Town Topics Newspaper, May 22, 2024.

Carillon Recitals Are Popular Attraction for Local Residents . . . . . . 5

Grad Students Vote “No,” Postdocs “Yes” on Unionization at PU 10

National Nonprofit Partners With PU to Open Libraries In NJ Prisons 12

Princeton Singers Celebrates Double Anniversary with Concert Of Diverse Music 19

McCarter Stages Winnie Holzman’s Choice 22

Junior Attacker Barlag Stars as PHS Boys’ Lacrosse Makes MCT Final 30

Sparked by Leadoff Hitter Jolly, Hun Softball Advances to 3rd Straight Prep A Title Game 33

Gaza Protesters Depart; Seminary Students Make Similar Demands

After a continuous sit-in of nearly three weeks — rst in the McCosh courtyard then on Cannon Green behind Nassau Hall — Princeton University’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment dispersed on the evening of May 15 following a nal rally.

In a statement issued on the last day, the demonstrators declared, ”Our ght for divestment and Palestinian liberation continues undeterred.”

Described by The Daily Princetonian student newspaper as “both a protest and a community space,” the Gaza Encampment from April 25 to May 15 was a place for speeches and rallies, singing and chanting and poetry reading, town hall gatherings, conversations, meeting and eating together, and sometimes quietly reading or studying. Through rain and shine, cold and hot weather, the numbers of demonstrators uctuated widely. The University administration did not allow tents or sleeping.

Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber sent a message to the University community on May 13 warning that the protesters must leave Cannon Green. Signs and barriers were put in place around the green stating, “This space is closed in preparation for University events,” and Eisgruber noted, “To continue the sit-in would involve signi cant and impermissible disruption of University activities. The protesters are of course free to express their views in many other permissible, non-disruptive ways.”

The Council of the Princeton University Community Resources Committee met on May 14 for an initial assessment of requests from the Gaza protesters for the University to divest and dissociate from companies involved in Israel’s military and apartheid policies.

In response to demonstrators’ demands that charges and disciplinary action against the students who had been arrested be dropped, Eisgruber suggested the possibility of a “restorative justice” process which could “minimize the impact of the arrest on the participating students.” He emphasized that the arrested students would be accountable for their actions and required to accept responsibility for violating University policy, but that the University “would rapidly conclude the University disciplinary process,” making it possible for the students to participate in Commencement.

Planning Board Postpones Special Jugtown Meeting

Now that the May 23 special meeting of the Princeton Planning Board devoted to the proposal for a 15-unit apartment building in the Jugtown Historic District has been postponed, residents who oppose the plan and the developer in favor of it will have to wait until a future meeting is scheduled before a nal decision on the project is reached.

The Princeton Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) spent two nights last week, May 13 and 14, listening to testimony from both sides of the issue, ultimately recommending that the Planning Board turn down the proposal as presented. The developer, 344 Nassau LLC, has proposed to build an attachment to the rear of the 18th-century Joseph Hornor House at 344 Nassau Street, which was recently recognized by Preservation New Jersey as one of the 10 most endangered historic buildings in New Jersey. The project would include three units that are designated as affordable.

The Hornor House is one of four buildings at that intersection with Harrison Street that are considered to be historically signi cant. The issue of signi cance was the focus of many objections to the proposal. Author and historian Clifford Zink, a Jugtown resident and one of several people to deliver prepared remarks, said that the proposal goes against the town’s historic preservation ordinance because of its height, width, the size of the windows. The size and mass of the

four-story addition “is the opposite of a backdrop, which is what is called for” in the ordinance, he said.

Historian Mark Alan Hewitt said the house is unique, with important features both inside and out. “This historic house is not just any historic house,” he said. “It is one of the oldest houses in Princeton, and it is an old house in Princeton with really signi cant integrity.”

The developer’s application to demolish part of the rear of the 1985 addition to the

house, in order to connect the old part to the new, was rejected by the HPC. The new section would be more than 44 feet tall; the Hornor House is 29 feet tall. While project architect Marina Rubina described architectural features that would relate to those of the existing house, others suggested the new building would tower over the old, and the large, new windows would be out of character. Rubina said that because of the addition, 68 percent of the house is not historic.

2024 Primary: Early Voting Next Week, New Block Ballot Design for Democrats

As Princeton voters go to the polls for the 2024 primary elections — in only one week for the rst day of early voting on May 29 (through June 2), and in less than two weeks for Election Day voting on Tuesday, June 4 — Democrats and Republicans will vote for candidates to represent their parties in the November election for president, as well as candidates for U.S Senate and for the House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 12th District. They will also select candidates in races for three Mercer County Commissioners, Princeton mayor and two Council members, and two County Committee members.

The two spotlighted races include the competition for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Robert Menendez, who

is not running, with Andy Kim, Lawrence Hamm, and Patricia Campos-Medina on the Democratic ballot and Curtis Bashaw, James Murphy, Albert Harshaw, and Christine Serrano Glassner on the Republican ballot; and the race for a seat in the U.S. Congress, with Princeton resident Daniel Dart challenging incumbent Bonnie Watson Coleman for the Democratic nomination, and Republicans Theodore E. Jones Jr. and Darius May eld competing for their party’s nomination.

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda faces no competition in his reelection bid for the Democratic nomination, and no Republicans have led to compete in the November mayoral race. Council incumbent Leighton Newlin and new Council

and went on to win the

history to win all three crowns in

TRIPLE CROWN: Members of the Hun School baseball team are all smiles after they defeated Lawrence High 10-2 in the Mercer County Tournament championship game last Thursday night at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. Hun, which won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title earlier this spring

Prep A state championship last weekend, became the first team in program

the same season. For more details on the postseason run by the Raiders, see page 32.

(Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

From the beginning,

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TOWN TOPICS

Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946

DONALD C. STUART, 1946-1981 DAN D. COYLE, 1946-1973 Founding Editors/Publishers DONALD C. STUART III, Editor/Publisher, 1981-2001

LAURIE

Princeton Adult School Celebrates Board, Staff

Almost 100 of Princeton Adult School’s (PAS) 175 active teachers met the PAS board and office team at a “Let’s Meet” party on the evening of Wednesday, May 8. Board members and staff who have worked with teachers over the phone or Zoom and teachers greeted each other in person at Stuart School.

“To meet, share ideas, mingle, and enjoy making new acquaintance on this evening in lieu of the faculty room that our 85-year-old

school has never had was a boost to those wonderful, imaginative teachers who converted, almost overnight, to a Zoom format in March 2020 and now are able to meet students in person or in a virtual setting,” said Anne Brener, executive director of Princeton Adult School. “We honor their loyalty, ingenuity, and fervor to teach our over 5,000 students every year in 350 classes a semester.

“Five of our presentday teachers have taught for us for over 25 years: Denise Asfar, Susanna

De Rosa, Elizabeth Horn, Jean Parsons, and Sally Stang. Thank you all for making Princeton Adult School the vibrant, interesting, and welcoming community adult education stand out that it is.”

The PAS board of 36 area residents recently welcomed new board members Cindy George, Kate Newell, Barbara Prince, Lynne Ross, and Laurie Russell, who will work to recruit new teachers and cultivate new ideas. For more information, visit printonadultschool.org.

Topics In Brief A Community Bulletin

Nominations Sought: For the 2024 Annual New Jersey Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards, sponsored by the NJ Business Coalition. The deadline is June 1. Visit njbusinessimmigration.org/nominations.

Land Stewards Needed : On Saturday, May 25 from either 10 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m., j oin Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) for volunteer stewardship sessions at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, Mountain Avenue. Under the guidance of the FOPOS stewardship staff, perform riparian and forest restoration, remove invasives, and plant native species to ready lands for summer. On June 8 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., local experts Matt and Shannon will hold a mugwort forage walk. Participants help restore the balance of the ecosystem while uncovering the culinary secrets of mugwort, and learn how to identify and prepare this edible invasive plant. Space is limited, register at fopos.org/events-programs.

Food Pantry : Arm in Arm’s mobile food pantry is at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike, on Monday afternoons in June from 2-4 p.m. Fresh produce, eggs, milk, frozen proteins, and quality baked goods as well as canned and boxed items and personal care items are available for those in need.

Youth Advisory Committee : Teens who will be high school sophomores in the 2024-25 academic year, and are residents of the municipality, can apply through June 7 to join the 12-member Youth Advisory Committee, advising the mayor and Princeton Council on issues of interest to them. To apply, visit princetonnj.gov/683/ Youth-Advisory-Committee.

Fellow, AAMLFellow, AAML

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A WALK IN THE PARK: Members of the Marquand Park Foundation presented “The Magic and History of Marquand Park” walking tour on Saturday morning, sharing the property’s history and highlighting the native and exotic trees in the park. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS: Lisa Lonie, Princeton University carillonneur,

summer season of performances by carillonneurs from all

“Music that Paints the Silence,”

Sunday Afternoon Carillon Recitals Are Popular Attraction for Local Residents

On most Sundays starting at 1 p.m., a sound described as “wind chimes on steroids” rings out across the area surrounding Princeton University’s Graduate College campus. On a good day, “It can go up to half a mile,”

said Lisa Lonie, the woman often responsible for creating that sound.

anymore, I wanted to do this. She was very supportive. My parents really went all out to make it happen.”

Lonie began taking lessons at Valley Forge. In between sessions, she practiced at the carillon of a church in Newtown, Pa. Part of the attraction of the instrument was the fact that playing it was a solitary experience.

Lonie is Princeton University’s fourth University carillonneur, and its first female. On the job since 2012, she is the principal player of the school’s 70-year-old carillon, an instrument that produces music by the striking of its 67 bronze bells — the largest of which weighs 12,880 pounds. Housed in a console room atop the Cleveland Tower, the instrument is one of only about 180 manually played carillons in North America. It was dedicated in 1927 by the University’s class of 1892, and is part of the program of University Chapel Music.

TOPICS Of the Town

Loyal listeners who show up on the lawn outside the tower for the 45-minute concerts set up blankets, chairs, and picnics. The music they hear can range from medieval to Broadway show tunes. “We have people who come every week. Some of them call the music comforting, which for a 25-ton machine is pretty incredible,” said Lonie. “You can play it as a whisper or a thunder. It’s meditative.”

“I had performance anxiety, so I dreaded those piano recitals where everyone was watching me with their eyes boring in,” Lonie said. “But I still liked to perform. I was fine in an ensemble. The carillon gave me the

The weekly recitals are held throughout the year. From July 7 through September 1, a summer festival titled “Music that Paints the Silence” will mark the 30th anniversary of these events, with players from the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands. “We invite carillonneurs from all over the world,” Lonie said. “It’s a much more formal experience than what I do during the year. You get a printed program.”

Lonie fell in love with the carillon when she was a teenager.

“I was a member of the handbell choir at our church in Bucks County,” she said. “Our director was also a carillonneur at Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge. We were performing there, and afterward we went into the tower. I was completely smitten. I went home and told my mother I didn’t want to do handbells

by David Kelly Crow)

Carillon

Continued from Preceding Page opportunity, and the freedom, to play and not have anybody watch.”

Lonie also liked the fact that the carillon could be heard by so many people at one time. “It really is a communal instrument. It’s not confined to a concert hall where people have to come in and listen,” she said. “It’s free, and it’s live, and it brings some atmosphere of calmness to the neighborhood.”

She has been playing ever since. Her work at Princeton, which includes teaching as well as performing, is just one part of her busy schedule. Lonie is the assistant chief of staff at Haverford College. She is active in the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA), the North American Carillon School, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia, and the St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Whitemarsh, Pa. She has performed internationally at festivals, conferences, and national congresses of the GCNA.

There was a period in the mid 1960s during which Princeton’s carillon fell into disrepair. But it was renovated and rededicated in 1993. “The fact that the instrument was unplayable and in decay because there wasn’t anyone advocating for it until then is amazing,” said Lonie. “But it’s in a very, very good place now. The program is stable and it is well cared for.”

Question of the Week:

“What do you like best about Marquand Park?”

(Asked Saturday after “The Magic and History of Marquand Park” walking tour)

(Photos by Sarah Teo)

The only requirement for those who study with Lonie is that they have some music or keyboard background. “I don’t teach music,” she said. “So they have to know a certain amount before they come in. There are about 12 in the studio right now, and I’m really maxed out with that. I do have a wait list.”

Among them are University students of math, chemistry, and French. Townspeople study with Lonie, too. “My oldest is 81. She can climb the tower’s 137 steps, and gets herself down,” she said.

While most carillons are in churches or university settings, some are also located in parks. Longwood Gardens in Chester County, Pa., has an instrument in its chime tower. There is a carillon at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and another at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Fla. Lonie is active in efforts to include carillons in new construction in educational settings.

“When you’re laying out a campus, architects want a focal point,” she said. “Why not make it more than just eye candy? Put bells in there. Make it a manual instrument, hire someone to teach.”

Regular Sunday concerts continue through the end of June, before “Music that Paints the Silence” begins on July 7. Those who are interested in seeing the carillon can arrange to take a brief tour with Lonie at 12:45 p.m., ascending to the playing cabin [after signing a waiver]. Visit gradschool.princeton. edu for information.

“I think it’s great that we’re located at the Graduate College, because the buildings really sock in the sound,” Lonie said. “It is a very public instrument with a distinctive sound. Everyone should hear it.”

—Anne Levin

“Marquand Park is very pastoral — very soothing.”

—Lily Krauss, Princeton

“It’s a small park, but it’s got a very interesting history of people who lived here and owned the property. I also like the great diversity of trees, both native and non-native.”

—Steven Panter, Lawrenceville

“The walking tour offered me my first glimpse into this stunning corner of Princeton. This park blends local history, rare tree treasures, true tranquility, and visual landscape design of the best type. They offer the tour again in the fall — I would recommend it highly. Come walk the same paths where Einstein strolled!”

—Emily Dragun, Morristown

Mark: “The sandbox, and also that the park is so safe for kids.”

— Mila and Mark Zander, Rocky Hill

Celebrating our Historic Roots, Celebrating our Historic Roots, in the Heart of Princeton in the Heart of Princeton

Gaza Protesters

continued from page one

The four seniors among the 13 students arrested on April 29 during the protesters’ brief occupation of the Clio Hall administration building are expected to participate in graduation ceremonies and receive their degrees.

In a May 20 vote the University faculty, 154-136, passed a non-binding resolution calling for amnesty for the arrested students, as reported by The Daily Princetonian.

In further acknowledgement of the protesters’ concerns, Eisgruber said that the University would entertain proposals for academic affiliations with Palestinian scholars, students, and institutions, as well as proposals for new curricula in Palestinian studies. He also mentioned the importance of an affinity space for Palestinian students at Princeton and the possibility of creating a working group on the experience of Palestinians at Princeton.

Mian Reflects

As Princeton University physicist Zia Mian, senior research scholar and co-director of the School of Public and International Affairs’ Program on Science and Global Security, left the thinning Gaza Solidarity Encampment last Tuesday, just one day before the last demonstrators departed from Cannon Green, he commented on what might be the lasting significance of the three-week sit-in.

“This represents the most recent part of a very long and glorious Princeton tradition and also a broader tradition of young people confronting the issues of their time with great clarity of purpose and commitment to principles of peace and justice,” he said.

Mian, who talked with many of the encampment students during the three weeks and periodically joined them in the McCosh Hall courtyard and on Cannon Green, pointed out the towering statue of John Witherspoon in the courtyard outside the University’s Firestone Library.

“When John Witherspoon was president of Princeton and the United States was not even a country but a British colony, the students of Princeton protested for the freedom and independence of the United States. Witherspoon tolerated the students’ protests even though he did not agree, and eventually he came to advocate from his pulpit for the same cause,” Mian explained.

He went on, “The Princeton president actually learned from the students the proper way to think about this event and went on to be the only university president to sign the Declaration of Independence. The students taught their teachers how to think properly about a pressing issue of their time.”

Making further connections to the actions of the Gaza protesters, Mian continued, “I believe the current generation of students is trying to do the same thing as the students who protested on this campus about Vietnam and taught their leadership about the right issue at the right time. It’s in the grand tradition of young people teaching their teachers how to think properly about an issue.”

Focusing on the lasting implications of the encampment community that developed over the three weeks, Mian noted, “What the students have done here is not just an encampment. That’s just people together in one place. What they’ve done is to create a political commu-

nity where the students have learned and taught each other based on different disciplines — historians talking to sociology majors, talking to English majors, talking to art majors, talking to science majors, talking to their professors, talking to staff, talking to community members, building a political community, a microcosm which begins to think through together how they understand this issue of Palestine, the Gaza war, suffering, death, and what freedom and democracy and responsibility look like.”

Mian went on, “Out of that has come a new energy on all of these issues, not just Palestine, but on issues of responsibility, of accountability, of democracy, of protest, of the need to act when you want to protect freedom and people’s lives and not just watch. And this political community that they’ve built here is something that will keep doing work in different kinds of ways going forward.”

He added, “It’s not that when they take away the encampment everybody is going to forget what they did here or the relationships that they’ve built together. They will keep going in their own ways.”

Describing the emergence of “a huge injection of energy and hopefulness that by working together, not only by protest, we can actually make change,” he cited previous struggles for the rights of women, of people of color, of the LGBTQ community, and struggles for clean air and water, and for freedom.

“All these things have come through struggle, and now a new generation is learning how to struggle together as a political community,” he said. “That is a tremendous achievement for the students and others who have been involved in this exercise.”

Theological Seminary Meanwhile, across town, the Princeton Theological Seminary Student Government Association (SGA) voted to call for divestment from Israel; for the Seminary to devote at least $100,000 (about 0.2 percent) of their annual endowment draw to humanitarian aid in Gaza; and for Seminary President Jonathan Lee Walton to publicly call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War, as well as amnesty for two Seminary students and others arrested in the Princeton University protests.

The SGA resolution also called for establishment of a working group on studenttrustee relations “to increase transparency and rebuild relationships that have been broken over the last few years.”

A press release from Seminarians for Peace and Justice states that they “will continue to organize on these issues in the upcoming academic year” and that as future faith leaders they “will continue to work to ensure that the Seminary’s actions in the wider world are the same as the actions they inspire us through its teaching to take in our future ministries.”

In a May 21 email Seminary Vice President for Marketing and Communications Linda Romano stated that the Seminary will be responding to the student government’s resolution. “Just as our SGA has a process for considering recommendations from the student body, we have a process we follow when engaging with resolutions passed by governing bodies,” she wrote. “Once we undertake that process, we will follow up with SGA.”

—Donald Gilpin

PAC 5K Run and Walk Event Unites Participants

To celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the nonprofit organization Princeton Active Circle (PAC) hosted the third annual Asian Pacific Islander 5K Run and Walk event (AAPI 5K) at Carnegie Center in West Windsor on May 11. Over 50 volunteers participated in organizing and running the event, with 257 people registered and 221 completing the 5-kilometer run or walk.

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda spoke before the run began, emphasizing the importance of respecting each other’s differences regardless of skin color. Another speaker at the AAPI 5K, Linda Sipprelle, a recent member of PAC and former record holder in the 40-45 age group for the American Women’s Half Marathon, encouraged participants to run with a smile, not focusing on speed but enjoying the process of running.

According to a PAC press release, one of the purposes of the event was to foster understanding among people of different ethnicities, particularly towards minority groups such as Asian

Americans. Asians make up 10.18 percent of New Jersey’s population, ranking fourth among all states and regions in the United States. After the COVID-19 pandemic deepened discrimination and bias against Chinese Americans, such need became more urgent. Hosting sports events like this and inviting other ethnicities to participate play a positive role in dispelling societal prejudices. PAC was formed by Chinese Americans in 2022 to enhance the quality of life for community members through sports, health, and social activities. They have organized many community events in the Princeton area, including fireside chats with the mayor, Lunar New Year cultural performances, weekend runs, and fitness seminars.

Participants from different age groups and ethnicities formed the backbone of this event. The oldest finisher was 74, and the youngest was 6, including many seasoned runners. Ya Gai won the men’s category with a time of 18:29.67, while Luise Barings won the women’s category with a time of 21:20.61.

CMAP is a nonprofit organization serving aging adults and their families in the greater Princeton area. But more than that, we’re a group of people with various interests, backgrounds, experiences, and passions. We’re active, engaged, and curious members of society. Much like the people we serve.

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Come check out all that we have to offer by visiting cmaprinceton.org.

Throughout the summer, you will find:

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• Special lecture series

• Reception greeters, GrandPals, HomeFriends, and other volunteer opportunities

Highlights this summer include:

• Evergreen Forum Master Class Summer Series

• Pride Day events

• Summer BBQ

• Program offerings in Spanish, Russian, and French

• TED Talks, First Friday Films

• Yoga, Every Body Walk!, Art Classes, Pickleball and so much more…

CMAP is a community nonprofit organization that exists to help older adults thrive. We carry out this mission by offering support and guidance to older adults and their families, and by providing vital human connections, compassionate social services, dynamic lifelong learning, and meaningful volunteer opportunities that promote active, healthy, and engaged aging for adults aged fifty-five and above.

Grad Students Vote “No,” Postdocs “Yes”

On Unionization at Princeton University

In two days of elections held last week, May 13 and 14, Princeton University graduate students voted against joining the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) by 652 votes to 391, a 63-37 percent split with more than 73 percent of the 1,523 eligible voters turning out. The previous week the University’s postdoctoral researchers voted by a margin of 484 to 89 to join a union with the United Auto Workers (UAW).

On April 12 Princeton Graduate Students United (PGSU), looking “to improve working conditions for everyone,” filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Established in 2016, PGSU claimed to have widespread support and a “strong majority” of graduate students who had signed union cards. University officials had expressed concerns about the establishment of a graduate student union, but seemed committed to supporting the election and had provided an abundance of information to make sure students were well informed on the pros and cons of unionization.

An opposition group, Princeton University Graduate

Students Against UE, argued that UE was not a good choice for Princeton University because of high mandatory union dues and divisive politics. The group also argued, according to its website, that Princeton salaries and benefits were relatively strong and that PGSU had not been communicating with graduate students in good faith and had failed to win informed consensus.

“At Princeton, graduate student voices matter and we appreciate the concerns raised by students during the campaign,” said Graduate School Dean Rodney Priestley, as quoted in a May 15 University press release. “We look forward to finding opportunities to continue strengthening our partnership with students to enhance the student experience and advance Princeton graduate education, guided by our unaltered commitments to Princeton’s research and teaching mission and the success and well-being of all Princeton graduate students.”

On the evening following the election, the Graduate School sent out a message to its students thanking “everyone who has thoughtfully considered unionization, participated in

the discussion over the past 15 months, and turned out to vote your convictions this week.” The message concludes, “As we have said throughout this campaign, the Graduate School will always support you.”

Princeton University is the only Ivy League school that does not have a graduate student union.

The post-doctoral researchers’ May 8 and 9 vote was the culmination of a campaign over the past several months in which 65 percent of Princeton postdocs had signed union cards.

“We won! We have our union!” states the post-docs’ union website. “We join a growing national movement of researchers and other academics forming unions with the UAW to improve our lives and our work. UAW postdoctoral researchers and graduate student workers across the country have made a difference advocating for science research funding, fair visa and immigration policies, and better working conditions in all academic institutions.”

In a May 9 email to postdocs and associate research scholars, Princeton University Dean of the Faculty Gene Andrew Jarrett reported the election results and stated that once the results were official “we will move forward in good faith to engage constructively with the union to support all postdocs and associate research scholars at Princeton. This milestone marks the beginning of a new chapter for all of us. By working collaboratively, we seek to create positive outcomes that benefit everyone in our community.”

—Donald Gilpin

New Leadership Elected at Princeton Community Housing

At Princeton Community Housing’s (PCH) 56th annual meeting, PCH trustees elected several new board members, and the gavel was passed to two new board presidents.

retired from the board in 2023, was granted trustee emerita status and recognized for her contributions, including creating the descriptor “The PCH Difference.”

Hosted at the Institute for Advanced Study, board members voted unanimously to elect James Demetriades, CEO of Penn Medicine Princeton, as president of the PCH Development Corporation for a two-year term, and Karen Jezierny, a community volunteer and retired public affairs director at Princeton University, as president of the Community Board for a two-year term. Kathleen “Kate” Farewell will return for another two-year term as vice president of the PCH Development Corporation, and Karen Delk will serve as vice president of the Community Board.

Founded in 1967, PCH provides, manages, and advocates for affordable housing, and serves more than 1,100 residents, or 3.5 percent of the Princeton population in 491 affordable rental homes for individuals, families, seniors, and people with disabilities, with very low-, low-, and moderate-incomes. PCH also provides supportive services through community partnerships coordinated by licensed social workers. In 2023, PCH opened the Jim and Fannie Floyd House, a multi-family apartment building with 25 new affordable homes at Princeton Community Village.

past-president of the Nassau Club who has dedicated himself to community service for such locations as McCarter Theater, Princeton Battlefield, Morven, and Hopewell Borough. The Mercer Oak is presented annually by PBS to individuals and organizations dedicated to preserving, protecting, and promoting America’s history and Princeton heritage.

Past Mercer Oak Award recipients include Jerald Hurwitz, Raoul Momo, Peter J. Travers, Mark & Rachel Herr, Roger Williams, and the Sons of the Revolution, New Jersey. Visit pbs1777.org for more information.

New trustees elected to the PCH Development Corporation Board include Christopher Costa of Lawrence Township, a real estate and land use attorney with Stevens & Lee; Jonah Lansky of Princeton, co-founder and deputy chief investment officer for Varadero Capital; Ashley Lyu of Princeton, a community volunteer and attorney; and Merilyn Rovira of Princeton, an executive leader in the affordable housing and community development sectors. Elected to the PCH Community Board were Jeff Hoisington of Skillman, a retired educator and longtime PCH committee volunteer; and Gene Rosenblum of Princeton, an attorney with the NJ Department of Health and PCH committee member.

Several departing board leaders were recognized for their service, including Alice K. Small of Princeton, who served two terms as president of the PCH Development Corporation and many years as a member-at-large; Valerie W. Haynes of Princeton, who will remain on the Community Board but has completed two terms as its president; Richard Gittleman of Princeton, a former PCH Development Corporation president and longtime volunteer of 16 years; Chad Klaus of Skillman, who served both boards for almost 20 years in committee leadership roles; and Linda Meisel of Princeton, a member-at-large of the Community Board. Elizabeth Bidwell Bates of Princeton, who

Battlefield Society Honors Liza and Sky Morehouse

Benjamin Strong, president, and the Board of Trustees of the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS), have announced that Liza and Sky Morehouse of Hopewell are the recipients of the 2024 Mercer Oak Award. The award will be presented to the couple at a June 13 reception at the Nassau Club, Princeton.

“Community involvement and leadership have been the hallmarks of Liza and Sky’s generous and dedicated work,” Strong said in the announcement. “Together and individually, they have demonstrated high standards of civic engagement, philanthropy, and service. Their interest and dedication to our nation’s founding and its history are well known. We are delighted to be honoring them. Just considering Morven Museum and Garden, you immediately see Liza’s hand, as president of the Morven board, in its growth and development as a prominent historic site for Princeton, the State of New Jersey, and the nation.

Sky Morehouse is an area business leader, preservationist, and immediate

nity Housing’s 2024 Annual Meeting, hosted at the Institute for Advanced Study, one of the nonprofit’s founding sponsoring organizations, on May 15.  Pictured, from left, are Jonah Lansky, James Demetriades, Merilyn Rovira, Ashley Lyu, Jeff Hoisington, Gene Rosenblum, Chris Costa, and Karen Jezierny.

Jugtown

Speaking in favor of the proposal, architectural historian Robert Wise defended the design and said it works well at its location. “It will impact the historic district. There is no doubt about it,” he said. “But I think it is appropriate, even though it is larger [than the historic house].”

Planner David Kinsey disagreed, saying the addition would not be compatible with the Hornor House and other buildings in the Jugtown Historic District. Among the many concerns shared by residents of the district during the public comment portion of the second meeting were increased traffic at an already dangerous intersection, the mass of the proposed building, and the impact on the neighborhood.

“The best way to reduce the perceived mass of the building is to reduce it and not shoehorn an elephant into a bathtub,” said James

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Bash. “The applicant should look to the 1985 addition to respect it and do it right.”

Some of the testimony was emotional. Resident Caryl Kuser said the term “view shed,” which had been introduced earlier by Hewitt, was particularly meaningful to her. “I didn’t know there was a term for it,” she said. “But when I drive from Kingston and approach that corner from even a half mile away, I feel a change in my breathing. That is what these historic buildings do. What I would love is to not have that gut-wrenching feeling of that house not being free-standing anymore. Because that’s what gives [me] a deep breath when we approach that corner.”

Others urged the developer to find another site for the project, suggesting the lots behind the Bank of America or Whole Earth Center as more appropriate possibilities.

Before voting, HPC members offered their views. David Schure said the proposal was a “great idea, wrong place.” He added that the impact on the district would be “a very high price to pay for three affordable units.”

Community College Designated

As Hispanic-Serving Institution

Mercer County Community College (MCCC) has earned the designation of HispanicServing Institution (HSI) from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

To be eligible for this designation, the U.S. DOE completes an assessment that requires the designee to have at least a 25 percent enrollment of full-time students who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino. MCCC met this criteria based on Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, or IPEDS, data. The designation also requires that criteria be met pertaining to the enrollment of low-income students and university cost per student.

“This federal designation is a significant milestone toward reducing barriers to higher education, and creating an inclusive environment with equitable outcomes for all students,” said MCCC President Deborah Preston. “It will allow us to continue providing the tools needed to empower our Hispanic and Latino students, and ultimately the broader community.”

This designation provides opportunities to apply for grants within the Titles III and V programs. It also allows MCCC to tap into other resources including waiver eligibility of the non-Federal share matching requirements under the Federal Work Study Program, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, and the TRIO Student Support Services Program that are intended to enhance academic programs, facilities, and services that expand educational opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

Financial Fraud is Topic of June Workshop

A workshop on financial fraud will be held on Thursday, June 27 from 6:307:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Headquarter Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike.

Sourland Conservancy Plants Trees on Sourland Properties

Residents of the Sourland Region who might like to attract more butterfl ies and birds to their backyards, want to plant more native trees and shrubs, or may have lost a favorite tree due to insects or storms may be able to look to the Sourland Conservancy for help.

In 2022, the Conservancy was awarded a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grant to plant native trees and shrubs directly on private land within the Forest Service Priority Area within the Sourland Region. This work helps provide critical habitat and strengthens connectivity to help keep wildlife populations healthy.

“Where quality still matters.”

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Elric Endersby, who had presented a detailed account of the Hornor House’s historical signifi cance during the fi rst meeting, said the proposed project would harm the existing architectural details of the building. “This is an effort which was made at a time which was very elemental, and not of them seems to be reflected in what you’ve come up with as an addition,” he said, referring to the development team.

—Anne Levin

In 2023, the Biden-Harris administration awarded more than $40 million to HSIs around the U.S. to expand educational opportunities, strengthen resources and improve retention of Hispanic and Latino students and the institutions preparing them for the future.

Sonal Vyas, a financial center manager from Bank of America, is the presenter. The workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to protect their money and identify potential red flags in financial transactions. Vyal will also discuss common scenarios such as overpayment scams and the misuse of money transfer services.

The workshop is sponsored by the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Registration in advance can be made by visiting mcl.org or calling (609) 883-8292.

The Conservancy is looking for 25 more Sourland Region residents who would like to have staff plant native trees and shrubs on their property. All trees and shrubs will be protected with white plastic tree tubes. Residents must agree to maintain the trees and remove the tubes once the trees outgrow them.

Those interested should email their address to Sourland Conservancy’s Stewardship Director Rob Aluck, at stewards@sourland.org, using “USFS planting inquiry” in the subject line.

On May 9, at 4:30 a.m., a retail establishment on Nassau Street reported that $246 in merchandise was shoplifted by two unidentified female suspects. The suspects were described as an approximately 5’1, 30-year-old female with a heavy build and long braided hair, wearing a gray sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, Crocs shoes, and eyelash extensions; and an approximately 5’2, 25-year-old female with a thin build and long braided hair, wearing a light color cropped Lululemon jacket, white pants, Crocs shoes, and eyelash extensions.

On May 7, at 11:07 a.m., subsequent to an appearance in Princeton Municipal Court, a 53-year-old female from Bridgewater was found to be in contempt of court, and ordered to be taken into custody. During the process she resisted arrest and was placed under arrest, charged accordingly, and released.

National Nonprofit Partners with University

To Open Libraries in New Jersey Prisons

Before he graduated from Yale Law School and became a MacArthur Fellow, Reginald Dwayne Betts spent nine years in prison after pleading guilty to carjacking. He was only 16. It was the availability of books, and the engagement with literature, that got him through those years without crushing his spirit.

An award-winning poet, Betts was a resident artist at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts in 2021. In a new connection with the University, Betts’ national nonprofit Freedom Reads has just opened nine Freedom Libraries at Garden State Correctional Facility, a state prison for adults in Chesterfield, Burlington

County. Princeton University Library is a supporter.

“Freedom Reads is, as I am personally, tremendously grateful to Princeton and the Princeton University Library for their continuing support over years,” Betts said in an announcement of the program from the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC). “This ongoing support helped make possible a powerful theater adaptation of one of my poetry collections that we now bring to incarcerated adults and kids in prisons across the nation. It is therefore most fitting that Princeton University Library joins us as we partner with the New Jersey Department of Corrections to open the First

Freedom Libraries in the New Jersey prison system.”

During his Lewis Center residency, Betts worked with Jane Cox, director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater; and Elise Thoron, co-founding artistic director of Literature to Life. The collaboration produced an adaptation of Betts’ poetry collection FELON into the solo theater piece FELON: An American Washi Tale . The piece explored the consequences of having a criminal record, fatherhood, the power of literature, and love. Performances were held in March of 2023 along with related events and an exhibit co-sponsored by numerous University departments, including the University Library.

“It was an honor to participate in the development

FREEDOM THROUGH LITERATURE: New Jersey Department of Corrections Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, left, and poet and Freedom Reads founder and CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts admire a new bookcase in a housing wing of Garden State Correctional Facility.

of Betts’ first work for the stage,” said Cox in the announcement from the NJDOC. The performance piece “powerfully demonstrated to our students how performance can bring varied communities together and humanize critical issues.”

Betts founded Freedom Reads in 2020 with a grant from the Mellon Foundation. To date, the nonprofit has opened 303 Freedom Libraries in 37 prisons across 10 states. The Garden State Correctional Facility libraries, which opened May 15 with a performance of FELON: An American Washi Tale, are the first in the New Jersey correctional system.

“Freedom Libraries seek to create a space in prisons to encourage community and in which reaching for a book can be as spontaneous as human curiosity,” reads the release. “Each bookcase is handcrafted out of maple, walnut, or cherry, and is curved to contrast the straight lines and bars of prisons as well as to evoke Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s observation about the “arc of the universe’ and bending ‘toward justice.’”

NJDOC Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn thanked Freedom Reads and the University for the library collections. “These donated books are more than just resources — they’re tools for transformation,” she said. “Within their pages lie the potential to empower minds, unlock opportunities, and cultivate a culture of learning that fosters rehabilitation, reintegration, and a brighter future.”

Books in the collection of Freedom Reads are curated through consultations with poets, novelists, philosophers, and readers. The libraries include works by novelists, essayists, and contemporary poets, as well as classics such as Homer’s The Odyssey and the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, “titles that remind us that the book has long been a freedom project,” reads the release.

Anne Jarvis, Dean of Libraries and Robert H. Taylor University Librarian, said the library is proud to participate and provide support for the initiative. “Collaborating with organizations like Freedom Reads to promote opportunities to read and discover is a critical part of our mission,” she said.

For more information, visit freedomlibraries.org.

—Anne Levin

of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) stewardship team to collect bags of Dame’s rocket, an attractive but aggressive species, from the pollinator garden at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Preserve. They learned that a single Dame’s rocket plant can spread over 20,000 seeds, and used the uprooted plants to make beautiful bouquets and sample sautéed Dame’s rocket. Visit fopos.org to learn about the next volunteer event on June 8.

Watershed Institute Awarded Grant from American Water

The Watershed Institute announced on May 17 that it was awarded an American Water Charitable Foundation 2024 Water and Environment grant to expand its StreamWatch Schools Program in diverse communities.

“We are grateful to the American Water Charitable Foundation for helping The Watershed Institute expand its StreamWatch Schools program,” said Executive Director Jim Waltman. “StreamWatch Schools is a unique water quality monitoring program led by children. The program enables students of all ages to contribute water quality data to a central online platform and to download data from other schools and water monitors.”

The StreamWatch Schools program is a platform, led by Watershed Educators, for teaching STEM skills to students while fostering an appreciation for nature and preparing students for future careers. It also promotes environmental stewardship and personal well-being. The program offers engaging, handson activities that teach STEM skills and provide opportunities for students to connect with and explore the natural world. This exposure to nature has therapeutic benefits and promotes mental and physical health.

The platform offers teachers a seamless way to incorporate

STEM skills and an appreciation for the value of natural resources into their classrooms. The program serves as an investment in the community by teaching youth valuable STEM skills and instilling in them an appreciation for the importance of safeguarding natural resources that promote human health and well-being. The program disconnects kids from electronics and connects them with the therapeutic natural world.

The Water and Environment grant is part of the American Water Charitable Foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established by American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S. and aims to support high-impact projects and initiatives that further American Water’s commitment to ESG, as well as inclusion, diversity, and equity.

“The American Water Charitable Foundation is committed to participating and investing in organizations and programs that benefit the diverse communities served by American Water,” said Carrie Williams, president, American Water Charitable Foundation.

“We take pride and are proud to further American Water’s ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor and strong partner in the community.”

10 A.M. Parade Route: Nassau Street (All active and former members of the military are invited to participate)

candidate Brian McDonald are also running unopposed in seeking spots on the November ballot, and no Republicans have filed for the Princeton Council nomination.

Other candidates on the Democratic primary ballot include incumbent Mercer County Commissioners Kristin L. McLaughlin, Terrance Stokes, and Samuel Frisby running uncontested for three spots on the ballot; Jason Mangone and Felicia A. Spitz running for two positions on the Democratic County Committee; and Joseph R. Biden Jr and Terrisa Bukovinac running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

On the Republican primary ballot Donald J. Trump is unopposed for the presidential nomination; Andrew Curcio, Pedro Reyes, and Denise “Neicy” Turner are unopposed as county commissioner nominees; and Christine O’Shaughnessy is unopposed as one of two potential Republican nominees on the County Committee.

Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello reports that sample ballots are being mailed out this week and will also be available on the County Clerk website at mercercounty.org.

In a May 20 phone conversation, she advised all voters

to read their sample ballots carefully. Note your polling location, which might have changed, she emphasized, and if you’re a Democrat be prepared for a new, quite different ballot format.

Covello commented on the new block ballot design recently adopted by Democrats in accordance with a federal court order in response to a lawsuit filed by U.S. Senate candidate Kim. The block ballot format replaces, at least for now (pending court challenges), the “line” format previously used in Mercer County and elsewhere in the state. The ruling does not apply to candidates on the Republican primary ballot, which remains in traditional line format.

To determine placements on the Democratic primary ballots, candidate names were drawn randomly by Covello and county clerks in every other New Jersey county. To identify candidates endorsed by the Mercer County Democratic Committee, voters must look for the slogan “Regular Democratic Organization” on the ballot above the candidate’s name.

“I don’t think people realize how big of a change this is,” Covello said. “People are used to voting down the line. ‘Oh, you’re a Democrat,’ people say to me. ‘I must have voted for you because I vote straight down the line.’ But now you have to know who you’re voting

for. You need to read your ballot much more carefully because the endorsed candidate, if you’re looking for that person, might not be the top person on the list.”

In a recent Princeton Perspectives article, Covello noted, “With a highly competitive presidential election in front of us this November, we enter uncharted territory when it comes to ballot design. For, it is not known if the new ballot design is going to be used for only the primary election of 2024, or if these undecided cases will ultimately impact the design of the general election ballot as well.”

In any case, Covello emphasized, “It’s important that all registered voters vote, either by mail or in person on June 4 Election Day at your designated polling location or early at one of seven early voting locations — including the Princeton Municipal Building at 400 Witherspoon Street —throughout Mercer County.”

Early voting, May 29 to June 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, allows voters to avoid potential crowds and accommodate busy schedules, a clerk’s office flier points out.

“It’s so important that people exercise their right to vote,” said Covello, “because we have seen so many races where candidates are winning by narrow margins. In Princeton we’ve had onevote School Board races. Leadership makes a difference, and you want to make sure that you express your voice about who leads.”

—Donald Gilpin

ALL IN THE FAMILY: This photo of a Hunterdon County clan a century ago is an example of what might be found in a session on how to research genealogy, on June 15 at the Hunterdon County Historical Society’s Hiram E. Deats Library in Flemington.

Professional Genealogist To Teach About Research

At the Hunterdon County Historical Society’s Hiram E. Deats Library on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., professional genealogist Betty DeSapio will teach how to find and interpret the vast resources available to help discover family genealogy.

Participants will learn how to set goals, discover online and archival resources, how to understand core research sources (including land and tax records, probate records and military records), conduct oral histories and get the hands-on help needed to begin their genealogical journey. All participants

will take home a folder full of state and local genealogy information to help further their research.

This workshop is geared toward the beginner to advanced beginner. Cost is $15 for members, $25 for non-members. It includes a break for lunch and participants are invited to bring a bagged lunch or visit a local restaurant.

DeSapio specializes in Mid-Atlantic, Italian, and German genealogy. She holds a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University and certificates from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies for American Records, German Records, English Records,

Italian Records and General Methodology. A trustee for the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, DeSapio also volunteers for the Hunterdon County Historical Society. She lives in Kingwood Township, where she is the township historian. She is also the owner of DeSapio Research Services.

The Deats Library is located at 114 Main Street in Flemington. On-street parking is available near the library or in the lot across from the library’s entrance. Register at hunterdonhistory.org or (908) 782-1091.

a Princeton tradition!

Mailbox

The views of the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of Town Topics.

Noting High Rate of Accidents at Corner of Harrison and Nassau

To the Editor:

Much has been written about the proposed four-story addition to the historic Horner House at the corner of Harrison and Nassau streets. Let us add just one additional piece of information.

Recently we received from our municipal police department their accident reports for this intersection for the past three years During the period, 22 accidents occurred requiring police presence at this location: 17 were for twocar vehicle accidents, two for hit-and-run accidents, two for single car crashes, and one for a three-car crash. This information is just one more tile in the mosaic of why this project should not be allowed to go forward.

To add a 15-unit residential building with a garage emptying onto Harrison Street just a few yards away from this intersection is a recipe for disaster unless one hopes to raise the annual accident total above double figures.

LYDIA AND WALTER FRANK Riverside Drive

New Beech Leaf and Bark Diseases Threaten Princeton’s Beech Trees

To the Editor:

Over the next 10 years, Princeton appears fated to lose nearly all of its beech trees. A new disease, called beech leaf disease, is sweeping through our nature preserves and neighborhoods. It’s caused by nematodes — a worm tiny enough to overwinter in the beech’s long, coppery buds, causing contortions and curious stripings in the emerging leaves.

Information online is not encouraging. Since first being discovered 12 years ago near Holden Arboretum in Ohio, it has spread quickly, extending thus far south to Virginia and east to Maine. Though I had heard rumblings of some sort of disease affecting beech trees, I managed to keep my head in the sand, basking innocently in the beauty of the great tree’s smooth gray bark, admiring its dramatic root flare and towering canopy. In the Institute Woods, there’s a massive beech with a split trunk you can walk through.

My innocence was shattered a week ago, when I spotted the contorted leaves while walking the red trail through a section of Herrontown Woods containing thousands of beech. Mountain Lakes is reportedly affected, and a walk through Autumn Hill Reservation confirmed that the crowns of nearly all beech trees are beginning to thin. Yesterday evening, I stopped by

the fabulously multi-trunked European

There are actually two new diseases. Beech bark disease also poses a mortal threat. Both are caused by introduced invasive organisms against which the American and European beech have evolved no defense.

Some would say that change is a constant in the world, but it’s the rate of change that determines the trauma, much as the speed of a traffic accident determines the damage done. Nature has no time to adapt. Beech leaf disease arrives barely 10 years after the emerald ash borer began reducing our ash trees to skeletons. Many of our pin and red oaks are succumbing to bacterial leaf scorch. The American chestnut struggles to return.

Though we no longer have towering elm or ash, and fewer oaks, younger specimens are still around. What is striking about beech leaf disease is that it reportedly kills young and old trees alike, and no preventative has been discovered. We can hope that a few beech will prove resistant, but otherwise its distinctive beauty and many ecological benefits to wildlife and people will be lost. As a friend noted, comparing the snail’s pace of tree research to the quick response to COVID, where is science when we need it?

Outrage is often triggered by the intentional cutting of trees. The highly visible spotted lanternfly caused a stir, yet has proven relatively innocuous. The biggest threats we face are neither visible nor intentional. The emerald ash borer is hidden behind bark. Nematodes are microscopic. Our machines’ climate-radicalizing carbon dioxide? Unintended and invisible. There is so much joy still to experience, for me particularly in Herrontown Woods, and yet in the larger workings of the world, so much to grieve.

STEVE HILTNER

president, Friends of Herrontown Woods North Harrison Street

Covered Recycling Bins with Wheels Should Be Available in Mercer County

To the Editor:

I noticed with dismay that we can now get another yellow recycling bin here in Princeton, and I assume throughout Mercer County. This doubles down on an inefficient and illogical program as the Mercer County Improvement Authority has actively banned the use of standard, wheeled, and covered blue recycling bins.

If you ask, as I did, why we can no longer use the wheeled, covered blue bins many of us (probably hundreds in the county) use to make trundling recycling to the curb easier, the answer is “They’re too heavy.” But one wonders how heavy they are compared to an open yellow bin half filled with rain-soaked newspapers. And besides, they have wheels. And, regarding the use of these lid-covered, dry, and easily moved bins, the suggestion was: “Go buy a lid and a cart if

[moving bins] is an issue.” Well, as a senior citizen, it is, and the answer is condescending in the extreme. Other communities nationwide systematically provide and use the blue recycling bins, e.g. Raritan Valley nearby, or even distant New Haven and Hamden, Conn., and some even use a single-driver truck that has an automated arm to lift, empty, and return these bins to the curb. Weight and size are not an issue. But for us, it’s another clunky yellow bin. The Mercer County Improvement Authority should take a hard look at its banning of the blue bins and refresh its understanding of how to encourage recycling by making it more convenient and efficient for county citizens. For we senior citizens, dragging rain-soaked yellow bins to the curb is definitely not the answer.

Thanking All Who Contributed to Success of Recent AAPI 5K Event

To the Editor:

Princeton Active Circle (PAC), a Princeton nonprofit organization, successfully hosted the recent AAPI 5K Run and Walk event which took place on May 11 at the Carnegie Center. With over 200 enthusiastic participants from various ethnic backgrounds, the AAPI 5K brought together individuals of all ages and walks of life to promote mutual understanding and appreciation. It was heartwarming to witness the spirit of inclusivity in the event, as people of different cultures came together to support a common cause.

PAC would like to extend its sincere gratitude to all the participants, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who contributed to the success of the AAPI 5K. Your support and dedication have not only made this event possible, but have also helped to raise awareness of embracing diversity and promoting cultural exchange.

Events like AAPI 5K play a crucial role in building bridges of understanding and cooperation within our community. By coming together to celebrate our shared values and traditions, we send a powerful message of solidarity and unity that resonates beyond the confines of the race track.

PAC encourages members of the community to continue supporting initiatives like the AAPI 5K and to embrace opportunities for cultural exchange and dialogue. Together, we can build a more inclusive and harmonious society where everyone feels valued and respected.

Thank you once again to all who participated in and supported the AAPI 5K Run and Walk event. Your involvement has made a significant impact and will continue to inspire positive change in our community for years to come.

PRINCETON ACTIVE CIRCLE Nassau Street

DAVID H. MILLER Hawthorne Avenue

Supporting Bonnie

Watson Coleman For Reelection to U.S. Congress

To the Editor:

I am honored to support the reelection of Bonnie Watson Coleman, who has served our district since 2014 as the first African American woman to represent New Jersey in Congress. Her work there, and before that for eight terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, continues a family legacy of public service. She fights for women, for populations that are economically and socially disadvantaged, and for other vulnerable groups in the U.S. and elsewhere. She is informed on the issues and votes her conscience rather than following scripts written by sponsoring organizations. As an American Jew, I appreciate her support for substantive solutions to the rising threat of antisemitism instead of symbolic gestures that only inflame tensions. In the Middle East, her support for a diplomatic path to a two-state solution based on peace and accountability shows me that her political judgment is thoughtful and nuanced. She focuses on resolving conflicts for the long term rather than on scoring partisan political points in the short term.

Princeton’s First Tradition Worship Service

Sundays at 10am

Preaching

26 is

Reunions

Please vote for Bonnie Watson Coleman in the Democratic primary, and please encourage your friends to do so as well.

SHERRY ROSEN Clover Lane

Hoping Developer Comes Back with a Better Plan for Nassau Street Project

To the Editor:

After two days of a special meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the HPC on May 14 recommended to the Planning Board against the developer’s application for major site development at 344 Nassau Street and denied the application for demolition of the rear of the Hornor House, a cornerstone building of the Jugtown Historic District and recently recognized by Preservation NJ as one of the 10 most threatened historic buildings in New Jersey.

The HPC correctly decided based on the historic preservation ordinance and the affordable housing overlay ordinance. At the HPC meeting, members of the Princeton community expressed strong support for the Save Jugtown Coalition’s opposition to this development.

The case against this application was crystal clear. This project was the wrong one for the site. The application failed to meet the requirements of historic site development. The result would have increased the floor area by five times, have been 45 feet high instead of 29 feet, and would have demolished the back of the Hornor House, whereas the AHO-2 ordinance explicitly requires its retention. The addition would have overwhelmed the existing Hornor House, instead of being subordinate to it, as is required under historic preservation standards.

The building setbacks proposed for the addition were inadequate and a threat to pedestrian safety. This application was just a bad project that failed the test. Save Jugtown Coalition hopes the developer will come back with a better project. We said this to the developer a year ago, when we asked for an addition in a scale and design that respected the Hornor House and complied with the historic preservation ordinance. This debacle did not need to be dragged on for over a year. An application must fit the site and the rules for historic preservation and for the AHO-2. Fortunately, the HPC agreed.

DON DENNY Nassau Street

Watson Coleman Has Been Fighter for State, Especially its Most Vulnerable

To the Editor:

I am writing to encourage your readers to support and vote for our incumbent Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman in the June 4 Democratic primary, where she is being challenged by a conservative ex-Republican.

As a congresswoman, Bonnie has been an indefatigable fighter for the people of our state, and especially for its most vulnerable groups. She is a fair and thoughtful legislator, aiming to ensure that millions of Americans, and New Jerseyans in particular, do not live below the poverty line nor experience permanent financial fallout from a single unexpected crisis. She has worked tirelessly to rectify the environmental inequalities found in poor neighborhoods where environmental violations often go unpunished. She is also a member of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, and founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, fighting for women’s rights and equality. Before her tenure in Washington, she was the majority leader in the New Jersey Assembly, where she championed pioneering legislation for prisoner rehabilitation and re-entry programs, earning praise from the New York Times as “a model for the rest of the nation.”

We could not wish for a better representative for our congressional district.

Let’s vote for Bonnie on June 4 and allow her to continue the important work she is doing in the House. We need more people like Bonnie in the U.S. Congress!

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.

Sunday, May

Rev. James F. Cox III ’74., Reunions Preacher, Princeton University Music performed by the Princeton University Chapel Choir with Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music and Chapel Choir, and with Eric Plutz, University Organist.

EMMA KOHN Pine Street

Books

Pride Author Panel, Book Brunch

At Princeton Public Library June 2

Princeton Public Library kicks off Pride Month on Sunday, June 2 at 11 a.m. with an Epic Pride Author Panel and Book Brunch sponsored by Epic Reads, a website for readers of Young Adult books. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. for brunch served by Jammin’ Community Café.

Participating authors will interact with attendees and pose for selfies at this celebration of diverse books that center LGBTQIAP+ voices and stories. The event sponsor, Epic Reads, will be on site with giveaways, a photo booth, and games.

Following a panel discussion with the authors, a book signing will be held on Hinds Plaza where the library and event partners, HiTOPS and Labyrinth Books, will have tents to visit.

“This event will be a fun celebration of diverse books and LGBTQIAP+ voices,” said Teen Services Librarian Marissa Warren. “We’re excited to be connecting these authors with readers in our community.”

About the authors:

Erik J. Brown is the author of All That’s Left in the World , and was selected as a Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Fellow. When not writing genre-blending books for young adults, he enjoys traveling and embarking on the relentless quest of appeasing his Shiba Inu. He lives in Philadelphia with his husband.

Vichet Chum (he/him) is a Cambodian American writer originally from Carrollton, Texas. He graduated from the University of Evansville and received an MFA from Brown University. He currently lives in New York City. Kween is his debut novel. More information is at vichetchum.com.

Alex Crespo, born and raised by the Great Lakes, writes about queer love, magic, and all the ways they intersect. When not writing, you can find him making

and their local libraries,” said Brown. “I’m looking forward to spending the day with readers who are there to celebrate pride with us!”

Each year, Epic Reads, a major online destination for the Young Adult novel community and books for teens, celebrates Pride Month with educational campaigns and events. For more information, visit epicreads.com.

Roebling Museum to Host “Historical Morsels” Reading

A quarter century ago, Roebling Museum volunteer John Devoti began writing a monthly newsletter column on any historical topic that caught his fancy. Twentyfive years later, he has compiled those columns into a book, Tidbits of History: 25 Years of Historical Morsels.

On Saturday, June 1, at the Roebling Museum, 100

2nd Avenue, Roebling, from 1 to 2 p.m., he will read from a selection of his favorite columns in the book (BookBaby, $50), followed by a book signing.

According to his book page on amazon.com, the author left an auditing job to get a doctorate in history, and wrote The Patriotic Business of Seeking Office: James K. Polk and the Patronage and has taught college history.

The event is free for museum members, and free with paid admission to museum for others. Museum admission is $7 for those over age 18; $6 for those age 62 and older; $6 for active military; $6 for students age 11 and up; and $2 for ALL SNAP EBT card holders from any state, up to four people. For more information, visit roeblingmuseum.org.

art or daydreaming about the Mothman. He currently lives in Chicago with an endless anime watchlist and his black cat, Hex.

Tony Keith Jr. is a Black American poet, spoken word artist, and hip-hop educational leader from Washington, D.C. He is the author of the YA memoir in verse How the Boogeyman Became a Poet . His writings have appeared in the International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, the Journal of Black Masculinity, and many others. A multiyear fellow of the D.C Commission on the Arts and Humanities with a Ph.D. in education from George Mason University, Keith is CEO of Ed Emcee Academy and lives with husband Harry Christian III in his D.C. hometown. Visit him at tonykeithjr.com.

Kasey LeBlanc was an Alice Hoffman fellow with GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator program and a finalist for the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence program. He has since been published by WBUR’s Cognoscenti, Writer Unboxed, and Them. When not writing, he can be found learning to unicycle and mourning the loss of Boston’s only flying trapeze school. More information is at kaseyleblanc. com.

Jenna Miller (she/her) writes young adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. When she’s not obsessing over words, she can be found making charcuterie boards, befriending people online, cross-stitching or adventuring in the Minneapolis area. Out of Character is her debut novel and is followed by We Got the Beat

“With the rise in book banning, it’s so exciting to have a community that supports queer authors

ride! Get Ready to Ride!

Highsmith’s Nonstop New York: Bringing the Map to Life

Everybody here was someone else before And you can want who you want Boys and boys and girls and girls

—Taylor Swift, from “Welcome to New York”

In the thicket of super high-rises going up near Central Park South, it’s anything but rare to read of apartment sales like the $95 million recently fetched by the penthouse at 432 Park Avenue, a ninetysix-story needle in the sky....The tower casts a shadow on Central Park, making it all too perfect an emblem of the sacrifice of the public to the private in the neoliberal age.

—from Nonstop Metropolis

I’m beginning my journey through 20thcentury New York City with a 21st-century boost from Taylor Swift ahead of a dose of “ninety-six-story-needle” reality from Rebecca Solnit’s introduction to Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas (University of California Press 2016), edited by Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro. Although I live only an hour’s drive away from Manhattan, the last time I was there was four and a half years ago for the New York Public Library’s centennial celebration of J.D. Salinger, whose own New York lives on in his fiction. All this year I’ve been missing the city where Swift says “everybody’s searchin’ for a sound we hadn’t heard before,” and where in the 1940s novelist Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) lived life to the hilt and wrote about it in her diaries and notebooks.

Meanwhile I’ve been admiring the handsome, inventive, intricately detailed maps in Nonstop Metropolis . The first map, “Singing the City: The New York of Dreams,” is layered with the names of songs and singers according to their respective neighborhoods (Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street,” Ben E. King’s “Spanish Harlem”). What worked for me was “53rd & 3rd,” not the Ramones song noted on the map but the neighborhood I knew as a ninth grader and when I bonded with the city a decade after Highsmith.

On Third Avenue

According to her notebook for January 27, 1943, Highsmith had just turned 22 and moved out of her parents’ apartment to her first home, at 353 East 56th, where she was headed one late night “so drunk with alcohol and cigarette and sleeplessness” that she was weaving “from one side of the pavement to the other” as a boy and girl emerged from a Third Avenue bar. In parting, the girl tells the boy “Take care of that cold!” and he says “You take care of it for me!” and she says “I will.” Highsmith was tempted to begin a conversation, moved by “the sense of fiction in the scene,” the “mood, the style, the atmosphere and the tones unplayed above and below, the multitudinous sketch lines which a writer might have put in be -

fore and after,” none of which she’d have remembered so well had she been sober. And so she concluded that drinking was “a fine imitation of the artistic process,” that “there’s something of the artist in every drunkard” and “God bless them all!”

Highsmith wasn’t drunk when she gave her blessing to Henry James. On January 16, 1945, a day after discoursing on hangovers (“intimations of the tomb”), she wrote, “Henry James sits on a shelf, inviting me to forget my brief and unimportant day and stay with him in a slow moving, rarefied world which I know will leave me clean, belonging finally to no time and place.” She ends the entry: “Merely to exist is an ecstatic pleasure. How inadequate are all these words, when the physical sensation makes me taut, wanting to shout, laugh, leap around my room, and at the same time be quiet and learn and feel all I can.”

New York Numbers

James’s musings on the mundane nature of the city’s numbered streets accompany his conflicted appreciation of “Remarkable, unspeakable New York!” in The American Scene (1907). “Where was the place after all?” he asked himself. “Was it ‘on’ Third Avenue, on Second, on fabulous unattempted First? Nothing would induce me to cut down the romance of it, in remembrance, to a mere address, least of all to an awful New York one.”

Highsmith’s New York moments took place in the shadow of the Third Avenue El, which was still standing in January 1953 when I would take the subway at 53rd and Third every school day morning while my father took it uptown to Columbia University and my mother took the El downtown to her job with the Waterfront Crime Commission. A quick inventory of the streets I lived on besides East 53rd include East 57th (above Hammacher Schlemmer), West 87th (home to Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, and W.B.Yeats), and 137th and Riverside Drive (sublet from the actor who shot Gregory Peck in the back in The Gunfighter ). First year on my own in New York it was 16 Christopher Street (home to e.e. cummings, Yoko Ono, and the Stonewall Inn). Two summers of long walks and jazz in the night were spent on Washington Square North, whose entry hall was used in William Wyler’s film of Henry James’s Washington Square

A New York Legend

Does it matter that I had no intention of blessing drunken writers when I began my lament for this unlosable lost city?

That’s the beauty of New York. Turning a vicarious corner last week, I found myself back on my old block of West 87th, off Central Park, scene of a grisly murder in a television series, The Night Of, created by Steven Zaillian, whose recent Netflix series Ripley is what led me to Patricia Highsmith in the first place.

“The legend of James Agee was becoming known to the literary community of Manhattan,” according to Robert Coles, “around the time Henry Luce moved Fortune magazine into the Chrysler Building, where the enormously talented writer who drank a lot, slept around, and ... would write while listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony so loudly and so often that people worried whether the Chrysler Building would withstand the orchestral blasts.”

I found the author of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men in Teresa Carpenter’s collection New York Diaries 1609 to 2009 (Modern Library 2012), which also includes several entries that match up with Sunday to Wednesday of this week, May 19-22.

In the May 19, 1953 entry, filmmaker Judith Malina ( Paradise Now ) writes: “King Street is one of those dark, quaint vestiges of old New York and the route to it from the café is dank with garbage pails and [T.S. Eliot’s] ‘the yellow smoke that curls.’ The room on the first floor floods the street with light. It is fearsomely bright. Inside, Agee sits at his typewriter acting out each sentence before he writes it. His face moving to the rhythm. I watch for a long time before he sees me through the window and lets me in.”

Jesse James Lives I hadn’t originally intended to include Jack Kerouac, another fatally heavy drinker, in this slice of Manhattan, but here he is in New York Diaries on May 20, 1948, waiting to hear from a publisher (Scribner’s) about the novel eventually published by Harcourt, Brace as The Town and the City : “Their silence and businesslike judicious patience is driving me crazy with tension, worry, expectation, disappointment — everything.” The heart of the entry is Kerouac’s response to the “thrilling news that Jesse James is still alive,” which “doesn’t seem to impress the

New York world at all.” Since Kerouac had to know somewhere deep down that Jesse had been shot dead in 1882, his excitement shows that Highsmith was right to celebrate drinking as “a fine imitation of the artistic process,” wherein “the brain jumps directly to that which it seeks,” if not always the truth.

Two More Swerves

On May 21, 1910, artist John Sloan stood in the rain watching Suffrage Party women in a parade and protest meeting at Union Square and found himself “in a little hot worded row with a man who was ridiculing the women, no bloodshed.” Seventy-seven years ago today, May 22, 1947, diarist Edward Robb Ellis arrived by train in New York City “which I’d never seen before, walked through the grandeur of Grand Central Terminal, stepped outside, got my first look at the city and instantly fell in love with it. Silently, inside myself, I yelled: I should have been born here! ”

The last of these 20th-century Manhattan match-ups took place on April 23, 1946, Shakespeare’s birthday, when Highsmith noted that no city in the world “approaches New York, which is almost the site of the universal womb, the simulacrum of the Wonderful Bed (physical comfort) from which the recluse, the cosmopolitan, the man of intellect, may stretch forth his hand to obtain whatever thing it be that he desires — food, art, or a character.”

Endgame

“Oscillating New York,” the last map in Nonstop Metropolis, comes with an essay by historian Thomas J. Campanella, who writes: “Manhattan is still the glowworm of Gotham, but its monopoly on light is not what it was,” as it “schlepps” more and more to Brooklyn “for food, culture, and even work.... In the end, of course, we all leave town. And even the most committed Manhattanite must leave the mighty isle — unless opting to be scattered there as ashes.”

In the end, the metaphor rules. As Rebecca Solnit explains in the introduction, the idea behind the title is of “a huge heart forever pumping an exceptionally fluid population in and out of the city. When your heart stops, you die; the city never stops; and New York in particular is a nonstop metropolis, throbbing and rushing at all times of day and night.”

—Stuart Mitchner

Note: I’m looking forward to reading Highsmith’s second novel, The Price of Salt, which came to be known as the rare “lesbian novel with a happy ending.” Originally published under the pseudonym Claire Morgan, it was not released under Highsmith’s name until 1990, when it was retitled Carol. In 2015, 20 years after the author’s death, Todd Haynes adapted the novel into a film starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

Hosted at The Farminary, Princeton Theological Seminary’s 21-acre sustainable farm, this series features different scholars, activists, and artists offering short talks or being interviewed over dinner. They are paired with a world-class chef who prepares the meal with a portion of the produce coming straight from the farm. Each event in the series will be capped at 25 people for a more intimate experience.

No big presentations. Just big ideas and delicious food.

June 6, 2024

Eric Barretto

Made with Love: Theology, Identity and the Table

Exploring how the people and food around the tables we grew up at continue to shape who we are today.

Featuring Chef Jesse Jones

Chef Jesse is a classically trained chef known for his modern approach to southern cuisine. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Chef Jesse’s culinary DNA was developed during childhood summers in Snow Hill, North Carolina where his grandmother’s cast iron stove was the source of many memorable food experiences. Today, he continues to be influenced by her legacy, bridging past and present through interpreting classic southern dishes with French techniques.

Welcome Summer Town Topics

The first annual Isabella de la Houssaye award will be presented to the top female finisher in the 10K race The award will be given every year to honor Isabella’s extraordinary life Sadly, she passed away in December of 2023, after a battle with cancer A non-smoker, Isabella felt it important to raise awareness o screening

Isabella served on the Watershed’s Trail Run Committee from 2016-2023, providing insigh and advice to the Watershed staff and volunteers on how to organize a successful running event She ran the event each year and recruited her family and friend to join her Team Bella.

This year, Team Bella will run in Isabella’s memory. To join the team, choose Team Bella on the Teams section of the registration site.

Isabella and her familly at The Watershed Institute

A Writer’s Article Challenges Her

Decisions and Relationships in “Choice”; McCarter Stages “Wicked” Librettist’s Empathetic, Often Humorous Drama

American political discourse, which already is fraught and polarized, only intensifies when the subject has a religious or spiritual aspect to it.

With Choice , playwright Winnie Holzman examines one of the most polarizing subjects: a woman’s right to choose. On the surface, the play is about reproductive freedom — and the possible ramifications of the decision that is made. But the piece also examines a woman’s a right to choose something else: how to engage with complex moral issues.

McCarter is presenting an updated iteration of Choice. Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen directs, assisted by Tiger Brown.

In a May 8 Town Topics interview Holzman explains that she saw a need for a “play about abortion that was not like a polemic, but just an exploration of the subject in a human way.” The play originally premiered at Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company in 2015. Holzman has updated the script (leaving the core characters and concepts intact) to include references to COVID-19 — the play is now set during the shutdown, and characters wear masks — and the end of Roe V. Wade.

Holzman has credited John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable (2004), a drama — about a priest’s possible sexual misconduct — which leaves its ending ambiguous, with inspiring her approach. But Choice also recalls the slice-of-life comedies of writers such as Neil Simon.

A Princeton University graduate, Holzman is the creator of the television series My SoCalled Life. For theater, she is best known as the librettist of the musical Wicked (and screenwriter for the upcoming fi lm duology). Of course, the worlds of the fantastical Wicked and the realistic Choice could hardly be more dissimilar. A comparison between the two is almost (but not entirely) pointless.

Choice centers on Zipporah “Zippy” Zunder, a successful journalist (portrayed by Ilana Levine). Zippy is authoring an article for Vanity Fair about Stephanie Beechum (a character not seen on stage), a film producer who believes in a theory called Children Lost and Found (CLAF). The central tenet of CLAF is that the souls of aborted babies are reincarnated to inhabit children who are born.

Zippy lives with her much older husband, Clark Plumly (Dakin Matthews), and their daughter, Zoe (Caitlin Kinnunen), who recently has graduated from college. Clark suffers from hearing loss that, idiosyncratically, disappears when Zoe speaks.

Levine uses a somewhat high, distinctly velvety voice to deliver her lines with gentle phrasing that is characterized by its smoothness. Perhaps this is something that Zoe, as a journalist, has learned to cultivate to enhance the comfort of people she interviews.

As Clark, Matthews is contemplative, with a penetrating gaze. The portrayal captures Clark’s deep affection and concern for Zippy. Kinnunen successfully conveys Zoe’s journey from a painful incident in her recent past, as well as post-graduation aimlessness, to a firm decision about her future.

At one point, during a conversation between the older characters, Rasmussen adds a subtle but notable touch: the parents and their friends are on a platform (which we soon realize is a turntable that facilitates changes of scene). Zoe, who periodically comments on differences between her generation and that of her parents, is not on the platform. She is a fair distance away, echoing the generational distance with physical space.

As the play begins, the family is entertaining Zippy’s caustic best friend, Erica Temple (Kate A. Mulligan) and her mild-mannered boyfriend, Mark (Barzin Akhavan). In the course of the conversation Zippy tells the guests about her in-progress article.

Erica immediately ridicules the idea of CLAF, particularly Beechum’s belief that her unborn daughter exists in the form of a Russian immigrant whom Zippy — unable to pronounce or spell her real name with precision — nicknames “Leah or Lena.” Zippy initially agrees, but we will discover experiences from her past that make her question this unbelief.

It is these confl icted feelings that seem to drive Levine’s pensive portrayal of Zippy. If the character had to be described in one word, it might be “haunted.” She is haunted by past decisions, but she needs

to undertake the article to realize this, let alone come to terms with it.

As Erica, Mulligan exudes strength and worldliness. She has a sense of comic timing that enables her to swiftly land Erica’s mordant one-liners.

In the course of interviewing “Leah or Lena” for the article, Zippy flashes back to an appointment with a nurse at a women’s health clinic. (Kinnunen plays both Leah and the nurse, providing the former with a sufficiently convincing accent.)

This somewhat abrupt transition between time settings could be clearer. It took this writer a few moments to understand why Kinnunen suddenly omits Leah’s accent. (A production detail, such as a change in lighting, would provide a stronger demarcation.)

That said, Kinnunen displays impressive versatility in juggling the three roles.

Later, Zippy encounters her ex-boyfriend, “The Other Mark” (Akhavan in a dual role). Akhavan’s portrayal of both roles is characterized by an agreeable sincerity, letting The Other Mark evince introspection.

The process of drafting Zippy’s article leads to her reluctant hiring of a research assistant, the mysterious Hunter Rush (Jake Cannavale). The choice of names is interesting; “Zippy” and “Rush” aptly tease a possible link between the two characters.

“Choice” runs through June 2 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. McCarter’s website notes that “this production contains adult themes and language. If you have additional questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects that might impact your comfort, please contact Patron Services at (609) 258-2787.” For tickets or additional information, visit mccarter.org.

between Wicked and Choice is “almost” pointless. The one similarity is that in both, two women choose specific, diverging paths that threaten to end their friendship.

In the case of Choice this occurs when Erica reads a draft of Zippy’s article, and strongly objects to the approach Zippy chooses to take in covering her subject matter. Levine and Mulligan are at their best in this [argument] scene, giving it the tension it needs. Their body language accentuates the differences between the two characters, with Mulligan’s sharp gestures contrasting with Levine’s more fluid motions.

The central reason that Erica is appalled has to do with Zippy’s open-mindedness about CLAF and its believers. Erica correctly perceives the extent to which this spiritual component — the question of what happens to the soul — has potential to affect the entire debate.

Certain character elements (such as Clark’s unpredictable hearing loss) are interesting, but could pull a bit more story weight for the stage time that they are given. Against that, there is value in adding elements that make the play’s world more vivid. Working from Holzman’s script, Rasmussen gives the actors plenty of stage business (such as the moving of holiday lights) that adds visual interest and gives us a realistic sense of household bustle.

“CHOICE”: Performances are underway for “Choice.” Written by Winnie Holzman, and directed by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen, the play runs through June 2 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. Above, from left: The friendship between Erica (Kate A. Mulligan) and Zippy (Ilana Levine) is tested by an impassioned disagreement over the latter’s approach to writing an article about a very controversial subject.

Performing Arts

Filmmakers Join Faculty of Lewis Center for the Arts

Filmmakers Christopher Harris and Nicolás Pereda will join the Lewis Center for the Art’s Program in Visual Arts faculty at Princeton University in July.

Teresita Sánchez. His work has been the subject of more than 30 retrospectives and has been presented in most major international film festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, New York, and Toronto, as well as in galleries and museums like the Reina Sofía in Madrid, the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Guggenheim, and Museum of Modern Art in New York. A Variety of Styles on Annual Band Program

“PROUD MARY”: “The Music of Tina Turner” is among the events taking place inside the tent at Morven during opening weekend of the 2024 Princeton Festival, June 7-9. LaKisha Jones plays the iconic rock star. (Photo

Princeton Festival Opens

With Opera, Rock, and Latin Two-time Grammy award-winning soprano Angel Blue opens this year’s Princeton Festival on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m., The festival also includes a fullystaged performance of Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte , Broadway cabaret with Santino Fontana, orchestral music, Baroque and chamber concerts, dance with American Repertory Ballet, and a Juneteenth celebration, through June 22 in a tent on the grounds of Morven Museum and Garden, 55 Stockton Street.

Rounding out opening weekend are “The Music of Tina Turner” on Saturday, June 8 at 7 p.m. and a Family Day, culminating with a concert featuring Latin Grammy-award nominee Sonia De Los Santos, on Sunday, June 9 at 4 p.m. Blue returns to Princeton fresh from performances with the Metropolitan Opera and the Orchestre de Paris, singing arias by Puccini, Verdi, and Gershwin. Led by Music Director Rossen Milanov, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra performs orchestral pieces by Antonín Dvorák, Giacomo Puccini, Ruperto Chapí, and Frederick Delius.

On Saturday, June 8 at 7 p.m., American Idol finalist and Broadway star LaKisha Jones and musical

theater colleagues Nova Payton and Matthew Johnson celebrate “The Music of Tina Turner,” with this all-new, live concert presentation centered on Turner’s mega hits such as “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Simply the Best,” “Proud Mary,” “River Deep, Mountain High,” and many others. Lucas Waldin conducts.

This year’s Festival Family Day is Sunday, June 9, and begins with a free Yoga class at 9 a.m. on the front lawn of Morven Museum & Garden (ages 10 and up). From 1:30-3:30 p.m., there is a middle school “Listen Up!” art exhibit opening, plus free hands-on musical activities and treats for children of all ages, followed by the 4 p.m. concert featuring Sonia De Los Santos and her band. In this bilingual concert, she performs original songs sung in Spanish and English. In the course of the program, she shares some of her favorite things — migrat ing birds, friendship, chocolate, and anecdotes about growing up in Mexico and realizing her childhood dream of moving to New York. Tickets start at $10; $5 for children 5-17.

Harris, appointed as a professor of visual arts, makes films and video installations that read African American historiography through the poetics and aesthetics of experimental cinema. Pereda, appointed as an associate professor in visual arts, makes films that explore the everyday through a weaving together of scripted narratives and documentary observation. They will begin teaching in the fall 2024 semester.

Harris comes to Princeton from the University of Iowa, where he has taught since 2017, most recently as the F. Wendell Miller Associate Professor in film and video production. His current project is a series of optically printed 16mm experimental films in conversation with canonical works of African American literature. His films have appeared widely at festivals, museums and cinematheques, including an upcoming solo screening at the 2024 Whitney Biennial.

The Mercer County Symphonic Band will present its annual Spring Concert on Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) Kelsey Theatre. The event is free and open to the public, and available via live stream at vimeo.com/ event/4301557.

The performance includes traditional marches, rock and roll hits from the 1960s, and Irving Berlin showstoppers, ending with John Philip Sousa’s famous “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The symphonic band was initially formed in 1979 by the MCCC music department when musicians from the community were invited to play along with the students. The ensemble soon became recognized as the county’s community band. In 2000, it was designated the Mercer County Symphonic Band. For the past 25 years, the band has been under the direction of Lou Woodruff.

“The band is not really about the music — it’s about all of the members,” he said. “It’s the band members who recreate the music and the audience members who share in that celebration.”

Tickets are available now for all 2024 Princeton Festival events at Morven Museum & Garden and nearby Trinity Church, ranging from $10 to $150, at princetonsymphony.org/festival or (609) 497-0020. Youths, ages 5-17, receive a 50 percent discount.

Pereda comes to Princeton from the University of California-Berkeley, where he has taught since 2020, most recently as an associate professor. He often collaborates with the theater collective Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol and actress

State Theatre Announces “Jersey Talent” Show

State Theatre New Jersey presents “Jersey Talent” on Saturday, June 1 at 8 p.m. Hosted by Claudio Mir and Sarah Ferreira, the new talent show is for ages 5-25. Ten finalists, including singers, dancers, a pianist, a rock band, and more, will perform live. The winner gets a spot as a featured performer at the New Brunswick Heart Festival on August 10.

In addition to presenting annual winter and spring concerts at the Kelsey Theatre and accompanying functions at the college, the band performs for area retirement communities and at community events. The band is in its 45th season, with 55 participating musicians spanning seven decades in age. It is open to all interested musicians without audition. Rehearsals are Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m., September through June, in the Music Suite on MCCC’s West Windsor campus. For more information, visit mercerband.org.

Video auditions for the show began in early March. From the video submissions, 26 acts were chosen to audition live at the State Theatre. Of the 26 acts, 10 were selected to move forward to the live performance on June 1. Four judges from the New Brunswick community will select the top three finalists. The winner will be chosen based on audience applause.

The 10 finalists include John Boudouvas, a 9-year-old tap dancer from Metuchen; Isabella DiStasio, a 17-year-old singer from Hillsborough; Victoria Wylde, a 16-year-old pianist and composer from Milltown;

Emmanuelle Aria Castañeda, a 14-year-old singer from New Brunswick; Angelina and Marianna Berberich, 9-year-old twin Irish step dancers from Avonby-the-Sea; Elizabeth Larsen, a 14-year-old singer from Elizabeth; Laura Rodriguez, a 24-year-old singer-songwriterguitarist from Colonia; Cullen Hussey, a 20-year-old singer from Southampton, Pa.; Marissa Lazovick, an 18-year-old dancer from Branchburg; and the band Crowfield from Monmouth County

“’Jersey Talent’ was created to provide a platform for youth to express themselves through art in a safe environment before a supportive audience of friends, family, and community,” said Sarah Chaplin, State Theatre New Jersey president and CEO. “There are so many talented kids in our region who are looking for an outlet, a place to perform outside their schools, and we wanted to provide that outlet with ‘Jersey Talent.’”

The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Tickets for “Jersey Talent” are $15. Visit Stnj.org.

by Eric McCue)

YOUNG AND GIFTED: Claudio Mir, left, and Sarah Ferreira host a new talent competition for ages 5-25 at the State Theatre New Jersey on June 1.

Christopher Harris

(Photo by David Hermantas)

Nicolás Pereda

MARCHES AND MORE: The Mercer County Symphonic Band presents a free concert spanning music from John Philip Sousa to Irving Berlin on May 22 at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre.

Mark Your Calendar TOWN TOPICS

Wednesday, May 22

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: “ Leighton Listens.” Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin is on hand to discuss current events with members of the public, at Say Cheese, 183D Nassau Street.

5:30 p.m .: Princeton Storytelling Circle explores folk and fairy tales at Morven, 55 Stockton Street, focused on how Morven’s gardens grow. Princetonhistory.org.

6 p.m.: Princeton Public Library’s Board of Trustees meets at the library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

6 p.m .: Author I. Augustus Durham discusses his book Stay Black and Die: On Melancholy and Genius, with Kinohi Nishikawa, associate professor of English and African American studies at Princeton University. Registration required. Virtual on Zoom and in-person at the Theodore Sedgwick Wright Library of Princeton Theological Seminary. Princetonlibrary.org.

7:30 p.m .: The Mercer County Symphonic Band performs its annual Spring Concert at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre, West Windsor campus. Free. Traditional marches, rock and roll hits from the 1960s, and Irving

Berlin showstoppers. Also available by livestream at vimeo.com/event/4301557.

Thursday, May 23

10 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton Farmers Market is at Hinds Plaza. More than 30 vendors with local organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, cheeses, fresh flowers, knife-sharpening, jewelry, and more. Live music. SNAP/EBT cards and matches accepted up to $10 a day. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

Friday, May 24

8 p.m .: Ship Happens: A Cruisical, annual Princeton Triangle Show at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. $25-$250. Reunions alumni reception follows. Mccarter.org.

Saturday, May 25

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more. Music by Tanglewood. Wwcfm.org.

10 a.m .: Spirit of Princeton Memorial Day Parade begins at the staging area, Nassau Street and Princeton Avenue, and continues down Nassau Street to Monument Hall, where a talk will be given at 11 a.m . by Stuart

Country Day School graduate Sara Deczynski, U.S. Air Force second lieutenant. All veterans are encouraged to march; kids from kindergarten to fifth grade can ride in the Patriotic Bike Brigade. At 1 p.m ., “A Day of Remembrance” is held at Princeton Battlefield, 500 Mercer Street. All are invited. Spiritofprinceton.org.

10 a.m.-4 p.m .: Haying and Wagon Rides at Howell Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Howellfarm.org.

12-6 p.m .: Spring Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 1-4 p.m. by Jerry Steele. Terhuneorchards.com.

2-3:30 p.m .: Faculty from the New School for Music Study in Kingston present a lecture and recital, playing and discussing historic repertoire for the piano, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m .: Ship Happens: A Cruisical, annual Princeton Triangle Show at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. $25-$250. Reunions alumni reception follows. Mccarter.org.

7-10 p.m .: Café Improv, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street.

Live performances of music, poetry, and comedy. $2. Cafeimprov.com.

Sunday, May 26

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Flemington Fine Artisans Show at the Stangl Factory, 4 Stangl Road, Flemington. Show and sale of handmade art and craft by area artists. FlemingtonFineArtisansShow.com.

12-6 p.m .: Spring Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 1-4 p.m. by Barbara Lin Band. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 p.m .: Carillon concert at the Princeton University Graduate Tower; listen from the lawn outside. Free, held rain or shine. Gradschool. princeton.edu.

1-3 p.m .: Vedic Cultural Immersion: Prasadam and Kirtan, under a tent at Princeton YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place. Sanctified vegetarian meal and spiritual meditation. Bvics.org/prasadam-distri. 4 p.m.: Gathering in solidarity with the October 7 hostages, and a call for their release. Organized by a grassroots group of Israelis in Princeton. At Hinds Plaza.

Monday, May 27

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Flemington Fine Artisans Show at the Stangl Factory, 4 Stangl Road, Flemington. Show and sale of handmade art and craft by area artists. FlemingtonFineArtisansShow.com.

12-6 p.m .: Spring Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 1-4 p.m. by Brian Bortnick. Terhuneorchards.com.

Tuesday, May 28

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m .: Toastmasters meets online. Tinyurl.com/zoomwithmidday.

7:30 p.m.: “Voice and the Violin,” with soprano Larisa Martinez and violinist Josh-

ARDEN

ua Bell, at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. Works by Mendelssohn, Herold, Puccini, Bernstein, and more. $60-$90.

Wednesday, May 29

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m .: “ Leighton Listens.” Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin is on hand to discuss current events with members of the public, at LiLLiPiES Bakery, Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street.

Thursday, May 30

10 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton Farmers Market is at Hinds Plaza. More than 30 vendors with local organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, cheeses, fresh flowers, knifesharpening, jewelry, and more. Live music. SNAP/ EBT cards and matches accepted up to $10 a day. Princetonfarmersmarket. com.

Friday, May 31

9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Job Seekers: The Art of Building Influence. Job search strategist John West Hadley discusses how to have more influential conversations, engage contacts, and motivate prospects to take action. At Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

12 p.m .: Annual Pride Month flag-raising, at Monument Hall, 1 Monument Drive.

4:30 p.m .: Princeton Community Pride Picnic, at Hinds Plaza and Princeton Public Library’s Community Room, 65 Witherspoon Street. Celebrate LGBTQ+ with music, games, activities, giveaways, and more at this family-friendly event. Followed by a dance party at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

8 p.m .: Bright Star, at Kelsey Theater of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Inspired by a true story, with a score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. $24-$26. Kelsey. mccc.edu.

Saturday, June 1

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more. Music by West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North ensembles. Wwcfm.org.

11 a.m.-2 p.m .: ArtWalk, to support West Windsor Arts’ education program, a one-mile walk and fitness challenge for all levels; also features art activities, challenges, picnics, music, and more. Westwindsorarts.org.

12-5 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 2-5 p.m. by Brian Bortnik. Light fare available; farm store is open. Terhuneorchards.com.

1-5 p.m .: Annual Ice Cream Social at the Trent

House, 15 Market Street, Trenton. Free ice cream, live music, kids’ activities and games, at the historic site. Williamtrenthouse.org.

7:30 p.m .: La Fiocco period instrument ensemble presents “Purcell’s London” at Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane. $25 ($10 for students). Lafiocco.org.

Sunday, June 2

11 a.m.: Epic Pride Author Panel at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Celebration of diverse books, with games, a photo booth, and more. Authors will sign books and interact with readers following the event. Princetonlibrary.org.

12-5 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 2-5 p.m. by Audio Pilot. Light fare available; farm store is open. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 p.m .: Carillon concert at the Princeton University Graduate Tower; listen from the lawn outside. Free, held rain or shine. Gradschool.princeton.edu. 4 p.m.: Gathering in solidarity with the October 7 hostages, and a call for their release. Organized by a grassroots group of Israelis in Princeton. At Hinds Plaza.

Monday, June 3

Recycling

7-8:30 p.m.: Continuing Conversations on Race. Princeton High School racial literacy students give their annual presentation, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

Tuesday, June 4

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

3-3:45 p.m .: Special Edition Storytime: “I Am Jim Henson,” for kids in pre-k to third grade; reading by Brad Meltzer. Participants get a free copy of the book to take home. At Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m .: Artists Roundtable about the Princeton Festival’s production of the opera Cosi fan tutte , with panelists including conductor Rossen Milanov and director James Marvel, as well as cast members. At Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Free. Princetonlibrary.org.

Wednesday, June 5 11 a.m.: “The Morning After: Post-Primary Election Analysis,” panel discussion presented by the Eagleton Institute of Politics, moderated by Jean Sinzdak, associate director of the Center for American Women and Politics. Via Zoom. Registration at eagleton.rutgers. edu/events

Johnson Park Elementary School’s Koko Fund

Helps Students Engage In After-School Programs

If you don’t have students attending Johnson Park (JP) Elementary School, the Koko Fund may be unknown to you.

IT’S NEW To Us

But it is such an important program, providing opportunities and enrichment to so many children, that it won’t remain unknown for long. Its impact continues to grow, as new students become involved and the community helps provide needed support.

What is it and how did it begin? First of all, Koko is a gorilla! That is: the large stuffed animal version which is the Johnson Park mascot. It reminds the students to: “Be Responsible. Be Respectful. Be Safe. Be Kind. Be Successful.”

The Koko Fund mission “is to assist current Johnson Park students from families in financial need by subsidizing enrichment opportunities, including summer camp and extracurricular activities that these families may be unable to afford. Thanks to our Koko Fund, all JP students have access to opportunities that enrich their education, ignite their imagination, and inspire a desire to branch out and try new things.”

Starting Point

The Fund began in 2006, when it became apparent to the JP community that many students were unable to participate in after-school activities because their families could not afford the cost. Many students were receiving free or reduced-price lunches (currently, the number is 80), and this was a starting point for the Koko Fund.

Through the JP Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), parents, teachers, and staff become involved in establishing the fund, which is overseen by an advisory board consisting of two co-chairs, a PTO liaison, and six additional board members.

Current members, all volunteers, include co-chair Deirdre von Roemer (parent), co-chair Philip Arnold (parent), PTO liaison Shae Cox (parent), Liliana Morenilla (Princeton Public Schools community outreach), Michele Cowell (school secretary), Dawn Henderson (school librarian). Sharon Vunk (fifthgrade teacher), Rusty Szurek (parent), and Resa Giacoppo (parent).

As von Roemer explains, “Former Johnson Park principal Dr. Robert Ginsberg was the founder of the Koko Fund and one of its strongest supporters. He always made time to know each student and their family on a personal level. He always took time to make sure all the students and families felt included.”

Ginsberg remains dedicated to the fund, and he points out the important role it fulfills. “There is a great disparity in family incomes among the children who attend Princeton’s

public schools,” he says. “The Koko Fund, in its small but significant way, tries to address those disparities.

“Helping to ensure that these kids can participate in enrichment and athletic activities, and can learn, play, and compete with their peers, is a significant and rewarding experience.”

Wonderful Group

The co-chairs and board members regularly hold meetings, work with community partners, and oversee fundraisers.

Von Roemer is grateful for her association with her colleagues. “I think this is such a wonderful group! The teachers and staff, in addition to their normal day-to-day duties, work to reach out and contact parents to let them know about extracurricular activity options. The staff is always on the lookout for a student in need.”

Over the years, the opportunities have included activities focusing on science, sports, summer camp, acting, art, dance, and nature.

Among the community partners this year are the Arts Council of Princeton, Ecclesia Summer Soccer Camp, Princeton Ballet School, Princeton Recreation Department, Rambling Pines Camp, Stone Hill Church Summer Camp, Watershed Nature Camp, and the YMCA.

In addition, the students attend after-school clubs run by the JP PTO, which include tennis, basketball, cheerleading, chess, and art.

Von Roemer adds that the board makes an effort to match the activities with the students’ interests, and the program continues to expand as it becomes known to more families, and as the need grows.

Typical Number

A typical number in the program is 70 kids, but this can vary. Membership dropped during COVID-19, von Roemer notes, but it’s increasing now, and more students are able to participate.

“We are so lucky to have the community support of our partners who offer special and significant discounts for their programs and activities,” she says. “Many of the partners have stayed involved over the years, and have been so committed.”

A major part of the Koko Fund’s success is due to the enthusiasm and effort of the board and co-chairs and so many others, including JP parents, teachers, and staff. The emphasis is always on inclusion and supporting those who need help.

For example, according to JP principal Angela Siso Stentz, “The Koko Fund is truly symbolic of the love and care that is demonstrated at JP for each and every student, in particular families who need some financial support, so they can have access to opportunities and experiences that their peers do.

“One quarter of JP’s student population benefits from the Koko Fund; therefore, it is near and dear to our heart. Our families feel supported and included, and that is what Johnson Park is

all about — making sure we are welcoming, supporting, and caring of all families.”

Adds Morenilla, “To be able to help the underserved community and being able to give all kids the same opportunities, support, and attention to extracurricular activities is so important. This has such an impact on these kids. Koko is the key for many kids to feel ‘normal,’ and do activities they like and in a way that makes them feel special.”

Social Barriers

Arnold agrees, adding, “For me, the most rewarding part of being a part of the Koko Fund is knowing it is giving these kids an opportunity to join their fellow classmates in such a wide range of activities in a setting outside of the classroom, in more of a social setting.

“I think it is so important because it helps to break down social barriers which exist purely because of the cost of such activities outside of school.”

And Cox points out, “I think that all of us feel the same way about the great support the Koko Fund offers to those families in need to allow all children the opportunity to experience extracurricular activities that enrich their lives and create everlasting memories.”

Adds Vunk, “The greatest reward is when these Koko kids, years from now, still talk about how much fun they had at Rambling Pines or dance lessons or rec camp. Koko is so important because our community is so diverse, and we want to ensure that all kids have the same opportunities.”

All of those involved in the fund are also fully aware of the fund’s need for financial support. Help is available from individuals and organizations, but it is an ongoing concern.

As Ginsberg points out, “One of the Koko Fund’s greatest assets is the generosity of folks in our community who support the fund’s efforts. One of the fund’s greatest obstacles is that it has to depend on those folks’ generosity over and over. The fund’s greatest need is to identify and nurture sustainable sources of financial support.”

Annual Fundraisers

Arnold points out another challenge Koko faces. “The lack of public or affordable transportation restricts quite a number of camp options for some children,” he says. “If they don’t live within walking distance of the clubs or camps we offer, it can be difficult.”

Annual fundraisers are held to supplement the financial resources, and an upcoming event will take place on Wednesday, May 29 at the Ivy Inn at 6 p.m. Open to the public, it will include music from the All-Star Alumni JP Parent Band, and a cash bar.

“We look forward to this being a big success, as our fundraisers are so important to the ongoing Koko mission,” says von Roemer. “I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing fund. The most rewarding aspect of having been co-chair is

“SMALL FUND, BIG IMPACT”: “‘Small Fund, Big Impact’ is our motto, and it’s so true! For 18 years, our Johnson Park Koko Fund has assisted Johnson Park students experiencing financial hardship by subsidizing enrichment programs they can join.” Koko Fund co-chairs Philip Arnold and Deirdre von Roemer are proud of the fund’s contributions in offering students an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities.

knowing that a child’s life will be positively impacted. It is truly wonderful to help share the art of dance with students who would otherwise be unable to participate. To know that the fund helps provide lessons so a child can learn to swim is such a great reward. Being able to lend a hand to fellow Johnson Park School families makes it so worthwhile.”

In fact, the Koko Fund has been successful on many levels, including imparting lifelong benefits to the students who participate. As Henderson reflects, “The Koko Fund not only gives kids wonderful experiences to help make happy memories of their childhoods, it also gives our kids the opportunity to dream of future possibilities. I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful endeavor.”

New Passions

And here are some observations from JP Koko Fund alumni:

“The Koko Fund gave

me the opportunity to find new passions and find new interests that I probably would not have been able to experience due to not having the money to afford the programs.”

“The Koko Fund helps dismantle barriers for lower income students.”

“When I was a student at Johnson Park, I found that I really loved to draw, and I was able to take an art class. To this day, I still remember the techniques I learned in that class as a kid. The Koko Fund helped me develop into the creative individual that I am.”

And perhaps especially meaningful is the Fund’s effect on the parents of students who have been able to expand their horizons through the Fund. One parent whose children attended after-school activities and summer camp with the aid of the fund says, “My kids enjoy and appreciate the opportunities the Koko Fund helped to provide financially over the past few years.

I don’t know what I would do if the program was not a part of our lives. My kids would not be able to be a part of the great summer programs which offer academics and lots of summer fun if it wasn’t for the Koko Fund.

“I don’t want my kids to say, ‘We can’t do or not be part of this activity because we can’t afford it.’ With the Koko Fund, every child can feel as if they are part of something. My family and I are grateful to have such a wonderful thing in our lives, and we are grateful to those who provide and help keep it running.”

For more information about the Koko Fund and the upcoming fundraiser, contact Deidre von Roemer and Philip Arnold via email at dbvonroemer@hotmail.com and pia.arnold@gmail.com. A link for information on donations is at https://bit. ly/Donate2koko.

—Jean Stratton

S ports

Maintaining Focus as it Juggled Training with Exams, PU Women’s Open Crew Wins Ivy Title, Makes NCAAs

Although the Princeton University women’s open rowers had to juggle exams last week with preparing for the Ivy League Championships, they didn’t let that detract from their training.

“They did a really nice job balancing the academic demands with testing and rowing,” said Princeton head coach Lori Dauphiny. “They were just very focused in their approach. I think that is a testament to the team.”

The Tigers displayed that focus last weekend on Cooper River in Pennsauken, winning the program’s seventh straight Ivy title and qualifying for the upcoming NCAA Rowing Championships in the process.

Princeton got off to a good start last Saturday as all of its boats advanced to grand finals.

“Things went well for all of our boats that had heats,” said Dauphiny. “Everyone progressed.”

On Sunday, with the league’s NCAA automatic qualifier coming down to the team that got the most points in the varsity 8, second varsity and varsity 4 A races, the Tiger varsity 8 clinched the bid as it placed first in its grand final and remained undefeated this spring.

“It was a great race; we were down off the start and then it was a fairly level field

to about 300,” said Dauphiny, whose top boat clocked a winning time of 6:30.52 over the 2,000-meter course with Penn taking second in 6:33.03 and Yale finishing third in 6:34.45. “At the 500-meter mark, it was still pretty close. That is where we established a slight lead and from there we were able to lengthen that lead by four or fi ve seats in that middle thousand. It was really solid throughout and it was close.

The 8 was expecting that. In the last 500, it was really fun to watch because we handled it well. The boat stepped up.

You could see the field charging. It was everybody’s opportunity for their fi nal strokes to get the highest placement possible. It was fun to see that competitiveness and the strength within our league.”

With the victory, the Tigers finished first in the NCAA automatic bid (1V, 2V, 4A) standings with 44 points in front of Yale (39), Brown (37), and Penn (35). In the overall team point standings, Princeton totaled 82 points to fi nish ahead of Brown (75), Yale (71), and Penn (66).

The Tiger top four took care of business as well, placing first in a 7:18.72, 3.8 seconds ahead of runner-up Yale.

“They did a great job,” said Dauphiny of the boat which included coxswain Frances McKenzie, Hailey Mead (4seat), Laoise O’Donohue (3),

Alice Patton (2), and Emma Cavendish (1). “This was a new lineup that never raced. They had all raced together before, but this was a new formation. That was pretty cool for them to win the final. They were ranked No. 1 going in, but it wasn’t the same boat so you never know.”

While the second varsity took third in its grand final, Dauphiny sees plenty of potential in that boat as it heads into the NCAA regatta.

“There is more work to be done on that boat but I was proud of them,” said Dauphiny of the boat which posted a time of 6:47.347 with Brown taking first in 6:40.802 and Yale coming in second at 6:43.831. “That boat is senior-laden, half of it is a senior boat. The seniors in that boat have really done a nice job of mentoring and showing what needs to be done by example for those freshmen in the boat. It is a really nice mix of athletes, young and old.”

In reflecting on the program’s seventh straight Ivy title, Dauphiny credited her rowers with making that streak possible.

“I don’t keep a count; it is very meaningful and it has nothing to do with me, it has everything to do with the women I coach,” said Dauphiny, who pointed to the support of Princeton’s athletic administration and the

OPENING UP: The

helped the Tigers win their seventh straight Ivy title and earn the league’s automatic berth to the upcoming NCAA Rowing Championships. The NCAA regatta is taking place from May 31-June 2

efforts of her assistant coaches, Steve Hope and Anna Kalfaian, as additional factors in the success of the team. “I am really lucky to have such fantastic athletes that I work with. Those numbers are more a testament to the team culture and the kids that we have here at Princeton.”

As for the varsity 8, three women have emerged as key performers in the boat, junior Katherine George in the five seat, junior coxswain Sara Covin, and junior stroke Zoe Scheske.

“Katherine does stand out, she is probably our top athlete but it takes all of the them in the 8,” said Dauphiny, whose varsity 8 also includes

freshman Joely Cherniss (7 seat), junior Ella Barry (6), junior Margot Le Roux (4), freshman Samantha Smart (3), junior Anne du Croo de Jongh (2), and junior Katharine Kalap (1). “Katherine did get the AllIvy honor. Sara did too, she is instrumental and very important in the boat. Zoe has done a really nice job too, she is our stroke. It is a big role and she had to step up because Lucy Koven was stroking the boat but is still injured.”

The Tigers will be facing another hectic stretch this week with a flurry of activities leading up to commencement on May 28.

“I am little stressed about it because there is just so much

going on with graduation,” said Dauphiny, who has 14 seniors in her program. “We will get some good work in. It feels like one week even though we have two weeks.”

Dauphiny is confident that her rowers will once again balance their commitments and be primed to compete hard at the NCAA regatta, which is taking place from May 31June 2 at the East Fork/Harsha Lake in Bethel, Ohio.

“I don’t know that we have the same speed as those big schools like a Texas or Stanford,” said Dauphiny. “We will give it our best. I think we are competitive with the ability to make it to the grand final.”

— Bill Alden

BAILEY BASKETBALL ACADEMY SUMMER HOOPS

Two Weeks Of Hoop Camps and Daily Player Development Programs for Princeton Area Youth HOOP CAMPS SCHEDULE: WEEK 1: JUNE 24 - 28, 2024 & WEEK 2: JULY 22 - 26, 2024 - Full Day Program (Ages 8-14) | 9:00am - 3:00pm - AM Session (Ages 8-14) | 9:00am - 12:00pm - PM Session (Ages 8-14) | 12:30pm - 3:00pm - First Hoops (Ages 5-7) | 9:00am - 11:45am

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT DAILY SCHEDULE: Starts Monday, July 1st - Friday, August 16th

Session #1 9:00am - 10:30am Session #2 10:30am - 12:00pm

All players will be required to bring their own water, snacks and/or lunch for applicable programs. **Multiple Player/Sibling discount available.

Princeton University women’s open varsity 8 churns through the water in recent action. Last Sunday, the varsity 8 placed first in its grand final at the Ivy League Championships in Pennsauken, N.J. The top boat’s victory

at the East Fork/Harsha Lake in Bethel, Ohio.

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

PU Sports Roundup

Tiger Men’s Heavyweights Win Team Title at Sprints

Displaying its depth, the Princeton University men’s heavyweight rowing squad won the Rowe Cup at the Eastern Sprints, which goes to the program that accumulates the highest number of points at the competition across all races.

It marked the 10th time that Princeton has earned the Rowe Cup and its first since 2016.

In the race on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass., last Sunday, the Tiger second varsity 8 and third varsity 8 each own their grand finals. The topranked men’s varsity 8 fell just short of winning its grand final as it took second in 5:28.720 over the 2,000-meter course, 0.081 seconds behind champion Brown.

“I am so incredibly proud of the way that our entire team raced today,” said Princeton head coach Greg Hughes. “Their performances exemplified guts and passion. At the start of the season, our seniors set winning the Rowe Cup as our team’s goal for the year knowing that earning it would require a top performance from every athlete on our squad.”

The Tigers are next in action when they compete in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship regatta on Mercer Lake from May 31-June 2. PU Men’s Lightweights 3rd at Eastern Sprints

Battling hard in a tight race, the Princeton University men’s lightweight varsity 8 placed third in its grand final last Sunday

at the Eastern Sprints in Worcester, Mass.

The Tiger top boat covered the 2,000-meter course on Lake Quinsigamond in 5:40.835 with Harvard taking first in 5:35.743 and Penn placing second in 5:38.471.

Princeton returns to action when it competes in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship regatta on Mercer Lake from May 31-June 2. PU Soccer Alum Marsch to Coach Canadian Men’s Team

Former Princeton University men’s soccer standout and assistant coach Jesse Marsch ’96 was appointed last week as the head coach of the Canadian Men’s National Team.

Marsch will begin getting the team ready for the upcoming 2024 Copa America this summer and also have his eyes set on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

During his Tiger career, Marsch tallied 29 goals and 15 assists and earned AllAmerican honors. He led the Ivy League in scoring for both 1994 and 1995, earning a spot on the AllIvy team each year. In his senior year, he guided the Tigers to an NCAA appearance, scoring a total of 16 goals on the season.

After graduating from Princeton, Marsch played 14 seasons as a midfielder for three Major League Soccer teams, winning the U.S. Open cup four times, three MLS Cup titles, and the Supporters Shield once. He was also a U.S. international.

His coaching journey began in 2010 as an assistant coach on the staff of Princeton alum and former Tiger head coach Bob Bradley ’80 that helped the United States Men’s National Team reach the final 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Marsch started his relationship with Canadian soccer in 2012 when he was named the inaugural manager of the 19th MLS expansion franchise, the Montreal Impact (now CF Montreal). Returning to his alma mater, Marsch spent two years as an assistant coach for the Princeton men’s soccer team, working under Tiger head coach Jim Barlow during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

In 2015, he assumed the head coaching role at New York Red Bulls and led the club to the MLS Supporters’ Shield with a club record 18 league victories. Marsch was named the MLS Coach of the Year and remains the New York Red Bulls’ most successful manager in their history, with 76 victories.

In 2018, Marsch left New York to join RB Leipzig in Germany’s Bundesliga as assistant manager to Ralph Rangnick. In 2019, he departed from Leipzig to serve as the manager of FC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga.

Marsch re-joined RB Leipzig in 2021, this time as manager. He successfully guided them to qualify for the UEFA Champions League through the playoff round.

Marsch joined Leeds United in England’s Premier League in February 2022 as its manager, and he guided them to safety from relegation in the 2022-23 season with a final-day win at Brentford.

In total, Marsch has coached 339 matches, boasting a 170-66-103 record across his managerial career, and becomes the 20th head coach in Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team history

4 PU Senior Men Athletes Named as Roper Finalists

Four Princeton University

student-athletes have been named finalists for the 2024 William Winston Roper Trophy which is awarded annually to a Princeton senior man of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics.

The four finalists are men’s squash star Karim Elbarbary, standout football linebacker Liam Johnson, men’s volleyball star Ben Harrington, and NCAA champion épée fencer Tristan Szapary.

The Roper Trophy will be presented at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet on May 23.

6 Senior PU Women Athletes Named von Kienbusch Finalists

Six Princeton University student-athletes have been named finalists for the 2024 C. Otto von Kienbusch Award, which is presented annually to a Princeton senior woman of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman.

It is presented in memory of C. Otto von Kienbusch ’06, friend and benefactor of women’s athletics at Princeton.

The six finalists are basketball star point guard Kaitlyn Chen, soccer defender Madi Curry, hockey forearm and Olympic gold medalist for Canada Sarah Fillier, lightweight rower Sarah Fry, swimming star Ellie Marquardt, and hoops standout forward Ellie Mitchell.

The von Kienbusch Award will be presented at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet on May 23.

6 PU Senior Athletes Vying For Sailer Leadership Award

Six Princeton University senior student-athletes have been named as finalists for the 2024 Chris Sailer Leadership Award, which is presented in honor of Chris Sailer, the Hall of Fame women’s lacrosse coach at Princeton from 1987-2022.

The award, made possible by Lucy Small DeStefano ’99 S94 and Chris DeStefano ’94 S99, is awarded annually to senior studentathletes who demonstrate exceptional leadership and a commitment to serving others.

The six finalists are men’s basketball star Matt Allocco, women’s rugby flanker

Leilani Bender, women’s soccer midfielder Marissa Hart, women’s golf star Yu Kyung Kim, men’s hockey forward Ian Murphy, and women’s squash star Caroline Spahr.

The Sailer Leadership Award will be presented at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet on May 23.

6 Tiger Senior Athletes Named Lane Award Finalists

Six Princeton University student-athletes have been named finalists for the 2024 Art Lane ’34 Award, which is presented annually to seniors in recognition of selfless contribution to sport and society.

The six finalists for the award are women’s soccer player Jen Estes, men’s lacrosse defenseman Colin Freer, softball shortstop Grace Jackson, women’s hockey defender Kate Monihan, women’s soccer midfielder Aria Nagai, and football offensive lineman Jalen Travis.

The Lane Award will be presented at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet on May 23.

PU Women’s Rugby Wins Rickerson Cup

Rallying to prevail in an entertaining contest, the

Princeton University women’s rugby team edged the Naval Academy 43-38 to win the 2024 Rickerson Cup.

The match, which took place on April 27 at the West Windsor Rugby Field, was also a fundraiser for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or “PanCAN,” a national patient advocacy, research, and support group.

Malinka Kwemo scored three tries on the first half to spark the Tigers. Celia Watson made two open-field tackles within meters of the try line late in the second half to help secure the victory for Princeton.

Princeton Rugby players have now raised a cumulative total of over $635,000 for PanCAN to grant to young researchers as part of its “Community for Progress” program. As of early May, gifts for the 2024 Rickerson Cup stood at just over $28,000.

END OF THE RUN: Princeton University softball player Lauren Sablone sprints around the base path in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, junior outfielder Sablone went 2 for 3 as Princeton fell 2-1 in eight innings to Louisiana to get knocked out of the double-elimination NCAA Regional in Lafayette, La. The Tigers went 1-2 on the weekend, defeating Ole Miss 4-2 on Saturday to post their first victory in the NCAA tournament since 2005. Princeton ended the spring with a 30-18 record. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

HEADING HOME: Princeton University baseball player Caden Shapiro heads to first base in recent action. Last Sunday, junior outfielder Shapiro went 2 for 4 with a homer, double, run, and two RBIs in a losing cause as Princeton fell 9-4 to Penn in an elimination game at the Ivy League Tournament. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 18-26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Lifted by Junior Star Barlag’s Finishing Touch, PHS Boys’ Lacrosse Makes Run to MCT Final

While Braden Barlag has piled up a lot of goals this spring for the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team, he readily acknowledges that his production results from a group effort.

“It is amazing having two of the best players in the state,” said junior attacker Barlag, referring to Tiger senior star attacker Patrick Kenah and junior standout midfielder Brendan Beatty. “They are the best teammates you could ask for, and two of the best leaders. We have some other great players like Jason Singer and Alex Famiglietti. They are great dudes to play with and great guys. I love being on the team with them. They hit me on the stick every time so I can just step and shoot it. It is just an honor to play with them.”

Barlag has worked hard to take advantage of those opportunities.

“Lifting in the offseason was the biggest thing for me,” said Barlag. “It was also going for runs and shooting on my wall.”

Last week, Barlag’s shooting gave third-seeded PHS a big lift as it made a run to the Mercer County Tournament final. In a semifinal contest on May 14, Barlag poured in a career-high seven goals to help the Tigers top second-seeded Lawrenceville B 19-11. Two days later against fifth-seeded and host Hopewell Valley in title game, Barlag tallied four goals with an assist but it wasn’t enough as PHS lost 16-11.

The Tigers got off to a good start in the final, as they jumped out to a 5-4 lead with Barlag tallying two goals. But PHS hit a lull in the second quarter as it got outscored 5-0 by the Bulldogs.

“The big prompt for us is that you win ground balls and you win the game, I feel like we didn’t do that,” said Barlag. “Our offense got shut out in the second quarter — that flipped the momentum.”

The Tigers regained some momentum in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 5-4 in the period.

“We just weren’t finishing and then we started to get our shots,” said Barlag “We started to get some face-off wins.”

Barlag tallied two goals in the quarter as the Tigers trimmed the HoVal lead to 13-10.

“I figured it out, I kept shooting low and I decided to shoot it high with quick releases,” said Barlag. “It started to go in but it wasn’t enough to get it done.”

The Bulldogs got it done in the fourth quarter, controlling possession and outscoring the Tigers 3-1 over the last 12 minutes of the contest.

“They had a good game plan,” said Barlag. “They held the ball and we couldn’t get it away.”

While the loss stung, it was the first appearance for PHS in the county title game since 2017 when it lost 9-5 to Princeton Day School in the final.

“It is definitely a step up from last year,” said Barlag. “We are going to keep pushing forward in states.”

PHS head coach Chip Casto credited HoVal with pushing the pace in the final.

“Number 22 (Luke Caldwell) is a handful; we didn’t know what to do with him, we tried several things,” said Casto, whose team moved to 11-7 with the defeat. “He is really the quarterback of that team and he got what he wanted. They racked up a lot of goals on us and they played solid defense on our shooters. They had a good game plan, they packed it in and their goalie ended up coming with some big saves. They had the face-off to their advantage, I think, statistically. They were able to run their offense the way they wanted to.”

With the Tigers trailing 9-5 at halftime, Casto urged his players to focus on the basics.

“It was nothing different, just win face-offs, win ground balls and go hard to the goal,” said Casto. “When it was 1310, we had a little life.”

Casto credited Barlag with giving the PHS attack life with his finishing touch.

“He is the beneficiary of Brendan and Patrick,” said Casto of Barlag, who has tallied 65 points this spring on 50 goals and 15 assists.

“What he does really well is finish. He has gotten better and better as the years have gone on. He was really

excited to play with Patrick this year.”

The Tigers were excited to return to the county final after a seven-year absence.

“These seniors were working so hard all year, this is one of the goals that they had,” said Casto, who got four goals and one assist from senior star Kenah against HoVal with senior Jason Singer chipping in one goal and two assists. “They made it here, and obviously their goal was to win. We haven’t been here in a while so we are back.”

With PHS starting action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 tournament this week where it is seeded ninth and will play at eighthseeded Northern Highlands in a first round contest on May 24, Casto believes that his squad will keep working hard.

“This will be a blow but it will give us motivation as we move forward,” said Casto. “We have a got a little time to recover and then move into states. We have to stop the other team’s offense a bit better and we have to be able to score goals when we need them, just the basics.”

Barlag, for his part, believes that the Tigers can build on the MCT run as they compete in the state tourney.

“This kind of lights a fire under us, I haven’t won a state game in my career,” said Barlag. “That is the goal — it is the next step, move on, and keep pushing. Once again, it is ground balls, face-off wins, finishing, just sticking to our stuff and keeping our heads high.”

—Bill Alden

last week in the Mercer County Tournament semis. Junior attacker Barlag scored a career-best seven goals in the May 14 game as third-seeded PHS topped the Big Red 19-11. Two days later, Barlag tallied four goals and one assist but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell 16-11 to fifth-seeded and host Hopewell Valley in the MCT final. PHS, now 11-7, will be starting action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic

at eighthseeded Northern Highlands in a first round contest on May 24.

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FINISHING TOUCH: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Braden Barlag heads past two Lawrenceville B players

Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 tournament this week where they are seeded ninth and will play

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Trkov Displays Her Versatility for PHS Girls’ Track, Anchoring

2 Relays at Mercer County

Mila Trkov has been adjusting to her first year of track and field with the Princeton High girls’ squad.

The freshman took another big step by anchoring two of the Tigers’ highest placing events at the Mercer County Championships on Friday and Saturday at Robbinsville High, the 4x800 and the 4x400 relays. She has toggled between the sprints and the distance group as a runner who can help both relay teams.

“It was definitely really scary because there was like that pressure that now we can score points,” said Trkov. “I was in the relays for the 4x8 and the 4x4 so I didn’t want to let my team down, and you know, my group down. So there was definitely some nervousness from that as well as my additional pre-race anxiety.”

Trkov produced a pair of season-best splits to help each team. The girls 4x800 relay of Maddie Aboumeri, Brielle Moran, Rachel Xin, and Trkov took second in 9:56.48. Trkov brought the baton across the line after a 2:26 split.

“I was really happy because for my 800 I’ve been struggling a lot with going out too fast,” said Trkov. “My splits were pretty even, like they were 72/74. So it was about even.”

The girls’ 4x400 relay of Kacey Howes, Leah O’Neill, Grace Zeng, and Trkov placed third in 4:13.95, almost five seconds better than their seed time. Trkov helped lower that time by pushing for a 1:03 split in their final leg.

“I really like being the anchor because I found that this year I do a lot better when I have competition,” said Trkov. “There’s usually a lot of competition in that final anchor, and it’s almost more motivation in a way to push myself into that fourth gear. So it’s good to motivate me.”

The Tigers had plenty of good motivation from a strong county. PHS has an extremely young team on the girls side, and they placed eighth with 23 points, seven points behind seventh-place Wilberforce School in the meet win by the Lawrenceville School.

“As this group’s been coming together, we’ve been saying that this is a team in two years or so that we can see contending not just for a county title, but maybe even a state title,” said PHS head coach Ben Samara. “It’s just a really young, talented young group of girls we have. All of them are buying in to what we want to do in terms of our team culture and how we operate and they’re really gelling as a group, so it was nice to see how they did. We didn’t get a lot of first and seconds, but we got a lot of those fourth, fifth and sixth places that are going to turn into that in the future as we continue to build and we’re going through this. The girls team is going to be a juggernaut moving forward.”

Anna Winters was third in the girls 100 meters in 12.85 seconds. The sophomore placed seventh in the girls 200 meters in 26.45 seconds. The girls 4x100 relay ran 51.11 seconds to finish fifth. Lena Murray ran 2:23.10 for seventh in the girls 800 meters while Phoenix Roth placed seventh in the girls 1,600 in 5:14.57.

Championships

The PHS girls had three finishers in the top eight in the girls 3,200 meters. Kajol Karra ran 11:20.24 for sixth, Grace Hegedus ran 11:23.49 for seventh, and Phoenix Roth placed eighth in 11:26.46.

Elise Waller cleared 8’6 for sixth place in the girls pole vault. Ngozi Okeke-Agulu was sixth in girls’ long jump with a mark of 15’1. Grace DeFaria was seventh at 14’11.

“Learning to deal with the pressure of a big meet is so important and there were just so many teachable moments this weekend after races — how we talk to ourselves, how we think about things we did well, things we didn’t do well,” said Samara. “And those little conversations and those little moments are so valuable in building a championship program, and you don’t always get them with the younger athletes because they’re not there yet. But these athletes are there and able to compete and medal at this level already. And that’s just going to pay dividends over the next couple of years.”

The Princeton boys scored 53 points to finish in third place in the team standings while Robbinsville piled up 81 points to take first and Peddie School had 67 for second place.

“We fought through some injuries, especially with our jumpers,” said Samara. “We had a tough time with that. But they really gave it their all, which is all we can ask from them in a meet like this.”

Sean Wilton won the boys’ discus with a throw of 150’11. The junior also won the boys’ shot put with a throw of 51’ 6.75.

“He’s just been very consistent all year,” said Samara. “He has a good head on his shoulders. He’s even reading books on sports psychology, that’s how deep he’s getting into this now and he’s going to be really, really dangerous on the state level.”

Sawyer Quallen, competing at less than 100 percent, was second in the boys’ long jump at 20’8.5. Oliver Spagnoli was seventh at 20’1, a half-inch better than Ishaq Inayat, who placed eighth Quallen also placed second in boys triple jump with a 41’7.5 mark even though he could only take one jump due to his injury. Inayat was sixth at 40’4.

Princeton’s 4x100 boys’ relay placed third in 44.60 seconds while the boys’ 4x800 ran 8:22.51 for fourth place.

Ben Gitai was fourth in the boys’ 200 in 22.41 seconds, while Josh Barzilai took sixth in the boys’ 1,600 meters in 4:29.24. Simon Obregon threw 134’2 for sixth in the boys javelin. Felix Farrugia ran 9:57.54 for eighth place in the boys 3,200 meters.

PHS hopes to be healthier on the boys side for sectionals in two weeks.

“We’re just focused on getting as many people healthy and trying to get them an extra meet,” said Samara. “And at groups we’ll see if we can’t get a couple of people to Meet of Champions.”

Trkov is looking to keep extending her season as well. Each meet is a chance to compete and figure out the way that she competes best. She’s come a long way this year, both as a competitor and with developing into a stronger runner, particularly with her

running form.

“I have improved a lot on that personally,” said Trkov. “I think also a lot of race ex perience has come with this season especially running on an outdoor track and not just indoors. I also think I’ve gotten a lot of relay experience and also this experience with overcoming this pre-race anxiety when there’s so many more people now than there would be for a lot of the indoor meets.”

It’s helped to have so many teammates in a similar boat going through the adjustments to high school track and field with her. Trkov ran in middle school and considered herself more focused on distance running after coming off the fall cross country season before then finding herself in a new role this spring.

“Last year I still ran the 4 and 8,” said Trkov. “But still then, and even now, I would say I still almost think of myself more as a distance person, just because that’s where most of my friends are. But I

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“I trained with the distance kids in cross country and indoor track and this track season I started training with the sprinters,” said Trkov. “So I’m becoming more acquainted with the sprinters and the sprinter lifestyle in a sense, but that’s also been helping me with my 400.”

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That speed development along with form work has helped with both events. She’s been able to focus on running each event better. The relays and the individual races feel a bit different – she enjoys the support of teammates in relays – but she’s finding herself faster in the 400 and 800 now thanks to her work with both.

“Because I’m worrying less about my form, I can worry more on how I’m feeling, how better to push myself,” said Trkov. “And then working with the sprinters, now I feel like I’ve been able to be comfortable with running both events.”

Trkov is hoping she’ll gain even more company as a middle distance runner. PHS sees the potential for others to benefit from the sort of training she has taken on this year.

“We don’t often see that kind of crossover,” said Samara. “We have a lot of girls this year who are feeling like they can straddle that 4/8. We’re working more with that kind of style of training group this season and it’s been helpful.”

This season has helped Trkov find a new way to help PHS. She is part of a bright future for the Tiger girls that gains a little momentum with every meet. PHS will use the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 meet on May 31 for more experience and a chance to show the sort of foundation that is building toward a championship contender.

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With Balewitz Starring in Stretch Run for Hun Baseball, Raiders Earned Triple

From May 11-18, the Hun School baseball team faced a playoff gauntlet as it competed in both the Mercer County Tournament and Prep A state tourney.

Rising to the occasion and getting contributions throughout its roster, Hun ran the table, going 3-0 in the MCT on the way to winning its second county crown in three years and 3-0 in the Prep A as it earned its second straight title in the competition.

In so doing, this Hun squad, which had already won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) championship, became the first team in program history to win all three titles in the same season.

In reflecting on the grueling stretch of games, Hun senior catcher E.J. Balewitz enjoyed the challenge of the high-level competition.

“It has been amazing,” said Balewitz. “It is a lot of baseball, a lot of good baseball and a lot of close baseball too. It is exciting.”

In the MCT, second-seeded Hun pulled out some dramatic wins, edging seventh-seeded Notre Dame 2-1 in 11 innings in the quarterfinals on May 11, topping third-seeded Robbinsville 5-4 in the semis on May 14, and then defeating topseeded Lawrence 10-2 in the final last Thursday, exploding for eight runs in the seventh to break open a 2-2 contest. The MCT title was especially meaningful for the Raiders as this was the final county tournament with the event being just a Colonial Valley Conference competition in the future with no non-CVC prep schools allowed to compete.

In the Prep A tourney, the top-seeded Raiders cruised early on, topping fourth-seeded Blair 15-3 last Wednesday in the opener of the doubleelimination competition and then defeating third-seeded Peddie 13-0 in the winner’s bracket two days later. On Saturday, the Raiders pulled out one last dramatic win in its postseason run, edging second-seeded Lawrenceville 8-7 in the final round as they held off the Big Red, who scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning. The win gave Hun a final record of 20-5.

Balewitz provided one of the highlights of the championship march, blasting a tworun walk-off homer in the win over Robbinsville in the MCT semis.

“That was probably the best moment of my baseball career,” said Balewitz, who is headed to Stevens Institute of Technology where he will be playing for its Division III baseball program. “It was just set up picture-perfect. We had people on base. Once I hit it, I knew it was going. It was just whether it was going to stay fair or not. It was amazing.”

In the county final, the Raiders produced an amazing rally as they scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Lawrence.

“They had a really good kid on the mound (Deacon Moore), he held us to a 2-all game,” said Balewitz. “Then they took him out and that is when the offense exploded.”

Catching fire down the stretch, Balewitz helped spark the Hun offense.

“I feel like a lot of things are starting to click, you have

Crown of MAPL, MCT, Prep A Titles

bunch of guys around you who are supporting you too,” said Balewitz, who ended the spring batting .317 with two homers and 13 RBIs. “Everyone is always wanting extra swings — it is a lot of reps.”

Stepping in at catcher after starter Deacon Bowne was hampered with an arm injury, Balewitz also excelled in the field.

“It is great, I get to catch a lot of great arms,” added Balewitz. “It is very exciting.”

Achieving the triple crown of titles was a great way for Balewitz and his fellow seniors to end their Hun careers.

“No one in program history has ever done it — we have people to do it,” said Balewitz. “We have a bunch of seniors who aren’t going to be here next year, so that is a great memory to leave with.”

Hun head coach Tom Monfiletto will leave the spring with some very good memories of the final week of the campaign.

“It has been awesome; I think the team had a very, very distinct goal in mind before the season started which was to win all three titles which we have never done before,” said Monfiletto. “We are hoping to get that done. Even after the county championship last night, they knew that they were going to have to bounce back today. Some of the talk that was going around was, ‘Let’s celebrate this for two hours, because we are not finished. We are moving on to the next one.’”

The squad’s pitching depth played a key role in finishing the job.

“The three guys that have been getting the most innings for us Lucas [Henderson], Charlie [Batista], and Sam [Wright] were ineligible to pitch in the county tournament,” said Monfiletto. “We had Ryan Greenstein who came out like a man possessed against Notre Dame. Asher DeLue came from the start against Seton Hall Prep where he looked excellent and then he continued that against Notre Dame. He didn’t give up a run. Then we had a freshman, Yanni Moraitis, come in to throw the last inning against Notre Dame. On Tuesday against Robbinsville, it was sort of like a bullpen game which we have never really done before. Aidan Heaphy threw three innings and kept it to one run. Gabe Jacknow came in and had three great innings. Things got a little hairy there in the fifth or sixth. We gave up the lead and but we were never out of the fight.”

The Raiders showed that fight as they overcame a powerhouse Lawrence squad in the MCT final before a throng at the Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

“The atmosphere was amazing, there is no way you can simulate that,” said Monfiletto. “It is never easy under the lights, and we haven’t played in front of a crowd like that all season. We had done it the past two years which was a great experience to have. One of the things I told them before the game was like all season long we have proven to be resilient to stay in games. We have proven to always be in games no matter what. I told them that no matter what happens today, you are prepared for it because you have

experienced it. I could not have written it any better. It was awesome with the people that stepped up.”

Monfiletto credited Balewitz with stepping up in a big way down the stretch.

“He has been incredible; not only has he been hitting the crap out of the ball, he has been phenomenal behind the plate,” said Monfiletto of Balewitz. “He has been doing great. One of the things that we wanted to work on with him was just picking up the tempo and having the pitchers work fast. He has been amazing. He is keeping everything in front of him, he threw a guy out last night in a huge spot and he has been swinging it.”

The Raiders came out swinging in the win over Peddie on Friday, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after two innings.

“Our infield and outfield were crisp,” said Monfiletto. “That was a good start. Making that was the case. The swings in the cage looked great.”

Post-grad star and Quinnipiac commit Sam Wright gave Hun a crisp pitching effort against Peddie, yielding just one hit in five innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.

“When you see that in the first inning, you settle in and you think this is going to be a good day,” said Monfiletto. “This was the sharpest he has looked all year.”

Looking ahead to the final round, Monfiletto was excited about the prospect of Hun closing the deal and earning its title triple.

“This would be the coolest thing that we have ever experienced,” said Monfiletto, who got a superb all-around performance from Charlie Batista in the win over Lawrenceville as he hit a homer, had three RBIs, and pitched six strong innings.

While the Raiders showed depth and grit in its hectic final week, Monfiletto pointed to team chemistry as a key factor in their success.

“One of the cooler things that we have witnessed over the past week was that the guys that weren’t able to play in the county tournament were going crazy all three games in support of each other,” said Monfiletto. “When people see that selflessness and everybody pulling for each other and if you have talent, you will be tough to beat.”

Balewitz, for his part, believed that selfless approach made the difference for Hun.

“The one thing is that we are just a family,” said Balewitz. “We have all been together for a while, and we all have each other’s back. We have a great coaching staff too.”

—Bill Alden

the double-elimination competition last Saturday. The Raiders, who finished the spring with a 20-5 record, became the first team in program history to win the MAPL (Mid-Atlantic Prep League) title,

HAVING A BLAST: Hun School baseball player E.J. Balewitz makes contact in the Mercer County Tournament final last Thursday at Trenton Thunder Ballpark as second-seeded Hun defeated top-seeded Lawrence 10-2 to win the title. Senior catcher Balewitz, who blasted a walk-off homer as Hun edged Robbinsville 5-4 in the MCT semis, helped Hun end the season with the Prep A state title as it defeated Lawrenceville 8-7 in the final round of

MCT crown, and Prep A championship in the same season.

(Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)

Sophomore Jolly Provided Spark at Leadoff Spot

As

Hun Softball Advanced to Prep A State Final

Sam Jolly’s uniform was covered with dirt stains after the Hun School softball team defeated visiting Lawrenceville 3-0 in the Prep A state semi last week.

Those stains were badges of honor for Jolly as she sparked the Hun hitting attack from her leadoff spot, going 2 for 2 with a walk, run, and RBI helping the top-seeded Raiders edge the fifth-seeded Big Red.

“I have great hitters behind me so I try to get on base any way I can,” said sophomore second baseman Jolly. “Once I was on base, I tried to get in scoring position any way I could. I had stolen bases today out there.”

After working a walk in the bottom of the third inning, Jolly stole two bases and came home on a single by Jamie Staub as Hun went ahead 1-0.

An inning later, Jolly stroked a double to left field to score Piper Morey as the Raiders doubled their lead.

“It was a good at-bat, I was trying to get the ball in play,” said Jolly, who fouled off several pitches before getting the hit. “Piper being at second helped me more. I was trying to get the ball somewhere.

I know she is a fast runner so I had to trust on my players there.”

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Despite having defeated Lawrenceville twice in regular season action, Jolly and her teammates sensed that things would be different in the postseason matchup.

“We knew that beating Lawrenceville three times would be hard,” said Jolly. “Their pitcher (Emma Sung) pitched a great game but we found time to capitalize. We did what we had to do.”

Coming off a stellar freshman season that saw her hit .672 with team highs in hits (43) and runs (32), Jolly felt the weight of expectations this spring.

“I would say the pressure is definitely harder, I had a really good year last year,” said Jolly, who also plays travel ball for Jersey Outlaws Gold. “I struggled a little bit in the beginning but as the season went on, I realized just have fun and play. It is high school ball, travel is a lot different. I am playing with my classmates and friends, it is good.”

With Hun having won two straight Prep A titles, the Raiders were excited to make it to a third straight final. The third time, though, didn’t prove to be a charm as third-seeded Pingry edged the Raiders 3-2 last Thursday at Diamond Nation in Flemington.

“Every year we set our goals and that was one get to the finals,” said Jolly who went 1 for 3 with a run in the final as Hun ended the spring with an 18-3 record. “We played them before so we kind of know them. We will know them but we still have to go out like we have never played them before. It is a big game, the energy will be up for sure.”

Hun head coach Kathy Quirk credited Jolly with giving the Raiders plenty of energy this spring.

“Sam is great; I leave her alone, she does what she wants because she knows how to read people better than anybody,” said Quirk of Jolly who ended up batting .524 this spring with a team-best 38 runs. “She reads where the players are and what she can do with the ball.”

In reflecting on round three with Lawrenceville, Quirk credited the Big Red with stepping up.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” said Quirk. “Their pitcher was much better than before. It was tough for us, we have been hitting the ball. We didn’t hit the ball on Saturday (in a 1-0 loss to Robbinsville in the Mercer

County Tournament semis).

Hun got some good pitching from senior star and Villanova commit Lexi Kobryn against Lawrenceville as she dealt with a muddy diamond. Kobryn has 12 strikeouts and yielded just two hits in earning the shutout.

“Lexi had a nice game on the mound,” said Quirk. “It wasn’t her best stuff, these conditions didn’t help her either.”

Heading into the Prep A final, Quirk knew her squad faced a challenge as it pursued a three-peat.

“It is not going to be easy, it was one of their goals,” said Quirk. “One of their goals was to advance further in the Mercer Counties and they did that. They won the MAPL [Mid-Atlantic Prep League].”

In the loss to Pingry, Hun failed to advance base runners in several innings.

“We left nine people on base; twice we had bases loaded, we just couldn’t capitalize,” said Quirk, noting that the Raiders were also hurt by some fielding miscues. “I don’t know what it was.”

The Raiders did push across two runs in the seventh on a triple by Kobryn and Quirk was hoping that Hun could rally for the win.

“We had girls on third and second and I thought we were going to pop one through and at least send it to extra innings,” said Quirk. “It didn’t happen.”

Although the loss in the Prep A final was disappointing, a lot of good things happened this spring for the Raiders.

“We had a great season, you can’t take anything away from the girls,” said Quirk. “We outscored our opponents 190 to 13, it was phenomenal.”

The team’s two senior leaders, Kobryn and Janie Staub, set a great tone.

“They have just been great role models for four years,” said Quirk. “Lexi was a little bit more vocal than Jamie. She was always trying to get the girls up. She did a nice job with her leadership. Jamie is a quiet leader who leads by example. She works hard all of the time. They are going to be missed.”

With such key returning players as catcher Emma Eisenberg, third baseman Bri Riviello, shortstop Kailey Jacobs, outfielder Rowan Lacy, and outfielder-pitcher Anna Murphy along with Jolly,

the Raiders should be hard to beat again next year.

“We do have a good group coming back,” said Quirk. “Anna will go on the pitcher’s mound. We do have another freshman coming in that pitches also so I am sure they will be sharing time. I am looking for Sam to step in there because she is a great leader.”

Jolly, for her part, credited the leadership of Kobryn and Staub with helping the group come together as it developed a special camaraderie.

“Lexi and Jamie have built this program up, they had to deal with COVID their freshmen year,” said Jolly. “I would say our connection is really good this year and every year.

We missed our seniors, but we were able to build off last year. We are like sisters, we know everything about each other. We are such a close, tight-knit group of girls so I definitely think it helps our chemistry on the team. We can trust everybody and know they have our backs.”

—Bill Alden

LEADING ROLE: Hun School softball player Sam Jolly lays down a bunt in a 2023 game. Last week, sophomore second baseman and leadoff hitter Jolly starred as top-seeded Hun defeated fifth-seeded Lawrenceville 3-0 in the Prep A state semis. Jolly went 2 for 2 with a walk, run, and RBI in the May 14 contest. Two days later, Jolly went 1 for 3 with a run in a losing cause as the Raiders feel 3-2 to third-seeded Pingry in the Prep A final. Hun ended the spring with an 18-3 record.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hun

Girls’ Lacrosse: Olivia Kim starred in a losing cause as Hun fell 16-15 to Princeton Day School last Thursday in its last game of the spring. Senior star and Williams College commit Kim tallied eight goals and one assist for the Raiders as they posted a final record of 9-8.

Boys’ Lacrosse : Unable to get its offense going, Hun fell 11-4 to the Academy of New Church (Pa.) last Saturday in the National Prep Championship at Loyola University in Baltimore, Md. The defeat left the Raiders with a final record of 8-10.

Lawrenceville

Baseball : David Holland had two RBIs in a losing cause as Lawrenceville fell 8-7 to Hun in the final round of the Prep A state tournament last Saturday. The Big Red scored five runs in the

top of the seventh inning but couldn’t push across the tying run as they finished the spring with a 9-16 record.

Boys’ Lacrosse : Wrapping up an historic campaign, Lawrenceville defeated the host Brunswick School (Conn.) 14-5 in the High School Prep National final last Sunday. The Big Red ended their season at 19-1 and ranked No. 1 nationally.

Girls’ Lacrosse : Maddie Brogan and Lexie Koch each scored six goals as Lawrenceville edged Cherry Hill West 18-17 in its season finale last Thursday. The Big Red posted a 10-5 record in 2024, winning their sixth straight Mercer County Tournament along the way.

PDS

Baseball : Posting its third straight win, PDS defeated Willingboro 8-2 last Monday. Luke Haan had four hits and Santino Cignarella chipped in three hits as the Panthers improved to 5-16. In upcoming action, PDS will be competing in the New

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Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state tournament. The Panthers are seeded eighth in the South Jersey Non-Public B tourney and will host ninth-seeded St. Joseph (Hammonton) in a first round contest on May 22.

Boys’ Lacrosse : Matt Whittaker starred as PDS fell 8-7 in overtime to Lawrence in the final round of the Mercer County Invitational last Thursday. Senior attacker and Vassar commit Whittaker scored three goals as the Panthers moved to 6-11. The Panthers are next in action when they play in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state tournament. The Panthers are seeded eighth in the Non-Public Group B tourney and will host ninthseeded Morristown-Beard in a first round contest on May 23.

Girls’ Lacrosse: Tessa Caputo had a huge game as PDS edged Hun 16-15 last Thursday. Senior standout and Fairfield commit Caputo tallied 12 goals and two assists as the Panthers moved to 14-4. PDS will be competing in the Prep B state tournament where it is seeded second and is playing at topseeded Montclair Kimberley in the title game on May 22. In addition, the Panthers will be starting action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state tournament. The Panthers are seeded fifth in the NonPublic Group B tourney and will host 12th-seeded Newark Academy in a first round contest on May 23.

LIFE OF RILEY: Princeton High girls’

Pennington

Baseball : Gavin Leeds starred as Pennington defeated WW/P-South 9-7 last Monday to wrap up the spring. Leeds went 3 for 4 with four RBIs as the Red Hawks finished the 2024 season with a 11-11 record.

Girls’ Lacrosse : Unable to get its offense going, fourth-seeded Pennington fell 15-2 to top-seeded Montclair Kimberley in the Prep B semifinals last Thursday. The defeat left the Red Hawks with a 7-8 record.

PHS

Baseball : Alex Winters, Roman Howe, Chase Hamerschlag, and Nano Sarceno each had two hits to help PHS edge Ewing 8-7 last Friday night. The Tigers, who improved to 8-15 with the win, were slated to play at South River on May 21 in their season finale.

Softball : Natalie Hester had a huge game as PHS defeated South Brunswick 15-7 last Monday. Sophomore shortstop Hester went 5 for 5 with two runs and three RBIs for the Tigers, who improved to 7-11. PHS is next in action when it

competes in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public state tournament. The Tigers are seeded 15th in the Central Jersey Group 4 tourney and will play at secondseeded Northern Burlington in a first-round contest on May 22.

Girls’ Golf : Jacqueline Zang led the way as PHS placed sixth in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) championship last week at Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater. Junior star Zang tied for 13th individually with a three-over 75. In the team standings, PHS posted a score of 344, 39 strokes behind champion Holy Angels.

Boys’ Tennis : Producing a dominant performance, PHS defeated Notre Dame 5-0 last Monday. The Tigers won four of the matches 6-0, 6-0 and the other 6-0, 6-1 as they improved to 11-0. PHS plays at Robbinsville on May 23 and at Ewing on May 24.

Local Sports Stuart

Lacrosse: Allison Lee

scored nine goals as Stuart defeated Gill St. Bernard’s 14-7 last Monday in its final game of the spring. The Tartans ended 2024 with a final record of 6-12 as they won three of their last five games.

Bailey Basketball Academy Offering Summer Camps

The Bailey Basketball Academy (BBA) is offering two week-long basketball camps this summer along with other specialty hoops programs.

BBA is led by former Princeton Day School girls’ hoops coach and Philadelphia 76ers camp director and clinician Kamau Bailey.

The camps are slated for June 24-28 and July 22-26 at the Princeton Middle School.

There are full day camps for ages 9-14 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and half day camps from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

In addition, there will be “First Hoops” options for ages 5-8 (9 to 11:45 a.m.).

BBA will also offer “Shot King” shooting instruction and small group player development daily sessions from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. starting July 1 and running through August 16 for players getting ready for middle school, high school, or club participation. All players will be required to bring their own water, snacks, and/or lunch for the applicable programs.

For more information, contact Kamau Bailey at (917) 626-5785 or at kamau. bailey@gmail.com

MEDAL COUNT: Wilberforce School track athletes show off the medals they earned at the Mercer County Championships last weekend at Robbinsville High. Pictured, from left, are Stella Blanchard, Laura Sallade, Gwen Mersereau, Eve Szeliga, and Caleb Brox. The quartet of Blanchard, Sallade, Mersereau, and Szeliga took first in the 4x800 meter relay while senior star and Washington University commit Brox placed first in both the 800 and 1,600 races. The Wilberforce girls placed seventh in the team standings of the meet won by Lawrenceville while the Wolverine boys placed 11th overall in the competition won by Robbinsville.

lacrosse player Riley Devlin, holding sign, celebrates with her teammates after she scored her 200th goal last Saturday at Hunterdon Central. Senior Devlin scored three goals in the contest as PHS fell 18-8 to the Red Devils. The Tigers, now 11-8, are next in action when they compete in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public state tournament. PHS is seeded 11th in the North Jersey Group 3 tourney and is slated to play at sixth-seeded Montgomery in a first-round contest on May 22.

Obituaries

Paula McGuire

Paula McGuire died on May 6 of this year 2024, in Princeton, New Jersey.

She was born Paula Van Doren, in Chicago, IL, on May 23, 1931. She was daughter to Paul and Jesse Van Doren, and younger sister to Peter Van Doren. Her father Paul was a brother of the distinguished literary Van Doren family. Paula spent her formative years in Glen Ridge, NJ.

She was an Oberlin alumna, and subsequently studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and in Germany, where she learned both countries’ languages.

Paula was married to William (Bill) McGuire in May of 1965 in New York City, becoming part of his family including Bill’s two earlyteenaged sons Jack and Eddie.

In 1967, the family moved to Princeton. Both were writers and editors; Paula had worked as an editor with

Pantheon Books, and later, Random House. She was editor for Alan Watts, Mary Renault, and worked with Dr R. Burack on his important The Handbook of Prescription Drugs, raising awareness of generic alternatives. Bill worked at the Bollingen Series, editing the collected works of C.G. Jung, and other scholars, and other projects, as well as writing several related books.

In 1972, Paula joined Vis Ed in Princeton as a freelancer, editing, notably, Nobel Prize Winners: Supplement 1987-1991, and writing a series of books for teens: Putting It Together (about divorce), Must Try Harder (about anxiety), Alcohol, It Won’t Happen To Me (about teen pregnancy); and a series of books about immigrant groups , Coming to North America: From Mexico, Cuba, & Puerto Rico, and others. Colleagues praised her organization, helpfulness, and generosity to staff. She was cited as a role model.

All along, she maintained her piano playing.

Mary McGuire was born in 1972, the great pride and happiness of her parents. Tragically, within months of completing her studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Mary was killed by a drunk driver in 1994, in San Antonio, TX, while working at Habitat for Humanity. Though she had only been there a month, the overflow crowd at her memorial in San Antonio was a testament to the kind of person she had become.

Paula maintained, over the years, relationships with several of Mary’s friends and

classmates, and other new friends from the community in San Antonio.

Paula retired from Vis Ed at that time, and she and Bill spent the next seven years rebuilding their lives.

Paula generously and devotedly donated her time and skills for several local causes. She was a major force on a state-sanctioned committee of New Jersey citizens that worked on alternative plans for the Penns Neck bypass. As part of that, she was a forceful leader in preserving the Washington Road Elms.

Paula’s beloved husband Bill died in September of 2009.

Paula is survived by sons Jack and Eddie, her grandchildren and their families, her Van Doren family — and her dear friends, the Fiori family.

Judith L. Pinch

Judith L. Pinch, 92, died at her home in Princeton on May 17, 2024.

She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where she graduated from Fort Hamilton High School. She received her B.A. in English literature from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey,

and her M.A. in English literature from Penn State University. At Penn State, she met her husband, Harry L. Pinch. They married in 1955 and moved to Princeton in 1957. She had a long, illustrious career at the former Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation (now the Institute for Citizens and Scholars), directing programs that fostered the expansion and inclusiveness of humanities education, teacher education, the arts, and women’s and gender studies. In 2003, she retired as Vice President of the Foundation.

Along with her husband, Judith was one of the founders of The Evergreen Forum, a learning-in-retirement program in Princeton. She also served a term as a member of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

Judith was preceded in death by her husband, Harry L. Pinch, and her parents Jacob and Anna Emdin. She is survived by her sister Josepha Cook (Stuart), her children Adam and Adela (Webb Keane), and her granddaughter Clara Keane. She will be remembered forever by her family and friends for her warmth, her keen intelligence, her love of literature, and her strength of character.

8:00 am: Holy Communion Rite I

9:30 am: Christian Education for all ages 10:30 am: Holy Communion Rite II

5:00 pm: Choral Compline or Evensong The Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector The Rev. Canon Dr. Kara Slade, Assoc. Rector Wesley Rowell, Lay Pastoral Associate

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Turning Inspection Issues into Opportunities: Navigating a Strong Seller's Market

When a buyer and seller can't agree on inspection issues, it often leads to the house coming back on the market. This situation typically arises when the buyer's home inspection reveals problems that the seller is either unwilling or unable to fix. Common issues include structural damage, environmental hazards, plumbing or electrical problems, and roof defects. If the buyer requests repairs or a price reduction and the seller refuses, the deal can fall through.

However, in a strong seller's market with low inventory, this setback can turn into an opportunity. With high demand and few homes available, the property is likely to attract significant interest quickly. The increased competition among buyers can drive up the price, potentially resulting in a higher offer than the original deal. Sellers might even find themselves in a bidding war, ultimately benefiting from the renewed interest in their home. For buyers, it's a reminder to move quickly and be prepared to compromise in competitive markets.

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STORAGE UNIT FOR RENT

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HOME HEALTH AIDE/COMPANION AVAILABLE: NJ certified and experienced. Live-in or live-out. Driver’s license. References available. Please call Cindy, (609) 227-9873. 05-22

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Knotty pine bookcases a specialty! SKILLMAN FURNITURE CO. 609-924-1881

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THE PRINCETON WRITING

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HANDYMAN–CARPENTER:

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

Set in one of Princeton's most prestigious neighborhoods, within a short walk to town, the University and other cultural venues, this classic Federalist home embodies the community's history of sophistication. A grand, inviting hallway with a fireplace opens to the spacious living and dining rooms suitable for the most elegant entertaining. Built in a period of skilled craftsmanship, these well-proportioned rooms have high ceilings, deep moldings and other sought after details. First floor rooms flow seamlessly into one another and onto a large porch, facilitating warm weather entertaining. This important home has a circular driveway and is located on almost an acre of land with a three car garage and is waiting for a new owner to make it their own.

Set in one of Princeton's most prestigious neighborhoods, within a short walk to town, the University and other cultural venues, this classic Federalist home embodies the community's history of sophistication. A grand, inviting hallway with a fireplace opens to the spacious living and dining rooms suitable for the most elegant entertaining. Built in a period of skilled craftsmanship, these well-proportioned rooms have high ceilings, deep moldings and other sought after details. First floor rooms flow seamlessly into one another and onto a large porch, facilitating warm weather entertaining. This important home has a circular driveway and is located on almost an acre of land with a three car garage and is waiting for a new owner to make it their own.

Offered at $2,450,000

Offered at $2,450,000

Set in one of Princeton's most prestigious neighborhoods, within a short walk to town, the University and other cultural venues, this classic Federalist home embodies the community's history of sophistication. A grand, inviting hallway with a fireplace opens to the spacious living and dining rooms suitable for the most elegant entertaining. Built in a period of skilled craftsmanship, these well-proportioned rooms have high ceilings, deep moldings and other sought after details. First floor rooms flow seamlessly into one another and onto a large porch, facilitating warm weather entertaining. This important home has a circular driveway and is located on almost an acre of land with a three car garage and is waiting for a new owner to make it their own.

Located on a beautifully landscaped corner lot in The Gatherings in Lawrenceville, this elegant property offers all you could possibly want. As soon as you enter, you are aware of the care and attention the owner has given to it. Conscientious maintenance and sophisticated decorating are obvious throughout, and the list of upgrades is extensive. The layout is excellent, with a terrace right off the kitchen — the perfect spot for enjoying your morning coffee. There is even a view of the dedicated woods from the bedroom window — a deer or two and the pleasant meadow. On the main level you will find not only the lovely living room, spacious dining room, and eat-in kitchen, but the family room, laundry room, and powder room. The current owner chose to use the family room as her study, but it could be a great sitting room or family room, as well. Also on the main level is the primary bedroom, en suite, of course, and a large custom walk-in closet. The dramatic staircase leads to the second level, creating a grand, twostory space overlooking the dining room, and leading to a second bedroom and loft. Obviously, these rooms can serve as whatever you need — you might choose to have your study upstairs, or even create a second-floor family room. Maybe you can finally have the designated library you have always wanted! In tandem with all the amenities for which this over-55 community is known, like the clubhouse activities, pool, location, and pond, you really can have it all! $499,000

MARKETED BY

MARKETED BY:

Judith Stier Sales Associate

Robin Wallack

Judith Stier Sales Associate

Offered at $2,450,000

Direct Line: 609.240.1232

Direct Line: 609.240.1232 MARKETED BY

Broker Associate Cell: 609.462.2340 robin.wallack@foxroach.com

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