3

My guess is that one of the rare times Rachmaninoff smiled a full all-out smile was upon finishing the Piano Concerto No. 3, or Rach 3, a fiendishly difficult piece. According to Steinway-Piano.com, Rachmaninoff had been told by violinist Fritz Kreisler that “some young Russian” plays No. 3 “like nothing I ever heard, and you have to meet him.” Soon Vladimir Horowitz and Rachmaninoff got together at Steinway Hall, where the composer played the orchestra part on one piano while Horowitz played the solo part on the other. Rachmaninoff was amazed: “He swallowed it whole. He had the courage, the intensity, and daring that make for greatness.”

You can see Horowitz swallow Rach 3 whole on YouTube with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra on November 28, 1978, exactly 50 years from the day the composer himself premiered it with Walter Damrosch conducting. “Smiling” is much too small a word for the eruption of absolute joy on Horowitz’s face as he and the orchestra gallop across the finish line (if you can imagine an ascending finish line). This is not the conventional smile of a performer who has come through to great applause

Variations On a Theme of Rachmaninoff

falls into the arms of an equally ecstatic Zubin Mehta.

It’s hard to think of the dynamics of Rach 3 in terms of a “melody” that “simply wrote itself” and that Rachmaninoff wanted to sing “as a singer would sing it.” Somewhere beyond the cascading arpeggios, stirring fanfares, passionate cadenzas and crescendos, somewhere under the surface or on the horizon is another melody, a golden mean of melody that has charmed the world for decades — the adagio sostenuto of Piano Concerto No. 2, the theme that haunts the lonely lovers in Brief Encounter (1946), one of cinema’s most enduring romances, which even the constitutionally cynical James Agee finds “deeply touching,” due no doubt to the prevalence of Rachmaninoff’s music.

A Classic Curiosity

The same music becomes a lover’s battleground in Frank Borzage’s I’ve Always Loved You (1946), a lavish, wildly expensive film intended to bring the romance and grandeur of classical music to the screen. Concerto, the picture’s original title, was considered too “highbrow” by Republic, a studio best known for low-budget westerns featuring the “singing cowboy” Gene Autry. The story concerns Myra, a gifted 22-year-old pianist who is taken under the wing of Leopold Goronoff, a beyondvain virtuoso pianist/conductor with whom she soon falls in love when she’s really in love with Rachmaninoff by way of Arthur Rubinstein who is playing the piano on the soundtrack. Although Goronoff has told her that there’s “no place for a woman in classical music,” he eventually presents Myra to the world in a Carnegie Hall concert with Goronoff conducting the orchestra. Once it dawns on him that the woman at the keyboard is doing more with the Rachmaninoff than he’s ever done, he makes sure the orchestra drowns her out, she rushes offstage to marry the nice young man she grew up with, has a child, then returns to Carnegie six years later for a totally improbable reprise performance of No. 2 with the great Goronoff conducting; she prevails

Hiroshima had been detailed by John Hersey in the August 31, 1946 New Yorker. Given the critical trashing the picture received (it won the Harvard Advocate worst film of the year award), and the fact that a project already budgeted at $1.5 million ended up costing another half million, you could say the connection with a bomb of historic proportions had a certain black-comic-ironic resonance.

In Europe, where Borzage was known as a visionary director, the film, with its suggestion of an extrasensory connection between the two musicians, achieved a strange sort of recognition. In 1962 Cahiers du cinema found it to be “perhaps Borzage’s masterpiece.... The excess of insipidness and sentimentality exceeds all allowable limits and annihilates the power of criticism and reflection, giving way to pure beauty.” More recent screenings have led to equally weird responses: “an amazing work, disconcerting at times, with marvelous charm, through which breathes a wind of madness”; “the most hallucinating, most beautiful” of Borzage’s films ... the most outrageous ever conceived in Hollywood.”

La Belle Hélène

Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto was my teenage introduction to “great music” thanks to a tall Texan named Van Cliburn. Hearing it again last week in Borzage’s film, where the plot distracted me from the music, I decided to hear it fresh. Having recently watched Hélène Grimaud’s magnificent performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1, I decided to see if she could lend her magic touch to Rachmaninoff’s No. 2, specifically the adagio and the third movement. The performance took place in 2008 at the Lucerne Festival, with Claudio Abbado conducting. My response surprised me. I knew what Grimaud could do, but the interplay between her and the musicians was truly moving. The almost too familiar music came through with a primal purity. This was in every fine sense of the word a new work, with soloist, orchestra and conductor one organism. The ovation was tremendous, perhaps equal to the one that greeted Horowitz that night in 1978. The

comes the news of a break between and the pianist and the conductor.

“Titans Clash”

The New York Times headlined the October 20, 2011 story, “Titans Clash Over a Mere Cadenza.” Ms. Grimaud was to have performed with Mr. Abbado, once more at the Lucerne Festival, but the concerts were cancelled because of “artistic differences.” The conflict seems to have been only a sadder and more complicated version of the one in Borzage’s film. Quoted in the Times article, Grimaud said, “It would have been for me a sort of sellout. It would have been going with the flow to avoid making waves, and keeping things comfortable and uneventful. I couldn’t do that. That kind of compromise is nothing I want to do with. And neither does he. That’s maybe why we worked together for so many years.”

The Piano Smoked

In the Steinway-Piano.com article about Horowitz and Rachmaninoff, Horowitz remembers his American debut at Carnegie Hall, the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto, with Thomas Beecham conducting. “I chose the Tchaikovsky because I knew that I could make such a wild sound ... and I could play it with such speed and noise. I very much wanted to have a big success in the United States.” Because the conductor’s tempos were too relaxed, the pianist made his move: “I wanted to eat the public alive,” said Horowitz, “to drive them completely crazy. Subconsciously, it was in order not to go back to Europe .… So in my mind I said, ‘Well, my Englishman, my lord, I am from Kiev, and I’ll give you something.’ And so I started to make the octaves faster and very wild.” According to The New York Times, “The piano smoked at the keys.”

The Frown on the Mound

It’s great to see that forums.sassnet. com got the April Fool’s word out about Rachmaninoff’s brief but brilliant career as a pitcher with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, which became the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. Did I even for a minute take the idea seriously? Sure, for a fraction of a second I could see him on the mound, the baseball like a mothball in his enormous hand. The writers would dub him The Frown. Me, I’m smiling now that the St. Louis Cardinals seem to have turned the corner after an eight game losing streak and the worst start in 50 years.

—Stuart Mitchner

Quotes by Rachmaninoff are from his letters as reported on Steinway-Piano. com. Quotes about Frank Borzage are

MUSIC REVIEW

Princeton Symphony Orchestra Closes Season with Journey through Paris and Italy

One does not often hear concertos for viola — an instrument often hidden within the orchestra. However, Hector Berlioz’s Harold in Italy is much more than a concerto; its form is that of a programmatic symphony, with each of the four movements describing scenes of the southern region of Italy. Princeton Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Rossen Milanov, brought Berlioz’s symphonic work to Richardson Auditorium this past weekend to close the 2022-23 orchestral season. Joining the Orchestra for this season finale was guest violist Roberto Díaz, a veteran performer and noted educator.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra preceded the Berlioz work with two pieces just as descriptive. Julia Perry was one of a cadre of internationally-known 20thcentury American composers whose works have been underperformed but are now receiving new attention. Perry’s Study for Orchestra was premiered in 1952 under the name Short Piece for Orchestra and has become popular for its appeal and innovative approach to orchestration. In Sunday afternoon’s performance, Princeton Symphony Orchestra presented this short and concise work emphasizing its jazz style, which was consistent with American music of the time. A number of instrumental soloists were showcased, including flutist Anthony Trionfo and concertmaster Claire Bourg. Milanov kept the orchestral sound lean, aided by very clean trumpets.

The Perry work was well-paired with George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, also a study in orchestration in its musical depiction of the City of Lights. The piece began with a refreshing and light string sound, with the several sections of the work well portraying the different moods of the city. Clarinetist Pascal Archer often set the atmosphere with solo lines, at times with a bit of a jazzy wail to his playing. Other expressive solos were provided by bass clarinetist Gi Woo Lee, English horn player Gilles Cheng, and tuba player Jonathan Fowler. The trumpet section and a trio of saxophones had the chance to show their saucy sides, as Milanov effectively brought out the lushness of the orchestration.

Inspired by a Lord Byron poem as well as Berlioz’s own memories of Italy, Harold in Italy was a commission from virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini, in a desire to show off a new Stradivarius viola. Paganini rejected the work as not being flashy enough, and Harold in Italy is in fact more lyrical than virtuosic. Guest violist Roberto Díaz, former principal viola of The Philadelphia Orchestra, proved to be an unassuming yet confident soloist, pensively waiting through the long introduction of the first movement for his first solo passages. Delicately accompanied by harpist André Tarantiles, Díaz introduced the character of Harold well. Quicker passages showed why this work may have been intended for Paganini, and Díaz effectively executed double stops and fast-moving lines. In the second movement “March of the pilgrims,” Díaz played almost imperceptibly at times, as if not to intrude on the evening prayer the character had come upon in his travels. Berlioz’s approach to orchestration was revolutionary in its time, and this piece showed imaginative combinations of instrumental solos. English horn player Lillian Copeland’s solo was well paired with oboist Gilles Cheng in the third movement “Serenade,” and Berlioz combined two cornets with two trumpets in the brass section for unusual color. Berlioz also highlighted the viola section in the scoring, and the violists of Princeton Symphony brought shepherd’s dance passages to life in the third movement, balancing Díaz’s contemplative solo. Díaz caused great audience curiosity by leaving the stage during a long orchestral interlude in the fourth movement to play final passages from a balcony alcove, providing musical calm amid complex and dramatic orchestration.

Among Berlioz’s novel musical achievements in this work was turning the viola, somewhat neglected by the early 19th century, into a featured voice within the orchestral texture. Sunday afternoon’s performance by Princeton Symphony Orchestra showed the range and depth of the instrument while taking the audience on musical journeys through Paris, Italy, and the orchestra itself.

—Nancy Plum

Princeton Symphony Orchestra is currently preparing for the annual Princeton Festival, which begins June 9 in the Performance Pavilion at the Morven Museum & Garden. Information about the Princeton Festival, as well as the Orchestra’s 2023-24 season, can be obtained by visiting princetonsymphony.org.

JUNCTION

THEATER REVIEW

Blues for an Alabama Sky A New York Singer Faces Painful Choices in “Blues for an Alabama Sky”; McCarter Offers a Dazzling Production of Pearl Cleage’s Compelling Script

McCarter is presenting Blues for an Alabama Sky. Deftly written by Pearl Cleage, the 1995 drama depicts a tight-knit circle of friends living in a Harlem apartment building in 1930.

The title reflects an unlikely relationship between two of the protagonists. The bohemian neighbors’ lives are upended when a free-spirited blues singer and nightclub performer, Angel (portrayed by Crystal A. Dickinson) is pursued by Leland (Brandon St. Clair), a conservative, religious widower from Tuskegee — who only has been in Harlem for a few weeks.

In a program note, Dramaturg Faye M. Price notes that the time setting captures a period of “great transition for African Americans, from the creative exhilaration of the Harlem Renaissance to the despair of the Great Depression to the migration from the Jim Crow South to cities in the North.”

Cleage probes a confluence of social issues: homophobia, racism, sexism, and reproductive rights. The compelling script — by turns funny and poignant — accomplishes this by letting events unfold as the characters, with vastly divergent worldviews and priorities, interact and collide. Blues for an Alabama Sky marks the successful McCarter directorial debut of Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson, who previously helmed an acclaimed production that ran at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis earlier this year.

What makes both the script and staging succeed so completely is that from beginning to end, there is a consistent, sharp focus on character and theme. Every line of dialogue, movement, and production element is chosen with precision.

Sound Designer Paul James Prendergast lets jazz music pervade the theater before and during the play. Angel begins the action by dancing exuberantly. A “Cotton Club” sign is above her head.

“The Cotton Club was a whites-only nightclub where Black workers and performs had to come through the back door. Black patrons weren’t welcome in the space to enjoy the music,” Watson writes in a program note. “These realities impacted the art that was created. You can’t divorce the artistic expression from the oppression. Pearl’s powerful play invites us to put those two things back together and consider the complexity of our history.”

This fusion of realty and art seems to be explored theatrically. Shortly after Angel dances, the curtain behind her rises — revealing her apartment, which Scenic Designer Lawrence E. Moten III furnishes in elaborate detail.

Angel’s opening dance leads into a scene in which we learn that she has lost her job. Her roommate and friend,

an uninhibited costume designer named Guy (Kevin R. Free) also is unemployed, but aspires to design dresses for singer and dancer Josephine Baker, in Paris. A huge photograph of Baker looms above the stage. It aids in establishing the time period, and it also symbolizes expectations. Guy hopes to work for Baker; Angel wants to emulate her.

Guy and Angel’s neighbor, Delia (Maya Jackson), is a social worker who is attempting to launch a family planning clinic in Harlem. Their friend (and Delia’s love interest) Sam (Stephen Conrad Moore) is an obstetrician.

Leland courts Angel, who reminds him of his late wife. Inevitably, and almost immediately, there is a culture clash between Angel’s friends and Leland. Guy warns Angel, “Alabama isn’t just a state. It’s a state of mind.” Early on, Leland’s disruption of the status quo is subtle but palpable when he moves furniture in the apartment so that he can sit with Angel, facing away from the others.

Eventually, Angel is forced to choose between pursuing a professional opportunity overseas with Guy, or living a conventional domestic life with Leland. This leads to a painful decision that meets with a violent reaction.

Cleage’s script is marked by an obvious love of language. A poetic command of words is evident when Sam offers to “wear two-tone shoes and play the baritone sax.” Guy’s urbane wisecrack, “Women always lie about their ages and their hips” and “men lie about everything else” is worthy of Dorothy Parker.

The play has seen changes to its ending. In an interview for the May 3 Town Topics, Watson tells this writer, “It’s just one line change, but I think it makes a difference to how you can understand what Angel is going through.” In an interview with the Guthrie’s Johanna Buch (reprinted in the McCarter program), Cleage clarifies, “The ending we now use is the original ending!” Previously, budget cuts necessitated the elimination of a character whom Angel meets; here, the “New Gentleman” is played by St. Clair, in a dual role.

The cast is uniformly excellent. As Angel, Dickinson — who has an attractive singing voice — carries herself in a dignified, slightly haughty manner that highlight’s the character’s determination to be a star. This notably changes as Angel starts to become more conflicted between the world of her friends and that of Leland; her body language resembles the

purposeful strides that pervade Jackson’s portrayal of Delia.

At one point Guy (who is gay, and frequently clashes with the homophobic Leland) delivers an applause-stealing speech about his determination to “walk where I please, wearing what I please, whenever I please.” This aplomb informs Free’s entire performance; he lets Guy confidently and smoothly glide around the stage.

This is matched by the debonair but dangerously brooding reserve with which St. Clair infuses Leland. The character’s hat often is used as a shield with which he tries to keep at bay the strange new world in which he finds himself. Moore lets Sam project affable sincerity.

Watson notably underlines Leland’s outsider status — which becomes crucial when Angel faces some painful choices — through strategic use of the space. Whereas Angel and her friends comfortably occupy the stage, Leland initially walks on the edge of it, approaching it from the audience. Later, as Angel starts to become more immersed in Leland’s world, we see her move in the opposite direction — offstage, into the audience.

Costume Designer Sarita P. Fellows — whose outfits greatly aid the actors in making the characters distinctive — and Lighting Designer Sherrice Mojgani develop this concept further. Guy — who, almost more than any other character (except Angel) personifies cosmopolitan Harlem, wears a bright pink vest that matches some of the lighting that bathes the apartment wall, against which can be seen the silhouette of a jazz trumpeter. Leland wears a more conservative suit whose color scheme somewhat resembles the curtain.

Leland gives Angel a drab dress, the sight of which would cause the flamboyant Guy to have a fit. Angel, who previously has worn dresses (including a bright red one) that match her passionate personality, gives a horrified look that succinctly expresses her feelings. It is obvious that the new, exaggeratedly modest dress signifies a role that Leland expects Angel to play.

“BLUES

for

for an

Berlind Theatre. Above, from left, close friends Sam (Stephen Conrad Moore), Guy (Kevin R. Free), Delia (Maya Jackson), and Angel (Crystal A. Dickinson) face a major disruption when a conservative Southerner falls for Angel.

Directed by Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson, “Blues for an Alabama Sky” runs through May 28 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. McCarter’s website offers this advisory: “This production includes sexual/suggestive content, the use of a prop gun, a gunshot sound effect, and references to alcoholism, abortion, birth control, homophobia, and death caused by childbirth.” Masks are required for the performance on May 24 at 7:30. For tickets or additional information, visit McCarter.org.

Later, Angel has cut a slit into the dress that allows her to expose her legs. If she wears the dress, she is resolved to imprint her personality on it. This prefigures a line of dialogue — spoken at a point when Angel makes a crucial choice — in which she expresses her unwavering determination to “live free.” Blues for an Alabama Sky has a unity of script and production that is as tight-knit as the friendship that the play depicts. It makes one look forward to future McCarter productions directed by Watson.

—Donald H. Sanborn III

New Jersey’s oldest continuously running farmers market!

Afarmer-owned cooperative since 1939, and located on Spruce Street in Lawrence since 1948, the Trenton Farmers Market is a beloved farmers market filled with a wide selection of Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, a smoke shop, Amish meats and poultry, a Polish deli, kielbasa, artisan cheese, baked goods, BBQ, rotisserie chicken, vegan selections, clothing, jewelry, handbags, home goods, essential and CBD oils, hand crafted soaps and body care, vintage sports jerseys, sweets and nuts, donuts, local wine, plus an Amish grocery store.

SUMMER HOURS:

It’s a Tradition!

You’ll find a wide assortment of just about everything you need for your weekly grocery shopping right here at the Market.

9am-6pm SUNDAY 9am-3pm

FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PLANTS & FLOWERS, AMISH & POLISH MEATS, BREADS & BAKED GOODS, VEGAN, BBQ AND POULTRY EATERIES, FRESH SEAFOOD, TEAS AND COFFEE, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIR, FLEA MARKET FINDS, AND MORE!

FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PLANTS & FLOWERS, AMISH & POLISH MEATS, BREADS & BAKED GOODS, VEGAN, BBQ AND POULTRY EATERIES, FRESH SEAFOOD, TEAS AND COFFEE, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIR, FLEA MARKET FINDS, AND MORE!

FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PLANTS & FLOWERS, AMISH & POLISH MEATS, BREADS & BAKED GOODS, VEGAN, BBQ AND POULTRY EATERIES, FRESH SEAFOOD, TEAS AND COFFEE, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIR, FLEA MARKET FINDS, AND MORE!

FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PLANTS & FLOWERS, AMISH & POLISH MEATS, BREADS & BAKED GOODS, VEGAN, BBQ AND POULTRY EATERIES, FRESH SEAFOOD, TEAS AND COFFEE, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIR, FLEA MARKET FINDS, AND MORE!

FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PLANTS & FLOWERS, AMISH & POLISH MEATS, BREADS & BAKED GOODS, VEGAN, BBQ AND POULTRY EATERIES, FRESH SEAFOOD, TEAS AND COFFEE, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIR, FLEA MARKET FINDS, AND MORE!

FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PLANTS & FLOWERS, AMISH & POLISH MEATS, BREADS & BAKED GOODS, VEGAN, BBQ AND POULTRY EATERIES, FRESH SEAFOOD, TEAS AND COFFEE, CLOTHING, JEWELRY, WATCH AND CLOCK REPAIR, FLEA MARKET FINDS, AND MORE!

FOR AN ALABAMA SKY”: Performances are underway

“Blues

Alabama Sky.” Written by Pearl Cleage, and directed by Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson, the play runs through May 28 at McCarter’s

(Photo by Matt Pilsner)

Performing Arts

Dave Mason Tour Coming

To State Theatre New Jersey

The State Theatre New Jersey presents “Dave Mason: Endangered Species Tour 2023” on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. Opening for Mason is Southern rock group The Georgia Thunderbolts. Tickets range from $29-$79.

Mason left Traffic in 1969 to pursue a solo career in the U.S. Mason has penned over 100 songs and has three gold albums: Alone Together, Dave Mason, and Mariposa De Oro, and one platinum album Let It Flow, which contained the Top 10 single “We Just Disagree.”

In addition to cranking out hits, Mason has performed on, or contributed to, several famous albums, including The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet , George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass , Paul McCartney and Wings ’ Venus and Mars , and Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland. Mason is featured playing acoustic guitar in “All Along the Watchtower” on Electric Ladyland , a favorite in Mason’s live shows. Mason, a prolific artist in his own right, has collaborated with many people in the music industry including Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Rita Coolidge, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, Ron Wood, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, and

Jim Capaldi, just to name a few.

The band features Mason on guitars and vocals, Marty Fera on percussion, Tony Patler on keys and vocals, Johnne Sambataro on guitar and vocals, and Ray Cardwell on bass and vocals.

Opening for Mason is The Georgia Thunderbolts. The southern rock band’s hits include “Looking for an Old Friend,” “Lend a Hand,” “It’s Alright,” and “Take it Slow.”

The Georgia Thunderbolts features TJ Lyle, RileyCouzzort, Logan Tolbert, Bristol Perry, and Zach Everett. For tickets, more information, or group discounts, call Guest Services at (732) 246-SHOW (7469) or visit STNJ.org. State Theatre New Jersey is located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick.

Tom Jones “Ages & Stages” Tour May 22

The State Theatre New Jersey presents “Tom Jones – Ages & Stages” Tour on Monday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $79-$259.

Legendary Welsh singer and performer Sir Tom Jones continues to sustain his popularity around the world, captivating audiences with his timeless discography of hit songs and enduring talent and charisma. With a career spanning over six decades, Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers and

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recording artists of all time, selling over 100 million records, and continuing as an esteemed and influential figure in the music industry.

At the age of 82, Jones has received some of the best reviews of his career for his most recent Ethan Johnsproduced albums Surrounded By Time , Long Lost Suitcase , Spirit In The Room , and Praise & Blame. Critics have praised both the recorded material and Jones’ performances, highlighting his talent in both the studio and on stage.

Born in the mining town of Pontypridd, South Wales, Jones quit school at an early age, working various odd jobs before getting his start as a member of a local band called The Senators, and later forming his own group, Tom Jones and the Squires, appearing in clubs and pubs around the local area. In the early 1960s, he signed with Decca Records in London, kickstarting a successful and diverse career and achieving international fame with his powerful voice and dynamic stage presence. He had a string of hit songs including “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat?” “Delilah,” and “Green, Green Grass of Home” which sat alongside his popular 19691971 cross-continental TV show, This is Tom Jones Jones has always had a fundamental interest in a wide range of music, leading him to work with dozens of iconic collaborators over the years, ranging from Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin to Van Morrison, Dolly Parton, and Ed Sheeran, just some among many.

For tickets, information, or group discounts, call State Theatre Guest Services at (732) 246-SHOW (7469) or visit STNJ.org. State Theatre New Jersey is located at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick.

Westminster Conservatory at Nassau Concludes Season

The 21st season of Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will conclude on May 18 at 12:15 p.m. with “Outside Inspirations,” a recital of music for flute and piano. The performers — John Lane, flute and Kathy Shanklin, piano — are members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty. The recital will take place in the

Niles Chapel of Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street. The event is open to the public free of charge; masking is optional.

The program includes transcriptions of Sonate no. 1, opus 13 by Gabriel Fauré, originally for violin and piano, and Fantasía para un gentilhombre by Joaquín Rodrigo, originally a concerto for guitar and orchestra.

Lane has taught at Westminster Conservatory since 2006 and is the principal flutist of Sinfonietta Nova. He began serving as the competitions coordinator of the National Flute Association (NFA) in 2019, having previously served as the coordinator of the NFA’s High School Soloist Competition. He earned both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Performance from Indiana University.

In addition to her faculty position at Westminster Conservatory, Shanklin is the director of music at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Bridgewater and the organist at Temple Beth-El in Somerville. She has served as rehearsal accompanist for Peter Westergaard’s opera Moby Dick, staff accompanist for Opera Festival of New Jersey and June Opera, and the music director of the Princeton Ballet School. She has degrees in music from Western Illinois University and Indiana University at Fort Wayne, and has pursued graduate studies in accompaniment at Westminster Choir College of Rider University.

Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recitals will resume on September 21. This program is made possible in part by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

“Other Desert Cities” Play

Coming to Kelsey Theatre Theatre-To-Go will present the dark comedy Other Desert Cities May 26 through June 4 at Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor.

Other Desert Cities, which won a Tony Award nomination for Best New Play in 2011, takes place in Palm Springs, Calif., during a holiday gathering. When a family member reveals she is going to publish a memoir

about a painful chapter in the family’s history, turmoil ensues, and political views collide revealing a dysfunctional family situation that is full of surprise and touching moments.

The New York Times hailed Other Desert Cities as the best new play on Broadway in 2011.

The cast features David Williams of Flemington and Peggy Waldron of Hamilton as Lyman and Polly, Dara Lewis of Trenton and Parker Madison of Somerset as Brooke and Trip, and Susan Schwirk of Monroe as Aunt Silda.

The show is directed and produced by Ruth Markoe of Lawrenceville. Other members of the production team include Stage Manager Rob Lasky of New Egypt, Set Designer Haley Schmalbach of Palmyra, Lighting Designer Kitty Getlik of Hamilton, Sound Designer Eric Collins of Trenton, and costumes by Ruth and Melissa Rittman of Ewing.

Performances are on May 26 and 27 at 8 p.m., May 28 at 2 p.m., June 2 and 3 at 8 p.m., and June 4 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for children, students, and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased online at KelseyTheatre.org or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at (609) 570-3333.

Masks are recommended but not required while in the theater.

Prudential Foundation Grant

Supports NJ Arts, Culture

The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund (NJACRF) received an $815,000 grant from the Prudential Foundation to continue its work to fill a critical funding gap for smaller nonprofit arts and culture organizations across the state.

The grant will be paid in installments over four years.

With this multi-year commitment of support from the Prudential Foundation, the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund will be able to continue its core grantmaking activities and will have a sustainable future.

Founded in 2020, the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund is a collaboration between private and public donors. The Fund, hosted by the Princeton Area Community Foundation, prioritizes support to small and mid-size organizations, led by and/or serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) that were hit especially hard by the pandemic and have historically been underfunded.

It has awarded more than $6.7 million grants to 192 organizations in every New Jersey county during four rounds of funding, which began in January 2021. Unrestricted grants of up to $50,000 are awarded, with an average grant size of $23,000.

The Fund’s total grantmaking is expected to exceed $9 million by the end of 2023.

“We understand the importance of the arts in the community and that is one of the reasons why we were a founding donor of the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund,” said Shanè Harris, vice president of social responsibility and partnerships and president of The Prudential Foundation.

The Fund has also received significant support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Nicole Butler, vice president, community affairs and partnerships, Prudential Financial, sits on the Steering Committee that guides the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund along with its executive director, Lynne Toye. Over the past two years, it has become clear that the Fund addresses a critical and ongoing need for funding for smaller nonprofits in the sector. It was decided that the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund should continue its work beyond the pandemic. Butler and Tanuja M. Dehne, president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, agreed that the Prudential Loan Fund, a collaboration among The Prudential Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the Community Foundation of New Jersey would reallocate the remaining funds to the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund.

“We are thrilled that these funds will strengthen the sustainability of the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund, an important organization that supports the vibrancy of the arts sector across our state,” said Dehne. “As a racial justice funder in New Jersey, we are particularly excited to support the Fund’s mission to deploy much-needed resources to BIPOC-led and serving arts organizations. We know that our organization, alone, cannot address the root causes and repair of structural racism in our state, and we are pleased to see the evolution of this innovative partnership to meet the real-time needs of the community.”

Learn more about the New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund at pacf.org.

MASON AT STATE THEATRE: Dave Mason brings his “Endangered Species Tour” to the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. Opening for Mason is Southern rock group The Georgia Thunderbolts.

DARK COMEDY AT KELSEY: Susan Schwirck, on couch, and Parker Madison rehearse for the upcoming Theatre-To-Go production of “Other Desert Cities” May 26 through June 4 at Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor.  (Photo courtesy of Theatre-To-Go)

Popular Independent Princeton Record Exchange Offers 1,000s of CDs, LPs, DVDs in Every Category

When you come to the Princeton Record Exchange, don’t be in a hurry. Plan to spend some time. It is totally intriguing! Filled with thousands of CDs, LPs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and more, it offers every category of music, from rock and jazz to classical and country to blues and soul, rap and hip-hop, movie soundtracks, shows, and more. More than 100,000 titles in stock!

IT’S NEW To Us

This is a special place. It has been rated a top record store in the U.S. by BuzzFeed, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, CNN, USA Today, GQ, and the Wall Street Journal, and featured in many other publications. The New York Times is quoted as saying, “Customers come from as far away as Scotland and Japan or as close as around the corner.”

In this age of online shopping and digital messaging in every way, Princeton Record Exchange (known informally as PREX) is a bricks and mortar, walk-in store. Customers can browse, find something special for their collection, and share information with each other.

As it reports in its mission statement: “Princeton Record Exchange is dedicated to providing an alternative to the streaming services and online stores that have come to dominate the music and movie retailing world. We take pride in our low pricing, the high quality of our merchandise, and the depth of our selection.”

Remarkable Story

And what a history it has!

Founded by Barry Weisfeld in 1980, it is now owned by Jon Lambert, who joined the operation in 1988, served as general manager, and became owner in 2016. It has been a remarkable story, he points out. When the store first opened, it was stocked with 15,000 recordings, many of which were hard-to-get or discontinued selections. In addition, three-quarters of the inventory was new. This is a reversal of the situation today, in which 75 percent of the inventory is used; 25 percent new.

Business began to take off early on, as customers soon found they could turn in their own records for cash or credit toward a new purchase, and have the fun of seeking suitable replacements. Word got around, and PREX became so popular that records and customers almost seemed to be vying for the available space.

As this became an increasing concern, the store moved from its original 20 Nassau Street location to its current larger site at 20 South Tulane Street in 1985.

“We recently remodeled the store to give customers even more space,” notes Lambert. “We have over 4,500 square feet of floor space, with padded carpeting, wide aisles, bright lighting, and easy-to-browse racks of new and used LPs, CDs, DVDs, and more.”

Around 300 to 500 people come in every day, and 1,000 over the weekend, he reports. They are all ages: students, families, retirees, and serious and casual collectors. They come from the Princeton area and beyond, including all over the U.S. and also overseas. There is also a very active social media interaction.

Record Store Day

“We have lots of regular customers,” Lambert adds. “Many come every week, and some even come every day to see what is new.

“Also, every April, on the third Saturday, there is Record Store Day, when we’ll have new items that have only been released to independent record stores. Hundreds of people line up outside the store waiting until we open. This year, it was one of our best days ever. People were waiting from 4 p.m. the day before to get here when we opened.”

The store’s inventory is conveniently arranged according to category and price. There are many bargain items at $1, and 50,000 at $5 and less. Rare collectible pieces can cost far more.

Of course, an appealing feature of the PREX “MO” is the customer’s opportunity to buy and sell CDs, LPs, and DVDs. “We process between 30,000 and 40,000 pieces a month, which accounts for a constantly changing inventory,” says Lambert. “When we purchase from customers, they will get 25 percent

to 40 percent of what we will sell it for. If they choose to get credit instead of cash, they will receive 10 percent more.”

Sea Change

The music and entertainment industries have undergone significant changes since PREX opened its doors, and keeping up to date and adapting to these changes is important.

“Originally, the store had LPs, 45s, and cassettes,” points out Lambert. “In the mid-1980s, CDs came along, and began to replace LPs, then the VHS movies arrived, followed by DVDs in the late ’90s.”

Then, a sea change!

“With the advent of digital file sharing, you could listen or watch on the internet, and didn’t need a separate device,” says Lambert. “This changed how people listened to music and watched movies.”

Interestingly, along with this modern day, 21st-century technology, there has been a big-time return to LP records or vinyl.

“LPs are really popular again,” says Lambert. “Some people believe they have better performance. This year, for the first time since 1987, we sold more LPs than CDs.”

In the same way it affected nearly every aspect of life and business, COVID-19 had a major impact on the Record Exchange’s operation.

“We were closed for three months, and that was just as we were planning a big event for our 40th anniversary,” explains Lambert.

“When we reopened, two trends converged after COVID. Everyone had been at home, and many people had a lot of records and CDs they were listening to. After they came out of their houses again, a lot of people decided to sell what they had, and they came to us.

“At the same time, other people wanted to get more and add to their collections, and they came to us to buy. So business was good! We had 20 people lined up outside waiting to come in the day we opened. That felt really good.”

Courtesy and Respect

That he is able to work in the music industry is a blessing, he says. “I have always loved music. It is so important and meaningful.

It deepens our experiences in so many ways.

“It pleases me, too, that with my store, I can share my outlook of how to treat people. My goal has been to create an atmosphere of courtesy and respect for everyone — customers and staff. People like to come here. They feel comfortable and enjoy themselves. There is an engagement factor. When people come in, they pick out the record, take it out of the cover, and look forward to hearing all the songs. The average time spent here is a half hour to an hour.”

It is not a one-person operation, he emphasizes. “We are a real team here. We have an exceptional 16-member staff who are knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful to customers. Eight of them have been with us for 20 years.”

Quality control is important, he adds, pointing out that, “We check everything visually, and can clean rare and special items with a cleaning machine. Our returns are less than one half of one percent!”

The store also holds events and performances from time to time, including for students, and it has also been the scene of first dates and marriage proposals. In addition, it is very involved in the community, and partners with local organizations such as the Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton Public Library, McCarter Theatre, and many local merchants and charitable organizations to promote and encourage participation in the arts.

It has been the recipient of awards and citations from the Municipality of Princeton and the State of New Jersey.

The store also offers an online service of a curated selection. In addition, gift cards, PREX T-shirts, and tote bags are available.

Recycling is a wonderful way to share, and PREX has brought it to new heights.

As Lambert says, “Come to see the latest, and if you

come once, you will come again! We think we are a special place. People walk away very happy after being here.”

Hours are MondayWednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ThursdaySaturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For further information call, (609) 921-0881. Website: prex.com.

—Jean Stratton

SUCCESS

STORY: “I think about who we are and what we offer. We are a place where people can come to be together, find special records and CDs, and talk about music.” Jon Lambert, owner of the popular Princeton Record Exchange, is proud of the store’s extraordinary selection of thousands of CDs, LPs, and DVDs, and of its long history and reputation.

“THE AWAKENING”: An opening ceremony for the late J. Seward Johnson’s monumental sculpture will be held on Sunday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township.

Opening for Sculpture

At St. Michaels Preserve

The Hopewell Valley Arts Council and The Johnson Atelier are hosting a community-wide sculptural celebration this year, “Seward Johnson | Celebrating the Everyday.” This year-long public art project highlights the life and work of J. Seward Johnson II (1930-2020), a renowned sculptor known for his lifelike sculptures of everyday people. One of the major highlights of this project is Johnson’s monumental sculpture, The Awakening, at D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve in Hopewell Township.

The Awakening, measuring 70 feet wide, is of a giant embedded in the earth, seemingly struggling to free himself from the ground. The installation has been funded by a grant to the Johnson Atelier from the Atlantic Foundation, a Johnson family foundation.

“Through this public art project, we are honoring the legacy of Seward,” said Carol Lipson, executive director of the Hopewell Valley Arts Council. “The Awakening is a testament to his creative thinking. We hope that the sculpture, surrounded by nature, will serve as a place for both personal reflection and community activity.”

An opening ceremony for The Awakening will be held on Sunday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve. Members of the community are invited to attend this free art-filled celebration that will include dance, poetry, and music — all things that Johnson loved.

“This project celebrates

Seward’s spirit,” said Lynn DeClemente Losavio, program officer at the Johnson Atelier. “He loved Hopewell Valley — the beautiful expanse of fi eld and forest of St. Michaels Farm Preserve, a sense of well-being and return to nature. He would have loved people wandering, wondering, and fi nding their own story as they enjoy the surrounding trails and community. The giant really amplifies this feeling.”

D&R Greenway’s St. Michaels Farm Preserve was established in 2010 when the nonprofit land trust purchased the property from the Diocese of Trenton. Six miles of farm roads and wooded trails wind through 416 acres of preserved land, providing a place where community residents enjoy daily walks and visitors experience open space. The land where the sculpture is located was the site of Hopewell Borough’s 125th anniversary celebration and music festival in 2016.

“This temporary installation, The Awakening, invites people to pause and think about their role in protecting the Earth,” said Linda Mead, D&R Greenway’s president and CEO.

Engaging people through art about the environment has been a feature of D&R Greenway’s work for many years. The land trust hosts regular gallery exhibits at their Johnson Education Center headquarters in Princeton.

“We were approached by the Johnson Atelier and the Hopewell Valley Arts Council and wanted to be part of this community-wide celebration,” Mead continued.

“We hope that The Awakening will introduce people to our preserve, where they can walk our trails and learn about land preservation. We also hope it will inspire thought about how each of us individually makes choices that affect the Earth and its resources. For me, this sculpture represents the struggles of humanity as we try to protect the Earth during a time of climate change and its impacts on plants and wildlife. While the art installation is temporary, the lands we preserve and steward are forever.”

In addition to The Awakening, 14 of Johnson’s life-sized sculptures will be installed throughout Hopewell Valley for a special six-month exhibition, if fundraising permits. These sculptures will be placed in highly visible locations throughout Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, Pennington, and Titusville, including one at each school campus in Hopewell Valley Regional School District. The celebration will also include concerts, poetry readings, guest speaker talks, tours, art exhibitions and workshops featuring local artists. All funding for these sculptures will be crowdsourced from community donations and local business sponsors.

“To complete this ambitious project, we need support from the community,” said Lipson. “We invite donations to this important initiative to help us bring Johnson’s vibrant and creative artwork to Hopewell Valley.”

For more information and to donate to the project, visit hvartscouncil.org/sewardjohnson.

“Three Artists, Three Viewpoints” at Gallery 14

The new exhibit at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell will feature the works of gallery members Alina MarinBliach and Scott R. Hoerl, as well as guest artist Samuel Vovsi. They each have traveled extensively, and are presenting shots from their travels and in their own unique styles. The exhibit opens on May 20 and will be on view through June 18. A Meet the Artists event is on May 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. Marin-Bliach’s exhibit, “Petra — The Rose-Red City,” follows her trip to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan into Petra, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Made famous by the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Petra was built directly into the surrounding sandstone by craftsmen that excavated the structures out of the stone. This exhibit is a photographic journey into a 2,000-year-old city that still stands. Overwhelmed by color, light, vastness, monuments, and a quieting presence, Marin-Bliach has chosen to show the work in a classic style of slightly toned black and white images. She explores the mystery that is Petra.

For “Portraits and Places ,” Hoerl presents a nontraditional series of portraits focusing mainly on inanimate objects such as statuary, street art, headstones, and occasionally people. Once drawn to an image, he will photograph it but then alter it in ways that reflect what he saw in his mind’s eye. He may change or enhance colors, alter backgrounds, remove some elements, and add various overlays and textures, but always working in a way that pays homage to the original art piece.

In the Goodkind Gallery, Vovsi presents “Urban Dreamscapes,” a series of images taken in different places at different times which are brought together through a common theme of being in old European cities and towns. The purpose is to create urban scenes with a dreamy, mysterious, and sometimes even otherworldly feel, while at the same time bringing the viewer’s attention to the principal characters and the main essence of the pictures.

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

New Exhibit Showcases Events During Civil Rights Movement

A new exhibition at Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton Univiersity, “Nobody Turn Us

Around: The Freedom Rides and Selma to Montgomery

Marches: Selections from the John Doar Papers” showcases over 30 photographs and documents from two watershed events during the 1960s U.S. civil rights movement: the Freedom Rides of 1961 and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches of 1965.

The exhibition is curated by Princeton University Library’s William Clements, public policy papers archivist, and Phoebe Nobles, processing archivist, with materials selected from the papers of John Doar, Class of 1944, who prosecuted discrimination and segregation cases for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department in the 1960s. The papers are housed at Mudd Manuscript Library.

The objects on display hint at how the Justice Department — as well as the executive branch and the F.B.I. — were watching and reacting to the direct actions of riders and marchers like John Lewis, James Farmer, Diane Nash, Hosea Williams, Ralph Abernathy, and Martin Luther King Jr.

While both the Freedom Rides and the Selma-toMontgomery marches were systematically thwarted, not only by white mobs, but also by state and local officials and police, the images and accounts of the violent receptions these peaceful protesters received ultimately swayed public sentiment and created pressure to pass an order in September 1961

by the Interstate Commerce Commission to desegregate travel facilities, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Graphic design for the exhibition was provided by Barbara Valenza, director of library communications, and exhibition project management by Stephanie Wiener, exhibitions registrar and gallery operations manager.

The John Doar papers are available for research in the Mudd Library Reading Room.

The exhibition, which runs through March 31, 2024, is open to the public during Mudd Manuscript Library’s regular opening hours. Check the library.princeton. edu for current hours. For more information about the exhibition, visit library.princeton.edu/nobodyturnusaround.

ArtWalk Fun Walk at West Windsor Arts

West Windsor Arts hosts ArtWalk, a 1-mile fun walk, on Saturday, June 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event also features family-friendly art activities, games, picnics, music, and more.

Start your day by checking in at the registration table to pick up your goodie bag with map, scavenger hunt, and activity tickets. The walking route will be clearly marked throughout the West Windsor Arts neighborhood with signage featuring inspirational quotes by famous artists and writers. Keep a lookout for the scavenger hunt clues along the way. Tickets cost $25 per family or $10 per individual. West Windsor Arts is at 952 Alexander Road in Princeton Junction. For more information, visit westwindsorarts.org.

“WHEN THE SUN PAINTS THE SKY”: This oil painting by local artist Debbie Pisacreta is featured in “Nature’s Beauty,” her dual exhibition with Carol Sanzalone, on view through the end of June at Bell’s Tavern Dining Room, 183 North Union Street, Lambertville. Pisacreta and Sanzalone are member artists at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville.

“A PLACE FOR WORSHIP”: This photograph by Alina Marin-Bliach is featured in “Three Artists, Three Viewpoints,” her exhibition with Scott R. Hoerl and Samuel Vovsi, on view May 20 through June 18 at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell. A Meet the Artists event is on Sunday, May 21 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Phillips’ Mill Showcases

Impressionist Works

In celebration of its upcoming American art spring sales, which feature a number of Pennsylvania Impressionists gems, Freeman’s of Philadelphia “is pleased to present a special ‘Highlights Exhibition’ at the celebrated Phillips’ Mill, the birthplace of the New Hope School of the Pennsylvania impressionist movement, from May 22 to May 24,” said Raphaël Chatroux, fine art specialist at Freeman’s. The exhibition, which brings a selection of works by some of the Mill’s founding members back home, is a

collaboration of Freeman’s, Phillips’ Mill Community Association, and the New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts.

The exhibition will offer collectors and art lovers an opportunity to view masterworks from the collection of Sydney F. Martin, which Freeman’s will offer in a dedicated singleowner sale on the morning of June 4. Among the works on view will be Edward Redfield’s Spring Veil , which depicts the artist’s beloved Delaware River Valley seen from Point Pleasant; A Glorious Day , a large canvas by Morgan Colt, who lived

at Phillips’ Mill; and Daniel Garber’s newly discovered On the Delaware River from the 1930s.

Also on view will be selected highlights from the Papageorge family collection in Carversville, Pa., to be offered as part of a singleowner section in Freeman’s American Art sale on June 4, and which comprises a selection of fine oils by John Fulton Folinsbee. Other works by Fern Coppedge, Robert Spencer, George Sotter, and William Lathrop will complete the exhibition.

“We’re so happy to have our historic artists home at Phillips’ Mill where our

community can enjoy these works that are not usually on public display,” said Laura Womack, board president of Phillips’ Mill Community Association.

The ‘Highlights Exhibition’ is free and open to the public at Phillips’ Mill on May 22 from 12 to 5 p.m., May 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and May 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Phillips’ Mill is located at 2619 River Road in New Hope, Pa. For more information, visit phillipsmill.org.

“Botanica” Group Exhibition

At David Scott Gallery

David Scott Gallery in Princeton is presenting “Botanica: An Unlikely Garden,” a group exhibition of seven artists from Central New Jersey and Bucks County, Pa., through June 24. An opening reception is on Saturday, May 20 from 2-5 p.m.

“With this show, I wanted to present a slightly alternative look at the botanical world,” said Scott. “Generally speaking, artists have a different way of seeing, often finding beauty in what others might overlook. While reviewing portfolios for the show, I found the most compelling representations to be those that were less sentimental and straightforward. This is typical of my own personal aesthetic, but the audience will easily connect with this group of work, finding the vibrant splendor of the natural world still very much on display.”

The artists include Jean Burdick, Susan Mania, Csilla Sadloch, Alison Scherr, Barbara Straussberg, Ann Thomas, Kathleen Thompson, and special guest, Léni Paquet-Morante.

Burdick said, “I create photo silkscreens from my landscape photographs recording light, shadow, and memory. I enhance the image by printing, painting and mark-making. Reimagining what I have observed, I reference the natural world with its organic structures. The resulting images suggest narratives of unfolding life cycles: birth, growth, death, and renewal.”

Mania said, “My paintings and works on paper explore observations of the landscape. I work with plants to make dyes, inks, and paints. From the many natural elements that arise in my work, I pull apart individual components to re-mix and organize elements, bringing a new interpretation through layered composition and a diverse color palette.”

Sadloch noted, “I scavenge for visually compelling objects and photograph hives, tree roots, dried leaves, wilted flower heads.

I am attracted to the notion that moving lines, forms or color will energize a flat, two-dimensional surface.

I am compelled by the observation that natural forms can be unrestrained and abstractly expressed.”

Scherr is a painter interpreting the movement of light and patterns in nature, images unaltered by the human hand. Using a mix of latex, acrylic, ink, pastel and spray paint, Scherr creates mainly large paintings on drop cloth, pulling paint across the canvas, exploring shapes in the wild or garden.

Straussberg is an abstract painter and paper artist working in Philadelphia. Her approach to art making

is intuitive and experimental, employing such techniques as dripping, tearing and mark-making. She captures the feeling of being in nature by transforming the trees and flora around her into line and paint.

Ann Thomas said, “ Working in oils, I paint landscapes and natural forms based on places I know well in Hunterdon County. I am deeply influenced by the colors of nature, and all of nature’s endless interlocking shapes.”

Thompson noted, “I am a writer and printmaker currently exploring Nalanda Miksang, the practice of contemplative photography. There is intention in every image, an attempt to document what I feel: a transfer of energy, a recognition of the natural and unique space in which I am viewing the subject.”

The gallery is located in the offices of Berkshire Hathaway HomesServices Fox & Roach Realtors, 253 Nassau Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Follow the gallery on Instagram @davidscottgallery. bhhsfoxroach.

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 “Water Works” through June 4. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. lambertvillearts.com.

Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Traces on the Landscape” May 20 through August 6. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “Form and Foundation: Sean Carney and Henrieta Maneva” through June 10. artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Artworks Trenton, 19 Everett Alley, Trenton, has “A Stolen Aesthetic” through June 3. artworkstrenton.org.

David Scott Gallery at BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors, 253 Nassau Street, has “Botanica: An Unlikely Garden,” through June 24. An opening reception is on Saturday, May 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. Follow the gallery on Instagram @davidscottgallery.bhhsfoxroach.

Ficus, 235 Nassau Street, has “In Reflection: SiriOm Singh & C.a. Shofed” in the upstairs dining gallery through June 4. ficusbv.com.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography, 14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, has “Three Artists, Three Viewpoints,” May 20 through June 18. A Meet the Artists event is on Sunday, May 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. gallery14. org.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has works by the Cranbury digital Camera Club (CdCC) through May 31. cranburyartscouncil.org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Local Voic -

es: Memories, Stories, and Portraits” and “Spiral Q: The Parade” through January 7 and “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, 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 “MidCentury to Manga: The Modern Japanese Print in America” through July 30, “Alan Goldstein: Elemental” through September 4, and “Sarah Kaizar: Rare Air” through November 5. michenerartmuseum.org.

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

Morpeth Contemporary, 43 West Broad Street, Hopewell , has “Airy Imaginings, Grounded Musings” through May 31. morpethcontemporary.com.

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Striking Beauty” through February 18 and 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.

Present Day Club, 72 Stockton Street, has “Art in the Ballroom: Hanneke de Neve” through June 16. The gallery is open on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; call ahead at (609) 924-1014. Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, has “The Art of Calligraphy” through June 15. princetonlibrary.org.

Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University, has “Nobody Turn Us Around: The Freedom Rides and Selma to Montgomery Marches: Selections from the John Doar Papers” through March 31. Library.princeton.edu.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has art by Princeton Day School seventh-grade students supporting HomeFront through June 6. Watercolors by Anandi Kamanathan are at the 254 Nassau Street location through June 6. smallworldcoffee.com.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Member Exhibit: Yesterday Today Tomorrow” through June 3. westwindsorarts.org. www.towntopics.com

ONLINE

“ON THE DELAWARE RIVER”: This work by Daniel Garber is featured in a special “Highlights Exhibition” featuring impressionist paintings by Pennsylvania artists, on view May 22-24 at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa.

“VETCH”: This oil on canvas work by Susan Mania is part of “Botanica: An Unlikely Garden,” a group exhibition on view through June 24 at David Scott Gallery at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors, 253 Nassau Street. An opening reception is on Saturday, May 20 from 2-5 p.m.

Mark Your Calendar TOWN TOPICS

Wednesday, May 17

4 p.m.: “Thirteen Months in Dixie,” Friends of Princeton University Library “Small Talk” featuring Jeaninne Honstein and Steven Knowlton. In person for active members; virtual via Zoom for the public. Libcal. princeton.edu .

5-7 p.m.: Martin Devlin launches his new book, Ol’ Buddy Marty: With Average Ability and Supreme Effort, All Things Are Possible — A Memoir Sprinkled with Wit, Wisdom, and Inspiration, at the Mercer County Tennis Center in Mercer County Park, West Windsor. Martydevlin.com.

6 p.m.: Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees meeting, in the Community Room unless otherwise noted. Princetonlibrary.org.

8 p.m.: Music from the Sole: Partido. At McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. McCarter.org.

8-10:30 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Bob Isaacs with Contra Rebels. $15 (free for ages 35 and younger). Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, May 18

12:15 p.m.: Westminster Conservatory at

Nassau concludes its season with “Outside Inspirations,” a recital of music for flute and piano, in the Niles Chapel of Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street. Free; masking is optional.

5:30-8 p.m.: Ladies’ Night on Palmer Square. Shopping specials, tastings, spiritual readings, and more from participating retailers. Live music by Some Assembly Required. Palmersquare. com.

7:30 p.m.: An Evening with Richard Thompson, at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. McCarter.org.

7:30 p.m .: RBG’s Brave and Brilliant Women. person book talk at Douglass Student Center, 100 George Street, New Brunswick. Free, RSVP required at go.rutgers.edu/BildnerCenterRBG.

Friday, May 19 12:30-2 p.m.: Princeton presents Carley Meyer Bentley of The Freckled Strawberry Inc. as speaker during a lunch meeting, at Trattoria Procaccini, 354 Nassau Street. Her topic is “Empowerment and Financial Independence for Women.” Gothamnetworking.com.

8 p.m.: “Two Funny Mamas,” starring Sherri Shepherd

and Kym Whitley, at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $39$59. STNJ.org.

8 p.m .: The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Mara Levine and Gathering Time in an evening of socially conscious folk songs and harmony arrangements. $5-$25. At Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane. Princetonfolk.org.

8:30 p.m.: Princeton Amateur Astronomers Association holds public stargazing at the observatory in Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville. Call (609) 737-2575 to make sure it is open and get directions. No experience necessary. Princetonastronomy.org/ public_nights.html.

Saturday, May 20

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce, plants, seafood, poultry, breads, baked goods, and more. Music by Bill O’Neal. Westwindsorfarmersmarket.org.

9:30 a.m.-12 p.m .: The Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood Association meets at First Baptist Church, Paul Robeson Place and John Street. The focus will be on parents, schoolage youth, education,

and career paths in a new environment and changing world. Former professional basketball player and Princeton University graduate Brian Taylor will introduce and recruit for the “Summer of a Lifetime Program” at the University, and share his personal story.

10:30-11:30 a.m .:

“The Magic and History of Marquand Park,” presented by the Historical Society of Princeton, starting at the park’s Lover’s Lane parking lot, 46 Lover’s Lane. Free but registration required. Princetonhistory.

12-6 p.m .: Chris P performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, music, farm strolling, and more. Terhuneorchards. com.

1 and 3 p.m .: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performs in the Lee Rehearsal Room at Princeton University’s Lewis Arts Complex. This family program will explore Dvorak’s Quartet in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello. $5$10. Puc.princeton.edu.

Sunday, May 21

12-6 p.m .: Mike & Laura perform at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, music, farm strolling, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 p.m .: Princeton University carillon concert at the Graduate Tower; listen from outside the tower. Arts. princeton.edu.

2-3:30 p.m.: Morven Museum & Garden presents “Morven Moves,” a dance concert featuring seven New Jersey-based choreographers and dance companies that represent dance genres ranging from contemporary and flamenco to dance theater. 55 Stockton Street; visit morven.org for tickets.

2-5 p.m.: Jewish American Heritage Festival at Hinds Plaza. Live music, kosher food trucks, displays, crafts, and more. Jewishpmb.org/festival.

3 p.m.: The Westminster Community Orchestra, led by Ruth Ochs, performs “Celebrating Collaboration” at the Marion Buckelew Center, Westminster campus of Rider University, Walnut Lane. Piano duo Ena Bronstein Barton and Phyllis Alpert Lehrer perform Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos. $10 suggested donation. (609) 921-7104.

3-4 p.m.: Community Park School , 372 Witherspoon Street, hosts a special i nformation s ession on the PPS Dual Language Immersion program in English and Spanish The session is free and open to families of rising Pre-K through 2nd grade students; child care will be provided. For more information, visit princetonk12.org/ academics/dual-languageimmersion.

5 p.m .: Choral Evensong at All Saints’ Church, 16 All Saints’ Road. For the Feast of the Ascension, with music of Margaret Burk, Herbert Murrill, and Gerald Finzi. Free. Allsaintsprinceton.org.

7 p.m.: “The War on Reproductive Healthcare.”

Join the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) to hear panelists Jackie Cornell, executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund of NJ; Lara Freidenfelds, Ph.D., historian of health, reproduction, and parenting; and Jeanne LoCicero, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey discuss this timely and important topic. Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street, For questions, visit Princetondems.org or email info@ princetondems.org.

Monday, May 22 Recycling

7 p.m.: Joan Maloof, author of Nature’s Temples: A Natural History of OldGrowth Forests ,” speaks at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7:30 p.m.: State Theatre New Jersey presents “Tom Jones – Ages & Stages Tour.” Tickets range from $79$259. 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Stnj.org.

Tuesday, May 23

9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick program: Growing a Garden of Goodies, at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Hands-on farm activity for young children. $12. Terhuneorchards.com.

6 p.m.: “Abortion Access in NJ: Rights & Realities,” at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. Aamol Sinha of the ACLU NJ, Jackie Cornell of Planned Parenthood NJ, and Heather Howard of Princeton University hold a discussion. Labyrinthbooks.com.

7 p.m.: “Amplifying Asian American and Pacific Islander History,” exploring the influences of these communities in the U.S. from the 19th through mid-20th centuries. At Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

Wednesday, May 24

8-10 a.m.: Employee Mental Health Roundtable, at RWJ Center for Health & Wellness, 3100 Quakerbridge Road. Sponsored by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber. Princetonmercerchamber.org.

8-10:30 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Dan Black with Squirrel’s Chair. $15. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, May 25 5:30-8 p.m.: Ladies’ Night on Palmer Square. Shopping specials, tastings, spiritual readings, and more from participating retailers. Live music by KickStart. Palmersquare.com.

MAY

5:30 p.m.: “Mambo to Mozart,” an evening of music for orchestra and chorus including the premiere of Lop-Sided Sonata by Julian Grant, performed by Capital Harmony Works at Mill One, 1 North Johnston Avenue, Trenton. Snacks followed by concert at 6:30 p.m. $15. Rsvp@capitalharmony.works

6:30 p.m.: The Historical Fiction Book Group, sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton, discusses Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us by Joseph Andras. Jennifer Sessions of the University of Virginia will provide historical context. Via Google Meet. Princetonhistory.org.

Friday, May 26

8 p.m.: Theatre-To-Go presents Other Desert Cities at Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor. Kelseytheatre.org.

8:30 p.m.: Princeton Amateur Astronomers Association holds public stargazing at the observatory in Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville. Call (609) 737-2575 to make sure it is open and get directions. No experience necessary. Princetonastronomy.org/ public_nights.html.

Saturday, May 27

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce, plants, seafood, poultry, breads, baked goods, and more. Music by DJ Ms Sue Ms Sue. Westwindsorfarmersmarket.org.

10 a.m.: The Spirit of Princeton Memorial Day Parade, starting at Nassau Street and Princeton Avenue and marching to the Battle Monument. Those marching should arrive by 9:15 a.m. at the Monument Hall parking lot and take a shuttle bus to the starting point. Followed at 1 p.m. by a Day of Remembrance program at Princeton Battlefield State Park, 500 Mercer Street. For more information, visit spiritofprinceton.org.

11 a.m .: At Locust Hill Cemetery, 73 Hart Avenue, Trenton, a flag ceremony will pay tribute to African American veterans of the Civil War who are buried there. The public is encouraged to attend this free event. (609) 208-9991.

12-2 p.m.: Music by Underwater Airlines on the Palmer Square Green. Palmersquare.com.

12-6 p.m .: On the Fly performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Wine, music, farm strolling, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

8 p.m.: Theatre-To-Go presents Other Desert Cities at Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor. Kelseytheatre.org.

S ports

In a Microcosm of Up-and-Down Campaign, PU Mens’ Lax Falls to Penn State in NCAAs

The Princeton University men’s lacrosse team saw a bit of everything that encompassed their season in their first-round NCAA tournament game at fifth-seeded Penn State last Sunday night.

There was the Tigers quick-strike offense highlighted by Coulter Mackesy that enabled them to bolt out to a 7-1 lead. The sophomore finished with six goals to set a new Princeton single-season record with 55 goals.

There were contributions from young players like Andrew McMeekin, who likely wouldn’t have played much this season if it weren’t for a season-ending ACL tear to potential All-American Tyler Sandoval. McMeekin, a freshman, went 18 for 28 at the X against Penn State. And there were plenty of players like Sandoval and another All-American talent, Sam English, along with standouts like Luc Anderson and Christian Ronda, who were sidelined due to injuries for a team that has been plagued by the injury bug.

And unfortunately for the Tigers, Sunday also marked another heartbreaking loss. The 13-12 season-ending defeat was the fourth onegoal loss (the previous three all came in overtime) of the year. Princeton was 1-4 in one-goal games this year.

Penn State rallied to cut the Princeton lead to 9-6 by halftime, then used a 5-0 thirdquarter edge to build a lead it would not relent though the Tigers fought back to tie it before Penn State tallied the game-winner and held off Princeton’s final rushes.

“As a coaching staff, that’s why we were so proud of this group and so impressed with this group all year,” said Princeton head coach Matt Madalon, whose team posted a final record of 8-7. “Playing from behind, backs against the wall, getting up, losing a lead, it was a group that stayed pretty tough and consistent. I’m not saying that we were surprised that we came back, but it was another example of that crew just battling.”

The Tigers overcame some significant injury losses this year to qualify for the Ivy League postseason tournament, then won a pair of games to capture the tournament and a spot in the NCAA tournament. They jumped all over Penn State with four different players helping Princeton build a 7-1 advantage barely 20 minutes into the game.

“It’s obviously good to get out of the gate and good to play up, but really we just capitalized on some good plays early on where I think Penn State was just trying to get going,” said Madalon. “They were pretty consistent with how they attack and we were able to get some good stops early. Obviously we were fortunate to get off to a good start.”

Penn State switched to a zone defense that seemed to spark the hosts and slowed the Tigers. The Nittany Lions scored five of the next six

goals to narrow the gap to 8-6 before Mackesy scored his fifth goal one minute before halftime for a 9-6 edge at the break. Princeton wouldn’t score again until midway through the fourth quarter. By that time, they were trailing, 12-9, while trying to solve the zone.

“I think it was definitely effective,” said Madalon, who guided Princeton to the NCAA semis last season. “We found a groove early just playing man-toman and those are just good schemes in terms of playoff lacrosse and in terms of being able to change and make adjustments. They did a really good job. They found a package that worked and we kind of struggled to adapt to it. We’ve had some unfortunate injuries, and it’s no excuse, but as you get guys up there and new combinations of guys are playing together, I do not think we handled it as well as we would have liked.”

Mackesy’s sixth goal snapped a 6-0 Penn State run, then Jake Stevens and Alexander Vardaro followed with goals that tied the game, 12-12, with still six minutes left. Almost two minutes later, Penn State scored the game-winner as the Tigers could not find the equalizer again despite opportunities thanks to McMeekin’s good work on face-offs.

“Our young guy did a good job at the face-off X,” said Madalon. “He was giving us a chance to stay in there possession-wise, even though we weren’t capitalizing every time offensively. We earned enough opportunities to figure it out, and we got some good looks down the stretch and we were able to close it. We got a good look in transition.”

Princeton held the face-off edge as well as a 46-35 shot advantage and won the turnover battle, 17-12. Junior goalie Michael Gianforcaro made eight saves for the Tigers, and Vardaro, with a pair of goals, was the only other Princeton player beside Mackesy to score more than once. Lukas Stanat dished out a pair of assists. The game was the latest test of the Tigers’ depth, and Princeton was forced to use a lineup that was far different than preseason expectations due to injuries to a team that returned a solid number from last year’s final four squad.

“Game experience is so important,” said Madalon. “So many of those guys — even still dealing with the COVID stuff and that lost season — you lose so many opportunities to play in these games and get experience. These young guys, for them to play in an Ivy League tournament and play in a first-round NCAA game and understand the grit it takes to earn these opportunities and then also understand and have that perspective of as much grit as we had to get there, we didn’t have enough to get it done. So you have to go back to the drawing board and understand how you work and prepare. I think that

experience for those guys and our program will be invaluable moving forward.”

Princeton is thrilled to have another two seasons of Mackesy, who built on a big freshman year with an even more impressive sophomore campaign. His six goals equaled the Princeton record for scoring in an NCAA tournament game, tying Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey. His 55 total goals on the season was one more than Gavin McBride scored in 2017.

“It’s an incredible record to break,” said Madalon. “He needed to do that for us, especially when guys were going down around him. It kind of put more on his plate and he needed to take more opportunities. He’s an impressive young guy, and coming in as a freshman and the step he did take, that’s a testament to how he works. He’s an intense quiet worker and he just continues to get better.”

Mackesy was one of the steady pieces in the Princeton lineup that was retooled numerous times throughout the season. Players went in and out of the lineup due to injuries that cut into the continuity that enables a team to grow week after week. English and Ronda were the top goal scores in last year’s NCAA tournament last year, but were unavailable this year due to injury. The Princeton roster impressed the coaching staff with their resolve to push through it to earn an NCAA berth.

“Just an impressive kind of toughness from our crew to continue to battle as lineups changed,” said Madalon.“And you have to play throughout a season with different lineups. Guys go in and out of it, and guys do get injured, and it was just good resiliency. Moving forward, hopefully that sticks in our program. You always want to be a tough, resilient program that’s a tough out. I’m impressed with this crew, led by our 16 seniors.”

Princeton’s senior class helped to put the Tigers back on the radar as a national title contender a year ago, and they kept expectations high again this season. Seniors like Vardaro, Beau Pederson, Cathal Roberts, Ben Finlay, and Ronda were All-Ivy selections this year. Another senior, Jake Stevens, was a USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America.

“We lose a lot with that crew,” said Madalon of the senior class. “We lose incredible leadership, we lose a lot of toughness, we lose speed, we lose a lot of goals, we lose a lot of experience. As every senior class comes through, it’s the true impact they can have on culture and the off-the-field stuff and the work ethic and the culture of excellence — this was a group that cemented that into our program. I’m proud to see these guys graduate and finish their Princeton careers. It’s really impressive.”

Five 2022 All-Ivy honorees — Alex Slusher, Ronda, English, Stevens, and

Pederson — were among nine Princeton seniors to put their name in the transfer portal, according to a November Inside Lacrosse report. These players are considering using their extra year of eligibility to play in college, but Princeton does not allow student-athletes to enroll beyond eight semesters. Entering the transfer portal does not guarantee that a player will finish their career elsewhere, but opens that avenue. The Tiger players would be playing as graduate students after finishing their Princeton degree this month, not as traditional undergraduate transfer players. Princeton will not name the players officially using an extra year until they commit to another school.

“There is a handful of them,” said Madalon. “They’re working through the process. They had

wanted to get it done as early as possible. As they finish their Princeton careers, they have to get started on applications and sort that all out rather quickly. It’s a handful of guys.”

Princeton will return some top talent like Mackesy and Gianforcaro to lead at either end of the field. The Tigers have a strong recruiting class coming in as well, and now have a lot of players who gained experience because of the multitude of injuries. After falling short of their lofty team expectations, there is plenty of motivation for the returning players to continue to show the resilience and drive that enabled them to win an Ivy title and play in the NCAAs again even as they had to use less experienced players to do so.

“As a coaching staff, we haven’t had much time to

reflect, but those are proud moments,” said Madalon. “You always talk in your program about ‘next man up,’ and ‘you have to be ready for your opportunity and make sure you’re prepared.’ You want to make sure the young guys are developing and working hard. We take a lot of pride in our recruiting and development of talent. It was really nice to see young guys step up and guys went down. It was kind of plug and play and the next guy jumped in, they knew the systems and they understood their role and that’s how we were able to come together in that Ivy League tournament and earn an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament. We were kind of hoping to keep getting hot and play well, but we ran into a really good Penn State team that did a really nice job.”

— Justin Feil

FOR THE RECORD: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Coulter Mackesy looks to elude a foe in a game earlier this season. Last Sunday night, sophomore attacker Mackesy tallied six goals but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 13-12 at fifth-seeded Penn State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Mackesy’s six-goal outburst tied Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey for the most goals in an NCAA tournament game by a Tiger. In addition, the performance left him at 55 goals this spring, breaking the program’s single-season goals record, one better than Gavin McBride’s 54 in 2017.  The Tigers ended the spring with an 8-7 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PU Softball Falls to Harvard in Ivy Tourney Finale, But Senior Starks Feels Gratitude for Experience

Serena Starks prides herself on being a catalyst for the Princeton University softball team in her role as its leadoff hitter.

“I understand that I am batting first and I have to set the tone,” said senior outfi elder Starks, a 5’8 native of Huntington Beach, Calif. “Last year, I don’t grasp it as much but this year, I really know what it means to be the leadoff hitter and set the tone.”

This spring, Starks performed that role with aplomb, getting named as the Ivy League Player of the Year. Over the course of the regular season, she led the league in batting average (.411), runs scored (36), and hits (65), hitting 40 points better than the next-best eligible player and with 22 more hits than any other Ivy League player.

Last Friday, as Princeton’s season was on the line, Starks was determined to set the tone. With the Tigers hosting the Ivy postseason tournament and having lost 3-1 to Columbia on Thursday to open the double-elimination event, Princeton faced Yale with the loser to be eliminated.

Starks got a single to lead off the game and came around to score to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

“The mindset coming into today was just about trust,” said Starks. “We have been in really difficult positions before and we have come out on top. I think everybody was just really believing in the power of the team and

what we have.”

Princeton went on to prevail 2-0 over the Bulldogs to stay alive as Alexis Laudenslager and Molly Chambers combined on the shutout with Laudenslager going five innings with six strikeouts and yielding two hits to get the win and Chambers picking up a save with two solid innings.

“The pitching staff has been phenomenal and it really helps when the offense and the defense work together to get that win,” said Starks. “I thought that was a really good game on both the offense and defensive side.”

Later in the afternoon, Princeton played another good game, topping Columbia 8-4 to earn a spot in the fi nal two of the competition against Harvard for the league’s automatic bid in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Starks believed that Princeton had the grit to make it through Friday.

“We had a really tough preseason, we played a lot of highly ranked teams,” said Starks. “I think that is preparing us for this tournament now. I fully believe that this team can do it.”

On Saturday, Princeton rode a six-run outburst in the fourth inning highlighted by a pinch hit grand slam from Abby Hornberger to top Harvard 6-0 to force a winnertake-all fi nale. The Crimson rebounded to edge the Tigers 3-2 and book their spot in the NCAA tournament.

While Princeton fell short

of making its second straight trip to the NCAA tournament as it ended the spring at 2920, Starks enjoyed the ride.

“It has been tough, having two seasons taken away; I am trying to make the most of this season and I am really proud of the team for just powering through,” said Starks, who earned All-Tournament honors last weekend along with senior Laudenslager and freshman third baseman Julia Dumais.

“We have been through a lot together and I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else on this fi eld. It has just been a blessing. I am grateful every day to be out here, to be on this field one last time in my career. I am just very grateful for everything.”

Showing her gratitude, Starks has made the most out of her time off the field at Princeton as well, serving as a catalyst for a number of organizations on campus. She is the founder of the Asian Student Athletes at Princeton group while also being a student athlete wellness leader and athlete orientation leader. Starks is also on the Student-Athlete Service Council, a tutor at the Pace Center, and a volunteer with Best Buddies New Jersey.

“What I truly enjoy about being at Princeton is that you can do both; you can be an athlete on the field and once you step off the fi eld, there are so many opportunities to serve the community and to be a part of the Princeton community,” said Starks, who received the A. James Fisher

Memorial Award for her work at the Pace Center and was recently named as one of seven recipients of the 2023 Spirit of Princeton Award, which recognizes students who have made dedicated efforts in student organizations, athletics, community service, religious life, residential life, and the arts.

“I have really enjoyed just exploring other groups. I have my softball team. I know that I have them always but really expanding my outer circle to people not on the team has really enhanced my Princeton experience. I have always loved service and have engrained myself in the community. It was nice to be honored for something that is not softball.”

— Bill Alden

CONTACT HITTER: Princeton University softball player Serena Starks makes contact in action last week at the Ivy League postseason tournament. Senior standout Starks performed well from the leadoff spot as the Tigers made the final round of the double-elimination tourney. Princeton topped Harvard 6-0 on Saturday to stay alive in the competition but then fell 3-2 to the Crimson in a winner-take-all finale for the league’s automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Outfielder Starks made the All-Tournament team as the Tigers finished the spring with a 29-20 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Middle of the Night

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PU Women’s Open Crew Wins Ivy Championships,

Men’s Lightweights Win Sprints, Heavyweights 2nd

Displaying the form that has catapulted it into being ranked No. 1 nationally, the Princeton University women’s open crew varsity 8 placed first in its grand fi nal at the Ivy League Championships in Worcester, Mass., last Sunday.

The Princeton top boat covered the 2,000-meter course on Lake Quinsigamond in a time of 6:01.806, 1.57 seconds ahead of second-place Penn to remain undefeated on the spring.

The varsity 8’s win helped Princeton win the team title as it scored 85 points, edging runner-up Yale by one point. Penn was third with 66 points while Brown was fourth with 64.

The third varsity 8 also placed first while the 2V8 took second and the varsity 4 took third.

“We are very proud of this team and our league,” said Princeton head coach Lori Dauphiny as quoted on the Princeton Athletics website. “A Princeton boat medaled in every event entered today. Their good work, determination, and teamwork paid off. The racing by every team in our League was amazing. It was also fun to race alongside the men’s teams and combine our championships, what a great day overall for Princeton Rowing.”

By virtue of its performance in the Ivy regatta, the Tiger open crew earned an automatic bid the NCAA Championship, which will be taking place from May 26-28 in Camden.

In other action last weekend on Lake Quinsigamond, a second top-ranked

boat, the Princeton men’s lightweight varsity 8, also excelled, taking first in its grand final in the Eastern Sprints.

The Tigers clocked a winning time of 5:35.420 over the 2,000-meter course to edge runner-up Harvard by 0.80 seconds. The winning time by Princeton established a new course record for men’s lightweights.

The second varsity 8 also took fi rst in its grand fi nal while the 3V8 placed fifth.

“We figured the first varsity race would be close between one or two crews but didn’t want to overlook anybody; in the end it came down to executing the race plan we’ve been putting together all year and the guys nailed it,” said Tiger men’s lightweight head coach Marty Crotty as quoted on the Princeton Athletics website.

“To post back-to-back 5:35s even in fast tailwind conditions is really impressive. It set the bar for the field today and a couple boats got close but couldn’t get ahead of that. It was also a great way for the 2V to cap off their undefeated regular season. I was thrilled for those guys, there is a lot of experience in that boat with four seniors and two other rowers from the original Class of 2023 and it showed all year.”

The superb effort from the crew across the board helped the Tigers earn the Jope Cup, awarded to the team with the highest combined point total at the regatta, for the first time since 2010 and 16th time overall. In addition, with the win in the

1V, the Tigers claim the Ivy League championship as the highest-fi nishing Ivy school at Sprints. This is the 13th Ivy League title for the men’s lightweight rowing program.

The Tiger men’s heavyweight varsity 8 nearly matched its women’s counterparts, taking second in its grand fi nal in the Eastern Sprints.

The sixth-ranked Tiger top boat posted a time of 5:24.965 as it fi nished 1.35 seconds behind champion Yale, which set a new course record in the win.

Another Princeton heavyweight boat, the second varsity 8, also placed a strong second in its grand final, clocking a time of 5:35.686, just 2.136 seconds behind Harvard for first place.

“I am proud of the way our boathouse raced all across the board today,” said Tiger men’s heavyweight head coach Greg Hughes as quoted on the Princeton Athletics website. “Watching the lightweight men and the open women win their championships along with a gutsy and tenacious race from our 1V was just special — never mind the work that the lightweight women’s team has been doing all season as well. Every day is a team effort from the rowers, coaches, and staff associated with Princeton Rowing.”

The men’s rowers will next be in action when they compete in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship regatta from June 2-4 on Mercer Lake in West Windsor.

—Bill Alden

PU Sports Roundup

(+11), Texas (+14), Northwestern (+14) and LSU (+15) getting the five team bids from the 12-team regional.

Texas Tech, at 10-under, leads host and second-place Oklahoma by a stroke atop the team standings in the three-round event.

OPEN SEASON: Members of the Princeton University women’s open crew varsity 8 celebrate after they placed fi rst in their grand fi nal at the Ivy League Championships in Worcester, Mass., last Sunday. By virtue of its performance in the Ivy regatta, the Tiger open crew earned an automatic bid the NCAA Championships, which will be taking place from May 26-28 in Camden.

Women’s

Golfer Liu Takes 25th in NCAA Regional Princeton University women’s golfer Victoria Liu placed 25th individually at the NCAA Regional held last week at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Sophomore star Liu carded a 7-over 223 for the three-round event.

One individual bid was available to the NCAA Championships, going to the top player not on the five advancing teams. Miami (Fla.)’s Sara Byrne, also competing as an individual like Liu, won that bid, finishing at -2, third overall.

LSU’s Latanna Stone and Michigan State’s Brooke Biermann finished tied atop the leaderboard at -3, and both players will move on with their teams.

Michigan State won the team title at +8 with Duke

Liu, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, has played in the NCAA regional in both seasons with the Tigers, playing last year with the full team after Princeton won the Ivy’s automatic bid. Liu was an at-large individual selection this year. Liu tied for 14th at the NCAA Stanford Regional last season.

Princeton Men’s Golf Starts NCAA Regional

Starting play in the NCAA regional at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla., last Monday, the Princeton University men’s golf team finished the first round tied for ninth place with a score of five-over 293.

Junior Max Ting led the way for the Tigers, firing a one-under 71 to tie for 15th in the individual standings.

Princeton stands nine shots behind fifth-place Colorado in what would be the final spot to advance to the NCAA Championships.

The Tigers won the Ivy League’s automatic bid with an 18-stroke margin over runner-up Columbia at the Ivy Championships in late April as they advanced to the NCAA regionals for the second time in the last three opportunities. Princeton’s last NCAA regional was in 2019, and the 2020 and 2021 seasons were lost to the pandemic.

Princeton’s Ivy championship came with rookie Riccardo Fantinelli earning medalist honors and Jackson Fretty and William Huang all finishing in the top five, earning first-team All-Ivy recognition.

Five teams from the 14 at the regional will advance to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 2631. The top player not on those advancing five teams will also advance to the NCAA Championships.

SEMI-TOUGH: Princeton University women’s water polo player Kayla Yelensky unloads the ball in recent action. Last Friday, sophomore Yelensky tallied two fourth quarter goals to help No. 10 Princeton edge No. 3 California 11-9 in the NCAA quarterfinals at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center in Stockton, Calif. It marked the first time the Tigers advanced to the NCAA semis in program history and they became the first non-West Coast team to get to the Final Four since 2016. The Tigers went on to fall 18-8 to Southern Cal in the semis on Saturday to end the season with a final record of 30-4. It was just third time in the program that the Tigers recorded at least 30 victories (2014, 2015).

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

(Photo by Ed Hewitt/Row2k, provided by Princeton Athletics)

With Freshman Pitcher Pilicer Making a Big Difference, PHS Softball Laying the Foundation for Future Success

While the Princeton High softball team has gone through some ups and downs this spring as it has worked a number of young players into the lineup, Erin Pilicer has been a constant.

Freshman Pilicer has pitched every inning for PHS in her debut campaign, enduring some lopsided defeats along with hurling some mound gems.

As the Tigers lost eight of its first nine games, Pilicer kept her perspective, focusing on the long-term.

“Sometimes it is hard but I have to remember that there is going to be more games in the future when I am

older,” said Pilicer. “I am just a freshman.”

Last Wednesday, Pilicer produced one of her best games of the spring, pitching a five-hit shutout in a 9-0 win over Princeton Day School in the quarterfinals of the Mercer County Invitational, the B bracket of the Mercer County Tournament.

“I was thinking curve most of the time, they had a few lefties so I threw my screw,” said Pilicer. “I was just trying to get strikes across the plate. My curve was working really well. It was really nice.”

As Pilicer has moved up to the high school level this

season and dealt with taking on older players, she has relied on PHS senior catcher Clare Johnson and some of the squad’s other veterans in making that transition.

“Facing seniors has been really hard but I feel like my teammates have helped me out a lot,” said Pilicer. “Clare is amazing, she is the best catcher I have ever had. I have learned a lot from our seniors and playing the other seniors.”

Pilicer has developed more variety in her pitching repertoire through the spring.

“I started pitching two or three years ago and more competitively about a year ago,” said Pilicer, who plays club softball for the Montgomery Mavericks. “I have fewer fastballs and more curves, my movement has been getting so much better.”

PHS head coach Marissa Soprano credits Pilicer with making a big difference for the Tigers against PDS and over the spring.

“Erin was really good, even as a freshman he has been able to handle the varsity level and adapt quickly,” said Soprano. “She has been really good working with Clare and hitting her spots.”

Soprano has been impressed by the character displayed by Pilicer as she has put in yeoman’s work to always be there for the Tigers.

“She has pitched every inning, she is so calm and cool on the mound which I really

appreciate,” added Soprano. “She is able to handle every pitch and she never wants to come out either. One time she got a hit ball to the shin and said, ‘No I am staying in. I am good, I am going to stay here.’ She is really determined to do well.”

The team’s batters also did well against the Panthers, pounding out 12 hits, tallying four runs in both the fourth and sixth innings.

“They did a nice job, we were just telling them to watch the low strikes because he was calling that today and go up there and be aggressive,” said Soprano. “They were able to get some timely hits. We don’t have a fence so we took advantage of that.”

Freshman Natalie Hester helped power the Tiger attack with a pair of triples.

“First of all her speed is a tremendous asset, it puts pressure on the defense to make the plays,” said Soprano. “She can also hit for power. She has been great.”

Juniors Maddie Castillo and Yeahna Lee came up big

in the win as Castillo had a single and Lee contributed two hits, including a homer.

“Maddie was one of key pieces last year and she remains that for us this year,” said Soprano. “She is also really good on the base paths, she knows what is going on when she is on. We love having her steal and just be aggressive. Lee is new to the district this year and has been great, she is solid in the outfield and is really finding her swing.”

Getting a win in the MCI was a confidence builder for the Tigers.

“The last couple of years we have been at the bottom rank-wise in the Mercer County Tournament so that puts you at the top seeds which can be a little tough,” said Soprano, whose team fell 4-0 at Hamilton/Nottingham in the MCI semis last Saturday in moving to 5-12 and will play at Rutgers Prep on May 17 in a regular season contest.

“This was nice for us to be on our home field for the first game and be able to

move on to the next step. We are just hoping to build on the experience and get them more innings.”

Looking ahead, Soprano believes the Tigers are building something special.

“We have a really solid freshman class, it was an adjustment in the early going,” said Soprano. “We played some tough teams and it was also just getting them used to the varsity level. Now they are starting how to find out how to work together and be better on their relays and their communication. We are just talking to them to make sure that everything we have done in practice then translates to the game.”

Pilicer, for her part, is confident that PHS can be a solid team going forward.

“Everyone is jelling really well together,” said Pilicer. “We are starting to hit and we are starting to field really well, so I think the next four years are going to be really good.”

—Bill Alden

IN RHYTHM: Princeton High softball pitcher Erin Pilicer fires a pitch in a game earlier this spring. Last Wednesday, freshman Pilicer fired a five-hit shutout to help 12th-seeded PHS defeated 13th-seeded Princeton Day School 9-0 in the quarterfinals of the Mercer County Invitational, the ‘B’ bracket of the Mercer County Tournament. The Tigers went on to fall 4-0 to ninth-seeded Hamilton/Nottingham in the MCI semis on Saturday. PHS, now 5-12, plays at Rutgers Prep on May 17.

by Frank Wojciechowski)

Senior Star Gardner Fights to the Final Second As PDS Girls’ Lacrosse Falls in Prep B Final

It was the final sequence of the fourth playoff game in five days for the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse team but Paige Gardner was still pressing forward.

With PDS trailing Montclair Kimberley Academy 10-9 in the Prep B state final last Friday afternoon, Gardner took a draw control with 7.7 seconds left and raced toward goal but couldn’t get a shot off before the horn sounded.

“We have all been working so hard this week,” said Gardner, who tallied one goal and three assists in the loss. “I feel like each game, we have slowly started to run out of gas. It is so tough on everyone on the team. They have had a busy schedule too, I think it was a good game.”

Having rallied to edge MKA 13-12 in the Prep B final last year, the Panthers put up a good fight as they looked to thwart the Cougars for a second straight year.

“We were pushing the transition towards the end,” said Gardner. “We were starting to let the score get to us. I think it was a lot of pressure especially since winning last year. We wanted it so bad.”

In Gardner’s view, the grueling week will benefit the Panthers as it competes in the upcoming New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament.

“I think it is a chip on our shoulder, we will have a lot of recovery time this weekend,” said Gardner, who helped PDS win the Non-Public Group B title last spring. “I think it will give us a chance to take care of some of our bruises and all of that stuff. Once we recover, we will re-set and then we will come out strong in states.”

As a team captain along with fellow seniors — goalie Arden Bogle, defender Leigh Hillmanno, and attacker Sophie Jaffe — Gardner believes the quartet of veterans will set the right tone for the states run.

“They all work so hard, they are such good leaders,” said Gardner, who tallied eight goals and four assists as PDS defeated Hopewell Valley 17-6 last Monday in a regular season contest and improved to 10-6. “They are all so talented. It is awesome being able to have three other captains who are all really, really excited about the season and serious about the game.”

Gardner has put up some serious numbers this spring, tallying 52 goals and 34 assists as she now has 221 points in her PDS career on 159 goals and 62 assists.

“Last year I played strictly attack and I didn’t take the draw, this year I play strictly midfield,” said Gardner, who is headed to Fairfield University to play for its women’s lax program and will be joined there by PDS junior star Tessa Caputo.

“I like playing midfield but is tough on these days when it is hot. I technically am playing attack in college but I do enjoy playing midfield. It is any way to help out the team.”

PDS head coach Tracy Young acknowledged that playing so many games this week got to her squad.

“We were just exhausted, we were just tired out,” said Young, whose team topped Peddie 20-10 in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals on May 8, defeated Pennington 18-12 in the Prep B semis on May 9, and then fell 17-4 to Allentown in the MCT semis last Thursday. “I think the shot selection wasn’t there. We knew the shot selection was going to have to be there — a lot of them know the goalie ( Orly Sedransk ). Bodies are worn — it has been a long week.”

In the clash with MKA, the Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead and then had to rally to knot the game at 6-6 by halftime. Gardner scored a goal early in the second half to give PDS a 7-6 lead but the Cougars responded with a 4-1 run to go up 10-8.

“We had to chase them at the end,” said Young. “We knew they were going to

hold on to it. We just ran out of gas.”

While Young had no qualms about the effort she got from her players, she was disappointed to see them fall just short of winning a second straight Prep B title.

“It is all bittersweet, you make it and then you don’t walk away with the title,” said Young, who got three goals from Jaffe in the loss to MKA with Caputo and Kelly Christie each contributing two goals and two assists. “I felt pretty good that this team would be able to repeat. Right now it just feels very frustrating.”

With the Non-Public tournament on the horizon, Young wanted her team to catch its breath before the final push.

“It is one more tournament and we are going down to part three of the season,” said Young, whose team plays at Princeton High on May 18 and at Haddonfield at May 22. “I think we need some rest and go back to some regular season games next week. To catch a little breather, I am giving them off this weekend to catch up and regroup and go at part three and see where it brings us.”

It will be all hands on deck as the Panthers regroup. “I need everybody, that is really the biggest thing,” said Young. “I don’t just need my key players, I need everybody — my defenders, my midfielders, my goalie, and my attack.”

FRONT PAIGE: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Paige Gardner races upfield in recent action. Last Friday, senior star Gardner tallied a goal and three assists as top-seeded PDS got edged 10-9 by second-seeded Montclair Kimberley Academy in the Prep B state final. On Monday, Gardner tallied eight goals and four assists to help the Panthers defeat Hopewell Valley 17-6 and improve to 10-6. In upcoming action, PDS plays at Princeton High on May 18 and at Haddonfield at May 22.

Young is confident that her squad will be all in as it goes for a Non-Public repeat.

“I think they can rebound,” said Young. “If anything I hope it gives them a little fire in their belly.

We will see where that brings us. I am hopeful that we can come out on top in the end of that.”

Gardner, for her part, believes that PDS will keep fighting to the end.

“It is crazy how fast it has been going,” said Gardner. “I hope that we finish out as strong as we possibly can. I know we all want to work for it.”

— Bill Alden

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Pitcher Sheth Has Eventful Senior Day for Hun Baseball

As Raiders Fall to Stony Brook in Tune-Up for MCT, Prep A

For Rohan Sheth, last Saturday turned out to be a day to remember for a lot of reasons.

As the Hun School baseball team held its annual Senior Day celebration when it hosted the Stony Brook School (N.Y.), Sheth got the start on the mound.

Senior right-hander Sheth, who has primarily worked out of the bullpen this spring, was thrilled to get the nod.

“Being here with the program for four years, it is a special group of guys I have been with, it is a great moment to be out here,” said Sheth. “Coach (Tom Monfiletto) told me on Wednesday that I was getting the start so I have been looking forward to this for the rest of the week. It is a big honor against a great team. It was good to be out there and competing.”

Competing very well against a foe stocked with Division I commits, Sheth pitched 2 1/3 no-hit innings with one unearned run.

“My command struggled initially in the first inning but I started to find it as the game went on,” said Sheth. “My fast ball was there, the curveball was there. I was hoping to put some balls in play and trust my defense.”

Unfortunately as Sheth was getting into a groove, he had to exit the contest in the third inning as a line drive off the bat of Jayden Stroman blasted into his left knee. The shot knocked Sheth to the ground and he was helped off the field, not putting any weight on his leg.

“I saw it coming, I thought it got past me and then I just felt it off my knee,” recalled Sheth. “It was a lot of pain in the moment, I am able to walk now so I am good.”

While Hun ended up falling 13-0 to Stony Brook to move to 14-6, the Raiders have some big moments ahead as they will be competing in both the Mercer County Tournament and the Prep A state tourney this

week. In the MCT, fourthseeded Hun is slated to face top-seeded Notre Dame in the semis on May 16 with the victor advancing to the final on May 19 at the Trenton Thunder Ballpark. The Raiders are seeded first in the Prep A tournament and are slated to host an opening round game on May 17.

“We checked the MAPL (Mid-Atlantic Prep League) off and now we are trying to win Prep A and MCTs,” said Sheth, noting that the Hun clinched the MAPL title. “It is a lot of games in a few days, so it just being able to let our pitchers work deep and let them do their stuff.”

With Hun having won the MCT last year for the first time in program history, Sheth believes that achievement should help the Raiders.

“We have a bunch of new guys but we have experience from last year so hopefully that will carry over,” said Sheth.

Utilizing his experience this spring, Sheth has emerged as a key performer for the Raider mound staff in his final campaign.

“I knew coming into this year, that I was going to have to step up a little bit,” said Sheth, who has posted a 3.62 ERA this spring in 9 2/3 innings of work. “Just being able to be out there for the team has been great. I am trying to do what I can for the team and help them win in any way. It is my last season playing baseball so I just wanted to have some fun with it.”

Hun head coach Monfiletto is proud of the way the squad’s Class of 2023 has been there for the team.

“It is a bunch of awesome all-around individuals,” said Monfiletto, whose senior group includes Jackson Bailey, Michael Chiaravallo, Tre Francis, Mike Jolly, Ryan Murphy, Chase Pintimalli, and Michael Smith in addition to Sheth. “It was great get some guys some innings that haven’t been able to get some this year. I was happy about that. I think their

impact is going to be their work ethic and how close they were and how they approached their preparation in practice every single day.”

Sheth, who has exemplified that work ethic, and was putting in some good innings on Saturday before getting knocked out of the contest.

“I don’t know if he was going to stay in much longer, that was not the best way for him to exit but he was great,” said Monfiletto. “He was excellent — that is three outings in a row where he has been excellent. We have our state tournament and the county tournament coming up, we are definitely going to go to him in big spots.”

The Raiders produced a big comeback in the MCT quarterfinal last Friday as the fourth-seeded Hun overcame a big deficit to edge fifth-seeded Steinert.

“It was great, we went down 7-0 but I think that one of the things we have been able to do all year is come back,” said Monfiletto, who got a homer from Mike Jolly in the victory with Jack Saker and Tre Francis each contributing two RBIs.

“We have done it before. We are familiar with it, like having that game against Gloucester Catholic in the beginning of the year where we came back down 5-0 and won in extra innings. We showed lots of confidence to be able to come back in that game. We knew that we were going to hit, we just needed to clean some things up on the mound and defensively and we did. We hit and we won. It was great.”

The Raider offense has been productive down the stretch. “Jolly hit his fifth home run yesterday, he is having a hell of a year, he has been great,” said Monfiletto. “Chiaravallo and [Will] Kraemer have been very consistent with the bat. Nico [Amecangelo] has been playing really well.”

The Raiders will need to play well as competing in both the MCT and the Prep A tourney will result in a grueling week.

“The Notre Dame game is going to take everything that we have,” said Monfiletto. “The key is that we literally have to go one step at a time. The second that you get caught thinking about the next day or the next opportunity, you are in trouble.”

While Hun will be stretched thin, Monfiletto believes his club has the pieces in place to excel.

“We have enough arms if we throw strikes, that was our issue today,” said Monfiletto. “We couldn’t throw strikes and then we got behind in the count; you can’t do that against a team like this. We will swing it and we will make some plays defensively. We have shown that.”

With Post-Grad Star Demato Triggering Attack, Hun Boys’ Lacrosse Clicking Down the Stretch

Last spring, Ryan Demato enjoyed a superb senior campaign for the St. Augustine boys’ lacrosse program.

Demato led the squad in scoring with 62 points on 35 goals and 27 assists and helped the Hermits go 16-2 and win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Group A title.

But deciding that he needed to grow on and off the field, Demato opted to do a post-graduate year at the Hun School and play another high school season.

“I just wanted an extra year for recruiting, getting bigger, stronger, faster, and challenging myself with Hun’s curriculum,” said Demato. “It is definitely a difficult school. I think it will prepare me well for college.”

Last Saturday, Demato had a strong effort, scoring four goals as Hun jumped out to a 6-0 halftime lead over Lenape High on the way to a 13-1 victory as it improved to 9-4 and posted its fifth straight win.

“I felt like my shot was hitting so it felt good,” said Demato who scored two goals in the first quarter and had a hat trick by halftime. “Getting off to a fast start is huge in any game. Today with an athletic team like Lenape and us a little banged up team from yesterday like us (after topping Pennington 12-3 in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals), that was a huge part of why we were able to keep it rolling into the rest of the game.”

Demato’s connection with junior attacker Danny Cano has helped the Raiders get rolling down the stretch.

“It is awesome, meeting him this year and getting to play with him has been great,” said Demato of Cano, who also had four goals against Lenape. “He is a talented lefty, I like playing with lefties.”

Getting to play with a different squad has been awesome for Demato.

“It is always good to switch up the kids you are playing with,” said Demato, who has committed to attend University of Maryland, Baltimore County and play for its Division I men’s lax program. “Getting to know new faces and play with different types of games is really beneficial. Being able to do it with coach [Jim] Stagnitta is great, he knows what he is doing.”

While Demato is ineligible for the MCT as a postgraduate, he is looking forward to seeing Hun go after a second straight county crown. Top-seeded Hun faces fifthseeded Princeton High in the MCT semis on May 16 with the victor advancing to the final on May 18 at Hopewell Valley High.

(Pa.) 18-9 on Thursday. “It is the first full game we have played all year. We really played well offensively. We shared the ball, we created opportunities. This was our best effort on both ends of the field.”

The pair of Demato and Cano had been creating a lot of scoring opportunities for the Raiders.

“Ryan continues to get better, he is figuring somethings out; I am asking him to do some things he is not used to doing but it is stuff that he is going to need to do at the next level,” said Stagnitta.

“Danny Cano is starting to play the way he is capable of playing. He was terrific.”

Stagnitta got terrific effort from his back line unit against Lenape as Hun didn’t give up a goal until early in the fourth quarter.

“Our defense has been good all year; when we are

dialed in, our defense has been good and they have been consistent,” said Stagnitta. “[Charles] Guida has played well [Ryan] Donahue and [Cameron] Donovan have been good since the beginning of the year, Donovan has gotten better and better.”

Looking ahead to the MCT semis, Stagnitta believes his squad has what it takes to win a second straight county crown.

“It is going to be challenging,” said Stagnitta. “We have played a lot of games in a row and we are going to need some young guys to step up. I think we can compete here.”

Demato, for his part, likes the way the Raiders have been competing down the stretch.

“When you bring in a PG group of four or five kids, it is hard to bring them straight into the mix of things,”said Demato. “Towards the end of the year we are starting to click really well.”

—Bill Alden

SENIOR MOMENT: Hun School senior pitcher Rohan Sheth fires a pitch in recent action. Last Saturday, Sheth had an eventful day as the Raiders held their annual Senior Day festivities when they hosted the Stony Brook School (N.Y.). Sheth started the game on the mound and pitched 2 1/3 no-hit innings with one unearned run before exiting the contest when struck in the leg by a line drive. Hun went on to lose the game 13-0. The Raiders, who moved to 14-6 with the defeat, will be competing in both the Mercer County Tournament and the Prep A state tourney this week. In the MCT, fourth-seeded Hun is slated to face top-seeded Notre Dame in the semis on May 16 with the victor advancing to the final on May 19 at the Trenton Thunder Ballpark. The Raiders are seeded first in the Prep A tournament and are slated to host an opening round game on May 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

No matter what happens in the tournaments, Sheth will savor his time in a Hun uniform.

“It is just the power of being a team, just being there every day, working together and striving for something,” said Sheth, who is headed to Northeastern and may play club sports there at some point. “It is memories I will remember the rest of my life. It is an awesome group of guys.”

—Bill Alden

“I am super excited to watch those guys,” said Demato. “I am sure they will do great, it is a talented group of kids out there.”

Hun head coach Jim Stagnitta was excited about his squad performing at both ends of the field in the win over Lenape.

“We played great today, it was our third game in the last three days,” said Stagnitta, whose team had defeated Wyoming Seminary

ON THE RISE: Hun School boys’ lacrosse player Ryan Demato leaps to fire a shot in a game earlier this spring. Last Saturday, Demato scored four goals to help Hun defeat Lenape High 13-1 and post its fifth straight win. The Raiders, who improved to 9-4 with the victory, will be continuing play in the Mercer County Tournament this week. Topseeded Hun, the defending county champion, was slated to face fifth-seeded Princeton High in the MCT semis on May 16 with the victor advancing to the final on May 18 at Hopewell Valley High.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hun

Softball : Lexi Kobryn starred as Hun defeated Lawrence 10-0 last Saturday in a Mercer County Tournament consolation game. Junior standout Kobryn hurled a no-hitter in the game which ended after five innings due to the 10run rule and went 1 for 2 with two runs to help the Raiders improve to 16-2. In upcoming action, Hun will be competing in the Prep A state tournament where it is seeded first and was slated to host fourth-seeded Oak Knoll in a semifinal contest on May 16 with the victor advancing to the final on May 18.

Girls’ Lacrosse : Abby O’Brien and Olivia Kim each scored four goals as Hun defeated Robbinsville 13-9 last Wednesday in a Mercer County Tournament consolation contest. The Raiders, who improved to 8-6 with the victory, were slated to host Princeton High on May 16.

Baseball : Bryce Meccage starred in a losing cause as second-seeded Pennington fell 9-7 to seventh-seeded Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Friday. Meccage went 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs, and four RBIs for the Red Hawks. A day earlier, Pennington had edged Rutgers Prep 2-0 in the Prep B state final as Meccage pitched a three-hit shutout and went 1-2 with a run. The Red Hawks, who defeated WW/P-North 11-6 last Monday in a regular season contest to improve to 17-2, host South Hunterdon on May 18 to wrap up their 2023 campaign.

Girls’ Lacrosse : Sparked by Hailey Adamsky, Pennington edged Robbinsville 12-11 last Monday. Adamsky tallied four goals and three assists as the Red Hawks improved to 12-3. Pennington hosts Steinert on May 17 in a regular season contest and WW/P-North on May 18 in the final of the Mercer County Invitational.

Lawrenceville

Baseball: Unable to get their bats going, Lawrenceville fell 4-0 to Pingry last Monday in the play-in round of the Prep A state tournament. The Big Red managed just two hits as they fell to 10-9.

Girls’ Lacrosse : Kate Morey triggered the offense as top-seeded Lawrenceville edged second-seeded Allentown 10-9 in the Mercer County Tournament final last Saturday at Lawrence High. Morey tallied three goals and two assists to help the Big Red improve to 14-3. Lawrenceville will be going after another title as the second-seeded Big Red were started to play at top-seeded Oak Knoll in the Prep A state final on May 16.

Baseball : Dylan Powers had two RBIs as PDS fell 15-5 to Nottingham last Monday. The Panthers, who moved to 1-18 with the loss, host New Egypt on May 17 and play at North Plainfield on May 18.

Softball : Adriana Salzano had a huge game as PDS defeated Wardlaw-Hartridge 15-9 last Monday. Junior star Salzano went 5 for 5 with four runs and four RBIs as the Panthers improved to 2-7. PDS was slated to play at Montgomery High on May 16.

Boys’ Lacrosse : Harry Bernardi came up big as second-seeded PDS defeated seventh-seeded Notre Dame 11-6 in the Mercer

Pennington PHS PDS Stuart

County Tournament quarterfinals last Saturday. Senior star Bernardi tallied four goals for the Panthers, who improved to 11-5 with the victory. PDS was slated to play sixth-seeded Allentown in the MCT semis on May 16 with victor advancing to the final on May 18 at Hopewell Valley High.

Boys’ Tennis : Producing a dominant performance in the opening rounds of the Prep B state tournament last Sunday at WardlawHartridge, PDS advanced to the finals in all five flights of the competition. In so doing, the Panthers clinched the team title before wrapping up the competition on May 17. In the finals, Heyang Li will compete for the title at first singles with Joshua Chu going for the crown at second singles and Jason Wu playing for the third singles championship. At doubles, the pair of Oliver Silverio and Steven Li will be in the first doubles final while Farhan Mohammad and Jaylen Peng will be playing for the second doubles crown.

Local Sports

Princeton Active Circle Holding AAPI 5K May 20

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month, the Princeton Active Circle is holding a 5K Run ‘n’ Walk on May 20 in the Carnegie Center in Princeton.

The event starts on 8:30 a.m. and participants are advised to arrive no later than 8:15 a.m. as local roads will be closed for race.

For more information on the race and to register, log onto runsignup.com/Race/ NJ/Princeton/AAPI5KRunWalkPrinceton.

There is online registration until May 19 for $35 (non-refundable) and race day registration for $45 cash or check (non-refundable). There will be a race bib pickup on May 20 from 7-8:20 a.m. at 502 Carnegie Center Drive.

Princeton Active Circle is partnering with the Institute of Financial Intelligence (IFI), Where Music Carries Us (WMCU), and the Museum of Chinese In America (MOCA) to hold the event.

Medals will be awarded on site after the race to the first, second, and third overall male and female finishers as well as top finishers in age groups including 12 and under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 6069, and 70+.

After the 5K, there will be activities to celebrate AAPI heritage including traditional music and folk dancing. There will also be an onsite Chinese American History exhibition to pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have been a part America’s history.

Boys’ Golf : Brooks CahillSanidas led the way as PHS finished second in Group 3 at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) State Championships last Monday at the Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater. CahillSanidas fired a four-over 76 to finish fourth individually. In the team standings, PHS carded a 331, two strokes behind champion Ramapo.

Boys’ Lacrosse: Patrick Kenah led the way as fifthseeded PHS edged fourthseeded Robbinsville 11-8 in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Saturday. Junior star Kenah tallied four goals and an assist to help the Tigers improve to 8-5. PHS was slated to face top-seeded Hun in the MCT semis on May 16 with the victor advancing to the final on May 18 at Hopewell Valley High.

Girls’ Lacrosse : Riley Devlin starred in a losing cause as PHS fell 17-12 to Northern Burlington last Saturday. Junior standout Devlin tallied six goals and three assists as the Tigers dropped to 7-7. PHS hosts Princeton Day School on May 18 and Hunterdon Central on May 20.

Boys’ Tennis : Suffering its first defeat of the season, PHS fell 3-2 to WW/P-South last Thursday. Jonathan Gu posted a victory at first singles and Melvin Huang followed suit at second singles to give the Tigers its two wins in the match. PHS, who moved to 9-1 with the setback, plays at Nottingham on May 18 and at Steinert on May 23.

NATIONAL LEAGUER: Jake Alu sprints to first base in a 2021 game for the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Alu, a former Princeton Day School standout, was recently called up to the Nationals. Alu made his Major League debut on May 9 against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park and went 0-4. Last Friday, Alu, who graduated from PDS in 2015 and went on to star at Boston College, got his first big league hit, smacking a second inning single in a 3-2 loss to the New York Mets on May 12. (Photo provided courtesy of Harrisburg Senators)

Lacrosse : Allison Lee had a huge game to lead Stuart to a 19-11 win over South Brunswick last Thursday. Sophomore star Lee tallied 12 goals and an assist as Tartans improved to 5-10. Stuart was slated to play at Lawrence High on May 16 in its season finale.

ON THE BALL: Princeton High baseball player Jon Tao takes a big swing in recent action. Last Thursday, Tao went 2-for6 with one run and three RBIs to help PHS defeat Ewing 17-12 in a regular season contest. PHS, which edged Bound Brook 10-9 last Monday to move to 6-14, plays at Franklin High on May 18.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Sylvester Sutton Hamilton III

Sylvester Sutton Hamilton III died peacefully from complications of Parkinson’s disease in his home of nearly 50 years on May 3 at the age of 87. He was under the care of Greenwood hospice and died surrounded by friends and family.

He was born June 9, 1935 in Punxsutawney, PA — proud home of the famous weather forecasting groundhog. As a child and teen, he was fascinated with the rapidly developing fields of electronics and photography, often spending afternoons experimenting in the sunroom of his childhood home. He was likely one of few in town with a large Van De Graaff generator. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh as well, graduating with AOA honors. He was accepted into residency in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania; he reported having no address or abode apart from the hospital during his internship. He graduated from residency after serving his final year as chief resident.

In 1966 he married Carol Julie Dudrick and moved to San Antonio, Texas, to serve as a psychiatrist in the Air Force. They were married until her death in 2020.

After his time in the service, he returned to the University of Pennsylvania as residency director. Tired of his long commute, he accepted a position in 1976 as the director of Princeton House in Princeton, New Jersey, where he served for 20 years before transitioning to private practice. Finding great joy in the practice of psychiatry, he practiced well into his 80s, only ending when his voice — weakened by Parkinson’s disease — no longer possessed the strength to continue. The few patients he worked with during his 80s included patients from residency some 50 years earlier.

Piloting the family in an inline twin engine Cessna 337, he flew to destinations including the Bahamas and the Alaskan panhandle. Aviation highlights include a near fiasco after the family dog jumped onto the controls, and an unsuccessful attempt to land at the LBJ ranch in Texas. Logging several thousand hours of flying, he became a licensed instructor as well as a float plane pilot. He finished his aviation experience with an aerobatics plane, the American Champion Decathlon, and a WW2 trainer, the iconic “taildragger” Piper J-3 Cub. His other hobbies included amateur radio, computers, and hiking. To the dismay of neighbors, he constructed a large antenna beside our

house to extend the “ham” radio range. As a fitness jogger, he entered 5 and 10K races where, largely by preserving his middling pace, he often found himself a top finisher in the 70 and over segment.

Parkinson’s limited his mobility in his final years, but he remained busy with frequent guests and phone calls, and he maintained an active and curious mind until days before his death. He is survived by his two children, Sylvester Sutton Hamilton IV and Julie Carol Hamilton, and five grandchildren: Sophie, Micah, Cleo, Aiden and Liam. They will all look up when they see small planes flying overhead and think of him and imagine for a moment that it’s him, flying gently and joyfully above them.

A memorial service is planned for May 27 at 4 p.m. at Stone Hill Church in Princeton.

Arrangements are under the direction of MatherHodge Funeral Home, Princeton.

She will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of Harriet’s favorite charities; Feeding America, Make a Wish Foundation, or Doctors Without Borders.

Grandpals reading program via Zoom. He received numerous cards and letters from his little students addressed lovingly to “Mister Bob.”

Always active and alert to new interests, Bob was a member of the Lawrenceville Senior Center’s Memoir Group, and one of the founding members of its Poetry group, for which he composed numerous haiku.

Robert Garvey McHugh

Born in Baltimore, MD, July 24, 1925, “Bob” died peacefully at home in Lawrenceville, NJ, March 7, 2023 at 97. Graduating Trenton High School in 1943 and Princeton University in 1950, some of his Princeton Theatre Intime performances garnered great reviews, and his Senior Thesis in Philosophy won the McCosh Prize. He later earned his Master of Business Administration at NYU.

Predeceased by his parents, Michael Joseph McHugh Jr. and Catharine Octavia Rourke McHugh; his sisters, Mary Aileen McHugh McClintock, Ellen Clare McHugh Kuser, and Jane Frances McHugh Barlow; and his brothers, Philip Neary McHugh, and Richard Nevin McHugh; and by his first wife, Jane Henry McHugh.

Bob is survived by his children with Jane, Katherine Anne McHugh, Meghan Jane McHugh, Robert Garvey McHugh Jr., and those from his second marriage, Christine McHugh Nickels and David Smith McHugh, along with their mother, Ellen Metzger, as well as four grandchildren, one great grandchild, and many nieces and nephews.

Service will be private.

Long time Princeton resident Harriet Fein passed away peacefully, after a brief illness, on May 4, 2023, with her three children by her side at her home at Princeton Windrows. She was 91 years old. After several years teaching grade school, she made the choice to stay home and raise her three children in Rocky Hill and then in 1972, moving to Princeton, where her husband, Arthur Fein was a physician with Princeton Radiology.

Harriet was a lifelong member of Hadassah, a volunteer with adolescents at Carrier Clinic, and an adventurous traveler. She and Art traveled the world and were especially appreciative of going places off the beaten path. She described her favorite trip was one to New Guinea because it was so different from any place she’d ever been and she loved learning about different cultures. Above all, Harriet was a loving and supportive mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and took an active role in their lives and activities. To Harriet, her family and friends were everything.

Harriet was preceded in death by the love of her life and husband of 70 years, Art, who passed away two years ago. She is survived by her daughter Ren Fein and her husband Paul Kelly of Princeton; son Rick Fein and his wife Jackie of Mission Viejo, California; and son Doug Fein and his wife Debbie of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; six grandchildren, Skylar, Jillian, and Colton Kelly, Jarrett, Micaela, and Naomi Fein; and one greatgrandson, Rowan HanburyBrown.

Enlisting in the United States Army Air Corp in 1943 and commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Bob was a navigator in World War II’s Pacific Theatre. In August 1945, he navigated the first Allied aircraft to land in Japan, accompanying Gen. MacArthur’s Honor Guard Escort for the Japanese Envoy to Manila and the initial surrender. He completed his service flying American prisoners of war to Yokohama for evacuation to Hawaii and home. He joined the United States Air Force reserve and was re-called to active duty during the Korean War, becoming a Top Gun F-86 Sabre jet fighter pilot.

Bob joined Hibbert Printing Company in Trenton, NJ, became Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and remained a top salesman for over 35 years until his retirement. He subsequently served as consultant to the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ.

With a deep appreciation for Japanese culture, Bob was active in the Japanese community in Princeton, and learned to speak, read, and write the language. One class involved an essay contest explaining why you want to go to Japan. Bob’s

“Why I Want to Return to Japan”

won him the “all-expenses paid” trip to Japan. Bob also loved music. On returning to piano in his 80s, he combined interests studying with Japanese piano teachers, and performed in student recitals.

An avid reader, Bob read the WSJ daily into his 90s. He became devoted to one of his greatest joys, “GrandPals.” A Princeton Senior Resources Center education program connecting Princeton Public School children with older adults, they read to kindergarteners and first graders. Expanding Grandpals to the Lawrenceville, NJ Senior Center, Bob steadily pursued area schools, encouraging their program participation, and recruiting members of the Senior Center. During the COVID epidemic, Bob persuaded the schools to continue the

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• Apartments

• Offices

Regular cleaning, deep cleaning, after construction cleaning. You can leave me a message, I will definitely call you back. (305)-930-9244. Julia 05-24

FURNITURE FOR SALE: King size bed with mattress, bureau, sofa and easy chair, loveseat, china cabinet. All furniture cheap or free! All in good condition. Call (732) 355-0915 or (732) 991-4619. 05-19

CARPENTRY–PROFESSIONAL

All phases of home improvement. Serving the Princeton area for over 30 yrs. No job too small. Call Julius Sesztak: (609) 466-0732 tf

HANDYMAN–CARPENTER:

Painting, hang cabinets & paintings, kitchen & bath rehab. Tile work, masonry. Porch & deck, replace rot, from floors to doors to ceilings. Shelving & hook-ups. ELEGANT REMODELING. You name it, indoor, outdoor tasks. Repair holes left by plumbers & electricians for sheetrock repair. RE agents welcome. Sale of home ‘checklist’ specialist. Mercer, Hunterdon, Bucks counties. 1/2 day to 1 month assignments. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED, Covid 19 compliant. Active business since 1998. Videos of past jobs available. Call Roeland, (609) 933-9240. tf

BUYING: Antiques, paintings, Oriental rugs, coins, clocks, furniture, old toys, military, books, cameras, silver, costume & fine jewelry. Guitars & musical instruments. I buy single items to entire estates. Free appraisals. (609) 306-0613.

My name is Asher Severini and I’m a professional classical pianist and piano teacher based in Princeton, NJ. After studying piano and music theory at New England Conservatory of Music for my undergraduate degree I then obtained a master’s degree in piano pedagogy and performance from Westminster Choir College. I then studied collaborative piano for my doctoral degree at UC Santa Barbara.

• Deadline: 2pm Tuesday•Payment: All ads must be pre-paid, Cash, credit card, or check.

Interior/exterior repairs, carpentry, trim, rotted wood, power washing, painting, deck work, sheet rock/ spackle, gutter & roofing repairs. Punch list is my specialty. 40 years experience. Licensed & insured. Call Creative Woodcraft (609) 586-2130

• 25 words or less: $15.00•each add’l word 15 cents•Surcharge: $15.00 for ads greater than 60 words in length. •3 weeks: $40.00•4 weeks: $50.00•6 weeks: $72.00•6 month and annual discount rates available.

tf YARD SALE + TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIED = GREAT WEEKEND!

• Ads with line spacing: $20.00/inch•all bold face type: $10.00/week

06-28

TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIEDS GET TOP RESULTS!

Whether it’s selling furniture, finding a lost pet, or having a garage sale, TOWN TOPICS is the way to go! We deliver to ALL of Princeton as well as surrounding areas. (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifieds@towntopics.com

ESTATE LIQUIDATION

SERVICE:

I will clean out attics, basements, garages & houses. Single items to entire estates. No job too big or small. In business over 35 years, serving all of Mercer County. Call (609) 306-0613.

06-28

WE BUY CARS

Belle Mead Garage

(908) 359-8131

Ask for Chris

EXPERIENCED ELDER CARE for your loved one. Compassionate caregiver with 16 years experience will assist with personal care, medication, meals, drive to medical appointments, shopping. Many local references. Call or text (609) 9779407.

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I am currently accepting piano students of all ages and levels. I believe that the goal of teaching piano is to create smarter, and happier people who can explore their own ability to express themselves through this artform. I believe that every person is deeply creative and I honor that by always designing a learning program that fits the individuals learning style, goals, and needs.

My teaching philosophy is built on two fundamental assumptions:

1. Prodigious technique and strong musicianship can be taught.

2. Each student has a say on the pace we take and the plan of their study.

As a teacher it is my duty to adhere to these principles. Students will have the opportunity if desired to perform and they will learn genres of music that they are interested in with the benefit of having a solid background in classical piano.

My hope is that my students find joy in the learning process, joy in music, and joy in exploring the capabilities of this wonderful instrument, the piano.

Website: www.asherseverini.com

Email: ashersev@me.com

Phone: (458) 225 2316 05-17

Put an ad in the TOWN TOPICS to let everyone know!

Call (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifi eds@towntopics.com

DEADLINE: Tues before 12 noon

HOUSE CLEANING: Polish woman with experience. Good references. English speaking. Please call Iwona at (609) 947-2958.

06-07

HOME HEALTH AIDE: 25 years of experience. Available mornings to take care of your loved one, transport to appointments, run errands. I am well known in Princeton. Top care, excellent references. The best! Call (609) 356-2951 or (609) 751-1396. tf

LOLIO’S WINDOW WASHING & POWER WASHING: Free estimate. Next day service. Fully insured. Gutter cleaning available. References available upon request. 30 years experience. (609) 271-8860.

JOES LANDSCAPING INC. OF PRINCETON

Property Maintenance and Specialty Jobs

Commercial/Residential

Over 45 Years of Experience

• Fully Insured • Free Consultations

Email: joeslandscapingprinceton@ gmail.com

Text (only): (609) 356-9201

Office: (609) 216-7936

Princeton References • Green Company HIC #13VH07549500 tf

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tf EXPERIENCED AND PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVER Available Part-Time With Excellent References in the Greater Princeton Area (609) 216-5000 tf

PRINCETON HOUSE FOR SALE. 4-5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. 1 acre lot. Remodeled. Attached garage. Western section of town, walking distance to university and train. (609) 216-0092.

05-24

I PROVIDE CLEANING SERVICES

I take into account the wishes of the client and try to do everything for your convenience.

• Single-family houses

• Apartments

• Offices

Regular cleaning, deep cleaning, after construction cleaning. You can leave me a message, I will definitely call you back. (305)-930-9244. Julia

05-24

FURNITURE FOR SALE: King size bed with mattress, bureau, sofa and easy chair, loveseat, china cabinet. All furniture cheap or free! All in good condition. Call (732) 355-0915 or (732) 991-4619.

05-19

CARPENTRY–PROFESSIONAL

All phases of home improvement. Serving the Princeton area for over 30 yrs. No job too small. Call Julius Sesztak: (609) 466-0732 tf

RESTORE-PRESERVE-ALL MASONRY Mercer County's oldest, reliable, experienced firm. We serve you for all your masonry needs.

Exquisite Living in

Exquisite Living in Rumson

Exquisite Living in Rumson

Introducing 18 extraordinary new homes nestled in a premier the Navesink River. The breathtaking homes of Bingham Park are Colonial style offering open floorplans with elevators that make ————————

Introducing 18 extraordinary new homes nestled in a premier coastal community the Navesink River. The breathtaking homes of Bingham Park are designed in the timeless Colonial style offering open floorplans with elevators that make for an

Introducing 18 extraordinary new homes nestled in a premier coastal community just the Navesink River. The breathtaking homes of Bingham Park are designed in the timeless Colonial style offering open floorplans with elevators that make for an exceptional lifestyle.

MODEL GRAND OPENING

MODEL GRAND OPENING

Models Open: Thurs–Mon 10:30AM –4:30PM & Tues–Wed by Appointment Only.

Models Open: Thurs–Mon 10:30AM –4:30PM & Tues–Wed PRICED FROM $2,695,000

BinghamParkRumson.com • 132 Bingham Ave, Rumson, NJ Call Brenda from Brenda McIntyre Realty at 732.859.5622

COMMUNITIES

WHAT’S A GREAT GIFT FOR

HANDYMAN–CARPENTER:

Painting, hang cabinets & paintings, kitchen & bath rehab. Tile work, masonry. Porch & deck, replace rot, from floors to doors to ceilings. Shelving & hook-ups. ELEGANT REMODEL-

ING. You name it, indoor, outdoor tasks. Repair holes left by plumbers & electricians for sheetrock repair.

RE agents welcome. Sale of home

‘checklist’ specialist. Mercer, Hunterdon, Bucks counties. 1/2 day to 1 month assignments. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED, Covid 19 compliant. Active business since 1998. Videos of past jobs available. Call Roeland, (609) 933-9240.

tf I BUY ALL KINDS of Old or Pretty

Things: China, glass, silver, pottery, costume jewelry, evening bags, fancy linens, paintings, small furniture, etc. Local woman buyer. (609) 9217469.

10-11

BUYING: Antiques, paintings, Oriental rugs, coins, clocks, furniture, old toys, military, books, cameras, silver, costume & fine jewelry. Guitars & musical instruments. I buy single items to entire estates. Free appraisals. (609) 306-0613.

06-28

TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIEDS GET TOP RESULTS!

Whether it’s selling furniture, finding a lost pet, or having a garage sale, TOWN TOPICS is the way to go!

We deliver to ALL of Princeton as well as surrounding areas. (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifieds@towntopics.com

tf ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICE: I will clean out attics, basements, garages & houses. Single items to entire estates. No job too big or small. In business over 35 years, serving all of Mercer County. Call (609) 306-0613.

06-28

WE BUY CARS Belle Mead Garage (908) 359-8131

Ask for Chris

will assist with personal care, medication, meals, drive to medical appointments, shopping. Many local references. Call or text (609) 9779407. tf

HOME HEALTH AIDE: 25 years of experience. Available mornings to take care of your loved one, transport to appointments, run errands. I am well known in Princeton. Top care, excellent references. The best! Call (609) 356-2951 or (609) 751-1396.

tf

tf

TRAFFIC ENGINEER NEEDED AT IH ENGINEERS IN PRINCETON, NJ.

Must have Master’s in Transportation Engineering & Planning & 2 yrs of exp, including: Traffic signal design, traffic impact studies, traffic signal warrant analysis, Signing & Striping Plans, & traffic control/MPT design; MicroStation, AutoCAD, Synchro/Sim Traffic, TEPAC, HCS, GuideSign, Traffix, VISSIM, & Rapid Plan; ITE Trip & Parking Generation & DOT’s design standards manual; ITS technologies & wireless communication; Application of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Highway Capacity Manual, & AASHTO Green Book. Resumes to erahman@ihengineers.com. EOE 05-17

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is hiring seasonal maintenance workers for spring and summer employment. Tasks may include, but not limited to, raking, mowing, trimming, weed whacking, painting, hauling, lifting, sewer (sanitary and storm) maintenance, street patching, and building maintenance and other general maintenance duties. Must be able to lift 50 pounds. Must satisfy employer paid physical, drug screen and criminal background check. Must have a valid NJ Driver’s License in good standing. NJ residency required by State Statute. R.S.52:14-7.

Monday–Friday: 7:00am–3:30pm

Salary: $18.00 an hour

Newsstand Town Topics

A

Princeton tradition!

Can be purchased Wednesday mor nings at the following locations: Princeton McCaffrey’s Kiosk Palmer Square Speedy Mar t (State Road) Wawa (Universit y Place)

Witherspoon

Custom Design, Printing, Publishing and Distribution Newsletters

·

ADVERTISING SALES

Witherspoon Media Group is looking for a part-time advertising Account Manager, based out of our Kingston, NJ office, to generate sales for Town Topics Newspaper and Princeton Magazine

The ideal candidate will:

• Establish new sales leads and manage existing sales accounts for both publications

• Develop industry-based knowledge and understanding, including circulation, audience, readership, and more.

• Collaborate with the advertising director and sales team to develop growth opportunities for both publications

Track record of developing successful sales strategies and knowledge of print and digital media is a plus.

Fantastic benefits and a great work environment.

meaningful life and a real home with highly strategically designed single-level homes with suites and an open floor plan within the THE GREEN HOUSE®.

meaningful life and a real home with highly strategically designed single-level homes with suites and an open floor plan within the THE GREEN HOUSE®.

Drive | Lawrenceville NJ 08648 mhadmissions@morrishall.org | www.morrishall.org

Drive | Lawrenceville NJ 08648 mhadmissions@morrishall.org | www.morrishall.org

Feel truly at home.

At

The Meadows at Lawrence seeks to offer residents full control over their daily routines, sleep rhythms, meals, self-care, and introspective time. Each resident is directly involved in the formulation and execution of their own care plan, and all community members enjoy both formal and informal opportunities for social engagement – both within the home and beyond.

Each cottage is equipped with its very own team of universal workers who are present at all times to tend to the needs, care, and comfort of each individual.  Each resident has access to a vast array of services, further complemented by the resources provided by the Lawrence Rehabilitation Hospital. A stimulating array of daily activities alongside spiritual care, security, and transportation are all provided to help make life at The Meadows at Lawrenceville enjoyable, comfortable, and fulfilling for all of our elders. Each of our cottages features a spacious hearth room at its center with a fireplace, a comfortable patio, a shared dining room, an open kitchen, as well as a spa area and a cozy library.

Schedule your personal tour!

Our focus is on a meaningful life and a real home with highly trained caregivers. Six strategically designed single-level homes with ten private bed-and-bath suites and an open floor plan within the model of THE GREEN HOUSE®

1 Bishops Drive, Lawrence Township NJ 08648 609.873.8298 | www.meadowsatlawrence.com

The Meadows at Lawrence, our single-floor cottages are thoughtfully designed to promote individuality and a strong sense of self. Cottages feature ten private bed-and-bath suites overlooking our beautifully landscaped, serene grounds.

Great Road Montgomery Township, NJ | $7,500,000

Janet Stefandl: 201.805.7402 callawayhenderson.com/NJSO2002328

Newly Priced: Avery Lane Princeton, NJ | $2,999,000

Michael Monarca: 917.225.0831 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2029770

Auction: June 9th-14th: Rolling Hill Road Montgomery Township, NJ | $2,995,000

Linda Twining: 609.439.2282 callawayhenderson.com/NJSO2002288

Prentice Lane Princeton, NJ | $2,950,000

Susan L ‘Suzy’ DiMeglio: 609.915.5645 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2026608

Introducing: Elm Road Princeton, NJ | $2,599,000

Jennifer Dionne: 908.531.6230 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2029732

Puritan Court Princeton, NJ | $1,795,500

Jennifer E Curtis: 609.610.0809 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2028540

Elm Road Princeton, NJ | $1,750,000

Norman T ‘Pete’ Callaway: 609.558.5900 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2027636

Newly Priced: Governors Lane Princeton, NJ | $1,150,000

Carolyn Spohn: 609.468.2145 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2029118

Newly Priced: Nassau Street Princeton, NJ | $899,000

Eleanor Deardorff, Kimberly A Rizk: 609.658.4999 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2025732

Introducing: Foxcroft Drive

Lawrence Township, NJ | $825,000

Amy Granato: 917.848.8345 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2029520

Introducing: Linden Lane Princeton, NJ | $725,000

Christina Phillips: 917.208.5724 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2029808

Introducing: Mercer Street

Hopewell Borough, NJ | $425,000

Jennifer E Curtis: 609.610.0809 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2029542

609.921.1050 | 4 NASSAU STREET | PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08542