Town Topics Newspaper, May 31, 2023

Zoning Board Carries Coffee Roasting Decision To June 28 Meeting

At its Zoom meeting on May 24, Princeton’s Zoning Board listened to extensive testimony regarding Sakrid Coffee’s proposal to install a roasting facility in the coffee shop it wants to open at 300 Witherspoon Street. This left time for only a few of the more than 50 members of the public in attendance to offer comment on the controversial proposal, leading the Zoning Board to put off the vote until the next meeting on June 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Last week’s discussion had itself been carried over from the Zoning Board’s previous gathering in April. At issue are the potential smells, noises, and environmental effects of the proposed coffee roasting facility, on residents of the neighborhood, and the Community Park Elementary School.

Neighbors have expressed specific concerns about the volatile organic compound diaceytl, which shows up in the roasting process and in many other foods. Richard Ludescher, a professor emeritus from Rutgers University and a consultant in the food science industry, testified that all plants, especially their owers, emit diaceytl, as do many cooked foods. The compound poses a risk only with very long-term, chronic exposure, such as for those in the food manufacturing industry. The levels at the proposed roasting operation — about 2.5 hours a week — would be much lower and barely discernible, he said.

Sakrid co-owner Jonathan Haley told the Zoning Board that in response to concerns about use of an afterburner, more research had been done and it was decided to go with a system known as the VortX scrubber. The system aligns better with Sustainable Princeton and Sakrid’s mission, because afternburners remove roaster emissions but contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, said Haley.

Representing VortX, Ron Kleist said the company has had no complaints in the systems they have installed at various locations across the U.S. “We wanted to help coffee roasting become a poster child for environmental responsibility,” he said. “We have been able to achieve that with the technology we’ve got. The product has been very well received by the roasting community, and achieving what we wanted to achieve as a business.”

Eisgruber Urges Grads, “Let Your Voices Rise”

In his commencement address at Princeton Stadium on Tuesday, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber put out an urgent plea for graduating seniors and grad students to stand up for equality, diversity, freedom, justice, and love.

Claiming “the best weather for commencement in the history of Princeton University — and after what you’ve been through in the past four years you deserve it,” Eisgruber awarded degrees to 1,263 undergraduates in the Class of 2023, plus two from previous classes, and 679 graduate students. Thousands more families, friends, and guests in the stadium cheered on the graduating seniors and advanced degree recipients at Princeton’s 276th commencement.

In his words to the graduates, Eisgruber noted “a movement afoot in this country right now to drive a wedge between the constitutional ideals of equality and free speech,” as he emphasized the necessity of caring simultaneously about equality and open debate on public issues. He condemned “educational gag orders” recently introduced by state legislatures restricting the teaching of information about inequalities within American society.

“Your help is urgently needed — now!” Eisgruber told the graduates, as he urged them to “stand up and speak out” for “free expression and full inclusivity for people of all identities.”

The University also awarded ve honorary degrees at Tuesday’s graduation ceremony. The recipients included computer scientist and transgender rights advocate Lynn A. Conway; Princeton University Professor Arcadio Diaz-Quinones, a leader of the University’s Latin

American Studies Program and a prominent public intellectual in Caribbean studies; Rhiannon Giddens, singer, instrumentalist, composer, two-time Grammy Award winner, Pulitzer Prize recipient, and MacArthur “Genius” who has “dedicated her career to raising up voices that have been overlooked or erased”; Suzan Shown Harjo, recipient of the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom and an advocate for Native American issues over the past half century; and Katalin Kariko,

June 6 Local Primaries are Uncontested; Candidates Look to November Election

Princeton voters will go to the polls on June 6 — or June 2, 3, or 4 for early voting—to select Democratic or Republican candidates to run in the November general election. On the primary ballot are candidates for state Senate, New Jersey General Assembly, Mercer County executive, county sheriff, Board of County Commissioners, and Princeton Council.

Though the primary races in Princeton this year are all uncontested, the fall election promises several highly competitive contests — not including the Council

positions, where only Democrat incumbents David Cohen and Leticia Fraga, and no Republicans, have led for two open spots. Democrats have run unopposed in Princeton Council elections since 2018. There is an early voting site at the Princeton Shopping Center, one of seven in the county, open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters who wish to vote by mail and have not yet applied can go in person to the county clerk’s office in Trenton before

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MARCHING ALONG: Presented by Spirit of Princeton, t he annual Princeton Memorial Day Parade returned on Saturday morning with participants, including the Colonial Musketeers Fife and Drum Corps, shown here, marching down Nassau Street to Monument Plaza. The parade was followed by a ceremony at Monument Hall. Attendees discuss their Memorial Day weekend plans in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

Saluting Tina Turner

On Walt Whitman’s

NEW

TOWN TOPICS

Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946

DONALD C. STUART, 1946-1981

Dowling to Take Reins

At K-4 Division of PCS

Michelle Dowling, with a 30year career working in education including eight years as the head of the lower school at Stuart Country Day School, will be the new head of the K-4 division at Princeton Charter School (PCS). She will take over this summer from Gail Wilbur, who is retiring after 14 years as assistant head of school for K-4 at PCS.

Dowling, whose experience also includes working in New York City at the Dwight School, Trinity School, and the Town School, is currently in the process of completing her doctorate of education degree.

“She has outstanding leadership experience; she is committed to excellence in teaching and learning; she is passionate in advocating for the health and development of the whole child,” said PCS Head Lawrence Patton. “I love this balance and feel that this is a perfect fit for Princeton Charter School.”

Dowling expressed her enthusiasm for her new position. “From the first moment I stepped on campus, I have seen, heard, and felt what all of you already know — that Princeton Charter is a mission-driven school that provides an exemplary choice for families who seek excellence in education,” she said. “I am eager to build upon the solid foundation of strong academic programming with a complementary emphasis on the social and emotional wellbeing of every child in our care.”

Wilbur, during her 14 years at PCS, has overseen the

expansion of the K-4 division from just over 108 students to its full complement of 224 students and the construction of two new classrooms.

“Gail brings so much love and passion for Princeton Charter School to work every day as well as humor and compassion,” said Lisa Eckstrom, who has served as head of the 5-8 division on the PCS administrative team for the past 10 years. “When Gail’s eyes start to twinkle, students, faculty, and parents know that something very fun is about to happen. I wish Gail every happiness in her retirement.” Palmer

Topics In Brief A Community Bulletin

Volunteer for Friends of Princeton Open Space: On Saturday, June 3, weekend land stewards are needed to make a sweep for invasive species at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. There are two time slots, from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Another session is June 24. Visit fopos.org to sign up.

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

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

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

HEAD AT PCS K-4: Michelle Dowling, right, will be taking over as the new head of the K-4 division at Princeton Charter School, replacing Gail Wilbur, left, who has led the K-4 division for the past 14 years. Lawrence Patton, center, head of PCS over the past 14 years, praised Dowling’s “outstanding leadership experience” and commitment to “excellence in teaching and learning.”

(Photo by Jersen Hsieh)

Trenton Film Festival Brings 51 Films

Spanning a Variety of Themes, Styles

Following a few stops and starts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trenton Film Festival is back to full strength at Mill Hill Playhouse next weekend. With 51 features — documentaries, experimental films, live action, and animated shorts — in 11 separate programs, the June 9-11 event touches on an impressive range of subjects and styles.

“I’m very excited about this year. The theme is almost

like, ‘We’re back, baby,’” said Ned Kolpan, a member of the festival’s board of trustees. “We missed 2020, finally had it in August 2021, and then had it last year, but we only got about 80 submissions. I was worried. But this year, we had over 150 submissions, from local filmmakers and from filmmakers all over the world.”

The festival has gone through several permutations, with its modern iteration dating from about 2003. From the beginning, there has been a focus on local talent as well as films from around the world. “That’s what makes us unique,” Kolpan said. “We want to showcase what is going on locally, but also internationally.”

TOPICS Of the Town

The gathering begins Friday, June 9 with two feature-length love stories paired with complementary shorts. Everybody Wants to Be Loved is from Germany, and Nargesi is from Iran. Saturday’s program starts at 11 a.m. with a group of documentaries including Bay St. Healer about Toronto psychiatrist Dr. Gordon Warme. “With unconventional insights, Dr. Warme resists the temptation to simplify human experience in pursuit of ‘healing,’ revealing himself as a doctor who, instead of theorizing about patients, is a participant in one of countless rituals that give relief to humans,” reads a description of the film.

Four more programs follow throughout the day, mixing live-action, animated, and experimental shorts from the U.S. and Brazil, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. The Ukrainian short is a film diary from an 11-year-old girl. The Indian short profiles a young woman trying to keep her lesbian relationship from her traditional mother.

Films from the U.S. and the local region are the focus of four programs on Sunday. The day begins at 11 a.m. with 10 live action and animated shorts, including Frederick’s Unforgiving Flatulence and the science fiction film The Split . At 1 p.m., experimental films and narrative shorts will be screened, including a project from Rider University, Strands of Light, based on stories by Jorge Luis Borges.

Snoring, grinding or clenching may indicate serious health hazards we’re trained to treat successfully. As part of our holistic health approach, we use

Documentaries take over at 3:15 p.m., with two shorts and a feature, The Sun Rises in the East, about a Pan African cultural organization founded in 1969 that encompassed schools, food co-ops, and political action.

Seven Square Miles , about the Trenton Violence Reduction Strategy, closes the festival. Directed by Lorna Johnson-Frizell, the film highlights a collective effort aimed at ending violence and crime in the city. With the help of a formerly incarcerated activist and a team of city residents, a young woman police detective creates a program whose goal is to support and mentor rather than punish those who are at risk for recidivism. Over the course of a year, the film follows the struggle to keep this small program alive.

Film Festival

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Filmmakers are invited to attend and conduct Q&A sessions after the showings. Following the final screening on Sunday, an awards ceremony honoring films in various categories, plus an award for audience favorite, will follow a vote.

“We want to include our audiences in the process,” said Kolpan. “We want to be transparent.”

Tickets, ranging from $5-$25 depending on how many programs are attended, are available at trentonfilmsociety.org.

—Anne Levin

Kingston Presbyterian Church Celebrates its History

To highlight special events in its three centuries of history, the Kingston Presbyterian Church and the Kingston Historical Society (KHS) will host a special celebration, “Reflections on Our Past 1723 – 2023,” on Saturday, June 3. The church is located at 4565 Route 27.

The celebration starts with a reception at 6 p.m. in the assembly room of the church basement, followed by a 7 p.m. presentation on the history of the church in the church sanctuary by the church’s pastor, the Rev. Sharyl Dixon, and KHS Vice President George Luck Jr., an elder and lifetime member of the church. The celebration is free and all are welcome.

The Kingston Presbyterian Church was chartered on January 21, 1723 in the historic village of Kingston. The original church was located in a log building in the church cemetery, on the original King’s Highway near the Millstone River. The church and the cemetery have been central to Kingston’s history from colonial times and the Revolutionary War to the present day.

During the Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington met in front of the wooden church with his officers for a horseback conference after the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. It was here that Washington decided to head north to Morristown to rest the troops for the winter.

The land for the first church was purchased sometime between 1709 and 1715 from Jedediah Higgins, who originally owned 1,000 acres in the Kingston area. The foundation of the original building can be found in the cemetery marked with an interpretive sign designating its location.

In 1852 a new church was built on its present site two blocks north of the cemetery on Main Street. The church and its iconic steeple, constructed in 1856 and restored in 2015, is a landmark in the Village of Kingston.

Visit khsnj.org for more information.

JUNCTION BARBER SHOP

33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554

Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm

Question of the Week: “Do you have special plans for this Memorial Day weekend?”

(Asked Saturday at the Princeton Memorial Day Parade) (Photos by Sarah Teo)

Pat: “We’re having dinner with longtime friends. He and I are both veterans, so we’ll probably reminisce about that.” —Sharon and Pat Ainsworth, Princeton

Julia: “I have some family friends coming over. I’m also going to get to see my new baby cousin.”

Olivia: “I’m going to enjoy the weather, because it’s going to be pretty nice, and I’ll probably go see the Reunion Fireworks, and also hang out with friends.”

Milania: “My family friends are also coming over — we haven’t seen them for a year. I think I’m probably just going to hang around and be outside, and also go see the fireworks.”

—Julia Scibienski, Olivia Ahn, Milania Kapoor, and Lara, all of Princeton

Gabriel: “We’re going to the Jazz Brunch, and then the P-rade for our 30th reunion to see all of our friends.”

Sara: “See the fireworks, the orchestra tonight, and attend the international dinner.”

—Gabriel Lear, Chicago, with Sara McLean, Washington, D.C.

John: “Going to the P-rade later today. And on Monday we’ll attend a parade in Fort Lee.”

—John Criscione, Fort Lee, with Mila, Princeton

“Wear Orange” Event in Princeton June 2

Part of National Effort to End Gun Violence

When stalking in the woods, hunters wear orange to protect themselves. On Friday, June 2, sponsors of an event on the plaza outside Witherspoon Hall are hoping a lot of people will show up wearing orange, to symbolically protect themselves and others from the gun violence that is rampant throughout the country.

The 1:30 p.m. gathering is part of a national effort designed to honor those affected by gun violence and elevate efforts to prevent it.

Mayor Mark Freda, Princeton Police Sergeant Dan Federico, and Princeton resident Portia Wong, of the New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action, will be on hand to deliver a proclamation and talk about how to help address the issue.

Moms Demand Action is hosting the event in partnership with the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. As he did last year, Freda will read a proclamation declaring June 2 to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Princeton.

“I don’t know if you are

Concierge

aware that more than 120 people are shot and killed in the U.S. every day,” said Wong, a mother of three who started volunteering with Moms Demand Action after the killings at a school in Uvalde, Texas last year. “I just couldn’t sit by any longer,” she said. “I wanted to add my own voice to the effort. I noticed there were other towns in New Jersey doing this, and Princeton didn’t have an event scheduled. I asked Mayor Freda to do a proclamation, which he did last year.”

In New Jersey, guns are now the second leading cause of death for children and teens, according to gun safety advocates. Freda’s proclamation declares that America must do more to combat this public health crisis, to reduce gun violence of all kinds, and promises “to renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and encourage responsible gun ownership to help keep our children safe,” according to a release from Moms Demand Action.

Friday’s event is the first of Wear Orange, an annual weekend in June that unites communities across the country in efforts to fight for a future free of gun violence. In addition to those shot and killed every day, the initiative honors those who are wounded by the violence, as well as those who bear witness.

The idea of wearing orange dates from January 21, 2013, when a 15-yearold girl named Hadiya Pendleton marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, she was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after, her friends commemorated her life by wearing orange. The observances have been held every June since then.

“We don’t have to live like this,” said Wong. “We can push back. It’s really impactful for people to realize the ripple effects of these efforts. It’s important for our children to see that people around them want to keep them safe.”

Freda will sign the proclamation declaring the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Wong is hoping that members of Princeton Council will also be on hand for the ceremony, as well as members of the public.

“What it really boils down to is if you’re fed up, wear orange and come join us,” she said. “We can demand a future free from gun violence.”

—Anne Levin

Garden Clubs Recognized For Native Plant Month

Conservation leaders of The Garden Club of Princeton (GCP), the Stony Brook Garden Club, and the Garden Club of Trenton, along with area legislators, played a leading role in having the month of April designated Native Plant Month in New Jersey, which joined 45 other states in taking this action.

The nationwide campaign was led by the 18,000-member Garden Club of America (GCA), which launched it in the fall of 2022 because of the critical importance of native plants to sustaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. Many species of native North American animals, including insects, butterfly caterpillars and birds, are at risk of extinction because they cannot eat non-native plants, which can outcompete native plants for resources and destroy the natural landscape. New Jersey has 2,100 native plant species, many of which are endangered.

The resolution designating April as Native Plant Month was passed by both houses of the state legislature on March 30, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, and became law on April 14. The New Jersey effort was coordinated by Nell Haughton, conservation representative for Zone IV of the GCA, which comprises all eleven GCA-affiliated New Jersey garden clubs. Haughton sent club conservation chairs a stream of updates and information to convey to their legislators, and peppered the offices of key lawmakers with phone calls and emails encouraging them to push the measure forward as quickly as possible.

“Native plants are significant not just from an ecological perspective, but because they support the pollinators that in turn are critical to New Jersey’s important agricultural sector,” said Haughton. The resolution itself notes that native plants like the blueberry and cranberry helped spur the development of the New Jersey’s mammoth agricultural industry, and that native plants are a growing sector within New Jersey’s $440 million a year nursery industry.

Wendy Mager, co-chair of the GCP’s Conservation Committee, focused her efforts on working with two legislators who represent Princeton, Sen. Andrew Zwicker and Assemblyman Roy Freiman. Zwicker quickly agreed to become a co-sponsor of the Senate joint resolution. “As a scientist and state senator, I am committed to protecting our environment including our state’s native plants,” he said. “I thank the conservation leaders for their advocacy and for ensuring that New Jersey continues to live up to its legacy of being the garden state.”

Penn Medicine Hospitals

Awarded Top Safety Grade

All six Penn Medicine hospital entities were recently awarded an “A” in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing hospitals’ achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.

Princeton Medical Center (PMC) was one of six Penn Medicine health system hospitals to receive an A grade for spring 2023. Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania–Cedar Avenue, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Pennsylvania Hospital also each received an A.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers focused on health care safety, assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm to patients in their care.

“The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is a comprehensive, evidence-based evaluation; it is never an easy A,” said Penn Medicine Princeton Health CEO James Demetriades. “Maintaining our top grade takes a commitment to patient safety and continuous quality improvement across the organization. I want to thank our staff, physicians, and medical staff leadership for the skill and dedication they bring to our patients every day.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

To see PMC’s full grade, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

NATIVE PLANT MONTH: Gov. Phil Murphy officially congratulated conservation leaders on their successful efforts to have the month of April designated New Jersey Native Plant Month. From left are Christina Amundson, co-chair of The Summit Garden Club Conservation Committee; Robbyn O’Neill, co-chair of the Rumson Garden Club Conservation Committee; Murphy; Nell Haughton, Zone IV Garden Club of America conservation representative and member of Stony Brook Garden Club; and first lady Tammy Murphy.

Primary Election

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3 p.m. on June 5. Voted ballots may be returned to any drop box location within Mercer County by 8 p.m., June 6, returned to the Mercer County Board Elections at 930 Spruce Street in Lawrence, or mailed in by the same deadline.

Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello also reminds voters to check their sample ballots and to note specifically their polling location since the Board of Elections has changed some polling locations for this primary election. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 6. All registered voters can vote in the primary. An unaffi liated voter can go to the polling place on Election Day or an early voting day, declare a party, Democrat or Republican, then vote for candidates of that party.

In New Jersey’s 16th legislative district, of which Princeton is a part, incumbent State Sen. Andrew Zwicker is the only Democrat vying for the nomination. Michael Pappas, the only Republican in the senate primary, is expected to run against him in the fall in a rematch of the 2021 election, when Zwicker won 53 percent of the vote to Pappas’ 47 percent.

Zwicker, who served in the General Assembly from 2016 to 2022 before joining the Senate, is a physicist at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory. Pappas was a member of the U.S. Congress, 1997 to 1999, and has also served as a member of the Somerset County Board of

Freeholders, as Franklin Township mayor, and on the Franklin Township Council.

Primary candidates for two available positions in the 16th district for the New Jersey General Assembly include incumbent Roy Freiman and Mitchelle Drulis for the Democrats and Ross Traphagen and Grace Zhang for the Republicans. Democratic incumbent Sadaf Jaffer is not seeking reelection to a second term.

Freiman is running for his fourth term in the assembly, having served as chairman of the Agriculture and Food Security Committee, following a career at Prudential Financial, where he was a vice president of strategy and analytics. Drulis, a small business owner, has worked as legislative aide and chief of staff to New Jersey Assembly members and as political director and district director for former Congressman Tom Malinowski.

Traphagen is a small business owner who is in his second term on the Clinton Town Council, where he has served on the historic commission, the communications committee, and the water and sewer board.

Zhang, an active resident in the Princeton community, is a certified public accountant with her own consulting and accounting business.

In Mercer County races, Dan Benson, the sole Democrat seeking nomination for county executive, is expected to face Lisa Richford, the only Republican up for county executive on the primary ballot, in the November general election. Brian Hughes, who has been the Mercer County executive for

the past 20 years, will be retiring at the end of this year.

Benson, who has served on the Hamilton Council and on the Board of Mercer County Commissioners, has been a New Jersey assemblyman since 2011. In the assembly he chairs the transportation and independent authorities committee and is also a member of the Budget Committee and the Health Committee.

Richford, an attorney for more than 30 years, is the Mercer County Republican Committee Chair, looking to overturn the Democrats’ 20 years of one-party rule in the county.

In other Mercer County races, the Board of Commissioners’ two incumbent Democrat presumptive nominees, Lucylle Walter and John Cimino, expect to be running in the fall against Republican challengers Joseph Stillwell and Denise “Neicy” Turner.

In the contest for county sheriff, Democrat incumbent John “Jack” Kemler and Republican challenger Bryan “Bucky” Boccanfuso are their parties’ presumptive nominees for a three-year term starting January 1, 2024.

In running for his third three-year term on Princeton Council, Cohen, an architect, has emphasized his commitment to completing the work begun over the past six years. As Councilman, he has been a member of the Central Jersey Forum and the Flood and Storm Water Commission, a liaison to the Friends of Herrontown Woods, the mayor’s representative on the Planning Board, and a member of the following committees:

Local Emergency Planning, Pedestrian and Bike Advisory, Finance, Infrastructure and Operations, Planning and redevelopment, and Traffic Safety.

Fraga, also seeking a third term, has emphasized her pledge to represent all voices in the community and to use an equity lens in making policy decisions. She was Council president in 2021 and 2022, and as a Councilwoman has served on the Board of Health; the Civil Rights Commission; the Human Services Commission; as police commissioner; as chair of the Public Safety Committee; and as a member of the Legal, the Personnel, the Local Emergency Planning, and the Youth Advisory committees.

Not on the primary ballot are independent candidates and candidates of parties other than Democrat or Republican, who have until June 6 to file to run in the general election.

Also not on the primary ballot are candidates for the nonpartisan Princeton Public Schools Board of Education race. This year’s November 7 School Board contest, with three seats up for grabs, is expected to be even more hotly contested than usual.

The filing deadline for School Board candidates is July 31. The terms of Board members Beth Behrend, Jean Durbin, and Michele Tuck-Ponder are up at the end of this year. It is not known whether they will be running for reelection.

For more information on elections and voting options, visit the Mercer County clerk’s website at mercercounty.org.

—Donald Gilpin

Coffee Roasting

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Sakrid, which has an existing café at 20 Nassau Street, currently roasts its coffee at a facility in Moonachie.

Roasting locally would cut out trips to and from that location, and would allow customers (at 300 Witherspoon) to see how their coffee is made, Haley said.

In 2021, Haley pointed out, New Jersey adopted the Cottage Food Law, which allows the production of many foods, including coffee, without permits in private homes. Urban planner Susan Favate

testified that Sakrid was asking for a manufacturing variance because that’s how coffee roasting is defi ned under Princeton’s zoning code. “In fact,” she said, “it’s a microoperation that should be considered ‘artisanal manufacturing,’ and that designation is being used in towns around the state to modernize their zoning laws.”

The June 28 meeting will begin with public comment on the Sakrid proposal, Zoning Board Chair Steve Cohen said. A video of the May 24 meeting is available on YouTube.com.

—Anne Levin

TICKETS -

PU Receives Development Grant to Lead Regional Photonics Research Consortium

With a recent grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovations Engines program, Princeton University will be leading a consortium researching economic and technological advancements in the field of photonics. Also known as lightwave technology, the field includes lasers, optical fibers, and light-based innovations.

The collaboration, coled by Rowan University, includes universities and community colleges, photonics companies, statewide workforce development programs, and technology accelerators and incubators — all advancing research and translating that research into startup companies and economic opportunities.

“Photonics is one of the unseen gems of the New Jersey economy, providing thousands of good-paying jobs and leading global innovation,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as quoted in a Princeton University press release. “Congratulations to Princeton University, Rowan University, and the many other New Jersey institutions of higher education, companies, and state agencies that are joining forces on this effort to affirm our state’s longstanding role as a leader in innovation.”

Through the control of light for use in technology, photonics has applications in information technology, health care, manufacturing, solar power with photovoltaic cells, defense and space technology, and clean energy, with the potential to improve cancer detection, food safety, smart phones, self-driving cars, and more.

“This initiative unites colleges and universities, startups, and established companies across our region to catalyze research, develop new technologies, create jobs, and strengthen the economy,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber in the press release. “Princeton is proud to be part of this National Science Foundation program, which is helping to grow scientific research and technological innovation in every part of our nation.”

In announcing this new multistate collaboration, which is called Advancing Photonics Technologies (APT), NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan noted, “These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines. These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF’s vision to create opportunities

everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of the nation.”

The APT consortium is one of more than 40 teams nationwide chosen to receive NSF Engines Development Awards, which provide up to two years of funding toward the planning of a multistage initiative to create economic, societal, and technological opportunities for their regions. Proposals can receive up to $160 million to implement their plans in creating future NSF Engines.

Princeton University Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Craig B. Arnold, Princeton’s vice dean for innovation, will be the consortium’s principal investigator. He holds 13 granted patents, is the cofounder of two companies, and his research expertise spans advanced manufacturing, energy storage and conversion, and optics, as well as photonics.

“Photonics will play a crucial role in pushing 21st century applications to be cleaner, smarter, and more secure,” said Arnold. “To enable this technology and expand its reach, we aim to grow a robust, diverse photonics workforce that is tightly integrated within an ecosystem of continuous innovation and use-inspired research.”

Considered one of the key technologies of the 21st century, photonics has been cited by various government institutions in Europe, Asia, and the United States for its importance in the fields of science, technology, and the economy, according to the RP Photonics Encyclopedia. Many Nobel Prizes over the past 25 years have been awarded to photonics-related inventions and discoveries.

—Donald Gilpin

JM Group Raises Funds For Community Groups

JM Group has raised $18,000 to support the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank and $13,000 to support the YWCA Princeton’s Breast Cancer Resource Center.

This year, JM Group, the community and their sponsors were able to provide funds to support food distribution to local children, adults and seniors who face food insecurity and hunger on a daily basis.

“We are proud to be a part of this wonderful community and are grateful for all of your support,” said JM Group CEO Jack Morrison. “Thank you again for making our mission to help those in need in the Mercer County area possible. We look forward to continuing this tradition again next year.”

“Jack Morrison and the JM Group have been tremendous philanthropic leaders in our community for decades,” said Bernie Flynn, CEO of Mercer Street Friends. “At Mercer Street Friends, we appreciate his longstanding partnership in the battle against food insecurity in Mercer County, and we look forward to honoring Jack’s legacy of service at our

Leadership Event on June 13, 2023.”

JM Group’s restaurant

Blue Point Grill recently hosted their annual Pink Pearl Night as an in-person event for the first time since the pandemic. The event benefit ed the Breast Cancer Resource Center, which provides mentoring, fitness and wellness activities, and other assistance to guide women through the challenges of breast cancer.

SSAAM to Host Second

Annual Juneteenth Celebration

The Stoutsburg Sourland

African American Museum (SSAAM), Central New Jersey’s only African American history museum sharing the history of Black Americans since the trans-Atlantic Slave trade, will hold its second annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 17, from 12 to 4 p.m. (rain or shine).

SSAAM’s Juneteenth celebration, “Freedom Forward,” is a family-friendly event that aims to educate, celebrate, and promote unity and cohesion within our culturally diverse community. The event will feature music by the Jon Ware Quintet featuring Gina Ware, a youth rock band from the Allegra School of Music and Arts, opera singer, Dr. Sonya Headlam, an original play written by Ryan Kilpatrick and performed by youth actors from the Allegra School of Music and Arts, original poetry by Olivia Altiidor, a youth poet from Hillsborough High School, a stone mosaic workshop from Emmy award-winning educator and artist, Dr. Ronah Harris and a family tree heritage workshop led by the Morven Museum. The event will feature classic African American barbecue from The Big Easy of Trenton and vegan food options from Mukolee Food Truck. The day will also feature a Juneteenth museum exhibit and activities in the Heritage Garden and tours of the grounds. This event will have fun games and activities for all to enjoy. The event will take place at SSAAM, a National Historic-Registered Mt Zion AME church in Skillman and the adjacent True Farmstead, a historically African American-owned farmstead.

“If you attended SSAAM’s first Juneteenth event last year, you’ll certainly recall

how amazing it was to celebrate this holiday of African American freedom from enslavement on the grounds of the historically African American-owned True Farmstead,” said Executive Director Donnetta Johnson. “The farmstead was originally owned by Harry Reasoner, a Black Civil War veteran. His widow Corinda later married Spencer True, a descendant of Friday Truehart, an enslaved child who was taken from his mother Dinah in Charleston and brought to Hopewell Borough at the age of 13 years by the pastor of Old School Baptist Church.” She added: “In the early 1800s there were 13,000 enslaved people in New Jersey and Friday Truehart, the ancestor of our cofounder Beverly Mills and board member Pat Payne, was amongst them. Friday gained his freedom in 1819. I can’t help but appreciate the importance of having the opportunity to recognize and honor the suffering, sacrifice, and triumph of those enslaved African men, women, and children whose skills, expertise, and labor was instrumental in building the wealth of this region and indeed this country. It is outstanding that we get to celebrate Jubilee or Juneteenth, a day commemorating freedom, on the very grounds where the Reasoner and True families most certainly appreciated what it meant to be free from bondage and African American landowners in the Sourland region.”

On Saturday, June 17, free shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes from 11:45 a.m. through 3:15 p.m. at the Montgomery High School parking lot to and from the event on Hollow Road in Skillman. Limited parking will be available at the True Farmstead for those with limited mobility, event vendors, and performers. All others should take the shuttle buses.

For information on how to sponsor SSAAM’s Juneteenth “Freedom Forward,” purchase a vendor table, and tickets, visit ssaamuseum. org/juneteenth. Adult general admission is $25 by online pre-sale only and $30 at the venue; tickets for children 14 and under are $15 presale and $20 at the venue.

Serving Bucks, Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer Counties

CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY: JM Group of Princeton recently announced two fundraising projects benefiting Mercer Street Friends and the YWCA Princeton’s Breast Cancer Resource Center. From left are Jess Morrison, vice president of JM Group; Jack Morrison, CEO; Bernie Flynn of Mercer Street Friends; and Courtney Matlock of Mercer Street Friends.

Eisgruber continued from page one

groundbreaking biologist whose determined research on mRNA provided the foundation for development of a landmark vaccine.

The full text of Eisgruber’s commencement address follows:

“Let Your Voices Rise”

In a few minutes, all of you will walk out of this stadium as newly minted graduates of this University.

Before you do, however, it is my privilege to offer a few words about your time here and the path that lies ahead.

I want to begin by saying something about the honorary degrees that we conferred a few moments ago.

Our purpose in awarding those degrees is not only to recognize the extraordinary achievements of the recipients, but to offer them to our new graduates as inspiring examples of the many ways that one might live a life of leadership and service to others.

One great pleasure of my job each year is getting to meet our honorary degree recipients, welcome them to the University, and learn a little about them.

In 2015, I was honored to share this stage with, among others, the vocalist and civil rights leader Harry Belafonte. Though many people remember Belafonte as an entertainer, Princeton conferred upon him an honorary doctorate of laws in recognition of his social activism and humanitarian work.

Harry Belafonte passed away just over a month ago at the age of 96. I would like to offer you some reflections prompted both by his memory and by current events.

I want, in particular, to tell you a story drawn from the struggle for racial equality in America. It is a story about Harry Belafonte and the origins of the American right to free speech. And it is a story about the moral courage of young people, about how their leadership played a crucial role in our country’s long and unfinished quest to establish a more perfect union and a more just society.

It is also a story that connects very directly to the history that Congresswoman Terri Sewell spoke about in her inspirational Class Day address yesterday.

Harry Belafonte was one of the principal fundraisers for Martin Luther King’s civil rights campaigns, and he had a leadership role in the Committee to Defend Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Freedom.

In March 1960, that committee published a full-page

advertisement in the New York Times. The headline for the advertisement was “Heed Their Rising Voices.”

The “rising voices” were those of Black students in the American South, who, in the words of the advertisement, were engaged in “non-violent demonstrations in positive affirmation of the right to live in human dignity as guaranteed by the [United States] Constitution and the Bill of Rights.”

The advertisement pled for help and support, because, it said, the students were “being met by an unprecedented wave of terror by those who would deny and negate” the freedoms promised by the American Constitution.

The advertisement also contained some serious errors. It said, for example, that the Alabama universities had padlocked their dining halls in an attempt to starve the protesting students, which was not true.

L. B. Sullivan, who was the police commissioner in Montgomery, Alabama, sued the New York Times. He claimed that the advertisement had libeled him, and he won a $500,000 award.

That was the largest libel award in Alabama history, and, if it had been upheld, it might have been enough to put the New York Times out of business.

The Times took the case to the United States Supreme Court. Their chances did not look good. The Court had a lousy record in free speech cases. It had never held that the First Amendment limited libel law in any way, and it had turned a blind eye to McCarthyism and earlier instances of political persecution.

In Times v. Sullivan, however, the Supreme Court rewrote the law of free speech. It ruled unanimously in favor of the New York Times, and it created a new and powerful restriction on libel law. The Court held that everyone had the right to criticize public officials without fear of legal liability unless their statements were not only false but also made with “actual malice.”

The Supreme Court thereby, suddenly and in a single decision, created one of the most speech-protective legal doctrines in history — and, for that matter, in the world today.

Justice William J. Brennan, from the great state of New Jersey, wrote the opinion of the Court and declared that there is “a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be un inhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement,

caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.”

When people talk about free speech rights in America, they often depict them as the legacy of the American founding in the 18th century, or as the product of elegant dissents authored by Justices Oliver Wendell Holmes and Louis Brandeis in the early 20 th century.

Without meaning any disrespect to the Constitution’s framers or to those legendary justices, this much is clear: the expansive, legally enforceable free speech rights that Americans cherish today first emerged in the 1960s during and because of the fight for racial justice in the South, a fight whose leaders included Black student activists.

I insist on this point today because there is a movement afoot in this country right now to drive a wedge between the constitutional ideals of equality and free speech. There are people who claim, for example, that when colleges and universities endorse the value of diversity and inclusivity or teach about racism and sexism, they are “indoctrinating students” or in some other way endangering free speech.

That is wrong. It is wrong as a historical matter, and it is wrong as a matter of our constitutional ideals, which require us to care simultaneously about the achievement of real, meaningful equality and what Justice Brennan called “uninhibited, robust, and wide-open” debate on public issues.

These ideals are at risk.

PEN America, an organization dedicated to free expression, reported in February that, in just the first two months of this year, state legislatures had already introduced 86 “educational gag orders” that restrict the ability of schools, colleges, universities, and libraries to teach or disseminate information about inequalities within American society.

Some of these bills prohibit discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. Some prohibit teaching disfavored views about race, racism, and American history. Others seek to undermine the institutional autonomy of colleges and universities or to abolish tenure, thereby enabling politicians to control what professors can teach or publish.

Christine Emba, who graduated from Princeton in 2010 and now writes for the Washington Post, visited the University of Florida last month to examine how that state’s censorship laws were affecting students and faculty.

She talked to a University of Florida student, Emmaline Moye, who said this about her college experience:

“Being exposed to people who I’ve never been exposed to before, people of different races and ethnicities and genders and sexualities, and, as a queer student, hearing those things talked about makes me feel heard and seen.”

But Emmaline added that because of the newly passed laws, “I’m so scared for people like me … they won’t get that feeling of liberation, of getting to be who you are and know[ing that] you’re not alone.”

We must not let that happen.

We must stand up and speak up together for the values of free expression and full inclusivity for people of all identities.

As I said earlier, the advertisement that Harry Belafonte put in the New York Times more than 60 years ago began with the headline “Heed Their Rising Voices.” It concluded with the message, “Your Help is Urgently Needed … NOW!!”

To all of you who receive your undergraduate or graduate degree from Princeton University today:

Your help is urgently needed—now!

So, as you go forth from this University, let your voices rise. Let them rise for equality. Let them rise for the value of diversity. Let them rise for freedom, for justice, and for love among the people of this earth.

Wherever your individual journeys lead you in the years ahead, I hope that you also continue to travel together, as classmates and as alumni of this University, in pursuit of a better world.

All of us on this platform have great confidence in your ability to take on the challenge. We applaud your persistence, your talent, your achievements, your values, and your aspirations.

We send our best wishes as you embark upon the path that lies ahead, and we hope it will bring you back to this campus many times. We look forward to welcoming you when you return, and we say, to Princeton University’s great Class of 2023, congratulations!

—Donald Gilpin

Lambertville Goes Wild Sponsors Plant Sale

Lambertville Goes Wild (LGW) is sponsoring a native plant sale on Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cavallo Park, 2 Mount Hope Street in Lambertville (rain or shine).

Toadshade Wildflower Farm and Earth First Native Plant Nursery and Gifts will be offering plants for sale, including perennials, shrubs, and trees. Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and the Native Plant Society of New Jersey will have representatives and information available. LGW team members will answer questions about gardening for wildlife, and help identify mystery plants.

Also on June 10, the Kalmia Club is holding its 25th

annual Hidden Gardens of Lambertville tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets for this self-guided walking tour are $25 in advance at Bucks on Bridge (25 Bridge Street), Blue Raccoon (6 Coryell Street), and kalmiaclub.org. On the day of the tour, tickets are $30 at Kalmia Club, 39 York Street.

Lambertville Goes Wild is a volunteer group working to promote wider use of native plants, a key element in supporting local wildlife, particularly birds and imperiled pollinators such as butterflies and bees. LGW successfully led Lambertville to certification as a Community Wildlife Habitat. For more information, visit lambertvillegoeswild.weebly.com and the Lambertville Goes Wild Facebook page.

What Princeton Residents Should Know About the PPS Crisis and Why it Matters

To the Editor:

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore that Princeton is facing a full-blown crisis in its public school system (PPS), historically one of the top districts in the state. If its quality and reputation continue to drop and teachers/staff continue to leave, we will see declining property values and tax revenues, with fewer people and businesses wanting to come to or stay in Princeton.

At the root of the crisis is a divisive superintendent, hired by the Board of Education (BOE) in July 2021. Unfortunately, the BOE seems to be taking the fall for their CEO’s ineffective leadership and expensive missteps. The few supporters of the superintendent and BOE who have spoken publicly have tried to minimize the voices of thousands of PPS parents and residents by calling them an insignificantly small group. In a May 24 letter, they even belittled them as “recent arrivals” — apparent anti-immigrant rhetoric we should not accept in Princeton.

These supporters do not represent the far larger population voicing legitimate concerns. Here are the facts: There have been thousands of signatures on petitions demanding accountability and the resignation of the superintendent; more than 1,000 attendees at multiple tense BOE meetings after high school Principal Frank Chmiel’s controversial dismissal; more than $25,000 fundraised for Chmiel’s legal defense and exploration into recalling elected BOE members; and the creation of a grassroots nonprofit called “Princeton School Advocates.”

PPS is the biggest recipient of our property taxes (50 percent), and its annual budget exceeds $100M — 50 percent larger than Princeton municipality’s budget. Property taxes are increasing due to the recently passed BOE budget. A proposed referendum will ask taxpayers to fund an additional $10M. Yet we seem to be mired in an expensive mess, especially since the BOE hiring of the superintendent. This includes, to name a few items: hundreds of thousands of dollars for controversial curriculum consultants and a PR firm (why does the superintendent need one?); payments toward interim administrators exceeding $1,600/ day; and legal fees (and potentially a large settlement) related to anticipated lawsuits by the dismissed principal.

In the upcoming months, more facts will likely emerge regarding the conduct of the superintendent. Mr. Chmiel and his attorneys have alleged that the superintendent or her designees: falsified data and omitted files from his record; intimidated students, teachers, and staff to silence them; lied about a union-organized vote of no-confidence; and misrepresented facts related to school security. While we wait for the facts to be established, many residents view these allegations as fitting into a pattern of mismanagement and ethically questionable behavior over the past 18 months, which has negatively impacted education, test scores, teacher/staff retention, and morale.

For many paying attention, there is an overwhelming sentiment that local government — in this case the BOE and the superintendent it hired — has failed its constituents and Princeton’s children, and in doing so has violated the public trust. There are critical BOE financial decisions on the horizon, and taxpayers deserve a well-functioning Board and superintendent. This should matter to all Princeton residents, who have the power to hold elected officials and their designees accountable.

JASON ROGART, MD Marion Road

Wondering Why Access to Dinky Was Blocked for PU Alumni Buses

To the Editor:

On Friday, May 26, I tried to take my wife to catch the train. There were barricades blocking the entrance to the Dinky station. I tried to enter the station parking lot but half of it was also barricaded, and the open half was packed with cars and trucks, many blocking in others. I suspect some were train customers and others Wawa customers. In the afternoon I went to pick up my wife — again the barricades and no space for the usual customers. What a mess.

The scene looked like there was an emergency safety event and the area had been cordoned off. Was it a sink hole, a bomb threat, an outbreak of Ebola? No, I discovered it was to reserve space for University alumni buses. At the times I visited, the cordoned-off area was empty, there were no buses.

We arrived early for the train and had time to make the connection, so it was just an inconvenience for us. But I can imagine for someone missing the train to an appointment, it would be more important. Also, there are access concerns for people with disabilities and some safety concerns with cars double parking, loading, and unloading on Alexander Street.

How did this poor planning happen? Can the University just obstruct access to public transportation and Wawa? Did the town approve the plan? Given the station is in a location where most people have to drive to it, did the planners not consider the mess it would make for the public who use the station and Wawa? Was the fiendish plan created by saboteurs from Penn, to undermine Princeton?

I just hope this scenario is not repeated.

Regarding the Open Apology Letter And the Open Public Records Acts

To the Editor:

On May 24, the Town Topics published a letter from four Princeton residents where they openly ask the PPS superintendent and the Board of Education (BOE) members to “please accept our sincerest apologies on behalf of the Princeton community.” This letter further stated that the community’s oppositions to recent PPS/BOE decisions were “the attacks, apparently led largely by non-residents and recent arrivals to Princeton.” This letter was indeed written very eloquently but was wrong, and insulting, in many ways.

First and foremost, why would taxpayers need to apologize to local elected officials and a particular public worker if they don’t agree with their decisions? By the same token, can I openly apologize, on behalf of Princeton community, to the mistreated public worker whose career and personal life were put on the line by the particular public worker, and blindly supported by the BOE?

I am not sure if I am qualified to be one of the “recent arrivals” (I moved into Princeton in 2016 and spent nine years prior in Montgomery). But I automatically felt diminished, and a little insulted by this open letter. This is the first time I personally have had a taste of what xenophobia is since I came to the U.S. in 2000. I now find it actually pretty laughable. I am very interested to know the definitions of “recent arrivals” and how these authors decided to do that on my behalf. These authors certainly have their rights to apologize to whoever and for whatever. But thanks, please just don’t do it on my behalf. And last but not least, to the many parents from Cranbury, whom I stand together questioning many problematic decisions made by PPS/BOE, I am sorry someone did this to you, but I just can’t apologize to you on their behalf, but you get the idea and I do believe someone needs to issue an open apology to you.

Talking about openness, I believe residents, new or old, all have rights in knowing the truth. I filed a few Open Public Record Acts (OPRA) to PPS recently. One is related to the Superintendent Dr. Kelley’s public statement on receiving “personal attacks” from the community due to her abrupt decision on dismissing the PHS principal, Mr. Frank Chmiel, in mid-March. The other was related to an incident on October 31, 2022, where a former PHS student entered PHS buildings and then was escorted out. The PPS staff handling these requests was very helpful and courteous, even though the results are not as open as I would like it to be. Based on what I have received, I will have to say Dr. Kelley’s statements are regrettably exaggerating, misleading, and even inaccurate. This fragmented information further shows to me that the BOE should have taken a more open-minded approach in finding the truth

for their constituents other than just listening to their sole employee in the PPS, upon whom they make important decisions on my behalf.

Addressing Feelings of Those Offended By Personal Attacks, Misinformation

To the Editor:

When they go low, we go high.

These past two months have been a blessing in disguise. Through the turmoil, I’ve met so many wonderful people and made amazing friends from all walks of life. I’ve decided to write this letter to address the feelings of those who feel offended by personal attacks, name calling, and the spread of misinformation. Unfortunately, people screaming the most about equity and inclusion are the ones that cast the sharpest stones and create exclusions far beyond what most of us have ever known.

There is, however, another way of looking at it. Every time the “divide and conquer” tactic is being invoked, I take it as a compliment because when one can’t attack the message, they attack the messenger. Any attempt to mock our “racist” efforts to keep a well-qualified, lead-by-example, most equitable and accomplished principal the district has ever had, is a sign that we are doing something right. Statements issued by PPBC [Princeton Parents for Black Children] show they will stoop low with attacks and lies to try and get the upper hand and are indicative of the fact that the organization is not hearing and/or not willing to listen to Black children and their parents who poured their hearts out at the PHS Rally on March 20, begged the BOE to reconsider at March 21 and March 28 meetings, pleaded with Dr. Kelley on April 21 at Valley Road, urged the BOE again on May 15, and cried the tears of devastation when the BOE stabbed them with the verdict after the Donaldson Hearing.

The anti-immigrant sentiment calling some of us “recent arrivals” is a voice of a small group of elitists, PPS outsiders, who don’t represent values of the Princeton community. Referring to Cranbury families that send their kids to PHS through a sending agreement adopted by the BOE as “non-residents” is a cheap shot by a small but vocal group of BOE loyalists to bring us down, drain our energy, and put us on defense.

Thanks to everyone who signed 5,200+ petitions and made generous donations. Special thanks to my friends who had provided personal input for this letter but prefer to stay anonymous in the fear of intimidation and retaliation, as well as so many foot soldiers working hard behind the scenes.

We are in it all together until justice is served. “There is power in numbers and there is power in unity.”

—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

JULIA ROTENBERG Kingston Road

“Apology” Letter Writers Should Practice Civility, Informed Debate, and Honesty

To the Editor:

I came to live in Princeton on July 1, 1999. I am from Ecuador.

In response to the letter published on May 24 signed by Shirley Satterfield, Miki Mendelson, Mary Robinson-Cohen, and Christopher Foreman Sr. [“Open Apology to the Superintendent, Princeton Board of Education Members,” Mailbox], I have a number of questions to ask.

Am I considered out of town because of my origin? Am I considered a new arrival or do my close to 24 years living in town meet the guidelines to be considered a member of the Princeton community?

Is there a club that I need to sign for so I can officially belong? Who are the four people who signed the apology letter to PPS superintendent and BOE members, and established themselves as representatives of this community?

Or was there a committee that selected them? What are their qualifications?

I do not recall the m reaching out to ask me if I was OK with the apology and if I accepted their signing on my behalf.

I found the apology letter offensive, and even more when it comes from people who praised themselves as champions of diversity, inclusiveness, and equity.

It is people like them with their self-righteousness that take away the actual meaning of those words. It is appalling — their letter is void of real thought and nuance, it is a veiled attack on minorities who happen to be taxpayers and parents.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but last time I checked we live in a democracy, so there is going to be disagreement on opinions. But instead of gaslighting, please practice what you preach: civility, informed debate, and honesty. Get away from the playbook of authoritarians and do not be judges, jury, and executioners of the livelihood of one of your neighbors.

SANDRA JORDAN BIERMAN Grover Avenue

Church Steeples May Provide Place to Install Cell Towers for Better Service

To the Editor:

I am writing to express my solidarity with the outraged Princeton residents who, at a recent public forum, expressed their complaints about poor and even non-existent cell phone service in our town [“Residents Air Grievances at Special Work Session on Cell Phone Service,” May 24, page 1].

I just spent a solid hour on my front porch less than a half-mile from Palmer Square attempting to make an important call — only to be informed via a tiny blurb on my cellphone screen that I had “No Service.” At this point I’d say I endure this inconvenience about 20 percent of the time. Which prompts me to ask: Why should I pay for nonexistent service? Am I not entitled to a credit for — not poor service — but nonexistent service from Verizon?

And, as many speakers at the meeting pointed out, this situation is more than an inconvenience. It’s downright dangerous. In my opinion, Princeton municipal government officials might find themselves accused of acting in a negligent manner in not giving this matter their immediate attention. It’s not a matter of if this lack of service results in a tragedy, but when. Why are officials consistently reactive and not proactive? Why is the traffic light installed only after someone is run down by an errant auto? How does someone without a landline summon the police, the fire department, or an ambulance? When will our elected officials demand answers and action? Likely after the disaster. Some attendees alluded to the lack of ugly cell towers in our beautiful town as the likely cause of the problem. This reminded me of an article in the Wall Street Journal some years ago about cell service providers struggling to provide consistent service in rural New England until someone hatched a clever plan to use the highest point in most New England towns — the church steeple — as an ideal place in which to install a cell tower without bespoiling the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Many churches, struggling financially due to declining membership, were only too happy to rent their steeples’ interior spaces for a considerable fee. End result: financial problems solved, inadequate cell phone service eliminated, ugly cell tower avoided, everyone happy! (The Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways!)

Central Princeton is home to quite a few churches with tall steeples; perhaps this idea is worth a closer look. In the meantime, everyone involved should contemplate their culpability in the event of a preventable tragedy.

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.

Will

Author Cassandra Jackson will discuss her recently released memoir, The Wreck: A Daughter’s Memoir of Becoming a Mother, on Sunday June 11 from 11 a.m. to noon, at the Princeton Public Library Community Room. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. for coffee and pastries. This is a hybrid event, offered both in person and virtually on the library’s YouTube channel.

Jackson’s memoir (Penguin Random House, $28) is both investigative and introspective She comes to realize that she is named after her father’s niece, and looks eerily like the child’s mother, both of whom were killed in a car wreck along with her father’s beloved mother, and — as she discovers — his first wife. In her memoir she attempts to unearth her lost family while also creating a new one.

The New York Times Book Review calls the book an “anguished, affecting memoir,” and says, “Jackson had feared her search for answers might cause her wounded father pain; in the end, it shines a healing light.”

Jackson, the co-author of The Toni Morrison Book Club, is a professor of English at the College of New Jersey, where she teaches classes on African American literature and visual culture. She has published two books on race in U.S. literature and art, and she has written about racial oppression in everyday life in HuffPost and The Washington Post.

The Community Room is wheelchair accessible and offers assistive listening. For more information, visit princetonlibrary.org.

Author Stephanie Cowell will speak about her recently released novel, The Boy in the Rain, with author Lauren B. Davis on Sunday, June 4 from 3 to 4:15 p.m.

at the Princeton Public Library Community Room. Tea will be served, and a book signing will follow the discussion.

The Boy in the Rain (Regal House Publishing $19.95) takes place in 1903 in the English countryside when Robbie, a shy, young art student, meets 29-year-old Anton, who is running from memories of his childhood and failed marriage. They begin a love affair. Robbie grows into an accomplished portraitist with the help of Anton’s former wife, while Anton turns from his inherited wealth and connections to help the poor. But in the Edwardian era, the laws are harsh for homosexual men, and their world turns to a more dangerous place.

“The characters, the story, and the landscape are utterly immersive, utterly compelling,” said author Barbara Quick on Amazon reviews.

Cowell, an opera singer, balladeer, and founder of Strawberry Opera and other arts venues is the author of Nicholas Cooke, The Physician of London , The Players: A Novel of the Young Shakespeare, Marrying Mozart, and Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet. Her work had been translated into nine languages and adapted into an opera. She is the recipient of an American Book Award.

Davis, a Princeton resident, is the author of Even So, The Grimoire of Kensington Market, Against a Darkening Sky, The Empty Room, Our Daily Bread, and The Radiant City. She has been longlisted for the Giller Prize and the ReLit Awards, and shortlisted for the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.

The Community Room is wheelchair accessible and has an assistive listening system. For more information, visit princetonlibrary. org.

LES SEIFER Chestnut Street

“The Boy in the Rain” Is Subject of Book Talk

Cassandra Jackson

Lead Book Brunch Program at Library

It’s “River Deep — Mountain High” on Walt Whitman’s Birthday

Walt Whitman is America . —Ezra Pound

I am as bad as the worst, but thank God I am as good as the best.

—Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Walt Whitman was as good as the best when nursing and “being there” for wounded and dying soldiers from both sides of the Civil War.

On May 31, 1865, his 46th birthday (today is his 204th), he sat beside a 21-yearold rebel soldier, “who lies a good deal of the time in a partial sleep, but with low muttering and groans — a sleep in which there is no rest. Powerful as he is, and so young, he will not be able to stand many more days of the strain and sapping heat of yesterday and to-day. His throat is in a bad way, tongue and lips parch’d. When I ask him how he feels, he is able just to articulate, ‘I feel pretty bad yet, old man,’ and looks at me with his great bright eyes.”

Whitman expands on what he means by “the worst” in Democratic Vistas (1871), where he finds “the problem of the future of America is in certain respects as dark as it is vast. Pride, competition, segregation, vicious wilfulness, and license beyond example, brood already upon us....Flaunt it as we choose, athwart and over the roads of our progress, loom huge uncertainty, and dreadful, threatening gloom. It is useless to deny it. Democracy grows rankly up the thickest, noxious, deadliest plants and fruits of all — brings worse and worse invaders .... We sail a dangerous sea of seething currents, cross and under-currents, vortices — all so dark, untried — and whither shall we turn?”

Comes the Poet

We can turn toward Passage to India , a long poem of 12 stanzas composed in 1870, wherein Whitman sees the whole world “swimming in space, / Cover’d all over with visible power and beauty, / alternate light and day and the teeming spiritual darkness ...With inscrutable purpose, some hidden prophetic intention, / Now first it seems my thought begins to span thee. .... Perhaps even now the time has arrived.” After the seas have been crossed, and the captains and engineers, inventors, scientists, chemists, geologists, ethnologists have finished their work, “Finally shall come the poet worthy that name . ”

150

Years Ago

Besides being Walt Whitman’s birthday, May 31 marks the 150th anniversary of his settling for the rest of his life in Camden, N.J., where his mother had died in mid-May 1873. Already partially paralyzed after a stroke in January, he had come from Washington to be with her as soon as he heard she was ailing. Although he still managed a trip west in 1879, the only actual “passage” he could sail from

Camden was across the Delaware to Philadelphia. Later he found words for his fate: “Washington, New Orleans, Brooklyn — these are my cities of romance. They are the cities of things begun — this is the city of things finished.”

A Woman’s Strength

In the biographical memoir, With Walt Whitman in Camden April 8–September 14, 1889 (Southern Illinois Univ. Press 1964), Horace Traubel gives an account of Walt’s 69th birthday on May 31, 1888. At a Philadelphia dinner in his honor, he was in “a rather merry mood. Songs were sung.” Weda Cook, who posed for the 1890 Thomas Eakins painting The Concert Singer, sang a song of her own composition based on Whitman’s Lincoln poem “O Captain! My Captain!” Whitman “seemed to be much touched, exclaiming ‘Bravo!’ several times as she went on.” When she was through, he told Traubel, “There’s fine soil in that girl.”

Asked what he liked best in singers, he said, “I like strength in a woman — woman’s strength.” Later he told Traubel, “My love is anybody’s love today.”

“River Deep — Mountain High”

When Tina Turner died a week ago, I knew there was no way I could keep so strong and beloved a performer out of a column celebrating Walt Whitman. In Saturday’s New York Times Arts section, you see a massive close-up of a serenely staring woman a year short of 80 next to a list of “essential tunes” that includes “River Deep — Mountain High,” a majestic song that spans Whitmanesque extremes as Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” production builds “stronger, deeper, higher,” trumpeting the fanfare of the title with a sweep and grandeur that resounds throughout Passage to India , Whitman’s song of “Asia’s, Africa’s fables, / The far-darting beams of the spirit, the unloos’d dreams! ... The deep diving bibles and legends.” The poet sings of the “races, neighbors, to marry and be given in marriage, / The oceans to be cross’d, the distant brought near,” of the “Wind River and the Wahsatch mountains”; the “Unspeakable high processions of sun and moon and countless stars above, / Below, the manifold grass and waters, animals,

mountains, trees.” Then, ringing through the last stanza: “Passage to more than India! Of you O waters of the sea! O winding creeks and rivers! Of you O woods and fields! Of you strong mountains of my land! ... Sail forth — steer for the deep waters only.”

“The Best”

The more I listen to “River Deep — Mountain High,” the more it seems that for all her power and energy, Tina Turner is as much embattled as amplified within Phil Spector’s vast echoing temple of sound. Although she comes through magnificently with each chorus, her “coming through” isn’t what this power-of-love anthem is about. I’m thinking now of Whitman’s response to the singer at his birthday party: “There’s fine soil in that girl,” and after that to say, age 69, “My love is anybody’s love.” You can hear Tina’s “soil” in her song “The Best,” which has a “Born to Run” fanfare in the arrangement that presents her at her strongest and sweetest.

Growing Singers

When I open Leaves of Grass to Children of Adam, looking for some semblance of Tina, I find it in “A Woman Waits for Me,” where, after claiming “In you I wrap a thousand onward years,” the “large, undissuadable” poet says “The drops I distill upon you shall grow fierce and athletic girls, new artists, musicians, and singers.” Seeing generations ahead, “The babes I beget upon you are to beget babes in their turn.”

He demands “perfect men and women” from his “lovespendings .... loving crops from the birth, life, death, immortality I plant so lovingly now.”

“The One Pioneeer”

Reading such passages, I can imagine D.H. Lawrence cackling with glee as he makes notes for his chapter on Whitman in Studies in Classic American Literature (1924), where after mocking Walt (“he who aches with amorous love”), Lawrence comes round to “the great poet” who has “meant so much to me, the one man breaking a way ahead. Whitman, the one pioneer. And only Whitman .... Ahead of Whitman, nothing. Ahead of all poets pioneering into the wilderness of unopened life, Whitman. Beyond him,

MUSEUM & FONTHILL CASTLE

none. His wide, strange camp is at the end of the road.”

On a Random Road

Mindful of Pound’s “Whitman is America” and Whitman’s “best and worst” and the quoted passage from Democratic Vistas, I took out the Thomas Mosher facsimile of the first 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass , a big lean rangy book, two hands high, and I opened it at random. A third of the way down the page, I came to this line: “I help myself to material and immaterial, / No guard can shut me off, no law can prevent me.”

So here he’s the outlaw, a pose Bob Dylan echoes in his 2020 LP Rough and Rowdy Ways , especially in “I Crossed the Rubicon” and “I Contain Multitudes,” where he claims Whitman’s title and is thereby contained by Whitman.

In this one page, Whitman is everywhere and everything: “Speeding with tailed meteors ... storming enjoying planning loving cautioning,” now he’s in a crow’s nest “sailing through the arctic sea, with white topped mountains in the distance,” then he fancies a battlefield, then the suburbs of “some vast and ruined city.” Then as sudden as a turn of the heel or the motion of a wing, he becomes “a free companion” who bivouacs “by invading watchfires.”

As you near the bottom of the big page, it’s still startling in the year 2023 to read “I turn the bridegroom out of bed and stay with the bride myself, / And tighten her all night to my thighs and hips.” Yet his voice “is the wife’s voice, the screech by the rail of the stairs.” And before you can think this is what Whitman means by “the worst,” as if caught in dangerous “under currents,” he ends the page with a line I thought of as Tina Turner sang her heart out in the soundstorm of “River Deep — Mountain High”: “I understand the large hearts of heroes, / The courage of present times and all times.”

—Stuart Mitchner

The annual “Song of Myself” marathon is coming up on Sunday, June 4, from 2 to 5 p.m. Every year since 2004, the Whitman Initiative has been holding these marathons in which individuals are assigned sections of “Song of Myself” to read. During the pandemic, there were online marathons, a custom that has continued alongside the in-person event as a way of bringing “the poetryloving world together.” On Sunday, September 10, from 3 to 6 p.m., readers will return in person to Brooklyn Bridge Park for the 20th annual live marathon. For further information, contact songofmyselfmarathon@gmail.com or visit waltwhitmaninitiative.org.

Performing Arts

for all by presenting worldclass chamber ensembles, free of charge.

Their 56th season begins on Friday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium when the Horszowski Piano Trio performs music by Bernstein, Schubert, and a commissioned piece to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

On Thursday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo performs music by De Falla, Albeniz, Brouwer, and others at Nassau Presbyterian Church.

On Wednesday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. the Poulenc Trio performs music for piano, oboe, and bassoon by Françaix, Fauré, Cuong, and Poulenc at Nassau Presbyterian Church.

THE LIFE OF JESUS: The famous musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” comes to the State Theatre

June 9-11.

“Jesus Christ Superstar”

Celebrates 50th Anniversary State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick presents the reimagined 50th Anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar for four performances on Friday, June 9 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 10 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 11 at 2 p.m. This production is a fast paced 90-minutes without intermission. Tickets range from $29-$79.

Featuring lyrics and music by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the North American tour of this iconic musical is directed by Timo thy Sheader with choreogra

Jesus, joined by Elvie Ellis as Judas and Faith Jones as Mary. The tour also welcomes Grant Hodges as Caiphas, Nicholas Hambruch as Pilate, and Kodiak Thompson as Annas. Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas. The score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane,” and “Superstar.”

Jesus Christ Superstar is a proven musical phenomenon with a worldwide fan base. As demonstrated by NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert

million viewers, earned the highest ratings in its time period, and received the highest critical ranking of any live musical event on network TV.

The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Avenue. Visit STNJ.org for tickets.

PU Summer Chamber Concerts Announces 2023 Season

As Richardson Auditorium will be closed for repairs for most of the Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts season, Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61

And on Friday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. the Dali String Quartet performs music by Schubert, Piazzolla, and Tchaikovsky at Nassau Presbyterian Church.

The Summer Chamber Concerts was founded in 1968 by music journalist, pianist, and cellist Barbara Sand. In the early years Sand readied the outdoor performance space by pruning tree branches. To this day audience members recall sitting on the Graduate College lawn with blankets and picnic baskets for the concerts.

Renovations at the Graduate College — and the inconvenience of insects, imperfect acoustics, and soaring humidity — prompted a change of venue in 1991 to Richardson Auditorium in

and a grant from the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission.

Tickets are free. For Richardson, tickets are available online one week before the concert through tickets. princeton.edu. No tickets are needed for concerts at Nassau Presbyterian Church.

For more information, visit princetonsummerchamberconcerts.org or call (609) 570-8404.

Boheme Opera NJ Guild

Presents Program at Vineyard

On Sunday, June 11 at 5:30 p.m., the Boheme Opera NJ Guild presents “Some Enchanted Evening — Special Gems from Opera & Broadway” at Hopewell Valley Vineyards, 46 Yard Road, Pennington.

Baritone Charles Schneider and soprano Samantha Blossey, with Sandra Milstein Pucciatti at the piano, will offer works from opera and Broadway. Joseph Pucciatti, artistic director of Boheme Opera NJ, will give a special introduction. Appetizers and pizza will be provided. Hopewell Valley Vineyards wines will be available for purchase by the glass or bottle, along with non-alcoholic beverages.

Schneider has performed over 30 roles throughout the country, including The Bonze in Boheme Opera NJ’s 2023 production of Madama Butterfly. He is on the voice faculties of Westminster College of the Arts at Rider University and The Lawrenceville School, and he conducts the Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church Choir.

Blossey has performed roles from opera and musical theater throughout

North America and Europe. She was recently the featured soloist with the Society of Musical Arts and will be the soprano soloist in the Dvorak Stabat Mater with the Steeple Concert Series. Several nights a year, she is an anthem singer for the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.

Milstein Pucciatti studied piano with the Curtis Institute teachers and German master teacher Karl Ulrich Schnabel. Her career as a concert performer and professional accompanist has spanned a repertoire of instrumental and vocal genres. In 1989, she co-founded Boheme Opera NJ, for which she has been managing director since 1997. She is also the principal pianist for Boheme Opera’s active outreach programming.

Tickets are $75. Reservations and advanced payment are required by June 2. Visit bohemeopera.org/boheme-opera-guild for more information. www.towntopics.com

OPENING NIGHT!

TIME FOR THREE

Ranaan Meyer Double Bass

Nick Kendall Violin

Charles Yang Violin

Friday June 9, 7pm At Morven Museum & Garden

TICKETS -

(Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Red Tulip Gallery, a cooperative of artists from Bucks County, Pa., and nearby counties in New Jersey, is marking its 10th anniversary with special promotions through June 10. The gallery will host a wine and cheese reception on Friday, June 9, from 4–7 p.m.

Red Tulip Coop Gallery

Marks 10th Anniversary Red Tulip Gallery, in New Hope, Pa., will celebrate its 10th anniversary on June 10 with special promotions. The gallery invites anyone who stops in at the gallery through June 10 to enter their name in a drawing for gift cards. No purchase is necessary. The drawing will take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 10; the prizes will be gift cards for $25, $50, and $100, redeemable at the Red Tulip Gallery, 19C West Bridge Street, New Hope, Pa. Winners will be notified by email and need not be present to win.

In addition, on June 10, shoppers at the gallery will have the opportunity to draw from a “pick your discount” bowl; discounts in varying amounts up to 25 percent off will be available. On Friday, June 9, the gallery will host a wine and cheese reception from 4–7 p.m.

The Red Tulip Gallery was founded in June 2013 as a cooperative of local artists who were members of the Bucks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. Originally located in Newtown, it moved to its current location in 2014.

Red Tulip Gallery features the work of 22 local artists from Bucks County, Pa., and nearby counties in New Jersey. The gallery sells work produced by these local craftspersons in many media, including jewelry, pottery, glass, fiber arts, wood, photography, and painting.

Members of the cooperative gallery are professionally vetted and meet high standards of quality and craftsmanship. The gallery is entirely staffed by the member artists, providing customers with information about the various artists’ work, techniques, materials, and processes. For more information, visit redtulipcrafts.com.

“A Creative Journey” Dual Exhibit at Artists’ Gallery

To honor the late artist Gail Bracegirdle, “A Creative Journey,” a special featured gallery exhibit with Carol Sanzalone, will be showcased June 8 through July 2 at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. Inspired by images in nature, and the patterns of life, the exhibit highlights a variety of creative techniques by two watercolor artists.

An opening reception is on Saturday, June 10 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Bracegirdle’s paintings express the “environmentally sensitive nature of the medium,” as she presents images with color and texture in watercolor. The variations she creates, allow for the capture of the visual characteristics of each image, and share her interest in the subject.

Bracegirdle studied tex -

tile design at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, and she enjoyed a career in that field for many years. In addition to painting, she taught at Artworks in Trenton; summer workshops in Ocean City, NJ; plein air workshops in South Carolina and New Mexico; and children’s summer camps at Silver Lake Nature Center as a member of The Artists of Bristol.

A longtime member at Artists’ Gallery, and resident of Bucks County, she has also been represented by additional galleries in Washington Crossing, Pa., and Bordentown. A signature member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, her award-winning work has been exhibited in group and solo shows throughout the region and is included in private collections in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Sanzalone will also be exhibiting her watercolor and acrylic works in this exhibit.

A longtime gallery member, art teacher, and graphic designer, her paintings visually express the light, shadow, and color patterns that enrich images, both realistically and abstractly, to express her impression of a subject. She is always drawing on those experiences on her “Creative Journey.”

Artists’ Gallery is located at 18 Bridge Street, in the heart of Lambertville. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit LambertvilleArts.com.

Sundaes on the Veranda

At Trenton City Museum

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park, Trenton. will host its annual family-friendly ice cream social, Sundaes on the Veranda, on Sunday, June 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundaes will be served in an artisan-made ceramic bowls to keep and reuse or display. Admission is $20 for a sundae in a ceramic bowl,

$10 in a disposable bowl, and $6 for children aged 6 and under accompanied by an adult (disposable bowl). Tickets may be purchased in advance at ellarslie.org/ sundaes or at the door. Proceeds support programs of the museum, which showcases exhibitions of fine contemporary painting and sculpture, along with ongoing and changing history displays that explore Trenton’s industrial and cultural past.

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is accessible by car from Parkside Avenue and has ample parking adjacent to the building. It is open Fridays and Saturdays, 12 to 4 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Visit ellarslie.org for more information.

Continued on Page 20

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BREAKING BUD: A Sweetbay magnolia bloom is shown in the riparian restoration site at Princeton’s Billy Johnson Mountain Lake Preserve. “Thanks to those who donated trees,” said Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) Director of Stewardship Anna Corichi. “Take a walk at the preserve and enjoy.” To donate a tree, visit fopos.org/donate-a-tree.

“WISHES IN THE WIND”: This watercolor by Gail Bracegirdle is featured in “A Creative Journey,” on view June 8 through July 2 at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. The exhibit will also highlight watercolors by Carol Sanzalone.

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“ARTIST OF THE COMMON MAN”: Works by Thomas Eakins will be on view June 10 through June 24 at the Pedersen Gallery in Lambertville. An opening reception is on June 10 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Continued from Page 17

Pedersen Gallery Presents

Works by Thomas Eakins

The Pedersen Gallery in Lambertville presents “Thomas Eakins: Artist of the Common Man,” June 10 through June 24. An opening reception is on June 10 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The photographs in the exhibit are drawn from the Edward W. Boulton collection, former president of The Philadelphia Art

Students League (18861893). The contact prints were made from the original glass plate negatives later purchased by The Philadelphia Museum of Art. An annotated list of the collection by Cecil Boulton (1870-1951), wife of Edward Boulton, lists all the photographs to be by Eakins (except those of Eakins’ where an assistant clicked the shutter).

Several of the photographs relate to Eakins’ paintings, complemented by letters

from Susan Eakins, Francis Ziegler, Franklin Schenck, and Charles Bregler. All make clear the close relationship between Susan and Thomas Eakins and Edward Boulton. “I will stop my letter with every good wish for one old friend and beloved pupil of my dear husband,” wrote Susan Eakins to Boulton on March 16, 1927.

The Pedersen Gallery is at 17 North Union Street in Lambertville. Hours are Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, email pedersen@pill.net or call (609) 397-1332.

discover, explore, play, and create while learning about urgent issues in wildlife conservation.

“I hope that my work with endangered species will slow people down and deepen their empathy for the world that we live in, even by just a shade or two,” said Kaizar. “I think these individual portraits create small spaces for a personal connection around them. Showing them collectively starts to make it feel more powerful and forces you to stop and look at them.”

art making

Drawing Landscapes from the Collections: Watercolors

“Sarah

Kaizar: RARE AIR” At Michener Art Museum

The James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., now presents “Sarah Kaizar: RARE AIR,” an exhibition featuring original gouache and ink artwork from the book RARE AIR: Endangered Birds, Bats, Butterflies, & Bees. An illustrated work about diminishing flighted species and citizen science, it is authored by Sarah Kaizar with writing by A. Scott Meiser, to be published by Mountaineer Books in September.

The exhibition expands on the book’s stories and research with playful interactive installations. RARE AIR connects audiences of all ages to the diversity of our ecosystems and the extraordinary creatures that populate them. Kaizar’s work enables audiences to recognize and appreciate the winged creatures that share our world. It offers strategies — big and small — to slow or reverse the threats that face them. Visitors will

Thursdays, June 1 through June 22

Each week, join us at 8 p.m. for free, online watercolor classes inspired by artworks depicting landscapes in the Museum’s collections. Presented by the Museum in partnership with the Arts Council of Princeton. Details on our website.

Stream it live

Chief Curator Laura Turner Igoe said, “There is a lot to discover in Kaizar’s meticulous, yet playful, drawings of the creatures that inhabit the air around us. Visitors will enjoy learning more about these endangered species and their fight for survival.”

Kaizar’s work has been seen in regional galleries and museums including the Woodmere Art Museum, Delaware Contemporary, and the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. She was a recipient of the 2021 Wind Fellowship by InLiquid and the Dina Wind Foundation and completed a residency at the Cedar Point Biological Station at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the summer of 2021. Kaizar is also the author of HIKER TRASH: Notes, Sketches + Other Detritus from the Appalachian Trail, an illustrated work based on her experience hiking 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine.

The exhibition in the Bette and Nelson Pfundt Gallery is presented by Vivian Banta and Robert Field.

The Michener Art Museum is located at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown, Pa. It is open Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (215) 340-9800 or visit michenerartmuseum.org.

Area Exhibits

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

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Water Works” through June 4. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. lambertvillearts.com.

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

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

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

Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty, 4 Nassau Street, has Princeton-themed oil paintings by Jay McPhillips on display and for sale through June 9. An opening reception, with an opportunity to meet the artist, is on May 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. jaymcphillips.com.

David Scott Gallery at BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors, 253 Nassau Street, has “Botanica: An Unlikely Garden,” through June 24. Follow the gallery on Instagram @davidscottgallery. bhhsfoxroach.

D&R Greenway Land Trust Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, has “Migration: Movement for Survival” through September 24. drgreenway.org.

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

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography, 14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, has “Three Artists, Three Viewpoints,” through June 18. gallery14.org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits” and “Spiral Q: The Parade” through January 7 and “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. Timed tickets required. groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery,” “Princeton’s Portrait,” and other exhibits. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m., Thursday to 7 p.m. princetonhistory.org

Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “MidCentury to Manga: The Modern Japanese Print in America” through July 30, “Alan Goldstein: Elemental” through September 4, and “Sarah Kaizar: Rare Air” through November 5. michenerartmuseum.org

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

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Striking Beauty” through February 18 and the online exhibits “Slavery at Morven,” “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761–1898,” and others. morven.org.

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

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

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

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

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

“CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR”: This gouache, pen, and ink work by Sarah Kaizar is featured in “Sarah Kaizar: RARE AIR,” on view through November 5 at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa.

Mark Your Calendar TOWN TOPICS

Wednesday, May 31 2 p.m.: Creative Aging: Geocaching. At Hopewell Public Library, 13 East Broad Street, Hopewell. Redlibrary.org/events.

7 p.m.: Phyllis Marchand Leadership Lecture Series features Pnina Lahav, internationally renowned author, teacher, and scholar in the field of Israel studies, in the Community Room at the Princeton Public Library and via YouTube. Lahav will lead a discussion about her latest book, The Only Woman in the Room , a biography of Golda Meir. Free. To register, visit princetonlibrary. libnet.info/event/8319935.

8-10:30 p.m .: Princeton Country Dancers presents a contra dance at the Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive. Open Mic led by Bob Isaacs with Contra Rebels. $15. Princetoncountrydancers.org.

Thursday, June 1:

10 a.m .: Meeting of the 55-Plus Club of Princeton, at the Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street. Douglas Zemeckis of Rutgers Cooperative Extension speaks on “What’s Happening With Offshore Wind Off New Jersey?” Free, in person and via Zoom. Princetonol.com/ groups/55plus.

7-8 p.m .: “Much Ado About Okra: Crops for Climate and Cultural Revitalization,” presentation at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Author Chris Smith and Tessa L. Diamond discuss. Princetonlibrary.org.

Friday, June 2

8-10 a.m .: PRIDE family breakfast at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, 12 Stockton Street. RustinCenter.org.

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Laundrymen. Terhuneorchards.com.

6-9 p.m .: Einstein Alley Musicians Collaborative hosts an open mic event at Hinds Plaza. Princetonlibrary.org.

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

8:30-10 p.m .: All-ages Pride Dance Party in the parking lot of the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Sponsored by the Arts Council and Princeton Record Exchange. Free and open to all.

Saturday, June 3

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Princeton Junction train station. Special 20th anniversary celebration. Fresh produce, plants, seafood, poultry, breads, baked goods, and more. Music by Dark Whiskey. Westwindsorfarmersmarket.org.

10 a.m .: Canal walk on the towpath, meet at Turning Basin Park, Alexander Road. Register by emailing dsubber@ gmail.com.

12-3 p.m.: nual Princeton Community Pride Picnic on the Palmer Square Green featuring live music, a collaborative community art project, activities, games, and giveaways for all ages. Rain date is June 4. 12-6 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Brian Bortnick from 1-4 p.m. Light fare available, no outside food or pets. Terhuneorchards.com.

6 p.m.: “Reflections on Our Past 1723-2023,” celebrating the history of Kingston Presbyterian Church. Free and open to all. 4565 Route 27. Khsnj. org.

7:30 p.m.: LaFiocco period instrument ensemble presents “Songs of Love and Vengeance” at Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane. $10$25. Lafiocco.org.

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

Sunday, June 4 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Open Studios, 148 Monmouth Street, Hightstown. Art for sale, refreshments. Artstationstudios.com.

12-6 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Jerry Steele from 1-4 p.m. Light fare available, no outside food or pets. Terhuneorchards.com.

1:30-3:15 p.m.: Trita

Parsi is the keynote speaker, on the topic “Can America Become a Peacemaker Again,” at a meeting of the Coalition for Peace Action, at Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane, and online. Peacecoalition.org.

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

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

3 p.m.: The Blawenburg Band, under the direction of Jerry Rife, presents their 133rd Anniversary Concert, “An Afternoon at the Movies,” at Kendall Hall Theatre, The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing. Admission is free, donations are welcome. Blawenburgband. org.

3-4:15 p.m .: Author Stephanie Cowell, who wrote The Boy in the Rain, talks with author Lauren B. Davis at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Tea will be served; book-signing follows the discussion. Princetonlibrary.org.

4 p.m.: Princeton Festival Fanfare at Palmer Square Green. The PSO Brass Quintet performs a free concert. Princetonsymphony.org.

4-8 p.m.: “Taste of Hope” fundraiser for HomeFront at the Trenton Farmers Market, Spruce Street, Lawrence Township. Food, wine, art, shopping, live entertainment, and more. $100. HomeFrontNJ.org. or (609) 989-9417 ext. 107.

Monday, June 5 Recycling

Tuesday, June 6

9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick Program: Growing a Garden of Goodies at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. $12 per child includes activity; online pre-purchase of tickets is required. Register at terhuneorchards.ticketspice. com/read-pick.

10:30-11 a.m .: Outdoor Storytime at Princeton Shopping Center courtyard. Interactive event with books, songs, rhymes, and movement for children and caregivers. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m.: Artists Roundtable at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. The Princeton Festival Guild presents performers and artists behind the new production

The Barber of Seville in a free roundtable discussion. Princetonsymphony.org.

7:30 p.m.: Corinne Bailey Rae performs at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. McCarter.org.

Wednesday, June 7

6-8 p.m.: Slavery & Morven: A Community Listening Session, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Historian Sharece Blakney tells unearthed stories of people enslaved by the Stockton family at Morven and other locations and invites input on future interpretation concepts at the museum. Princetonlibrary. org.

7:30 p.m.: State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick presents “Dave Mason: Endangered Species Tour 2023” with opening act The Georgia Thunderbolts . $29$79. STNJ.org.

Thursday, June 8

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: June monthly luncheon of the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber, at the Marriott at Forrestal, 100 College Road East. Dr. Paul Burton, chief medical officer at Moderna, is the speaker. Princetonmercer.org.

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

Friday, June 9

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Mike & Laura. Terhuneorchards.com.

7-8:45 p.m.: “From Janis to Alanis: Women Who Rock,” at Hinds Plaza. Five diverse vocalists backed by Princeton-area musicians. Free. Princetonlibrary.org.

7 p.m.: Time for Three opens the 2023 Princeton Festival at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. $10-$125. Princetonsymphony.org/festival.

Saturday, June 10

10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Lambertville Goes Wild sponsors a native plant sale at Cavallo Park, 2 Mount Hope Street, Lambertville. Perennials, shrubs, and trees; experts on hand to answer questions. Lambervillegoeswild. weebly.com

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Bordentown Green Fair, Carslake Community Center, 207 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown. Over 50 vendors, food, raffles, live animals, and more. Free. Bcec.cityofbordentown.com

10 a.m.-4 p.m .: Hidden Gardens of Lambertville tour, self-guided tour featuring eight gardens beginning at the Kalmia Club, 39 York Street. Rain or shine; $25 in advance or $30 day of tour. Kalmiaclub.org.

11 a.m.-3 p.m.: The Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System holds its inaugural Health & Happiness Fair in conjunction with the Lawrence Health Department. 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville. Free. Mcl.org.

MAY-JUNE

11 a.m.-3 p.m .: Worldwide Knit in Public Day, on the green at Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street. A collaboration of Princeton Public Library and Princeton Makes Artists Cooperative. Princetonlibrary.org.

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

12-5 p.m .: Historic Mill Hill Garden Tour, in Trenton’s Mill Hill neighborhood. $20. About 15 urban gardens and public spaces will be open. Begin at Artworks, 19 Everett Alley and South Stockton Street. Free parking. Trentonmillhill.org.

12-6 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Michael Montemurro from 1-4 p.m. Light fare available, no outside food or pets. Terhuneorchards.com.

1:30 p.m.: Rockingham

Historic Site presents “Meet Mrs. Stockton” in the Dutch barn. Alisa Dupuy of The Ladies of History portrays Annis Stockton of Morven, friend of the Washingtons. County Route 603, between Kingston and Rocky Hill. Free registration required at rockingham.eventbrite. com. Call (609) 683-7132 or visit rockingham.net for more info.

2 p.m.: American Repertory Ballet performs “Premiere3,” works by Arthur Mitchell, Ethan Stiefel and Amy Seiwert at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue. $25-$40. Nbpac.org.

7 p.m .: “Aretha, a Tribute,” with Capathia Jenkins and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, at the Princeton Festival, held on the grounds of Morven, 55 Stockton Street. $10-$125. Princetonsymphony.org/ festival.

Sunday, June 11

12-6 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Kindred Spirit Duo from 2-5 p.m. Light fare available, no outside food or pets. Terhuneorchards.com.

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

4 p.m .: Pianist Christopher Taylor plays music by Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Kapustin, and Gubaidulina at the Princeton Festival, held on the grounds of Morven, 55 Stockton Street. $10-$125. Princetonsymphony.org/festival.

Fresh Food and Supplies For Families in Need Are Provided By Princeton Mobile Food

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, that’s the only thing that ever does.”

—Margaret Mead

How to translate that conviction into action? Some people see a need and don’t know what to do about it. Some are unaware of the need. Others see the need and find ways to address it.

IT’S NEW To Us

The last statement is the story of the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry (PMFP) and the remarkable team that created it, and continues to make it happen.

In 2007, Princeton resident and volunteer Liliana Morenilla became aware of students who did not have enough to eat.

“I was volunteering at Johnson Park Elementary School translating for Spanish-speaking parents,” she explains. “There was constant mention of food insecurity in their homes. One day, I had to separate two little ones who were fighting for a granola bar. What started the fight was that the kids never had snacks from home, and were hungry.”

Mobile Pantry

As she became aware of this need, Morenilla, who is now community outreach coordinator for the Princeton Public School System, founded the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry in 2010. To address the problem initially, she created a “mobile pantry” of healthy snacks in the trunk of her car. In 2017, a partnership with Mercer Street Friends Food Bank was established, and offered a weekly pick-up for more than 300 people at the Henry Pannell Learning Center.

With the advent of COVID-19 in 2020, the organization adopted a new name, Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, and began bi-weekly deliveries of fresh seasonal groceries. In 2021, PMFP received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, and its operation grew significantly.

As PMFP president Amy Lansky points out, “We have seen our list of neighbors grow from 100 families in 2021 to 165 families in January 2022 to 250 families in May of 2023. This is due to the continued need and our reputation of providing quality food and our ability to bring it directly to families’ homes — many of whom do not have transportation.”

The organization has evolved to include nine board members (all of whom are women and all volunteers) and also more than 50 volunteers who pack and deliver the food, and maintain the PMFP free store at its Princeton Shopping Center location (formerly the site of the Claridge Liquor Store).

Seven Percent

The 250 families assisted by PMFP include more than 1250 infants, schoolchildren, parents, and seniors. According to the organization’s statistics, seven

percent of the Princeton population experiences “food insecurity.” The families PMFP supports are connected to the Princeton public schools, and with inflation and increasing food costs it is likely that this number will only increase.

Each family served by PMFP receives two bags of fresh food every other Wednesday. One bag contains protein, such as meat, chicken, eggs, and milk. The other: fresh fruit and vegetables.

“Our deliveries are typically for families of three to five members, and we believe there is enough to last for a couple of days and have leftovers,” reports Morenilla. “Also, we have had a big increase in the number of seniors, and we will be adjusting our bags for them.”

In addition to the food delivery, donations of non-perishable food items and supplies such as clothing, toys, children’s sports equipment, books, car seats, strollers, diapers, and hygiene products can be brought to the shopping center location every third Saturday. It is best to check ahead regarding hours and need for specific items.

Free of Charge

In order to operate this entirely volunteer and free program, PMFP relies on donations from sponsors, individuals, organizations, and grants, including one recently from the Princeton Area Community Foundation. Help is also received from merchants, stores, and organizations that provide provisions either free of charge or at significantly discounted prices. Among those are McCaffrey’s Food Markets, Terhune Orchards, Bagel Nook, Orchard Farm Organics, Mercer Street Friends, Pantry at Princeton Alliance Church, Bahama Breeze Restaurant, I Support the Girls, and Princeton Period.

“McCaffrey’s provides a generous discount, as well as coordination of ordering and delivering food directly to our Princeton Shopping Center location,” says Lansky. “In addition, we rely on multiple partnerships for extra items that we include in our bags. These may also come from drives that a local school or organization has held for us. For example, a group of Hun School students held a hygiene product drive, and then volunteered to come bag the items.”

Other items can be donated, she adds, “Terhune Orchards will donate produce and pies or any additional inventory that may be available.”

“Our most unique partnership was a couple who had a very large home garden,” continues Lansky. “They wanted to expand their garden and grow fresh produce directly for our pantry. It was a wonderful connection. They provided us with lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, and other produce for the past two spring/summer deliveries. Sadly, they recently relocated due to a job change, and we feel the loss of that partnership.”

Pantry

Health and Well-Being

As founder, Morenilla is the community liaison for the Princeton families in need and PMFP. She helps families to enroll, continues to check with them regularly regarding food preferences and their general health and well-being.

In addition, she is engaged with fundraising (as are all PMFP team members), and contacts McCaffrey’s weekly to see what is available and best for the families’ needs.

The PMFP support system of volunteers is crucial to the operation, and includes people of all ages, students, retirees, etc. Of course, the organization always welcomes new volunteers to help in all ways.

Princeton resident Beth Ogilvie-Freda has been volunteering for several months, and has become more aware of the families in need. As she says, “I deliver food bags after other volunteers sort and pack them. I now have much more of an understanding of the food insecurity we have in our community and the need for organizations like this with such dedicated volunteers.”

Sponsorship Programs

Funding is, of course, essential, and those who want to donate financially can reach out via the PMFP website. In addition, there are sponsorship programs available as well as the opportunities for individuals.

Adds Lansky, “We welcome partnerships with the various organizations in town. We are always seeking volunteers, funding and support. And families who require assistance can reach out via our website.”

The PMFP team is proud of what they have accomplished, and look forward to continuing their efforts to help others. Over the years, they have forged strong bonds of trust and understanding with the families they support.

In addition, the board and volunteers have formed enduring relationships with each other. As Liliana Morenilla says, “The ambiance we breathe is pure joy! The team and volunteers are happy to help, and we are so proud of what we do and the support we provide. There is mutual respect for each other and for the families we serve.”

Thank you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

Thank you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

And what does she look forward to as time passes? “A day our families don’t need us because food is not an issue for them anymore.”

For further information regarding volunteering, donating, or enrolling for assistance, visit pmfpantry.org or reach out to info@ pmfpantry.org.

—Jean Stratton

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

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

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

community for over 80 years, and we will continue to serve you another 80 years and more.

HELPING HANDS: “It’s very important to provide fresh seasonal food to families who need it. This is our mission. Our primary focus is for families

with

children

in

Princeton

Public Schools.” Shown are the team members who guide and operate the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry. From left are Wendy Wilton, Debbie Bronfeld, Liliana Morenilla, Dafna Kendal, Shilpa Pai, Sharon Litvinsky, Mandy Arshan, Amy Lansky, and Jennifer Lea Cohan. Missing from the photo is Jackie Swain.

Artwork by Nicole Steacy

S ports

Growing Into a Star Offensive Lineman for PU Football, Byrd Aiming to Make a Big Impact for the Denver Broncos

Henry Byrd bought several team hats to be prepared, but 10 minutes after going undrafted, it was the Denver Broncos hat that he wore proudly after signing as an undrafted free agent.

“Once I grabbed the right hat, the Broncos hat, that’s when it hit me — it’s real and I play in the NFL,” said recent Princeton University graduate Byrd, a native of Nashville, Tenn. “You kind of know it’s going to happen and it’s not a surprise by any means but that initial wave of emotion, it’s not something you can prepare for.”

Byrd returned the other hats as he embarked on his NFL career with Denver. The 6’5, 310-pound Byrd, who played tackle all four years at Princeton, has already attended the first rookie minicamp and he is excited about the chance to fit in with the Broncos, who have a new head coach in Sean Payton, a previous Super Bowl winner with the New Orleans Saints.

“Position wise, I’m going to start off at guard there,” said Byrd, a First-Team AllIvy League performer in 2021 and 2022. “I played tackle in college obviously. It was a big thing for me that they recognized my versatility. I’m going to take reps at center, I’m going to take reps at tackle. A big thing to me was getting a chance to prove myself at every position and get a chance to show my ability to play all five spots on the line. I feel like my biggest selling point is my versatility with all that. And scheme-wise, it’s a lot of zone scheming, pulling, moving out in space, really utilizing my athleticism is what that offense is known for. That’s a good fit for me too. It puts me in the best position to play with my strengths.”

Byrd had gotten good feedback from NFL teams about his chances to be invited to a training camp. He had enough interest that there was a possibility that he would have been drafted. He had family, Princeton roommate and fellow lineman Zack Zambrano, and some close family friends on hand to watch for his name to be called. That didn’t happen, but he already had a deal lined up with Denver.

“It wasn’t like I was worried that I wasn’t going to go anywhere or wasn’t going to get a shot,” said Byrd. “I knew I was going to be a high priority free agent. So it did take a little of the pressure off.”

Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas was selected in the draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Another Tiger, Matthew Jester, like Byrd, signed as an undrafted free agent, with the Los Angeles Rams taking the linebacker. Byrd committed to the Broncos after the conclusion of the draft.

Signing the deal with the Broncos completed a fiveyear journey from the time that he was an undersized lineman coming to Princeton out of Ensworth School

in Nashville. Byrd was a late bloomer, but turned heads at Princeton as he added 70 pounds and played as a three-year All-Ivy League performer.

“Henry started at the end of the 2018 season, which was an undefeated team,” said Princeton head coach Bob Surace. “He started the last game for us and played prior to that. He was very polished. He was just undersized. He’s worked really hard to put on 70 pounds in the five years. Henry also was Top 5 in that RAS (Relative Athletic Score) out of offensive linemen that tested this year for the draft. He is incredibly athletic. That piece of it — his athleticism — was what I wasn’t clearly getting the scouts to understand in the fall. They didn’t trust that he was going to test as well as he did.”

Byrd’s length isn’t quite that of some NFL tackles, and scouts wondered if he had the quickness and athleticism to play on the interior line. He alleviated those concerns with his standout test scores, and is looking forward to proving his versatility. He last played anything other than tackle since playing a little guard as a freshman in high school.

“I am really excited to play multiple positions,” said Byrd. “I like the idea of being versatile, and above all else, it just is more opportunity to get more reps and to impress more people. It just accelerates the learning. One of the things that helped me early on at Princeton was getting the opportunity to play both right and left tackle, essentially doubling my reps in practice that got me more tape and impressed the coaches. It also just gave me more opportunities to improve. Those extra plays are extra chances to get better. I am really excited about that.”

Byrd had been preparing for the NFL draft since the Princeton season ended. He handed in his thesis in December and defended it in January. He graduated after the first semester because he took time off time from school during the pandemic. That enabled him to prepare for Pro Days and workouts for NFL teams without worrying about his schoolwork like some fellow seniors.

“Matthew Jester was still working on his thesis,” said Byrd, a history major. “We roomed when we went to one of the local days together, and the night before the workout he’s trying to run regression models on his thesis. It was tough trying to do it in the season for me, and looking back on it, there was not going to be an easy time to do that but I got it out of the way and was able to fully focus on training for Pro Day and the pros.”

Surace has never had a doubt that Byrd should get a chance to play in the NFL. And once others have met him, Byrd has made them believers as well. He ended up having a lot of interest by the draft.

“I coached eight years with

NFL linemen and I had no doubt this guy could play,” said Surace. “There’s an agent (Joe Linta of JL Sports Agency), who happened to be a Yale player from 35 years ago, who’s outstanding at getting under-the-radar guys. If he believes in them, they’ve made it every time. I worked with him when I was in the NFL. He will not sign a guy without testing them. He came down and saw Henry, and he said, ‘This guy is going to play 10 years in the league.’ Henry went from off the map to nearly getting drafted. There were some teams in the seventh round that told his agent, ‘There’s a good chance we’re going to draft him.’ And Henry winds up in Denver.”

Byrd was happy to have some say in where he ended up. He was able to speak to Denver’s offensive line coach and evaluate how he fit into their scheme.

“When it comes to the sixth or seventh round vs. high priority free agent, at a certain point you’re just rolling the dice,” said Byrd. “It was good I got to go to the right situation in Denver. It worked out. I don’t think any team that drafted me would have been a bad situation, that’s why they were interested in me, but getting that little bit of extra freedom and say, you get to go exactly where you think you have the best chance longterm.”

Byrd had his first chance to make an impression on the Broncos staff at the rookie mini-camp. He went into the camp with an attitude to do all that he could to show that he belongs at the professional level.

“After being established so long at Princeton, you’re going into a new situation,” said Byrd. “You have to look back at what made you successful in the past, what your strengths are and lean hard into those and attack your weaknesses. It’s a very short period. It’s three days. It’s three days non-stop where you have to just be giving it all for these three days. Nothing is guaranteed. That’s the thing about the NFL. Everyone is doing their best to win and your job is to prove that you’re the best piece available for that opportunity. You have to go out there and give it your all and pick up the offense as fast as you can and get in the books. It’s a lot of mental, a lot of physical stuff like that.”

Byrd has taken to heart advice that he received in the lead-up to camp. Some of it came from Ross Tucker, the former Princeton lineman who played seven years in the NFL before turning to a career in broadcasting.

“It’s funny how similar the career paths are that we’ve had, even to the point where he does media now and that’s what I want to do after I’m done playing,” said Byrd. “We have the same agent too. The big thing he was telling me was make the coaches be the one to pull you back, always go out there with unbelievable

intensity every single play, make sure that you’re the guy they never have to be on for knowing the playbook, and if they tell you they want a certain technique, you’ve got to be working extra to make sure that you get that down, prove that you’re coachable, prove that you have the energy that they’re looking for, and go out and take every single opportunity that you can get. One of the big things that helped Ross early on in his career was his versatility. That’s why he stuck in the NFL for so long. He could do pretty much anything that anybody asked him.”

Surace believes that Byrd has the capability to play anywhere on the line. Even though he didn’t have to do that at Princeton, Byrd has every trait that would enable him to fit at any spot on the offensive line.

“He’s so smart,” said Surace. “It’s really hard to play offensive line as a freshman anywhere, but we were an undefeated team. We had all returning offensive linemen, and he got in the rotation and ended up starting at the end of the year. It takes a pretty rare and unique and intelligent player to be able to do that. The interior on the offensive line at the NFL level just requires a lot more quick decision and quick thinking and communication. Henry will be outstanding at that. At the NFL level, especially with more and more quarterbacks being a little shorter and more mobile, teams are looking at the bigger tackle types to play inside. I think he’s going to have a legit chance.”

Byrd feels well prepared by his experiences at Princeton. He points to the coaching and technique work that he did with the Tigers. He played for an offense that led the Ivy League in passing and scoring last fall. He’s shifting his focus to an even higher level now.

“It’s definitely going to be a jump in intensity,” said Byrd. “But people are like, the Ivy League is such a step down, but I don’t really feel like that. It’s going to be a jump for everybody, whether you were playing at Alabama or whether you were playing at Princeton. It’s how fast can you adjust to that curve.

I think Princeton did do a good job of preparing me for that, putting a lot on my plate with your time management — that’s a big thing in the pros — and being stretched in so many different directions as a college football player, it prepares you for that stress in the NFL.”

Byrd is not in uncharted territory as he tries to make an NFL roster. He is just the latest Princeton product to earn a shot at a professional football career. He is hoping to join a recent flurry of former Tigers who have landed in the NFL and shown the Ivy League can produce pro athletes.

“I definitely feel that we’ve had that caliber of player pretty much every single year

while I’ve been there; it’s just that it takes a little bit of a push for more people to recognize it,” said Byrd. “For example, my rookie year we had John Lovett, who’s still in the NFL and going on to his fifth year. Jesper Horsted is still in the league and Steve Carlson just signed to another deal. No one was even bothering to look at Steve and he managed to make a nice career out of it. It just takes guys like that to get more and more people’s attention. And year after year, the more there are out of the Ivy League, maybe in five years, it’s going to be a lot more respected as a pro developmental league than people want to give it credit for now.”

—Justin Feil

Available for Lunch & Dinner Mmm..Take-Out

41 Leigh Avenue, Princeton www.tortugasmv.com

Princeton’s First Tradition

Events • Parties • Catering (609) 924-5143

Worship Service

Sundays at 10am

Princeton University Chapel

Open to all.

Preaching Sunday,June 4, 2023, at 10am is Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel. Music performed by the Princeton University Chapel Choir with Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music and Chapel Choir, and with Eric Plutz, University Organist.

OH HENRY: Henry Byrd takes the field last fall in his senior season for the Princeton University football team. Byrd, a recent Princeton grad who emerged as a force on the offensive line for the Tigers, recently signed with the Denver Broncos of the NFL as an undrafted free agent. The 6’5, 310-pound Byrd, a First-Team All-Ivy League performer in 2021 and 2022, has already attended the first rookie mini-camp and is excited about the chance to fit in with the Broncos, who have a new head coach in Sean Payton, a previous Super Bowl winner.

(Photo by Sideline Photos, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

PU Women’s Open Crew Displays its Depth, Talent, Taking 3rd at NCAA Regatta for 2nd Straight Year

Lori Dauphiny will tell you that a key to the success of her Princeton University women’s open crew program over the years has been the effort put in by all of the rowers in the squad from top to bottom. Last weekend at the NCAA Rowing Championships on Cooper River in Pennsauken, that depth was on display as Princeton finished third in the team standings at the competition with 113 points behind champions Stanford (129 points) and runner-up Washington (120). The Tiger varsity 8 placed third in the grand final with the second varsity 8 taking fifth and the varsity 4 coming in sixth.

“What I am most pleased about is that every kid was on that podium,” said Princeton head coach Dauphiny, whose squad also took third in the NCAA regatta last year. “That is a hard thing to do and that doesn’t happen very often and now we have had it happen two years in a row. It shows our strength. Really our program is 52 people, not the 25 that got to NCAAs. It is the 52 that got us there. I always like to recognize them and I wish I could have had them on the podium as well. It was meaningful, inspiring, and motivating to have everyone on our NCAA team on that podium.”

Princeton’s varsity 8 put together an inspiring run as it suffered its first loss of the season in its opening heat

on Friday and then places first in the semis the next day to punch its ticket in the grand final.

“It gave us a little kick in the pants, just to see the speed of the Pac 12 and to know that we were in it,” said Dauphiny, whose top boat was seeded first coming into the competition. “We have not been in that position before. We had been in close races. We have been down before but hadn’t lost any races. I think it was a really important lesson. They took that lesson and applied it to the semifinal. They picked a couple of things that they felt they needed to work on in the race. They really honed in and focused on that in the semifinal and did a fantastic job.”

While the Tiger top boat ended up taking third behind winner Stanford and runner-up Washington in the grand final, the rowers put in a fantastic effort.

“It was also a good race for them, they poured it out; Stanford was fast, we knew they were going to be fast and Washington is fast as well,” said Dauphiny of the final, which saw Princeton clock a time of 6:22.178 over the 2,000 meter course with Stanford coming in at 6:17.154 and Washington finishing in 6:19.558.

“I don’t think there is any more they could have done. There were no regrets at the end of that race. They gave it their best, they were

pretty pleased with it and medaling. I know we came in ranked No. 1 but that is for entertainment purposes only. It comes down to sideby-side racing. It was exactly what everyone said, all the hype, it was some of the closest racing, some of the fiercest racing in women’s rowing.”

The second varsity 8 out in some fierce racing of its own, taking first in its heat and then coming in third in its semi to squeak into the grand final.

“The 2V had a very good heat and then they had a close semi,” said Dauphiny. “It was a solid semi, there were a few things they picked to work on as well. Their sprint, the end sequence of the race was their last thing that they really needed to bring together as a boat. They poured it all out in the final, I don’t think they have any regrets either.”

The varsity 4 was a work in progress but managed to make it back to the grand final a year after winning gold.

“They did change their lineup and they feel like they just really didn’t have the time to adjust,” said Dauphiny. “They did feel it was their best performance. They were pretty proud of what they were able to accomplish. I think they just needed more time together and they would probably have done even better. They had a good race.”

Noting that the squad went through some struggles in the fall season, Dauphiny was proud of what her rowers accomplished collectively on Memorial Day weekend.

“It is almost unbelievable, I didn’t know if they could do it although I didn’t say that to them,” said Dauphiny. “It was really impressive. I think the fall was critical in our development as a team. The results from the fall were not successful throughout the team. There was some success but it was a rocky result at both the Head of Charles and the Princeton Chase. That reinvigorated us, it made us examine what we were doing and why. We had a renewed commitment to what was necessary to get there.”

— Bill Alden

Newsstand Town Topics

Can be purchased Wednesday mor nings at the following locations: Princeton

McCaffrey’s Kiosk Palmer Square

Speedy Mar t (State Road)

Wawa (Universit y Place)

Hopewell Village Express Rocky Hill Wawa (Rt 518) Pennington Pennington Market

BRONZE AGE: The Princeton University women’s open crew varsity 8 displays its form in a race earlier this spring. Last weekend, Princeton’s top boat took third in the grand final at the NCAA Rowing Championships on Cooper River in Pennsauken. The bronze medal effort helped the Tigers finish third in the team standings at the competition behind champions Stanford and runner-up Washington. (Photo by Ed Hewitt/Row2k, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

PU Sports Roundup

PU Women’s Tennis Star Frayman Wins Award

Princeton University

women’s tennis star Daria Frayman was named last Thursday at the Gary Walters ‘67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet as the recipient the 2023 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.

T he 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year, Frayman, a native of Moscow, Russia, led the Tigers to a fourth-straight Ivy title and a third-straight NCAA Tournament second round appearance this spring. Ranked as high as No. 1 in singles — the first Ivy League player to obtain the nation’s top ranking — and No. 7 in doubles by the ITA during the 2023 campaign, she has also been selected to participate in the NCAA singles and doubles tournaments in 2022 and 2023

Tiger Softball Star Starks

Earns Art Lane Award

Princeton University softball senior standout Serena Starks was named last Thursday at the Gary Walters ‘67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet as the recipient of the 2023 Art Lane ‘34 Award, which is presented annually to undergraduate student-athletes in recognition of selfless contribution to sport and society.

Starks, a team captain and two-time first-team All-Ivy League honoree for Princeton softball, was unanimously named the 2023 Ivy Player of the Year after leading the Tigers to backto-back Ivy League regular season championships in her two full seasons on the diamond. A 2023 Spirit of Princeton award recipient, Starks, a native of Huntington Beach, Calif., has demonstrated a commitment to service through her involvement with the StudentAthlete Service Council, Student-Athlete Wellness Leaders, University’s Service Focus program, and as co-president of the Princeton Disability Awareness Board.

In addition, she has been active with the Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and Academic Success Today programs. Additionally, Starks co-founded the Asian Student-Athletes of Princeton student affinity group, and serves on the Tigers Together Executive Committee.

PU Seniors Gantman, Polubinski Earn 1916 Cup Princeton University senior women’s soccer goalie Ella Gantman and women’s lightweight rower Madeleine Polubinski were named last Thursday as the recipients of the Class of 1916 Cup, which is presented annually to the Princeton varsity letter winner who has achieved the highest academic standing at graduation.

Gantman, a native of Washington, D.C., was recently awarded the Moses Taylor Pyne Honor Prize — the University’s top under -

graduate honor — awarded to the senior who has most clearly manifested excellent scholarship, strength of character and effective leadership. She studied in the School of Public and International Affairs, while pursuing a certificate in Spanish Language and Culture. On the soccer pitch, she made seven starts in the 2022 campaign, yielding fewer than two goals per game during her time between the posts.

Polubinski, a politics major from New York, N.Y., previously served as vice president for the Princeton Undergraduate Law Journal and volunteers with the Special Olympics of New Jersey. On the water, she helped the varsity 4 capture gold at Eastern Sprints for the first time since 2010.

The award was given by the Class of 1916 on the occasion of its 50th reunion and was presented at the Gary Walters ‘67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet. PU Wrestler, Hoops Star Receive Sailer Award Princeton University senior star wrestler Quincy Monday and women’s hoops senior standout Grace Stone were named last Thursday as the recipients of the inaugural Chris Sailer Leadership Award, which will be given annually to senior student-athletes that demonstrate exceptional leadership and a commitment to serving others.

Monday, a native of Chapel Hill, N.C., is a two-year team captain and three-time All-American for Princeton wrestling. Off the mat, Monday helped found and lead the Black Student-Athlete Collective, uniting and supporting Black student-athletes across sports in their Princeton experience. He has previously served as a Health Professions Advisor on campus and mentors young area wrestlers through clinics with the Trenton Youth Association.

Stone, who hails from Glen Cove, N.Y., is a two-time AllIvy League performer who helped the Tigers win four straight Ivy championships. Off the court, Stone cofounded and chairs the Black Student-Athlete Collective, which aims to advocate for and support student-athletes of color and their Princeton experience. She also serves as a leader on the executive team for Princeton Athletics’ Tigers Together initiative and as a representative for the Ivy League’s “8 Against Hate” diversity and inclusion committee.

The Sailer award is given by Lucy Small DeStefano ‘99 S94 and Chris DeStefano ‘94 S99 in honor of Chris Sailer, the Hall of Fame women’s lacrosse coach at Princeton from 1987-2022.

PU Alumna Dietrick Helps Lyon Club Win French Title

Former Princeton University women’s basketball star Blake Dietrick ‘15 has helped LDLC Asvel Feminin, a women’s basketball club from the Lyon suburb Villeurbanne , win the French League Championship.

After losing the first game to Villeneuve, Asvel Feminin came back to take game two, 85-72, before a 74-68 victory in the winner take all contest. Dietrick scored nine points in game three and was a +5 in 28 minutes.

In the semifinals, Lyon had to make up a 13-point deficit after the first game of their home-and-home, two-game aggregate score against defending Eurocup and French League champion Bourges. In game two of that series, Dietrick was 6-of-7 from the floor, tallying 23 points.

In April, Dietrick helped the squad win the 2023 Eurocup title.

Princeton Men’s Lacrosse Has 4 Make All-American

The Princeton University men’s lacrosse team, which won the Ivy League postseason tournament and made a return trip to the NCAA tournament, had four players named to the USILA (United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association) AllAmerican team last week.

Seniors Beau Pederson and Alexander Vardaro and sophomore Coulter Mackesy were named second-team All-American, while junior goalie Michael Gianforcaro was an honorable mention selection. Of the four, Pederson is the only one who has previously been named an All-American after a third-team selection a year ago when Princeton reached the NCAA semis.

Pederson, the only shortstick defensive midfielder in program history to be an All-American, produced 11 caused turnovers, 26 ground balls, three goals, and an assist this season. Pederson was a second-team All-Ivy League selection.

Star midfielder Vardaro joined former Tigers Tom Schreiber (three times) and Zach Currier as the only players in program history with at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a season. Vardaro finished with 24 goals and 23 assists, with four

TOP PERFORMER: Princeton University men’s track senior star Sondre Guttormsen, center, stands atop the podium after placing first in the pole vault in the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track Championships. Guttormsen was named last Thursday at the Gary Walters ‘67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet as the recipient of the 2023 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. Guttormsen, a native of Ski, Norway, is a three-time NCAA champion and First-Team All-American pole vaulter. Guttormsen won titles at both the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships and at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships. A four-time Ivy League Champion who has won both the indoor and outdoor pole vault championship for two consecutive seasons, Guttormsen set new program and Ivy League pole vaulting records both indoors and outdoors. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

goals and two assists having come while he played attack and 20 goals and 21 assists while he played midfield. Vardaro was a first-team AllIvy League selection.

Attacker Mackesy, a unanimous first-team AllIvy League selection, tallied a school-record 55 goals and was fourth in program history in points in a season with 78. In addition,

he became the first player in program history to have multiple career games of at least eight goals and the second player in program history with multiple 10 point games in a career (along with Michael Sowers). Mackesy ranked fourth in Division I in points per game and fifth in goals per game.

Gianforcaro is Princeton’s

first goalie to receive AllAmerican honors since Tyler Fiorito did so in 2012. Gianforcaro ranked second in Division I in save percentage (.577) and 14th in goalsagainst average (10.61), and he led the Ivy League in both. He was also the Most Outstanding Player at the Ivy League tournament and a second-team All-Ivy selection.

Junior Midfielder Devlin Stars in Losing Cause

As PHS Girls’ Lax Falls in State Tourney Opener

Riley Devlin was determined to set a good example this spring for her younger teammates on the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team.

With PHS losing a stellar group of seniors from its 2022 squad to graduation, junior midfielder Devlin knew that she had to shoulder more responsibility.

“As a sophomore, I laid back under the seniors last year, so it was a big adjustment,” said Devlin. “We have a really young team, not a lot of seniors. I was really trying to teach them and coach them. The freshmen are really talented — they definitely made progress.”

Starring this past winter for the PHS girls’ basketball team helped prepare Devlin for her mentorship role.

“I was a point guard with a lot of assists on a young team in basketball too so that was being a leader,” said Devlin. “I really needed to build that up; that helped me in lacrosse and working with the freshmen.”

Last Thursday as 10thseeded PHS played at seventh-seeded Middletown South in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 tournament, Devlin took the lead as she scored a pair of goals to help the Tigers jump out to a 4-2 lead.

“We got in a groove,” said Devlin. “Quinn [Gallagher] was doing amazing on the draws. The attack was all spreading out and swinging the ball.”

PHS hit a lull as Middletown South reeled off eight unanswered goals to build a 10-4 lead midway through the second half. The Tigers battled back to narrow the gap to 10-7 as Devlin added two more goals but could get no closer as the Eagles prevailed 12-7.

“We kind of lost it on defense, which is something that we need to work on,” said Devlin. “We looked at the score and we knew this is now how we play. We weren’t playing at our level. We kept our heads up, we didn’t care about the score. We tried our hardest. This is the first state game, it was all or nothing and we wanted to give it our all. We have a really young team and we worked really hard, we are getting better.”

Devlin, who ended up with four goals in the defeat which left the Tigers with a final record of 7-12, saw her scoring output as a group effort.

“I was feeling good. I think my teammates did amazing,” said Devlin. “I got assists from all over the place — everybody on attack played amazing. They contributed to all four of my goals.”

Tallying a team-high 68 goals this spring, Devlin enjoyed a very good season.

“I have goals before the season. I think everyone needs to have something that they strive for,” said Devlin, who also led the Tigers in posts with 85. “I think that I played pretty hard. There are always things that could be better. I am keeping my head up and looking forward to next season.”

PHS head coach Katie Federico credited Devlin with making her teammates better.

“Riley had a fantastic year, she became a leader on this team,” said Federico. “To hear her voice at halftime when she is giving suggestions or even at practice, taking that role on with the underclassmen has been really nice. The beauty is that we still have another year with this junior class, which I am really excited about.”

Federico is also excited about the progress made

this season by her bevy of young players which features a strong freshman group.

“They have grown as a unit, really communicating,” said Federico who got a goal and an assist from junior Phoebe Steiger in the loss with freshmen Quinn Gallagher and Nicki Lee each scoring a goal. “The attack, feeling the passes with each other, and the defense with the talking.”

While the loss to Middletown South stung, Federico believes that playing in a state game was a good growth experience for the squad.

“I said ‘you are 0-0 coming into states, your record is gone, you don’t know what it is going to happen,’” said Federico. “They did what they could out there. It was a great start. We had some unfortunate turnovers and that killed us. We were able to rally and it is a growing year.”

In Federico’s view, the Tigers have the potential to do some great things going forward.

“I think it will set them up nicely for next year, everybody was always getting in which was great,” said Federico. “To go from club or JV or middle school on to varsity, it is a very different feel. They are a fun group, they are a good group of girls. We will learn and move on to next year.”

Devlin, for her part, believes that the returners need to use the lessons learned from the up-anddown spring to show more resolve going forward.

“I think we could have played better. It is an adjustment,” said Devlin. “We lost a lot of players but that happens to every team. We just need to work harder.”

—Bill Alden

A Princeton tradition!

Organic Garden State Organic Garden State

IN PURSUIT: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Riley Devlin goes after the ball in a game this spring. Last Thursday, junior midfielder Devlin tallied four goals in a losing cause as 10thseeded PHS fell 12-7 at seventh-seeded Middletown South in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 tournament. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 7-12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Although PHS Baseball Didn’t Meet its Expectations, Tigers Gained Valuable Lessons from Frustrating Campaign

Starting the last week of the regular season with a bang, the Princeton High baseball team rallied to defeat Bound Brook 10-9.

“That was a good win, especially at that point because we knew we still had a shot to get into the state tournament,” said PHS head coach Dom Capuano, whose squad scored a run on the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out the victory. “It was a tough one. It was back and forth and to finish that off was good.”

Unable to build on that triumph, the Tigers fell 17-1 to Seneca on May 16 and 10-0 to Franklin two days later as they failed to make the state tournament and ended the spring with a 6-16 record.

“It was definitely more of a transition season, I think everybody involved would say we left some opportunities on the table,” said Capuano. “Making states needs to be an expectation, not a goal and we didn’t get there. If we didn’t get there, that means we didn’t meet our expectations.”

In Capuano’s view, the returning players can take away some valuable lessons after not meeting expectations this spring.

“I think there is some good that will come from this season,” said Capuano. “There are some people who thought they should do better and they didn’t and they are going to learn

from that. There were some people who were brand new to varsity and now their feet are wet, there is no longer a learning curve. The lessons learned this year should bode well for next year.”

As for his senior group which included Jon Tao, Wes Price, Jack Durbin, Jude Blaser, Matt Baglio, and Erik Luijendijk, Capuano felt bad that they didn’t get to end their careers with an appearance in the state tournament.

“It is unfortunate for guys like Jonny, Wes and Jack who have really put time into the varsity,” said Capuano.

“The seniors, especially offensively, did what they were supposed to do.”

In reflecting on the spring, Capuano credited the seniors with doing a lot of good things.

“Jack was on varsity last year but he didn’t get a whole lot of playing time; for him to step up and hit .333 with a bunch of doubles was good,” said Capuano. “Jon stayed healthy the whole year and hit well. Wes threw a no-hitter. In his last two starts, the defense let him down. Jude stepped up a lot. He continuously gave us something at the plate so that was a nice surprise. Matt had the hardest job in the world, how do you replace Carl [Birge]. Anybody who is going to the catcher after Carl is going to have a tough job. He got better, he really continued to give

us everything we could expect. They did a good job and they helped continue to give us a shot. We fell short but without them we would not have had a chance.”

Looking ahead, Capuano is expecting big things from junior outfielder Alex Winters, who hit .385 this season with three homers, 18 RBIs, and 16 runs.

“Alex is a great player, he made the Carpenter Cup county all-stars,” said Capuano. “He was voted in by all of the other coaches so that means they noticed it. To have a presence like that up top is great, but he still has room to grow. Those are the conversations he and I had, you are good but if you want to be great, this is what you have to fix. He is really receptive to that. He had a really good season. I think where his motivation lie s next year should be even better. I am expecting him to hit .500.”

Another junior, Ben Walden, grew into a solid player for the Tigers, batting .306 and excelling in the infield.

“Walden is going to be a very big factor in how we are next year,” said Capuano. “He got his feet wet, he knows what he needs to do. He has to put the work in to continue to grow and evolve. He was able to adapt to shortstop and second base. When we needed to slide him over to short later in the

year, he did a good job of that. I liked his approaches at the plate and for him, it is just continuing those approaches and understanding the little things. If he can continue to put in the work and evolve, he is going to be a big part next year.”

While juniors Michael Prete and Dylan Newman had up-and-down campaigns this spring, Capuano believes they will be big factors next year.

“I think both of them didn’t tap their potential this year,” said Capuano. “In talking with both of them, they and I all have higher expectations for them. Mike didn’t play a lot last year on varsity so he had an I need to prove it mentality. Dylan had a slow start this year and started to find it. Part of that was both of them trying to do too much and not simplifying the game for themselves. We are going to lean on those two hard next year and I have all of the confidence in the world that they can do it. They just

have to put the work in and I think they both will.”

Two sophomores, Travis Petrone and Jai Justice, put in some good work this season for the Tigers.

“Travis has got to be one of our top three pitchers next year, he was a relied upon guy this year but he has got to step up his game,” said Capuano. “For his sophomore year, his first varsity year, it was good. If he does the same thing next year, that isn’t good. He stepped into some big spots, threw strikes, and did what we needed. When you have that year, the expectation is next year is all that greater. Jai got better as the season went on, especially on the mound. Pitching rules everything so we need him to do the same thing and step up and be that calming force

out of the bullpen and then play the infield.”

In Capuano’s view, his players will all be better for the experience of going through the frustrating 2023 campaign.

“It wasn’t the season we wanted but at the end of the day the underclassmen grew a lot,” said Capuano. “I still enjoyed it, they were a good group of guys. It is always tough because we didn’t live up to the expectations. At the end of the day, they can learn from it in life. The juniors, sophomores, and freshmen can learn from it — they don’t want to feel this next year. It is no fun on Monday on the first day of the state tournament and you are hanging out. We will learn from it and we will get better.”

—Bill Alden

BIG BEN: Princeton High baseball player Ben Walden connects with the ball in game this spring. Junior Walden emerged as key player for PHS this season, helping the Tigers go 6-16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PDS Baseball Took its Lumps in Rocky Campaign But Has Positive Culture in Place for Future Success

It would have been understandable if Eric Schnepf got discouraged as the Princeton Day School baseball team went 1-22 this spring in his first season at the helm of the program.

Schnepf, though, will have fond memories of his debut campaign notwithstanding the win-loss record.

“It was great; when kids share your love of the game and want to compete, it makes it easy,” said Schnepf. “I was lucky to have a good group who gave me their all. They wanted to be challenged, they wanted me to hold them to a higher standard. When they met that level, I let them know and when they didn’t reach that level, I let them know. They can take criticism, they wanted to be coached. When they play well, they motivate themselves. They inspire the guys around them. I had a blast. I hope the kids had as much fun as I did.”

The Panthers enjoyed a fun moment when they posted 8-5 win over North Plainfield on May 13 that snapped a 17-game losing streak.

“You put in a lot of hard work and time and effort and energy and to see their efforts get rewarded and be able to pick up a win, was a good feeling for the entire program,” said Schnepf, who got a big performance in the victory from senior star Ryan Vandal, who went 2 for 2 with two runs and three RBIs and also pitched three shutout innings.

PDS ended the season with another good effort as the ninth-seeded Panthers lost 10-7 at eighth-seeded Holy Cross Prep on May 23 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey NonPublic B tournament.

“We fought back but ultimately came up a little bit short,” said Schnepf. “I am proud of the way that they guys fought and competed. It just wasn’t enough to get a win.”

Reflecting on the season, Schnepf was proud of the way his players kept fighting.

“It starts with creating and developing and building the right kind of culture around competitiveness, accountability, and ability to overcome adversity,” said Schnepf. “You had a lot of young guys who didn’t have varsity experience getting a lot of opportunities. You bring them along and they start getting comfortable and see it as the building blocks and foundation for the years to come. The kids competed, they gave their best. At no point did they give up on themselves.”

In giving that effort, the Panthers showed improvement on the field. “It is a tough season from a wins and losses perspective, but you are seeing small shades of what we want to do on both sides of the baseball starting to happen,” said Schnepf. “The kids are learning and getting

comfortable — there was progress. We are definitely happy with some of the steps we took but by no means are we near the finish line.”

The team’s senior group, led by Vandal, brought a good perspective to the diamond.

“In the case of Ryan, he is someone who has been in the program a long time and had significant playing time,” said Schnepf, whose Class of ’23 also included Julian Liao, John Mazzarisi, and Bram Silva.

“The younger guys are looking to him to set the example on how to carry yourself on the field and how to play the game the right way. For him to buy in and do what we asked him to do was extremely helpful. You could see how much he cared. The other seniors who were newer to the program bought in and did what was asked of them. It was a good group of seniors to lead the younger guys and set the right example out there in the approach that we want to take in the years to come.”

One of those younger guys, sophomore catcher Luke Haan, did very well this spring.

“Luke swung the bat well, he worked with our pitchers extremely well,” said Schnepf. “He is young. You can look at his stat line and what he was able to do for us; it is easy to forget that he is only a sophomore. He played a major role this year and going forward, his role is just for him to be himself

and not try to do too much or try to be the guy. It is just continue to be Luke Haan and get everyone comfortable on the field and hold yourself accountable and everybody will follow your example.”

Another sophomore, Dylan Powers, emerged as a key player, excelling with the bat and on the mound.

“Dylan was another guy who did a tremendous job in every facet of the game for us,” said Schnepf. “It is easy to forget that he is only a sophomore as well.”

A pair of freshmen, Grayson McLaughlin and Gaines Newsome, showed some game.

“They were both everyday guys in the field and in the lineup,” said Schnepf. “Grayson was in

the starting rotation. You play Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and he was one of our three starters. He got a lot of time in relief. Both of them were getting three or four at -bats every game. They were getting exposed to see the speed of the game. It is only going to help them in the long run.”

Schnepf sees those young players as linchpins that will help the program succeed in the long run.

“They are going to be here for a while so they are going to continue to learn, grow and develop,” said Schnepf.

“The more time we have with them, the more comfortable they are going to feel. As you are continuing to build and you are bring in younger guys, it is like having coaches in the dugout.

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There is just someone they can look to to see how they are carrying themselves and going about their business day in, day out.”

In Schnepf’s view, the way the players took care of their business this spring through adversity will serve as a building block for the future.

“You can have all of the talent in the world, but if you don’t have the right culture or the right attitude, a lot of the times that talent can fall by the wayside,” said Schnepf. “The attitude, energy, and effort that we always preach was there. We insist on controlling what we can control and creating a positive culture. That is where we start and we will continue to build from there.”

—Bill Alden

a Princeton tradition!

POWER PITCHING: Princeton Day School baseball player Dylan Powers fires a pitch in recent action. Sophomore Powers proved to be a bright spot for PDS with his arm and bat as the Panthers went 1-22 this spring. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Sparked by a Balanced, Talented Attack Unit, Hun Girls’ Lax Ended Season on a High Note

After the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team fell 8-7 in overtime to Notre Dame in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals, the squad could have got through the motions as it ended the season with two regular season contests.

Instead, Hun saved its best for last, topping Robbinsville 13-9 on May 10 and then defeating Princeton High 1811 in its season finale on May 16.

“I think the game against Notre Dame was so strong and so even keeled, those two games afterward felt like a celebration,” said Hun head coach Kathleen Jaeger, who guided the Raiders to a final record of 10-6. “It was, ‘you worked so hard all season, here is a time to have fun and see what we could do in our last two efforts.’ It was really nice to see a lot of different things happen, a lot of assists, and a lot of different types of goals.”

In the win over crosstown rival PHS, the Raiders featured a lot of different offensive weapons as Olivia Kim scored six goals with Ava Olender tallying five goals and an assist, Maggie Maffia chipping in three goals and an assist, and Abby O’Brien contributing two goals and two assists.

“Both teams score a lot, it was one of those where it was pretty quick back and forth,” said Jaeger. “It was a nice day to see the seniors go out with a bang. You saw a lot of different goal scorers

that game. It was what we wanted to get out of it, just trying some different things, running some plays that maybe we didn’t go to during the season so that they really got to experiment and have fun and learn.”

Capping the season with two victories was a lot of fun for Hun.

“You would hope that the end of the season is the peak of your team,” said Jaeger. “We are very lucky that even though the county and state tournament didn’t go as well as one could hope that we were still able to end on two wins. That doesn’t really happen very often.”

Hun was lucky to have an attack spearheaded by the trio of senior O’Brien (50 goals, 16 assists this season), junior Kim (52 goals, 12 assists), and junior Olender (36 goals, 5 assists).

“I think one of our biggest positives is that we didn’t have just one key person, especially on our attacking end,” said Jaeger. “We were able to rely on a bunch of different people with our leaders being Abby, Olivia, and Ava. It is nice that those attackers in addition to the others all play different roles. If one girl is hot one day, then the others can switch and be more feeders or playmakers that day. It is definitely nice that they had that skill and lax knowledge to make it all happen.”

The squad’s senior group of O’Brien, Angelina Vitale,

Tylr Neely, Maggie Maffia, and Kaitlyn Kigin set a nice tone for the season.

“It is a very strong group, we are going to need to do a lot of work to replace them,” said Jaeger. “Playing for four years, you are a seasoned player at that point. They were really fortunate and I was really fortunate that they played a similar role the three years that I was their coach. They were starters from their sophomore year. The poise that they carried this year was something that taught the underclassmen how to deal with a lot of challenges.”

Senior goalie Vitale faced a lot of challenges this season as she was sidelined in the early stages of the campaign.

“Angelina started out this season where she was dealing with an injury so she couldn’t be on the field to really help the team and support everybody,” said Jaeger. “She had to learn a new role of being on the sideline and being that leader from not being able to play. She played the second half of the season. She came back in the end of April, she just decided that she was ready to play and ready to do what she could to finish out the season. We were really glad that she was able to do that and step up because she is a very strong goalie.”

On the back line, star defender Nelly gave the Raiders some strong play. “Neely is a force, I think her size and her height are going to propel her into that college level,” said Jaeger of Neely who is headed to the Coast Guard Academy where she will be joining its women’s lax program.

“Knowing that she is going to a military academy is a small percentage of who she really is. She is definitely that leader. She is the one that when we have players who have never played before on the first day of the year, she was there helping them rather than jumping right in herself. She is a great character and a hard worker.”

Able to go full speed this spring, O’Brien saved her best for last.

“O’Brien was dealing with an injury last season that took a toll,” said Jaeger noting that O’Brien is a Stevens Institute of Technology commit. “She was ready this season to jump back into it and give it her all. She is one that got the attack going in different times. She had that energy, that spark.”

Maffia, who tallied 21 goals and nine assists, gave the Raiders a spark with her versatility.

“Maffia is so reliable, she is definitely somebody that consistently plays on both ends of the field,” said Jaeger. “She was a huge draw taker. She would switch up what she was doing based on what we needed, that is nice to have.”

The fifth senior, Kigin (8 goals, 2 assists), played an important role as well.

“I would say that she is the energy,” said Jaeger. “We relied on her for that. She got everybody going. Although her stats don’t reflect it, she was also consistent on the field. She was a nice addition to the group.”

Returning the one-two punch of Kim and Olender going forward gives Hun a

solid foundation to build on at the offensive end of the field.

“Knowing that they are playing on the same club team this year as well that will continue to really bond them,” said Jaeger. “They work well together and they read each other really well which makes my job a whole lot easier.”

A pair of freshman, Aspen Swanson (8 goals, 8 assists) and Arielle Knapik (5 goals, 4 assists), did a good job this spring.

“I feel like Aspen is a really important one to note, she has really excelled,” said Jaeger. “You would never know by watching her play that she is a freshman, you could see that the other girls felt that way too. Arielle has good potential. This year was all about her learning how to play at that higher level. I am really excited to watch her now have that confidence and bonding with other girls.”

The way the Hun players have bonded has Jaeger fired up about the future.

“Something that I am really big on is building that team environment and that team chemistry because ultimately that is the basis of anything we are going to accomplish,” said Jaeger. “I am excited that most of the returners have had at least one year all together so we have that already established. Then it is just being willing to take risks, that is a huge thing moving forward, and something that is really important to continue build our program. I am excited and the girls are excited about it too.”

—Bill Alden

Lawrenceville Pennington

Boys’ Lacrosse : Capping a dominant campaign with a dramatic victory, Lawrenceville defeated the Brunswick School (Conn.) 14-13 in double overtime in the Prep National final on May 21 in Greenwich, Conn. The Big Red, who are ranked second nationally in the Inside Lacrosse poll, finished the season with a 19-1 record.

Boys’ Track : Seamus Manning led the way as Pennington took fourth in the team standings at the Prep B outdoor track state championship meet last week at Newark Academy. Manning placed first in the 400-meter run and second in the 200. Drayton Kolaras won the 800 while Shane Tomlinson placed second in the shot put and third in the discus in the meet won by the Newark Academy.

Boys’ Tennis : Winning four of the five matches in straight sets, fourth-seeded PDS defeated 13th-seeded Moorestown Friends 5-0 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) NonPublic, South Jersey tournament last Friday. The Panthers, now 8-4-1, were slated to host fifth-seeded Rutgers Prep in a quarterfinal match on May 30 with victor advancing to the semis on June 1.

Boys’ Track : Thomas Poljevka had a strong meet as PDS placed fifth in the team standings at the Prep B outdoor track state championship meet last week at Newark Academy. Junior Poljevka finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles and sixth in the 110 hurdles. Tyler Olmstead took second in the javelin while Adam Stewart placed fifth in the high jump in the meet won

PDS Stuart

Girls’ Track : Macayla Rodriguez starred as Pennington finished sixth in the team standings at the Prep B outdoor track state championship meet last week at Newark Academy. Rodriguez took second in the 100-meter dash and third in the 200. Angelyn Li also had a big meet, taking third in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump in the competition won by the Montclair Kimberley Academy.

PHS

Boys’ Lacrosse: Brendan Beatty tallied four goals and two assists and Patrick Kenah chipped in three goals and two assists but it wasn’t enough as 12th-seeded PHS fell 14-12 at fifth-seeded Northern Highlands in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 tournament last Friday. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 9-8.

Softball : Delaney Keegan had a big game in a losing cause as 16th-seeded PHS fell 14-3 at top-seeded Jackson Memorial last week in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 tournament. Keegan had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers, who finished the spring with a 6-14 record.

Boys’ Tennis : Wrapping up regular season play by defeating Steinert 5-0 on May 19, PHS will be starting action in the state tournament this week. The Tigers, 121, will be competing in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey, Group 3 sectional where they are seeded fourth and were slated to host a quarterfinal round match on May 30 against fifth-seeded WW/PNorth with the victor advancing to the semis on June 1.

Track : Giselle Jean-Marie starred as Stuart placed fifth in the team standings the Prep B outdoor track state championship meet last week at Newark Academy. Junior Jean-Marie placed first in both the high and long jump, second in the 100 meter hurdles, and fourth in the shot put at the competition won by Montclair Kimberley Academy. Freshman Kirsten Brenya also had a big meet, finishing fourth in the high jump and fifth in the 200.

SETTING THE PACE: Princeton Day School junior star runner Emily McCann competes in the Mercer County Cross Country Championships last fall. Last week, McCann placed first in the 3,200-meter run and third in the 1,600 at the Prep B outdoor track state championship meet at Newark Academy. McCann’s heroics helped PDS place fourth in the team standings at the meet won by Montclair Kimberley Academy. Other Panthers who excelled at the competition included Sophia Zhou who took third in the 100 hurdles and Harleen Sandu, the thirdplace finisher in the 800. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

ABBY ROAD: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Abby O’Brien heads upfield in a game this spring. Senior attacker and Stevens Institute of Technology-bound O’Brien scored a teamhigh 66 points this spring on 50 goals and 16 assists to help Hun go 10-6.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Obituaries

undergraduate degree from Washington University in 1956. She later earned her doctorate in psychology from the same institution.

Nancy Groves Manning

Nancy Groves Manning passed away on May 11, 2023. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Winton Howard Manning in 2004. Born on December 29, 1934, in St. Louis, Missouri, she was the daughter of Clara Mercedes Groves and George Breckenridge Groves. Although an only child, Nancy grew up in with a large extended family in a multi-generational home with her grandparents, Clara and Albert Groves; her mother; an aunt and uncle, Phyllis and Walter Heimbuecher; and cousins, Judy Heimbuecher Habighorst and Gail Heimbuecher Hamilton. She attended John Burroughs School in Ladue, graduating in 1952. Nancy had a great talent for drama, and dreamt of becoming an actor. She pursued acting while in college, and starred in many roles, including Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. Nancy earned her

While taking graduate classes in psychology, she met a handsome young teaching assistant, Winton H. Manning, whom she married in 1959. The newlywed couple moved to Fort Worth, Texas, as Win had accepted a teaching position at Texas Christian University. There Nancy became absorbed in starting a family and entertaining their faculty friends. In 1965 the family moved to Haworth, New Jersey, in order for Win to join the staff of the College Board in New York City. While living in Haworth, with the encouragement of her thesis advisor and support of her dear husband, Nancy was finally able to turn her sights to completing her dissertation. She earned her doctorate in psychology in 1967. The family then moved to Princeton in 1968 in order for Win to join Educational Testing Service.

Nancy had a 40-year career as a licensed clinical psychologist. She completed a postdoctoral training program in family therapy at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. In Princeton, she served as consulting psychologist and Clinical Director of the Northeast Career Center and therapist and Clinical Director of Trinity Counseling Service. She co-founded Princeton Psychological Associates with four colleagues in 1980. A skilled psychotherapist, she mentored many developing professionals as a field supervisor for doctoral candidates in psychology at

Rutgers University. She was always passionate about helping her patients live happier, more fulfilled lives.

Following her retirement from practice as a psychologist, Nancy embarked on a new adventure by enrolling in the docent training program of the Princeton University Art Museum. As a docent she especially enjoyed researching individual works of art in the collection for gallery talks, and working with school children from Trenton. She was a member of the Present Day Club and the Nassau Club of Princeton. She belonged to All Saints’ (Episcopal) Church for 55 years. As a resident of Stonebridge in Montgomery, she enjoyed her French conversation group, play and poetry reading groups, helping in the library, and serving as a member of the welcomers committee. Nancy was an accomplished home chef, enjoyed traveling the world with her late husband, and cherished and celebrated her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her son, Winton H. (Tony) Manning, III; daughter, Cecelia M. Tazelaar; son-in-law, Eric G. Tazelaar; three granddaughters, Julia B. Tazelaar (married to Joseph M. Wells), Sophia M. Tazelaar, and Clara J. Tazelaar.

A memorial service will be held at All Saints’ Church, Princeton, NJ, on Saturday, June 17 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to All Saints’ Church, 16 All Saints’ Road, Princeton, NJ 08540; or the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ 08544, directed to the attention of the Docents Association.

Donald Roy Gerecke

Donald Roy Gerecke, 72, of West Windsor Township, NJ, passed away peacefully, at his home on the morning of April 30, 2023.

Born in Passaic, NJ, Don grew up in Saddle Brook, NJ, and lived in Boston, MA, before settling in West Windsor 25 years ago.

Don earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science, Class of 1972 and a Master of Science Degree in Entomology and Economic Zoology, Class of 1976 both from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Upon graduation he worked over 10 years, first at UniRoyal and then at Rhone-Poulenc, as a research pesticide chemist. He then went on to Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, where he earned a PhD in Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Class of 1992. The next five years he worked as a research fellow and instructor for the Department of Dermatology. In 1998, he moved to NJ, taking on a professorship at Rutgers University. During his 25 years at Rutgers University, he was on the faculty of the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. His research was funded through the NIH and the Department of Defense.

Robert B. Zagoria

Robert B. Zagoria, an attorney in Princeton, died Friday at The Jewish Home at Rockleigh. The cause of death was complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 82.

Born in Plainfield, NJ, Mr. Zagoria was a resident of Princeton for more than 40 years. He was a graduate of Princeton University and Georgetown University (J.D.). He was a powerful advocate for clients, specializing in employment discrimination. He was an active town member and Princeton University alumnus.

Bob’s greatest love was his many family and friends.

He is predeceased by his beloved wife Amy, and survived by daughter Julia, sonin-law Trevor, and grandson Collin of Princeton, also sister Helene and brotherin-law Leonard, and wonderful nieces and nephews and their children. Burial service will be Friday, June 2 at 11 a.m. at Princeton Cemetery.

Road, Titusville, NJ 08560.

Contributions, in his memory, to Michael J. Fox Foundation (michaeljfox. org) or Parkinson’s Foundation (parkinsons.org), are appreciated.

Extend condolences and share memories at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

private at Cheney Cemetery in Manchester, CT. There will also be a memorial celebration in Keene Valley on August 6, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. at the Keene Valley Country Club in Keene Valley, NY.

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

Hope Colt

Elisabeth-Ann Callaway

Dr. Gerecke mentored as co-advisor to the AZO fraternity as well as the Rutgers Pharmacy Honor Program for several years. He had a compassionate place in his heart for all students — Pharmacy, graduate, undergraduate students alike. Either in the classroom, at the research bench, or through several other student related activities. They, in turn, honored him by participating in the NYC Parkinson’s Unity Walkathon as well as bestowing upon him the William and Helen Teacher of the Year for 2008 as well as 2009. He retired from Rutgers University having earned the title of Associate Professor.

He was active in the theatre community acting in over 22 plays at the Kelsey Theatre at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ, and the Washington Crossing State Park Open Air Theatre in Titusville, NJ. When not acting, he enjoyed playing the piano and singing.

Predeceased by his parents, Harry and Carol (Drecki) Gerecke, and three brothers, he is survived by his wife of 41 years, Marion “Emmy” Gordon and his daughter and her partner, Rebecca Gerecke and Peter Comerford, of West Windsor Twp., NJ.

A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 1 p.m. at the Green Grove in Washington Crossing State Park, 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington

It is with great sadness that the family of Hope Cheney Learned Colt of Princeton, NJ, announce her sudden passing on May 18, 2023 at the age of 86. Hopie was born on August 10, 1936 to Horace B. Learned and Eileen Roff Learned in Manchester, CT. She graduated from the Oxford School. Hopie also graduated from Smith College in 1958 where she was named to Phi Beta Kappa. Hopie had a full and rewarding life volunteering for numerous organizations in Princeton including the U.S. Squash Association, Princeton Child Development Institute, Princeton Historical Society, American Red Cross, and the Princeton University Museum. Known for her culinary skills, Hopie ran a small catering business for friends and clients in Princeton. Hopie enjoyed memberships at Pretty Brook Tennis Club, Nassau Club, Keene Valley Country Club, and Ausable Club. She was an avid tennis player and jazz enthusiast. She was a passionate animal lover and devoted to many dachshunds throughout her life. Come the summer months, Hopie headed to her beloved Keene Valley, NY, in the Adirondacks where she was often spotted with a tin bucket searching for berries. Friends and family were then rewarded in the fall with her famous jams … what a treat!

Hopie was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Alexandra L. Preston, her son, Alexander D. Colt, and her grandson, Tyler S. Colt. She is survived by sons, Harris Colt of Colorado Springs, CO, and Ward (Trina) Colt of Titusville, NJ, and grandchildren, Harris Colt, Jr., Athena Colt, Meredith Colt, and CJ Colt.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the North Country SPCA, the Keene Valley Library, or the Keene Valley Congregational Church.

There will be a luncheon for family and close friends celebrating Hopie’s life on June 8, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. at the Nassau Club in Princeton. Burial services will be

Elisabeth-Ann Callaway, age 81, formerly of Bedminster, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Cranbury, NJ; and Sarasota, FL, passed away peacefully in her home on Friday, May 19, 2023.

Elisabeth-Ann had a passion for photography and worked as a photographer and copywriter at N.T. Callaway Real Estate in Princeton, NJ. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, baking, crafting, and quilting. Elisabeth-Ann was a dedicated and loving mother and nana, volunteer and friend who loved to entertain.

Preceded in death by her parents, Thomas N. Ericson and Stella K. Peterson, and her brothers, Thomas N. Ericson Jr. and P. David Ericson; she is survived by her daughter, Karen C. Urisko and her husband, John; her son, Norman Callaway Jr. and his wife, Lisa; her five grandchildren, Corinne Urisko, Alexandra Callaway, Callie Urisko, Norman Tooker Callaway III, and Bailey Callaway; her sisters, Priscilla A. Ericson and Mary L. Ericson; and her numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Funeral services will begin on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 S. Main Street, Cranbury, NJ.

Interment will follow at Brainerd Cemetery in Cranbury, NJ.

Visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, June 1, 2023, from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 S. Main Street, Cranbury, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Elisabeth’s memory by way of check to The First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 South Main Street, Cranbury, NJ 08512 with “Skeet’s Pantry” written in the memo line.

26 WELLINGTON COURT, BELLE MEAD NJ 08502

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The Complexity of Real Estate Love Letters: Fair Housing Concerns

In the realm of real estate, emotions often run high. Homebuyers seeking to make a memorable impression sometimes resort to writing heartfelt love letters to sellers in the hopes of securing a property. However, this seemingly innocent gesture can raise significant fair housing concerns.

The Fair Housing Act, established in 1968, prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability. While love letters may seem harmless, they can unintentionally lead to discriminatory practices. When sellers receive personal information about buyers, it opens the door for biases based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, or familial status, potentially violating fair housing laws.

Real estate professionals have a responsibility to ensure equal opportunity in housing. By discouraging the acceptance of love letters, they help maintain fairness and prevent discrimination in the home buying process.

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

The ideal candidate will:

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

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

Fantastic benefits and a great work environment.

Please submit cover letter and resume to: charles.plohn@witherspoonmediagroup.com

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

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

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

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Rendering

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Prentice Lane

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Introducing: Library Place

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Province Line Road

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Newly Priced: Puritan Court

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Introducing: Heather Lane

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Introducing: Baldwin Street

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Introducing: Parkside Drive Princeton, NJ | $1,150,000

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609.921.1050 | 4 NASSAU STREET | PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08542