Directing Trenton Youth Theater at PU is “Full Circle” for Faith Iloka 5 Oppenheimer film Sparks Remembrance of His Secretary 7
Hispanic Heritage Month to Feature Many Celebrations 9
PU Women’s Soccer Bringing Hunger Into 2023 Campaign as it Hosts Monmouth in Opener 24
Taking Its Lumps Last Fall in Youth Movement, BattleTested PHS Football Primed For Big Season 28
Princeton Mayor Mark Freda has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit related to a fatal crash that took place on Route 27 in November 2021. Freda, who is president of the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad (PFARS) and is a volunteer re ghter, was allegedly involved in a chase that took place before the fatal collision.
A teenager from Newark and a woman from Kendall Park were killed in the crash, which involved a Jeep Grand Cherokee, stolen from a home in Pequannock Township and driven by 15-year-old Damajia Horner; and another vehicle driven by Jodi Marcou, a 61-year-old fundraising coordinator at Rutgers University. Both drivers died after the Jeep crossed the yellow lines and collided head-on into Marcou’s Acura near Carnegie Drive. A 14-yearold boy in the Jeep sustained severe injuries.
It was on the afternoon of November 7, 2021 that three teenagers in the stolen Jeep pilfered an unlocked Range Rover parked on Dodds Lane. A resident of Clover Lane, where the trio then attempted to steal two sports cars, called police and the mayor, who each drove to the scene. When the teens saw them, they drove away. The Jeep, driven by the 15-year-old, was the vehicle involved in the crash. The Range Rover, driven by another teen, was later found abandoned in Newark.
The lawsuit reads that Freda “ ipped on the blue lights of the vehicle he was driving at the time and joined the police chase,” actions in violation of township, police, and First Aid/Rescue policies, it reads.
The lawsuit naming Freda is the latest in court lings related to the case. According to a report by the radio station and website New Jersey 101.5, which rst reported the suit led by Marcou’s husband last week, Freda’s name was added on July 21.
In addition to Freda, the suit led by David Marcou also faults the owner of the Jeep for leaving it unlocked with the keys inside. Marcou rst led a lawsuit against a 19-year-old accused of ordering the 15-year-old to steal the Jeep. Her mother and Hanover Insurance were also named as defendants.
The cleanup projects are being completed, and the teachers have been coming in to organize their classrooms. Teachers and staff will be reporting for in-service preparation and meetings next week, and the rst day of school for all of the nearly 4,000 Princeton Public Schools (PPS) students is Tuesday, September 5.
“I’m very excited for the school year,” said Johnson Park Principal Angela Siso Stentz. “I’m excited to see our students. We’ve missed them. It’s felt like a long summer, and I’m waiting for them to arrive at our front door. I’m also excited to see my staff next week and to get the school year going.”
“Belonging and Community: Where Every Learner Thrives” is the official district theme for the 2023-24 school year. In a message to PPS parents, Superintendent Carol Kelley expressed her gratitude for the parents’ support in the education of their children. “The trusting relationships, open communication, and partnerships between you and PPS staff provide the supporting conditions for our students’ success,” she wrote.
Kelley went on to point out three priorities that the schools will be focusing on this year: progress in literacy and numeracy for students aged 3 through third
grade; wellness, inclusion, and support for all students with a sense of belonging and meaningful relationships with at least one adult in their school; and “a meaningful life for all students beyond graduation from Princeton Public Schools.”
Siso Stentz noted that attention to social emotional learning has been a high priority for her and other administrators in implementing the district’s strategic plan that was approved last spring.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time as
an administrative team really working on the goals for the school year, and a lot of it is rooted in social emotional learning, making sure that our students feel safe, feel loved, and are supported in their learning,” she said. “We’re excited about that. It’s a good goal to have for our school.”
She went on to point out that in the current post-COVID-19 period the aftereffects of the pandemic are more social and emotional than academic. “We’ve been
Liberal arts education may be in jeopardy, as colleges around the country announce the elimination of degree programs and massive cuts in faculty positions, but Princeton Adult School (PAS), ready to launch its 85th year with catalogs in the mail this week and fall course registration underway, is bucking the trend. There are 298 courses available for every possible interest.
Want to study sewing literacy and “Get to Know your Sewing Machine”? How about “No Limit, Texas Hold ‘em Poker”? Or maybe start “Your Second Career: Becoming a Flight Attendant”? Or, on a more
scholarly note, “Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Henry IV: the Love-Hate Triangles of Fathers and Sons” or “Nudes: The Naked Truth in Art”?
Language courses, walking tours, y shing, computers, media, gastronomy, health, and a host of other traditional elds are also available at PAS. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to “Discover Ancient Egypt” or “Learn to Read the Tarot”? Or get on your feet and learn “Ballroom Dance Basics” (waltz, foxtrot, rumba, tango, cha-cha, swing, and more) or experience “An Introduction to
Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946
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Princeton Senior Resource Center has announced the appointment of three new board members as of July 1: Kathy Ales, Harold Kuskin, and Jane Silverman.
Ales has been a resident of Princeton for 39 years. Trained in general internal medicine, she served on the faculty at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical College and as a physician at The New York Hospital. Later, on the University Medical Center at Princeton staff, she was medical director of the former Merwick Long Term Care Unit on Bayard Lane and the Medical Center’s Hospice Service. More recently, as medical director
for Jacobus Pharmaceutical Company, Inc., she oversaw clinical research for the treatment of an ultra-rare neurological disorder.
Kuskin and his wife, Joan, have been Princeton residents since 2011. He is an alumnus of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, practiced law in New Jersey for more than 30 years, and in 1995 he was nominated by Gov. Whitman to be a judge of the Tax Court of New Jersey. Since retiring in 2009, Kuskin has served PSRC as a member and former chairperson of the Evergreen Forum Steering Committee as well as teaching opera and Antarctic exploration courses. He has also served as a walking tour guide for the Historical Society of Princeton.
Silverman is an organizational consultant specializing in strategic planning and governance for nonprofits. She has been a resident of Princeton since 1977. She has had a long career in nonprofit management as an executive, consultant, and board member. She currently is the chair of the development committee for the Princeton Public Library Friends and Foundation and chair of the governance committee for the American Repertory Ballet/ Princeton Ballet School. She is a longtime member of the national board of Governors of the American Jewish Committee and sits on the advisory committee of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Human Rights.
Commemorative Bricks at Community Park Pool: To raise funds for its endowment fund and ongoing support to the Recreation Department Scholarship Program, the community can have a brick paver engraved to honor a loved one or share a positive message. The deadline is September 1. Visit princetonnj.gov or call (609) 921-9480.
Call for Land Stewards: Join Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) in September, October, and November for morning or afternoon Saturday volunteer sessions under the guidance of FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship to assist with various conservation projects at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. More at fopos.org/getinvolved.
Washington Road Closure: Until October, the road is closed at the D&R Canal while the bridge over the canal is removed and rebuilt. A detour using Nassau Street, Harrison Street, and Route 1 is in place. The towpath will largely be available during the closure.
Volunteer for Womanspace: The organization, which provides emergency and follow-up services to those impacted by domestic and sexual violence, seeks community members to be trainees for the Womanspace Response Teams of Mercer County. Visit womanspace.org.
Volunteer for “Chop n’ Stop” Invasive Species Removal: Join Friends of Princeton Open Space at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Preserve for one or both of its next two-hour volunteer sessions on Saturday, September 9 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to remove invasive species as the season starts to change. Find out more at fopos. org/getinvolved.
Princeton Fire Department Drill Night: On Tuesday, September 5 from 7-9 p.m., meet firefighters, and learn about equipment and joining as a volunteer. At 363 Witherspoon Street.
LEARNING THEIR CRAFT: Through the Trenton Youth Theater, Trenton Central High School students meet weekly at Princeton University to develop their skills at acting, directing, design, and other aspects of theater-making. The program is part of Trenton Arts at Princeton (TAP), encompassing theater, dance, and music.
On Saturday mornings during the school year, 10 students from Trenton Central High School board a bus bound for Princeton
University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. For two hours — including breakfast and lunch — these participants in the Trenton Youth Theater (TYT) immerse themselves in all aspects of theater.
Student coaches from the University work with the aspiring actors, directors, and designers to develop their skills. The weekly rehearsals will culminate in a showcase next spring at Richardson Auditorium, marking the fifth anniversary of the Trenton Arts at Princeton Program (TAP), of which Trenton Youth Theater is a branch.
Heading TYT is Faith Iloka, who has the unique distinction of being an alumnus of both Trenton High in 2017, and the University in 2021. Her background, which includes playwrighting and mental health counseling, led TAP to appoint her as artistic director, succeeding former director Jamie Goodwin.
Iloka spent her early childhood in Nigeria. When she was 7, her family moved to the U.S. and settled in Hamilton Township. She entered Trenton High around the time the school was being rebuilt, and classes were held in different locations. “There wasn’t any arts presence at that time,” Iloka said. “So, I found myself seeking it out at the Trenton Boys and Girls Club. Through the classes there, a sense of community started to build through those of us who were interested in the arts.”
When the new building was finished and students moved back in, Iloka began studying with drama teacher Christina Forshey, whom she cites as a major inspiration. “She actually drove a bunch of us to McCarter Theatre to audition for A Christmas Carol in 2016. I and another student got in, as part of the community ensemble. She took us to rehearsals, and was really invested in us.”
Trenton High’s reputation as a rough place is largely unfounded, Iloka said. “I had heard stuff, of course — stigmatized rhetoric about it being ghetto and violent,” she said. “My brother said, ‘Good luck. I hope you don’t get beat up.’ What I found when I got there was that people were really friendly, and there was a big sense of community. I personally didn’t have a problem there. But I think that was intentional. I wanted to avoid the drama. I learned that a
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lot of people had a tough upbringing at home. Trenton High doesn’t subscribe to this one stigma. People are human and have a lot of nuance.”
While in high school, Iloka participated in the Princeton University Preparatory P rogram (PUPP), a multiyear, tuition-free program that prepares students for admission to and success within selective colleges and universities.
“I got in my freshman year,” she said. “We had classes in the summer at Princeton, and they exposed us to the arts all year. They paid for everything, and helped us prepare for college and other options I h ad. So, I was a lot more informed when it came to application season. When I got i nto Princeton, it was a big achievement for me. They covered my tuition. I majored in African American s tudies and received certificates in theater and music t heater. I was able to join the dance group, engage in the arts, and get performance experience.”
TYT is designed for students from Trenton High a nd the Trenton Ninth Grade Academy. “Inspired by Princeton’s holistic approach to theater, TYT exposes Trenton students to all a spects of theater-making,” reads its website. “During weekly rehearsals, TYT members work with their Princeton student coaches on developing specific skills related to theater, such as directing, acting, and lighting design. Members then c reate their own works of theater.”
A forum for the expression of opinions about local and national issues.
Question of the Week:
“How are you inspired by nature?”
(Asked Saturday at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve) (Photos by Charles R. Plohn)
During her senior year at Princeton, Iloka was one of two inaugural student leaders with TYT. Alongside t hen-director Victoria Davidjohn and co-student leader Tanaka Dunbar Ngwara ’24, she designed an instructional model for TYT that a llowed a variety of theatrical skills to be taught over Z oom.
“We prioritized making it a collaborative experience,” she said. “It was during the pandemic, and it forced us to think of different ways to do things. We put on a big Zoom showcase at the end.”
Her appointment as artistic director of TYT “feels v ery full circle,” Iloka said. “A big part of my goal is to give back to the communities that helped me as a p erson. It’s about more than getting a job and earning the money. I want to motivate them.”
—Anne Levin
Of His Secretary, Verna Hobson photographer for another. She studied Greek at the Senior College of the University of Southern Maine. She died in 2004 at the age of 81.
years heading Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) has inspired local recollections about the famed physicist, his family, and people affiliated with him.
Among the most recent is a remembrance of Verna Hobson, Oppenheimer’s secretary at the IAS from 1954 to 1966. Hobson and her husband, Wilder Hobson, were friends of the mother of Princeton resident Hank Fairman through much of the 1950s till 1964. The Hobsons lived on Valley Road at Jefferson Road, and the Fairmans lived nearby on Mt. Lucas Road.
“As a young boy, I remember them coming to my mother’s house for evenings of dinner and jazz,” noted Fairman, a novelist and poet who formerly wrote a column on environmental issues for the Princeton Packet. “Verna, a slim, attractive woman, played, surprisingly, the tuba. Wilder played the trombone, and several others, including professional trumpet player John Dengler, joined to perform popular and jazz pieces in the living room of my mother’s house, where she was hostess and gourmet cook.”
According to Hobson’s obituary, “She soloed in front of the Lester Lanin orchestra and jammed with jazz stars Wild Bill Davison and J.C. Higginbotham.”
Hobson’s years with Oppenheimer represent only one phase of her career. She worked at the Museum of Modern Art and Time Inc. in New York. In London, she was employed at the American Association of University Women and as executive secretary for an architectural firm. She edited one weekly newspaper in Maine, and was a freelance
Hobson went to work for Oppenheimer at the IAS in 1954. “She, as he must have seen, was a gifted woman in her own right, and she worked at his side, presumably until his death,” Fairman said.
She was closely involved as Oppenheimer, who led the development of the atomic bomb, prepared for a hearing by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission that ultimately led to his security clearance being revoked. In the book
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (on which the film Oppenheimer is based), Hobson expresses her frustration with the pace of his defense.
“To his friends, Robert seemed distracted and inexplicably passive,” the book reads. “One day, while listening to the lawyers talk about legal strategy, Verna Hobson lost her patience and began to push Robert.
‘I thought Robert was not fighting hard enough,’ she recalled. ‘I thought Lloyd Garrison [his attorney] was being too gentlemanly. I was angry. I thought we should go out and fight.’”
Hobson was the daughter of U.S. Congressman Francis Burton Harrison, who also served as governor-general of the Philippines. “She lived in Europe for her first 16 years following her father’s retirement,” Fairman said. “She then attended Swarthmore College and learned to fly small planes, co-owning a Piper Cub.”
Hobson met her husband, Wilder — a first cousin of playwright Thornton Wilder — while working for Time Inc., and they married in 1945. They spent many summers on Squirrel Island in Maine, where his family had a cottage. “They had two
children, Archie and Elisa, the latter of similar age and occasional acquaintance of my sister,” said Fairman.
“Following Wilder’s death in 1964, and Oppenheimer’s death from throat cancer in 1967, Verna moved to London. Sadly, Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, had a drinking problem, and Wilder died from gastrointestinal problems worsened by drinking.”
Hobson returned to the U.S. in 1976, settling in New Gloucester, Maine. “She became a farmer, growing trees, vegetables, lambs, pigs, and chickens, and was active in a local environmental organization,” Fairman said. “At the same time, she reported for, edited, and managed a local weekly newspaper, the New Gloucester News, and was one of the revivers of a summer newspaper focused on Squirrel Island. She was also active with various writing and readers’ groups.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Hobson became the foster mother to a young refugee from Cambodia in 1983.
“That Verna engaged two unusually bright men, Wilder Hobson and Dr. Oppenheimer, speaks to her own abilities, interests, and achievements and marks her as one of Princeton’s truly notable residents,” said Fairman.
—Anne Levin
Drag Queen Story Hour At Bayard Rustin Center
Kids, families, and adults of all ages are invited to a Drag Queen Story Hour hosted by Carrie Dragshaw at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ) on Saturday, August 26 at 11 a.m.
The program is designed to teach children about gender diversity, promote self-acceptance, and build empathy through stories and songs. It also hopes to help curb bullying of LGBTQIA youth.
This event will directly support the center’s new BRCSJ Defenders of the Right to Read, which, under the leadership of the center’s librarian-in-residence Martha Hickson and Andrea Caporale, combats censorship, battles book-banning, and keeps people reading freely in these difficult times for schools, libraries, and in the greater community, especially for queer kids.
Copies of Dragshaw’s new book, Becoming A Queen, will also be available for her to sign. Tickets are free, but donations are welcome. The Rustin Center is at 12 Stockton Street. Visit rustin center.org.
The New Jersey State Museum has announced the addition of two new shows to the Planetarium schedule: The Moon, for children through age 8, and Áróra, an award-winning film about the science and beauty of auroras for general audiences. The new shows will premiere on the schedule beginning September 2.
The Moon teaches young children about the Earth and the moon, and how observations can help us better understand the world around us. Áróra is an immersive full-dome show that transports audiences to Iceland to learn the story of the aurora, the northern and southern lights. The audience voyages through time and space to find out how auroras are caused
by the sun, how Earth’s auroras have siblings across the solar system, and how different cultures have explained this majestic and mysterious phenomenon. Áróra will be shown in 8K resolution, taking advantage of the full potential of the planetarium.
“Our newest programming was chosen with the museum’s motto, ‘Inspiration. On Display,’ in mind,” said Jacob Hamer, Planetarium assistant curator, of his selection process. “I chose The Moon to ensure that our youngest audiences are inspired to learn more about astronomy through an experience that teaches them how to observe the world around them — a skill of great importance in our complex world. Our other new show, Áróra, will captivate audiences of all ages. So many people dream of seeing the aurora just once in their lives. When watching Áróra, you can almost believe you’re seeing it for real, and you can’t help but be inspired by its beauty.”
Planetarium programs will be shown on Saturdays and Sundays in September. Tickets, which must be purchased the day of the show, are $5$10. The schedule with show times and descriptions is at statemuseum.nj.gov.
THEY GIVE TREES A CHANCE: On Saturday, August 11, Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) hosted more than 40 volunteers for two sessions focused on riparian restoration. “Volunteers headed to the forest restoration site at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve and performed invasive species removal,” said Anna Corichi, director of natural resources and stewardship for FOPOS. “Their efforts helped reclaim dozens of vulnerable native plants and will help ensure that many more native trees have room to grow.” To help, fopos. org/getinvolved.
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pleasantly surprised at how our students have caught up and have met grade level benchmarks and really are doing a great job with academics,” she said. “But we have noted students’ behaviors, and we’re still working on putting incentives in place for students to make sure that they’re being kind to one another and they’re sharing.”
new school counselor, a new special education teacher, and a few new instructional assistants, as well as balanced class numbers and a total school enrollment of 378. Her only staffi ng concern was a shortage of substitutes, which is a problem throughout the district.
“We look forward to sharing more information about these proposed projects and how they fit into our strategy for steady improvement and maintenance through fiscally responsible planning,” she added. “By holding a bond referendum, Princeton Public Schools is eligible for state aid toward debt service to offset the amount needed through property taxes. The state aid is only available if the referendum is approved.”
To learn more about Saint Peter’s services, visit saintpetershcs.com. Princeton
She continued, “Their behavior has at times been more than we expected, and that’s a direct effect of students staying home for so long and not really interacting with their peers. But it improved by the end of last year, and we’re starting off really strong this year with clear expectations and some community building. We talk about this at all four elementary schools, how we can start reducing those behavior infractions.”
Siso Stentz added that she is pleased to report that Johnson Park is fully staffed with “really strong teachers for our kids,” along with a
The Tuesday, August 22 PPS Board of Education (BOE) meeting took place after press time, but the BOE was expected to approve a bond proposal question for a facilities referendum bond of $12,998,050 to be placed on the ballot for the November 7, 2023 election.
Kelley stated that the referendum “addresses the district’s most immediate building needs to better serve our students and staff.” The proposed projects include security and technology upgrades at all schools, athletic field resurfacing and cafeteria renovations at PHS, roof replacement at Princeton Middle School, and replacement fencing and improved drainage for playground areas at the elementary schools.
PPS Business Administrator and Board Secretary Matthew Bouldin emphasized that this is “a fiscally prudent proposal,” noting that the state would reimburse the district for more than 31 percent of the debt service. He added that by including the referendum on the general election ballot in November the district could also avoid extra election costs.
Another item of interest on the Tuesday night BOE agenda was the extension of the appointment of PHS Interim Principal Kathie Foster for an additional month through September 30, 2023. The BOE was expected to approve that extension, as they continue the search for a permanent principal for PHS. They had originally hoped to have a new principal in place by the start of the school year.
Foster has been on the job since April, following the dismissal of former principal Frank Chmiel. A PPS announcement last week stated that applications for the principal position had been screened and candidates would be coming in for interviews with the search committee in late August.
—Donald Gilpin
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, has been named by U.S. News & World Report to its 2023-2024 Best Hospitals as a High Performing hospital for Diabetes, Hip Fracture, Kidney Failure, and Leukemia/Lymphoma/ Myeloma. This is the highest distinction a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures and Conditions ratings.
The annual Procedures and Conditions ratings are designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures.
“Recognition in these distinct practice areas by such a prestigious national publication with stringent criteria for selection offers an additional level of confidence to patients seeking destinations for superior care,” said Leslie D. Hirsch, president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “This recognition is also a testament to our clinicians and their expertise to be recognized among some of the best providers of specialty care in the nation.”
U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 21 procedures and conditions. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care, and patient experience.
“For 34 years, U.S. News has provided data-informed rankings to help patients and
their doctors find the best hospital to treat their illness or condition,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Fewer than half of evaluated hospitals earned any High Performing rating. Hospitals that are High Performing have excelled in providing high quality care in specific procedures and/ or conditions.”
On October 3, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the National Humanities Center, and Princeton Public Library will co-host “Creativity in the Age of ChatGPT,” a panel conversation on the AI chatbot that has kindled imaginations and stoked debate since it was launched by OpenAI in November 2022. The event will use a public humanities lens to explore how ChatGPT, and generative AI more broadly, will alter how we define, understand, and practice creativity in the future.
Rishi Jaitly, Princeton University alumnus and former trustee, former executive at Twitter, Google, and YouTube, and current Distinguished Fellow at Virginia Tech’s Center for Humanities, will serve as moderator. The panel features diverse voices from the worlds of art, tech, and higher education, including Min Li Chan, essayist, technologist, Alphabet/ Google alumnus; Edward Jones-Imhotep, director,
Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of Toronto; and Helena Sarin, engineering artist.
“This panel will usefully ground conversation about ChatGPT in the public humanities, situating these new AI technologies in the human contexts — creative, social, and historical — that will in fact shape their uses and impacts,” said Carin Berkowitz, executive director of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
“As a space that aims to spark intellectual curiosity and to bring diverse audiences together, Princeton Public Library is the ideal site for such a discussion.”
“The rapid adoption of AI technologies has the potential to dramatically alter our lives in innumerable ways,” said Robert D. Newman, president and director of the National Humanities Center. “For several years the NHC has helped organize and focus humanities scholarship and teaching on issues surrounding artificial intelligence. We are delighted to be partnering with our colleagues at the New Jersey Council for the Humanities to highlight the essential role the humanities must play as we come to terms with their tremendous potential.”
Following the panel, light refreshments will be provided and there will be opportunities to talk informally with the program participants.
Attendees are strongly encouraged, but not required, to register in advance. Visit princeton library.org.
Starting in September and lasting into mid-October, Hispanic Heritage Month will celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
The Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) will be hosting a joint Heritage Month celebration and health fair event at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 151 Warren Street in Trenton, on September 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. LALDEF will offer free food, prizes, COVID-19 vaccines, flu and other back-toschool vaccines, and breast cancer screenings, as well as information on resources such as WIC (women, infants, children) services, health insurance enrollment, mental health services, and family support services.
“We invite all residents of Mercer County to join us on September 9 for this wonderful celebration, where our community comes first,” said LALDEF Executive Director Cecy JimenezWeaast. “We hope that you will join us in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.”
A LALDEF press release notes that the organization’s mission is to “promote the rights of all immigrants (with a focus on the Latin American community in the Mercer County area); facilitate access to health care, education, and legal representation; advocate for the integration of immigrants; and foster intercultural communication that strengthens our communities.”
Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 as Historic Heritage Week and became a full month, September 15 to October 15, in 1988. September marks the anniversary of
independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence day on September 16, and Chile on September 18.
On October 8, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, a Festival Cultural Latino will take place at the Princeton YMCA from 1 to 5 p.m. The event will feature the richness and diversity of Latin American culture through music, local artists and artisans, traditional food, and arts and crafts activities, including the community piñata.
Mi Pueblo Lindo, the Princeton YMCA, Princeton Public Library, Princeton University, the Arts Council of Princeton, McCarter Theatre, and La Lupita grocery store are co-sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public.
On Saturday, September 16 from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Suzanne Patterson Center on Stockton Street, the Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC), along with Princeton Human Services, will be hosting Loteria — Mexican Bingo. Loteria will be called in Spanish and English, with prizes for winners and refreshments for all.
Other PSRC events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month will include a Spanish Book Club on September 6, 13, 20, and 27, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The chosen book is Como aqua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) by Laura Esquivel.
For more information on PSRC events or to donate prizes to the Loteria, email human services@princetonnj.gov or email Johanna Peters at PSRC at jpeters@ princetonsenior.org.
—Donald Gilpin
New Assistant Prosecutor
Named by Mercer County Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri recently announced the promotion of Jennifer Downing-Mathis to first assistant prosecutor. Downing-Mathis was sworn in by Judge Janetta D. Marbrey at the Mercer County Criminal Courthouse.
In her new role, DowningMathis will assist in formulating policy, overseeing investigations, and general oversight of several units in the office as well as the 210-member staff. She has served as deputy first assistant since September 2016.
“I look forward to working with Jennifer in her new role as this office strives to make Mercer County a safer community to live, work, and visit,” said Onofri.
Downing-Mathis began her career with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office in 1998 after completing a clerkship for Judge Paulette Sapp-Peterson. During her time in the office, she has served as chief of the Megan’s Law Unit and chief of the Special Victims Unit, where she initiated the formation and accreditation process of the Robin H. Scheiner Child Advocacy Center. Downing-Mathis has experience in executive government administration, child abuse and sexual assault investigations, grant acquisitions, internal affairs, trial preparation, and legal research and analysis. She gives back to the community by mentoring and lecturing youth and participating in community organizations such as the Eggerts Crossing Civic League. She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar, serving as a trustee for the Criminal Law Section, a past president of the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey (ABWLNJ), and interim secretary and a trustee for the Mercer County Bar Association. She is also a member of the National District Attorneys Association and the National Black Prosecutors Association.
Additionally, DowningMathis is involved in the Mercer County Inns of Court; serves as chairperson of the Mercer County Commission on Abused, Neglected and Missing Children; is a Stigma Free Mercer task force member; and is a member of the Mercer Vicinage Superior Court Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee.
During her career Downing-Mathis has been honored with awards from the Cherish the Child Foundation, the New Jersey Women’s Hall of Fame, and the ABWLNJ. She was recently inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who in America.
Proof Positive, a nonprofit organization, launched its inaugural Learning Institute at the Princeton Public Library recently. The gathering jumpstarted its new Autism Wellbeing Alliance to create a world where flourishing with autism is possible.
National leaders in autism intervention attended the Learning Institute’s three-day immersion experience, designed to build a shared community committed to spreading the science and skills of happiness and to lead and engage others
including their teams, families, students, and clients with autism.
Proof Positive’s Autism Wellbeing Alliance initiative kicked off a comprehensive, year-long learning experience into the relationship between well-being and autism. Participants started with a deep dive into the PERMA+ Framework of Well-being, and then explored five Positive Psychology tools.
Proof Positive hosted participants from nationally renowned autism organizations, including Insight Behavior, Balance Autism, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), The Cove School, Easterseals Southern California, AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Redwood Coast Regional Center, and the Y.A.L.E School NJ.
The Autism Wellbeing Alliance is a critical part of Proof Positive’s commitment to spreading the science and skills of happiness to the autism community. Happiness can be learned, and Positive Psychology tools are beneficial to autistic individuals when we make these practices accessible.
Free educational resources are available at proofpositive.org.
The New Jersey Department of Corrections held the inaugural graduation ceremony for five incarcerated persons in recognition of their completion of a first-of-its-kind employment readiness program for barista training through a partnership with Starbucks. Five incarcerated men from Garden State Youth Correctional Facility approaching release have completed the nine-week training program.
“The New Jersey Department of Corrections is at the forefront of providing reintegration services to individuals both during and following incarceration to help them succeed in the community,” said Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn. “We are committed to providing incarcerated persons with real-world job skills and training to help them become productive and fulfilled members of the community.”
The NJ Providing Access to Community Employment (NJPACE) program within the Office of Community Engagement Initiatives (CERI) established the Barista Training Program. The program aims to provide meaningful reentry and reintegration opportunities
relevant to in-demand jobs offering livable wages in partnership with community providers. The first graduating class consisted of five incarcerated individuals who participated in a nine-week training program to learn the basics of being a barista under the instruction of the manager of a local community Starbucks.
“The barista training program is an excellent opportunity for each participant to learn a new marketable skill in the coffee house industry,” said Dr. Darcella Sessomes, chief of the Division of Programs & Reintegration Services. “Participants not only learn how to make signature coffees, teas, and cold brews, but most important, they learn customer services, teamwork, and transferable skills such as resume writing and practicing mock job interviews. These skills are critical to opening up doors for future employment as they return to the community.”
Incarcerated persons 36 months from release are eligible to participate in the barista program. Plans are underway to expand the barista training program to other NJDOC facilities to accommodate 30-40 additional incarcerated persons each year.
The New Jersey Department of Corrections supports the efforts of incarcerated persons approaching release to pursue activities and programs that will enhance the experience of reentry into the community.
Vocational and job training programs include carpentry, welding, culinary arts, cosmetology, and other skills.
The New Jersey State Library (NJSL), an affiliate of Thomas Edison State University, and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) are partnering to launch ACP Connects NJ to help build awareness and participation in New Jersey for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ACP is a national broadband affordability initiative of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that helps households afford the broadband they need for work, school, health care, and more. Eligible households receive a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service. The benefit also provides a discount of up to $100 per household toward a one-time qualifying purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet.
NJSL received a federal ACP grant for $400,000 from the FCC to support New Jersey households struggling to afford internet service. NJSL and NJDOH will collaborate with other community partners, including food pantries and Federally Qualified Health Centers, to host enrollment and outreach events. The ACP Connects NJ initiative will concentrate on communities in Central and South Jersey.
“The digital divide and challenges to access are very real for New Jerseyans. A 2022 Rutgers University study showed more than 10 percent of N.J. households do not have broadband internet access, and many more cannot afford or get home internet at speeds and prices that truly provide universal access,” said Jen Nelson, New Jersey state librarian.
“By bringing people affordable access through ACP enrollment, libraries, and health care organizations are bridging the divide in a meaningful way.”
The FCC has targeted approximately $66 million to fund the ACP initiative, to drive awareness and enrollment across the country. Building on its current community partnerships, the FCC is providing financial support to partner organizations nationwide to serve as trusted community messengers about the ACP and equipping them with funding to pursue innovative outreach strategies to reach historically underserved and unserved communities.
Eligible households can enroll by going to GetInternet.gov.
Princeton Adult School
continued from page one Sketch Comedy”? How about exploring “The Power and Pleasure of Fragrancy” and learning about the world of modern perfumery or “Understanding Personality Styles and How it Can Improve Your Personal and Business Relationships” or “Introduction to Glassblowing”?
“You name it, we will go after it,” said PAS Executive Director Anne Brener, noting how the 31 PAS board members are constantly searching for and finding new course possibilities.
“We’re always looking.”
Brener, who has led the organization for the past 30 years, discussed the success of PAS, which is based at Princeton High School. “It’s not only an opportunity to learn something bright and new,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to mingle with different people. That’s what I love, the connectivity. I will walk out of the high school at night and see people who don’t know each other well walking to their cars together, making connections to other students or to the teacher.”
She continued, “That’s the kind of connectivity you love to create, and the adult school quietly does that. We don’t have our own building, no place to hang out, but we have wonderful teachers, and we work hard to create this connectivity, and I hope this is something we can expand.”
As part of the 85th anniversary celebrations, two special events will take place this fall as part of the
PAS Conversation series. In October, two Princeton natives, Jenny Carchman, acclaimed documentary film producer and director, and Mark Mazzetti, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist for The New York Times, will “unveil the enthralling, sometimes challenging, aspects of their media careers,” according to a PAS press release.
In December, “Glitz, Glamour, and a Look into the Dark Side: a Conversation on Celebrity” will be the subject of the second special event, featuring Landon Jones, former editor of People magazine and author of Celebrity Nation; William Gleason, Princeton University professor of English and American studies; and Marilyn Marks, journalist and former editor of Princeton Alumni Weekly
At its inception in 1939 the PAS was known as the Princeton Leisure Hour School, the creation of two Princeton women, Ruth Schleifer and Laura Peskin, whose registration process required spreading out and alphabetizing 500 index cards in the Schleifer living room on Jefferson Road. Early encouragement and support came from the presidents of Princeton University and the Princeton Theological Seminary and the supervising principal of the Princeton Public Schools.
“Difficult economic times and a world on the brink of war were reflected in the course offerings,” according to the PAS website, and in addition to a lecture series on world politics, there were courses in literature, music, art, French, boiler
repair, dressmaking, typing, and modern homemaking. There was a focus on providing those struggling through the Depression a chance to improve their job skills so they could return to the workforce.
The PAS had to shut down for two years during World War II, but since then it has continued uninterrupted and grown significantly, with thousands of students now attending every year. During COVID-19 most PAS courses were able to transition rapidly to Zoom. Some courses continue on Zoom, which has enabled the PAS to have a widespread geographical presence, but most classes take place in person at PHS on Tuesday nights.
“It’s terrific to see adults come streaming in in the evenings,” said Brener, “sometimes straight from work, sometimes from helping their kids with their last bit of homework, whatever.”
She noted how a meeting in a PAS dance class once resulted in a wedding. “I always say, ‘Maybe you don’t get rich, but you meet a lot of good people,’” she said. “Many people talk about how they met their best friend when they took a course in arts or crafts or something else. We hope to create that connectivity between people.”
Look for the PAS catalog in the mail later this week, and visit princetonadultschool.org for more information and registration.
—Donald Gilpin
Get the scoop from
The Pearl S. Buck House National Historic Landmark museum in Hilltown and the Oscar Hammerstein Museum in Doylestown are partnering to bring a special one-day double feature tour of the historic homes, lives, and legacies of Pearl S. Buck and Oscar Hammerstein II on September 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests will have the option of beginning at either the Pearl S. Buck House or the Oscar Hammerstein House in the morning with a visit to the other in the afternoon.
Buck was a Pulitzer and Nobel Award-winning author, a humanitarian, and an activist. The Life & Legacy Tour is a traditional biographic tour of her home, now a National Historic Landmark museum. A rich, mostly intact collection makes guests feel as if they are visiting the house in the time Buck and her family lived there.
Objects from the ordinary (a closet full of board games played by the family) to the extraordinary (the typewriter Buck used to write The Good Earth ) add to the experience. Other items include rare artwork from around the world, period furnishings, personal clothing, and a library stocked with hundreds of books, including those by her favorite author, Charles Dickens.
The tour of Highland Farm, Hammerstein’s home and creative epicenter, includes stories about Hammerstein’s musical family, how his groundbreaking musicals forever changed the modern-day book musical,
and additional insight into his contributions to society through his many humanitarian acts, such as Pearl S. Buck’s Welcome House
Tickets are $30 and nonrefundable. In addition to tours of both museums, visitors will receive coupons to both the Pearl S. Buck International Gift Shop and Chambers 19 Bar & Bistro. Visit pearlsbuck.org/twotours/ to purchase tickets.
Back for the first year since 2019, the Cadwalader Heights House Tour will open several of its homes and gardens to the public on Saturday, September 23, from 12 to 5 p.m.
This historic Trenton neighborhood and adjoining Cadwalader Park were conceived and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape designer of New York City’s Central Park in the late 1800s. Cadwalader Heights is the only residential community Olmsted designed in New Jersey. The houses range in size from cottage to castle and in style from Colonial Revival to Tudor Revival.
In its earliest days, Cadwalader Heights was home
to the captains of Trenton’s industry, government, education, and fraternal organizations. One hundred and ten years later, the neighborhood is still fulfilling Olmsted’s vision, intentionally cultivated to weave together a diverse group of people and foster a strong sense of community and mutual respect. The tour is an opportunity for the Cadwalader Heights neighborhood to give back to the community. This year, HomeWorks Trenton is the nonprofit partner that will receive a portion of the proceeds from the tour. The nonprofit operates a free, afterschool residential program for marginalized high school girls that provides academic and identity-driven leadership enrichment to supplement public schools and develop community leaders. Tickets are $20 in advance on the Cadwalader Heights Neighborhood Association website www.cadwaladerheights.com , or can be purchased on the day of the tour for $25 at the registration center at Ellarslie, the Trenton City Museum, in Cadwalader Park. GPS coordinates are 299 Parkside Ave., Trenton, New Jersey 08618. Visit cadwaladerheights.com for more information.
What’s your favorite area restaurant? Do you have a landscaper that you love? Town Topics Newspaper is happy to announce that its 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards is now open for VOTING FOR THE B EST:
DINING
Al Fresco
Appetizers
Bagel
Bakery
Bar
Burger
Breakfast Sandwich
Caterer
Cheese
Chocolatier
Deli
Farmers Market
Gluten-Free Option
Happy Hour
Ice Cream
Italian Restaurant
Lunch Break
Mexican Restaurant
Pizza
Plant-Based Dish
Seafood Restaurant
Soup
Sushi
Takeout Meals
Vegetarian Restaurant
Wings
FITNESS
Gym
HIIT Class
Physical Therapist
Pilates
Spin Class
Trainer
Yoga
Zumba
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Acupuncture
Barber Shop
Chiropractor
Cosmetic Dentistry
Dentist/Prosthodontist
Dermatologist
ENT
Hair Salon
Hair Color/Highlight Stylist
Hospital
Massage
Med Spa/Botox
Nail Salon
Ob/Gyn
Optometrist/Ophthalmologist
Orthodontist
Orthopedist
Pharmacy
Plastic Surgeon
Podiatrist
Spa
Senior Care
Speciality Medicine
HOME & REAL ESTATE
Architect
Electrician
Furniture Store
Granite & Marble Store
Home Stager
HVAC
Interior Designer
Kitchen/Bath Designer
Landscape Designer
Nursery/Garden Center
Organic Lawn Care
Outdoor Furnishing Store
Painter
Plumber
Pool Services
Realtor
Roofing
Senior Living
Tree Service
KIDS
After-School Program
Camp
Child Care/Preschool
Children’s Gym
Children’s Dance Lessons
Children’s Martial Arts
Children’s Party Place
Children’s Photographer
Children’s Swim Lessons
Kid-Friendly Restaurant
Pediatrician
Toy Store
Tutoring
RETAIL
Antique Shop
Florist
Bike Shop
Men’s Shop
Pet Supply
Shoe Store
Speciality/Gift Store
Women’s Boutique
SERVICES
Accountant
Animal Boarding/Daycare
Attorney-Lawyer
Auto Detailing
Auto Shop/Mechanic
Car Service/Limo
Cleaners
Financial Advisor/Planner
Grocery Store
Pet Groomer
Pet Sitter/Dog Walker
Pet Training
Veterinarian
MISC.
Adult Classes
Arts Festival
Group Outing
Hidden Gem
Live Music Venue
New Business
Night Out
Summer Day Trip
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS S E p TEM b ER 13
The winners will be announced in the October 4 and 11 editions of Town Topics Newspaper. Don’t miss your chance to vote for your favorite businesses or services!
The Readers’ Choice Awards is open for online voting now at towntopics.com, or mail to 4438 Route 27, P.O. Box 125, Kingston, NJ 08528. NO PHOTOCOPIES ACCEPTED. Must be on original newsprint.
Do you have a suggestion for Town Topics or Princeton Magazine? Submit your response here:
Would you like to sign up for a one-time reader survey? Y/N
If yes, submit your email address here:
Mayor
continued from page one
The original report from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office did not reveal Freda’s involvement in the chase. A statement from Princeton Police at the time of the crash said the officer investigating the initial attempted theft began following the Range Rover while the Jeep fled in another direction.
“The Range Rover suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed and the officer attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop,” police said in the statement. “A motor vehicle pursuit ensued but was terminated on Snowden Lane due to the reckless driving of the Range Rover.”
Freda, a 45-year veteran of PFARS, and Princeton’s mayor since 2021, has declined comment on the lawsuit.
—Anne Levin
New Pediatric Center
Named for St. Peter’s
Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, in collaboration with CarePoint Health System’s Hoboken University Medical Center, held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Hudson County hospital on Wednesday for the opening of the new Dr. Bipin Patel Pediatric Multispecialty Center. The center is named in honor of the late Dr. Bipin Patel, the former Physician-in-Chief at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, as a tribute to his legacy as a devoted pediatrician and influential community leader.
the most comprehensive and highly respected children’s programs in New Jersey. His passion for improving access to high-quality health care for children drove him to share his visionary knowledge and ideas with so many. The creation of The Dr. Bipin Patel Pediatric Multispecialty Center at Hoboken University Medical Center is one such example and we are extremely proud that his legacy lives on here.”
The opening of The Dr. Bipin Patel Pediatric Multispecialty Center marks the next step in the growing partnership between CarePoint Health System and Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, with a mission of providing outstanding pediatric care to local children and families.
Dr. Jared Levin was locally born and raised in Lawrenceville, NJ. He graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biopsychology. He went on to receive his Doctor of Dental Science degree from NYU College of Dentistry in 2022. He completed his General Practice Residency in June, 2023 at Newark Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Levin prides himself on providing comprehensive dental care to both adult and pediatric patients. When he is not providing dental care, Dr. Levin enjoys attending sporting events, traveling, playing golf, and taking trips to the Jersey Shore.
Dr. Levin is joining F. Charles Wightman, DDS.; Darren S. Brummel, DDS.; Matthew Montenero, DDS.; Alisa H. Wain, DDS.; and Samin Nawaz, DMD.
“In his distinguished career, the late Dr. Bipin Patel was a prolific clinician, leader, educator, and humanitarian. Time and time again, the connections he made with patients, colleagues, and healthcare leaders in New Jersey, and around the world, sparked not only interest but action,” said Leslie D. Hirsch, president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick. “As chair of the Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief for The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Dr. Patel was a driving force behind the development of what has grown into one of
CarePoint Health System’s President and CEO, Dr. Achintya Moulick, added, “I am thrilled to be celebrating the opening of the Dr. Bipin Patel Pediatric Multispecialty Center, which will undoubtedly make a profound impact on the lives of countless children and families in Hudson County. This facility stands as a testament to the vision and dedication of Dr. Patel, whose contributions to the field of pediatric medicine will forever be remembered. We are also grateful for the partnership with Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, as we collectively strive to provide the highest standard of care to our communities.”
The Dr. Bipin Patel Pediatric Multispecialty Center offers a wide range of medical services, ensuring that young patients receive the most advanced treatments and care available. This collaboration between Saint Peter’s Healthcare System and CarePoint Health System aims to enhance the level and accessibility of care and improve health outcomes for pediatric patients in the community.
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The views of the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of Town Topics.
To the Editor:
Last week, it was a pleasure to read about James Steward and Adam Welch’s proposal to create a newly-formed committee for the town of Princeton which would be funded by levying a 1 percent fee on the cost of commercial and commercial residential capital projects, to be paid into a public art fund [“Council Gives Go-Ahead to Pursue Establishment of Public Art Master Plan, page 1, August 16].
I had the pleasure of working with James Steward on the Princeton Public Art Selection Committee, which was created by Liz Lempert in 2018. I also worked with Adam Welch on an exhibition of his sculpture in 2013 while he was teaching at Princeton University. For these two visionary men to collaborate and offer their time to create a public art program is an exceptional gift for our town. With the 2025 opening of the Princeton University Art Museum, the dynamic Arts Council of Princeton, and a new committee to purchase public art, we will all benefit and the town will be on a higher cultural plane for decades to come.
JODY ERDMAN Mountain Avenue
To the Editor:
I have regularly walked along the D&R Canal between Harrison Street and Alexander Road in Princeton since the mid-1990s. I had even occasionally ventured a few miles out of town in both directions. However, it took until this summer for me to walk the 65+ miles from New Brunswick down through Princeton and Trenton and up to Frenchtown and back, in segments.
There are some really unique portions of the trail, great wildlife (fox, egrets, turtles, etc.), easy access parking, and well-maintained trails. A few favorites included Harrison/ Millstone Aquaduct/Kingston Lock (2.6 miles), Port Mercer across the bridge over Route 1 (2.3 miles), Firemen’s Eddie through Lambertville to Stockton (5 miles), and Kingston Boat Launch through Frenchtown (1.6 miles). Trenton was also fascinating, but best done in a group.
If anyone is interested in learning more about where to park and how to access the trail, check out the park map at dandrcanal.org.
REBECCA FEDER Moore Street
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.
New Jersey author Laurie Wallmark will be at Barnes and Noble MarketFair on Saturday, September 9 at 11 a.m. with a “triple book launch party.” She will be reading each book and signing copies of all her books.
The new books are Rivka’s Presents (Penguin Random House, illustrated by Adelina Lirius) ; The Queen of Chess: How Judit Polgar Changed the Game (little bee books, illustrated by Stevie Lewis); and Her Eyes on the Stars: Maria Mitchell, Astronomer ( Creston Books, illustrated by Liz Wong), all released this summer.
Wallmark, who lives in Ringoes, is a full-time children’s writer whose books have earned starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Best STEM Book, Cook Prize Honor Book, Mathical Honor Book, AAAS/Subaru Prize Longlist, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. She is a former software engineer and computer science professor. Her debut fiction picture book is Dino Pajama Party: A Bedtime Story (Running Press Kids) and she has
written five picture books about women in STEM. She speaks at educator conferences and has been a keynote speaker at the Kutztown (Pa.) University Children’s Literature Conference and the New Jersey Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, a BA from Princeton University in biochemistry, and an MA in Information systems from Goddard College.
Bucks County, Pa. Author Writes First Fiction Book
Pipersville (Bucks County, Pa.) author Jaclyn Paul, writing under the pen name Lena George, will celebrate the release of her first book of fiction, She’s Not Home (Harborview Press) on Thursday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Frenchtown Bookstore, 28 Bridge Street, Frenchtown.
The bestselling nonfiction author of the self-help Order From Chaos (Summit to Sea)
as a
of one
grieving the
ter works to rebuild her relationship with her surviving high-school-aged daughter. The author requests that readers pre-order the book from Frenchtown Bookshop ($17), frenchtownbookshop. com, for signing at the event.
After we recorded “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “King Harvest (Has Surely Come),” and “Across the Great Divide,” I felt we were making some kind of magic.
—Robbie Robertson (1943-2023), from Testimony
In a 1995 interview, the Band’s lead guitarist and songwriter Jaime “Robbie” Robertson, who died August 9, said that he wanted to write music “that felt like it could’ve been written 50 years ago, tomorrow, yesterday — that had this lost-in-time quality.”
Halfway through his memoir Testimony (Crown Archetype 2016), Robertson refers to his interest in writing lyrics about the Civil War “from a southern family’s point of view” — “there was a chord progression and melody rumbling through my head, but I didn’t know what the song was about.” When he played the sequence for the Band’s only American member, drummer and singer Levon Helm, the Arkansas native “liked the way it stopped and started, free of tempo.”
After a visit to the local library to do “a little research on the Confederacy” (“They didn’t teach that stuff in Canadian schools”), Robertson “conjured up a story about Virgil Caine and his kin against this historical backdrop, and the song came to life,” the only catch being could he get away with it? Could you call this rock ‘n’ roll?
“Tomorrow, Yesterday”
What do you call a song that sounds at once excitingly new and as old as the hills — a song that leaves you shaking your head in wonder. Like other first time listeners to “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” I was moved and amazed by the lyrics, the stirring arrangement, and Levon Helm’s inspired performance of a piece of music that, in the words of critic Ralph Gleason, brought home this song’s “overwhelming human sense of history.” Writing in the October 1969 Rolling Stone, Gleason compared the experience to hearing “some traditional material handed down from father to son straight from that winter of 1865 to today,” such was its “aura of authenticity.”
Walking Into History
In the summer of 1965, Robertson’s book comes to life as “human history” when he describes meeting Bob Dylan in Columbia Records Studio A. After a quick introduction by record producer John Hammond (“Hey Bob this is my guitar player friend from Canada”), Dylan has them listen to the playback of a song he’d just recorded — a piece of music called “Like a Rolling Stone.” Though Robertson wasn’t familiar with Dylan’s recorded work at the time except for folk songs like “Oxford Town,” he knew he’d just been witness to something momentous: “I’d never
heard anything like this before. The studio lit up with the sound of toughness, humor, and originality. It was hard to take it all in on one listen.”
I know the feeling. It took me years to recognize the ground-breaking significance of “Like a Rolling Stone” while “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” hit me immediately, like the “lightning bolt” that was Bob Dylan the next time Robertson met him, Dylan “puffing a cigarette harder than Bette Davis, one knee bobbing in time to a shotgun monologue. He was dressed in a dark red polka-dot shirt and blue striped pants. Electricity seemed to be shooting up through his hair. His dark prescription sunglasses accented his nocturnally pale skin and wiry build. This wasn’t the folk traditionalist Dylan; this was the emergence of a new species.” Robertson seemed to know that he had just walked into an era of rock and roll history in which he and his band would play a central role.
“New Heights”
One of rock’s first and finest writer-historians-of-the-moment, Greil Marcus, gives a vivid account of what happened after Dylan hired Robertson and the Band (still called the Hawks at that time). Ready to tour the country and then the world, Dylan wanted a rock and roll force powerful enough to play through the fury of hostile crowds unwilling to forgive him for betraying folk music by going electric.
Writing in April 1969, Marcus recalls the Hawks “barnstorming” the U.S. and Canada in the early sixties “like a baseball team during the off-season, playing, says organist Garth Hudson, ‘for pimps, whores, rounders, and flakeouts.’” The Hawks didn’t know Dylan’s music “but they listened to his records ... and understood what he was doing and it worked. The combination was magnificent. Guitarist Robbie Robertson pushed Dylan to heights of musical fantasy that haven’t been touched since.... ‘They’re the greatest band in the world,’ Dylan told Keith Richards of the Stones.”
from Marlon Brando, who was in the front row when Dylan and the Hawks played Santa Monica, where the acoustic first half of the concert was followed by the super amplified second half pitting Dylan and the Hawks against the catcalls and boos of purists. Afterward, Brando’s response was to go back to the day in his teens when he stood just a few feet away from a railroad track as a long freight train went roaring by: “I made myself just stand there until it passed. That was the loudest thing I have ever witnessed until tonight.”
“Hard and Painful”
In a November 24, 2016 interview with the Canadian Press, Robertson, then 73, explained why he wrote Testimony without the help of a ghostwriter: “I went through two or three biographers that were writing books on me and I didn’t like it. I thought I was cheating. It made me uncomfortable that somebody else was trying to find my voice. So I thought: I’m going to have to do it myself. When I got to that place, I was glad. I really enjoyed writing this book. Not to say that some of it wasn’t really hard and painful, but for the most part, I just got into it.”
I can imagine the words “hard and painful” behind the cover photo Robertson picked. The most positive thing to be said about his expression is that it’s tough, stoic, ready and waiting for life’s next blow. Choosing that image, he had to be thinking about the three members of the Band who had died too soon, Richard Manuel by his own hand, Rick Danko and Levon Helm after classically ravaged rock and roll lives. The only survivors in 2016 were Robertson and organist Garth Hudson, who had both steered clear of heroin and other hard drugs.
“Stage Fright”
“The Loudest Thing”
Having just experienced a jolt of early Marcus, I realize that while Robertson may be no match for the author of Mystery Train (1975), he tells the story of his time in the spotlight effectively, with a songwriter-storyteller’s gift for nailing the most expressive details while driving the narrative. Consider the quote he draws
Right now I’m thinking of the virulent stomach flu that laid Robertson low when the Band were about to make their debut at Bill Graham’s Winterland Ballroom in 1969. In Testimony, Robertson writes: “I felt like I was dying ... I couldn’t move ... I couldn’t hold any food down ... Is this stage fright? Is this all in my head? ” Greil Marcus provides a view from the audience: “Robertson looked weak and miserable, on the verge of collapse, and the band, his friends, couldn’t pretend he was alright. They were worried about him. Off to one side of the stage stood a big white-
haired man in a dark suit, the man who had hypnotized Robertson into ‘forgetting’ the pains in his stomach. It was all very weird and uncomfortable, Robertson leaning against the piano and looking as if he could not last another minute, playing minimal rhythm guitar, his only attempt at a solo a shambles.”
Securing the Song
Robertson’s Testimony doesn’t suggest a redemptive link between the 1969 catastrophe at Winterland and the Band’s triumphant farewell concert there on Thanksgiving Day 1976, the subject of Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed documentary The Last Waltz . Out of the “shambles” of that catastrophic debut, Robertson salvaged “Stage Fright,” movingly sung by Rick Danko on the Band’s eponymous third album and greeted by Ralph Gleason as “the best song ever written about performing.” In the second verse, “the doctor warned me I might catch a death, said ‘You can make it in your disguise, just never show the fear that’s in your eyes.” The chorus delivers the message: “See the man with the stage fright, just standin’ up there to give it all his might, and he got caught in the spotlight, but when we get to the end, he wants to start all over again.”
“The Last Waltz”
Robertson is in his element in Scorsese’s film. Readers of Testimony will know that he’s a film buff who channeled Buñuel when writing the Band’s most famous song, “The Weight,” and who was thrilled when Michelangelo Antonioni visited him in Woodstock. The filming of the Band’s farewell performance at Winterland is the subject of the book’s long final chapter. Having recently watched the film, I can report that Robertson seems to be having the time of his life at the center of the show.
Watching The Last Waltz the other night, I kept thinking of Dylan’s song “Too Much of Nothing,” which “can make a man feel ill at ease / One man’s temper might rise, while the other man’s temper might freeze.” Of course the film’s “too much” was a galaxy of guest celebrities, so many that the Band and their signature songs seemed crowded even as they were being celebrated. It was a problem Robertson was all too aware of, writing in Testimony : “It weighed heavy on me whether or not the guys and I would be able to remember the arrangements for all our guests’ songs. With our limited rehearsal time, this was an overwhelming challenge.”
Testimony was published almost 40 years to the day of the Winterland farewell and the face staring out at you on the cover belongs to a man who found much of the story “hard and painful,” but for the most part, “just got into it.”
—Stuart Mitchner
French Theater Festival
Returns to Lewis Center
Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, Department of French and Italian, and L’Avant-Scène will present the 12th edition of Seuls en Scène French Theater Festival, which will take place from September 8 to 29 at venues across the University’s campus. Most performances will be in French, some with English supertitles. All events are open to the public, and, with the exception of one event, are free, however tickets are required.
Seuls en Scène ushers in the 23rd season of L’Avant-Scène, a French theater troupe of Princeton students. It also celebrates professional theatrical achievements from the past year: many of the invited artists to Seuls en Scène are prominent contributors to contemporary theater in France. The festival is organized by Florent Masse, professor of the practice in the Department of French and Italian and artistic director of L’Avant-Scène, and presented in collaboration with the 52nd Edition of Festival d’Automne in Paris.
Acoustic Guitarist Emmanuel On New Brunswick Stage State Theatre New Jersey presents Tommy Emmanuel, CGP, on Friday, September 8 at 8 p.m. Opening the show are special guests Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Tickets range from $29-$224.
The “CGP” of Emmanuel’s title stands for “Certified Guitar Player,” an honor bestowed upon him by his hero, Chet Atkins. Emmanuel is known for his ability to play three parts at once. In 2018, Emmanuel made the album, Accomplice One, a series of duets with musicians including Rodney Crowell, Mark Knopfler, Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell, Jerry Douglas, Jake Shimabukuro, and others. The sequel, Accomplice Two, also boasts a range of artists.
The first single, “White Freight Liner Blues,” is out now and features the Grammy Award-winner and claw hammer guitarist, Molly Tuttle. Emmanuel also has a new television special called Accomplice LIVE! which began airing on PBS in March of 2023. Emmanuel was born in 1955
in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia, and started playing the guitar at age 4. In his 20s, he was the most sought-after performer and session musician in Sydney. By age 30, he was playing electric guitar with several rock bands in stadiums across Europe. Instead of living the rock star life, Emmanuel went acoustic.
The inspiration for Emmanuel’s transformation was his Atkins, who represented the purity of one man, one guitar, and unlimited passionate for serving the song. Eventually Emmanuel met his hero and started a lifelong friendship which shaped Emmanuel’s music forever. They recorded an album together.
Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams released their eponymous debut in 2015. The release came after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band — and frequent guesting with Phil Lesh, Little Feat, Jorman Kaukonen, and Jack Casady.
The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj.org for tickets.
thrilled to continue the fes tival in-person after virtual editions in 2020 and 2021 and a great anniversary edition in-person last year,” said Masse. “This year we’ll present compelling recent works of contemporary French theater, highlighting diversity and female artists, and offer a record number of 10 shows in total. Since its inception in 2012, en Scène ride every year. I’m delight ed by the festival’s trajectory from its humble beginnings to the ways it’s grown over the years, uplifting students and local audiences.” of dates and times of performances, visit arts.princeton. edu.
and join the choir at United Methodist Church of Princeton.
Gather at Methodist Church Handbell ringers at both beginner and expert levels have an opportunity to play in choirs directed by Hyosang Park, artistic director of Philadelphia Bronze and music director at Princeton United Methodist Church (PrincetonUMC).
Auditions for the Philadelphia Bronze are Monday, August 28, at 6:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of God’s
Love, 791 Newtown Yardley Road, Newtown, Pa. This advanced handbell ensemble performs in and around the Philadelphia area on up to 7 octaves of Malmark bells and Malmark chimes.
The PrincetonUMC handbell choir welcomes newcomers to ringing. It plays on third Sundays and rehearses on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. Park also invites singers to join the chancel choir. The choir sings ev -
ery Sunday and meets on Wednesdays, 7:30-9 p.m., September through June. The church is located at the corner of Nassau Street and Vandeventer Avenue. Park has a double master’s degree in sacred music and piano performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University and is also a member of the handbell quartet, Quadrants. For more information, email hyosang@princetonumc.org.
33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554
Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm
Michener Museum to Present “Never Broken” Exhibition
The James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., will present “Never Broken: Visualizing Lenape Histories,” an exhibition that considers the power of art to construct and dismantle inaccurate Indigenous histories through a display of contemporary work by Lenape (also called Delaware)
artists in dialogue with historic Lenape ceramics, beadwork, and other cultural objects and representations of Penn’s Treaty by European American artists.
On view September 9 through January 14, “Never Broken” features recent and newly commissioned work by Ahchipaptunhe (Delaware Tribe of Indians and Cherokee), Joe Baker
(Delaware Tribe of Indians), Holly Wilson (Delaware Nation and Cherokee), and Nathan Young (Delaware Tribe of Indians, Pawnee, and Kiowa) that express personal and tribal identity and address the Lenape’s violent displacement from Lenapehoking, the Lenape homeland which encompasses the region where the Michener Art Museum currently stands.
Curated by Baker, co-founder and executive director of Lenape Center in Manhattan, and Laura Turner Igoe, Ph.D., chief curator at the Michener Art Museum, “Never Broken” will include approximately 50 artworks and objects from 10 private and institutional lenders.
Igoe said, “We are excited to share this groundbreaking exhibition with our visitors. Through a focus on Lenape art and culture and a critical examination of historical visualizations of Native and European American relationships, ‘Never Broken’ demonstrates the ways in which art can create, challenge, and rewrite history.”
“The Michener Museum of Art has assembled the legitimate heirs to Lenapehoking in this evocative new exhibit, “Never Broken: Visualizing Lenape Histories,” said Baker. “Four contemporary Lenape artists through their arts practice push back against a silenced history and shed light on one of the world’s most horrifi c genocides.”
The exhibition interrogates many prints, paintings, and decorative arts that incorporate imagery from Benjamin West’s iconic painting Penn’s Treaty with the Indians
(1771-72). West’s composition depicting a treaty of peace between the Pennsylvania Province’s founder William Penn and Tamanend, chief of the Lenni-Lenape Turtle Clan — praised by Anglo Americans as an agreement that was “never broken” — went viral in a pre-internet age, appearing on textiles, fine porcelain, and other printed material in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
Bucks County painter Edward Hicks (1780-1849) appropriated West’s composition for his own paintings of Penn’s Treaty (a recent Michener acquisition) and incorporated the scene into his well-known Peaceable Kingdom series. Paintings of Penn’s Treaty by Hicks and others attempted to rewrite the fraught history of Native and Anglo American conflict with a myth of peaceful co-existence. To counter this narrative, the exhibition features historic and contemporary Lenape art demonstrating that the Lenape’s ties to the area were — unlike Penn’s Treaty — never broken.
Surrounding the installation of a carved and painted Big House post, central to the Lenape belief system, will be paintings by Joe Baker and the sculpture Bloodline by Holly Wilson, which explore the artists’ lineage and tribal identity. Large-scale abstract paintings by Ahchipaptunhe, newly commissioned for the exhibition, respond to the geometric forms and shapes inscribed on Lenape pottery and decorated splint wood baskets borrowed from the New Jersey State Museum.
Nineteenth century bandolier bags and contemporary beadwork by Joe Baker underscore the continuing legacy and evolution of Lenape visual expression and cross-cultural exchange. A video and sound piece by Nathan Young commissioned for the exhibition will explore the events of the Walking Purchase, in which William Penn’s sons defrauded the Lenape out of millions of acres of land in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Never Broken encourages visitors to think critically about historical images and colonial narratives and to consider an Indigenous perspective as an important part of the history of the Delaware Valley.
Author Michael Diaz-Griffith
The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will present Michael Diaz-Griffith in a book talk for his new release, The New Antiquarians, as part of their ART OF series on Friday, September 8 at 5:30 p.m.
The once rarefied world of antiques is bursting open thanks to a new generation of collectors. The New Antiquarians features 22 young connoisseurs whose spirited interiors exemplify unorthodox approaches to living with history. Hailing from across the United States and Britain, they blend the old with the new, embrace anachronism and pastiche, employ serious knowledge with humor and wit, and consider vintage and historical objects through the lens of contemporary values. The New Antiquarians is an exuberant entry point into the world of antiques, highlighting one-of-a-kind collections and the single-minded collectors whose stories suggest compelling new ways of living with the past.
TEMPERATURE & DROUGHT IN THE LANDSCAPE with Pepper deTuro WOODWINDS ASSOCIATES
In nature, plants are most often injured when heat stress is combined with other environmental factors, including moisture stress (drought), light and wind. Fast-moving air rapidly dehydrates plant tissues and the moisture lost may not be replenished under drought conditions. Above-ground symptoms of combined heat and environmental stress in landscape plants include wilt, defoliation, marginal leaf scorch, leaf yellowing and cupping, and in extreme cases,
signed copy of The New Antiquarians , and enjoy refreshments during a posttalk reception.
The Michener Art Museum is located at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown, Pa. for more information, visit michenerartmuseum.com.
This event is held in partnership with Labyrinth Books. To register for the ART OF The New Antiquarians and view a full series lineup, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.
When faced with a drought situation, keep the following points in mind:
• Irrigate as needed during dry periods to replace soil
• Apply mulch (no more than 3 inches) to reduce soil moisture loss and soil
• Avoid using chemical
• Add organic matter to dry, sandy, or gravelly soils
• Certain diseases and insects commonly occur on plants stressed by drought
• Urban environments have greater temperature fluctuations due to shelter from winds and re-radiated heat
• Choose plants that are appropriate for the hardiness zone in our area
Call WOODWINDS (609) 924-3500 or email treecare@woodwinds.biz
“WONDER BAR (ASBURY PARK)”: This oil painting by Marge Miccio is featured in “Ode to New Jersey Art Show,” on view August 29 through October 28 at West
“BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE”: This watercolor painting by René Kammeyer Seeland is part of the “Ode to New Jersey Art Show” at West Windsor Arts in Princeton Junction August 29 through October 28.
West Windsor Arts presents “Ode to New Jersey Art Show”
The “Ode to New Jersey Art Show” at West Windsor Arts celebrates the unique connections that artists have to the dynamic and ever changing state of New Jersey. The exhibition will run from August 29 to October 28, with a free opening reception on Friday, September 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. at West Windsor Arts.
As artists returned from distant summer vacations, West Windsor Arts invited them to participate in “Ode to New Jersey” to remind them of the exceptional qualities that make this state home. Artists were encouraged to explore the history, heritage, symbols, and memories of New Jersey in their creations. From Jersey tomatoes to neon diners, serene sunrises to bustling night scenes, and crowded boardwalks to isolated barns, artists delivered on conveying the uniqueness and diversity of the Garden State.
Artists featured in this show include: Gary Becker, Scott Brustein, Ann Marie Fitzsimmons, Irene Freeman, Barry Hantman, Robert Hazzon, Joelle Hofbauer, David LaMorte, Eleni Litt, Dave Magyar, Beth Malonoski, Marge Miccio, William Plank, Kate Pollack, Tracy Pollock, Bruce Rigby, Donna Ruane Rogers, Yvonne Rondinone, John S. Rounds, René Kammeyer Seeland, Jennifer Tungol, Karen J Waller, and Laura Warne Miccio described her inspiration for her nighttime oil painting, Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) , “The Wonder Bar has been a favorite destination for decades,
through all of Asbury Park’s ups and downs. At one time it would be empty and echoing with an eccentric customer or two, it is gratifying to see it jumping these days!” The painting utilizes layers of color on black prepared board to convey the vivid neons and subtle shadows that give nights mystery and allure.
In her watercolor Barnegat Lighthouse, Kammeyer Seeland highlights memories from a special New Jersey vacation spot that has been a family favorite for decades. She said, “This is Barnegat Lighthouse at Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The wonderful memories my family created while vacationing there in the summer will always shine like a beacon throughout the rest of my life. I still can see my Dad casting out a line to fish next to the lighthouse back in the 1970s.”
Ruane Rogers explores a different aspect of New Jersey in Fishing Shack, a pastel depiction of a lone hut on a serene river. Rogers’ intention for the piece was “to convey the feeling of peace and calm in the early summer evening in an isolated and natural location.”
This celebration of the various landscapes this state has to offer focuses on the pristine Maurice River, where you can see bald eagles and nesting ospreys, as well as remnants of the past like Burcham Farm.
The jurors who curated this exhibition are Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran, the creators of Weird N.J. As described on Weird NJ.com, the publication is “a travel guide and magazine to places you won’t find on
juried-art-show. The exhibition will be open to the public daily from 1 to 5 p.m. at the historic grist mill on River Road in New Hope, Pa., as well as online, from September 23 to October 30.
Recognized as the Birthplace of Pennsylvania Impressionism, Phillips’ Mill Community Association has provided a meeting place for artists to gather and exhibit their work since 1929. It is where William Lathrop, founder of the organization along with friends Daniel Garber, Fern Coppedge, John Folinsbee, Mary Elizabeth Price, Edward Redfield, and many others of the New Hope School exhibited the art of their time, just as the local community of artists exhibits the art of current times. From traditional Bucks County landscapes to the modern and abstract, Phillips’ Mill embraces the world of art in all its forms of expression. By inviting a different array of jurors each year, each show results in a new look at what area artists are presenting to the world. Mill members take pride in its rich history and welcome the membership of all who appreciate the arts and the profound heritage of the mill. To learn more about the various programs presented by Phillips’ Mill, or to become a member, visit phillipsmill.org.
state-funded maps or located on any tourist attraction pamphlets.” Since 1989, Sceurman and Moran have published nine issues and countless news articles that detail lesser known Garden State oddities.
West Windsor Arts is located at 952 Alexander Road, Princeton Junction. For more information, visit westwindsorarts.org, call (609) 716.1931 or write info@westwindsorarts.org.
Last Call for Submissions: Phillips’ Mill Juried Art Exhibit
The deadline to submit entries to the “94th Juried Art Exhibition” at Phillips’ Mill is fast approaching.
Celebrating nearly a century of presenting exceptional art, the “Juried Art Exhibition” has grown to become one of the most beloved art shows in Bucks County, Pa. The panel of jurists selected to adjudicate this year’s submissions includes artists Syd Carpenter, Al Gury, Curlee Raven Holt, Lauren Sandler, and TK Smith.
Registration must be done online via Smarter Entry by August 27. The link, along with the prospectus and details surrounding the exhibition, can be found at phillipsmill.org/art/juriedart-show-prospectus. Work must then be dropped off on receiving days at the Mill on September 8 and 9 for inperson jurying.
Awards will be presented at a celebratory Opening Night Preview Reception for patrons and artists on Friday, September 22. Anyone interested in supporting the art show at the patron level can make a contribution on the Phillips’ Mill website at www.phillipsmill.org/art/
Survival” through September 24. drgreenway.org.
Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has “Nature Revisited” through August 31. cranburyartscouncil.org.
Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits” and “Spiral Q: The Parade” through January 7 and “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. groundsforsculpture.org.
Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery,” “Princeton’s Portrait,” and other exhibits. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m., Thursday to 7 p.m. princetonhistory.org
Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “Alan Goldstein: Elemental” through September 4 and “Sarah Kaizar: Rare Air” through November 5. michenerartmuseum.org
Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Striking Beauty” through February 18 and
the online exhibits “Slavery at Morven,” “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761–1898,” and others. morven.org.
Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, has “Everything’s Fine: Surreal Paintings About Mental Health” through October 15 in the second floor Reading Room. princetonlibrary.org.
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University, has “Nobody Turn Us Around: The Freedom Rides and Selma to Montgomery Marches: Selections from the John Doar Papers” through March 31. Library.princeton.edu.
Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has art by Jahnavi Zondervan through September 5. Works by Nicky Belletier are at the 254 Nassau Street location through September 5. smallworldcoffee.com.
Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, has “Ellarslie Open 40” through September 30. ellarslie.org.
West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Jump into Pictures” through August 26. westwindsorarts.org.
Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Victor Ekpuk: Language and Lineage” through October 8. artmuseum.princeton.edu.
Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “The Stories We Tell” through September 3. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. lambertvillearts.com.
Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Art About Art: Contemporary Photographers Look at Old Master Paintings” through November 5. artmuseum.princeton.edu.
D&R Greenway Land Trust Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, has “Migration: Movement for
Thursday, August 24
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
6-8 p.m.: Dueling Piano Night on the Palmer Square Green. Palmersquare.com.
7 p.m.: McCarter Live at the Library, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. McCarter Theatre Center associate artistic director Nicole A. Watson and her creative team explore the upcoming production of Bulrusher by Eisa Davis. Princetonlibrary.org.
Friday, August 25
2-4 p.m.: Nature Walk: Herpetofauna of New Jersey, led by Friends of Princeton Open Space intern Esteban Mendez. Begin at Mountain Lakes House, 57 Mountain Avenue. Register at fopos.org
5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Jerry Steele. Terhuneorchards.com.
7-9 p.m.: “We All Scream for Ice Cream, a Storytelling Event,” at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road. $20$25. Westwindsorarts.org.
8-9:30 p.m.: Dance Party at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Held in the parking lot (if it rains, moved inside to the Sol ley Theater) for all ages. $5 donation. Artscouncilof princeton.org.
Saturday, August 26
10 a.m.-4 p.m.: dlin’ on the Farm at How ell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Children’s craft: tambourine (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Howellfarm.org.
10 a.m. “Army Meets Town: 3rd Annual Reenact ment of the 1781 Encamp ment of Continental and French Armies in Trenton,” at the Trent House, 15 Mar ket Street, Trenton. Fami ly-friendly event including crafts and a scavenger hunt. Free. Williamtrenthouse.org.
11 a.m.: Drag Queen Story Hour at Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, 12 Stockton Street. With Carrie Dragshaw. Rustincenter.org.
12-2 p.m.: Summer Music Series on the Palmer Square Green with Electric Stingray. Palmersquare.com.
12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Fly performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.
2-4 p.m.: Swap Party, hosted by Sustainable Princ eton’s STAR Neighbors, at 1 Monument Drive. Swap “gently loved” household items. Email star@sustain ableprinceton.org to RSVP.
West. Listen from outside, rain or shine. Free. Arts. princeton.edu.
Groups over 8 require reservations. Also, Barn Art Show and Sale at 12 p.m. Terhuneorchards.com.
Thursday, September 7
Sunday, August 27
10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Reenactors of George Washington and his African American valet Bill Lee will ride in Griggstown on the anniversary of the march to Yorktown. Canal Road will be closed to cars and open to pedestrians. Millstonevalley.org.
12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Allan Willcockson performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.
1 p.m.: Noah Kravitz plays the Princeton University carillon at the Graduate School, 88 College Road West. Listen from outside, rain or shine. Free. Arts. princeton.edu.
1-3 p.m.: Prasadam distribution and Kirtan, Princeton YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place. Free outdoor prasadam vegetarian meal followed by meditation. Bviscs.org.
1:05 p.m.: The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum and the Somerset Patriots present the inaugural Negro League tribute baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater. The Patriots play the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies). Ssaamuseum.org.
People and Stories holds “Try It” With Writing, with Charlotte Friedman, at Lawrence Community Center, 295 Eggerts Crossing Road. Peopleandstories.org.
3-4:30 p.m.: “Make Me Smile: The Music of Chicago,” tribute by the Einstein Alley Musicians Collaborative, on Palmer Square. Princetonlibrary.org.
7:30 p.m.: Voices Chorale NJ Summer Sing, Social, and Auditions, at 225 Pennington Hopewell Road, Hopewell. Voiceschoralenj.org.
Monday, August 28 Recycling
Tuesday, August 29
9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick Program: Apples. Hands-on farm activity for children from preschool to age 8, followed by stories and craft activity, at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.
Thursday, August 31
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
Friday, September 1
5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Kindred Spirit Duo. Terhuneorchards.com.
Saturday, September 2
10 a.m.-4 p.m.: The 40th Annual Howell Farm Plowing Match, Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Children’s craft: Horse patootie ribbon (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Howellfarm.org.
2-2 p.m.: Summer Music Series on the Palmer Square Green with David Alastre and Latineo. Palmersquare.com.
12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. The Barbara Lin Band performs; wine and light fare available. Groups over 8 require reservations. Terhuneorchards.com.
Sunday, September 3
12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Jerry Steele performs; wine and light fare available. Groups over 8 require reservations. Terhuneorchards.com.
1 p.m.: Robin Austin plays the Princeton University carillon at the Graduate School, 88 College Road
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.:
The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber holds its monthly membership luncheon at Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, 100 College Road East. Guest speaker is Landon Jones, author and former managing editor of People magazine. Princetonmercer.org.
5-8 p.m.: Nassau Street Sampler, at Dillon Gym, Art on Hulfish, and Art@Bainbridge, sponsored by the Princeton University Art Museum. Art-making, raffles, music, food, and more. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.
Friday, September 8
5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Laundrymen. Terhuneorchards.com.
8 p.m.: Evening Moth Survey at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, Mountain Avenue. Led by Patrick Natale, assistant professor of biology at Mercer County Community College. Presented by Friends of Princeton Open Space. Fopos.org.
Saturday, September 9
7 a.m.-2 p.m.: Sourland Spectacular, at the Watershed Institute, Titus Mill Road, Pennington. Ride to raise funds for saving the Sourlands, with pre-event coffee and breakfast, lunch, sundaes, and more. $50 early bird fee by August 17. Sourlandspectacular.com.
9 a.m.-3 p.m.: New Jersey State Button Society Fall Show and Competition, Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad fire hall, 1396 River Road, Titusville. Free. Newjerseystatebuttonsociety.com.
9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.: “Stop & Chop” volunteer session sponsored by Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) at Billy Johnson Nature Preserve, Mountain Avenue. Volunteers work with FOPOS stewards to help remove invasive species. Fopos.org.
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.: Afternoon Tea Service with The Secret Tea Room at Morven Museum, 55 Stockton Street. Tea, scones, pastries, sandwiches, and complementary docent-led tours of the first floor. For ages 13 and up. $85 ($75 for members). Morven.org.
12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Mark Miklos performs; wine and light fare available.
Sunday, September 10
8 a.m.: Bird walk with Winnie Hughes Spar at Mountain Lakes Preserve, presented by Friends of Princeton Open Space. Fopos.org.
12-5 p.m.: Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Audio Pilot duo performs; wine and light fare available. Groups over 8 require reservations. Terhuneorchards.com.
2 p.m.: Love Your Leaves, at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Free interactive workshop including a talk with horticulturist Louise Senior on managing fall cleanup. Sponsored by Morven and Sustainable Princeton. Morven.org.
4 p.m.: The Professors perform classic rock at Hinds Plaza. Princetonlibrary.org.
Monday, September 11 Recycling
7 p.m.: “Meet the Future: Your Introduction to ChatGPT,” online discussion of the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot with Rutgers professor Jim Brown. Presented by Mercer County Libraries. Register at mcl.org.
Tuesday, September 12
9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick Program: Tractors, at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. For kids preschool to 8 years; handson activity with a story. $12. Terhuneorchards.com.
Wednesday, September 13
7:30-10 a.m.: Central Jersey Healthcare Symposium, sponsored by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber, with keynote speaker Justin Guarini. At the Boathouse at Mercer Lake, Mercer County Park, 334 South Post Road, West Windsor. Princetonmercer.org.
1-3 p.m.: The Women’s College Club of Princeton meets at Morven Education Center, 55 Stockton Street. Joyce Felsenfeld speaks about artists Gabriele Munter and Vassily Kandinsky. Free. Wccpnj.org.
4 p.m.: Meeting of the Princeton Special Improvement District (Experience Princeton) Board of Directors, at the Nassau Inn, Palmer Square.
7-8 p.m.: Meeting of the League of Women Voters of the Greater Princeton Area, at West Windsor Library, 333 North Post Road, Princeton Junction. Lwvprinceton.org.
Thursday, September 14
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
Agarden is a gift from nature.
We can embrace and enhance it by our own effort and enthusiasm. Even more important, we can make essential choices that will ultimately benefit our environment and the pollinators necessary to keep it healthy.
This is Judith K. Robinson’s mission. Owner of Our World Our Choices, headquartered in Hopewell, she has set out on a journey to educate homeowners about the importance of native plantings — including trees, bushes, and flowering plants — in their gardens.
Some have called this development in gardens “re-wilding” and “untamed lawns”.
Robinson’s interest in gardens began at an early age, as she became aware of the healthy, fresh ingredients her mother included in the family’s meals. Moving to New Jersey from New York City gave her even more opportunities to understand what a thriving vegetable garden could mean as it produced fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and other natural ingredients for lunch and dinner.
Robinson’s appreciation continued when she later lived in Princeton with her own children. As she says, “As my organic garden grew from an initial small patch to the size that fed my family year-round from the freezing and canning of the summer’s excess. I became more deeply involved in understanding the role that the natural systems play in a healthy environment.
“All of this laid the foundation for my studying the composition and biology of soils, the techniques for growing food without synthetic fertilizers and harmful pesticides, researching and choosing the best available foods and how to prepare them, the essential role that pollinators fill in the environment, and my fascination for how all life depends on an interacting and interdependent system of diverse layers. The use of pesticides and herbicides have decimated the overall population of these pollinators. The loss of habitat for breeding and lack of food supply has further contributed to the decline. As they provide the basic undergirding of our ecological system, it is crucial to repair these problems.”
“I became more deeply involved in studying and understanding what is necessary in a broad sense for the sustainability and regeneration of our natural ecosystems,” she continues. “Biodiversity of species — flora and fauna — is the foundation and a vital key to the sustainability of those systems and to the ability to constantly regenerate support of native species habitats.
“My passion is now focused on the vital creation
of native plant systems that will support and eventually stop the drastic decline of our native pollinators around the world.”
EnvironmentallyFriendly
In fact, before opening Our World Our Choices in 2020, Robinson had been active in other environmentally-friendly projects. She co-founded the Princeton Farmers’ Market in 2009, and remained involved with it for five years.
“The emphasis of the market was having produce and meat from local sustainable farms and healthy food products that contained some ingredients from New Jersey farms,” she says. “And to provide a space in Princeton for people to gather and enjoy each other surrounded by great food and music.”
Her priorities with her current venture continue to focus on sustainability with the additional emphasis on native plantings. These are important for many reasons, she explains.
“They attract pollinators, and the production of 85 percent of all flowering plants and 75 percent of the major worldwide food crops are due to pollinators.”
In other words, native bees, butterflies, green flies, many other insects, and birds are crucial to life.
“When I design a garden, my criteria is that it must include native plants,” she continues. “The problem with the invasive, non-native plants is that they can crush out the native ones.”
Texture and Color
When contacted by prospective clients, Robinson visits the property for a consultation, which includes a general assessment of the garden site, the soil type, sun/shade exposure, dry/ moist conditions, existing growth/structures, deer access, color preferences, etc. If the client agrees to go ahead, she will then create a design based on her analysis. If it is approved by the client, she provides an estimate. This includes cost and delivery of plants, soil amendments, natural mulch material, additional supplies, project management, and oversight of the installation crew.
“I’ll go to the nursery to select the new plantings, and there are hundreds of choices,” she reports. “I’ll consider texture, color, different times of blooming, etc. Depending on the size of the garden, it can include 10 to 80 to more than 100 plants.”
She adds that new native planting garden designs will require maintenance, but less as the years pass. “You have to dig up the earth, and this produces weeds that have been dormant. So the first season involves weeding and watering. There will be less weeding in the second season, as the plants spread. And natural mulch helps to keep weeds at bay.”
Also, she adds, “native plants have developed over millions of years in concert with the surrounding environment. Therefore, a balance is achieved, if not disturbed. They do not need fertilization, as they are adapted to the native soil composition.”
Deer and rabbit control is also possible, as some native plants are resistant to these intruders, and there are also natural products to deter them.
Robinson emphasizes that any size garden is a way to begin to focus on native plants, and she is encouraged that increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of its importance. She is delighted that her business continues to grow.
“The reaction has been really positive, as awareness of what this means becomes more apparent. My wish is that people realize they can take any action no matter how small their property is.
“Teaching about and designing any size beautiful native garden as a way to provide native pollinator habitats that can immediately help to reduce the 60 to 65 million acres of lawn grass in the U.S., which use approximately 900 liters of water a day, is the expertise that I share in many types of venues.
“I’m an activist. We need to act to save our environment. All of my experience in the areas of environmental impact, community engagement, and political involvement is brought to bear on these issues. Not acting is also a choice.”
Accordingly, she lectures, teaches classes, and gives presentations to local libraries, schools, colleges, corporations, and public and private organizations.
Robinson enjoys giving these presentations and classes because, as she points out, connecting with audiences is a natural progression of her earlier, very successful acting and directing career.
Acting Career
She began acting as a child, attended the Professional Children’s School in New York City, then studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre with some of the most respected teachers and men tors in the profession.
After performances in nu merous professional sum mer theater productions, she appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, television, and in independent films.
Although she loved her acting career, she began to become increasingly con cerned about the dangers to the environment, and partic ularly to the pollinators. She felt the need to take action,
so she made a change.
“I love learning,” she explains, “and as an activist, I love communicating the joy of learning about the incredible complexity of the world around us and to teach the tools of stewardship. I believe in the practicality and effectiveness of actions. This is what I need to be doing now.”
Robinson is proud that
her work is reaching more people. Her client base now includes the Princeton area, as well as Lambertville and Bucks County, Pa.
“By creating native plant gardens, I enable people to connect with and understand how plants, living creatures, and our continued existence are interdependent.
“I am so happy to be doing this. I love it when people
realize that they can have a beautiful garden that can support pollinators and that they can watch the evolution of the plants. It provides so much enjoyment and pleasure. And you know you are making a difference.” F or more information, call (551) 655-8095, and visit the website at ourworldourchoices.com.
—Jean Stratton
The first-ever Ivy League tournament is a big carrot waiting at the end of the regular season this fall for the Princeton University women’s soccer team.
To get there, the Tigers will have to finish among the top four Ivy teams after they navigate a challenging schedule that begins with the non-conference portion this week. Princeton will get its 2023 campaign underway by hosting Monmouth on August 25 on Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium, one of four straight at home to open the year. They turn around and host La Salle two days later.
“We have a very tough schedule, and it should prepare us for conference play,” said Princeton head coach Sean Driscoll. “We’re putting ourselves in a position to play against teams that are going to challenge us and hopefully prepare us. That’s why it’s considered one of the Top 20 nonconference schedules in the country. We’ll learn a lot about ourselves.”
Princeton is a far more experienced team this year than the one that started
last year 7-4 before finishing 9-7-1, including 2-4-1 in Ivy play to take sixth in the conference standings.
The Tigers graduated four seniors from that team, including All-Ivy midfielder, defenders Kamryn Loustau and Gracyn Kuerner as well as Ella Gantman, who split time in goal with Tyler McCamey.
“Last year we finished low in the league; it’s not something at Princeton we’re used to,” acknowledged Driscoll. “There’s an expectation of excellence at Princeton across all 38 sports, and I felt we came up a little short last year. We did pretty well out of conference, but in conference we did not do as well as we expect. We didn’t manage games particularly well and we conceded way too many goals and we didn’t score enough. When you don’t score many and concede a lot, you have a lot of room for improvement.”
Princeton has to finish in the top four to make the Ivy tournament. It’s an opportunity that Ivy coaches have been asking for, and they expect it to enhance their players’ experiences.
“It’s going to give four teams a cool experience in the postseason, whether they qualify for the NCAA tournament or not,” said Driscoll. “They’re going to have that moment where it’s the win or go home. That’s a fun thing for these studentathletes to have. I’ve seen it in the basketball, I’ve seen it in lacrosse. It gives you a different experience. These kids deserve that.”
Last year’s lower finish left Princeton’s returning players with a chip on their shoulder. Driscoll likes that attitude coming into the season as the Tigers aim to be better across the board. They are filling the spots of the graduated seniors, and many of Princeton’s significant contributors return.
“We were very young,” said Driscoll, whose squad featured the Ivy League Rookie of the Year last fall in forward/midfielder Pietra Tordin, the leading scorer for the Tigers with eight goals and three assists. “We graduated four seniors that played an important role. We return a lot of good quality players. We’re a much more experienced team than last year. That’s for me the biggest difference — we went from being a pretty young team, especially on attack, to a pretty experienced team across the field. I’m hoping the kids that were here last year learn from it. The
freshmen are no longer freshmen and that year of experience is huge. We’re a much more experienced team. The way we move the ball now, I can see that in their mentality and preparation.”
On top of the six freshmen that are joining the team this year, the Tigers also get back a pair of game changers that were missed last year. Madison Curry and Marissa Hart did not play for the Tigers after helping the team win the Ivy League and reach the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2021.
“Madison Curry is an incredible talent, a professional level player,” said Driscoll of Curry, a first-team All-Ivy selection in 2019 and 2021. “Having her come back in the fold after being gone a year is huge for our team. She’s being looked at by all the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) teams. She’s a tremendous player. Add her into the mix and it changes automatically the complexion of how we play.”
Curry and Hart will impact both ends of the field. Hart is coming back from a knee injury that cost her last season.
“You don’t replace a Marissa Hart — she’s just a tireless worker and effortless runner,” said Driscoll. “She’s going to bring something. Just as an injection of some kids that missed last season is awesome for us. We lost some seniors, but you add those two players into the fold — they played as many minutes as anyone in 2021 — that helps in terms of not only experience but in terms of appreciation of time missed. They have this real excitement of playing again because they didn’t play for a year. That trickles down, and they’re two of our four captains so I think that helps. There’s a lot to be excited about.”
Curry and Hart are captains along with fellow seniors Jen Estes and Morgan Wiese. The quartet balance each other in leadership styles and characteristics as well as what they can each bring to the pitch. Princeton also has Lexi Hiltunen and Aria Nagai to round out the senior class that will take the reins this year.
“What you want from your seniors is to end your careers in a place that’s better than where you started,” said Driscoll. “And I feel like all six of these are in that exact place. Our hope is that they bring their own unique strengths.”
The Tigers got the first look at their side against outside competition when they scrimmaged Thomas Jefferson University and Gwynedd Mercy University last Sunday. It gave Princeton a chance to see their team in action before the season opener.
“I liked our mentality,” said Driscoll. “The extra four days of preparation has been really good for us. We’ve been a little more methodical with how we do things. I think we’re making things a bit clearer for the team. I thought we had a really good platform for how to play. We did a good job in certain areas, specifically defensively and how we wanted to position ourselves to retain the ball quicker when we lost it. I also thought we did a pretty good job in our overall build-up and spacing. I think
overall there were a lot of positives.”
There were also plenty of points to improve in this early juncture of the season. Driscoll was going to have the team study film from the scrimmage and sort out the areas to develop for the lead-up to the game against Monmouth.
“What we’re banking on is that this team has a little bit of a chip on its shoulder and we’re going to work on those details and be very conscientious about individual responsibilities,” said Driscoll. “I think the other piece for us is we have a lot of talented players, but it’s not about having the best players — it’s about having players that play really well together, that understand their roles and responsibilities and why they’re doing what they’re doing. As I say to the kids all the time, ‘If you know the why, the rest is easy.’”
Driscoll, though, expects plenty of challenges with a schedule stocked with accomplished opponents. Seven of Princeton’s opponents this year played in the 2022 NCAA tournament. Two others won their conferences in the regular season. The season begins with Monmouth and La Salle, then the Tigers will follow with non-conference games against Rutgers, Army, Penn State, Lafayette, Georgetown, Quinnipiac, and Bucknell.
“All those teams are going to give us some challenges and all of those teams are going to be in the running for their own league,” said Driscoll. “If you want to have a chance at an at-large bid, you want to play against those teams No. 1, and if you get to the NCAA tournament you want to be able to deal with different philosophies of how teams play, different systems and you want to challenge yourself against the best. If you get into the NCAA tournament, you don’t want to be shocked by what you’re about to face. These kids come to this school and this program because they want to play great competition, and it’s our job
to make sure they see that.”
The non-conference slate will augment an already tough gauntlet of Ivy League foes. But the addition of the Ivy tournament takes just a little pressure off each regular season game. Whereas in the past a pair of losses would have ended any chance for the postseason, the Ivy tournament will keep teams alive deeper into the season.
“Allowing the games to be a little bit different — they’ll still be incredibly challenging and taxing and physical and there will be a lot of passion on the field — but there will also be this understanding if we lose our first game, the season is not over,” said Driscoll. “Last year, if we’d had this, as we’d gone to the last week six teams would have been in contention for those four spots. Normally there’s two teams for a spot if you’re lucky. There’s a big, big difference of student-athlete welfare, mental health perspective and the overall experience. I think it’ll be wonderful for the league.”
The Ivy tournament is still far away. The focus on the path there is making sure that the Tigers develop through their daunting schedule. They will open with Monmouth and La Salle, two teams that already have played a couple games. Monmouth rebounded from a 1-0 loss to Lehigh with a 4-0 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. La Salle also split their first week with a 2-1 loss to Towson followed by a 1-0 win over Albany.
“It’s going to be two really good games to see where we are, and we’re going to learn a lot about ourselves,” said Driscoll. “We need to be physical — we’re going to be very clinical, and we have to value the ball when we have it and do our very best to kill the space so they can’t play in behind us. We’re going to have to be very, very good in both of those games. I’m excited to see how we do. We have to be sharp because both of those teams have a couple games under their belt and we do not.”
—Justin Feil
Jason Vigilante knows that he has enormous shoes to fill.
A Princeton University track and field assistant coach since 2012, Vigilante will take over the head coaching duties after legendary head coach Fred Samara retired following the spring season, his 46th year with the Tiger men.
“It’s really exciting,” said Vigilante, who also has been the PU men’s cross country head coach since his arrival in Princeton. “It’s a huge honor to not only follow Coach Samara but also Coach (Larry) Ellis. It’s the first time they had a head track and field coach search in 50 years. It’s an honor to have gotten it, and I know there were some really fine candidates who were up for the job.”
Vigilante’s career had its own impressive start. His career took off in 1999 when he worked for the University of Texas, where he helped the Longhorns win 12 Big 12 team titles. He was promoted to head coach of cross country and associate head coach for his final three years at Texas before moving to Virginia in 2008 as director of the men’s track and field and cross country programs where he coached 30 ACC champions over three years. He will have the same title for both programs now at Princeton, and feels his prior experience will benefit him.
“One of the things that you learn in any role, not just coaching, is that you’re good at things,” said Vigilante. “Like you’re good at coaching, and that’s why you get hired, but to be a really good head coach you have to be good at delegating too and helping people find areas that they’re able to be effective in helping the program. If there’s anything I’ve learned over my time, it’s as an assistant coach there were things I could really help Coach Samara with and I’ve got to make sure I encourage Coach [Robert] Abdullah and whoever our other assistants are to not just coach, but to also chip in and help us on the edges.”
Vigilante also studied Samara’s style closely over the last decade plus. The fivetime Ivy League Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year has won six league cross country titles. He has shared in 20 Ivy titles between his cross country and track years with Samara.
“The great thing about working with Fred is he’s very clear on what the expectations are, what his vision is,” said Vigilante. “It makes being a part of his coaching staff very easy. He’s literally always around, always involved. I couldn’t have had a better situation than following him.”
Samara plans to spend part of his retirement in Florida, but he will still spend a lot of his time in the Princeton area. His familiarity with Vigilante makes him more comfortable to return to Old Nassau to keep up with the program. Vigilante is giving Samara an open invite to stay engaged with the team.
“I’ve been doing this long enough that you kind of figure out that although we’re coaches and we recruit these guys, and we see potential in them, and we guide them, over time you just figure out that as coaches we’re a small piece of it,” said Vigilante.
“Neither Coach Samara nor I need to have our egos fulfi lled through this coaching, through the success of the team. It makes it very easy for me to say if Fred wanted to be around, I’d love to have him around. He’s such a great resource and he can help me and the other athletes and the coaches. He’s wonderful.”
Vigilante, who grew up in Morristown, has made a successful run since a return to the Garden State. He has embraced the culture of the Princeton program. The promotion allows him to remain entrenched at his latest stop that has given him an opportunity to coach in an environment he admires.
“There are a couple things I really love about coaching at Princeton,” said Vigilante. “No. 1, guys come to our program not just for the track and field and not just for the academics. It’s really fulfilling to see a young man succeed athletically and also talk about their thesis work or talk about courses and professors that made a huge impact on them. I love that. I love that they stay busy physically and mentally. We don’t have scholarships, so it makes recruiting here quite a bit simpler here, and I like that. Nobody’s coming here for a massive NIL deal. It allows me to really coach, and that’s what I love to do. I love to coach.”
Vigilante is gearing up for the Princeton cross country team’s only home meet September 1 against Monmouth and Rider. With his new track and field position will come some changes. Vigilante is familiar with those increased responsibilities from his previous positions, and is ready to make the adjustments.
“Primarily the biggest change is making decisions,” said Vigilante. “I want to make decisions very carefully with all the best interests of the team at the forefront. That’s exciting for me to decide who we recruit, the direction we take as a team, the meets we go to, and things like that, who we hire. It’s probably not very much different than coach Samara to be honest.”
Vigilante’s hire provides continuity for the returning Princeton athletes. They also will be familiar with one assistant – Abdullah, the popular sprint coach that Vigilante will retain.
“Coach Abdullah has been one of the top sprint coaches in Ivy League history,” said Vigilante. “And I think more importantly, he’s just an awesome guy. Everyone loves Coach Abdullah. I’ve never met anybody more positive. He’s always putting a positive spin on everything. We’re a package deal. That was never in question for me.”
Vigilante has a tougher task with his next hire. He will have to find a coach who can handle all the field events that Samara coached. He worked with Princeton throwers and jumpers and made them some of the best in the country.
“One of the things I described very candidly with our athletics director John Mack was you can’t replace coach Samara, that’s not happening,” said Vigilante. “We would need to hire two or three incredible coaches — an incredible jumps coach, an incredible throws coach and multi coach, and that’s not an exaggeration. He’s one of the most passionate people about what he does. And it’s totally unmatched. He knows every single athlete on every single roster within the league. He just knows who they are. He knows all of the events really well. We talk about distance training together, you name it. Ultimately some of our success is going to reside with how well we can come up with an assistant coach. I have big shoes to fill, but the person doing throws and jumps is going to have challenges as well.”
disciplines. It’s made it a special environment in which to be nurtured. He hopes to set the example like Samara did in being present for all of Princeton’s athletes, regardless of whether they are the distance runners that will remain his event coaching focus. Princeton has been admired for the way its athletes have supported each other, and there is great pride in being a part of a program so highly regarded for its athletic achievements and its academic standing. Vigilante will put his own spin on the Tigers but does hope to keep the tenets that have helped Princeton succeed.
“Ultimately the success or failure of the program de-
pends on the leadership of the young men on the team,” said Vigilante. “That’s something I’ll certainly keep and keep encouraging. They vote for their team captains and their team captains take a lot of pride in their success, and I think that’s really valuable. We treat guys with a lot of accountability and we have high expectations. This is men’s track, they’re not in boys’ track. They’re grownups now and we treat them like that. I think that’s a really important notion that we’ll continue to maintain.”
Vigilante was exuberant when Mack informed him that he had the job. With experience not just at other schools where he has
molded accomplished athletes, but also at Princeton while working for Samara, he understands as well as anyone the keys he has been given.
“I’m honored and it is a huge responsibility to be responsible for 65 guys and a staff and a part of a program that’s really successful,” said Vigilante. “I’ve been at Princeton for 11 full years, and we’ve won nearly 70 percent of the three Ivy League titles a year. There’s a lot at stake just competitively and we have a really strong Friends of Princeton Track and Field following and support. I’ve got my work cut out for me, that’s for sure.”
—Justin Feil
One of Vigilante’s challenges is keeping what has been a team-first culture highlighted by the relationships built across different
Since [1950] Conte’s has become a Princeton destination; a great old-school bar that also happens to serve some of New Jersey’s best pizza, thin-crusted and bubbly. The restaurant hasn’t changed much since then; even the tables are the same. It’s a simple, no-frills space, but if you visit during peak times, be prepared to wait well over an hour for a table.
For Brendan Gorman, joining the Princeton University men’s hockey team last winter was something he had been looking forward to for years.
“My dad was throwing on the Princeton jersey and stuff when we were younger,” said Gorman, whose father, Sean ’91, was a star and a captain for the Tigers. “Ever since I was like really young it was my dream to go to Princeton. My brother (Liam) committed to BU first but ended up going to Princeton. That kind of sealed the deal, playing with my brother and going to my dream school.”
The younger Gorman showed his stuff last winter, tallying 20 points on five goals and 15 assists to lead all Tiger freshmen in points and tie Ian Murphy for the team lead in assists.
“I didn’t do juniors so I went straight from high school,” said forward Gorman, a 6’0, 175-pound native of Arlington, Mass. “Everybody was a little bit bigger and stronger and faster. Other than that, I didn’t think it was too crazy.”
Playing with his brother, senior star Liam, was a big plus for Gorman. The two skated on the same line for most of the season.
“It was awesome, I kind of just looked to him with anything I needed,” said Gorman of his brother, who produced a superb senior season, posting career-high in points (22), goals (12), and assists (10). “It was mostly off the ice, but on the ice too. I dreamed of going there with him; living it has been really cool.”
In late October, Gorman made an awesome start to his college career, scoring a second period goal in the
season-opening loss 4-2 to Harvard.
“It was 100 percent a confidence builder and that led to more confidence and making plays that had to be made,” said Gorman. “My speed and my shot are my strengths.”
Over the course of the winter, Gorman kept making plays, emerging as a bright spot for the Tigers.
“I would say my overall game improved; defensively in high school, it is kind of just do what you want and go at the guy whoever is closest to you,” said Gorman. “In college, it is a whole new story. We have systems, it is more thinking. You have got to think the game more.”
The Tigers showed improvement collectively, producing an encouraging 9-6 stretch in the middle of the season as they finished with an overall record of 13-19. In assessing the squad’s progress, Gorman pointed to a positive team chemistry.
“We were really close,” said Gorman, noting the seniors took the freshmen under their wing. “We were bonding — the communication with the coaches was good. We were all together in it 100 percent. I think we are going make a huge jump this season.”
This summer, Gorman jumped at the chance to skate at an NHL Development Camp with the Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights.
“After one of the games I talked to one of the Vegas scouts and that carried over,” recalled Gorman. “We were in contact at the end of the year. They said, ‘We would like to have you in our camp this summer.’ I thought about
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it for a little bit and I decided to go with that.”
The camp was held at City National Arena in a Las Vegas suburb during the first week of July and the players were kept busy.
“It was cool — we would wake up at 7 and would have breakfast at 8,” said Gorman. “It was different each day. We had two teams, so one team would look at a video first thing while the other team skated or worked out. We only had two scrimmages but we skated every day at 1 o’clock.”
Skating against a high-level group of players, Gorman believed he fit in well.
“There was some guys from the ECAC, some Boston College guys, some junior guys, and there was pro guys from the AHL,” said Gorman. “They were all really good, it was really good competition. I think it was more like a confidence thing. These are some of the best players around and going in and feeling like you hold your own, you gain that belief that you belong and you can do it.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Gorman is determined to help the Tigers to do some big things.
“My goal is to win an ECAC Hockey championship,” said Gorman, who trained with Boston-area teammates Jack Cronin and Murphy earlier in the summer. “I want to take a huge step, I am not worried about my points or anything. I want to have a big role, to be a leader and communicate with my teammates as best as I can and just take huge steps off the ice and on the ice.”
—Bill Alden
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Princeton Women’s Swimming Names Brethauer as Head Coach
Abby Brethauer has been named as the new head coach of the Princeton University women’s swimming and diving program, Director of Athletics John Mack ’00 said last week.
Brethauer brings two decades of coaching experience to her new role as head coach of the Tigers, most recently serving the past two seasons as assistant coach of Princeton’s men’s program under Bret Lundgaard, who left the Tigers to become the head coach at the University of Kentucky men’s and women’s swimming teams.
Brethauer boasts eight years of head coaching experience from a previous stint at the University of Mary Washington as well as 12 more years of experience as an associate head coach or assistant coach including a stop at Columbia in addition to her Ivy League experience gained the last two seasons at Princeton.
Last season, Brethauer was part of a coaching staff which guided the Princeton men’s program to a No. 24 ranking in the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Dual Meet Rankings, the first-ever seasonending Top-25 ranking for the Tigers. Princeton finished second at the Ivy League Championships for the third season in a row — and second with Brethauer on staff — in 2022-23.
Prior to joining the Princeton coaching staff, she served as associate head coach of the men’s and women’s programs at Tufts
University. She helped the Jumbos to finishes of 10th (men) and 16th (women) at the 2019 NCAA Division III Championships in her first season on staff.
Prior to Tufts, Brethauer served as head coach at the University of Mary Washington. She was honored as Capital Athletic Conference Women’s Coach of the Year six times and Men’s Coach of the Year on four occasions. At Mary Washington she also served on the Presidential Task Force for Diversity & Inclusion and was the Athletic Department’s community service coordinator from 2013-18.
Brethauer also served as the assistant coach of women’s swimming at Columbia University from July 2004 until July 2010, becoming an NCAA Women’s Coaches Academy graduate in May 2009. Since 2008, Brethauer has served as a head coach at the Bates College Swim Camp. She was also the assistant swimming coach at Hamilton College from August 2002 until May 2003.
She earned a master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College in 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s & Gender Studies from Kenyon College in 2002, where she was a four-year member of the women’s swimming and diving team. Brethauer was a 13-time All-American and a member of three NCAA Championship teams at Kenyon, where she was also a national record holder at the NCAA DIII level. A team captain her senior year, Brethauer won the John D. Rilke Sportsmanship Award in 2002, the Molly R. Hatcher Award in Women & Gender Studies in 2000, and was on the Women’s & Gender Studies Advisory Board in 2001 and 2002.
The Princeton University rowing programs will have four former standouts competing in United States boats at the upcoming 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia which are slated for September 3-10.
The women’s crew team will have three alumnae in Emily Kallfelz ’19 (quadruple sculls), Claire Collins ’19 (women’s four), and Kelsey Reelick ’14 (women’s four) rowing for the U.S. at the regatta. Nick Mead ’17 (men’s four, men’s heavyweight rowing) will also be representing the U.S.
The U.S. will have 22 boats competing in the eight-day regatta including the men’s and women’s single sculls, lightweight single sculls, double sculls, lightweight double sculls, quadruple sculls, pair, four, and eight, as well as the lightweight women’s pair, and lightweight men’s quadruple sculls. The championships are the first opportunity for countries to qualify boats for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
PU Women’s Lax
The Princeton University women’s lacrosse team has added former University of North Carolina star Kayla Wood to its staff as an assistant coach, the program recently announced.
“We are excited to announce the addition of Kayla Wood to our Princeton Lacrosse staff,” said Princeton head coach Jenn Cook.
“Kayla has incredible playing experience, work ethic, passion for the game, and positive energy that will have an immediate impact on our program and our student-athletes.”
Wood, a 2021 graduate of North Carolina, played four seasons with the Tar Heels where she appeared in 66
TOP ATHLETE: Recently graduated Princeton University women’s rowing star Camille VanderMeer, third rower from the right, competes in a race this past spring. VanderMeer has been named as a finalist for the Collegiate Rowing Coaches’ Association Athlete of the Year. VanderMeer was a first-team All-American selection this year after being on the varsity eight that finished third at the NCAA Rowing Championships behind Stanford and Washington. Princeton finished third in the NCAA team standings, trailing champion Stanford and Washington. ”Camille is not only an amazing student-athlete, but she is also a teammate who inspires and motivates others,” said Princeton head coach Lori Dauphiny. “She pushes and encourages her teammates by example by always putting in the work needed to compete at the highest level. She has shown great improvement, tenacity, and determination throughout her four years at Princeton.” (Photo
games as a defender. UNC reached the NCAA Final 4 three times during Wood’s tenure in Chapel Hill, advancing to the national semifinals in 2018, 2019, and 2021. She was also part of three ACC regular season titles and three ACC Tournament championships during her North Carolina career.
“I am incredibly grateful and honored to have the opportunity to be part of a women’s lacrosse program as exceptional as Princeton’s,” said Wood. “I look forward to working with the talented coaching staff and an outstanding group of student-athletes. At Princeton, I hope to continue my journey of empowering female student-athletes and contribute
to their growth as both players and people.”
After graduating from UNC, Wood started her professional lacrosse career with Athletes Unlimited. She finished the 2021 AU season ranked No. 6 out of the 58 players in the league, earned three captaincy nods, and was a nominee for Defensive Player of the Year. She has now played three professional seasons with Athletes Unlimited.
Wood also brings international experience to the Tigers, having represented Team USA at the 2021 USA Lacrosse Fall Classic and time with the Team USA training team ahead of the 2022 World Championships.
In the spring of 2023, Wood was head coach of the Issaquah girls’ lacrosse club team in Seattle. She guided the team to a 10-4-1 overall record and a berth in the state semifinals. She also owns and operates KW Lacrosse, a data-driven service which provides coaching and mentorship to young lacrosse players.
Wood has also worked as a mentor with Nations United in Baltimore, serving as a coach and panelist surrounding the importance of celebrating and elevating diversity within the lacrosse community.
A Catonsville, Md., native, Wood was an Under Armour All-American at Catonsville High.
Undergoing a youth movement by necessity last fall, the Princeton High football team took its lumps as it went 1-9.
Reaping the benefits of getting a slew of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors on the field, PHS enters the 2023 campaign as a battletested squad.
“I am seeing somewhat of an experienced team, I do see a big jump,” said Tiger head coach Charlie Gallagher, noting that 67 players showed up for preseason practice this summer, the largest turnout in his tenure guiding the program. “I feel like there are a lot of veterans out there. It is a good thing to have.”
That know-how was reflected in a scrimmage last week as PHS faced Trenton Central, Gloucester Catholic, and Boonton.
“We rushed the ball very well, which was really nice,” said Gallagher, whose team opens its 2023 campaign by playing at Lawrence High on August 25. “We really swarmed to the ball on defense. We had a lot of hats on the ball. We have a lot of experienced guys and I think getting a year or two under their belts, they understand the game a little bit more. The idea of rallying to the ball has been an emphasis and they showed that so we are excited.”
Gallagher is excited to have juniors Travis Petrone and Brady Collier returning at quarterback.
“Travis is going to get the
nod, we have got to give him every opportunity to be successful,” said Gallagher of Petrone, who passed for 1,029 yards and four touchdowns last fall. “Then we will take a look at how Brady can fit in. Brady is a good football player too, so there is no doubt about that. They are both really good athletes.”
At running back, PHS boasts a good one-two punch of senior Tyler Goldberg and senior Evan Pease backed up by sophomores Carmine Carusone and Andrew Foreman. Goldberg rushed for 390 yards and six touchdowns in 2022 with Pease gaining 288 yards with two touchdowns.
“Goldberg and Pease are back, they are going to be phenomenal running backs for us,” said Gallagher. “In the scrimmage, Tyler broke off a 40-yard run right up the gut. He ran through a couple of guys, he showed some great power and speed. Evan is a sprinter, I don’t think anybody can catch him. We have two other young men that are going to provide some great depth. One is from last year, Andrew, and then the other one is Carmine, who came out this year. He had been playing club soccer. He broke off a nice 35-yard run for a touchdown in the scrimmage. It is amazing that we can say that we have four backs. I am so happy about that.”
The team’s corps of receivers that includes sophomore Ellington Hinds, junior
Wyatt Arshan, senior Ben Walden, senior Remmick Granozio, and senior Jihad Wilder is also making Gallagher happy.
“Hinds will be our starting split end, he is going to do a really good job for us,” said Gallagher. “He has really matured — he is a really talented ballplayer. He is sleek. Wyatt and Ben are also going to be at wide receiver. We have got a fourth guy, and how excited are we for this. Remmick decided to come out and ‘wow’ — that is all I can say. He is a gamer and he really busts his tail in practice. He has got a great work ethic, he is a hustler. He shows that in basketball. Jihad is also from the basketball team. He is a little rough around the edges but he is an athlete, he is talented. If we get it going to the end zone, we can do the alley-oop to him.”
A pair of seniors, Anthony Famiglietti and Dante Digiulio, will be working at tight end.
“Anthony will be the starter and Dante, another basketball player, will be a backup,” added Gallagher. “He will be a role player.”
The Tiger offensive line features a bevy of good players in senior Jake Angelucci, junior Sean Wilton, sophomore Zyair Mackey-Wright, junior Leo Sarett, senior Woodenson Beauvais, and senior transfer Kwabena Afrifah.
“Our big guys will be returning; we have Jake at right guard, we are real
happy about that,” said Gallagher. “Sean is at left tackle. We have got Leo, who played a lot at center for us last year. At right tackle, we are going to have Zyair. He was a freshman defensive end — he is a real big boy for us. The other guard is our transfer kid from J.P. Stevens, Kwabena. He is a mini Warren Sapp. He weighs about 265 and he is barrelchested. He is only 6-foot or 5’11. He is out for 30 days due to transfer rules. The guy who is going to take his spot for now is Woodenson. We like him — he is a really good player.”
Across the defensive line, PHS will feature the guys playing in the trenches on offense along with Famiglietti and senior Mohammad Tamraz.
“Right now we can rotate two defensive lines in,” said Gallagher. “We have four starters but we have 1A and 1B.”
At linebacker, Gallagher believes the trio of Pease, junior Joe George, and junior
Elisio Moncada will get the job done.
“Those are three guys who worked extremely hard in the weight room,” noted Gallagher. “I am excited, they look good.”
The secondary will feature Hinds, Petrone, Granozio, Goldberg, Walden, and Arshan.
“Ellington will be the free safety, Petrone will be the strong safety, and Remmick will back those guys up,” said Gallagher. “Our starting corners will be Tyler, Walden, and maybe Carmine. Wyatt will be out there too, he is a heady player.”
Overall, Gallagher believes that having a lot of guys on the squad gives him the flexibility to rotate players and get the most out of his roster.
“Staying healthy is good,” said Gallagher. “What is nice is that we do have some depth. We are able to keep people fresh.”
Gallagher is looking forward to opening the season
at Lawrence for a second year in a row. In 2022, the Tigers led 6-0 heading into the second quarter only to lose 35-12 as Kandres Soto paced the Cardinals, rushing for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
“I am always excited for Lawrence; they will run a little bit of a different offense now, they don’t have that big back so they changed their tune a little bit,” said Gallagher. “They have a great atmosphere. They have a very good head coach [Rob Radice] and a lot of good coaches. We had a great showing with our fans last year. Our stands were packed, even the fence was mobbed. It was a beautiful evening so let’s cross our fingers that we get another one of those.”
Gallagher will also be crossing his fingers that his veteran squad will be utilizing last year’s lessons to get a bunch of wins this fall.
—Bill Alden
John Earl Yates 1935 – 2023
we invite you.
June 21, 1935, on the summer solstice, the first day of summer a son was born to Earl Yates and Mary Gertrude Pamplin Yates. John Earl Yates came into this world in a bedroom of the family’s home in Kansas City, Missouri. Four years later, Marilyn Elizabeth Yates Porterfield, his dear sister, was born. His father had exceptional patience and musical ability that he passed on to his children. He worked as
A Short Story of a Long Life a baggage handler for the Railway Express and as an expert car mechanic. Mary Yates, a loving and involved mother, was a seamstress known for making quality custom curtains for those in the area. Earl Yates spent those early years building his family a small house on a dirt road in the town of Barry, Missouri. Water was hauled from a spring across the street, and it wasn’t until the early 1950s that an indoor bathroom and running water was added. Summertime was spent working on their large garden and playing in the vast area around their home. As a young boy, John would
drive a tractor, helping on the farm. It’s unknown if John turned over the tractor in a ditch before or after the neighbor’s dog, Pete, sadly became peg leg Pete. Even with his early questionable driving skills, he went on to teach his sister how to drive the tractor. When time allowed, fishing, squirrel hunting, learning how to play the guitar given to him by his father and building custom balsa wood airplanes filled those long, hot midwestern days. These were early signs of what would become his lifelong passions.
As the days shortened and became cooler, the potatoes and onions were put up in the tater house. John and his sister were responsible for catching and hanging the chickens on the clothesline for “processing.” The beans and tomatoes were canned, and favorite dill and sweet pickles were made. The grape vines produced enough for homemade jelly. His mother’s cooking, especially her peach cobbler, has not yet been matched. School began during these last days of summer. Just down the road there was a two-room school house with four grades in each of two classrooms. John excelled in school, especially in math, skipping fifth grade and graduating high school at 16. During this time, he earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout. He shared many stories of his scout experiences and was very proud of his God and County badge. It would take him about a year to earn this coveted badge. By now he had learned the guitar well enough to play in local honkytonks with a band that he and his friends put
together. They would sneak in until they were able to get special permission to play legally. The band had entered a talent show in which the winners would go on to perform at the Grand Old Opry; they came in second. It was then that he decided to change direction from music to focus on a college degree. Again, John entered into a competition with first place receiving a scholarship to college. He came in second and decided to attend a local junior college, Metropolitan College, which was just down the road. He would attend school during the day and had progressed to playing gigs in Kansas City as a member of the Musician Union to earn money to pay for his education. Two years later, he was accepted to the University of Kansas. He commuted from home in an old car his father put together. All was well until the seat fell through the bottom of the rusted car. He found a wooden box to sit on and continued driving to and from school and his gigs.
way, especially seeking out waterfalls, which were loved by John. The family settled in Princeton, NJ, in the summer of 1966.
international competitions as moral support. In January of 2023, the Garden Statesmen inducted John into their Hall of Fame.
After his three children moved out and off the payroll, he immersed himself in new hobbies. These included windsurfing and restoring an 18th century home that he named The Vinca Farmstead at Ten Mile Run, an homage to his early years. He referred to his farm as his pre-Mozart home. Albeit a gentlemen’s farm, there was no garden or hanging chickens. Vinca Farmstead was a wonderful gathering place for friends and family. He would indulge his guests with his love of cooking, especially traditional Chinese cuisine, one of his many culinary explorations. He was, however, never able to convince his children that squirrel head soup and dumplings was delicious.
In 1955, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering and joined Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City. He would be an invaluable employee for seven years while working towards his Masters. In 1959, he received his Masters in Applied Mathematics from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. John’s father sold two acres of the farm to help pay for the last year of graduate school. His manager and mentor at Midwestern Research Institute encouraged John to pursue his doctorate. With a new wife, Letha Gail Warren and three young children, he entered Stanford University in California earning his Doctorate in Aeronautical Sciences in 1966.
John’s professional career would span six decades. The accolades and accomplishments increased in number and importance. Some of the most notable projects would be his work on panel designs for the Saturn V rocket and other projects for NASA, the Navy, and the Air Force. He completed analysis of Fin Flutter on a currently flying supersonic missile. His most advance concept, the “DILLET” was tested on the model of the SEAWOLF class nuclear powered submarines. The “DILLET” was a device shown experimentally to reduce the intensity of the necklace interference vorticity. His work was used in the analysis or design in over 260 vehicles. These included all of the current U.S. submarines, torpedoes, the Large Scale Vehicle, 75 towed vehicles, and 75 plus sonar vehicles. He would spend endless hours intently writing on his countless pads of graph paper. His children kindly referred to his work as “hieroglyphics,” which eventually fi lled 44 banker boxes of handwritten work. There was no need for his level of security clearance at home as we had no clue what it all meant. And yet, as brilliant as he was, John was unable to teach his children the classic freight train problem!
After retiring at the age of 75, he devoted his time to working on the farmstead. He would fully restore his 18th century home to last another 300 years. He would take pride in the park-like grounds that he reclaimed from being an overgrown horse pasture. Towards the later years of his life, John reignited his love of jazz guitar relearning his favorite jazz songs.
Family gatherings would include an awesome evening of working out songs to play with his son on bass and sons-in-law on sax and drums. He treasured these times with his family, as gettogethers with all three children were infrequent since they lived throughout the East Coast.
Dr. John E. Yates accepted a position with Aeronautical Research Associates of Princeton, NJ. He left Stanford with his family and embarked on a six week cross-county trip. The family visited many National Parks along the
His intense professional work was balanced with his love of Barbershop singing. For 54 years he was fully invested with the society, as an active member with the Princeton Garden Statesmen, Hunterdon Harmonizers, Brothers’ in Harmony, and singing in several quartets. John’s contributions included being an assistant director, director, singing coach, and song arranger. Later in life, John chose to stop performing due to the rigor of standing on risers for long periods of time. He would continue to support his chapters by traveling to Barbershop shows and
One of John admirable traits was his belief in giving. He contributed yearly to over 62 charities such as St. Jude’s, Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Feed the Children, and many, many more. He knew he was fortunate and wanted to give back.
pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We
We
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment,
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO
June 13, 2023, eight days shy of the summer solstice, the first day of summer, and John Earl Yates’ 88th birthday, he closed his eyes for the fi nal time. Although he is no longer with us physically, the friendships he forged over the years will not be forgotten. Moreover, the values he instilled in his children of patience, kindness and humility will live on indefinitely. John was pre-deceased by his parents Earl and Mary Yates and his ex-wife Gail Yates. He is survived by his sister Marilyn Porterfield and husband Larry of Missouri; his children, daughter Christine Young, husband Robert, and their daughter Dr. Jessica Young MD of Connecticut; daughter Karen Yates-King, husband Thomas, and their daughter Emily Rodriguez, husband Johan, and son Dr. Colin King MD, of Georgia; son John Yates, wife Stasia, and their son Jack and daughter Katie of Connecticut. Nephew Mark Carder and niece Brenda Kerrick-Gage, and three great-grandchildren.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER
The family would like to extend their appreciation to Penn Medicine and Princeton Medical Group for their kind care.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Vinca Farmstead on September 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you plan to attend, please let us know by sending an email to johnyatescelebrationoflife@gmail.com.
Priscilla Mary Katzeman Linsley
Priscilla Mary Katzeman Linsley, born in Girard, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1934, passed away peacefully Monday morning July 10, 2023 with family by her side in her home in Sun City, Florida. Priscilla forged many paths ahead of her time, including earning a Master’s in Library Science from Northern Illinois University in 1965.
Priscilla was passionate and devoted to helping others personally and professionally, inspiring a career as a librarian and later as a grant writer for nonprofits. She was consistently involved in projects and programs that impacted many lives all over the world, some examples of which include: working on literacy in prisons, volunteering after Hurricane Katrina, serving on mission trips to Mexico and Nicaragua, planting olive trees in Palestine, and assisting more than 50 nonprofit agencies and working on special needs housing projects in her beloved city of Denver, Colorado. Priscilla was an avid traveler,
establishing deep connections with the people and cultures of the places she went, while also being a self-proclaimed “I” (introvert) that loved playing bridge and hosting meals with family and friends.
Priscilla is survived by her loving daughters, granddaughters, and their husbands whom she loved dearly — Karen and David Miller, Lisa and Rick Little, Amy and Peter Gretsch, Anneliese and Bladimir Martinez, and Sarah Gretsch. She is preceded in death by her parents John and Charlotte Katzeman and her brother John Read Katzeman.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held at Sun City Methodist Church on Saturday, November 4 at 1 p.m. with an option to attend virtually. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Centurion Ministries, Sun City Methodist Church, or Friends of Sabeel-Colorado (mailed to Friends of Sabeel Colorado, P.O. Box 102504, Denver, Colorado 80250).
August 18, 1948 to January 31, 2023
The Place Family
Deborah (Debbie) Young Cook
Deborah (Debbie) Young Cook passed away peacefully at Gilchrist Hospice Center, Towson, MD, on August 15, 2023, where she was surrounded by family. She was predeceased by her parents Otto T. Young and Eleanor P. Young (Parke), her beloved husband of 51 years Theodore W. Cook, and her cherished son, Scott W. Cook. She was 73 years old. Debbie was born in Princeton, NJ, on July 30, 1950, and was raised in Rocky Hill, NJ, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins and loved living in a small town. She believed that you could take the girl out of the small town, but you can’t take the small town out of the girl. She met her one true love, Ted, in this town one hot August day when they were 14 years old. Memories of her childhood and attendance at a two-room schoolhouse provided the values for her life and basis for her educational philosophy years later. Debbie attended Princeton High School (1968), received her BS from The College of New Jersey (1972), and MA from Rider University (1991) where she was awarded the Robert L. Foose Annual Graduate Award in Educational Administration.
travel to visit Peter and his family in Illinois. Missing her also are her sisters and brothers-in-law Beverly (Robert) Cramer, Carolyn (Ben) Foose; sisterin-law Maureen Cook; brothers-in-law Richard (Trish) Cook, Stephen (Cindy) Cook; a special niece Melissa Cramer Fetterolf (MD); and special nephews Larry Embry (WA) and David Cramer (NJ), who spent many hours with her in their childhoods. Debbie was a valued member of the independent school community and began her educational career at a one-room schoolhouse where she affirmed her calling to education. Her commitment to education then led her to The Pennington School serving as teacher, Dean of the Middle School, Academic Dean, Assistant Head of School, and Interim Head of School from 1978 through 1993 before moving to Maryland where she served as the Head of School at St. Timothy’s School from 1993-2002. She then was Head of School at Lake Ridge Academy (OH), and finally Head of School at Chesapeake Academy (VA) from 2007-2017. She also served on committees of regional independent school associations and particularly enjoyed visiting schools as Chair of Accreditation Committees. She had a special gift for seeing what needed to be done to allow the schools to reach their fullest potential. Debbie retired after a successful 45-year career in education. She loved the interaction with students, faculty, and parents and thrived in meeting the challenges of being a school leader. Throughout her long career as educator and Head of Schools, she influenced many lives and was a natural mentor and school leader.
Delaware Avenue, Pennington, NJ 08534; St. Timothy’s School, 8400 Greenspring Ave., Stevenson, MD 21153; Chesapeake Academy, P.O. Box 8, Irvington, VA 22480; The Maryland Food Bank; or a charity of your choosing.
Fioralba Procaccini
Fioralba “Alba” Rossi
Procaccini, 99, passed away on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center of Plainsboro, NJ. She was surrounded by her family when she closed her eyes and peacefully entered God’s Kingdom. She was a strong-willed, determined woman that led a simple life. She took pride in entertaining her family, especially her grandson and his friends, with overflowing tables of food. Everyone will miss her meatballs and sauce. Fioralba was a devout Catholic and a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church all her adult life. She had a deep faith in God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was born January 8, 1924 in Pettoranello, Italy, to Ernest and Cristina Rossi. She married Anthony Procaccini in 1948 and immigrated to the U.S. and resided in Princeton until her death.
Emily Frances (Vanderstucken) Spencer
Emily Frances (Vanderstucken) Spencer lost her courageous battle against lung cancer on August 16, 2023 at the age of 82. Born in 1940 to Frances (Robinson) of New York City and Emile Felix Vanderstucken of Sutton County, TX. She grew up in Princeton, NJ, and spent her summers with family in Sonora, TX. Emily graduated from Miss Fine’s School (now Princeton Day School) in 1958 and subsequently graduated from Wheelock College, becoming a First Grade Teacher.
A dedicated and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt, she is survived by her son, Peter T. Cook and his wife Cathy, of Frankfort, IL; her daughter Dr. Kristin D. Cook, DDS and her husband, Adam Boozer of Elkridge, MD; her precious grandchildren and joys of her life, Hannah, Eleanor, Koal, Declan, Liam, Kaitlin; and her great-grandson Oliver. Also left to mourn her are those like daughters Heather Ireland of Stevenson, MD, and Kim Lant of Newark, NJ. Upon her retirement, Ted and Debbie relocated to Maryland to be nearer to Kristin (Adam) and her youngest grandchildren and a convenient airport where they could easily
In her retirement Debbie wanted to spend as much time as possible with the people she loved. She spent precious time caring for her mother. She would bring her grandchildren to their piano lessons, soccer practices, et cetera just to get that special time in the car to catch up with them. She would talk daily with her friends and family to stay connected and let them know how loved they were. Debbie was a loyal friend. Those lucky enough to be able to call her a friend knew that she would do anything in her power to make their lives better, easier, or more fulfilling. She gave 100 percent to everything she believed in. She did not get as much time in retirement as we all wished for her, but she made the most of every day.
Debbie will be remembered as a compassionate, well-spoken, hardworking, honest, steadfast, fearless woman ahead of her time that still delighted in the small things. We are sad to lose such an amazing woman, but we are all better for the love she showed each of us through the years.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend her memorial service at 1 p.m. on October 8, in the United Methodist Church in Pennington, NJ, 60 S. Main Street, with a reception to follow in the Silva Gallery of Art at The Pennington School.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in Debbie’s memory to The Pennington School, 112 West
She was one of 12 children. She is preceded in death by her parents Ernesto and Cristina Rossi, her husband Anthony, her son-in-law Wayne Storie, and seven of her siblings. She is survived by her daughter Sina Storie, her beloved grandson Wayne Steven Storie and his wife Christine, and great-grandchildren Isabella, Christina, and Jack Anthony Storie. She is also survived by her brother Alfredo, sisters Rita and Rosina, all in Argentina, and Mafalda, who lives in Australia. She leaves behind many cousins, nephews, and nieces in the U.S., Italy, Argentina, and Australia.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023 at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08542. Funeral will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 9 a.m. at the Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, 40 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at St. Paul’s Church, 216 Nassau Steet, Princeton, NJ 08542. Burial will follow in St. Paul’s Church Cemetery. The family wants to thank Anthony and Lisa Montrone and Mary Bliss for bringing Holy Communion weekly to Fioralba. We also extend thanks and gratitude to Dr. Toby Fisch and the medical staff at Penn Medicine ER and the ACE unit on the 5th floor of the hospital for the care given and treatment of Fioralba during her brief stay.
In 1965 she met Richard “Dick” Spencer (d 2003), and they were married in 1966. Emily and Dick spent several years chartering ski trips to Switzerland and France before settling down and starting a small family in Chester, NH, where they lived for 30+ years and made many lifelong friends. Summers were spent at Kennebunk Beach, ME, until 1998 when they moved to Kennebunk permanently. Emily loved watching Red Sox games, taking train trips, watching Jeopardy (what is “she always had the answers?”), marathon cribbage games with her husband Dick and hosting their annual summer lobster bakes at the beach. She had a great sense of style when it came to designing the home they built together where she enjoyed playing the piano and flower gardening. Emily was a voracious reader and took great joy in mother daughter dates to Red Sox games and musicals at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Her life was filled with love by serving God in the Episcopal faith and generosity to many charities.
Surviving are her loving and devoted daughter Polly; sister-in-law Hillary; nieces Kristen, Kim and Linda; nephews Wyatt and Trip; great-nephews Ivan and Sasha; great-niece Olivia; a great-great-nephew and two great-great-nieces; two grand bunnies; and four grand dogs who will miss her treats and loving pats whenever they came to visit. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 26 at Trinity Episcopal Chapel (4 Woodland Avenue, Kennebunk, ME). In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity that promotes literacy or supports lung cancer research.
To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Emily’s Book of Memories Page at bibberfuneral.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043.
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08-30
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HOME HEALTH AIDE/COMPANION AVAILABLE: NJ certified and experienced. Live-in or live-out. Driver’s license. References available. Please call Cindy, (609) 227-9873. 09-06
LADDERS FOR SALE, EXTENSION, ALUMINUM. 40 ft: $200. 28 ft: $150. 24 ft: $125. 16 ft: $80. If interested, please call (609) 4660732. 09-06
CARPENTRY–PROFESSIONAL
All phases of home improvement. Serving the Princeton area for over 30 yrs. No job too small. Call Julius Sesztak: (609) 466-0732 tf
HANDYMAN–CARPENTER: Painting, hang cabinets & paintings, kitchen & bath rehab. Tile work, masonry. Porch & deck, replace rot, from floors to doors to ceilings. Shelving & hook-ups. ELEGANT REMODELING. You name it, indoor, outdoor tasks. Repair holes left by plumbers & electricians for sheetrock repair. RE agents welcome. Sale of home ‘checklist’ specialist. Mercer, Hunterdon, Bucks counties. 1/2 day to 1 month assignments. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED, Covid 19 compliant. Active business since 1998. Videos of past jobs available. Call Roeland, (609) 933-9240. tf I BUY ALL KINDS of Old or Pretty Things: China, glass, silver, pottery, costume jewelry, evening bags, fancy linens, paintings, small furniture, etc.
know! Call (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifi eds@towntopics.com
DEADLINE: Tues before 12 noon tf HOME HEALTH AIDE: 25 years of experience. Available mornings to take care of your loved one, transport to appointments, run errands. I am well known in Princeton. Top care, excellent references. The best! Call (609) 356-2951 or (609) 751-1396. tf
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tf
JOES LANDSCAPING INC. OF PRINCETON
Property Maintenance and Specialty Jobs
Commercial/Residential
Over 45 Years of Experience
• Fully Insured • Free Consultations
Email: joeslandscapingprinceton@ gmail.com
Text (only): (609) 356-9201
Office: (609) 216-7936
Princeton References
• Green Company
HIC #13VH07549500
HOME REPAIR SPECIALIST:
tf
EXPERIENCED AND PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVER
Available Part-Time
With Excellent References in the Greater Princeton Area (609) 216-5000
WILLIAM F. FURLONG PAINT-
tf
ING & DECORATING: Pressure washing. Residential, Industrial & Commercial. (609) 466-2853. Skillman. 08-30
FOR HIRE: House cleaning, dog care, babysitting, elder companion. Very organized, have my own transportation, speak English, good references. I have a flexible schedule. Please call me at (609) 433-3356. 08-23
CARPENTRY–PROFESSIONAL
All phases of home improvement. Serving the Princeton area for over 30 yrs. No job too small. Call Julius Sesztak: (609) 466-0732 tf
HANDYMAN–CARPENTER: Painting, hang cabinets & paintings, kitchen & bath rehab. Tile work, masonry. Porch & deck, replace rot, from floors to doors to ceilings. Shelving & hook-ups. ELEGANT REMODELING. You name it, indoor, outdoor tasks. Repair holes left by plumbers & electricians for sheetrock repair. RE agents welcome. Sale of home ‘checklist’ specialist. Mercer, Hunterdon, Bucks counties. 1/2 day to 1 month assignments.
Interior/exterior repairs, carpentry, trim, rotted wood, power washing, painting, deck work, sheet rock/ spackle, gutter & roofing repairs. Punch list is my specialty. 40 years experience. Licensed & insured. Call Creative Woodcraft (609) 586-2130
tf
HOME HEALTH AIDE/COMPANION AVAILABLE: NJ certified and experienced. Live-in or live-out. Driver’s license. References available. Please call Cindy, (609) 227-9873. 09-06
LADDERS FOR SALE, EXTENSION, ALUMINUM. 40 ft: $200. 28 ft: $150. 24 ft: $125. 16 ft: $80. If interested, please call (609) 4660732. 09-06
tf WHAT’S A GREAT GIFT FOR A FORMER PRINCETONIAN?
A Gift Subscription! Call (609) 924-2200, ext 10 circulation@towntopics.com tf CLEANING, IRONING, LAUNDRY BY WOMEN WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. Excellent references, own transportation. Please call Inga at (609) 530-1169 and leave a message. 09-20
Capital gains refer to the profits earned from the sale of an asset, including real estate.
While many homeowners might assume that the entire sale amount is theirs to keep, it's crucial to consider the potential tax obligations that might arise from this transaction.
In the United States, homeowners can often exclude a significant portion of their capital gains from the sale of their primary residence. Under the current tax laws, individuals can exclude up to $250,000 of capital gains from their taxable income, while married couples filing jointly can exclude up to $500,000, provided certain eligibility criteria are met.
However, if the gains exceed these thresholds or if the property wasn't used as a primary residence for at least two out of the past five years, some capital gain tax might be due. Understanding the nuances of these regulations, as well as potential exemptions for unforeseen circumstances, can help homeowners make informed decisions when selling their homes.
Before embarking on selling your home, it's advisable to familiarize yourself with the capital gain tax implications. Seeking advice from tax professionals can help you navigate this complex landscape and ensure you're well prepared to make the most of your home sale while staying compli- ant with tax regulations.
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Tues before 12 noon
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