Town Topics Newspaper, June 21, 2023

Improvements, Upgrades For Crosswalk, Lawn at 183-185 Nassau Street

At its June 12 meeting, Princeton Council passed a resolution providing support for the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) concept plan for improvements to the midblock crosswalk on Nassau Street between Thomas Sweet Ice Cream and Princeton University’s building at 185 Nassau Street. The proposal calls for expanding and upgrading the pedestrian crosswalk.

Concurrently, the University is converting the front lawn of 185 Nassau Street into a space to be inviting to the public as well as the University community.

According to Ronald McCoy, University architect, Office of the University Architect, the project is part of “an ongoing portfolio of opportunities to enhance the campus landscape.”

The Betsey Stockton garden, which the University planted in 2018 between Firestone Library and Nassau Street, was an inspiration. Stockton was a prominent African American missionary and educator in the 19th century, and a former slave of University President Ashbel Green. The grasses and owering plants of that garden serve as a green roof for the library’s B and C oors.

“Building on the success of the Betsey Stockton garden, we prioritized this project as an opportunity to enhance campus landscape that is also an integral part of the Princeton community, Nassau Street, and the local merchants,” McCoy said. “We want to enhance the public use of this space.”

The area will include new paving, lawns, ground cover, benches, café chairs, and tables. “The garden is designed for informal social gatherings, public events, classroom discussions, and opportunities to exhibit the work of the Lewis Center for the Arts/Visual Arts students,” said McCoy.

Originally known as the Nassau Street School, the building at 185 Nassau Street was constructed in 1909 in Classic Revival style. The University bought the building from the Princeton Board of Education in 1963. Two decades later, it was renovated to house a new theater, additional storage and office space, a permanent exhibition gallery, a new lm studio and cinema, a dance studio, acting studio, and a common room. The programs in Dance, Theater,

Continued on Page 8

Princeton School Board Appoints New Administrators

There will be two new administrators in the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) this fall. At the June 13 Board of Education (BOE) meeting, the Board voted on Superintendent Carol Kelley’s recommendation that Tiffany Brennan be hired as the supervisor of mathematics and business education for grades six through 12, and the board appointed John McCann as Princeton Middle School assistant principal.

Brennan, who is currently the supervisor of science, technology, engineering, and math in the Robbinsville Public School District, is replacing Stephenie Tidwell. McCann is a teacher in the middle school, and replaces Jessica Kilgore, who will be an elementary school principal in another district.

Brennan will supervise the development, implementation, and assessment of the math and business curricula. The search to ll the math position was led by a diverse committee of community members including BOE representatives, parents, educators, and administrators, according to the PPS, and Brennan was the unanimous choice.

It was reported in Town Topics in May that PPS launched a comprehensive Math Program Review, which will include surveys and focus groups of students,

teachers, and the community, plus classroom observations and a review of professional development. The department has been challenged by some declining test scores, and staffing challenges stemming from the pandemic.

Brennan, who has been a supervisor and teacher in the Robbinsville Public School District for 14 years, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and master’s degree in mathematics education from Rutgers University.

She explained why it was important for students to have a good foundation in mathematics: “Learning math isn’t just about getting the correct answer to a problem,” she said. “Learning math teaches students to problem solve, to try something different when the rst idea didn’t work, and to think in logical steps to persevere through something difficult. Computer science works the same way. In both math and business classes, just like in life, you’ll be asked to use what you

Princeton Council Recognizes Impact of Nonprofit HiTOPS During Pride Month

Although it was during Pride Month when the Municipality of Princeton recognized HiTOPS with a proclamation at the June 12 Council meeting, the organization was lauded for its positive impact on the youth of Princeton all year long.

According to the nonpro t’s mission statement, HiTOPS “fosters strong and healthy young people of all identities by providing inclusive and youth-informed sex education and LGBTQ+ support for young people throughout New Jersey.”

Councilwoman and longtime champion of HiTOPS Eve Niedergang, who presented the proclamation, noted the signi cant

impact HiTOPS has had on the Princeton community. “From their start with Teen Council, a peer sexual health program, to their school-based sex education and teacher training, to their annual Trans Youth Forum, HiTOPS has held youth voice and leadership at the core of their mission,” said Niedergang in a press release. “Plus, they celebrate all things Princeton by hosting the HiTOPS Princeton Half Marathon every November.”

The Half Marathon, which took place November 13, is a popular fundraiser. An upcoming fundraising event is the

Continued on Page 10

“FREEDOM FORWARD”: The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, located in the National Historic Registerlisted Mt. Zion AME Church in Skillman, held its second annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday afternoon. Attendees share what brought them to the event in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)

Birthday to Ray Davies in This Week’s

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Plainsboro Library Marks Juneteenth on June 22

On Thursday, June 22 at 7 pm, the Plainsboro Public Library will present a program on the history of Juneteenth Day, June 19, the federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. Cranbury resident Frank Marlowe, a retired electrical engineer who has made himself something of an expert on Black history, will discuss events leading up to the Emancipation, as well as its aftermath. He notes that the U.S. is one of very few countries in the world that actually fought a war — the Civil War — to end slavery. Despite this fact, he says, the issue of race continues to be a divisive subject and has been since before the Constitution was signed. The history of slavery has never been adequately addressed in U.S. public schools, he notes. In his lectures, he shares little-known historical facts that may lead to a better understanding of present issues.

The presentation will

mark the 16th time Marlowe has addressed the subject of Black history. He speaks annually at the Cranbury Public Library in celebration of Black History month (February) and has discussed the Tuskegee Airmen, the founding of the NAACP, Eleanor Roosevelt’s role in the Civil Rights movement, Congressman John Lewis, and much more.

The hour-long talk will include a slide presentation. There will be an opportunity to ask questions following the program.

The Plainsboro Library is located at 9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. For more information, call (609) 2752897 or visit plainsborolibrary.org/events.

Community Garden Opens In Flemington Borough

The grand opening of the Flemington Borough Community Garden takes place on Saturday, July 1 from 47 p.m. at Tuccamirgan Park, 79 Bonnell Street.

At the event, there will be a picnic, arts and crafts, a bar -

Topics

becue, and more. Volunteers and businesses have helped to create 18 raised beds and install a fence. Plots are still available and open to all New Jersey residents.

“We are really excited to finally get started with growing roots at the Flemington Borough Community Garden,” said board member Jae Hoff. “We hope to continue to build a space that is open and accessible to all in the borough and beyond where we can come together, share skills and tools, and learn more about growing our own food.”

Families and children are welcome to help decorate by painting rocks for the Giving Garden, to benefit the Flemington Area Food Pantry.

The Flemington Borough Community Garden achieved nonprofit status in March 2022, and was founded in October 2020. Its mission is to expand access to knowledge about and space to grow food. For more information, email flemingtonborocommunitygarden@gmail.com.

Call for Land Stewards: Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) holds morning or afternoon summer volunteer sessions through August under the guidance of FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship to assist with various conservation projects at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Weekday and weekend sessions available. Visit fopos.org/getinvolved .

Outdoor Yoga: At the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Preserve on Sunday, June 25, 10-11:15 a.m. Donations of $10 suggested to benefit Friends of Princeton Open Space. Fopos.org.

Donate Blood: The American Red Cross seeks blood donors this month at its office at 707 Alexander Road, and also at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, as well as locations in Hamilton, Pennington, and Cranbury. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/ June for details.

students from the

about

plants, invasive species, and more. They planted native trees and shrubs to provide a habitat for birds and pollinators, and engaged in stream monitoring activity. Historian Ian Burrow led them on a hike at Cedar Ridge Preserve. (Photo courtesy of Laurie Cleveland)

BAREHANDED “BASE BALL”: In a previous year, “base ball” as it was played in the 19th century, is played in a game sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton. This year’s game will be played on Saturday, June 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Greenway Meadows Park in Princeton.

Vintage Baseball Takes the Field for Fun, With 19th-Century Uniforms and History

It’s a game and a history class. America’s favorite pastime, baseball, is the backdrop for a family day experiencing the game as it used to be played.

The Historical Society of Princeton (HSP) is offering

vintage baseball, in a game to be played on Saturday, June 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Greenway Meadows Park, 275 Rosedale Road.

“We love hosting this event every year,” said Eve Mandel, HSP director of programs and outreach. “It’s fun to just watch to see how games were played in the 19th century. But baseball fans can also appreciate the evolution of the rules, which is especially relevant given the recent changes to the MLB.”

TOPICS Of the Town

Mandel said that HSP first hosted the event in 2010. The Flemington Neshanock and the Liberty Base Ball Club of New Brunswick will take the field and play by the 1864 rules, in a competitive match of bare-handed “base ball.”

They will wear period replica uniforms made by K & P Weavers, a Connecticut manufacturer and supplier of 19 th - and early 20 th -century reproduction baseball uniforms, equipment, and more.

The players, who are from all over the country, play barehanded, without gloves, as was the case in the 19th century. Using replica vintage equipment as well, they will invite spectators to take batting practice, and will answer questions after the game.

The nonprofit Neshanock Base Ball Club of Flemington has as its mission to inform the general public on the roots of baseball. The original Neshanock club was established in July 1866 and comprised mainly of the town’s prominent residents, according to the club’s website.

The website notes that the club president was George F. Crater, owner of Crater’s Hotel, which was on the spot of what is now the Union Hotel. Neshanock often lost to their chief rivals, the Lambertville Logan.

The Neshanock players reestablished themselves in 2001 and revived the original name of the team.

The Liberty Club, which was launched in 1857, played local New Jersey teams until the inception of the National Association of

Base Ball Players (NABBP), which they helped found in 1858. The Liberty played clubs from the New York and New Jersey region. The onset of the Civil War saw the Liberty members disperse, then briefly reunited at the end of the Civil War, but by the early 1870s the Liberty had all but disappeared.

The club came back in 2018, with home games near Piscataway. Today the Liberty competes against other historically-accurate opponents, such as the Neshanock players.

The Historical Society of Princeton is the sole sponsor of this family event,

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Library Receives Grant

For “Little Thinker Kits”

Princeton Public Library has been awarded a $5,000 grant from LibraryLinkNJ – The New Jersey Library Cooperative. The Level Up Your Library Grant will allow the addition of “Little Thinker Kits” to the Library of Things, a collection of non-traditional, circulating items that support the library’s mission to engage, inspire, educate, and unite.

“The addition of the Little Thinker Kits will allow us to provide a screen-free, skillsbuilding option for young children that supports our commitment to the development of early literacy,” said Assistant Library Director Erica Bess. “The kits are designed so that children have the option to use them independently, allowing for an autonomous story and playtime experience.”

Designed for children 3 and older, each of the 12 Little Thinker Kits will contain a Toniebox audio player, an imagination-building, screen-free digital listening device that plays stories, songs, and more. Kits will also feature three to five magnetic figurines, called Tonies, that when placed on the top of the Toniebox activate a new story, sing-along, or learning adventure.

Six of the 12 kits will also include Magformers creative play magnetic construction sets featuring building pieces in various shapes, colors, and sizes. All kits include an instruction card for parents, caregivers, and teachers that features a booklist and ideas for how to use the kit.

Little Thinker Kits will be available to Princeton Public Library cardholders to borrow for a two-week loan period beginning mid-summer. The circulation is fee- and finefree to remove barriers to access. Visit princetonlibrary. org for more information.

TOWN TALK©

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

Question of the Week: “What brought you to the celebration today?”

(Asked Saturday at the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) Juneteenth Celebration) (Photos by Weronika A. Plohn)

“I came to the celebration today for the opportunity to learn more about my history and to understand more about the history of African American people in Central Jersey.”

“The co-founders of the SSAAM, Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills, are friends of mine and I have been supporting them since they started this journey. I have lived in the area for 40 years and never knew that there were enslaved people in the Sourland Mountains. It has been eye-opening, educational, informative, and I will support it in any way I can.”

—Darlis Maksymovicz, East Amwell

“I have been living up in the Sourland area for 47 years now and have always been fascinated with the history. I was delighted when Elaine and Beverly’s book, If These Stones Could Talk came out because I always felt we needed to know a lot more about Black history in the Sourlands and Central New Jersey.”

—Andrea Bonette, East Amwell

“I live in an old house close to the African American cemetery in Stoutsburg and have always been interested in the history of this area. I came to the event to learn more about the museum and the past.”

—Zenta Tsuchihashi, Montgomery

Alison: “It is very important for us to learn about the history of this area and to teach our children about that as well. History cannot be forgotten.”

Heather: “I am a supporter of the SSAAM. It is important that African American history is not only celebrated but also protected, preserved, and taught throughout the state and the country.”

— Alison Reynolds, Lawrenceville with Heather Kumer, Hopewell

—Swanee Golden, Lawrenceville

Keeping Pets Who

Fear

Fireworks

Safe and Secure Over July 4 Weekend

Heather Achenbach used to love fireworks. But ever since becoming executive director of SAVE — A Friend to Homeless Animals, her fondness for the summer ritual has diminished.

“When I saw the volume of lost dogs, who run away because they get scared by fireworks, I was amazed,” said Achenbach, who joined the Skillman rescue organization six years ago. “From SAVE’s perspective as a shelter that receives lost and found pets, I can say that every year when fireworks season starts — and it really starts around the Montgomery fireworks [Memorial Day weekend], which happen to be next door to our campus, through July 4 weekend — there is absolutely an uptick in lost dogs. The statistics are pretty high.”

According to petamberalert.com, it is estimated that there is a 30 to 60 percent increase in lost pets between July 4-6. One local example is Oreo, a 10-pound black York-Bichon who ran off after getting scared by Memorial Day weekend

fireworks at Princeton University. The 3-year-old dog is still missing, but his family is hopeful because there have been sightings — call (215) 620-5992 if you think you’ve seen him. While other animals can be affected, dogs are the most demonstrative. Those who display fear of thunder and other loud noises are most likely to fear the sights, smells, and particularly the sounds of holiday fireworks. While some dogs aren’t bothered, others might shake, howl, bark, or just hide, if they are inside. Those who are outside with their owners, at a picnic or barbecue that might culminate with a fireworks display, shouldn’t be.

“Please do not take your dog to fireworks,” said Achenbach. “I can’t say that often enough, even if the dog is not afraid.”

Planning ahead is essential. Anti-anxiety medications, “thundershirts,” and calming pheromone diffusers and sprays can help promote feelings of calm in a dog that is known to fear

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fireworks. Making sure the dog is microchipped is key.

“If your pet is microchipped, make sure the chip information is up to date,” said Dr. Jessica Applebaum and veterinary technician Cathy Merrigan of Sycamore Veterinary Hospital in Newtown, Pa. “More pets go missing over Fourth of July weekend than any other time of year. A microchip greatly improves their chances of being reunited with you.”

For fearful pets who are kept inside during the fireworks display, find an enclosed space in the house that can make them feel safe. “This room should have no windows, or windows with dark curtains that can block out the flashing lights of the fireworks,” Applebaum and Merrigan said. “Include a white noise machine, television, or radio that you can play at low to moderate volume to help mask the noise of fireworks. This room ideally should not be close to a door that goes outside. Any windows in this room should be shut securely. Remove any objects that the pet can hurt himself on, knock over and break, or chew up and ingest because he’s anxious.”

Distraction can help. At SAVE, the lullaby played for dogs and cats is turned up to a higher volume during fireworks. “If you have to leave home, make sure you give them some alternative noise like radio or TV,” said Achenbach. “Or give them a nice bone to chew, fill a

Kong toy, or even give them a new toy. Make it a positive instead of a negative.”

Should your dog manage to escape, know how to search. “Call the police and animal control, and not just for your town. If that pet crosses borders, like from Princeton to Lawrence or Montgomery, call them all,” said Achenbach. “Make sure all of them get a picture. Call all of the shelters too, and make sure they get a picture. Hang flyers as fast as you can.”

But don’t put the name of the pet on the flyer. “Never chase them, not even your own pet,” Achenbach said. “If they’re afraid, get low to the ground, and speak very gently. You want them to know it’s safe, it’s OK. Never give up. Keep calling the shelters. Visit them and ask to see their impounded pets, because you never know. But remember you need proof of ownership to claim a pet.”

If fireworks are scheduled, feed the dog and take them on a long walk early. “If you have to walk him close to fireworks time, make sure he is on a sturdy leash and his collar or harness fits appropriately so he can’t slip out,” said Applebaum. “Remain calm. Your pet will pick up on and mirror your anxiety.”

—Anne Levin

IS ON

MAKE WAY FOR TURTLES: This Eastern painted turtle was recently spotted laying her eggs in the forest restoration area at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Preserve in Princeton. “June and July are turtle nesting season, and female turtles will be emerging from the water and heading upland to their nesting sites,” said Anna Corichi, director of natural resources and stewardship for Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS). “Their journey may include crossing roadways and trails, so please watch out for crossing turtles and do not disturb nesting turtles.”

Snakes, Popsicles, Yoga

At Billy Johnson Preserve

The coming weekend offers a variety of events from Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, open to all ages and abilities.

On Friday, June 23 from 2-4 p.m., Esteban Mendez, a FOPOS 2023 land steward intern who has conducted research on native snakes, leads an exploration of “Herpetofauna of New Jersey,” a free walk. The classification applies to a reptile (lizards, snakes, turtles) or amphibian (frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts).

Two volunteer sessions on Saturday, June 24 from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. are titled “Popsicles + Plants.” Participants, who will focus on watering establishing plants and performing other critical restoration work, will be rewarded with popsicles at the end of each session.

Outdoor yoga by Mountain Lake is on Sunday, June 25 at 10 a.m., led by Alisha Fowler. For all levels, the one-hour session is ashtanga-inspired. The class is donation-based and all funds benefit FOPOS. The class is limited to 15 participants. Visit fopos.org for tickets and more information.

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Nassau Street

continued from page one Music Theater, and the Princeton Atelier were relocated to the University’s Lewis Center for the Arts when it opened in 2017. The Program in Visual Arts has expanded to fill all of 185 Nassau Street.

Since the project is adjacent and across the street from the Central Historic District, it was given a courtesy review, and an endorsement from the Princeton Historic Commission.

The crosswalk for which the municipality approved improvements last week was suggested by the NJDOT. “We all know this is a very highly used crosswalk. The DOT actually approached us. It’s fantastic that they’re being pro-active,” said Councilmember David Cohen at the June 12 meeting.

The project includes enhanced lighting, because it can be dangerous to cross the street at night, and it is highly used because of its proximity to Thomas Sweet Ice Cream. The redesign could include bumping out sidewalks to make the crosswalk shorter, widening the crosswalk, and raising it to the height of the curbs.

Asked if the improvements to the crosswalk will be an asset to the 185 Nassau Street project, McCoy said he was unaware of the planned improvements. “But the design will likely increase public access, and enhancements to the safety of access, such as the crosswalk, will be very helpful,” he said.

—Anne Levin

High School Seniors Chosen for Scholarships

A total of 21 graduating seniors from Princeton High School, Princeton Day School, the Hun School, Stuart Country Day School, and the Lewis School were awarded scholarships at the Women’s College Club of Princeton’s annual Scholarship Ceremony held at the Stockton Educational Center.

These awards have been given by the club to students for over 100 years, and totaled $45,000 this year. Among them were 10 named scholarships given in memory or honor of present or former members of the club or a family member.

The Hillier Prize was awarded to Sarah Villamil of Princeton High School, the Luna Kayser Memorial Scholarship was given to Roisin Lovett of the Lewis School, the Katherine Ness Memorial Scholarship was presented to Serena Le of the Hun School, the Molly Updike Award was won by Ida Sidik of Princeton High School, the Marjory White Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Amarachi Nzeribe of the Hun School, and the Peterson Book Award was given to Bianca Evanovich of Princeton High School.

The Kathleen Hutchins Scholarship was awarded to Ziya Brittingham of Princeton Day School, the Chowsoon Chung Ju Memorial Scholarship was presented to Katherine Xiong of the Hun School, the Carol Stawski Memorial Scholarship was given to Amelia Zuccati of the Hun School, and the Ronald Haucke Memorial Scholarship Award

WINNERS:

was presented to Jealyn Vega Ramos of Princeton High School.

The Women’s College Club Scholarship Awards were presented to Reece Gallagher, Gloria Leroy, Meyli Lorenzano, and Mitalee Pasricha of Princeton High School; Sophia Burton, Mia Chiodo, and Oluwatooni Olaleye of the Hun School; and Peighton Dwellingam, Joanna Lang’at, Madisen Leggett, and Margaret Lesinski of Stuart Country Day School.

Rider University Offers

Social Work Program

Classes will begin this fall at Rider University’s new undergraduate program in social work, which will prepare students to deliver social

work services to individuals, families, organizations, and communities in diverse settings, including health care facilities, schools, the criminal justice system, and social service organizations.

The program emphasizes social justice and advancing human rights through its curriculum, which includes topics ranging from social work theory, methods and practice, and advocacy for social workers to cultural competency.

“Students in this program will be fully prepared to become ethical practitioners who are concerned for the holistic well-being of the populations they serve, including marginalized individuals and groups,” said Sarah Trocchio, assistant professor in the

Department of Sociology and Criminology.

In addition to coursework, students will be required to complete a fieldwork placement. Many opportunities will be available to students because of Rider’s close proximity to Trenton, Philadelphia, and New York City. The fieldwork requirement is central to the social work major and aligns with Rider’s Engaged Learning Program, which requires undergraduate students to complete realworld learning experiences.

“It’s important for graduates of this program to have not only a strong theoretical background, but experience in professional settings,” said Victor Thompson, chair of Rider’s Department of Sociology and Criminology.

The job outlook for social workers is projected to grow 9 percent faster than all other occupations from 2021-31, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Graduates of Rider’s Bachelor of Social Work program will be prepared to begin an entrylevel position in the field or continue their education in a Master of Social Work program. Common career paths include becoming a case manager, a child welfare specialist, a community organizer, a crisis intervention specialist, a policy analyst, and a mental health counselor, among others.

For more information, visit rider.edu/social-work.

Get the scoop from

AWARD

This year’s recipients of scholarships from the Women’s College Club of Princeton come from a range of

Mercer County Resident Searches For Liver Donor to Save Her Life

When Barbara Gerrity retired in 2021 from her longtime job at the Philadelphia accounting firm KPMG, she planned to spend her time traveling and relaxing with her husband. Instead, she has taken on another fulltime job — saving her own life.

away on vacation. It could be by Christmas, or by Easter. I don’t know when. But whatever day it is, that’s the day it is. A transplant team at the Penn Liver Transplant Program in Philadelphia is ready to go.”

Diagnosed with fatty liver disease, which can be linked to a poor diet, Gerrity was told by doctors at first that her enzymes were elevated but it was not a major concern. On future visits for blood tests, the enzymes would be normal. But she didn’t feel right. “I was always tired and my ankles would swell, but everyone would say it was because I was commuting and working long hours,” she said.

The donor would recover in the hospital for around five days and continue to heal at home for several weeks. Gerrity’s own recovery would be more complicated. So who would volunteer for this kind of operation?

“They say at Penn that you’d be surprised,” Gerrity said.

“You don’t realize how many people are willing to do this. It’s nice to know that. I don’t think I’d really want to know them, but we’d probably meet because we’d be in the hospital at the same time.”

The longer it takes to find a donor, the more serious Gerrity’s condition becomes.

The 62-year-old Mercerville resident, who has also worked in Princeton and Rocky Hill, has liver disease. She needs a liver transplant in order to survive.

Gerrity spends her days searching for a donor, through every kind of communication she can find — church bulletins, lawn signs, emails, visiting private businesses, and transplant registries (the United Network for Organ Sharing and the National Kidney Registry), as well as her own website.

“I’m trying to get the word out. I’m told it takes time. They don’t give you a time frame,” she said. “It makes me nervous that it’s summer now, and people can be

Eventually, Gerrity’s gastroenterologist noticed some concerning levels in her blood tests. He suggested she consult the Penn Medicine Liver Transplant team.

“They said I’d probably had this for 20-some years,” she said. “I also had a gene from one of my parents that was working against me, which made me store too much iron in my liver. A lot of people have fatty livers, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to get what I have.”

In March, Gerrity was advised to start looking for a donor. She can accept a liver from a deceased or living donor, who would provide her with a portion of the organ. The donor’s own liver would regenerate.

The surgery for a donor and Gerrity would take place on the same day and time.

“I have some of the early symptoms. I have some jaundice, and my muscles have gotten weaker,” she said. “I’m tired a lot of the time. And I know it’s not going to get any better.”

Looking back, Gerrity wishes she had been more proactive in investigating her condition. “They didn’t make a big deal about it, so I just went along with what they said. But I wish I had asked more questions,” she said. “I wish I had been better about eating fast food, and read labels on food I was buying. You have to be your own advocate.”

Gerrity remains hopeful that a donor will be found. “It only takes one person,” she said. “And while I look for one, I am an advocate and a spokesperson.”

For more information about being a donor for Gerrity, visit nkr.org/ZDD358.

—Anne Levin

SERVING THE COMMUNITY: On June 13, Mercer Street Friends hosted its annual Leadership Awards event honoring local leaders for their outstanding commitment to service in the community. From left are Courtney Matlock, chief development and marketing officer, Mercer Street Friends; Robert (Bob) LeFever, who received the Robert M. Appelbaum Service Award; Odie LeFever, former trustee and chair of Mercer Street Friends, who received the Robert M. Appelbaum Service Award along with her husband, Bob; Jack Morrison, president of JM Group, who received the Philanthropic Leadership Award; Adam Taliaferro, director of strategic alliances and former New Jersey assemblyman, who accepted the Corporate Leadership and Public Service Award on behalf of Bristol Myers Squibb; and Bernie Flynn, CEO of Mercer Street Friends.

Al Roker to Speak At Medical Center

TODAY weatherman and co-anchor Al Roker will be the special guest speaker at Penn Medicine Princeton Health’s Cancer Survivors Month celebration on Wednesday, June 28 at 7 p.m. in the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village.

Diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2020, Roker shared the news onair with the TODAY audience and helped to raise awareness of the importance of screening and early

detection. The event will honor the resilience and strength of everyone whose life has been touched by cancer.

Roker will share his experiences with cancer in a moderated conversation with Craig A. Gronczewski, MD, the chief medical officer at Penn Medicine Princeton Health. Noah A. Goldman, MD, Princeton Health’s medical director of cancer programs, will welcome the crowd. Roker has received 14 Emmy awards during a 40-plus-year career in television. He is also an

award-winning producer and a best-selling author of both fiction and non-fiction. Admission is free but tickets are required. For tickets, visit PrincetonHCS.org/calendar

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to have free desserts, coffee, and tea. Check-in begins at 5:30 pm. This event is presented by Princeton Health Community Wellness and the Penn Medicine Princeton Cancer Center. It was made possible by funds raised through the Princeton Medical Center Foundation’s annual golf outing.

Barbara Gerrity

School Board

continued from page one previously learned in a new way.”

In her own experience, she said, teachers mattered. “Math was always something I was good at, but the teachers I had throughout middle and high school really made an impact on me. The great ones made me love it, and the not-so-great ones made math more of a struggle. As the daughter of a chemical engineer and an elementary school teacher, working hard in school wasn’t optional. They knew that success in math and science could open so many doors in my future.”

Brennan added that “it wasn’t until I got my SAT scores back that I realized that not only did I like math, I was actually good at it! My parents stressed that having a major of math in college would leave me with many more career options than if I chose a school that allowed me to major in education.”

for me. I love math, and want to help as many students love it as possible. A great teacher can help even the students who don›t love math appreciate that it›s worth learning, and this role lets me help teachers help students.”

When she is not at school, Brennan can be found in a pool officiating at a swim meet, she said, or with her family of four children.

problem solving. “I have always looked to work for ways to bring people together and work through problems and issues,” he said.

“I had served in leadership roles in and out of education and, in each of these roles, I tried to think creatively and collaboratively to bring a solution-oriented mindset to tackle complex problems.”

Working in camps and with young people inspired McCann’s interest in teaching.

“Additionally, teachers had a big impact on my development as a person and were some of the most influential people in my life,” he said.

HiTOPS continued from page one Drag High Tea on Sunday, June 25 at Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary, 210 Nassau Street. Visit hitops.org for more information.

While the Half Marathon, and also co-sponsoring the Princeton Community Pride Picnic, which was June 3, may be among the most visible events for HiTOPS, the organization works behind the scenes throughout the year.

participate in its programs. One such thank-you shared by Shelby: “I feel really lucky that I have a place where I can talk to open-minded people and not be judged.”

In college she realized she would be better suited to teach secondary math than in an elementary school (despite her mother being a third grade teacher). After teaching, “administration was a natural progression

McCann, who has taught social studies at Princeton Middle School for 21 years, has also been a coach for numerous middle school and high school athletic teams over the years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history at Princeton University, where he played basketball, and a law degree at Temple University, as well as a master of school leadership from American College of Education. At Princeton Middle School, he has worked with the Civics in Action Program.

Asked what traits make a good assistant principal, he said that being a strong communicator and having excellent interpersonal skills are important because “being an assistant principal involves working with many constituencies — students, parents, staff, and members of the community.”

McCann said he enjoys

“Education has the power to transform, and to be a part of it is special. After more than 20 years of teaching and after serving in many leadership roles, I feel as though I have a lot of ideas to improve our school community and I am also excited for the opportunity to lead and support the great work that happens in our schools.”

McCann has learned a lot from being a parent, he said. “As a parent it helps you see additional sides of issues facing education. I am always looking for opportunities to grow and learn as a person. I try to embrace opportunities that take me out of my comfort zone because that is when I feel as if real growth happens.”

The search to fill the assistant principal position was led by a committee which included staff, administrators, and parents. More than 100 candidates applied for the position and McCann was the first choice of all committee members, according to the BOE.

—Wendy Greenberg

Executive Director Lisa Shelby said the organization is the only one of its kind in New Jersey, and evolved in the 1980s from a birthing organization called Family Born. “The nurses recognized the need for a program for youth,” said Shelby. HiTOPS is an acronym for “Healthy Interested Teens Own Program on Sexuality.”

Today HiTOPS has four support groups, based on age and needs, and a support group for parents as well. There is an afterschool drop-in center for socialization; The Closet — a free resource for identityaffirming clothing and selfcare items; and a lending library including works with “queer themes, so young people can see representation in books,” said Shelby. The group also offers an annual Trans Youth Forum, which was online March 25.

HiTOPS also works with schools and school districts based in Mercer County. ABCs — Affirming Our Youth, Building a Foundation, Communities Working Together, is HiTOPS signature sexual health education program, offering classes for grades 2-12 and training for educators, administrators, parents, and guardians. “We help the districts build affirming environments, and educate them on what it means to be an affirming environment, to lay that foundation, with support resources and coaching,” said Shelby.

Shelby acknowledged the “tremendous opposition” around the country now, but noted that the New Jersey Department of Education updated its sex education standards in 2019 to reflect best practices and the national standards, and includes learning outcomes for K-12th graders. Shelby added that the diversity, equity, and inclusion mandate for K-12 stipulates that the contributions of LGBTQ+ persons, and also those with disabilities, be “spiraled“ throughout the curriculum. “Many schools are looking for help,” she said.

HiTOPS also runs professional development for corporate settings. “Most adults want to provide support for young people,” said Shelby. “Those who grew up in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s may need to think differently — there has been quite a shift.” But the group meets people where they are, “so they feel informed and comfortable.”

The organization is very much in the community, she said, with an office on Witherspoon Street. “It is always important for people to know that we are here to empower youth, and create an affirming environment.”

HiTOPS is appreciated by the youths and families who

And HiTOPS appreciates Council’s recognition. “This honor comes at an important time for LGBTQ+ young folks — Pride Month” said Shelby. “June is the month when we amplify our yearround celebration of youth for who they are and who they want to be. This is especially important now as queer youth, their families, schools, and libraries are facing a surge of opposition, fear, and hostility. This proclamation lets folks know that Princeton is an affirming community where people of all identities belong.”

—Wendy Greenberg

Police Blotter Vehicle, Cycle Collision Under Investigation

On Monday, June 19, at 2:20 p.m., the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, Capital Health Paramedics, and Princeton Police were dispatched to the intersection of State Road (Route 206) and Herrontown Road to investigate the report of a crash involving a motorcycle with an injured rider. An initial investigation determined that a 2015 Honda Civic driven by a 72-yearold Princeton female was traveling south on State Road, and a 2023 BMW F900R motorcycle driven by a 42-year-old East Windsor male was traveling north on State Road. According to the police report, the Honda began to make a left turn onto Herrontown Road in front of the motorcycle, and the front of the motorcycle struck the passenger side of the Honda. The motorcycle rider was transported to Capital Health-Fuld Campus in Trenton, in critical condition. The police department is requesting that anybody who witnessed the crash contact Patrolman Jon Myzie at (609) 9212100, ext. 1875. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

On June 10, at 12:02 a.m., subsequent to an investigation of a hit and run motor vehicle crash on Riverside Drive, a 53-year-old male from Princeton was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. He was transported to Princeton Police Department (PPD) headquarters where he was processed, charged, and released.

On June 9, at 11:23 a.m., a caller reported that approximately $2,980 in athletic equipment was stolen from a location on Moore Street. In addition to the equipment, a lock and chain valued at $13 was removed as well. There are no suspects at this time.

On June 9, at 2:19 p.m., subsequent to a call about a shoplifting in progress, a 50-year-old male from Trenton was placed under arrest after he was found to have stolen $358.21 worth of merchandise from a retail establishment on North Harrison Street. He was found to have two active warrants out of Hamilton Township Municipal Court, and was placed under arrest, processed, and released.

On June 9, at 6:06 p.m., an individual reported that a backpack containing several items of unknown value was stolen from a front porch on Moore Street. There are no suspects at this time.

On June 9, at 4:40 p.m., individuals reported that their vehicles were entered after an object was used to break a window on the vehicles while they were parked in a parking lot on Paul Robeson Place. Approximately $1,864 in property was stolen from one vehicle, and approximately $180 from another. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

On June 7, at 9:17 p.m., a Lawrenceville Road resident reported that an unknown person entered their residence while they were not at home, and stole approximately $5,300 worth of items. The Detective Bureau is investigating.

On June 6, at 1:50 p.m., someone reported that an unknown individual deposited a fraudulent check in the amount of $8,350 from the person’s bank account. The bank was able to stop payment, and there was no monetary loss.

On June 6, at 7:39 p.m., a Heather Lane resident reported that an unknown male contacted them by telephone and convinced them to purchase $9,660 in Apple and Target gift cards. The card numbers were provided to the caller and all communications ceased, resulting in a monetary loss.

On June 5, at 4:14 p.m., a person reported that approximately $435 in cash and property were stolen while they were using the services of a retail establishment on North Harrison Street. There are no suspects at this time.

On June 5, at 11:01 a.m., a Hodge Road resident reported that an individual entered the enclosed rear yard of their home, opened the rear door to the residence, and remained in the area for a period of time. Police located a 70-yearold female from Princeton, who was placed under arrest and transported to PPD headquarters where she was processed, charged, and released.

Unless otherwise noted, individuals arrested were later released.

a Princeton tradition!

Tiffany Brennan

John McCann

Writing in Support of Inaugural PPD Citizens Police Academy Series

To the Editor:

I write in recognition of a terrific effort put on by the Princeton Police Department through the inaugural Citizens Police Academy which concluded recently. I was one of 16 Princeton residents chosen for the eight-week series of twohour classes. Kudos to Police Chief Jonathan Bucchere, who kicked off the series noting it has long been his desire to increase outreach to and collaboration with the community. The department succeeded in that goal. I extend additional recognition to Sergeant Dan Federico, who led the development and implementation of the series, and Lieutenant Matt Solovay, who hosted many of the sessions along with myriad other officers. The Academy was well-run, informative, and engaging.

Princeton is fortunate to be served by such a high-caliber staff of officers. They genuinely sought candid feedback and discussion. The sincerity of their dedication to serving the public is palpable.

Let’s also recognize the privilege of living in a community that has the means to enable such a well-run operation. I requested to join the Academy in part because of so much negative press about policing tactics and bad actors around the country, and I wanted deeper and firsthand experience interacting with the local force. It’s also clear that there is wide disparity in police forces even within Mercer County, let alone throughout the state and the country. As with so many other facets of life, it often does come down to relationships, and I take at face value Chief Bucchere’s commitment to improving and expanding community engagement.

The Princeton Council, including Police Commissioner Leticia Fraga (who also participated in the Academy), should be recognized for supporting the Academy, and I strongly encourage my fellow Princetonians to join the next series and engage personally and constructively with our police staff.

CHRIS JOHNSON Burr Drive

Disappointed by Size of New Store At Princeton Shopping Center

To the Editor:

A few hours ago, I went to Walgreens to purchase three standard drug store items. Despite my concerns about overdevelopment at the Princeton Shopping Center, I hoped that the new store would be an asset to our community. To my surprise, none of the items on my shopping list were available. When I asked the shift manager where they might be located, he responded that although he was expecting more stock to arrive during the next week, many products would no longer be available. He informed me that the new store is significantly smaller than the old store (12 aisles as opposed to 28 aisles).

A well-stocked pharmacy is a necessity, not a luxury shop. I can drive to the big box stores on Route 1 to make ordinary purchases, but other residents are not able to do so. Being able to obtain basic goods and services without leaving town was one of the reasons I moved to Princeton. It is very sad to see that our local officials have prioritized profit-making development at the shopping center over the needs of our community. We deserve better.

MARYANN WITALEC KEYES Franklin Avenue

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Books

(creepy houses and murderous ladies), but it also asks big questions about grief, loss, and the secrets we keep even from those closest to us. Fun, scary, and so absorbing.”

Lewis Center Selects Park For National Poetry Prize

The Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Creative

Writing at Princeton University has selected poet Hannah Sanghee Park as the recipient of the Theodore H. Holmes ’51 and Bernice Holmes National Poetry Prize.

The Holmes National Poetry Prize was established in memory of Princeton 1951 alumnus Theodore H. Holmes and is presented each year to a poet of special merit, selected by the faculty of the Creative Writing Program. The faculty includes writers Michael Dickman, Aleksandar Hemon, A.M. Homes, Ilya Kaminsky, Christina Lazaridi, Yiyun Li, Paul Muldoon, Patricia Smith, Susan Wheeler, and a number of distinguished lecturers. The award, which currently carries a prize of $5,000, was first awarded to Mark Doty in 2011 and has since also been awarded to Franny Choi, Eduardo Corral, Natalie Diaz, Tyehimba Jess, Claudia Rankine, Matt Rasmussen, Solmaz Sharif, Evie Shockley, and Jenny Xie.

career,” said Park. “I’m beyond honored and heartened by this recognition from the Princeton faculty, and to join past prize recipients, two groups of remarkable poets

Park is the author of The Same-Different ( LSU Press) and a recipient of the Academy of American Poets Walt Whitman Award. Characterized by meticulous language and word play, Park’s poems have been praised by the Los Angeles Review of Books, which said, “this collection reminds readers of the capaciousness of language poetry’s verbal and emotional range.”

Local Author Riley Sager Presents New Novel at Bookstore Event

Final Girls , has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel.

“The Holmes National Poetry Prize is an unexpected, significant uplift that arrived at a critical time in my New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager will be at Barnes & Noble in MarketFair Mall for an event on Thursday, June 29 at 7 p.m.

Sager’s novels have become summer reading staples — from Final Girls to last year’s best-selling The House Across the Lake . Sager’s newest book, The Only One Left ( Penguin Random House $28), which the bookstore event celebrates, is characterized as gothic horror, suspense, and thriller.

A Princeton resident, Sager is the author of seven novels, including Survive the Night . His first novel,

Readers can call the Barnes & Noble Princeton store at (609) 750-9101 to reserve a copy of The Only One Left , which was just published. All reserved copies will be available for purchase on the day of the event, when seating will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Only One Left might be “his best book yet,” according to Rachel Hawkins, author of The Wife Upstairs “Not only is it a deliciously Gothic thrill ride featuring two of my favorite things

Park has received fellowships from Yaddo, Civitella Ranieri, and the U.S. Fulbright Program, among others. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Park holds degrees from the University of Washington, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and the University of Southern California.

For more information, visit arts.princeton.edu.

Hannah Sanghee Park

Remembering Cormac McCarthy and Listening to Ray Davies

It’s a Father’s Day scene. Harrison Street park, Sunday afternoon. The father is a bearded oldster, the son is wearing a New York Rangers sweatshirt. As the camera zooms in we see the two peering through a fence at the houses on Patton Avenue, looking for the duplex where the son spent his first three years of life back in the day when they would stroller up Harrison to play in the sandbox and the slide, both long gone.

“There it is!” they say at the same time, looking through foliage at the only house in sight that has a third floor, a garret where the father wrote novels and rocked the son to sleep to music ranging from Bollywood soundtracks ( Sangam and Gumnam ) to the Beatles and the Beach Boys, whose 1970 LP Sunflower offered the best bedtime lullabies.

Now they’re on the swings, side by side — the son swinging high, the father slowly, musingly, his thoughts swinging between novelist Cormac McCarthy, who died last week, and singer/songwriter Ray Davies, whose birthday is June 21, the day Town Topics will hit the driveways on Harrison and Patton and all over town. Ray has long been a family favorite, while McCarthy is the author of The Road, one of the most harrowing and brilliant fatherson adventures ever written.

After the swings, they sit at a picnic table talking about sports, the son lamenting the end of the NHL season while the father wonders if his Cardinals can hold an early 2-0 lead over the Mets. Later that night the son tells the father the crazy dream he had about going to a Rangers-Islanders game at Madison Square Garden where there was a fight on the ice that ended with players from both teams singing “Beach Baby” by the First Class (“Beach baby beach baby give me your hand....”) and the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” with everyone in the building joining in. The dream ended with an affordable housing demonstration that resulted in the son’s finally moving into his own apartment.

“The Road”

Ever since the death of Cormac McCarthy (1933-2023), I’ve been haunted by “Ain’t Talkin’,” the last song on Bob Dylan’s 2006 album Modern Times where the singer is walking “through the cities of the plague” in a “weary world of woe.” The walk leads to where McCarthy’s acclaimed 2006 best-seller The Road begins: “In the last outback, at the world’s end.”

McCarthy’s unnamed father and son journey through a post-nuclear wasteland where the menace is unending. The

presence of the boy, who was inspired by McCarthy’s own son, keeps the father going, his only reason for living. Born into a world of death and evil, the boy is devoid of hatred; even justified survival violence sickens him; the father sees his flute-playing son in typically lofty McCarthyesque prose as “some sad and solitary changeling child announcing the arrival of a traveling spectacle in shire and village who does not know that behind him the players have all been carried off by wolves.” In another exalted moment the dying father says: “Look around you.... There’s no prophet in the earth’s long chronicle who’s not honored here today.” At the end of the novel the boy survives and the last word is “mystery.”

“Surviving”

Among the Ray Davies songs on the extraordinary, greatly underrated, and all but forgotten 1993 Kinks album Phobia , there are celebrations of endurance and survival as passionate as McCarthy’s tribute to the power of parental devotion. One of the most productive and far-seeing songwriters of his time, Davies knows how to put a charge into a single word, using the dynamics of rock and the rhythm of poetical repetition to deliver the power of his message.

In “Surviving” he’s the embattled everyman (“I’m surviving, that’s all I am”) who thought he was brave until he saw his “frightened reflection in a dark corridor.” Now he’s surviving “to be a better man, surviving with an emotional plan.” And as he always does, Davies opens the song to everyone and everything, the “millions of people out there ...

smiling through clouds of despair, protecting the wounds until they repair, surviving the best way they can.” Back in the first person, the singer admits his fear of “emotional ties — don’t let them in, otherwise you’ll smile like a fool,” so “I’m smiling through all the insanity, surviving, surviving ... that’s all I am, surviving, surviving.”

One word sung like a mantra becomes glorious during the twominute-long choral crescendo that rivals the renowned Beatles fadeouts in “All You Need Is Love” and “Hey Jude.”

“Scattered”

In “Scattered,” the album’s finale, Davies takes the one word beyond mere repetition, extending and exploring all its meanings and nuances, putting both the cosmic and earthly possibilities in play. Composed after the death of Davies’s mother Annie and dedicated to her memory, “Scattered” provides a thrillingly transcendental conclusion to the wall-of-fire dynamics of Phobia (“liberals shout and cause concern while we all burn”; “Democracy’s a shadow of its former glory / Law and order broken-down / End of story”). As the song begins (“Like a seed that is sown all the children are scattered”), we’re moving forward (“By a breeze that is blown / Now the crops are all scattered”), the wind at our backs:

“To the fields we are scattered from the day we are born, to grow wild and sleep rough till from the earth we are torn.” After describing the empty room his mother left “so soon, the scattered clues she left behind,” he brings his listeners in again: “We get bruised, we get battered, but we’ll

pick up the pieces that scattered.” Still thinking of his mother (“ever since she went away”), he’s “watched the stars and wondered why they’re scattered up there in the sky, and is she up there out of view, on some higher latitude.” Using this one infinitely extendable word to shape and move and center the song, he returns to the free forward movement of the first line: “To the fields we are scattered, then from the dust we are born.... We survive somewhat battered to a new life, a new dawn.” Still he wonders: “In the end what will it matter, there’ll only be my ashes to scatter,” before coming back to us, face to face this time, life to life: “To the earth you are scattered — you’re going home, so what does it matter / to an atomic mind / Scattered here while you travel time.”

All the while the music keeps moving straight ahead, the rock and roll energy of the band keeping the word rhythmically alive. Thirty years later on the composer’s 79th summer solstice birthday, this song scatters the fallout of subterfuge and sleaze, misinformation and conspiracy theories like so much wind-blown dirt.

The Sandbox

On walks in our old neighborhood, I always make sure to visit the site of the large sandbox near the Harrison Street park entrance. Not only was it the place where my son made some of his first friends, it was where my mother Ann and I sat watching him play one late October afternoon in 1978. Six weeks later, like Ray Davies’s Annie, she died of cancer. Although I was at her bedside that day, my last and most haunting memory of her is of that late fall day at the sandbox, smiling as she watched her grandson play. At the time she’d been advised that her health problems were no longer life-threatening. But in photographs from each of her last two visits with us, including the one where she and her grandson are reading together, he in her lap pointing to something, she has that familiar happy-sad expression, always more sad than happy, as if she knew what was coming, whether in a month or a year.

Two popular songs at the time were “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas and “Time Passages” by Al Stewart. While she would have been moved by both, she would have understood and appreciated the message and the poetry in “Scattered,” particularly these lines: “In the end what will it matter / There’ll only be my ashes to scatter / And all the logical answers / To a worrying mind / Will be scattered in time.”

—Stuart Mitchner

Princeton Festival Presents

Timeless Rossini Comic Opera

Princeton Festival has arrived in the community, with recitals, lectures, and full concerts in a range of venues throughout town. Under the umbrella of Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the Festival has always included full operas in the performance schedule, and this past Friday night saw the opening of the first of the Festival’s two mainstage productions. Under a tented pavilion at Morven Museum & Garden, the Festival presented Gioachino Rossini’s farcical The Barber of Seville, recalling to the stage two singers who excelled last season and introducing new outstanding voices to Princeton audiences.

Rossini’s 1816 Barber of Seville was part of an operatic tradition of composing for not much more than a handful of principal performers, with strong contrasting characters and complex and intricate ensemble numbers. Each of the singers in Princeton Festival’s production needed to be able to carry the stage and hold their own in duets and trios which could fall apart with one slip-up. Led by Princeton Symphony Orchestra Music Director Rossen Milanov and presented in Italian with English titles, this Barber of Seville was musically precise and clearly focused on physical comedy as well as top-notch singing.

Several singers in Friday night’s cast had performed with the Festival in the past, including tenor Nicholas Nestorak, singing the romantic lead role of Count Almaviva. Almaviva must summon all his wiles to lure his beloved Rosina into his trap, and with Barber being a comic opera, stage director James Marvel incorporated a great deal of physicality into the roles. Nestorak sang with a bright forward edge to the sound, which aided in his ability to move Rossini’s top-speed 19th-century Italian “patter” while simultaneously executing the significant amount of movement. Nestorak’s vocal edge and the size of his voice were particularly well suited to the space of the Morven pavilion.

The exacting role of Rosina would be difficult enough for a soprano, but in a holdover from the 18th-century vocal fireworks tradition, Rossini intended this role for a coloratura mezzo-soprano. Although not a common genre, Princeton Festival found a spectacular singer in Kelly Guerra, who easily handled Rossini’s challenging demands on the voice, bringing the richness of her lower register into the stratospheric range of the arias.

Guerra began the signature aria “Una voce poco fa” majestically, then nimbly skipped through the racing coloratura lines covering more than two octaves.

Blair Mielnik’s scenic design resembled a cartoon-like barbershop in a geometric setting, with Marie Miller’s costumes equally as colorful. As the title character and barber Figaro, baritone Andrew Garland looked a bit like he had fallen out of the cast of Beetlejuice , but had his role well in hand amid the comic tomfoolery. Garland easily finessed the quick text and runs, especially conveying Rossini’s recitatives cleanly with crisp accompaniment

from the Princeton Symphony Orchestra musicians. Garland also showed impressive movement capabilities and balance while singing.

The cast was rounded out by three other principal singers, one of whom was triple cast. As Bartolo, bass Steven Condy was commanding in superiority over his ward Rosina, but also showed he was capable of singing delicately and handling rapidfire text. Bass Eric Delagrange, who has also appeared with Princeton Festival in the past, sang the role of the music teacher Basilio as a suave and smooth character, with clarity in a vocal register which sat quite high at times. Delagrange sang the Act I “slander” aria with dramatic and well drawn-out phrasing, and comedic movement which helped move the music forward.

Some of the most unusual staging was assigned to mezzo-soprano Kaitlyn Costello Fain, who performed the role of housekeeper Berta as equal parts singer and contortionist. Clearly a very accomplished dancer, Fain has achieved success in a tripartite career of dance, theater and opera. Director Marvel well utilized all Fain’s talents in this production, never missing an opportunity to have Fain show her acrobatic skills. The gymnastics may have been a bit distracting at times in scenes focused on other characters, but Fain proved herself to be a solid performer with a fiery onstage personality on her own and a key player in the overall consistently animated ensemble.

A Keystone Cop-like chorus of singers portraying band members in the opening scene was led by Almaviva’s servant Fiorello, well sung by bass Cody Müller. Müller returned two more times in the opera as different characters, each time commanding the stage with a rich and resonant bass voice. The “band” members were also given clever staging on their own, including one character humorously playing a trombone as if it were a double bass.

Conductor Milanov led the Princeton Symphony Orchestra players in crisp and precise accompaniment to the singers, never detracting from the action onstage. Milanov and the Orchestra began the opera with Rossini’s familiar and witty “Overture,” keeping the rhythms clean and tapering phrases to effectively maintain a restrained sound in the space of the pavilion. The intimacy of this space enabled the audience to hear every musical effect, from the high-energy ensemble numbers to the exact timing of the orchestral accompaniment.

Opera under a tent pavilion might seem risky given the weather and perhaps not able to accommodate quite as large an audience as an indoor venue. Princeton Festival has shown for the past few years that outdoor opera in this type of intimate setting is successful, and the operas presented this season well complement the wide range of musical activities which make up the Princeton Festival.

—Nancy Plum

Princeton Festival continues this week with a “Mazel Tov Cocktail Party” on Wednesday, June 21, a performance of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” by the early music ensemble The Sebastians on June 22, a production of Andrew Lippa’s theatrical oratorio “I Am Harvey Milk” on June 23 and 24, and a performance of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” (including an “instrument petting zoo”) on June 25. Information about all Festival events can be obtained by visiting princetonsymphony.org.

Princeton Festival Helps to Create “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical”; Cast Improvises the Audience’s Choice of “Phony Award” Winner

The Tony Awards were held earlier this month. As always, the cast and creative teams of several plays and musicals had hoped years of hard work — writing, design, rehearsals, and revision — would be rewarded with a Broadway opening, and the coveted trophy.

Broadway’s Next Hit Musical reverses that sequence of events. The improvised musical comedy, which Princeton Festival presented on June 14, begins with an awards ceremony, in which the audience votes (via applause) for their favorite imagined song and musical. In the second part, the winning show is staged.

Unlike the Tony Awards, which recognize work that probably has undergone few, if any, major changes since the Broadway opening, the “Phony Awards” of Broadway’s Next Hit Musical constitute the inception of the “musical” the audience eventually will see. In the course of performing, the actors draw titles and phrases from a fishbowl that has been placed next to the piano. Using those as a guide, they improvise the dialogue and songs.

Emcee Greg Triggs opens the show with a monologue extolling Princeton (both the town and the university). “Rutgers called up and threatened to break our kneecaps if we did not play there … we said ‘No, thank you, we are waiting to play the best university!’” Of Princeton as a town, Triggs gushes, “I don’t think I would travel if I lived here, because it is such a beautiful place. It has such a wonderful spirit, and you just … feel the ideas percolating!” The performers clearly enjoy tailoring their work to a specific audience, which enthusiastically returns that energy.

Triggs quips that, rather than the “who’s who” of the entertainment world, “We’re the ‘who’s that?’” After welcoming the au dience to the “181st Phony Awards” (and thanking us for a “sincere, unmanipulated ovation”), Triggs welcomes cast member Pat Swearingen to the stage, to introduce the first “nominee.”

Swearingen’s segment is Bumble Please in which a gardener falls in love with, well, a bee — but he has allergies. Heidi Glei chauf and Deb Rabbai join Swearingen in “Sneezy Love” (which the presenter prom ises to perform “without further achoo,” promising a pun-filled evening). A driv ing, heavily syncopated piece to which Swearingen gives a sturdy pop-flavored rendition, the number is a vehicle for the gardener to convey his affections for his insect friend.

Next, Triggs invites Annie Schiffmann to the stage to present “DeSantis Got Run Over by a Reindeer” from Black Friday The performer tells us that, in the show, she portrays a driven political operative (for one of the campaigns opposing DeSantis) who will do anything to help her

candidate to win. In the song, the operative tells her campaign manager what has occurred on Black Friday.

Although the title is derived from a wellknown holiday novelty song, the melody is not. Indeed, the music — especially Music Director George Luton’s piano accompaniment — has a sense of restlessness that seems to borrow more from “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. (Schiffmann even echoes Idina Menzel’s vocal style.)

Gleichauf is invited on stage to present a nominee, and she deadpans that she has been congratulated for “performing in a tent in Princeton.” Her song is “Love Under the Washington Crossing Monument” from Hidden Places.

Like Bumble Please , Hidden Places deals with a rather complicated love story. This time, it is between the ghost (“lost soul”) of a woman from the 18th century and a living, contemporary man who is able to sense and talk to ghosts. (Gleichauf explains that her character is the ghost.)

Highlighting the show’s spontaneity and interactive nature, a member of the audience (identified as Jerry) is asked to stand, and assigned the role of the choreographer for Hidden Places. Musically, “Love Under the Washington Crossing Monument” is a stirring ballad whose title phrase gives it a bit of rhythmic bounce. Gleichauf gives it some attractively delicate musical phrasing in a performance that underlines how to make a comedy like this work: no mat

Rabbai (who, with Rob Schiffmann, is the troupe’s co-artistic director) takes the stage to present “Marriage is Like a Seesaw” from Up and Down. “Thank you for staying, everyone,” she says after two audience members leave.

We are told that the setting of Up and Down is “ down South” (below the MasonDixon line). Rabbai’s character is a farm wife whose husband suddenly decides that he wants to be a jazz performer. The rousing, up-tempo music of “Marriage is Like a Seesaw,” which Rabbai infuses with considerable vocal power, deftly blends jazz and country idioms.

The nominees having been presented, it is time for the audience to vote for their favorite, which Triggs asks them to do via applause. Hidden Places wins to form the second part.

Before Hidden Places is performed, Triggs reads some of the audience submissions for titles that did not manage to become nominated segments. These include “When Cabbage Crashed the Economy” and “I’ve Got Those Raw Hamburger Blues.” (At one point Triggs deadpans, “If the show isn’t funny, it’s your fault.”)

Like many musicals, Hidden Places opens with an Overture. This is deftly improvised by Luton, who utilizes the piano’s full range, punctuating the piece with trills. The melody of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a central motif, eventually giving way to “Love Under the Washington Crossing Monument.”

piece with the pulse of a march, the cast — dressed in costumes that evoke the 18th century — admonishes us to know our “history.”

The subsequent dialogue makes clear that Hidden Places will borrow plot elements from the other nominees. The first scene recalls the events of Black Friday

“Not Me,” a duet for Rabbai and Swearingen, is a vehicle for the latter’s character, who falls in love with the ghost, to express his discomfort around people. If the number (along with others in this latter half of the show) tends to lack the musical inventiveness of some of the earlier ones, it adds a nice layer when Rabbai’s line “You should come out more often with me, and have a ball ” is sung in triple meter.

“400 Years,” which returns to the melodic material of “Love Under the Washington Crossing Monument,” is a ballad for the ghost (played by Gleichauf) to express her longing for physical human connection. Most musicals give their protagonists an “I want” song in which to articulate the wishes they will pursue over the course of the show, and “400 Years” fills that role here.

Two of the songs convey a similar theme. In a number that reprises “Not Me,” Rabbai’s character advises the male protagonist (Swearingen) to “love the people you see every day,” urging him to abandon his ghostly romance. Later, his female friends (Rabbai and Schiffmann) prod him to “Live for the Living,” in a number that recalls a scene from Company in which well-meaning friends criticize the protagonist’s choice of romantic partner.

The ghost, meanwhile, is reminded by the other spirits that her function is to guide humans, not become romantically involved with them. The show is improvised, but it is clear that, just as Luton has a repertoire of musical templates, the actors have story beats and an overall structure in mind — and themes that they want to discuss (such as societal interference with love).

Hidden Places resolves its plot when the ghost somehow comes back to life, muting the friends’ objections to the liaison. In the Finale, “History Together,” the full quartet extols the ability to find “love in hidden places.” The attractive lighting for this number creates a starry sky.

t is fitting that Broadway’s Next Hit Musical — a show that is crafted from improvisation — parodies the Tony Awards, a ceremony that celebrates Broadway, a notoriously exorbitant market whose impossibly high stakes render spontaneous playfulness all but impossible. Against the backdrop of commercial theater that is carefully packaged and branded, Broadway’s Next Hit Musical offers exhilarating whimsy.

—Donald H. Sanborn III

For more information about The Princeton Festival 2023, which runs through June 25, visit princetonsymphony.org. To learn more about “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical,” visit broadwaysnexthitmusical.com.

sical comedy, which played June 14 in a performance tent outside Morven Museum & Garden. Above, from left, are cast members Greg Triggs (Emcee), Deb Rabbai, Pat Swearingen, Heidi Gleichauf, and Annie Schiffmann.

(Photo by Carolo Pascale)

Performing Arts

Performs in Ocean Grove

Princeton University Or ganist Eric Plutz will kick off the guest organist recital se ries at the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove on Wednes day, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. It is a free concert.

At Princeton University, Plutz’s responsibilities in clude playing for weekly services at the University Chapel, academic ceremo nies, and solo concerts, as well as accompanying the Chapel Choir in services and concerts. He coordinates the weekly Afternoon Concert Series at the chapel, is lecturer in music and instructor of organ at Princeton University, and maintains a private studio.

Also in Princeton, Plutz is rehearsal accompanist for Princeton Pro Musica.

In 2016 Plutz received the Alumni Merit Award from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. His program will include works by Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Denis Bédard, Florence B. Price, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Thalben-Ball, Alfred Hollins, and John Knowles Paine.

Ocean Grove’s Great Auditorium pipe organ is among the largest working pipe organs in the world. The mammoth instrument of 13,000-plus pipes (made of metal or wood, depending on the tonal characteristics of the individual pipes) was built and installed in 1908 with original design innovations that became standard elements still extant in modern organ construction. The instrument has been played by numerous distinguished organists, including Will C. MacFarlane, Clarence Kohlman, Josephine Eddowes, Harold Fix, Clarence Reynolds, Beverly Davis, Jon Quinn, Robert Carwithin,

Family Fun Day!

Sunday, June 25 - Morven Museum & Garden

Eric Plutz

legendary concert organist Virgil Fox, and many organists from Europe and the U.S.

The Great Auditorium is located at Pilgrim and Ocean pathways. All facilities are handicapped accessible. For more information, visit oceangrove.org/organ.

Princeton University Concerts To Continue Do-Re-Meets

Starting on October 8, Princeton University Concerts (PUC) will resume its schedule of Do-Re-Meet social events for music lovers, to be held in conjunction with performances the series is presenting at Richardson Auditorium.

PUC launched the series in December 2022 to allow people who love music to connect. The enthusiastic response led PUC to create a spring series, and the upcoming schedule continues the trend. The connections made at these events range from platonic to romantic to business, and are co-hosted by The Singles Group.

The October 8 event will feature a speed dating session at 1 p.m. and an LGBTQ+ Mingle at 4 p.m., paired with a performance by the Nordic band Dreamers’ Circus. The fall season will

For tickets and specific details, visit puc.princeton. edu/do-re-meet or call (609) 258-2800.

River Dance Festival Seeks Participants

Roxey Ballet will host the second annual River Dance Festival on August 18-20 at Mill Ballet in New Hope, Pa. Dancers, choreographers, and creators are invited to apply to participate in this three-day event featuring diverse talent from across the nation.

The mission of the festival is to give artists a platform to present their work with an emphasis on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists. The River Dance Festival provides artists with professional theatrical space to perform and rehearse, a high-quality video of their show, and get audience feedback.

The event is structured around the topic of social justice and equity. Roxey Ballet will be taking into special consideration choreographers that are able to represent this theme in their work.

All styles of dance are welcomed, and applications may be completed for a solo, duet, or group.

The deadline to apply is July 3, and acceptance emails will be sent by July 8. Roxey Ballet will be offering warmup classes prior to each show with dance artists. Works that are of exceptional quality may be asked to return as a part of Roxey Ballet’s upcoming shows, and choreographers may be asked back to set choreography for the company.

Visit Roxeyballet.org/ riverdancefestival to apply.

• Instrument petting zoo

• Large toe-tap piano

Kid-Friendly Fun! 1:30-3:30pm – Front Lawn Get

• Trenton Circus Squad juggling

• Stumpy’s foam target throws

Peter and the Wolf 4pm - Performance Pavilion

Tickets – $10 - $50; Youth 5-17 half-price

princetonsymphony.org/festival

609

CUTTING THE RIBBON: On June 8, Canal Music Studios in Stockton opened its new location at 16 Bridge Street, where it moved from Lambertville after flooding from Hurricane Irene. The new studio offers more classes, more space, and new programming. From left are student Coco Brown, Stockton Council President Mike Mann, Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra Board President David DeFreese, guitar instructor George Bond, donor Dr. Rajani Walsh, founder Adrienne Walsh, and Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra Artistic Director Jessica Morel.

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

PU Organist Eric Plutz

also include speed friending on November 8, paired with a concert by harpsichordist Jean Rondeau.

“Creative Collective Summer Exhibition” at Gourgaud Gallery

Gourgaud Gallery, located in Town Hall, 23-A North Main Street in Cranbury, will host an art exhibit by members of the Creative Collective July 3 through July 28. The exhibit will feature a variety of mediums including oil painting, acrylic paintings, watercolor, and mixed media. An opening reception is on Sunday, July 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Creative Collective is dedicated to fostering a creative and nurturing community for artists, artisans, and art lovers in central New Jersey and beyond. Their goal is to provide a friendly and supportive atmosphere of inspiration for both beginners and professionals as well as supporting the greater arts community through service.

The following Creative Collective members will be displaying artworks at the gallery: Suzanne Allen, Amelia Chin, Lynn Cheng Varga, Toby Ehrlich, Linda Gilbert, Alexandra Indara,

Katherine Morolda, Annette Newmark, Elaine Rosenberg, Ellen Rothouse, Laurie Schwartzer, Aleksandra (Sasha) Seletskaya, Monica Sebald-Kennedy, Margaret Simpson, and Evi Sutkowski.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit cranburyartscouncil.org or facebook.com/groups/ CreativeCollective4art.

“Aphasia Support Group Art Show” at Capital Health

On Tuesday, June 6, Capital Health held the opening of the “Aphasia Support Group Art Show” in the Investors Bank Art and Healing Gallery, located at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell in Pennington. The reception welcomed Aphasia Support Group members, their families, Capital Health providers, and administration with more than 60 people in attendance.

According to a Capital Health press release, Aphasia can occur after a stroke or head injury and impair a

person’s ability to express or understand spoken and written language. The Capital Health Aphasia Support Group started in 2017 as an idea championed by two stroke survivors and several staff members who felt the need to create a support system for people dealing with aphasia as well as their friends and family members. After many months and lots of hard work, the first support group meeting occurred in January 2018. This group gives participants the opportunity to discuss their experiences, share ideas, form friendships, and provide emotional support for one another.

“When I attended my first session, I realized that there are many local people having the same aphasia-related issues that I was going through,” said Chris Conner, an Aphasia Support Group member. “I really appreciate every person I’ve met through this group. I thank Capital Health for organizing and supporting it.”

The stories, poems, and artwork on display in the Investors Bank Art and Healing Gallery help members define their journey through the process of understanding, accepting, and moving forward with their lives after the life-changing occurrence of aphasia. The artists hope that others will learn and benefit from this information and make journey through aphasia a little easier for others who are experiencing it.

“Art can permeate where no words flow,” said Dr. Eugene McMahon, chief medical officer and chair of the Healing Arts Committee at Capital Health. “Creativity takes courage, and there is no better expression of this courage than the unique and telling forms of art offered by the artists and members of the Capital Health Aphasia Support Group.”

The “Aphasia Support Group Art Show’ runs through August 31. For more information about the exhibition and the Healing Arts program at Capital Health, contact the Capital Health Foundation at (609) 303-4121, or visit donate@ capitalhealth.org.

WWA Call for Art:

“Ode to New Jersey”

West Windsor Arts invites artists to participate in their upcoming fall art exhibition, “Ode to New Jersey.”

New Jersey is historically unique, dynamic, and everchanging. The heritage and vibe of the state has vastly different meanings to each one of us. West Windsor Arts invites artists to explore their connection to New Jersey by crafting art for “Ode to Jersey.”

Exhibition dates are August 29 through October 28. The deadline for submissions is Monday, July 31. A maximum of three pieces per artist can be submitted.

For more information

At Last!

regarding the exhibition and eligibility requirements, visit westwindsorarts.org or call (609) 716-1931.

West Windsor Arts is located at 952 Alexander Road in Princeton Junction.

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“BLUE AND WHITE”: This work by Amelia Chin is featured in the “Creative Collective Summer Exhibition,” on view July 3 to July 28 at Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury.

“FLOWERS FIELD”: This painting by Sasha Seletskaya is part of the “Creative Collective Summer Exhibition,” on view July 3 through July 28 at Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury. An opening reception is on Sunday, July 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Works by DeFay, Jersey at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville

“A World Reimagined,” a new exhibit of works by Joseph DeFay and Bill Jersey, will be on view at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville July 6 through August 6. An opening reception is on Saturday, July 15 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Photographing subjects up close, Joseph DeFay provides the ability to see details that would not ordinarily be noticed. His intention is to compel each viewer to linger with the same vision that he enjoys behind the lens: the interplay between vibrant colors and that special quality of light. DeFay spends a great deal of time with composition, searching for the precise arrangement of the subject. The work allows him to preserve these moments and share these valuable experiences with others.

As a painter, DeFay creates colorful abstract paintings that seek to reconnect with a sense of play and embrace the unexpected. He enjoys working in the

abstract expressionist style for its looseness, freedom, and the elements of surprise. He is fascinated by the ways abstraction allows for the individual interpretation by each viewer. Seeing that connection happen is one of the highlights of being an abstract artist.

DeFay is a member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia and the Plastic Club. His work has been exhibited at Penn Medicine Rittenhouse, the Plastic Club, the Art Alliance, Perkins Center for the Arts, Bucks County Audubon Society, and the Hamilton Township Public Library.

Residing in Hunterdon County, Bill Jersey is surrounded by creeks, forests, fields, and hills — an abundance of scenes he wants to capture or interpret on canvas. Over time his paintings evolved from more realistic scenes of the natural world to more interpreted representations, using dramatic colors to evoke fresh perspectives. As a documentary filmmaker of many years, he learned to catch a moment in time and use it to tell a

larger story. That is what he seeks to capture in his paintings.

Jersey has produced and directed award-winning documentary films for network television for over 50 years. Eventually his focus shifted to painting landscapes, and when he turned 91, he became a painter full time. He paints every day in his studio in Lambertville.

Artists’ Gallery is located at 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville. For more information, visit LambertvilleArts. com, call (609) 397-4588, or email contact@lambertvillearts.com.

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 “Wishes in the Wind” through July 2. 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 “Family Recollections” through July 22. artscouncilofprinceton.org.

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.

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 “Mid-Century 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

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.

“DEATH IN THE FAMILY”: The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP), 102 Witherspoon Street, will present an Artist Talk with painter Sue Collier on Saturday, June 24 from 3 to 4 p.m. to discuss her work in “Family Recollections,” on view in the Taplin Gallery through July 22. The exhibition consists of large and small figurative paintings from memory, imagination, and plein air. Free. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, has “Albert Einstein: Champion of Racial Justice and Equality” through August 1. 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 Agata Scibich through July 4. Works by Aleksandr Berdnikov are at the 254 Nassau Street location through July 4. smallworldcoffee.com.

Trenton Free Public Library, 120 Academy Street, Trenton, has “First Friday Curators” through July 29. (609) 392-7188.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Faculty and Student Show” through July 15. westwindsorarts.org.

well loved and well read since 1946

“MORNING LIGHT”: This painting by Bill Jersey is part of “A World Reimagined,” his joint exhibit with Joseph DeFay, on view at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville July 6 though August 6. An opening reception is on July 15 from 4 to 7 p.m.

“DEEP OCEAN”: This acrylic work by Joseph DeFay is featured in “A World Reimagined,” his dual exhibit with Bill Jersey, on view at the Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville July 6 though August 6.

Mark Your Calendar TOWN TOPICS

Wednesday, June 21

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

7 p.m.: “Mazel Tov Cocktail Party.” At the Princeton Festival, held at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Conceived by klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer and pianist Kathleen Tagg; celebration of shared humanity. Princetonsymphony.org/festival.

Thursday, June 22 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/ EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

5:30 p.m.: Artist Conversation: Kelli Connell and Byron Wolfe, in person at Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street; or livestreamed. Artmuseum. princeton.edu.

6:30 p.m.: Virtual program from Morven about the life and legacy of tennis player Althea Gibson with University of Wisconsin professor Ashley Brown, author of Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson. $10 ($5 for members). Morven.org.

7 p.m.: The Sebastians perform Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at the Princeton Festival, held at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Princetonsymphony.org/festival.

7 p.m.: Plainsboro Library celebrates Juneteenth with a program on the history of the federal holiday by Cranbury resident Frank Marlowe. Free.

9 Van Doren Street, Plainsboro. Plainsborolibrary.org/ events.

Friday, June 23

2-4 p.m.: Friends of Princeton Open Space people to join an exploration of the “herpetofauna” of the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve — from frogs to snakes. Register at fopos.org/eventsprograms

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

7 p.m.: The musical theatre oratorio I Am Harvey Milk is performed at the Princeton Festival, held at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Princetonsymphony.org/festival.

7:30 p.m.: Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts presents the Horszowski Piano Trio in

Richardson Auditorium performing music by Bernstein, Schubert, and a commissioned piece to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Free; tickets are available online one week before the concert through tickets. princeton.edu.

Saturday, June 24

9-11 a.m.: Dev Yoga celebrates the Ninth International Day of Yoga at Auten Road Intermediate School, 281 Auten Road, Hillsborough. Meditation, Pranayam (breathing techniques), and yoga. Free. Register at devyoga.org.

9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.: “Popsicles & Plants.” Meet up with other Friends of Princeton Open Space volunteers for one of these sessions at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Preserve and score an icy treat. Register at fopos.org/eventsprograms

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Book signing by teen author Abigail Readinger of her book The Young Federalists , at Barnes and Noble, Princeton MarketFair, 3535 U.S.1, West Windsor.

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Annual vintage “base ball” game at Greenway Meadows Park, 275 Rosedale Road. Presented by the Historical Society

of Princeton. Players answer questions and hold batting practice after the game. Free. Princetonhistory.org.

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.

2 p.m.: Family Trees Tour of Marquand Park, presented in partnership with Morven. 45 Lovers Lane. In person only. $10 ($5 members of Morven and students). Morven.org.

5-7:30 p.m.: Kingston Presbyterian Church Blueberry Festival, 4565 Route 27. Blueberry desserts, bounce house and pony rides, games, music, and lots of community connections. Free.

7 p.m.: The musical theatre oratorio I Am Harvey Milk is performed at the Princeton Festival, held at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Princetonsymphony.org/ festival.

Sunday, June 25

10-11:15 a.m.: Outdoor Yoga Class. Friends of Princeton Open Space offers a pay-what-you-wish (suggested minimum $10) outdoor yoga class on the lawn by Mountain Lake. All donations support FOPOS’s mission to maintain and restore the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Register at fopos. org/events-programs

11 a.m.-4 p.m.: Courthouse Quilters Guild hosts their monthly meeting and a workshop. From 6-8:30 p.m., Kyona Nason will talk about her quilt journey and have a trunk show. At Hunterdon County Complex, 314 State Route 12, Flemington. Courthousequilters.org.

1-3 p.m.: Prasadam Distribution of free sanctified vegetarian meals. Also kirtan meditation, at Princeton YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place. Bviscs.org.

1 to 4 p.m.: “From Cow to Cheese — The 18thCentury Whey” at Rockingham Historic Site. Heart to Hearth Cookery presents an ongoing program making fresh cheese, along with a cheesemaking display. Museum Store, refreshments. County Route 603, between Kingston and Rocky Hill. Rockingham.net.

4-9 p.m.: Firefly Festival at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music, food, crafts, barnyard fun, pony rides. Performances by Bud Belviso and Lolly Hopwood. Free admission; $7 fee for crafts activities. Terhuneorchards.com/firefly-festival.

Tuesday, June 27

9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick Program: Monarchs, Swallowtails and Honeybees – Oh My 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.

4 p.m.: The Yuang Sheng International Children’s Choir performs music from the indigenous people of Taiwan, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

Wednesday, June 28

6-8 p.m.: At the Ivy Inn, 248 Nassau Street, Andy Golden is guest bartender and East Coast Ambush performs during a fundraiser to benefit Housing Initiatives of Princeton. All tips go directly to the organization.

Thursday, June 29

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

7 p.m.: In the Community Room of Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, Helen O’Shea & Friends, with guests Small Town Strings, perform and evening of Americana music. Princetonlibrary.org.

Friday, June 30

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

7:30 p.m.: Princeton Symphonic Brass summer concert led by Lawrence Kursar at Community Middle School Auditorium, 95 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro. Americana, jazz, and light classical music. $5$20. Psbrass.square.site.

Saturday, July 1

12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Charlotte Kendrick and Dan Rowe from 2-5 p.m. Light fare available, no outside food or pets. Terhuneorchards.com.

4-7 p.m.: Celebration of the opening of the Flemington Borough Community Garden, at Tuccamirgan Park, 79 Bonnell Street. Picnic, arts and crafts, and more. For more information email flemingtonborocommunitygarden@ gmail.com.

Sunday, July 2

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

Monday, July 3 Recycling

Tuesday, July 4 12-3 p.m.: Fourth of July Jubilee at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Free family-friendly event with live music, food, open archives, garden tours, games, and more. Morven.org.

JUNE-JULY

Wednesday, July 5

4-5 p.m.: “All Together Now” Ice Cream Social at Hopewell Train Station, 2 Railroad Place, Hopewell. Bring a nonperishable pantry item to support The Chubby’s Project. Open to all.

Thursday, July 6 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

7:30 p.m.: Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts presents the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo performing music by De Falla, Albeniz, Brouwer, and others at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street. Free. Princetonsummerchamberconcerts.org.

Friday, July 7

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

Saturday, July 8 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Blueberry Bash at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Pick blueberries, see puppet shows, hear country music, children’s activities, homemade blueberry treats, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

Sunday, July 9 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Blueberry Bash at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Pick blueberries, see puppet shows, hear country music, children’s activities, homemade blueberry treats, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

4 p.m.: Love? Said the Commander presents indie folk music at Hinds Plaza. Princetonlibrary.org.

Tuesday, July 11 9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick: Blueberries, at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Hands-on farm activity for kids from preschool to age 8, with stories highlighting the fruit or farm. $12 per child including a container of berries. Terhuneorchards.com.

Wednesday, July 12

4 p.m.: Meeting of the Princeton Special Improvement District (Experience Princeton) Board of Directors, at the Nassau Inn, Palmer Square.

4-5 p.m.: Mad Science Fluttering Birds Workshop at Hopewell Train Station, 2 Railroad Place, Hopewell. Children 3-5 learn about birds and take home a bird warbler to practice bird songs at home. Redlibrary.org.

S ports

After Helping U.S. Win Gold at 2018 Men’s Lax Worlds, PU Alum Schreiber Taking Lead Role in Return Trip to Event

Tom Schreiber produced a highlight for the ages in 2018 when he scored the winning goal for Team USA in a 9-8 defeat of Canada in the gold medal game at the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in Israel.

But for Princeton men’s lax alum Schreiber ’14, that moment isn’t what stands out the most when he reflects on the competition.

“When you look at it, it is a dream moment to score the winner as time is winding down,” said Schreiber. “That part of it is not something I think about very often. It is more the hanging out at that kibbutz, traveling to and from the game and being around the guys. That is the part that comes up a lot when I think about the last time around.”

This week, Schreiber will get another chance to hang around with those guys as he will be competing for the USA in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, Calif., which starts on June 21 and culminate on July 1 with the gold medal final.

Looking ahead to the competition, Schreiber is excited to make some more indelible memories on and off the field.

“There are going to be these incredible moments on the field in these games,” said Schreiber. “More likely or not, whether it swings our way or their way, it is going to be a one-goal game. There is probably going to be some heroics from somebody out there. But the thing that I am looking forward to is being around everybody, representing the USA and becoming a team and hopefully competing for a championship all in the matter of 10 days. It happens very quickly.”

As one of the older members of the squad, Schreiber is savoring what could be his last opportunity to play for the U.S.

“I am quietly getting up there in my career. All of sudden, I am 31,” said Schreiber, a 5’11, 205-pound midfielder who tallied 200 points in his Princeton career and currently stars for the Archers in the Premier Lacrosse League. “It is 10 years since my Princeton days, which is crazy. It still means a lot. It is not something that is lost on me. It is very special to me. My dad [Doug] was a part of this 50 years ago and my wife (Kat Sharkey, a Princeton alumna who played for the U.S. field hockey national team and competed in the Olympics) was a Team USA player. It is cool for the family, it is cool for me. I am honored to be a part of it.”

Making the 23-man U.S. squad was not easy for Schreiber even with his glittering resume.

“It was a few years, it was three-year process, it started with close to 100 guys,” said Schreiber. “The way coach [John] Danowski and the staff have always approached it is they said consistently, ‘you guys are

the team right now.’ It is their job to have to whittle it down, it is not a job I would want. I think they have been keenly aware of putting together the best team versus the best group of players.”

Schreiber is primed to be joined on the team by another Tiger standout, Michael Sowers ’20, who is making his debut at the men’s Worlds.

“It is one of the things that I am most excited about,” said Schreiber. “I would say that Michael and I have a pretty unique relationship. I haven’t spent a ton of time personally with him, I have never played a game with him. I spoke with him every couple of weeks while he was at school. I think mentor is probably too strong of a word, but I kind of just kept in touch with him and tried to help him where I could. As dominant as he was on the field, I was impressed with him. I am excited at being teammates with him. I am excited to be out there on the field with him — he makes everybody’s lives a little bit easier.”

In Schreiber’s view, the U.S. team boasts a good balance of experience and talent as it looks to win its 11th world title and become the first team to repeat as champions since 2002 when the Americans won their sixth straight crown.

“Everybody is there for a reason. They were pretty strategic in how they built the team in teams of skill sets and things like age and experience,” said Schreiber. “We have six guys from the last team. For two guys, it is their third time around and then everybody else it is their first. This is the staff’s second time around, which is the first time they have ever done that. It usu ally changes. So to have that consistency will benefit us. They have definitely leaned on the guys who have been around a little bit to talk guys through what it will be like.”

Schreiber, who has been named as one of three cap tains for the team along with former Princeton defensive coordinator Jesse Bernhardt and Michael Ehrhardt, will be talking a lot on the field.

“On the offensive end, me and Rob Pannell are the only returners, for everybody else it is their first time,” said Schreiber. “He and I have been the louder voices on the offensive end. We are both excited to take on that role. I am naturally in that role on all of the teams I am on. I am the oldest guy on the Archers in the PLL. It is just taking on that role. I am embracing it, I am excited about it. It is part of why I am there.”

Playing in the 2018 Worlds should help Schreiber thrive in that leadership role.

“I think it is knowing what to expect, knowing the mental toll, knowing the recovery time for your body and knowing the rules,” said Schreiber. “This is such a different game — you have to be prepared for that. Having gone through it is a good

thing.”

It should also be a good thing to be playing on U.S. soil with the competition being held at San Diego State University.

“It will be really different, last time playing in Israel, we were kind of off on our own,” said Schreiber. “We actually stayed on a kibbutz out in Israel. There was a lot of time together with very, very little distraction. So going from there to San Diego, we will be in the dorms amongst the other teams, so that will be very different experience. We will be the home nation in a beautiful place like San Diego, families will be around. We are looking forward to that part.”

While the U.S. likes to play a run-and-gun game, patience will be key in the competition.

“The challenge is that the rules are very different from PLL to international play,” said Schreiber. “At times in the PLL, we will have a 32-second shot clock, 2point shots, and a smaller field. The international game puts a huge, huge emphasis on possession. There is no shot clock, it is a much slower game. It is a running clock 15-minute quarters so technically it is longer than a PLL game, but it will be shorter just because the clock continues to run and the pace of play his much slower. It is a very, very different game. That is part of the challenge as well, adapting to those rules.”

The U.S. squad made progress in adapting to

those challenges, taking part in a camp at Duke University earlier this month

“We went down to Duke and we were there from Saturday to Tuesday night,” said Schreiber. “It was great; it was the first time we were together as the 23-man team with a couple of alternates. A lot of it was mental, a lot of it was strategy, and just building our team, getting to know one another. The way this thing is structured we play Canada in six days. It is our first game so we jump right into it.”

With only Canada and the U.S. being the only countries to ever win the world lax title, Schreiber believes that unselfish play will be key in an expected title showdown with the rivals to the north, who have a Princeton alum, Zach Currier ’17, on their roster.

“I think discipline comes into play; with the rules, possession is so important,” said Schreiber. “It is also buying into being a team. You have seen plenty of examples in sports over the years of more talented teams not necessarily getting it done because they can’t figure out the team aspect of it. A lot of our focus has been on that. We don’t really care who scores the goals,

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we don’t care who is on the all-tournament team or the MVP or anything like that. We just want to win. If we can commit to that and be disciplined, be smart with the ball on our stick, and do a nice job covering a really talented Canada team, then hopefully we will be successful. I think that is what it comes down to at the end of the day.”

—Bill Alden

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: Tom Schreiber heads upfield for the Archers in Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) action. This week, former Princeton University men’s lax standout Schreiber ’14 will be competing for Team USA in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, Calif., which starts on June 21 and ends on July 1 with gold medal final. Star midfielder Schreiber, who scored the winning goal for Team USA in a 9-8 defeat of Canada in the gold medal game at the 2018 Worlds, has been named as one of three captains for the U.S. squad. (Photo by the PLL, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

As Sowers Makes His Debut at World Men’s Lax Tourney, Former PU Star Primed

Michael Sowers has come up big in some of the most meaningful lacrosse games.

The 2020 Princeton University graduate will try to do the same again for the United States in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, Calif., that begins on June 21 and culminates in the gold medal game July 1.

“In the four-year window, so much can happen,” said Sowers. “To wear Team USA across your chest is the dream and pinnacle of the sport. You cherish the opportunity and I’m certainly not treating it like I’m going to have this opportunity again because you really don’t know. At the end of the day, you treat it like it’s my one go at it and I’m going to give it everything I have.”

Last September, prolific attackman Sowers was named the Most Valuable Player of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) Championship when he scored twice and assisted on another goal in the Waterdogs’ 11-9 comeback win over the Chaos. Sowers is now inseason with the PLL, looking for a second full season after his initial season was cut short by injury.

“I think it absolutely prepares you,” said Sowers. “It’s a different game from a rules standpoint. At the same time, just skill level and size of the guys and speed of the game, the PLL does a great job preparing you. We’re lucky we essentially get three weekends to

to Help US Earn Title Repeat

tune up to the international game.”

In his last international experience, Sowers finished as Team USA’s leading scorer and helped steer them to another comeback win over Canada in the gold medal game of the U-19 World Championship in 2016.

“It was a great experience that U-19 team, but honestly this is a whole different ballgame just in terms of level and speed,” said Sowers. “It definitely helps because it gives you a little bit of a feel of playing international rules, but it’s such a different game that you can’t take away too much. We’re lucky. We have a lot of guys that played in the 2018 games and the 2014 games. We’ll be able to lean on those guys throughout the tournament.”

Sowers is part of the 23man U.S. senior team for the first time along with one other Princeton alum, Tom Schreiber ’14. Tryouts by all accounts were among the most competitive. A total of 67 players were invited to the tryouts that began last summer, with that number trimmed to 46 for fall activities and then down to 23 last December.

“It certainly is nervewracking, and just difficult because there are so many talented guys that they could really make a team with any combination of the hundred-some guys that tried out,” said Sowers, a 5’9, 165-pound native of Dresher, Pa. “I think that’s nerve-wracking, but at the

same time, it’s calming in the sense that there are so many good guys here that the only thing I can really do is go out and put my best foot forward. It’s a combination of the PLL season and the tryouts and reputation in general, and I felt, coming off the PLL season, I had a pretty good season and felt pretty good going into the Worlds stuff, but you obviously still have those tryouts. It’s a long process. I’m glad it’s over and we can move forward as a team.”

Sowers and Team USA have been preparing for the past two weeks for the Worlds. He is excited about the opportunity to compete at the highest level alongside the best players in the country.

“To be honest, it’s probably one of the coolest accomplishments I’ve had,” said Sowers. “Certainly it’s one of the most meaningful just because I know how much goes into that selection process. Being selected, you know they really scrub every single guy and there’s not a single stone left unturned, so it’s certainly one of the greatest honors I’ve had in the sport.”

Sowers was not on the U.S. team that won the 2018 Worlds. The U.S. is trying to become the first team since 2002 to repeat as world champions. It would be the 11th world title overall for the Americans. In Sowers, the U.S. has a player who has proven he can score or set up others. In just over

three years at Princeton University, he set the program record with 302 points on 121 goals and 181 assists before finishing his college career as a graduate student at Duke. In his one season with the Blue Devils, he tallied 81 points on 37 goals and 44 assists as the team advanced to the NCAA Final 4. He’ll bring that same attacking style to Team USA.

“The entire team is really good,” said Sowers. “So it’s whatever you can do for the betterment of the team. You see that now going into practices and training camp…. It’s play simple and make the plays in front of you and nothing more. That’s really huge.”

Sowers is accustomed to playing on strong teams. The Tigers were off to their best start at 5-0 in his career when the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2020 season. The next time he played, he helped Duke reach the NCAA semis, before he turned his attention to the PLL and international play. He is on a leave from his analyst job to focus on lacrosse through the PLL season.

“This has been a little bit of a crazy stretch for us, between Worlds stuff and PLL, and so I’ve just been focusing on taking care of my body,” said Sowers. “It’s been nice.”

Sowers has continued to evolve as a player since starting his professional playing career. He remains a strong scorer and feeder, and has learned to further diversify his game by developing his off-ball play and understanding of the game. Unlike some other Team USA members, Sowers does

not also play indoor in the NLL.

“For me, it’s just focusing on the outdoor right now and then the Worlds stuff,” said Sowers.

“That was my main focus getting out of school. I’m definitely open to exploring indoor in the future, but for right now I’m just focusing on those two things – PLL and Worlds.”

Those two pursuits collide a bit with Sowers being one of six Waterdogs players on Team USA. That’s more than any other PLL team. Sowers is looking forward to teaming up again for a championship run on the international level.

“The fact that we have all the Waterdogs out there together will be really cool,” said Sowers, who will also be facing a PLL and former Princeton teammate, Zach Currier ‘17, who stars in midfield for Canada.

“But at the same time, that’s the unique thing about the whole experience. We have our Waterdogs guys and winning with them was incredible, but at the same time, you have two weeks as a USA group to become the best team possible regardless of professional affiliation. Coming together in two weeks and winning a gold medal, I don’t know if there’s anything that replicates that. It’s really just so special.”

Team USA returns its championship coach from 2018, John Danowski, who coached Sowers for a year at Duke. He is tasked with pulling the team together in a short time with minimal practices to try to defend their world title with the

likes of top challenger Canada hungry to take it back. The pre-championship practices were important to get on the same page.

“We kind of lean on the vets and, more than anybody, Coach D,” said Sowers. “Coach D does such a good job of team building and really building that camaraderie. There’s no better man for the job than coach Danowski. I think he does a great job with it.”

The Americans are looking to take advantage of hosting this year. Sowers won the U-19 championship in Canada. The U.S. men won in Israel in 2018.

“It’s on U.S. soil, so I think you’re going to have naturally a lot of USA fans and my family is going out and friends are going out,” said Sowers. “That’ll be a really cool experience. And there’s a little bit of that feeling like you have to defend U.S. soil and I certainly think that plays a little part in the whole thing.”

It won’t take much to get Sowers excited about his latest championship experience. As he has before, Sowers will try to lend some heroics to his team in a title run. This time it’s for Team USA.

“Being on the senior team is the pinnacle of the sport,” said Sowers. “It’s something as a kid you always dream about is really making that team. To do it this time around with it being in San Diego in the U.S., it really is a surreal experience. We were just down at Duke practicing with the team. It really is so much fun, and such an honor to wear the jersey. It’s really a cool experience.”

—Justin Feil

SHOOTING FOR GOLD: Michael Sowers unloads a shot during his career with the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team. Star attackman Sowers ’20 will be competing for the Team USA at the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego, Calif. The competition starts on June 21 and culminates on July 1 with the gold medal game. The U.S. squad, which also includes another former Princeton standout, midfielder Tom Schreiber ’14, is the defending champion in the event.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PU Sports Roundup

PU Football’s Jester

Selected in XFL Draft

Former Princeton University star linebacker Matthew Jester ’23 was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the 2023 XFL Draft last weekend.

Jester earned first-team All-Ivy League recognition in 2022 after leading Princeton in both tackles for loss (six) and sacks (three). He had sacks in Ivy League wins over Brown, Harvard and Dartmouth. The senior captain even got on the scoreboard this season, intercepting a conversion pass against Cornell and returning it for two points.

Jester, a 6’4, 250-pound native of Spring, Texas, had signed with the Los Angeles Rams after the NFL Draft before being selected today. He joins Andrei Iosivas (Cincinnati Bengals), Henry Byrd (Denver Broncos), John Lovett (Miami Dolphins), Jesper Horsted (Las Vegas Raiders), Stephen Carlson (Chicago Bears), and Jeremiah Tyler (Houston Gamblers, USFL) as Princeton alums in the professional ranks.

PU Women’s Lightweights Compete at Henley Regatta

Competing in the prestigious Henley Women’s Regatta on the Thames River outside of London, the women’s lightweight pair of Nathalie Verlinde, a Princeton High alumna, and Madeline Polubinski provided a major highlight.

The pair reached the final at the regatta over the weekend. They won their semifinal race (6:00.8) over Molesey BC/Surrey before falling to the Radcliffe pair in the final.

“It was pretty cool to see our pair come together over seven days in what was a very technical boat advancement through the rounds,” said Princeton head coach Paul Rassam. “It was an impressive way for Madeline to finish her career at Princeton and for Nathalie to complete her remarkable recovery from an injury.”

The women’s varsity eight also took part in the competition, falling by six seconds (4:53.1) to Leander A Club (4:47.6) in their opening heat.

The single scull of Artemis Veizi picked up seventh place in her time trial to start the day for Princeton. The double pairing of Amelia Boehle and Kasey Shashaty placed fourth in their time trial.

PU Baseball Star Bandura Invited to Draft Combine Princeton University baseball star Scott Bandura ’24 has been invited to the Major League Baseball Draft Combine from June 19-24 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

Bandura is one of more than 300 draft-eligible prospects who will participate in this event. Now in its third year, the event offers an opportunity for players to interview and interact directly with MLB general managers and scouting directors, as well as take part in a series of medical and performance assessments and educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball.

Attendees will also have opportunities to be featured on MLB social media channels, in addition to receiving personal branding training and access to real-time content and custom video for their own platforms.

MLB Network was slated to provide extensive on-site coverage of the Combine on June 20-21.

Bandura, who was recently named All-Region, produced a stellar junior season for Princeton this spring, batting .363 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs in 47 games for the Tigers. He led the team in runs (46), triples (three), slugging percentage, stolen bases (15), total bases (121), and on-base percentage.

Bandura, a 6’4, 180-pound native of Philadelphia, set the Princeton program single-season record in total bases while his 46 runs are tied for the second most in program history. His 28 extra base hits are second most all-time while his slugging percentage is third and RBI are seventh.

Water Polo’s Temkin Helps US Men Take 3rd at Worlds Princeton University men’s water polo star goalie West Temkin led the United States U-20 Team to a bronze medal at the U-20 World Championships.

The United States defeated Greece, 11-6, to earn the medal as Temkin had 12 saves. It is the first-ever medal for a USA men’s national team at a world championship at any age group, while West was also named top goalkeeper of the tournament.

Temkin and the United States went 1-2 in pool play with a win over Greece. The rising sophomore led the way with victories over Australia and Montenegro in the advancement stages before a loss to Hungary in the semifinals.

Rising sophomore Temkin, a 6’3 native of Alamo, Calif., finished with 66 saves over the United States’ seven games.

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THREE’S COMPANY: Blake Dietrick ’15 puts up a shot in her senior season for the Princeton University women’s basketball team. Dietrick has been named to the United States’ 3x3 Women’s Series Team. Dietrick joins a roster with Cierra Burdick, Linnae Harper, Alexis Peterson, Breanna Richardson, and Camille Zimmerman. The teams will compete at select 3x3 Women’s Series events this summer with the goal of ultimately qualifying for the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Final from September 16-17 in Ulaanbaatar,

Dietrick

Asvel Feminin win the French League and EuroCup titles.

Wilberforce Girls’ Track Produced Historic Spring, Taking Non-Public Team Title, Winning MOC 4x800

Although the Wilberforce School girls’ track team is small in numbers, it had some big expectations heading into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B championship meet early this month.

“You can see the rankings and where you can score points,” said Wilberforce head coach Lois Szeliga. “I knew that we had a chance to win and the girls all knew that.”

In order be a title contender, Szeliga had to maximize the talent at her disposal.

“We had to switch some people around and ask people to do different events,” said Szeliga. “We were trying to steal points in so many different events. You try to see realistically where they can end up.”

Wilberforce ended up piling up a lot of points, taking first with 83 points as Montclair Kimberley Academy scored 59 to come in second. It marked the firstever Non-Public team track title for the program.

Individual standouts for the Wolverines included Gwen Mersereau, the winner of 800 meters and fourthplace finisher in the 200, Adeline Edwards, who took second in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600, Maria

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Madigan, the runner-up in the 400, Laura Sallade, the second place finisher in the 800, and Sophia Park, who came in third in the 800 and fourth in the 1,600. The squad’s 4x400 and 4x800 relays both placed first while the 4x100 took second.

“We told the girls in the 800, don’t let anyone finish in between you and they came in first, second and third,” said Szeliga. “They got the maximum number of points that you could get. I told Adeline [Edwards] to get second in the 2-mile and she did, so the day was off to a great start. I was like, ‘Gwen, try to get any points in the 200,’ and she ended up getting fourth for three points.”

The 4x400 and 4x800 relays have been staples for the squad.

“Having those 4x8 and the 4x4 be so strong that gives you a solid 20 points right there,” said Szeliga. “The girls who were doing really hard doubles, triples, and quadruples were fortunately able to take it pretty easy and still win the 4x8.”

The 4x100’s performance was emblematic of the program’s progress.

“The thing that is different this year is that we had a lot of sprint points,” said Szeliga. “In that 4x100, we were the top seed but 4x1 we were all within one second of each other. The fact that they came in second and got eight points, everybody really scored where they could.”

The Wolverines also got points in the throws as senior Jenna Fischer took sixth in the shot put.

While the Wilberforce boys didn’t win a title at the Non-Public B meet, they tied for seventh even though they were missing senior star Jeremy Sallade, who was sidelined by a leg injury.

“It was such a small crew, every boy who competed, medaled; it was amazing,” said Szeliga.

Caleb Brox and Philip Schidlovsky led the way for the Wolverines as Brox placed second in the 1,600 and fourth in the 3,200 while Schidlovsky took fourth in both the 800 and the 1,600. In addition, Andrew Pratt placed second in the pole vault and Matthias Damrau took sixth in the 400.

Szelaga was proud of how her boys competed. “We have our first pole vaulter, Andrew, and he came in second,” said Szeliga. “Caleb medaled in two events. He earned his first individual spot in the MOC (Meet of Champions), that was huge. Caleb had the most epic race of the day in the 1,600. It just came down to a big kick. These two guys are running neck and neck until the bitter end — it was him and the boy from St. Rose (Tyler Ferlise), and Caleb edged him out. The whole team was so excite for Caleb because he has been wanting that. Philip is definitely one to watch, he did cross country this year. Damrau has been a solid performer.”

The two squads ended the day by coming together to savor the spoils of victory.

“It was so fun to celebrate with everybody with their medals and a big trophy after that long day,” said Szeliga.

championship. Nobody can take that away from you. They all set aside their individual goals. They did go in their individual events, but they had already run the relay. They all ran their events but they wanted to do the 4x8 and have that be their main focus and go for the win. This is what their goal was going into it.”

Weeks before the MOC, Szeliga sensed that the quartet of Laura Sallade, Sophia Park, Adeline Edwards, and Gwen Mersereau could achieve that goal.

“We did a meet at Christian Brothers in late May called A Night at the Horse Farm, and all four of those girls ran under 2:20,” said Szeliga.

“We knew we had a really great 4x8 and we could win the Meet of Champions. That gave us a lot of confidence.”

In the MOC relay, that confidence proved to be justified as the quartet posted a winning time of 9:16.22, well ahead of the 9:25.18 mark produced by runnerup Haddonfield.

“We had Adeline Edwards who is so aggressive, she is our lead off,” said Szeliga. “We have Laura Sallade is very fast and she loves to race people. That is why she is in the second leg because there could still be a race. Sophia Park is next and then Gwen Mersereau is the fourth leg. I said to them, ‘If you get passed by somebody, don’t worry, that might be their ace running 2:09, so you just keep getting it to your teammate.’ That was the strategy going in and the girls really got the lead and they were able to enjoy the thrill of the moment.”

Watching her runners pull away from the competition triggered some deep emotions for Szeliga.

FAB FOUR: Members of the Wilberforce School girls’ track 4x800-meter relay enjoy the moment after the placed first in the event at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Meet of Champions last Thursday at Franklin High. Pictured, from left, are Laura Sallade, Sophia Park, Adeline Edwards, and Gwen Mersereau. Earlier this month, the quartet helped the Wilberforce girls’ squad place first in the team standings at the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship meet for the first

space of one season. When the girls finished, it was like they were swarmed by the paparazzi. We had never had anything like that before it was great. It is so amazing.”

This weekend, the Wolverine girls produced another thrilling performance as they placed first in the Rising Stars Distance Medley Relay at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

the program, Szeliga is relishing the big impact her athletes have made on campus and in the track world.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an exotic and invasive beetle that has killed millions of Ash trees. They belong to a large family of beetles known as the buprestids, or metallic wood boring beetles.

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“Jenna has the school record in every throw,” said Szeliga, noting that assistant coach Kristen Yonkman works with the sprinters and throwers. “She has been our throwing star for our school. It is great to see the program grow like that.”

It was great for the program to earn its breakthrough title. “This is our first non-public track title,” said Szeliga. “Track is such a bigger tent, it just includes more girls and events.”

The Wilberforce girls had even more fun last Thursday as their 4x800 relay placed first in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Franklin High, establishing another program first.

“You have to make a decision of what is going to be your priority because everyone is coming in fresh to the MOC,” said Szeliga. “The girls all saw that they could win the 4x8 and this was their best chance for a

“I was so thrilled for them; knowing from the beginning of the season when they started seeing what a great team they were as they qualified for the Penn Relays and to see each one develop as individuals into a terrific 800 meter runner,” said Szeliga. “They all dropped their times by 10 seconds from last year; each of them became such elite runners this year individually. It was so thrilling to see them achieve that in the

The quartet clocked a winning time of 12:15.81, a school record and the top time in New Jersey this year as the program competed in the nationals for the first time. Edwards ran the 1,200-meter leg in the event with Eve Szeliga running the 400, Sallade running the 800, and Park doing the 1,600.

Reflecting on the historic spring by the produced by

“Everybody at school is just thrilled, nobody can believe it; the parents who come to support us at all of these long meets are so thrilled and the social media is blowing up,” said Szeliga. “With the success, you did see a camaraderie. The other area teams are so supportive. Even when we went to nationals, the Union Catholic coach came over and congratulated us. You just see the embrace of the running community and the support. It is really nice. You go and coaches say, ‘Wow Wilberforce, Princeton, New Jersey.’ Even when we were at nationals, it was there is one of the Wilberforce girls. It is different, we used to get where is that but now people know us.”

— Bill Alden

time in program history. (Photo provided by Lois Szeliga)

Post 218 Baseball Tops Trenton to Snap Skid As Nydick Provides an Offensive Spark

With the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team clinging to a 2-1 lead over Trenton Post 93/182 in the fourth inning last Sunday at Smoyer Park, Nate Nydick lofted a fly ball to center field that appeared to be catchable.

But the Trenton outfielder slipped and the ball sailed over his head for a double that ignited a two-run rally for Post 218 as it went ahead 4-1.

“I honestly thought he was going to catch it,” said outfielder Nydick, a rising junior at Princeton High. “That was a big hit.”

After Trenton scored two runs in the top of the fifth to narrow the gap to 3-3, Post 218 responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame as Nydick picked up an RBI on a walk.

“That was nice, we all hit,” said Nydick, reflecting on the fifth inning outburst. “It was fun.”

Post 218 went on to win 10-7, having fun after starting the day by falling 7-6 to Trenton in the completion of a June 13 game that was suspended after seven innings due to darkness.

“We played together,

stayed as a team, and just hit the ball well,” said Nydick. “It was definitely a confidence boost.”

First-year Post 218 manager Peter Nielsen liked the resilience displayed by his players as they moved on from the loss in the completed game.

“The team did a good job bouncing back, resetting our mindset to get the win,” said Nielsen of the victory which snapped a four-game losing streak. “It was just, wash away the first game. You always want to have the mindset of winning game two, no matter whether the first game was a win or a loss. We did a good job of washing that first game to not let it pour into the second game for the guys.”

Post 218 got good mound efforts from starter J.J. Casey who pitched into the fifth, and Travis Petrone who came in from left field to handle the last 1 2/3 innings of the contest.

“J.J. gave us four really good innings, he kept us in the game,” said Nielsen.

“For the most part, that is what we need out of our ace. He and Wes [Price] are the

two guys that need to go for us. Travis did a very good job coming into that tough spot. He did a very good job — he threw the ball very well for us today.”

The Princeton offense did well in piling up 10 runs. “On the offensive side, we did a better job, we had good approaches in that second game,” said Nielsen. “We definitely had a good fifth inning. We are a small ball team. We got guys to hit and run over, we have guys who can bunt people over, and steal people over. We have the speed to do it. We don’t have the power to do it, but all of the small ball things are going to come into play. We did a very good job of that in the second game today.”

Nielsen credited Nydick with being a catalyst. “Nate gave us a spark with that fly ball,” said Nielsen. “It might be a fluke double, but you put that ball into play and good things are going to happen. You get out of the box and you run.”

In addition to Nydick, two other PHS players, Jai Justice and Jon Tao, did some good things with the bat.

“Jai had some good atbats, Jon had a good sacrifice fly,” said Nielsen. “That is how you produce runs. By putting the ball into play,

good things happen. It is back to our mindset of how we play baseball.”

Nielsen is hoping the win will be a confidence builder, with Post 218 facing a busy week as it plays Allentown on June 21 at Mercer County Park, plays at Lawrence Post 414 on June 22, and hosts Hamilton Post 31 on June 23, Lawrence on June 24, and North Hamilton on June 27.

“Now it is a refresh button for us, now we are back in the winning column,” said Nielsen, whose team fell 8-4 to Hightstown Post 148 last Monday to move to 2-6. “We can use this as momentum, coming into a long stretch of baseball that we have this week.”

As Nielsen has taken the helm of Post 218, succeeding Benito Gonzalez, he is relishing the chance to be back on the diamond.

“It has been a lot of fun; I enjoy the game of baseball and it is a fantastic group of guys that we have up and down the roster,” said Nielsen, a star pitcher at Freehold Township High who went on to play at Mercer County Community College and The College of New Jersey, earning All-New Jersey Athletic Conference honors in his senior season for the Lions in 2019. “I have been out of the game for a couple of years now. I love the game so much and I am enjoying being back, and now that I am done playing baseball, it feels great to give back what I have learned.”

For Nielsen, imparting those lessons to his players is a key focus this summer.

“We are a young team so it’s more of a player development stage right now, looking to develop the kids, bring them back next year, and develop them for a foundation to build here,” said Nielsen, who served as an assistant coach for the PHS baseball program this spring. “We are a very young roster, but I like the development that we have had and what we have produced. It is just teaching the game of baseball and teaching the strategies. You see guys that get down — you have to make sure to remind them that everything is going to be all right, just clear your mind, it is a game. You cheer each other on. You put the ball in play on offense, good things happen. You are on the mound, it is throw strikes and good things are going to happen. You have to simplify the game as much as you can.’’

Nydick, who played mainly on the PHS JV squad this spring before a brief call-up to the varsity, is using his Post 218 experience to raise his game.

COMING IN CONTACT: Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball player Nate Nydick makes contact in recent action. Last Saturday, Princeton High rising junior Nydick had a double, two walks, and one RBI as Princeton defeated Trenton Post 93/182 10-7. Post 218, which fell 8-4 to Hightstown Post 148 last Monday to move to 2-6, plays Allentown on June 21 at Mercer County Park, plays at Lawrence Post 414 on June 22, and hosts Hamilton Post 31 on June 23, Lawrence on June 24, and North Hamilton on June 27.

With Solomon Providing Some Inside Punch, Majeski Defeats AEI in Men’s Summer Hoops

As the Majeski Foundation rode a late surge to the championship in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League last year, Matt Solomon didn’t have much of a role.

“I played a few games,” said Solomon, who was making his debut for the squad which is comprised of players from The College of New Jersey men’s hoops program. “I was a freshman last year so I didn’t get as much playing time.”

Last Monday as Majeski faced AEI in its summer opener, Solomon made his presence felt, scoring the team’s first six points.

“I came out with a lot of energy, trying to get a good start,” said Solomon, a 6’7, 195-pound native of Manasquan, who averaged 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 27 games last winter for TCNJ.

The Majeski team collectively showed a lot of energy as they got their summer league campaign underway.

“We are happy to be back on the court together,” said Solomon. “We don’t really get a lot of opportunities in the offseason to formally come and play together. This is a good opportunity for us to get familiar with each other. We have some freshmen that we are introducing to the group and getting them comfortable with how we play.”

Majeski built a 34-25 lead

early in the second half in a rematch of teams that played in the league championship series, but then got a little too comfortable and AEI responded with a 19-10 run to knot the game at 44-44 with 4:00 left in regulation.

“We got up a little, we had a good lead, we got complacent,” said Solomon. “We thought they were going to give up but they didn’t.”

Getting back in sync, Majeski outscored AEI 15-8 down the stretch to pull out a 59-52 victory.

“We picked it up at the end,” said Solomon, who ended up with 10 points in the win that saw Anthony Milligan tally 15 points and Nick Koch chip in 11. “We said in the time-out, ‘We need to pick it up. It is way too close for comfort.’ We started hitting shots.”

While Solomon slammed down several dunks in the win, he is looking to diversify his game this summer.

“I am trying to step outside a little more this year, maybe shoot a few more 3s the next game,” said Solomon. “I am trying to lead the group.”

In Solomon’s view, the Majeski group has what it takes to go on another championship run.

“I know our guys had a lot of fun last year,” said Solomon. “There are definitely teams coming for us. We will get the chemistry right and hopefully we can do what we did last year.”

—Bill Alden

“I am getting more reps and practice,” said Nydick. “I have gotten better at catching fly balls. If someone is throwing fast, I have learned to stay back in the box and get the barrel head out.”

—Bill Alden

JAM SESSION: Matt Solomon of the Majeski Foundation slams down a dunk last Monday in Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League action at the Community Park courts. Solomon tallied 10 points in the contest to help Majeski defeat AEI 59-52 in a rematch of last year’s championship series. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Girls’ Track: Competing in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Meet of Champions at Franklin High last Thursday, the girls’ 4x800 relay placed 20th overall. The quartet of Kyleigh Tangen, Brielle Moran, Ava Tabeart, and Lucy Kreipke clocked a time of 9:57.44 at the event.

Mercer Baseball Squad Falls in Carpenter Cup

A late rally fell short as the Mercer County squad lost 8-6 to Tri-Cape in the Carpenter Cup quarterfinals last Saturday in Philadelphia, Pa.

Trailing 8-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Mercer tallied three runs in the frame to narrow the gap to two but was unable to score in the ninth.

two week-long basketball camps this summer along with other specialty hoops programs.

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

The camps are slated for June 26-30 and July 2428 at the Princeton Middle School.

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

You Can’t Find Your Town Topics Newspaper?

You Can’t Find Your Town Topics Newspaper?

Come visit our office at 4438 Routh 27 North in Kingston, where you can purchase a copy for 75 cents (3 quarters required) from our coin-operated newspaper boxes, 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week.

Come visit our office at 4438 Routh 27 North in Kingston, where you can purchase a copy for 75 cents (3 quarters required) from our coin-operated newspaper boxes, 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week.

The Mercer team, which included Hun School star Mike Chiaravallo and Princeton High standout Alex Winters, started the competition by edging Chester County (Pa.) 4-3 last Wednesday. Chiaravallo, who is heading to Bucknell University to play for its baseball program, started the sixth inning with a walk and stolen base and ended up scoring the winning run in the contest.

In addition, there will be “First Hoops” options for ages 5-8 (9 to 11:45 a.m.). BBA will also offer (by reservation only) Shot King shooting instruction and small group player development daily sessions for players getting ready for middle school, high school, or club participation.

All players will be required to bring their own water, snacks, and/or lunch for the applicable programs.

For more information, contact Kamau Bailey at (917) 626-5785 or at kamau.bailey@gmail.com. There are multiple player/sibling discounts available.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Princeton High boys’ distance running star Andrew Kenny, right, edges Shaurya Srivastava of WW/P-South at the Mercer County cross country championship meet in 2021. Last Thursday, senior standout Kenny placed third in the 800-meter run at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Meet of Champions at Franklin High. Kenny, who will be continuing his running career at Northeastern University this fall, clocked a time of 1:53.51 with Gabriel Rodriguez taking first in 1:51.43 and Luke Schagelin of Morris Knolls edging Kenny for second with a time of 1:53.46. In addition to Kenny’s heroics,

EFFORT:

Elizabeth Irene

Shields

Elizabeth Irene Shields, 100, a longtime and beloved school nurse in the South Brunswick school system, died peacefully at home in Kendall Park, NJ, her two daughters by her side, on Wednesday, June 14.

Known by her middle name, Irene is the widow of Princeton native Thomas Francis Shields, a World War II U.S. Marine veteran who died in March 2000 after their 51 years of marriage.

She was born on a farm in Warwick Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on February 6, 1923, the fourth of 12 children of the late businessman farmer William M. Painter and onetime schoolteacher Grace Anne McCord Painter.

Her modest upbringing was typical of farming families that once formed the bedrock of America but today are so few. No shoes in the summer, washing in a basin or the creek, starting out in a one-room schoolhouse and Sundays at the country church built by her grandfather. She learned, by necessity, to sew — a skill she transmitted to her

daughters — and suffered her brothers’ antics in the days when kids made their own fun. All honed a perseverance and work ethic that stood her through life.

Home life centered around the kitchen, evenings on the porch. Charity was primordial, notably during the Depression. Irene remembers her mother having “John the Bum,” a local vagrant, come eat with the family despite their many mouths. And living was frugal. Irene was enchanted the first time she saw a real magazine at an aunt’s house. At home, their only dream book was the “Sears and Roebuck” catalogue, whose pages did double duty in the outhouse.

After high school, she graduated from the Reading Hospital School of Nursing in Pennsylvania and landed her first job in 1944 at the former Princeton Hospital on Witherspoon Street, living in the nurses’ quarters nearby.

It was in Princeton where she met her future husband at a gathering of young nurses and soldiers, shortly before the men’s deployment overseas. Tom tore a dollar in two and said if I come back we’ll join the halves. He did, after heavy battle in the Pacific. The rest is history.

They married in 1948, settling downtown on Maple Street, with two daughters born in the next four years.

In 1957, the family moved to Kendall Park, a post-war development just north of Princeton that attracted many veterans thanks to the GI Bill and spawned a thriving community with

elementary schools, a newspaper, and a shopping center.

Irene helped transform their brand new barren lot, transplanting peonies, irises, lilacs, and Rose of Sharon from her parents’ farm along with the cherished rain lilies in the family for generations.

On Sundays she made the same “creamed eggs on toast” she had been served in her own childhood after church, a dish her family had dubbed “eggs à la Goldenrod” for a touch of class.

When ready to return to work, Irene developed the nursing program for Kendall Park’s three new elementary schools, remaining until 1967 when she moved on as the first nurse at the newly opened Crossroads Middle School in nearby Monmouth Junction.

She was a loyal team member much loved by staff and students, many of whom remember her until this day. Her quiet and calm demeanor held forth not only through minor student problems but many emergencies.

Irene’s huge extended family was all important. She joined them every Thanksgiving and for old-fashioned family reunions every June in Pennsylvania.

She is survived by her two daughters, Renee Shields of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Nancy Shields of Paris, France, as well as two grandsons, Matthew Marino

— and his partner Charlotte Vinet — and their son Miles, and Michael Marino, all of Paris.

A devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she and her late husband were very close to their daughters despite the distance, traveling many times to Europe and the western U.S. to places they might never have seen otherwise.

She is predeceased by seven of her 12 siblings: Robert, Grace, Gross and Fred Painter, Ada Philips, Virginia Smith, and Minnie Kemp.

Her surviving sister and brothers are Narrie Herr of Maryland, Hunter Painter of Ohio, and Hervey and Jesse Painter of Pennsylvania. She also leaves behind 16 nieces and nephews and many more great-nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are under the direction of MatherHodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton.

Viewing will be Wednesday June 21 from 12 to 1 p.m. at the funeral home with a service immediately after. Burial will follow at St. Paul’s Cemetery, Nassau Street, Princeton.

Friends and family of the deceased who wish can access the website at matherhodge.com to extend sympathies and find details regarding the memorial.

TOWN TOPICS

Assoc. Rector, 33 Mercer St. Princeton 609-924-2277 • www.trinityprinceton.org

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Let’s Talk Real Estate...

Real Estate Market Update

Did you know that 70% of inflation is due to shelter costs? This means that your housing costs, whether you are a homeowner or a renter, are a major factor in the overall inflation rate. Our team will be providing some valuable insights and advice on how you can navigate these trends in the current market. During the event, we will be discussing some of the latest trends in the real estate market, including fluctuating interest rates and inflation. As you may have heard, interest rates have been on the rise recently, which can affect your ability to obtain a mortgage or refinance your current one. Additionally, inflation has been a hot topic lately, with prices for goods and services going up across the board.

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Danielle Spilatore: 609.658.3880 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2031458

Introducing: Constitution Hill West Princeton, NJ | $1,650,000

Jane Henderson Kenyon: 609.828.1450 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2031248

Introducing: Spring Hill Road Montgomery Township, NJ | $1,395,000

Kathryn Baxter: 516.521.7771 callawayhenderson.com/3847999

Introducing: Mercer Street Princeton, NJ | $1,235,000

Amy Granato: 917.848.8345 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2031004

Baldwin Street

Pennington Boro, NJ | $850,000

Debra McAuliffe: 609.922.8686 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2030196

Introducing: Prentice Lane Princeton, NJ | $999,000 (1.5 acres)

Susan L ‘Suzy’ DiMeglio: 609.915.5645 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2031234

Introducing: York Drive

Montgomery Township, NJ | $850,000

Maura Mills: 609.947.5757 callawayhenderson.com/NJSO2002444

Introducing: Birch Avenue Princeton, NJ | $900,000

Lauren Adams: 908.812.9557 callawayhenderson.com/NJME2031418

Introducing: Skillman Road Montgomery Township, NJ | $549,000 Antoinette Schielein: 908.313.1078 callawayhenderson.com/3849595

609.921.1050 | 4 NASSAU STREET | PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 08542