Volume LXXI, Number 26
Teens Host Local TV Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Lawrenceville Receives Largest Gift in School’s History . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 British Drawings Exhibit at PU Museum . . . . . . 12 “Monterey Pop” Turns 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 PU Women’s Golfer Walton Made History in Debut Campaign . . . . 22 Princeton Little League Advances to District 12 Intermediate Final . . . 27
Fourth of July Events Around Town . . . . . . . 17 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 21 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 29 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Music/Theater . . . . . . 16 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . 9 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 6 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 29 Service Directory . . . . 26 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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Teachers’ Contract Extension Seen as A Win for All Sides Last week’s announcement of a twoyear extension of the contract between the Princeton School Board and the teachers’ union marks “a real game changer,” according to Board President Patrick Sullivan, in the relationship between the board and teachers that has in the past seen significant conflict over contract negotiations. The original contract was scheduled to conclude in June of 2018. The new agreement, ratified by teachers on June 19 and approved by the board at a special meeting on June 20, extends the contract through 2020. “We are very proud to have this level of trust and cooperation with the PREA,” said Mr. Sullivan, “and we salute the vision of their negotiations team and of Superintendent Cochrane.” He noted that this early, amicable resolution ”allows all of us to focus on the meaningful changes we hope to bring about for the students in our schools.” The agreement calls for 2.63 percent overall annual salary increases, in line with the final year of the original contract and comparable raises in other teachers’ contracts in Mercer County public school districts. The extension also maintains the shared-savings agreement associated with the funding of health benefits. A joint statement issued by the board,
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Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Westminster Coalition Members File Lawsuit When Rider University announced in March that it was selling the Princeton campus of Westminster Choir College, it was emphasized that the aim was to find an academic institution that would keep Westminster, which Rider has owned since 1991, in operation on its longtime Princeton campus. But a lawsuit filed in federal court last week by members of The Coalition to Save Westminster Choir College in Princeton, Inc., lists names like Toll Brothers, Weichert Development Company, and Garden Homes of Princeton on the list of parties interested in the site. With growing concern that the 83-year-old campus will be turned into a housing development rather than operated by another academic institution and kept intact, the Coalition decided to take legal action. Princeton attorney Bruce Afran filed the suit in New York City because two
of the plaintiffs live there. Based on language in the 1991 agreement that merged Westminster with the Lawrencebased school then known as Rider College, the suit alleges that Rider has no legal right to sell the music school. Specifically, the suit seeks an injunction that would prevent Rider from selling to a commercial real estate developer or any nonprofit or public agency that would stop operating Westminster at its Wal-
nut Avenue campus. Representatives of the Coalition met with Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo and other administration officials on May 19, and followed up with a written proposal to spin off Westminster as an independent institution. The Coalition stated that a subsequent meeting would be expected within 30 days or else legal action would Continued on Page 4
Statue and Pavilion to Honor Nashes; West Windsor Plans to Enhance Park “A beautiful place for a beautiful mind and a loving heart” reads the plaque in West Windsor’s Nash Park, dedicated in honor of Nobel Laureate John Nash and his wife Alicia Nash. And soon a sculpture of the mathematician and his wife will be
added as an enhancement to the Alexander Road park. West Windsor Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh announced last week that either busts or full figures of John and Alicia Nash, Continued on Page 8
Continued on Page 8
Route 206 Detours Set As Bridge Repair Begins Traffic in and around Princeton is about to get trickier than usual . Starting at 10 p .m . Wednesday, July 5 and continuing every day until November 3, the Route 206 bridge over the Stony Brook will be closed in both directions . A second project, involving PSE&G’s replacement of a gas main on Route 206, will begin July 10 and continue through July 31 . Already underway on East Nassau Street is New Jersey American Water’s replacement of a water main, scheduled to conclude in early September . For details on suggested detours during the Route 206 bridge repair project, visit the town’s website, princetonnj .gov .
BLAST FROM THE PAST: Princeton resident Jacob Lilienthal, 8, takes some pre-game batting practice with the Flemington Neshanock at the Historical Society of Princeton’s annual 19th century baseball event held last Saturday in Greenway Meadows Park. In the background is Jeff “Duke” Schneider of the Neshanock. See page 28 for more details on the event. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)