Town Topics Newspaper, June 26, 2024. by Witherspoon Media Group

From PHS to Carnegie Hall, Amy Lin is Both Pianist and Scientist . . . 5

Advocates Want to Expand Seasonal Ban On Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers 7

PHS 101: Fund Awards 30 Scholarships 10

Celebrating Bloomsday

With James Joyce and John Lennon 13

The Sebastians Perform at Trinity Church 14

Princeton Festival Presents “An Evening with Santino Fontana” 15

PU Men’s Hoops Alum

Maddox Achieves Olympic Dream, Making the U.S. 3x3 Hoops Squad For Paris Games 21

Getting Up to Speed In His 2nd College Campaign, PHS Alum Doran Starred for Williams Men’s Lax 23

Transit Study and Sewer Improvements

Approved by Council

A comprehensive community transit program study, focused on how the routes of Princeton’s mini buses can be more effectively used, was approved by Princeton Council at a meeting on Monday, June 24. A resolution to retain Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc., which the town has utilized in the past, was unanimously approved by the governing body.

The idea has been in the works for several years. The goal is to design a program pairing Princeton’s free Muni transit with services “not currently utilized in order to maximize access for all Princeton residents,” Deputy Administrator Deanna Stockton wrote in a memo to Council on June 18. “Consideration will be given to optimize service connections with Princeton University’s Tiger Transit.”

Council President Mia Sacks thanked members of the Public Transit Advisory Committee and Sustainable Princeton for their work on the initiative. “We are going to be looking at how our routes can more effectively connect people to places they want to go, so we don’t have empty buses riding around every hour,” she said. “We are looking forward to hearing results from Nelson\Nygaard, which will be implemented next year.”

Council also passed two resolutions related to upgrading the existing sewer systems. Arcadis, U.S. Inc. and Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson Inc. were awarded agreements having to do with pump station improvements and the documentation of maintenance holes in ood hazard areas.

“This is important not just for maintenance, but as a response to climate change,” said Councilman David Cohen. “We need these pump stations. With rising ooding, these locations are particularly vulnerable. This is a real climate change/sustainability thing.”

Council approved a resolution supporting a grant application for improvements on North Harrison Street. The municipal aid grant, from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), would be for resurfacing and widening of sidewalks, and narrowing of the travel lanes between Nassau and Franklin streets, an area where speeding is a problem and pedestrian safety is a concern. Stockton said noti cation on obtaining the grant would come in November.

Triumph Brewery Set to Open This

The former post office on Palmer Square is ready for its long-awaited rebirth as the Triumph Brewing Company, with reopening scheduled for this weekend, according to Triumph representative Eric Nutt.

It’s been a difficult birthing process since a plan for renovating the old post office was rst presented to the Princeton Planning Board in 2017, but Nutt urges the hungry, thirsty, and/or curious to watch the triumphbrewing.com website for details about the reopening. It could be this Friday, he hinted, but certainly by the last day of the month on Sunday.

“It won’t be a huge grand opening,” he said. “It’s a soft opening. We’ll build gradually, organically. It will be nice to have a full-service restaurant and brewery back open in Princeton. We’re anxious to get back open.”

In a phone conversation on Monday afternoon, Kevin Wilkes, managing partner of Princeton Design Guild, one of four architecture rms involved in the project, announced, “We have our nal certi cation of occupancy issued by the Municipality of Princeton.”

He continued, “The Triumph organization is busy training staff this very moment.” He noted that hiring had been a challenge, and there’s still a “Now Hiring”

notice on the website, seeking applications online for all hourly positions.

“It did take many months for them to solicit applications, hold interviews, and make selections,” he said, but most of the positions are now lled.

Wilkes noted, however, that the operations side of the business is not part of his job description. “My primary responsibility is to turn the post office into a brewery and restaurant,” he said, and that has been a matter not of months, but years.

Originally constructed in 1934, the Palmer Square post office was targeted for closing in 2013. The post office was relocated to a smaller location behind the 7-11 on eastern Nassau Street in 2015, and the Palmer Square building was sold to a private developer.

The process, since approval by the Planning Board in 2017, has been challenging, according to Wilkes. “We had to go through state approval of the historic preservation plan, state approval of the

Opportunities Abound to Celebrate America’s 248th Anniversary

With July 4 falling on a Thursday this year, celebrations of the holiday are being stretched into something more substantial than the traditional three-day weekend.

In fact, the lead-up to Independence Day has been building, both locally and beyond, since Juneteenth observances were held a few weeks ago.

From reworks in Skillman on Thursday, June 26 to a public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Trenton on Monday, July 8 — the site, day, and time where it was rst read in 1776 — there are many opportunities to celebrate the anniversary of the American colonies’

official separation from Great Britain 248 years ago.

But the focus is July 4. In Princeton, the biggest celebration that day is at Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, where the annual Fourth of July Jubilee will feature activities connecting history and civic engagement. It was Morven, after all, that hosted delegates of the Continental Congress. The historic house was also home to Richard Stockton, one of the Declaration’s signers, and later served as New Jersey’s rst governor’s mansion.

The festival, from 12 to 3 p.m., includes

CELEBRATING PRIDE: Despite the excessive heat, the annual Princeton Pride Parade, sponsored by the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), made its way from the Municipal Building on Witherspoon Street to an After-Party

(Photo courtesy of BRCSJ)

Barbara Johnson, Former Princeton Resident and Town

PM BRING A CHAIR OR BLANKET

J UNE 27: PRINCETON SCHOOL OF ROCK

J U LY 11: RANGER NOUVEAU

J U LY 18: KINDRED SPIRIT

J U LY 25: ERIC MINTEL QUARTET

A UGUST 1: RANDOM ACTS OF SOUL AUGUST 8: GRACE LITTLE BAND

@PRINCETONSHOPPINGCENTER PRINCETONSHOPPINGCENTER.COM

NEXT-LEVEL BASKETBALL TRAINING

To get better at shooting in basketball, you need to shoot. A lot. At Jump Shot Gym, we have eight hoops and Dr. Dish machines that continuously collect your makes and misses and pass you the ball. (Think batting cages for basketball.)

Our shooting programs are designed to help you get game-like reps and put up points. Our machines also track your stats, naturally improve your shot arc, and help you develop the proper muscle memory to build a consistent shot.

Plus, we offer skills clinics, summer camps, parties, monthly memberships, packages, and single-session pricing options.

WE’RE OPEN.

North Witherspoon Street is undergoing a beautification project this summer but is open for business. Make your reservation today at the The Meeting House and enjoy their faithfully good take on American cuisine made with the best seasonal ingredients. Also, be sure to visit the many other Witherspoon Street businesses along the way!

TOWN TOPICS

Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946

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

LAURIE PELLICHERO Editor BILL ALDEN, Sports Editor

DONALD GILPIN, WENDY GREENBERG, ANNE LEVIN, STUART MITCHNER, NANCY PLUM, DONALD

Audio Driving Tour Follows Millstone Valley

The Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition has released a new self-guided driving audio tour of the Millstone Valley National Scenic Byway. One of only eight designated scenic byways in New Jersey, the route is a 27-mile loop in Somerset, Mercer, and Middlesex counties and follows the Millstone River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal through the villages of Kingston, Rocky Hill, Griggstown, East Millstone, and Millstone Borough.

To drive this tour, users can download the TravelStorysGPS app to a smartphone (available for both iOS and Android phones) and follow the audio through the phone or car speakers. The instructions and narration are keyed to the vehicle’s location determined by GPS. The narration describes the geography, landscape, history, and noteworthy buildings along the route.

Users will discover important places that have

been preserved in central New Jersey. The app also provides links to websites where more details can be found, including historical photographs and maps that have been curated by the coalition. Links to the tour are also available at the Coalition’s website at millstonevalley.org, or the Byway Visitor’s Center on Griggstown Causeway, open 1–4 p.m. on weekends, April through October.

“The tour was written and narrated by a team of our trustees and volunteers who know the area and have long worked for the preservation and appreciation of its many unique resources — scenic, natural, historic, and recreational,” said Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition President Robert von Zumbusch. “The tour makes them widely and safely available to both locals and visitors. We are most grateful to Somerset County and its Cultural and Heritage Commission for their support of the project.”

The Millstone Valley

played an important role in the American Revolution, first as Washington’s Continental Army marched north in early 1777 to their winter encampment following the crucial battles of Trenton and Princeton, and in June 1778 as the Army marched to the Battle of Monmouth. Then, in 1781 the Continental Army, joined by French troops under General Rochambeau, marched south from New York through the Millstone Valley to achieve the final victory at Yorktown, Va.

In the 19th century, the Delaware and Raritan Canal opened an important trade route through the Millstone Valley between Pennsylvania and New York, allowing the region to become prosperous through both agriculture and industry.

This tour was developed by the Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition working with TravelStorysGPS, which hosts similar audio tours throughout the United States. The tour can also be experienced from home at travelstorys.com.

Topics In Brief A Community Bulletin

Donate Blood : On Saturday, June 29, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., the Red Cross will be on hand at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, to take donations. Donors get a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. Volunteers are also needed. The need for African American blood donors is particularly critical because of the prevalence of sickle cell anemia in the community. Registration is necessary at redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=ARTSPRINCETON.

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

Photo Contest : Friends of Princeton Open Space holds the ninth annual Perspectives on Preservation Photo Contest with a submission deadline of September 8. Photos taken at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Open Space area can be submitted by professionals and amateurs; they must have been taken during the past three years. Visit fopos.org for more information.

SCENIC BYWAY: The 1798 stone arch bridge over the Millstone River and the 1893 mill at Kingston are among the sites on a recently released self-guided driving tour of the Millstone Valley National Scenic Byway.

Pictured: Dago Villanueva, General Manager; Amanda Maher, Owner; Amar Gautam, Owner; Fito Belteton, Executive Chef.

MEETING HOUSE 277 Witherspoon St.

School for Music Study in Kingston, join in honoring her.

There’s the old joke where the New York City tourist asks a

who’s carrying a violin case, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” The musician’s answer: “Practice, practice, practice.”

proud of my talented student Amy!”

For rising Princeton High School (PHS) senior and pianist Amy Lin, the answer might be “practice, practice, practice,” but she also had to win the Gold Medal in the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) National Award, receiving the highest score in the country at the RCM’s top performance level.

TOPICS Of the Town

As a Gold Medal winner in the competition against pianists of all ages from all over the U.S. and Canada, Lin was invited to perform in the RCM Celebration of Excellence Recital at Carnegie Hall this past January 14, where she played Mikhail Glinka’s “The Lark” with transcription by Mily Balakirev.

“It was both exhilarating and a little nerve-wracking to perform my favorite piece on such a big stage,” Lin wrote in an email. “I was captivated by the hall’s rich acoustics and the beautiful sound of the grand piano. It really brought an unexpected grandiosity and charm to the music. It was also an amazing experience to hear the other musicians performing on different instruments. This performance was definitely the most memorable for me.”

Kairy Koshoeva, Lin’s teacher at the New School for Music Study (NSMS) in Kingston where Lin has been a student since she was 5, commented on the performance. “Amy was the last performer on the program and she performed so beautifully, with virtuosity, artistry, and colors in her sound,” Koshoeva said, as quoted in a NSMS press release. “I was in tears at the joyful moment of being a proud teacher! Being a teacher is hard work every day, but it is a blessing and a life-changing experience. I am forever grateful, and

The judge in the RCM competition described Lin’s performance of the repertoire for the exam, which included styles from baroque to 20th century classical music. “You play with a great deal of conviction and dedication to the composer’s intentions,” the judge said. “It was wonderful to see such a diverse range of colors, styles, and emotions in today’s performance.”

man in the street

GOLD MEDAL WINNER: Amy Lin, Princeton High School senior and virtuoso pianist, center, celebrates her Royal Conservatory of Music Gold Medal award, presented to her at Carnegie Hall on January 14. Marvin Blickenstaff and Kairy Koshoeva, her piano teachers at the New

(Photo courtesy of Amy Lin)

Lin, who practices about six or seven hours a week despite her busy PHS schedule, described the enjoyment she feels in the piano’s ability to communicate a wide range of emotions. “I think that music is a language of its own, expressing subtle sentiments when words fall short,” she said. “Music is important to me not only because it brings me joy and helps me relax, but also because it connects me with others no matter when and where they come from. Music can bridge across distance and generations.”

In addition to practicing and performing, Lin has also enjoyed composing ever since she began playing the piano. Motivated by the NSMS composition contest and the opportunity to perform her musical creations at end-of-year recitals, Lin eagerly pursued her interest in composing.

“My compositions started out by imitating the pieces I loved, then developed into lyrical melodies, and slowly evolved into orchestral pieces,” she wrote. “But no matter what music came out, I always had fun.”

Lin’s interests are not limited to the piano. They extend also to science and technology. “I’m particularly fascinated by AI and machine learning and have done several research projects in this area,” she said.

One of those projects merged her interests in science and music and also involved her dog’s reactions to sounds using machine learning. “I found that she reacts most strongly to low frequency sounds, which explains perfectly why she sings along to bass notes when I practice piano,” said Lin.

Question of the Week:

“What do you do to beat the heat?”

(Asked on Sunday during the heat wave) (Photos by Sarah Teo)

Lin was a member of the PHS national championship research team in the 2024 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. She also runs an app development club and the CS (Computer Science) and AI clubs, as well as serving as a peer leader on the eSTEAM Academy for Princeton Middle School students.

For the future, Lin would like to learn “a few more pieces from Chopin and Schubert” before she finishes high school. For college, she plans to choose a STEM major and possibly a minor in music. “I hope to continue playing music,” she said. “It will always be a part of my life.”

Lin went on to thank her piano teachers: Koshoeva, Charl Louw, Marvin Blickenstaff, Kristin Cahill, and others at NSMS.

—Donald Gilpin

“I jump in the pool at home.”

— Vincent Lanci, Long Island, N.Y.

Mira: “ I drink iced coffee. I like it from Small World, but really from anywhere.”

Kim: “I walk really early in the morning because I love to walk — and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.”

—Mira Marlink and Kim Swann, Princeton

Alana: “I work at an ice cream store, and perhaps take a couple samples…”

Kyla: “I work at the same ice cream shop, and I’m going to the beach tomorrow.”

Summer: “I like to go to the beach and swim in the ocean.”

—Alana Dandurand, Kyla Machinga, and Summer Wang, Pennington

Ben: “Iced Americanos from Rojo’s or Sakrid, and Bent Spoon ice cream.”

—Ben Laing, Princeton, with Yoon Chang, Korea, and Kaju

Advocates Want to Expand Seasonal Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

Since Princeton passed a seasonal ban on gas-powered leaf-blowers in October 2021, prohibiting their use from May 16 to September 30 and from December 16 to March 14, most residents and landscaping companies have followed the rules and made the switch to less toxic electrical equipment.

But three landscapers and one property owner were recently cited for not complying with the regulations. According to the organization Quiet Princeton, which advocated the development of the ordinance, each were fined $250 and warned that a future violation could result in a $2,000 fine.

“These people are not the majority,” said Anthony Lunn, who with Phyllis Teitelbaum founded Quiet Princeton in 2016. “On the whole, observance of the law has been very good, and we are very fortunate in having the Community Compliance Officer Sandra Garrity, who has been going around and talking to landscapers.”

Advocates of electrical rather than gas-powered blowers are pleased at the low incidence of local landscapers who have violated the seasonal ordinance. But they want to take the idea further and ban gas-powered leaf blowers altogether. Noise and toxic air pollution are the primary objections.

“Other municipalities in New Jersey have already put in year-round bans,” said Teitelbaum. “The time has come for us to have them here in Princeton. We’ve had two-and-a-half years of the seasonal bans, and it has been very successful. Quiet Princeton gets a lot of feedback from people who are spearheading this. The most important thing, we think, is protecting the landscaping company employees who suffer from the noise, hearing loss, and pollution. The bans would eliminate those problems for them.”

Councilwoman Eve Niedergang was closely involved, along with Sustainable Princeton, in creating the leaf-blower ordinance. Because of the way the ordinance is structured, violators have to be observed in action before they are cited and fined.

“It’s a vast improvement over what it was, and I think the community has noticed that,” she said. “But there are scofflaws out there.”

Because many of the landscaping companies are small and family-owned, “we don’t want to be too punitive,” Niedergang said. “So there has been a pretty forgiving attitude. But once you have

people who observed the same landscaper or property owner being in violation three times, they have to act.”

Work has been underway at the state level to ban the sale and use of gas-powered leaf-blowers in New Jersey.

“State Senator Bob Smith has introduced a bill that would do this,” said Teitelbaum. “Finally, this year, it came before the Environmental [and Energy] Committee, which heard two-and-a-half hours of testimony from both sides — people who favor the ban, and those who want amendments to weaken it. They passed it as is, and it will go to the Appropriations Committee next. It will proceed, but the process takes several years to go through that committee, the Assembly, the Senate, and so forth. So, something is happening in the state legislature, but it will take several years.”

Governments across the country have been targeting gas-powered blowers. Measures have been passed in Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; Burlington, Vt.; and Evanston, Ill. among other places. A ban in the state of California is to begin next month.

While advocates favor the use of electrical rather than gas-powered equipment, the ultimate goal of some is to eliminate equipment altogether. “Sustainable Princeton are leaders in this country in advancing the ideas of going beyond, of thinking differently about landscaping,” said Lunn. “Whether you need a lawn at all is one question. But it takes decades to make that kind of change. We are focused on a much narrower thing to get change more quickly.”

In December 2022, Quiet Princeton provided matching funds of $2,500 for donations to Sustainable Princeton’s Landscaping Transition Fund, which ultimately gave $21,000 to aid the transition to electric leaf blowers. The funds went to 24 companies, who serve 708 properties in Princeton, according to Quiet Princeton’s website.

Expanding the ban to a full year, if passed, would possibly go into effect in 2026. “We’d need to give people time to replace all of their equipment,” said Niedergang. “Time would be needed for the transition.”

—Anne Levin

Tell them you saw their ad in

Rider Reaches Milestone With Dance Therapy Program

The American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) has granted full approval to Rider University’s Dance/ Movement Therapy (DMT) program, which is a concentration within the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. With this approval, Rider becomes one of only seven ADTAapproved programs in the United States.

“Receiving approval is a significant milestone for our students, providing them with a robust and recognized credential that enhances their professional opportunities,” said Eri Millrod, an assistant professor and the director of Rider’s DMT concentration.

Dance/movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of individuals. By offering non-verbal avenues for selfknowledge, self-expression, healing, and growth, DMT aims to improve the mental health and well-being of clients with diverse conditions.

“As a profession that works with clients experiencing mental illness, addictions, trauma, and various disabilities, dance/ movement therapy is highly regulated to ensure public safety,” said Millrod.

With this full approval, graduates of Rider’s program earn the entry-level credential of registered dance/movement therapist, the first step toward becoming a board-certified dance/movement therapist. Launched in 2019, the DMT concentration is unique in that it is part of a counseling program that is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The only CACREP-accredited program in the country to offer a concentration in DMT, it also meets the educational requirements for several professional credentials, including licensed professional counselor and registered dance movement therapist.

Students in the DMT concentration complete 65 credits of coursework and 950 hours of fieldwork before graduating. Additionally, qualified Rider undergraduate dance or psychology majors have the option to pursue their Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in dance/movement therapy on an accelerated path.

Runners Conquer the Trails To Support Watershed Institute

The 8th Annual Solstice Trail Run, hosted by The Watershed Institute, saw runners of all levels come together on Thursday, June 20 for a day of outdoor adventure and camaraderie. The event, held at The Watershed Institute’s scenic 950-acre reserve, raised about $30,000 to support the Watershed’s vital conservation and education initiatives.

“Together, we are making a tangible difference in environmental conservation, advocacy, science, and education.” said Watershed Executive Director Jim Waltman. “I want to thank all the runners who came out despite the heat. I also appreciate the many donors who gave an additional gift

to support The Watershed Institute.”

APPROVED TO MOVE: Students in Rider University’s Dance/Movement Therapy program, which is now one of only seven ADTA-approved programs in the U.S. was the Watershed’s annual Solstice Run. She loved the event not only because she believed passionately in the Watershed’s mission, and its contribution to land and habitat preservation and education in our area, but because it was the first race she participated in (successfully) after beginning treatment in the early spring of 2018.”

This year the Watershed Institute awarded the first annual Isabella de la Houssaye Award to the top female finisher in the 10K race, Lucy Herring. The award will be given every year to honor de la Houssaye’s extraordinary life. She served on the Watershed’s Trail Run Committee from 2016-2023, providing insight and advice to the Watershed staff and volunteers on how to organize a successful running event. She ran the event each year and recruited her family and friends to join her Team Bella. De la Houssaye passed away in December of 2023, after a battle with cancer.

According to her husband, David Crane, “the only fundraising race she ever actively helped organize

About 214 participants tackled the challenging 5K, 10K, and 15K trails. After crossing the finish line, runners and supporters alike gathered under the tent for a post-race party. Medals were awarded to the first, second,

and third place finishers in various categories, honoring their dedication, skill, and perseverance. The fastest female and male runners in the 15K race were Gisele Calderon of Princeton and Brandon Sloboda of Fort Collins, CO. Winners in the 10K race were Lucy Herring of Princeton and Aaron Totten Lancaster of Frenchtown. Winners in the 5K race were Meghan Bruce of Princeton and Derway Lin of Belle Mead. Medals were also given out to the first, second, and third place winners in each category.

Fellow, AAMLFellow, AAML

Fellow,RisingAAML Star

248th Anniversary

continued from page one

crafts, tours of Morven’s gardens, live music by Vintage Vibe Tribe, and food trucks from Oink & Moo BBQ, Kona Ice, and The Empanada Guy. Face-painting and a unique opportunity to “sign” the Declaration of Independence are also scheduled. Admission to the outdoor festival is free, and visitors can purchase half-price tickets to tour the museum’s current exhibition, “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home.” This is a good weather event only. Visit morven.org for updates.

Early American cooking is a theme at the annual Fourth of July event being held from 1-5 p.m. at the Johnson Ferry House in Washington Crossing State Park (New Jersey

side). So are readings of the Declaration, tours of the house and garden by guides in period clothing, Colonial tutors, and quill pen writing. Kids can help make ice cream using recipes from the late 18th century. All of this is free, but donations are welcome. Call (609) 737-2515 for more information.

Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, Pa., is providing food, games, crafts, entertainment, and live music from 12-4 p.m. on its expansive grounds. Highlights include a decorated bike parade, wheelbarrow and sack races, tug-of-war, antique bicycles, and historic town ball, which is a precursor to baseball. Fonthill is at 525 East Court Street. Admission is $5 adults, $1 for ages 6-17, and free for those un der 5. Call (609) 345-0210 for more information.

Nearby in New Hope’s Peddler’s Village, the Red, White and Blueberries BBQ Bash is scheduled from July 4-7. Look for live music, family-friendly entertainment, pony rides, ax-throwing, and lots of food each day. For details, visit peddlersvillage.com. In Philadelphia, activities are ongoing from June 27 to July 4. Celebratory locations include the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, National Liberty Museum, The Mutter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary, and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. A gospel show is planned for Independence Historic Park, and there is a block party being held at the Avenue of the Arts (South Broad Street). A parade will take place July 4, from Market and South Second Street to City Hall. For exact times, dates, and details, check visitphilly.co.

Trenton played a significant role in the fight for independence, not least of which the first public reading of the Declaration on July 8, 1776. To commemorate the historic event, the document will be read aloud on Monday, July 8 at 12 p.m., in front of what was then the Hunterdon County Courthouse at 23 South Warren Street. Reading portions, as well as the names of all of the signers from the original 13 colonies, are several civic leaders including Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora. Of course, there are fireworks displays. Locations include: Montgomery Township: On the front lawn of Montgomery High School, 1016 Route 601, on Thursday, June 27 starting at 6 p.m. with food trucks,

games, giveaways, and music. Montgomeryrecreation.com.

Lawrence Township: At Rider University, Route 206, on Friday, June 28 starting at 6 p.m. with food trucks, a live band, and activities for kids. The fireworks start around 9:30 p.m. The raindate is June 29. Lawrencetwp.com.

Philadelphia: Set off from the Battleship New Jersey in Camden, over the Delaware River, on Saturday, June 29 from 7-10 p.m. Visitphilly.com.

South Brunswick: At Crossroads Middle School, 195 Major Road, on Monday, July 1 starting at 6 p.m. The fireworks begin around 8:45 p.m. Rain date is July 2. Southbrunswicknj.gov.

Ewing: On the soccer field at The College of New Jersey, Green Lane, on Wednesday, July 3 starting at 6 p.m. with rides, facepainting, sand art, a balloon man, a dunk tank, a DJ, reenactors, and food. Ewingnj. org.

Trenton: At the Trenton Thunder Ballpark, Route 29, on Thursday, July 4 following the 7 p.m. baseball game against Frederick Keys of Frederick, Md.

East Brunswick: At the Community Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, on July 4 starting at 6 p.m. with food trucks, a DJ, and entertainment for kids. Eastbrunswick.org/724/July-4th.

East Windsor: At Etra Lake Park, Disbrow Hill Road, on Saturday, July 6. Eastwindsor.nj.us.

Philadelphia: Over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Thursday, July 4, starting with a concert at 7 p.m. featuring NE-YO and Kesha. Visitphilly.com.

—Anne Levin

Transit Study

continued from page one

Resolutions supporting the awarding of professional services agreements for continuation of the Community Block Grant vision and dental care programs were also approved. Funding not to exceed $17,000 will go to dentist Lekha Tull, and funding not to exceed $11,343 will go to ophthalmologist Alma Jacobsen, both of whom have been providing care for people who could otherwise not afford it.

“I know this is a program that has impacted individuals who might not otherwise

have access to these services,” said Councilwoman Leticia Fraga. “These are really true life-changing services we’re providing.”

Deputy Administrator/Director of Health Jeff Grosser said that in 2023, 16 people took advantage of the dental care, while 39 visited the ophthalmologist. “For almost 50 percent of them, this was the first time they’ve ever visited an ophthalmologist or a dentist. So that’s life-changing.” Council meets next on Monday, July 8 at 7 p.m. Visit princetonnj.gov for more information.

—Anne Levin

Triumph Brewery

continued from page one

building permits,” he said. “Then we had 41 straight months of construction.”

The entire building was gutted, and refurbished to accommodate the restaurant’s dining rooms, bars, and brewery equipment.

Neither Wilkes nor Nutt would comment on the total budget for the project, but they both acknowledged, “You would be correct if you said it was a multimillion dollar project.”

About 20 percent of the building has been restored and about 80 percent completely reconstructed to fit the new needs of a restaurant and brewery. The restored portion, according to Wilkes, is the entire outside of the building except for the old post office loading dock that faced east. That loading dock, that used to be the back of the post office, has become a new front entrance pavilion.

“You’ll actually enter the building from the east instead of as previously done from the Palmer Square Green on the west,” said Wilkes.

One other area that has been restored is the entire lobby “that everyone remembers when they went inside to mail their letters or their parcel post,” he said. “That entire room has

been restored to its original glory.”

A historic WPA mural painted in 1939 in the lobby is still owned by the federal government and on loan from the U.S. Postal Service. Triumph performed extensive restorations, and the mural is now illuminated with special lighting.

Wilkes described the mural as “centrally themed around Nassau Hall and the early founding of Princeton University,” with depictions of James Madison, 1771 Princeton University graduate and poet Phillip Freneau, and Revolutionary War officer “Light-Horse Harry” Lee.

Perhaps even more popular and appealing than the renovated post office lobby, Wilkes suggested, might be the cocktail lounge at the center of the building, “a remarkable, uplifting space that is even more wonderful than the lobby that we all first knew.”

The building is also designed with the ability to be partitioned off, so that individual events can be staged in any one of five different spaces in the building. “The building has two gorgeous bars and two beautiful dining rooms,” Wilkes added.

Nutt described the restaurant as “a unique experience on two levels.” He continued, “There’s the entréeheavy dining experience in

the upstairs and the pubfriendly sandwich space with music downstairs. Come and see which space works best for you or on which particular evening you prefer which space.”

Nutt said that the highlight of the project for him was “seeing the transformation of the space and envisioning how it would turn out, making improvements along the way and doing it all in a thoughtful, caring way.” He commented in particular on Wilkes’ “craftsmanship in custom woodworking and design work, proceeding with great thoughtfulness and attention to detail.”

Graduate Hotel

The Princeton Graduate Hotel, another massive building project, this one at the corner of Nassau and Chambers streets just two blocks from the new Triumph Brewery, has also taken longer than anticipated to complete, and the opening, originally scheduled for December 2023, continues to be delayed.

Graduate Hotels management did not respond to repeated requests for information, but the 180-room hotel is taking reservations online for July 29 and afterwards.

One of 33 Graduate Hotels in the U.S. and England, mostly in college towns, the new Princeton hotel strikes a distinctively Princeton University-based theme, as seen in renderings and a peek through the windows on Chambers Street, where the main entrance will be. There are tall, elegant wooden bookcases, framed class jackets, ornamental tigers, and a strong orange and black motif, as described in a Princeton Alumni Weekly article. The article also notes that construction of the new hotel has cost more than $100 million.

—Donald Gilpin

Young Adult Protection Plan

A client shared that she was on a trip with a group of college students. As one of the students fainted, my client was prohibited by law from contacting the student’s parents. Fortunately, one of the other students reached the parents as their daughter waited for the EMTs to arrive.

This story caused me to realize the importance of having the proper documents for our children before we send them off to college or to work. All young adults over the age of 18 should have a HIPAA Authorization, Health Care Power of Attorney, Durable General Power of Attorney and Digital Authorization.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a Federal Law that protects the privacy of a young adult patient’s health care information. The HIPAA Authorization allows parents to have access to their child’s health care information without consent of the patient. A Health Care Power of Attorney allows the representative (agent) of choice to act on behalf of the young adult if he or she becomes incapacitated. The Durable General Power of Attorney immediately allows the agent to act on behalf of the young adult. Finally, a Digital Authorization allows the agent to have access to any digital devices. This authorization may prove extremely valuable.

Please call Mary Ann Pidgeon at (609) 520-1010 or email her at mpidgeon@pidgeonlaw.com to prepare these documents for you and your young adults.

care of Princeton’s trees

Northﬁ eld Bank VP, Pittsﬁ eld Branch Manager Carolyn Sepkowski. (Photo by Suki Wasserman/Housing

POST OFFICE NO MORE: The Triumph Brewing Company, relocated to the former post office building on Palmer Square, will be reopening this weekend after years of planning, renovation, and reconstruction. The main entrance is located where the post office loading dock used to be, on the opposite side of the building from the old post office entrance.

(Photo by Anthony Stull Photography)

PHS 101: Fund Awards 30 Scholarships; Graduates Plan for Success in College

In its 55th year of existence, the 101: Fund recently awarded scholarships to 30 Princeton High School (PHS) graduating seniors. In total the Fund will provide more than $176,000 during the next year to support recent graduates.

This was a record number of scholarship awards to new graduates, with many recipients being the first in their families to attend college.

The featured speaker at the June 10 awards ceremony was Kevin Lara Lemus, a former 101: Fund scholarship award recipient who is a recent graduate of the Mercer County Community College (MCCC) nursing program. He spoke about the significant help that the 101: Fund provided, both financially and through mentorship, during his college experience.

The 30 101: Fund scholarship recipients possess a wide range of talents, accomplishments — both academic and extracurricular — and backgrounds, as well as an impressive array of plans

The next step in their academic journeys will take them to American University, Boston University, Delaware State University, Delaware Valley University, Drexel University, Grinnell College, MCCC, Penn State, Pratt, Rhode Island School of Design, Rider University, Rutgers University, Seton Hall, Stevens Institute of Technology, Stockton University, William Paterson University, University of Colorado, University of Delaware, University of Miami, and University of Michigan.

The 101: Fund has been providing need-based college scholarships to PHS graduates since its founding by a school secretary in 1970.

“101 has given me an opportunity to keep learning and continue my education,” one PHS alumnus and 101: Fund scholarship recipient wrote when he graduated from MCCC. “I have learned a lot from great people like you and this has encouraged me to work harder. Thank you for your willingness to help students.”

Another past scholarship

Fund has given me the opportunity to achieve my dreams of going to college. I am the first person in my family to attend a four-year school, and because of the 101: Fund I am able to achieve my goal of becoming a teacher.”

The all-volunteer 101: Fund Board raises funds each year through campaigns and an annual spring benefit. “A rigorous awards process is conducted each year to adjust to the everchanging landscape of college admissions and costs,” explained Board President Tony Klockenbrink. “This year’s award process had to navigate the nationally publicized challenges with the FAFSA application.”

Klockenbrink noted that the board has partnered closely with MCCC to ensure that students are ready for college and are taking advantage of all available state and federal grants.

This year’s awards committee co-chairs were Jennifer Jang and Christina Walden. The 101: Fund Board is currently looking for “caring and compassionate adults”

college

year’s 101: Fund all-volunteer board,

seniors, and

funding

to serve as mentors to work with MCCC-bound students as they navigate the next phase of their lives. For more information, visit 101fund.org or email info@101fund.org

—Donald Gilpin

Jump Shot Gym Introduces New Membership Option

Jump Shot Gym, a specialized basketball facility with eight hoops and Dr. Dish shooting machines, has announced a new membership option that can accommodate players of all levels.

The new Clinics Memberships provide the ability to attend unlimited skills clinics for $149.99 per month.

The new summer schedule, which begins July 8, offers 32 clinics per month. Available clinics include foundational skills, shooting and finishing, and ball handling. Clinics members also get a 25 percent discount on summer camps, parties, and walk-in shooting sessions at the gym.

Jump Shot Gym opened in April with memberships that provide unlimited access to its Dr. Dish shooting machines. These machines catch both made and missed shots and continuously return the ball to the player, enabling more than 1,000 shots per hour and tracking stats.

To use the shooting machines, players must be able to clear a tall net, which naturally improves the shot arc. However, some younger players are not able to clear the net consistently.

“We quickly saw a huge interest from younger players who aren’t ready yet for the Dr. Dish machines, and we needed to come up with an option that allowed them to get the benefits of membership,” said Jim Hoyt, owner of Jump Shot Gym. “We also have many intermediate and advanced members who are improving tremendously with all the reps they are getting on the shooting machines, and we wanted to give them another way to up their game.”

Jump Shot Gym will continue offering clinics as eight-week sessions, as well as drop-in pricing for individual clinics. In addition, the gym is running summer camps through August 30.

“I always say, I want two things for everyone who comes into the gym. One, I want every player to improve. Two, I want every player to have fun,” said Hoyt. “I’m excited to offer a way for beginners and very young players to improve and learn how much fun this sport can be.”

Jump Shot Gym is located at 1 Jill Court, Suite 25, in Hillsborough. For more information, visit jumpshotgym.com.

Free Weekly Tours

At Princeton Airport

Princeton Airport invites the public to free tours every Tuesday morning during the months of July and August.

Starting at 10:30 a.m., the tours will address the past 113 years of the airport’s history, explore the present day-today operations and facilities, as well as take a glimpse into the future.

The airport has held tours since 1985. As a privately owned public use facility, its services include flight training for careers, business, or pleasure, in both airplanes and helicopters; sales and services of new and used airplanes; private helicopter charter; as well as indoor and outdoor parking of aircraft.

The public will have the opportunity to walk around and view some of the different aircraft based at the field. Varieties include homebuilt, experimental, aerobatic, and

other types. An explanation of the procedures employed by pilots and the airport management will be given, as well as a visit to the maintenance hangar. During the tour, visitors may be invited to sit inside an airplane to observe how the controls work.

The tours take approximately 40 minutes. Groups are welcome. The airport is at 41 Airpark Road in Montgomery Township, off Route 206. Visit princetonairport.com or call (609) 921-3100.

Mercer County Passport Day at Lawrence Library Branch

A passport service event will be offered by the Office of Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello, who will be joined by staff from the offices of Congresspersons Andy Kim and Bonnie Watson Coleman on Thursday, July 25 from 2-6:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. This event is directed to serve residents of the Lawrence and Ewing Township area, but it is also open to any U.S. citizen that has proper identification and seeks to obtain a passport from the U.S. Department of State. It is also open to anyone who needs to apply for or renew a passport.

Representatives of government offices will be on site to accept and process applications, take photos, and answer general passport questions. Contact the Mercer County Clerk at (609) 9896473 for appointments. For details on documents needed to apply for a U.S. Passport, visit mercercounty.org.

THE PATHWAY TO COLLEGE: Since 1970 the 101: Fund has provided need-based

scholarships for Princeton High School graduates. This

pictured above, awarded scholarships to 30 PHS graduating

additional

to support other recent PHS graduates in college. (Photo courtesy of 101: Fund)

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

Books

Council Should Reinitiate Discussions on Opening a Cannabis Dispensary in Town

To the Editor:

I am a resident of Princeton, living every day with chronic pain. Like many other people in our community, I rely on cannabis for pain management, and a Princeton cannabis dispensary would make a big difference.

In addition, revenues from sales of cannabis will benefit our own community in Princeton. and businesses can provide local jobs and opportunities.

Nationally, the cannabis industry has been viewed as a way to provide reparation for communities affected by past wrongs.

However, two years ago, our town Council decided to table discussion on opening a cannabis dispensary. I believe it’s time we bring this vital issue back into consideration.

Please join me and contact the mayor and Council and urge them to reinitiate discussions and vote in favor of opening a cannabis dispensary in Princeton. The petition is at https://chng.it/ZYvkPDfFV7.

JOANNE MARSHALL Broadripple Drive

Letters to the Editor Policy

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

Letters must be no longer than 500 words and have no more than four signatures.

All letters are subject to editing and to available space.

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

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

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

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

Princeton Author Riley Sager To Appear at Barnes & Noble

Thriller author Riley Sager will visit the MarketFair Barnes & Noble store in the MarketFair mall on Route 1 on Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m. to talk about his new book, Middle of the Night. In Sager’s latest tale, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend — and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood. A Q & A will follow the discussion. Books will be signed, but

not personalized. Photos are permitted.

According to the publisher, Middle of the Night (Dutton, $30) tells of the July night when 10-year-old Ethan Marsh and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet New Jersey cul-desac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle, where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place — be it

a quiet forest or suburban street — is completely safe, and that the past has a way of haunting the present.

“There are twists aplenty in Sager’s latest. His signature style will leave readers dizzyingly satisfied,” said Library Journal.

Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, most recently The House Across the Lake and The Only One Left. A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton.

Seating is prioritized for customers with books purchased at the store, or on bn.com, and they must show receipt or proof of purchase. Seating is available on a first-come, firstserved basis beginning at 6 p.m. Standing room will be available.

For more information, or to reserve a copy of Middle of the Night, call the store at (609) 750-9010,

Filmmaker Seidelman’s New Memoir Launched at Doylestown, Pa., Theater

The Frenchtown Bookshop is partnering with Bucks County’s County Theater to celebrate a new memoir by filmmaker Susan Seidelman on Saturday, June 29, at 7 p.m. The County Theater is at 20 East State Street in Doylestown, Pa.

Seidelman, director of the film Desperately Seeking Susan, has written the newly released Desperately Seeking Something, A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls (St. Martin’s Press, $30). The Frenchtown Bookshop will co-produce a Book Launch Screening at the County Theater, including a screening of Smithereens ; an interview by noted film critic Carrie Rickey, formerly of The Philadelphia Inquirer; and a meeting and book signing with Seidelman.

One of the first female directors to succeed in Hollywood, Seidelman’s film Smithereens was the first American independent film to be accepted at Cannes. Her next ,

Desperately Seeking Susan, was a box-office hit starring Madonna and Rosanna Arquette. She went on to direct the pilot and early episodes of Sex and the City, and to earn an Oscar nomination. She grew up in nearby Abington, Pa.

Starting out in the mid’70s, a time when few women were directing movies, Seidelman told stories about the unrepresented characters she wanted to see on screen: unconventional women in unusual circumstances, needing to express themselves and maintain their autonomy.

The County is part of Renew Theaters, which includes Princeton Garden Theatre.

Tickets for the screening are available at countytheater.org/films/smithereens.

To pre-purchase signed copies of the book to pick up at the screening, visit the event page at frenchtownbookshop.com/events or call (908) 628-9297.

TOWN TOPICS

is printed entirely on recycled paper.

Celebrating Bloomsday with James Joyce and John Lennon

So the first thing I do is buy “Finnegans Wake” and I read a chapter and it’s GREAT and I dug it and I felt like — here’s an old friend!

—John Lennon

John Lennon came into the world on October 9, 1940, a little less than 100 days after James Joyce left it on January 13, 1941. That the singer songwriter from Liverpool and the writer from Dublin arrived and departed in such close proximity should be of no more earthly significance than the fact that Joyce died of natural causes in Zurich four decades before Lennon died violently in New York City. A month before he was murdered, Lennon made sure an image of Finnegans Wake appeared in a video for his song, “Just Like Starting Over.” A copy of the Viking edition is prominently displayed among Lennon’s possessions around 1:17 into the film.

Overflowings

All week my mind’s been humming with Joyce and Nora, Bloom and Molly, Bloomsday, lost fathers and lost sons, and something else Lennon said about reading Joyce: “It was like finding Daddy.” So I’ve been reading Lennon into Joyce and Joyce into Lennon, who would fall about laughing at wordplay like “poached eyes on ghost.” I imagine him doodling an appropriate image and maybe having it made into a t-shirt. And in the hilarious phantasmagoria of Nighttown, when a cake of lemon soap sings “We’re a capital couple Bloom and I, he brightens the earth. I polish the sky,” I can hear Lennon cackling behind me and sneering Hard Day’s Night -style, “Give us a kiss, Poldy.”

Cleaning up in the kitchen after a Father’s Day — Bloomsday dinner, I’ve got the Beatles playing on the Bose Wave and Joyce in mind as I listen to “A Day in the Life” with its “four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire” and “now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall,” and I think of the classroom scene early in Ulysses wherein Stephen Dedalus, after being told that the great goal of human history is “the manifestation of God,” gestures toward an open window and the sound of boys playing football and says, “That is God — a shout in the street.” As for those boys at play outside the window, I’m seeing John, Paul, George, and Ringo romping in the field to the frantic beat of “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

“She’s So Heavy”

As I’m playing Abbey Road , Joyce squints through his spectral specs at the famous cover and sees Lennon leading his

mates across the famous crossing, looking quite the Joycean dandy in his white suit and white shoes. JJ is tuned in for sure when JL’s “Come Together” comes on with its litany of absurdities and surrealities: “walrus gumboot,” “spinal cracker,” “mojo filter,” “feet down below his knees, hold you in his armchair, yeah you can feel his disease, got to be good-lookin’ ‘cause he’s so hard to see.”

Thinking of the long midnight ramble of Molly Bloom, I skip ahead to Lennon’s massive battle hymn of need, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” which reminds me of the first time I read the love letters Joyce wrote to Nora (“you hot little girl”) in 1909, notably the one that begins, “There is some star too near the earth for I am still in a fever-fit of animal desire.” After telling her that he never uses “obscene phrases in speaking” and “hardly smiles” when men tell “filthy or lecherous stories” in his presence: “Yet you seem to turn me into a beast. It was you yourself, you naughty shameless girl who first led the way. It was not I who first touched you long ago down at Ringsend.”

know that I, Kilroy, once lived there. I saw the same view through the window of my room, which I was sure must be the very room that Joyce and Nora had occupied after he failed to find work at the Berlitz school in Trieste.

According to Ellman’s biography, the friend who met their boat at the wharf “smiled to see them, ragged from travel, Joyce proud and impervious, Nora confused and curious in a strange-looking hat, descending the gangplank with their one old suitcase out of which bulged indifferently bits of dirty clothing and miscellaneous necessaries.”

Writing in his mid-20s as he was about to put the finishing touches on the first incarnation of Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce tells his “little wildflower of the hedges,” it was her lips “which first uttered an obscene word ... that night in bed in Pola.”

Being There

It was Pula, not Pola, in May-June 1966, and it was in Yugoslavia, not Austria, and John Lennon and the Beatles were keeping me company on my little transistor radio singing “Rain” and “Paperback Writer.” In my copy of Richard Ellman’s James Joyce (1960), there’s a photo of the Berlitz school where Joyce taught, next to the Roman arch of Sergius, above which I left a penciled message to let the world

In March 1905, Joyce and Nora left for Trieste, where the job at Berlitz had finally become available. The city would be the birthplace of their children Giorgio and Lucia, and Joyce would finish The Portrait and begin Ulysses there. Before he left Pola he formally announced to his brother Stanislaus that he had determined to consider himself “a voluntary exile.”

That image of the old suitcase bulging with dirty clothes reminds me of the pack I’d purchased along with a U.S. Army sleeping bag from a street merchant in Turin the previous summer and carried to India and back. My five weeks in Joyce and Nora’s Pola were my last as a single male. On June 21, I had a date in St. Mark’s Square with the rest of my life.

Bloomsday

June 16, 1904, the day of Joyce’s first date with Nora Barnacle and the date on which he sets Ulysses is celebrated outside Ireland in places as far afield as Australia and New Zealand, Prague and the Hungarian town of Szombathely, the fictional birthplace of Bloom’s father.

As Colm Tóibín pointed out during last week’s virtual spotlight tour of the Morgan

Library & Museum’s exhibit “Happy Bloomsday, James Joyce,” one of the displayed letters from Nora to Joyce is unpunctuated throughout, a typographic model Joyce follows in Molly Bloom’s prodigious monologue, which ends Ulysses with the words, “yes I said yes I will Yes.”

“Flower of the Mountain”

The credits for this song, which is adapted from Molly’s monologue, are shared by Kate Bush and James Joyce, whose estate granted the singer licence to the material in 2011. From the moment I heard 20-year-old Kate sing “Feel It” (“oh feel it, feel it, my love, see what you’re doing to me”), I knew she’d take on Molly Bloom one day. Now I’m trying to imagine Joyce looking up from the manuscript of the Penelope chapter to see this lovely woman of Irish ancestry whirling through an enchanted forest on her way to “yes I said yes I will Yes.”

I’m not sure why but I’ve never been much drawn to either of Bush’s recorded versions of Molly’s unpunctuated erotic rhapsody. I’d rather listen to her sing “Wuthering Heights” or “Running Up That Hill.” Or “Cloudbusting.”

A Sutherland Surprise

I’ve been looking for ways to remember the actor Donald Sutherland, who died at 88 the day after Bloomsday. If you want to see the man in his prime, I recommend Paul Mazursky’s Alex in Wonderland (1970), where he’s everything a 35-yearold actor could dream of being: he’s funny, both charming and cranky, and he moves at times with the style of a very lanky Chaplin. It’s fun to see him as a young one-picture director paying homage to his idol Fellini, and dazzled to the depths by Jeanne Moreau, she singing “La reve est la” cuddled up beside him during a dream sequence horse and carriage ride.

However, I prefer him as Dr. Wilhelm Reich in the Terry Gilliam-Kate Bush 1985 music video for “Cloudbusting,” which is nicely directed by Julian Doyle. Apparently Bush had to sell him on the idea after he turned it down; she knocked on his door, he opened, looked out, no one was there. Then he looked down and there was wee Kate, all ready to play the part of his son Peter in the video. I’ve been enamoured of Kate Bush for many years but never has she looked as loveable as she does when helping Sutherland push his gigantic contraption up “that hill.” As for the actor, it’s clear to see that he loves the part and the woman he almost didn’t see when she knocked on his door.

—Stuart Mitchner

Princeton Festival Continues with Refreshing Evening of the Baroque Era

Princeton Festival switched gears this past Thursday night to chamber music with a return visit from the popular ensemble The Sebastians, which draws its moniker from the middle name of towering Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Surmising that Bach might actually have been called “Sebastian” by his friends, the instrumentalists first came together with the goal of playing “mixed chamber music at a high musical level, with friends.” Twelve members of The Sebastians came to Princeton’s Trinity Church last Thursday night as part of Princeton Festival, performing music of their namesake, as well as Bach’s contemporaries. Demonstrating the range and capabilities of 18th-century strings, flute and harpsichord, the conductor-less chamber orchestra showed how Bach’s influence is still felt to this day.

Although German composer Georg Philipp Telemann was more recognized than Bach in his own lifetime, his music was overshadowed by other 18th-century composers until the early 20th century. Since then, his music has been recognized as equally complex and intricate as the more well-known Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. Telemann’s Concerto in A Major for Flute, Violin and Cello was initially published in a collection known as “musique de table,” in the tradition of musicians performing while guests were enjoying a meal. The Sebastians began Telemann’s four-movement work gracefully, with David Ross’ Baroque flute providing a richer and more mellow sound than its 21st-century counterpart.

The combination of a slightly lower Baroque pitch, warm period instruments, and animated music seemed to bring down the temperature on a sultry evening as the ensemble created its own world of precise rhythms and tapered phrase endings. Joining Ross as Concerto soloists were violinist Daniel Lee and cellist Ezra Seltzer. All players watched one another well, with each soloist providing clean melodic passages. The second movement “Allegro” featured Lee and Seltzer in duet under extended trills from Ross. A courtly third movement showed Seltzer plying a wide-ranging cello line, while the light orchestration enabled the audience to

hear Kevin Devine’s excellent harpsichord accompaniment.

Violinists Lee and Nicholas DiEugenio were showcased in Telemann’s Gulliver Suite for Two Violins in D Major, inspired by Jonathan Swift’s 1726 satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels. Throughout this narrative piece, Lee and DiEugenio frequently played in pure thirds, effectively bringing to life the Laputians and Lilliputians through ﬂeeting passages played with precision and a bit of humorous acting at the close.

The Sebastians are known for Bach, and even with one Brandenburg Concerto cut from Thursday’s program, there was plenty of the Baroque master to enjoy. Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major was the only one of Bach’s set of six pieces that did not use violins; the composer scored the three-movement work instead to feature two violas da braccio, which were relatively new at the time and which were expertly played in this performance by Jessica Troy and Kyle Miller. The orchestration often juxtaposed the violas against two more familiar violas da gamba, stylistically played by Matt Zucker and Adrienne Hyde. The Concerto’s key of B-flat and the absence of violins kept the texture mellow, as Troy and Miller maintained a lively dialog with cellist Ezra Seltzer and the two da gambas provided a solid foundation to the sound. Cadences were short and clean, and phrases well tapered. The third movement gigue-like “Allegro” was chipper without being too fast, and was especially noteworthy for Seltzer’s nimble cello lines.

Theclosing Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major brought the strings of The Sebastians to the stage, with the resulting performance being energized and refreshing. Quick thematic passages were passed down the row of violins and then to the violas, and the instrumentalists showed uniform dynamic contrasts. The second movement “Adagio” was originally composed as only two notes, with the intention that players would improvise a bridge between the two faster movements. Violinist Lee provided a quick improvisation over the two harmonic chords, before the orchestra was off to the races again to close the concert in spirited 18th-century fashion.

—Nancy Plum

PETTORANELLO GARDENS AMPHITHEATER ROUTE 206 AND MOUNTAIN AVE,

INFORMATION: bluecurtainconcerts@gmail.com facebook.com/BlueCurtainConcerts

The first exhibition Gilded Age sculptors most recognizable

The first exhibition exploring the legacies of Gilded Age sculptors who created our Nation’s most recognizable monuments.

The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French June 29–January 5, 2025

The first exhibition exploring the legacies Gilded Age sculptors who created our Nation’s most recognizable monuments.

Monuments and Myths: The and Daniel Chester French is of Arts, Chesterwood, a Preservation, and the Saint-Gaudens Saint-Gaudens National Historic panying publication has been American Art. Support for provided by the Gladys Krieble

of and Daniel Chester French is co-organized of Arts, Chesterwood, a site of the Preservation, and the Saint-Gaudens Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park. panying publication has been provided American Art. Support for the exhibtion provided by the Gladys Krieble Delmas

The Michener Art Museum presentation of Monuments and Myths: The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French has been generously supported by the Bucks County Tourism Grant Program, Worth & Company, Inc., Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, and the Michener Art Museum’s 35th Anniversary Initiative.

The first exhibition exploring the legacies Gilded Age sculptors who created our most recognizable monuments.

Monuments and Myths: The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts, Chesterwood, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Saint-Gaudens Memorial in partnership with Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park. Major support for the accom panying publication has been provided by the Wyeth Foundation American Art. Support for the exhibtion and the publication has been provided by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. The Michener Art Museum presentation of Monuments and Myths: America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French has been generously supported by the Bucks County Tourism Grant Program, Worth & Company, Inc., Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, the Michener Art Museum’s 35th Anniversary Initiative.

Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), Abraham Lincoln, model, 1909–12, cast 1912. Bronze, H. 37½ inches. Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA. Gift of Daniel Chester French Foundation, NT 69.38.251. Courtesy American Federation of Arts. Photo by Bruce Schwarz.

Monuments and Myths: The America of Sculptors Augustus and Daniel Chester French is co-organized by the American of Arts, Chesterwood, a site of the National Trust Preservation, and the Saint-Gaudens Memorial in partnership Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park. Major support for panying publication has been provided by the Wyeth Foundation American Art. Support for the exhibtion and the publication provided by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. The Michener Art Museum presentation of Monuments America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel has been generously supported by the Bucks County Tourism Program, Worth & Company, Inc., Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, the Michener Art Museum’s 35th Anniversary Initiative.

The Michener Art Museum America of Sculptors Augustus has been generously supported Program, Worth & Company, the Michener Art Museum’s

Chester French (1850–1931), Abraham Lincoln, model, 1909–12, cast 1912. Bronze,

Lincoln H. 37½ inches. Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA. NT 69.38.251. Courtesy American Federation of

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

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

Offered at $2,450,000

WELCOME HOME TO THE GLEN — one of Princeton’s premier communities. Designed and executed by the respected Hillier Group Architects, this house at 24 James Court illustrates the timeless elegance associated with this design group combined with a premier Princeton location. Situated at the curve of a cul-de-sac, the house sits beautifully on its lot, with professionally planted gardens surrounding it. A charming bluestone terrace provides the perfect place for outside entertaining. Upon entering the house, the rooms fan out both visually and physically, and you have a view to the gardens from almost every room. The elegant living room has burnished oak floors, a fireplace, and large windows framing the gardens. The adjacent study is quiet and serene, and the formal dining room has hosted dozens of dinner parties for friends and family alike. The eat-in kitchen, with all accoutrements, has a custom solarium addition, making casual dining as elegant and special as can possibly be. Your morning coffee tastes as delicious as the view! Of course, the main bedroom is on this first level, as well, and the sybaritic bathroom is perfection. Upstairs, two additional bedrooms, a full bath, and large landing provide space for everyone and everything. A double garage and full basement provide tons of convenient storage. Don’t let this special property escape! $1,450,000

robin.wallack@foxroach.com

MARKETED BY

Judith Stier

MARKETED BY:

Robin Wallack

Sales Associate

Direct Line: 609.240.1232

Offered at $2,450,000

Judith Stier Sales Associate Direct Line: 609.240.1232

Broker Associate Cell: 609.462.2340

robin.wallack@foxroach.com

Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08540 foxroach.com

Judith Stier

elegant entertaining. Built in a period of skilled craftsmanship, these well-proportioned rooms have high ceilings, deep moldings and other sought after details. First floor rooms flow seamlessly into one another and onto a large porch, facilitating warm weather entertaining. This important home has a circular driveway and is located on almost an acre of land with a three car garage and is waiting for a new owner to make it their own.

WE ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT this delightful house in the sweet spot of Princeton near the end of Willow Street. Beautifully renovated and lovingly cared for, this antique house is eagerly awaiting its next “Porchfest” performance. Living in this location enables you to experience Princeton at its finest. The stucco exterior is cosseted by mature and vibrant plantings, which you can enjoy in most every season. Entering the house, the welcoming foyer opens to a formal living room with decorative fireplace, original moldings, and built-in shelves. Burnished wood floors are found in most rooms of the house, providing the perfect foil for your furnishings and carpets. The dining room has glass doors to the deck and gardens. On this level, you will also find a guest room, family room, and eat-in kitchen. Upstairs, the primary bedroom is ensuite, and there are two additional bedrooms and a full bath as well as an open TV room and a separate office/study space. The third floor is finished and offers additional space for a study or playroom. With the laundry room on the second floor, you will experience modern convenience coupled with vintage charm. With a large, beautiful yard yet close to downtown, it just doesn’t get any better than this! $1,775,000

Offered at $2,450,000

Offered at $2,450,000 Judith Stier

MARKETED BY

MARKETED BY:

Judith Stier

Robin Wallack

Sales Associate

Direct Line: 609.240.1232

Offered at $2,450,000

Direct Line: 609.240.1232

Broker Associate Cell: 609.462.2340

robin.wallack@foxroach.com

Performing Arts

HONOR FOR A PRINCETONIAN: Jane Cox, left, shown here with her daughter Beckett Alexander, was awarded the 2024 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Play. (Photo courtesy Jane Cox)

Lewis Center Director Wins Tony Award

On June 16, Jane Cox, director of Princeton University’s Lewis Center Program in Theater and Music Theater, won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Lighting

Design of a Play for her work on Branden JacobsJenkins’s play, Appropriate This is Cox’s fourth nomination and first win. Appropriate received the Tony for Best Revival of a Play. Jacobs-Jenkins is a member

of Princeton’s Class of 2006 and of the Lewis Center’s Advisory Council, and has taught in the Theater Program at Princeton. The production garnered a third Tony, for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, for Sarah Paulson.

“I’m so delighted to win a Tony for working on a play by one of the greatest writers of our time — Princeton alum Branden Jacobs-Jenkins,” said Cox. “This brilliant, provocative and haunted play is an incredible vehicle for design, calling for precision and imagination in getting light into this metaphorical and literally dark space. It was also delightful to be in the company of several Princeton folks, including the incredible alum Jeff Kuperman, Class of 2012, whose choreography (along with brother Rick) for the Tony-winning musical The Outsiders was brilliantly displayed during the awards ceremony.”

Cox also recently won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play for her work on Appropriate

“We are thrilled to congratulate Jane on her muchdeserved Tony win,” said Judith Hamera, chair of the Lewis Center. “Her nationally renowned excellence as an artist is of a piece with her outstanding teaching and dedicated service to the Lewis Center for the Arts and to the University.”

of the

the June 19 Juneteenth

music conducted by Vinroy D.

area

selections.

Appropriate follows the dysfunctional Lafayette family as they return to a decaying plantation mansion in Arkansas to battle over their recently deceased father’s inheritance.

Cox designs lighting for theater, opera, dance, and music. Her other recent lighting design work includes Michael R. Jackson’s and Anna K. Jacobs’ Teeth at Playwrights Horizons ; The Marriage of Figaro at San Francisco Opera ; Fefu and her Friends at Theater for a New Audience in New York City, directed by Princeton alum

Lileana Blain-Cruz; King Lear with Glenda Jackson on Broadway, directed by Sam Gold; a new musical adaptation of Secret Life of Bees ; The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, directed by former Princeton faculty member John Doyle; a theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between The World and Me , directed by Kamilah Forbes; and a revival of True West on Broadway, directed by British director James McDonald.

A Princeton resident, Cox has been a company member of the Monica Bill Barnes Dance Company for 20 years. She has served on the faculty at Princeton since 2007, and became director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater in 2016.

Electro-acoustic Violist In Multimedia Event

West Windsor Arts will host Brooklyn-based musi cian, composer, and record ing artist Trevor New on Fri day, June 28, in the gallery of the arts center.

traditional classical music, adopted with contemporary influences, with storytelling and art.

“Everyone will be able to see each other, including people not in the room. They will be able to draw artwork on the screen by clapping and waving their hands. They will be able to make music together. We will do everything at the same time. It’s an amazing opportunity for musicians and audiences to connect virtually and in person,” said New, who has performed in such venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Gar -

New, an electro-acoustic violist, is the creator of “Cohere Touch,” a unique technology that unites musicians and audiences from around the world with those in the room with him. At the event, classic and new music pieces will be performed by musicians beamed in from all over the world. New’s musical guests include Grammy nominees and musicians from groups that have performed with such artists as Madonna, Jon Batiste, Philip Glass, Katy Perry, and Midori.

The audience will be encouraged to dance and move in response to the music, allowing them to see in real time how their movements and sounds become part of the total experience.

“We believe that art should be for everyone, everywhere, and this show exemplifies how to make that possible,” said Aylin Green, executive director of West Windsor Arts. “When I saw one of Trevor’s shows, I was enthralled by the music and entertained by the interactive experience. His technology allows him to not only beam in musicians from around the world, not unlike Zoom concerts, but take it to the next level by immersing the live audience in a uniquely engaging concert. In other words, Trevor New is very talented and his performances are really cool. People of all ages will enjoy this show.”

New will combine

As New continues to explore ways for his music to bring people together “in time and space,” he is also working on new material. For the West Windsor Arts performance, audiences can expect a mix of several genres. “The Bach might have some beats,” he said. “There might be some folk, there will be some hip-hop, too.”

There will be plenty of opportunity for members of the audience to participate at any level they choose. All will be invited to pay tribute to a father, single parent, or other family member as part of an audio-visual collage celebrating family. It will be played through the Cohere Touch system for all to experience in real time. Visit westwindsorarts.org to register.

GRAND FINALE: As part

last few days of the 2024 Princeton Festival, held on the grounds

Morven,

Celebration culminated in a concert honoring Black choral

Brown Jr. Anchored by The Capital Singers of Trenton, singers from

choirs combined to lend their voices to Robert Ray’s “Gospel Mass” and other choral

(Photo by Princeton Symphony Orchestra Staff)

Trevor New

Two Summer Exhibits at Contemporary Art Center

The Center for Contemporary Art (The Center) in Bedminster has two new summer exhibitions on view through September 15. The “Members’ NonJuried Exhibition & Sale” showcases the diversity and creativity of The Center’s community of artists. The exhibition features 89 works of art across a variety of mediums including painting,

pastel, charcoal, ink, collage, graphite, photography, sculpture, glass, mixed media, ceramics, and more.

The judge for this year’s exhibition was Timothy O’Connor, executive director of the duCret Center of Art in Plainfield; duCret is the oldest art school in New Jersey.

O’Connor selected the following members of The Center to receive awards: Sally Bush Memorial Award – Best of Show — Martine Marie

White (Basking Ridge) , Pug in the City; Ceramics Award of Excellence — Sandra Kosinski (Long Beach Township) , Blowfish Garden Sculpture; and Raritan Valley Arts Association Award of Excellence — Linda Gallo (Somerset) , Dancing Feet on an Autumn Street. Honorable Mentions include Eleanor Eick (Whitehouse Station) , Spectators ; Fran Hargadon (Somerset) , Squawking ; Thomas Martin (Edison) , Man Seated ; and

Dorothy Varrone (Bridgewater) , North Branch Barn. Also on view, “ The Next Generation: An Exhibition of Teen Artists,” features the work of 24 teen artists (ages 13-17) in painting, graphite, colored pencil, printmaking, felt, mixed media, ceramics, and more. O’Connor selected teen award winners in the following categories: Best of Show — Annalena Bohach (Somervile) , Friends ‘til the End; and Honorable Mentions — Natasha Elleston (Plainfield), Natura Inamorata; Celline Han (Bedminster), Cupid with Grapes; and Mimi Petric (Basking Ridge), From the River to the Sea

The Center for Contemporary Art is located at 2020 Burnt Mills Road in Bedminster. For further information, call (908) 234-2345 or visit ccabedminster.org.

“Captured Moments” on Display at Artists’ Gallery

Artist Richard Harrington and photographer Ilya Raskin have announced the opening of their joint show, “Captured Moments,” on view July 4 to August 4 at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. The exhibit features the artists’ work inspired by trips throughout the U.S. and the world.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 6, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Harrington has been a member of the Artists’ Gallery for more than 15 years, while Raskin is the newest member of the Artists’ Gallery co-op. “Captured Moments” is the first exhibition at the Artists’ Gallery to feature his work.

Both Harrington and Raskin are interested in capturing and documenting images of moments that may pass by quickly or go unnoticed by others; Harrington concentrates more on urban and transportation subjects, while Raskin’s work reflects his interest in nature and wildlife.

Harrington is well known for his automotive subjects, and is also an accomplished illustrator and cartoonist. He is a professor of illustration at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.

Raskin has published his photographs in over 70 articles in conservation, nature, and popular science magazines, including National Geographic publications.

Artists’ Gallery is located at 18 Bridge Street in Lambertville. It is open

Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 pm. For more information, visit lambertvillearts.com.

“Sundaes on the Veranda” At Trenton City Museum

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie will serve up its annual “Sundaes on the Veranda” fundraiser on Sunday, June 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition to all the classic toppings at this family-friendly ice cream social, attendees can choose a unique, artisan-made ceramic bowl to take home. New this year, sundaes are free for children age 6 and under who are accompanied by a paid adult; $20 for a sundae in a handmade ceramic bowl; and $10 for a sundae in a disposable bowl. Admission can be reserved in advance at ellarsie.org/ sundaes, or paid at the door. While at “Sundaes on the Veranda,” attendees who step inside the museum can see the last day of the exhibition “Space & Clutter, “ which is curated by Janis Purcell and features works by Jackie Lima, David Z. Orban, and Paul Smith. Located in Trenton’s historic Cadwalader Park, the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is accessible by car from Parkside Avenue and has ample parking alongside the museum. It is open Fridays and Saturdays, 12 to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. While there is no admission charge, donations in support of the museum’s mission and programs are appreciated. For more information, visit ellarslie.org or call (609) 989-1191.

Area Exhibits

Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Denison Baniwa: Under the Skin of History” through September 1. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Beyond Boundaries” through June 30 and “Captured Moments” July 4 through August 4. An opening reception is on Saturday, July 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lambertvillearts.com.

Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Don’t we touch each other just to prove we are still here?: Photography and Touch” through August 4. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “Narratives From My Toy Box” through June 29 in the Taplin Gallery and “Phases of the Heart” through June 29 in the Solley Lobby Gallery. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Ficus Bon Vivant, 235 Nassau Street, has “Capture the Rhythm” through January 12. Ficusbv.com.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has an exhibit by the Creative Collective Art Group July 1 through August 29. A reception is on July 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. Cranburyartscouncil.org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Slow Motion” through September 1 and “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. Groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Princeton Reflected: Stories from HSP’s Collection” and “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery.” Museum hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. Princetonhistory.org Morpeth Contemporary, 43 West Broad Street, Hopewell, has “Mystery, Memory, and Magic: The Art of Lyanne Malamed” through June 30. Morpethcontemporary.com. Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home,” through March 2. Morven.org.

New Hope Arts, 2 Stockton Avenue, New Hope, Pa., has “Structures and Constructions in Fiber” June 29 through August 18. An opening reception is on June 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. Newhopearts.org.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has works by Helen Rudnick through July 2. Paintings by Vivian Slee are at the 254 Nassau Street location through July 2. Smallworldcoffee.com.

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, has “Space & Clutter” through June 30. Ellarslie.org.

West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “2024 Faculty & Student Show” through July 13. Westwindsorarts.org.

“CHAMPION”: This work by Richard Harrington is featured in “Captured Moments,” his joint exhibition with Ilya Raskin, on view July 4 through August 4 at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville. An opening reception is on July 6 from 4 to 7 p.m.

“GUANACO”: This photograph by Ilya Raskin is part of “Captured Moments,” his joint exhibition with Richard Harrington, on view July 4 through August 4 at Artists’ Gallery in Lambertville.

“PUG IN THE CITY”: This oil on canvas painting by Martine Marie White was named Best in Show at the “Members’ Non-Juried Exhibition & Sale,” on view through September 15 at The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster.

“SUNDAES ON THE VERANDA”: The annual ice cream social hosted by the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie is on Sunday, June 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. Funds raised will be used to support programs offered by the museum.

Town Topics | Mark Your Calendar

Wednesday, June 26

8-10:30 a.m.: Princeton Mercer Chamber hosts the Women of Achievement Awards at Jasna Polana, 4519 Province Line Road. Mary Gay Abbott-Young, Melissa Tenzer, and Natalie Tung are honored. Princetonmercerchamber.org/ events .

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: “Leighton Listens.” Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin is on hand to discuss current events with members of the public on the steps of Nassau Street Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street.

2 p.m .: The film Crazy Rich Asians is screened at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.

Thursday, June 27

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

6 p.m .: Princeton School of Rock performs at the Summer Concert Series

on the green at Princeton Shopping Center, North Harrison Street. Free. Princetonshoppingcenter. com.

6:30-7:30 p.m .: Workshop on preventing financial fraud and scams, by Sonal Vyas of Bank of America, at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. Register at mcl. org or (609) 883-8292.

Friday, June 28

12-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips & Sounds at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Winery and Barn Door Café are open. Music from 5-8 p.m. by Bill O’Neal and Andy Koontz. Terhuneorchards.com.

7-8:30 p.m.: “Telematic Collisions” with Trevor New, in the gallery of West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road. Brooklyn-based electro-acoustic violist, composer, and recording artist. $10-$12. Westwindsorarts.org.

7:30 p.m .: The Princeton Symphonic Brass holds its annual summer concert at the Community Music School, 95 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro. Americana, jazz, pop, and light classical. Led by Lawrence Kursar. Psbrass.square.site.

Saturday, June 29

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more; music by A Little Bit Off. Wwcfm.org.

9 a.m.-2 p.m.: Blood drive at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Participation of African Americans is particularly needed because of the prevalence of sickle cell anemia in the community. Donors and volunteers are needed. Registration necessary. https://www.redcrossblood. org/give.html/driveresults?zipSponsor=ARTS PRINCETON

10 a.m.-4 p.m .: Ice Cream Party at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Churned in the shade of a maple tree; with kids’ games, crafts, music, wagon rides, and more. Howellfarm.org.

12-6 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 2-5 p.m. by Mike & Laura. Light fare available; farm store is open. Terhuneorchards.com.

6-8 p.m .: Kingston Presbyterian Church Blueberry Festival, 4565 Route 27, Kingston. Free blueberry

desserts, bounce-house, pony rides, music. (609) 921-8895.

Sunday, June 30

12-6 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 1-4 p.m. by Michael Montemurro and Lolly Hopwood from 4-8:30 p.m. Light fare available; farm store is open. From 4-9 p.m ., there is a Firefly Festival with crafts, food, and barnyard activities. Terhuneorchards.com.

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

1-3 p.m .: Vedic Cultural Immersion: Prasadam and Kirtan. Specially prepared meal and meditation, free, at the YMCA Princeton, 59 Paul Robeson Place. Bviscs. org.

4 p.m.: Gathering in solidarity with the October 7 hostages, and a call for their release. Organized by a grassroots group of Israelis in Princeton. At Hinds Plaza.

Monday, July 1

Recycling

Tuesday, July 2

7:30 p.m.: The New Century Saxophone Quartet performs as part of Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts at Richardson Auditorium. Free. Tickets.princeton.edu.

Thursday, July 4

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

12 p.m .: Fourth of July at Morven, 55 Stockton

Street. Live music, familyfriendly activities, crafts, tours of Morven’s gardens, food trucks, and more. Free. Morven.org.

Friday, July 5

12-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips & Sounds at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Winery and Barn Door Café are open. Music from 5-8 p.m. by Catmoondaddy. Terhuneorchards.com.

Saturday, July 6

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

10 a.m .: Mid-Day Toastmasters meets at the Hickory Corner Library, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. Also available via Zoom. 4139.toastmastersclubs.org.

12-6 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 2-5 p.m. by Bud Belviso. Light fare available; farm store is open. Terhuneorchards.com.

Sunday, July 7

12-6 p.m .: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 2-5 p.m. by Joah Blume. Light fare available; farm store is open. Terhuneorchards.com.

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

4 p.m.: Gathering in solidarity with the October 7 hostages, and a call for their release. Organized by a grassroots group of Israelis in Princeton. At Hinds Plaza.

Monday, July 8

7:30 p.m .: The Phaeton Piano Trio performs as part of Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts at Richardson Auditorium. Free. Tickets.princeton.edu.

12 p.m .: Public reading of the Declaration of Independence at 23 South Warren Street, Trenton, where it was first read publicly 248 years ago. (609) 208-9991.

Tuesday, July 9

9:30 and 11 a.m .: Read & Pick: Blueberries. At Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Hands-on activity with stories; everyone gets a container of blueberries to take home. $12. Terhuneorchards.com.

6:30-8 p.m .: BYOB Handbuilt Mugs, at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Beginner-friendly workshop to learn the basics of creating a mug by hand; bring favorite wine or beer. $65. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

JUNE-JULY

Thursday, July 11

6 p.m .: Ranger Nouveau performs at the Summer Concert Series on the green at Princeton Shopping Center, North Harrison Street. Free. Princetonshoppingcenter. com.

6-8:30 p.m .: BYOB Charm Bracelets, at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. $45. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Friday, July 12

12-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips & Sounds at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Winery and Barn Door Café are open. Music from 5-8 p.m. by ALBO. Terhuneorchards.com.

Saturday, July 13

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

10 a.m.-5 p.m .: Blueberry Bash at Terhune Orchards, Cold Soil Road. Pick-your-own blueberry patch, country music, puppet theater, homemade blueberry items, children’s activities, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

10 a.m .: Walking tour of Frenchtown led by Rick Epstein. $20. Benefits Hunterdon County Historical Society. To register, email rickepstein@yahoo.com.

5-7:30 p.m.: “Free Summer Music and More,” at Nassau Park Pavilion, 510 Nassau Park Boulevard. El Noordzo performs instrumental, psychedelic, Afro-Cuban surf-jazz interpretations of classic rock, punk, and alternative songs. Joined by cellist Dan Kassel; art activities for all ages. Rain date July 14. Westwindsorarts.org.

Sunday, July 14

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

4 p.m.: Gathering in solidarity with the October 7 hostages, and a call for their release. Organized by a grassroots group of Israelis in Princeton. At Hinds Plaza.

S ports

PU Men’s

Hoops

Alum Maddox Achieves Olympic Dream, Making the U.S. 3x3 Basketball Squad for Paris Games

When Kareem Maddox started playing 3x3 basketball to further his playing career in 2017, he saw it in large part as an avenue to his Olympic dream.

That avenue had a speed bump when the United States and Maddox failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (that were held in 2021), but Maddox’s dream found a fast track three years later as a member of the U.S. men’s 3x3 team that has qualified and will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

“It’s huge,” said Maddox, a 2011 Princeton University graduate. “I’m just immensely proud of our team and the efforts we’ve had. The stuff we had to go through last year in order to get the job done. I feel like it was a huge accomplishment and it feels great.”

The U.S. was ranked second at the time of automatic qualifying for the Olympics with the top three teams getting the first bids. Qualifying for the Olympics has been ongoing from November 2022 to June 2024. Maddox was a part of the American group that did not qualify for 2020.

“I’m proud of it because it was a low point in a career, and I’m glad I made the decision to give it another try,” said Maddox. “Just with the renewed kind of sense of determination.”

Maddox was able to use the disappointment of the failure to make the Tokyo Games to help push him for this Olympiad’s qualifying.

“That was definitely at the forefront of my mind all last season as we were working to get the country automatically qualified for the Olympics,” said Maddox, a 6’8, 220-pound native of Los Angeles, Calif. “That (qualifying) tournament, but also all the experience that we’d had to that point kind of led into the preparation and how I thought about the game and what I felt like we needed to do in order to get the country automatically qualified. So that was definitely formative.”

Maddox was named in late March to Team USA along with Canyon Barry, Jimmer Fredette, and Dylan Travis. He and Barry played together three years ago, but the others are new additions to their group.

“We have a pretty unique style of play on the world stage because we’re a relatively new team and we have some different challenges,” said Maddox. “We don’t live in the same place. We don’t practice together. We do, but it’s very limited.”

Maddox is thrilled to have the opportunity to live out his dream, but he’s only focused on the games ahead.

The U.S. opens the Olympics against Serbia on July 30. They play two games apiece on August 1 and August 2, and finish pool play on August 4.

“I haven’t really thought about it yet because the job’s not done yet,” said Maddox. “My thought process

is very granular about how do we win each game. The opponents that we’re going to play are now set. The schedule is out and it’s about winning each of those seven games before the elimination round and just competing and making sure that we’re putting forth the effort and the strategy and the kind of the discipline and everything else that you know comes along with the game of basketball that we need to.”

The FIBA 3×3 game has its own rules that separate it from the 5x5 game most would recognize. Games are only half-court with the winner being the first team to 21 points or whichever team is ahead after 10 minutes. There are one-point shots or two-points from behind the international 3-point arc. The game is played outside, meaning the elements — especially wind — can come into play. A 12-second shot clock ensures the game moves fast. It starts the moment a team rebounds the basketball or takes the ball after a made basket.

“There’s open shots sometimes, but more often you’re making a tough shot,” said Maddox. “If I was playing at Princeton, it wouldn’t be a good shot. But in 3x3, we also have the shot clock and so it’s the best shot you’re going to get. And so are you shooting that with confidence, and everyone is kind of bought into their role and making all the hustle plays. That’s when we’re really good.”

Maddox can still rely on the skills that made him 2011 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year when the U.S. doesn’t have the ball, and he still utilizes the offensive mindset that became ingrained in him at Princeton. Paying attention to little details is hugely important to their success, just as it was when Maddox played for Princeton. The Americans have won international games a lot of different ways, but a normally successful formula includes half their points on 2-pointers and the rest on finishes at the basket whether on drives or off of cuts.

“To open up the perimeter in different ways, a lot of that is Princeton principles like back cutting, putting pressure on the rim without the ball,” said Maddox. “It’s not always about being a driver and attacking the basket. It’s about attacking the basket without the ball.”

Maddox’s Princeton background is something he covets. He may wear a Princeton shirt to practice in as a nod to the Tigers, but it’s his game that displays those roots.

“I think the Princeton footprint is on the court more than anything,” said Maddox. “I have Sydney Johnson in my head when I’m trying to convey the power of a good back cut. I think that the Princeton footprint, the Pete Carril footprint that got passed down through John Rogers as it relates to 3x3, is evident on the court. That’s good enough for me.”

Maddox looks to do a bit of everything on the court, something that has made him a valuable 3x3 player. He has worked to sustain those skills, though he’s now 34 years old. “I’m old,” he said with a laugh.

Being one of the older players – Fredette is a year older – on Team USA comes with obvious experience. But age can also be an obstacle, and Maddox has focused on his lifestyle and training to make sure he isn’t slowing down.

“That’s been probably the most challenging part in a good way,” said Maddox. “I’ve had to build habits that weren’t necessary 10 years ago in terms of diet, in terms of, ‘Am I getting in every day and paying as much attention to my body as I am my basketball skills? Am I maximizing my mind on the court in a sense?’ There’s guys that can play for a long time, and it’s not because of their athletic ability. It’s because they think the game, they’re smart and they impact winning. So I think the biggest change is probably just diving more into the strategy, the philosophy side of things and making sure that whenever I’m on the court that our team is better for it, and what I think is a big mental game, which has helped me kind of persist.”

Maddox has been gaining experience since returning to the court to pursue his Olympic dream. He’s proven valuable from his early days when he helped the U.S. win its first World Cup championship in 2019. Each opportunity to play 3x3 has been useful to him growing his knowledge of one of the newer Olympic sports. There have been challenges along the way, with one of the biggest being that Team USA isn’t together all the time and that’s always been a difficulty. The pandemic cut into their chance to build chemistry before the last Olympic qualifying cycle. For this cycle, the players tried to fix some of those holes.

“We spent all last year together,” said Maddox. “And we played on the professional circuit as a team. Definitely it wasn’t smooth sailing all last year. There was a learning curve. Jimmer’s new to the sport, and we just had to figure out what makes this team good as a team and more than the sum of its parts. That took some time.”

Maddox has made his statements through it all that he belongs on the team, that he does make it better. He has enjoyed having the opportunity to continue playing, but there’s plenty of basketball in his life outside of his own play. “All hoops all the time,” said Maddox. Maddox balances his playing commitment around working on special projects for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Maddox had been focusing on journalism and was in podcast production before focusing on the 2020 Olympic pursuit. He started doing personnel, video work and scouting with the Timberwolves through a Princeton connection. Tim

Connolly, Timberwolves president of operations, is the older brother of former Princeton University men’s basketball director of operations Dan Connolly.

“I hadn’t worked in the NBA,” said Maddox. “It hadn’t really been on my radar. But I knew I had this goal for the Olympics and told Tim that. He loved the story. Ultimately I was like, it’s probably not going to hurt to be in one of 30 of the highest level of basketball facilities in the world as I attempt to do this.”

Maddox has the chance to work with the team, which includes occasional

scrimmaging against the bottom of the roster players for Minnesota as they try to stay game-ready. “I jumped in there a few times,” said Maddox. “Nothing crazy.” Maddox also has been closely following the Princeton men’s team. He was there with a vocal Princeton contingent to root them on to the Sweet Sixteen two years ago and was at the Ivy League tournament this year. He’s been an even more ardent supporter since Tigers coach Mitch Henderson was one of the people that encouraged him to continue playing basketball as long as he could.

“It’s been awesome to see what’s happened there and how well Mitch has done,” said Maddox. “No matter who’s out there, that team is really, really good.” Maddox is looking forward to his chance to play on the biggest stage. He’s been dreaming of playing in the Olympics for almost 30 years, and now it’s just four weeks away.

“The initial mission was to qualify,” said Maddox. “We got that done and then you know from there, I kind of turned my attention towards we’re getting the gold medal. That’s what time it is.”

—Justin Feil

DRIVING TO PARIS: Kareem Maddox drives to the hoop in a 2011 game during his senior season for the Princeton University men’s basketball team. Maddox made the U.S. men’s 3x3 team that has qualified to compete in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. (Photo by Stephen Goldsmith)

Tiger Men’s Hockey Finalizes Coaching Staff

New Princeton University

men’s hockey head coach

Ben Syer has finalized his coaching staff, welcoming Connor Jones as an assistant coach while retaining assistants Tommy Davis ’17 and Shane Talarico heading into the 2024-25 season.

Jones, a former NHL player with four years of professional hockey playing experience, joins the Tigers after spending the past two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights as a scout focused on college free agents. In his first season with the Golden Knights, he was part of an executive group which guided Vegas to a Stanley Cup.

In addition to his experience identifying and recruiting potential free agents for the Golden Knights, Jones has years of experience as an on-ice clinician as owner/operator of Champions Hockey School in British Columbia and also as a lead instructor with the Kurt Nichols Powerskating School in New York.

Syer and Jones have an extensive history dating back to Jones’ days playing for Quinnipiac where he was a four-year letterwinner and helped the Bobcats to the 2013 national title game. A two-time assistant captain while at Quinnipiac, Jones was recruited to Hamden by Syer while he was on staff at Quinnipiac and was coached by him during the 2010-11 season before Syer joined the coaching staff at Cornell. During his Bobcat career, Jones played in 153 games and tallied 129 points on 49 goals and 83 assists. He was named Quinnipiac’s male student-athlete of the year in 2011 and was also a Dean’s List student. He graduated with a degree in public relations and went on to earn his master’s degree from Quinnipiac in in sports journalism.

After graduating, he signed with the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. In 2015, he signed with the New York Islanders organization and spent the next four seasons there which included four NHL games during the 2016-17 season. In addition to his time with the Islanders’ organization, he went on to play pro seasons with Thurgau (Swiss League) and Vasterviks IK in the Swedish Elite League as well as his final pro season with Fort Wayne (ECHL) in 2021-22. For his professional career, he played 446 games and registered 177 points on 60 goals and 117 assists. Jones will work primarily with the forwards, while Davis will handle defense and Talarico will coach goaltenders.

Davis enters his fifth season behind the bench with his alma mater and his seventh season overall as part of the team staff after serving as director of hockey operations from 2018-20. Davis has been instrumental in coaching Princeton’s power play, which has been among the nation’s best during his tenure including the 202324 unit which ranked No. 1 in the ECAC and No. 4 in

the country at 27.8 percent.

Talarico is beginning his third season with the Tigers and has worked with a young Tiger goalie group which includes rising sophomore Arthur Smith who was named honorable mention All-Ivy last season.

PU Women’s Basketball Names Battista Associate Head Coach

In recognition of her role in the success of the Princeton University women’s basketball program, assistant coach Lauren Battista has been promoted to associate head coach.

In four playing seasons with Battista on the staff, Princeton has won four Ivy League championships, posting a 53-3 record against Ivy opponents during the regular season. Overall, the Tigers are 100-17 (.854) during Battista’s tenure as a coach at Princeton with three Ivy League Tournament Championships and two NCAA Tournament victories.

The 2023-24 season saw the Tigers win their fifth consecutive Ivy League Tournament title, earning a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament as they posted a final record of 25-5. Princeton finished with a Net Ranking of 35 overall and had one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, taking on No. 3 UCLA on the road in addition to No. 20 Oklahoma and No. 19 Indiana on a neutral floor. The Tigers’ 77-63 victory over Oklahoma in last November was the fourth top-25 win in program history.

“I’m extremely happy that Lauren has been promoted to associate head coach of Princeton Women’s Basketball,” said Princeton head coach Carla Berube. “She has been vital to our success during her five years at Princeton. Lauren has brought such fervent passion to developing our student athletes on and off the court, recruiting the best and the brightest to our university and serving our great Princeton community. She’s driven, creative, and has a work ethic that is second to none. My staff and I are so lucky to call her our teammate. I’m looking forward to working with Lauren for many more years to come.”

Battista, for her part, was thrilled to get the promotion.

“I’m honored to be named the associate head coach of this incredible program and thankful for the opportunity to continue to grow under Carla’s (Berube) leadership,” said Battista. “These past five years have seen our program reach new heights due to the hard work and dedication of our staff and talented student-athletes as well as the unwavering support of our administration, alumnae, and fans. I am so proud to be associated with this program and university, and will continue to give my all to help us raise even more banners in Jadwin Gym while providing a transformational experience for our student-athletes.”

Battista came to Princeton from Tufts University, where she served as an assistant coach under Berube during the 2018-19 season. During that season, the Jumbos went 28-3 and won their 3rd NESCAC Championship, beating undefeated and top-ranked Bowdoin in the final. Tufts also advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight.

Prior to her time at Tufts, Battista was a graduate assistant at Boston College while securing her master’s degree in leadership and administration. Before her time at BC, Battista worked at the NCAA office in a postgraduate internship program, helping the women’s basketball staff with the NCAA Tournament and Final Four.

Battista graduated from Bentley University in 2014 where she was a four-year starter, three-time All-American, and two-year team captain for the nationally ranked Falcons. Her senior year was spectacular as she led the team to the Division II national title with an undefeated 35-0 season. She earned national recognition as the WBCA Division II National Player of the Year, the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year, CWSA/Honda Division II Athlete of the Year, and an NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award honoree. She graduated as the all-time leading scorer in Bentley history, scoring more than 2,100 points. Battista graduated summa cum laude with a degree in marketing and minor in finance.

SHOW: Princeton University field hockey player Talia

the ball in a game last fall. Junior Schenck is heading to the USA

goes

(NXC) next month in Virginia Beach, Va. A step along the Olympic Development Pathway program, the Senior NXC serves as a selection opportunity for the 2024-25 U.S. U-21 Women ’s National Team Selection Camps, Junior USWNT Selection Camps, U.S. Women ’s National Development Squad, and U.S. Women ’ s National Team. Schenck, a second-team All-Ivy League selection in 2023, will be joined at the event by four incoming Princeton freshmen, Izzy Morgan, Molly Nye, Libby Smith, and Lilly Wojcik. The Senior NXC is slated for July 14-16 and will include 144 players. (Photo by Frank

SELECTION

Schenck, left,

after

Field Hockey Senior Nexus

Wojciechowski)

relationship outcomes, and saves time “quarterback”

Getting Up to Speed in His 2nd College Campaign,

PHS Alum Doran Starred for Williams Men’s Lax

During his senior season for the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team in 2022, Will Doran was the main man for the Tigers, leading New Jersey in scoring with 128 points on 55 goals and 73 assists.

Heading to Williams College that fall to start his college career with the Division-III program, Doran found himself as a member of the supporting cast for the Ephs, struggling to make an impact at the next level.

“I would say lacrosse-wise, the game is just a lot faster going from playing boys’ lacrosse in high school to playing men’s lacrosse in college ,” said Doran. “It definitely took some adjustment, that can definitely be frustrating at times. The two biggest things were decisionmaking and the speed of the game, they kind of go hand in hand.”

Working his way into the lineup in his freshman campaign, attacker Doran started to get up to speed as he ended up with seven goals and five assists in 2023.

“I was forced to become a better decision-maker; there is a larger margin for error in high school. You are able to sling some shots that don’t work at the college level, sling some feeds that will get picked off by college defenders,” said Doran, who scored his first college goal in a 18-6 win over Bates College in early April. “I struggled a bunch in the fall, turning the ball over and making some reckless decisions. My IQ as a player grew a little bit and my decision-making did too.”

A turning point for Doran came when he tallied three goals and two assists in a 14-11 loss to Tufts, then ranked No. 2 in the country among D-III teams.

“In a lot of ways I see that as a stepping off point for my college career,” said Doran of the performance against the Jumbos. “I feel like it built some confidence from my teammates in me. It was a tough one to lose. We were up on them — that team was an unbelievable team. I feel like it was a game we should have won. It was a heck of a game and I was really happy to contribute.”

This spring, Doran made a major contribution for the Ephs, more than tripling his offensive output from his freshmen year, tallying 38 points in 20 goals and 18 assists.

“The way I looked at it is I am going to bring the mentality of a starting attackmen to every single practice,” said the 6’1, 176-pound Doran, reflecting on his approach to his sophomore season. “If I find myself on the field, I find myself on the field. It wasn’t as much of a mindset change as it was a hunger to win games.”

Starting the 2024 season on the attack, Doran scored a goal in a 14-13 win over Babson in the season opener on March 2 and then tallied two goals and two assists in a 12-11 loss to Union.

“Getting some points on the board gets the confidence going a little bit,” said Doran. “It was clouded a little bit by the loss to Union. That was a game that the guys in our locker room felt like we should have won. On a personal side, it was a confidence builder. I think at the time when we played them, they were a top 15 team.”

A month later, Doran produced another big game in the rivalry with Tufts, tallying four goals and four assists against a Jumbos squad that ended up winning the NCAA D-III national title.

“That was an awesome game, a confidence boost for me personally,” said Doran, reflecting on the contest which saw Willams build an early 9-1 lead before ultimately losing 17-15.

“It was a tough one to lose, we thought were the better team. We will see them again and hope to stick it to them next year.”

Developing a connection with former Princeton Day School star and childhood friend Cal Caputo on the Williams attack unit helped make Doran more confident on the field.

“I can easily saying that playing on the same line with Cal has been one of the greatest joys of my lacrosse career,” said Doran of Caputo, who led the Ephs in scoring this spring with 61 points on 44 goals and 17 assists. “I grew up right next door to Cal, he is a big reason why I chose to come to Williams.”

Hitting their stride with three straight wins to end the regular season, Doran and his teammates were primed for a big playoff run. Williams, though, fell 14-4 to No. 16 Bowdoin in the New England Small College Athletic Conference ( NESCAC ) q uarterfinals to

end the spring with a 9-7 record.

“We had played really well down the stretch, we felt good going into the playoffs,” said Doran. “All the credit in the world to that Bowdoin team, they had an outstanding year. They had some really, really special talent. Unfortunately, it is part of the game, you win, you lose. That one we came out shorthanded.”

Going forward, Doran believes that Williams has pieces in place to win a lot of games next season.

“I couldn’t feel better about the foundation that we have, the senior leadership and the captains in my two years so far laid a foundation that is second to none,” said Doran, noting that former PHS teammate and defender Will Erickson is part of that foundation. “With the returners, and speaking to some of our incoming freshmen, we are super focused. We know what we are capable of achieving. It starts right now in the summer with our training and everything. I feel really good about this team. We are talented, we are confident, and we work hard.”

Emerging as a leading scorer for Williams this spring has given Doran confidence as he heads into his junior year.

“You are always happy when you see a positive trajectory, the goal is to keep it that way and I am working towards that,” said Doran. “A lot that upward trajectory this year is from playing with guys like Cal and other guys on the team. I feel really good, it is huge to get experience and hopefully push forward, stepping into a bigger role.”

Doran will be pushing hard this summer to maintain that upward trajectory.

“I am focusing a lot on just becoming a better athlete, whether that is strength or explosiveness,” said Doran. “I am doing all sorts of weight training and conditioning. I felt like I left some points on the field this year so how I work towards that is a lot of hours out on the field, getting as many shots up as I can. We have a tournament with Williams in Glastonbury, Conn., during July. Also a bunch of the guys in the team live within an hour so we will get together and get some work in and get some live reps.”

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WILL TO SUCCEED: Will Doran prepares to fire a shot in recent action for the Williams College men’s lacrosse team. Former Princeton High star Doran tallied 38 points on 20 goals and 18 assists this season, emerging as a star during his sophomore campaign for the Ephs. (Photo by Shiv Patel, provided courtesy of Williams College Athletics)

PDS Boys’ Lacrosse Excited About Future Prospects,

Gaining Key Experience with MCI Run, Close Games

Making the final of the Mercer County Invitational, the ‘B’ bracket of the county tournament, wasn’t the goal for the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team at the beginning of the season, but the tourney run proved valuable for the young squad.

“Being able to play in the finals was really good for us,” said PDS first-year head coach Nick Taylor, whose team fell 8-7 to Lawrence High in overtime in the MCI title game. “You look back at our season and where we are at — we have some returning guys that are going to play a lot of minutes next year, so it was great to have that experience this year.”

The squad’s 11-3 win over WW/P-South in MCI semis was a highlight of the season for the Panthers.

“It was probably one of our more dominant performances, it showed what kind of potential we have as a team,” said Taylor, who came to PDS this season after five seasons as the head coach of the Haverford College men’s lax team. “Unfortunately we couldn’t put it all together this year. I think we have a lot of promise in the years ahead.”

PDS ended the season with a 10-9 loss to Morristown-Beard in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Group B tournament.

“Lacrosse is a game of runs; we were pleased with where we were at halftime and how we had played,” said Taylor, reflecting on the contest which saw the Panthers leading 5-2 at halftime. “We talked a lot about being the team to start a run. That wasn’t the case in the second half — Mo-Beard had enough to get it going. We had a lot of opportunities at the end of the game and in the first half. I think for the underclassman,

it was another learning experience where when you have those opportunities, you have to cash in.”

Playing in several nail-biters down the stretch was a good learning experience for PDS.

“If you looked at our schedule we played in a lot of one-goal games, that is a big positive for us,” said Taylor, whose squad posted a 7-12 final record. “Looking at the guys that are returning, they should be a little more tested in terms of those closer games.”

A strong effort at the defensive end of the field kept PDS close game after game.

“One thing we can look at and be really pleased with how we defended and where we were defensively especially with some newcomers,” said Taylor. “That was a big question mark, I thought they performed really well throughout the year.”

Junior face-off specialist Asher Lewis performed very well this spring as he diversified his game.

“I think our most improved player was Asher Lewis,” asserted Taylor of Lewis who won 286-of-347 face-offs, scooped up 127 ground balls, and contributed 10 points on five goals and five assists.

“He had a really good year last year with the numbers and his numbers were really great this year, but we really saw him come into his own and really start to make more plays. It was not just winning the face-off, but doing the right things that he is supposed to do after that. Having that position locked in for another year is exciting for us.”

The squad’s senior class did a lot of good things for the program. “They will be missed, you lose a lot of points with that senior group,” said Taylor. “It also

has some standout defensemen. Han Shin is a hockey player that got to start for us this year and really thrived as a close defenseman. We would have loved to coach him for a couple of more years. Any time you lose a group, you have to re-evaluate where you are at and what your strengths are. They will be missed, but we look forward to what we have coming down the pike.”

The Panthers will certainly miss star attacker/midfielder Sebastian Rzeczycki, who tallied 42 goals and 14 assists this season and ended up with 257 points in his PDS career on 168 goals and 89 assists.

“Seb is a player that loves the game, he is a dynamic player,” said Taylor of Rzeczycki who will be continuing his lacrosse career at Marist College. “He had a bit of adversity this year with injury. We will miss his leadership and his attitude. He is always very positive, hopefully that sets the tone for some of the younger guys.”

Another senior, standout attacker and Vassar commit Matt Whittaker, made a positive impact this spring with 38 goals and 13 assists.

“Matt is a really skilled attackman, someone that we felt really confident that we could run the offense through with or without Seb in the lineup,” said Taylor. “I am happy for those guys that they are both going to continue to play and we will be able to watch them on the collegiate level and wish them nothing but the best.”

With a core of returners featuring midfielder Hart Nowakoski (12 goals, 25 assists in 2024), longstick midfielder Wyatt Ewanchyna (3 goals, 2 assists, 67 ground balls), midfielder Kristian Rzeczycki (8 goals, 7 assists), attacker Tucker Seamens (11 goals, 3 assists), midfielder Colton Simonds (11 goals, 9 assists), midfielder Landon Lewis (4 goals), midfielder Ethan

Mack (1 goal), defender Griffin Carmody (1 assist, 21 ground balls), and goalie Jake Harrison (95 saves) along with Asher Lewis, the Panthers have a good foundation in place.

“It is a different group and we will have to evaluate what we need to do to be successful on both sides of the ball schematically,” said Taylor. “We are thrilled to have guys that we can really lean on. Every year that is the challenge, how can you get a team that is different from the year before to trust each other and continue to move your culture forward. That is the big picture for us as coaches. It is not just the points on the field, it is how you put it all together off the field and in the locker room and all of these other times.”

Going through some adversity this spring should help the group come together next season.

“We saw our fair share of ups and downs,” said Taylor. “We learned a lot about each other this year. I was proud of the guys. I think the one thing that is a good indicator of how the season progressed is that we played in a lot of close games at the end of year. We had a chance to play in a tournament and get to the final.”

Taylor relished his chance to coach a high school program.

“When you boil it down, it is the same sport; that is what drives us as coaches, being out on the practice field, enjoying the time with the guys and trying to find ways to get the max potential out of the group,” said Taylor. “It is a learning experience. You come in thinking you are going to be able to do certain things in a certain way and you realize that you can’t. That was a good experience for all of our coaches. You have this blueprint and sometimes you have to throw the blueprint in the trash and start over again.”

Going forward, Taylor is looking to help the Panthers develop deeper bonds off the field.

“As a team we have to find a way to spend more time with each other,” said Taylor. “In college, you have access to your players all of the time. They are living on your campus, you are sharing lunch with them, you see them at breakfast, and you see them at class. At high school, they come to practice and their parents pick them up. You have to create opportunities or moments where you can really grow as a team off the field. We are looking at our spring break and things we can do then. It is trying to find those opportunities and make those opportunities.”

—Bill Alden

With Young Players Showing Growth, PDS Boys’ Tennis Saved its Best for Last

Working a number of new faces into its lineup this spring, the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team saved its best for last.

PDS posted wins over Allentown and Ewing to wrap up regular season play and then topped St. Rose 5-0 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South Jersey tournament. Facing second-seeded Morristown Friends in the quarterfinal round, the seventh-seeded Panthers battled valiantly as they tried to extend their season but fell 3-2.

“The match against Friends was on a knife’s edge until the end, Steven [Li] was neck and neck with his opponent at second singles,” said PDS head coach Michael Augsberger, whose team ended up with a final record of 10-8 this spring. “That was the deciding match. His opponent hit a drop shot that Steven ran after and he lost his balance. He had been dealing with a wrist injury and as he reached for the drop shot he fell and landed right on it. He played the rest of that match with it. In the second set he was up 2-1 and he played the rest of that set without a backhand. It was an incredibly tough decision that he made — he didn’t want to be the one to retire the match, that would end it.”

Freshman Abhishek Srinivasan came up big at third singles in the match against Moorestown Friends, winning 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 over Jason Youssef.

“That was great,” said Augsberger, noting that Srinivasan posted an 11-5 record this spring while Li, who ended up falling 6-3, 6-2 to Jack Cramner in the state match, went 10-8 as they won the most matches for the squad. “That was like a typical third singles battle where they were just going at each other until somebody would miss. It ended two hours later, it was a slugfest.”

At first singles, junior Jaylen Peng slugged his way to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Zev Smith to earn the other victory for PDS against the Foxes.

“Jaylen was there all year,” said Augsberger. “For him, being such a big guy, it is all about winning the tiebreaks and putting yourself in position to win those matches. Nobody wants to play someone with that kind of power. He is able to punch way above his weight, if he gets people on the ropes.”

As for the doubles lineup, Augsberger alternated players with Avi Saran, Max Levy, David Gajewski, Arjun Bhardwaj, Charlie Kaplowitz, Umang Sharma, and Aryan Kunivar all seeing action in that spot.

“This was the first year

where we were able to rotate through the entire bench, it was all about getting guys acclimated to what it is going to be like to compete at the varsity level,” said Augsberger. “Whereas in the past, you have seven or eight and you really don’t mix and match. Every match is so important and it is hard to keep an entire roster of people happy. Here we did a ton of shuffling with the doubles. We were trying to find who is going to be able to take that leap at the end of this year and next year.”

In reflecting on that rotation, Augsberger was happy with what he saw.

“Avi is big and he got a lot of reach, he has got great touch, great hands,” said Augsberger. “He has so much swagger and style. Max was there the entire year. He was a stalwart. He was always going to be part of the second doubles team and moves his way up to first doubles once in a while. This was his first year playing varsity and he was incredibly excited. He really paired well with Arjun at first doubles. We worked with David. Charlie got in there a bit. Ari and Umang stood out as volleyers and for their strokes. We were really happy with the mentality that Aryan had. He is coachable, very respectful and very enthusiastic.”

With no seniors in the lineup this spring and some players returning from injury or being away from PDS this year, the future looks bright for the Panthers.

“The entire team is coming back and we had a couple of guys out with injuries,” said Augsberger. “We have a lot of eyes in the future in terms of guys coming back who we didn’t have this year but also the guys who were here with us. Next year Steven and Jaylen will be a year stronger and a year smarter, that is going to count for an incredible amount because they were thrown into the fire this year. Abhishek had double-digit wins, he is still small and growing into his body. As he gets stronger and stronger, he is going to be a force.”

Augsberger credited his staff with helping the players to raise their games over the course of the spring.

“We are talking about peaking at the right time in terms of the sectional playoffs and giving Friends a run for their money and Friends going on to beat Ranney in the semis,” said Augsberger, whose assistant coaches included Jon Brown, Andrea Sydow, and Ferguson Reeves. “So we are a couple points and a wrist injury from perhaps being in the final. It is a testament to those coaches and their expertise in getting these kids to improve like that.”

—Bill Alden

HART AND SOUL: Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse player Hart Nowakoski, right, looks to pass the ball in a game this spring. Junior Nowakoski led PDS is assists this spring with 25 and added 12 goals as the Panthers went 7-12 and advanced to the final of the Mercer County Invitational.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Battling a Gauntlet of High-Powered Opponents, Hun Boys’ Lax Showed it Could Compete with the Best

Although the Hun School boys’ lacrosse team went 8-9 this spring, the program made strides as it battled a gauntlet of high-powered foes.

“It was a successful season with the competition that we played — we put the best possible teams on our schedule that we could and for the most part competed in every single game,” said Hun first-year head coach Alex Lopes, whose squad faced Lawrenceville School, the top-ranked team in the nation, along with the Episcopal School (Pa), the Westtown School (Pa.), Gill St. Bernard’s, St. Augustine, and Academy of New Church (Pa.).

“One of the biggest things we wanted was to just put our kids on the field with some of these upper echelon teams. We are not there yet, but at the same time we are really close. For kids who may be looking at Hun, they might think this kind of experience is what they need. I want them to see us playing the best competition possible. I want them to see us playing at a fast pace and try to replicate the college game as much as possible. I think we did that this year.”

Hun ended the season in a college environment, playing in the National Prep Championship at Loyola University in Baltimore, Md. The Raiders started the event with an 11-8 win over Everest Academy (Ontario).

“It was really cool, it was a very well-run event,” said Lopes of the tourney, which saw Hun fall 11-4 to Academy of New Church in the second round of the MidAtlantic Prep division of the tournament.

“In our game against Everest Academy, we played great. There was like 3540 college coaches on the sideline watching our kids. We are creating those opportunities for these kids to be prepared to play the college game but also to put our kids on front of the best coaches in the country. We got some great feedback.”

Days earlier, Hun fell 13-5 to Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Tournament

semis as it fell short of its quest for a third straight county crown. With Hun used to playing with a shot clock this spring under a college format, it struggled to adjust to a game played without a clock.

“You have to defend for 80 seconds, not four minutes, that is a big, big difference,” said Lopes. “When you are not winning face-offs and a team is able to possess for three or four minutes at a time, it is hard to defend for that long. I have to give them credit, they took advantage of their possession. They did a great job, they are a well-coached team. They have talented players.”

Lopes credited his senior group with setting a positive tone this spring.

“I think they just raised the bar for Hun lacrosse in recent years, not necessarily wins and losses and points but just expectations of an individual,” said Lopes. “It is putting in the work in the offseason, being in the weight room consistently, and filling leadership roles.”

Senior attacker Danny Cano, a Hobart commit, put in a lot of good work this season.

“He was such a leader on and off the field,” said Lopes of Cano, who tallied 23 goals and eight assists in 2024. “When you talk about the guy who got everybody excited in the weight room, he really led the charge. Whether he was vocal about it or not, the guys just saw him in there and saw how much he was getting out of it and wanted to follow his lead.”

In the midfield, senior Dillon Bucchere led the way with 22 goals and 20 assists.

“Dillon just does everything, he is just such an important piece of every aspect of the game,” said Lopes of Bucchere, who has committed to continue his lacrosse career at the University of Michigan.

“He just developed offensively, which was part of his game that was not missing but needed to be developed a bit. He finished the year

with 42 points and I would say a huge part of that was in transition. He also picked up 56 ground balls. He played defense, he was on the man down.”

A third senior, Brendan Marino, a Stony Brook commit, proved to be a key piece on attack with 54 goals and 15 assists.

“Brendan was a consistent player all year,” said Lopes. “You knew exactly what you were going to get and other teams did too. He got the other team’s best defender. I think he was our emotional leader in terms of being the voice in the huddle and the voice in the locker room. His word carried weight.”

Looking ahead, Lopes believes that junior Brett Stelmach (17 goals, 11 assists in 2024), sophomore Jake Beck (17 goals, 26 assists), and James Dougherty (13 goals, 3 assists) can help carry the Hun attack next year.

“It is going to look different next year offensively,” said Lopes. “I am excited about it because we saw some glimpses of it in the MCT where it is going to be more balanced. It is not going to be one guy running the show. I think we will see six guys out there playing together, moving off ball and moving with the ball. I think the foundation is there to continue to be successful.”

At the defensive end, Hun showed progress led by juniors Jackson O’Brien and Luke Donahue.

“I was very excited about our defense, which was so young at the beginning of the year. Outside of Jack O’Brien and Cutter Swanson, it was brand new,” said Lopes. “There were definitely some bumps in the road early on and some growing pains. I was very excited by how they developed. They asked questions and they just kept getting better.”

In order for Hun’s returning players to get better, they will need to focus on being stronger and fitter.

“One thing I want them to learn and we really preach this a lot is the conditioning piece,” said Lopes.

“Especially with our season being as condensed as it is; when we start games, we are talking seven weeks. I hope that they take out of this year the work they put in the fall and the winter heading into the spring is critical to staying healthy and being ready for the seven-week sprint.”

For Lopes — who had previously coached at the college level with stops at Kean University, Fairfield University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Jacksonville University, and Caldwell University — the move to

the high school level was enjoyable.

“The kids are sponges, they just want to get better and they just want to learn,” said Lopes. “It was fun every day. I think moving forward for me, I did learn with this season being as condensed as it is to be more mindful of implementation. We will look at spring break and what we can do there. Once the games start, there are so few practices so it is keeping things simple and at the same time being ready to implement some things a little bit sooner.”

While Lopes may tweak some things schematically, he believes the program’s culture is in a good place.

“As I talked to kids in the end of the year meetings the most important thing to me was that they were happy and having fun and I really think that they did,” said Lopes. “Being a great teammate is the most important thing at the end of the day. We had a team full of great teammates, that is the thing I am most proud of this year.”

—Bill Alden

incontinence

• Constipation

• Pelvic organ Prolapse

• Post surgical pain and scarring

• Fibromyalgia

• Post-prostatectomy rehabilitation

Female athlete triad syndrome

Issues related to gender reassignment

• Urinary urgency/frequency • Sexual dysfunction • Cancer rehabilitation • Hypermobility disorders

RAISING CANE: Hun School boys’ lacrosse player Danny Cano, right, looks to unload the ball in a game this spring. Senior star and Hobart commit Cano tallied 23 goals and eight assists this spring to help Hun go 8-9.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With Star Guard Young Triggering the Offense, YSU

Produces Sizzling 4-0 Start in Summer Hoops

Freddie Young Jr. wasn’t happy as his YSU team found itself in an 11-11 tie with 1911 Smokehouse last Monday night in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League

“We came out here kind of lackadaisical,” said Young. “It should never have been an 11-11 game.”

With former Princeton Day School and Trenton Catholic standout guard Young triggering the offense, YSU went on a 16-0 run to seize momentum and build a 34-15 lead at halftime.

“We made the change, we stepped on the gas and we kept stepping on the gas,” said Young, who starred this winter for the Lincoln University men’s hoops team. “We kept going, kept going. We played defense and turned our defense into offense. It turned out to be successful.”

Continuing to go hard, YSU cruised to a 66-37 win on the Community Park court as it improved to 4-0 this summer.

“We have a team full of talented, young guys, all of us play college basketball or did play college basketball,” said Young. “It is easy to play team basketball when everyone is on the same page with the same goal.”

Young is on the same page with backcourt mate Pat Higgins, a former Pennington School star who went on to play for The College of New Jersey. The two connected several times on Monday for buckets on fast

break opportunities.

“I have known Pat Higgins since were like 15 years old, it has always been very fun playing with him,” said Young, who ended up with 16 points in the win over Smokehouse. “He is very good with his IQ. It is very easy for us to complement each other. We can both score the ball, we can both play defense together and we can both pass the ball. We have complete games. To get to play together is beautiful.”

As the main ball-handler for YSU, Young looks to keep things together for the squad.

“I see myself as a leader, I try to be a leader; that is what I am trying to create myself to be,” said Young. “In college, I play as a leader. Whatever we are not doing, can help to get us to do. That is my role as a leader.”

With YSU off to a 4-0 start, the team has done a lot of things right so far this season.

“This team is getting in synch, I feel like this summer is different from summers in the past,” said Young. “Everybody on the team is being very intentional with their summer work, trying to work out more and just be more intentional about growing and becoming better basketball players.”

This past winter, Young did some nice work for Lincoln as he helped the squad go 17-13 and win the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) tournament.

“We have been moving

forward this entire time but last year we took a leap,” said the 6’3, 180-pound Young, who averaged 10.6 points a game for the Lions. “We grew as players, we grew as young men for sure. This is going to be my junior year (of eligibility), for the guys that came in with me, it is going to be their senior year. We are more mature, the maturity really shows on our team. It is very useful.”

Young has shown his growth in the way he goes about his business on the court.

“Maturity is a huge thing in basketball and life,” said Young. “For myself, I feel like I have become more mature. I am more mature in the way that I work, being intentional is the biggest thing for me. I can be in the gym for 30 minutes and it could be better than me being in the gym for three hours because I am being intentional.”

After having reached the league semifinals last summer, YSU is intent on taking the title this season.

“Honestly, it is taking it seriously, taking the league seriously and taking every game seriously,” said Young. “We are not just out here to play and have fun. We are out there to get better and to win and to show that we are the best team out here. We feel like we are the best team out here. We can hear the chatter, everyone wants to come play against us. We just need to take it seriously the entire way through.”

—Bill Alden

YOUNG AND STRONG: Freddie Young Jr. goes up for the ball for YSU as it faced 1911

last Monday night at Community Park in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Former Princeton Day School and Trenton Catholic standout guard Young tallied 16 points to help YSU defeat Smokehouse 66-37 as it improved to 4-0. In other action on Monday, Novi Wealth Partners edged Jefferson Plumbing 63-62 in double overtime and Lob City topped Speed Pro 54-41.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Pounding Out 17 Hits in Earning 1st Win This Season,

Post 218 Baseball Defeats Broad Street Park 13-9

Ending its 12-game losing streak this summer with a bang, the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team pounded out 17 hits as it topped Broad Street Park Post 313 13-9 last Sunday at Hamilton High.

Princeton High standout Travis Petrone led the hit parade for Post 218, going 4 for 5 with a double, one run, and three RBIs. Nate Nydick went 3 for 4 with one run and one RBI, while Nano Sarceno went 2 for 5 with a run and three RBIs.

James Schiavone, Ray Nault, and Anders Hedin each contributed two hits in the win for Princeton.

Princeton dug an early hole as it fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but

responded with five runs in the top of the second to go up 5-2 and never tallied after that. Max Decker delivered a key hit in the rally with a two-run single.

Post 218 scored two runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings as it extended its lead to 11-3 behind some superb pitching by starter Ray Nault.

Broad Street Park, though, made things dicey for Princeton as it scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to trim the lead to 11-9. Post 218 responded with two runs in the top of the seventh to give itself a cushion heading into the bottom of the final inning.

Coming on in relief in the sixth, Schiavone shut the

door on Broad Street as he held it scoreless to secure the victory for Princeton. PHS rising senior Schiavone struck out five and yielded just one hit in 2.0 innings of work. Nault recorded eight strikeouts in earning the win.

The triumph ended an overall 16-game losing skid for Post 218 as it dropped the last four games of the 2023 season. Princeton, now 1-12, will look to keep on the winning track as it was slated to play at Allentown on June 25 before hosting Trenton Post 93/182 on June 27 at Smoyer Park. — Bill Alden

Princeton Post

American Legion baseball player James

gets ready to

in recent action. Princeton High rising senior Schiavone starred with his bat and arm last Sunday as Post 218 defeated Broad Street Park Post 313 13-9 to earn its ﬁrst win of the

went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs and then produced a strong relief outing, striking out ﬁve and yielding just one hit in 2.0 innings of work to secure the win. Post 218, now 1-12, was slated to play at Allentown on June 25 before hosting Trenton Post 93/182 on June 27 at Smoyer Park.

Local Sports

Bailey Basketball Academy Offering Summer Camp

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

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

The second camp is slated for July 22-26 at the Princeton Middle School.

There is a full day camp for ages 9-14 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and a half day camp from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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

BBA will also offer “Shot King” shooting instruction and small group player development daily sessions from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. starting July 1 and running through August 16 for players getting ready for middle school, high school, or club participation.

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

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

NJ Wrestling Organization

Holding Golf Event July 24

The New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will host its 21st golf outing, a shotgun/ scramble on July 24.

The event will take place, rain or shine, at the Mercer Oaks Golf Club at 725 Village Road, West Windsor.

One of the goals of the golf outing is to seek and raise contributions, donations, and gifts to provide wrestling camp and clinic scholarships to deserving youth who seek to improve and enhance their skills in the sport of amateur wrestling

In addition, the chapter will also make contributions to selected veterans and relief organizations such as the NJ Vietnam Memorial, as well as children’s hospitals such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House.

The golf package includes

breakfast and registration (7:45 to 8:45 a.m.), green fees, cart, practice range, locker, giveaways, prizes, and silent auction. Golfers can also win a Nissan at the “Hole in 1” Par 3. There is also a buffet dinner after golf.

The cost for foursomes is $625, individuals $165, dinner-only $70, and raffles $20. Players 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult player. Singles and pairs have to contact the golf chairman for arrangements . Foursomes are not required to do so. For questions, contact golf chairman Ken Bernabe at bernabekenjb@aol.com , or call (732) 991-3984.

One can also make a tee, flag, or meal sponsorship. Combinations are as follows : $300 brunch, $200 flag; $500 dinner; $100 tee. All sponsorships can be mailed to Ken Bernabe, 7 Yeger Drive, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.

Golf registration forms must be completed and mailed along with check made payable to NWHFNJ Golf by June 28, or pay online via Zelle to Bill Miron at (609) 8723520.

HATS OFF:

218

Schiavone

bat

summer. Schiavone

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Obituaries

Eleanor Caithness Kuser

Eleanor Caithness Kuser died on Sunday, June 16, in Santa Barbara, CA, with her son, Emilio Madrid, by her side. She was 66.

The daughter of John Erdmann Kuser and Eleanor Caithness Will Kuser, she was born in Princeton Hospital, living first on Cedar Lane and later in the Columbus Boy Choir neighborhood on Galbreath Drive. Part of a scrum of five friends all through Johnson Park School, she moved on to Community Park and graduated from Princeton Day School in 1976 in a

graduation dress she sewed herself. It was at Princeton Day where her natural artistry was discovered in life drawing, architecture, and especially in photography. Taught by Mr. Denby, her darkroom work was diligent; throughout the rest of her life, she continued to have a natural eye for composition.

Fluent in Spanish since attending a summer abroad program while in high school, Eleanor graduated from Occidental College in 1980, majoring in Hispanic Studies. After college she

freelanced as a SpanishEnglish translator for attorneys at the Criminal Court Building in downtown Los Angeles. She continued to work after the birth of her only child, Emilio. They moved to Montecito and later Santa Barbara.

Adventurous, high-spirited and vivacious (nicknamed The Cruise Director by one of her mother’s friends), sometimes a ham in family photographs, and very athletic, she became a competitive figure skater through the Princeton Skating Club at Baker Rink. At age 10, she began training with a pro during summers in Aspen. She and others in the Skating Club continually won competitions in the Eastern Regionals; often the youngest, she frequently held the trophy in newspaper photos. She dropped figure skating in her midteens and with her high school best friend, Rhoda Jaffin, began the country’s first high school girls’ ice hockey team. The two friends and the team were highlighted in a segment on Public Television. Soon other high school girls’ ice hockey teams were formed, including one at nearby Stuart Country Day School, and competitive games between girls’ teams began at the secondary school level.

Her enthusiasm, her inimitable laugh, and her beautiful photographs will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her son, Emilio; two sisters, Olivia Kuser of San Francisco, CA, and Caryl Kuser of Princeton, NJ; and a brotherin-law, Alfred Bay of Palo Alto, CA. Linda Ryan, her

first year roommate from Occidental College, took time away from her own family to drive up regularly from Manhattan Beach to help Eleanor.

Emilio is planning a memorial for his mother on the West Coast, possibly on Butterfly Beach in Montecito, her favorite place to watch the ocean and sunsets.

A lifelong moon-watcher, she always found a view of the full moon from a beach taking advantage of the coastal geography of Santa Barbara. She always began watching a few days in advance in case of inclement weather on the day of.

All love to you, sweet sister.

Kathleen Macdonald Bingeman, age 100, passed away on June 14, 2024 at her home in Skillman, NJ. Kathleen was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada on October 19, 1923. She was raised in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia, and Ottawa, Ontario. After graduating from high school, Kathleen earned a BA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and later earned a Master of Library Science at UCLA.

friends, playing bridge and hearts, gardening, reading, and pursuing her passion for golf at 104 courses throughout the world.

Princeton Public Library, the Nassau Street School PTA, the Princeton Hospital Fete, Trinity Church of Princeton, and the Vassar Club of Central New Jersey.

Kathleen was a beloved mother and devoted to her children, the late Grant Bingeman (Ruthann), Leslie Sillinger (Glenn, late), John Bingeman, and Claire Hatten (Jimmie). She will forever be remembered by her treasured family, including grandchildren, Jeanette Ellefson (Eddie), Keith Bingeman, Jared Bingeman, Michael Sillinger, Chris Sillinger (Nancy), Angela Taylor, Michael Bingeman (Joyce), Courtney Weld (Thomas), James Hatten, and Ainsley Hatten, along with 25 great-grandchildren and countless other family and friends. Kathleen was predeceased by her husband, Jonas Byron Bingeman, and her brother, Ian Macdonald.

Kathleen donated her body to the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Kathleen was the older of two children born to John and Katherine Macdonald and was the beloved wife of the late Jonas Byron Bingeman for nearly 70 years. After meeting at Queen’s and marrying in 1948, Jonas and Kathleen enjoyed living in Minnesota, Louisiana, California, Virginia, and New Jersey while Jonas pursued his successful engineering career. During their years in Los Angeles, Kathleen worked for RCA Aerospace as a librarian and thoroughly enjoyed her professional career.

Barbara Lamb Johnson, former Princeton resident and Town Topics Associate Editor, died peacefully on June 18, 2024 in Concord, Massachusetts, She was 92.

For Barbara, the features of a good life included a career as a newspaper reporter, a great love for the outdoors, rowing crew, leadership roles in community organizations, and importantly, raising her four boys.

Born March 8, 1932 in New York City to Horace Lamb and Beatrice Pitney Lamb, Barbara grew up in New Canaan, CT. At age 10, with asthma, she was sent to school in the dry climate of Arizona. Later she credited the years in Arizona, and time at Westover School, back East, with building self-reliance and discipline so important to her life.

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