Volume LXXIII, Number 19
Health & Wellness Pages 12-14 Highland Farm to Preserve Hammerstein Legacy . . . .5 Witherspoon-Jackson Welcome Weekend . . . . .10 Reading Hardy Boys Before Library Book Sale . . . . . .17 Princeton Pro Musica Marks 40th Anniversary . . . . . .18 Passage Theatre Presents Morir Sonyando . . . . . .19 Beauty and the Beast at State Theatre NJ . . . . . .20 PU Women’s Lacrosse Wins Ivy Tourney, Hosting NCAA Weekend . . . . . . 33 Hun Boys’ Lax Earns 2nd Straight State Prep A Championship . . . . . . . 36
Nurse Suzanne Reynolds — 42 Years of Caring for Others . . . . . . . . . 11 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .24, 25 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 29 Classified Ads . . . . . . 43 Dining & Entertainment . . . 27 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Music/Theater . . . . . . 20 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 41 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 4 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 44 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 42 School Matters . . . . . . . 9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Council Candidates Trade Ideas, Barbs In Lively W-J Forum The four candidates for Princeton Council — Adam Bierman, Michelle Pirone Lambros, Tim Quinn, and Mia Sacks — squared off last Saturday morning in a two-hour forum sponsored by the Witherspoon-Jackson (WJ) Neighborhood Association at the First Baptist Church on John Street. Looking ahead to the Democratic primary on June 4 and the general election in November with two Council positions open, the candidates shared their visions for the future of Princeton. They focused on issues such as what smart growth means for Princeton; the town’s commitment to diversity and the displacement of African American residents; the town’s relationship with Princeton University, with the Princeton Public Schools, and with Mercer County; an economic development plan for WJ; and a Master Plan for Princeton. Ashley Hightower and Antoine Newlin asked the questions and moderated the session. Before a crowd of about 50, Bierman who described himself as an independent Democrat running as an Independent, accentuated his independence throughout the proceedings. Bierman boycotted the Princeton Community Democratic Organization endorsement process in March, criticizing “a pay-to-play” system, while the other three candidates all received the support of the Democratic organization. “I don’t have to cater to the political machine,” Bierman said. “I can think for myself.” Lambros, in her opening statement and responses to the moderators’ questions, emphasized her experience as an entrepreneur and small business owner. “Government works best when it works together with businesses,” she said. She asserted that the municipality could negotiate a better deal with Princeton University and use its leverage to develop costefficient affordable housing solutions.” Quinn, the only incumbent, repeatedly pointed out the depth and breadth of his experience on Council, on the School Board, and in other local public positions. In particular, he emphasized his engagement with the WJ neighborhood. “I’m deeply honored to be considered a friend of this neighborhood,” he said. Continued on Page 9
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Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Council Introduces Ordinance to Change Meter Times, Rates At a meeting of Princeton Council Monday evening, the governing body voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance that, if adopted, will make much-demanded changes to the meter rates and times in downtown Princeton. A public hearing on the issue is May 28. The meters that currently allow two hours of parking will be changed to three hours, and parking at all three-hour meters will be $1.75 an hour. The two-hour meters currently cost $2.25 an hour, while the three-hour meters have been $1.50 an hour. Fifteen-minute and 30-minute meters will continue in some locations. The 10-minute grace period that was part of the town’s old parking system will not be installed at this time. All-day parking spots that were 75 cents an hour will be raised to $1 an hour. And in the Dinky train station lot, all-day parking has been upped from $4 to $5. These upward adjustments make the changes
revenue-neutral. Merchants have complained that their businesses have suffered since the town installed new meters and raised rates late last year. The revamping of Princeton’s parking system has been a topic of numerous meetings over the past few months, particularly between the municipality and members of the Princeton Merchants Association (PMA). Before Council voted Monday on the revisions to the plan, Mayor Liz Lempert thanked the merchants, the municipal staff, the Citizens Finance Advisory Committee, and members of the public for their work on fixing the issue. In turn, PMA president Jack Morrison thanked the Council. “We wanted to be deficit neutral, and we’re now creating the entire town as one district,” he said. Dorothea Von Moltke of Labyrinth Books added that the process of re-adjusting the times and rates brought the merchants closer together. “Now, we’re ready to get
DESIGN CHAMP: Town Topics recently invited elementary school children to create an ad for their favorite Princeton-area business . Seven-year-old Gabrielle, a first-grade student at Orchard Hill Elementary School, was the favorite artist with her “ad” for McCaffrey’s Food Markets . Artwork from the runners-up can be found on page 30 .
the word out to people who said they’re not coming to downtown anymore, to bring them back,” she said. Council held a special work session on the parking plan last month, focusing on recommendations made by the PMA. The organization had done a survey that found that the changes, which were put into place just before the holiday shopping season, had a “chillingly negative” effect on business. Since that meeting, the Pins and Needles knitting shop on Chambers Street closed its doors, blaming the parking changes as well as online retail. Continued on Page 8
GreenFest Offers Community Celebration of Sustainable Living GreenFest, a community celebration of sustainable living, will take place in the Princeton Shopping Center courtyard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, May 11. Sponsored by Sustainable Princeton (SP), the event will include more than 30 sustainably-minded local businesses and will feature continuous live performances on stage, sustainable art-making activities, a thrift store sustainable fashion show, a live animal wildlife presentation at 2:30 p.m., and more. There will be an opportunity to ride electric bikes provided by FiField Electric Bicycles and to test drive a variety of electric vehicles — Tesla, Honda, Chevy, and others. Mermaid Brizo will visit from 12-2 p.m. to share information about water quality and pollution with children and their families. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about and provide input on Princeton’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), and also to test their recycling knowledge, take a sustainable living pledge, and learn what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. “Our goal is to raise awareness and help provide people with an informed perspective to address climate change,” said SP Executive Director Molly Jones. “This is a family fun opportunity to bring life to the CAP.” Jones pointed out that Princeton residents are eager to engage. “We continue to see people’s hearts and spirits are behind the CAP, but they want to know what Continued on Page 10