Battlefield State Park Prepares for U.S. Semiquincentennial 5
Hunt Club Buttons Are Focus of NJ State Button Society Show 7
PCH to Host Benefit Event as Milestone Year Approaches 10
Thoughts About the National Pastime on a Special Day 12
PU Men’s Soccer Focusing On Shoring Up Defense As it Girds for Season Opener at Rutgers 23
After Capping Her Mercer Rowing Career at Henley Regatta, PHS Grad, Star Coxswain Zammit Headed To Stanford Crew 28
Council Passes Resolution Supporting Legislation For Ranked Choice Voting
At its meeting Monday night, Princeton Council passed a resolution in support of a bill authorizing the use of ranked choice voting in municipal and school board elections. Sponsored in the state legislature by Sen. Andrew Zwicker, the bill would allow individual towns to adopt the approach through referendums.
Council President Mia Sacks read a statement from Zwicker that said, “When it comes to our elections, we know there are existing reforms that can help make them more fair and open, and make political campaigns more friendly. Everywhere in our country that ranked choice voting has been implemented, voter turnout increases, negativity in campaigns decreases, and public discourse is strengthened.”
Princeton joins Red Bank, Hoboken, and Jersey City in supporting the measure. “Now is the time to work together to create a system where voters of all backgrounds can feel represented,” Zwicker’s statement concluded. “Ranked choice voting is integral to that system, and the time to do so is now.”
Ranked choice voting is a process that allows voters to rank candidates for a particular office in order of preference.
In a race where four candidates are running for a single seat, voters rank the candidates 1-4, with the candidate ranked as 1 as being the voter’s highest preference. If a candidate is the rst choice of more than half the voters, that candidate wins the election. But if no candidate gets the majority of the vote, the one with the least amount of support is eliminated, and the process continues until a candidate wins more than half the vote.
In a statement issued Tuesday on behalf of the Council, Sacks wrote in an email, “Princeton’s local Democratic club, the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO), which endorses candidates, and the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee, which determines ballot placement, have successfully used ranked choice voting for local candidates for the last half decade. Princeton Council supports measures such as S1585 that are intended to empower voters and broaden representation in government at the local and state level.”
Representatives from organizations such as Voter Choice NJ thanked Council for their support of the measure.
PHS Prepares for 2024-25 School Year
Princeton High School (PHS) is preparing to welcome about 1,550 students next Tuesday for the start of the 202425 school year, and, along with a large contingent of new students, there will be new staff members, a new cafeteria, a new food service provider, a new roof, new security vestibules, new classroom doors, and more.
“It’s been a phenomenally busy summer, primarily because of the construction that’s been going on,” said PHS Principal Cecilia Birge. “We’ve never had so much construction. I’ve been in this building for more than 10 years, but this is the rst time I’ve seen that all of the projects are coming to fruition at the same time. We’re 99 percent there.”
She pointed out that signi cant parts of the building had been brightened up and modernized. “The feel of the building has been changed,” she said. “What impresses me this time around is the focus
on delivering a physical space to our students and staff so that our educators can really imagine the different possibilities for teaching.”
Birge went on to mention a number of upgrades to teaching and learning as well as to the facilities, and she summed up, “Every single project I have described is going to the core of our operation — making sure that our kids are fed, making sure that our classrooms are a safe space, making sure that taxpayers’ money is used efficiently and effectively.”
Even more exciting than the physical changes for veteran PHS social studies teacher Elizabeth Taylor, however, are her plans for two upper level courses: Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History, always especially interesting in an election year; and Accelerated Sociology, which this year for the rst time will be offered as dual enrollment, meaning students will be receiving four credits from The College
of New Jersey as well as the normal PHS credit.
Taylor described the sociology course as “life-changing,” for her as a teacher and potentially for her students too.
In her 14th year as a PHS social studies teacher and her 10th year of teaching sociology, a course rarely found in high schools, Taylor talked about the value of developing a “sociological perspective” to help understand the unseen patterns that shape society and our lives.
“Many of my students tell me it’s the most impactful course they’ve taken at PHS,” she said. “It’s one of their favorite courses. It makes them, and it makes me, view the world in a different way than we were able to view it before.”
Former Township Mayor Bernie Miller Remembered Fondly by Colleagues
Bernard “Bernie” Miller, who died Saturday, August 24 at the age of 95, served as mayor of Princeton Township and later on the consolidated Princeton Council. Those who worked alongside him in municipal government remember him as a dedicated public servant and mentor.
Mayor Mark Freda began Monday night’s Council meeting with a moment of silence in Miller’s honor. “He served this community in so many different aspects so well, for so many years,” Freda said before calling for the tribute. On Tuesday morning, he added in an email, “I admired Bernie and truly enjoyed working and talking with him. He did a lot for our community.”
Miller was rst elected to the former Township Committee in 2002 before serving as deputy mayor, and then mayor. He was the rst Council president when the Township Committee and Borough Council were consolidated in 2013, and remained on Council until 2017. He also served on several boards and commissions related to affordable housing, consolidation, and other issues.
“Bernie was a wise and generous mentor to me and many others,” said Liz Lempert, who served with Miller on the Township Committee before becoming
Birge concurred. “I’ll speak to that as a parent as well,” she said. “My children took the course and it really is lifechanging and mind-changing. The way Continued on Page 9
(Photo by Sarah Teo)
Travis Petrone Primed
HANDHELDS
All sandwiches served with your choice of Kaiser or Brioche Bun
“Welcoming Lady Washington” Brings Era of History Alive
On Saturday, September 21 at 1:30 p.m., Alisa Dupuy of The Ladies of History will be presenting a first-person portrayal of Martha Washington, “Welcoming Lady Washington.” This program will be held in the Dutch barn on the property.
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington married George Washington as a wealthy widow of 27 with two small children. She helped run Mount Vernon and joined the general every winter of the Revolutionary War, accompanying him during his stay at Rockingham in later 1783. She was the first first lady (though that term wasn’t used, yet, at that time) and, despite not being one to enjoy public life, a gracious hostess, known for being kind, capable, and intelligent. A devoted mother and grandmother, her family was extremely important to her.
The event sponsored by the Rockingham Association is free, but donations to Rockingham are welcome. The Museum Store will be open, and light refreshments will be available after the program. Registration is
required at rockinghamWLW.eventbrite.com.
Rockingham is located on Route 603 (Laurel Avenue/
Kingston-Rocky Hill Road), one mile north of Route 27 in Kingston and one mile south of Route 518 in Rocky Hill.
Leighton Listens : Councilman Leighton Newlin holds one-on-one conversations about issues impacting Princeton from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on August 28 at Olives, 22 Witherspoon Street. All are welcome.
Food Pantry : Arm in Arm’s mobile food pantry is at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike, on Monday afternoons through September, from 2-4 p.m. Fresh produce, eggs, milk, frozen proteins, and quality baked goods as well as canned and boxed items and personal care items are available for those in need.
Sustainable Princeton “Lending Library”: Sustainable Princeton offers residents and nonprofits in Princeton the opportunity to borrow sustainable home items such as electric landscape equipment, induction cooktops, and repair tools, for free, for up to two weeks. Visit sustainableprinceton.org for more information.
Donate Blood : The American Red Cross has issued a call for emergency blood donations, particularly needed during the heat waves. Donate at 707 Alexander Road, Suite 101; MarketFair Mall; Princeton Family YMCA; and Stone Hill Church. Visit Redcrossblood.org for specific dates and times.
Photo Contest : Friends of Princeton Open Space holds the ninth annual Perspectives on Preservation Photo Contest with a submission deadline of September 8. Photos taken at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Open Space area can be submitted by professionals and amateurs; they must have been taken during the past three years. Visit fopos.org for more information.
Another Photo Contest : The Mercer County Library System is accepting entries through September 16 for a contest with the theme “Adventures in Mercer County Above and Beyond.” Amateur photographers only. Visit mcl.org for more information. Literacy Tutoring Program : To help adults improve their English literacy skills, volunteers are needed to work one-on-one or in small groups. Online training is available in August, September, and October. For specific dates and more information, email mercer@literacynj.org or call (609) 587-6027.
Volunteer for eCommuterfest : Sustainable Princeton needs helpers for the lowcarbon commuting festival being held Saturday, September 7 in the courtyard at Princeton Shopping Center. Visit sustainableprinceton.org.
Blood Stem Cell Donor Recruitment
THE FIRST FIRST LADY: Alisa Dupuy portrays Martha Washington at an event at Rockingham in Kingston on Saturday, September 21.
THE TIDE: Artillery reenactors participate in a reenactment of the January 1777 Battle of Princeton. Princeton Battlefield State Park recently received $1.3 million in funding from the State of New Jersey, which it is using to preserve and revitalize the park in preparation for an anticipated influx of visitors celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
$1.3M Funding, Battlefield State Park Prepares for U.S. Semiquincentennial
The American Battlefield Trust (ABT) has recently received $1.3 million in funding from the State of New Jersey, and, along with the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) and other local partners, has extensive plans
for revitalization, transformation, and preservation of the Princeton Battlefield in preparing for the 2026 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Site of the Battle of Princeton, where George Washington’s Continental Army defeated British forces in 1777, the Princeton Battlefield is a state park and National Historic Landmark. The funding was secured in the state’s FY 2025 budget by State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, along with Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis and Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and will be disbursed through the American Battlefield Trust (ABT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving America’s battlegrounds and providing history education.
TOPICS
Of the Town
“Central New Jersey was the location for the 10 crucial days of the Revolutionary War, and preserving our history is more important now than ever,” said Zwicker as quoted in a PBS press release. “In today’s politically divided climate, places like Princeton Battlefield State Park serve as poignant reminders of American unity and the sacrifices made to secure the freedoms and independence we cherish.”
He continued, “By building a new Visitor and Education Center and supporting restoration efforts at Princeton Battlefield, we can celebrate this landmark and use education to inspire the next generation. As the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence approaches, I cannot think of a better time to begin work.”
ABT President David Duncan expressed his gratitude for the funding and added, “The state’s $1.3 million investment to enhance the visitor experience at the park will help ensure this famous battleground will be ready for the influx of tourists expected for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.”
PBS President Ben Strong noted, “The American Battlefield Trust and its community partners
envision a revitalized Princeton Battlefield State Park equipped with interpretive signage — including 10 wayside signs, two stateof-the-art ‘battle windows,’ and a topographic map of the battlefield — and access to a digital tour app that will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the history.”
PBS Communications Head Todd Quackenbush, who is also a PBS trustee, explained that the first order of business has been a clearing of the battlefield to make it look more like it did at the time of the battle. The area around the Clarke House is being cleared out
(Photo by Andrew Walker)
OPEN WEDNESDAYS
Battlefield State Park
Continued from Preceding Page and opened up to look more like the farm land that was there in 1777.
Upgraded signage to document what went on on the battlefield and a battlefield app are expected to be in place later this year. Next year, said Quackebush, an interpretive pathway will be built around the circumference of the battlefield with new signs to guide visitors and provide information about what happened at each location. Also on the agenda is the re-creation of a trace road that Washington and his forces traveled on on their way to Princeton.
Across Mercer Road, the Ionic colonnade and memorial grove with gravesites commemorating soldiers from both sides lost in the battle will see substantial refurbishment, Quackenbush said. “It’s been through a lot and is in need of attention and tender loving care,” he added.
In the meantime, the PBS is gearing up for two upcoming events: Young Patriot’s Day on Sunday, September 15, from 12 to 3 p.m. at the battlefield and the 2025 Experience the Battle of Princeton reenactment on Sunday, January 5.
Young Patriot’s Day festivities will include activities for school-age children and families, highlighting colonial life and the American Revolution. There will be demonstrations and drilling with the New Jersey Grays; a talk with George Washington and Ben Franklin; demonstrations on weaving, woodworking, colonial spies, and 18th century medicine, artillery, and musket firing; information tables; and tours of the Thomas Clarke House and Museum.
Visit pbs1777.org/youngpatriots-day for registration and further information.
Question of the Week:
“What do you look forward to studying?”
(Asked Friday at check-in for Princeton University Class of 2028 students at the Lewis Center for the Arts Forum)
(Photos by Sarah Teo)
Quackenbush noted that both visitor attendance and reenactor participation in the annual Battle of Princeton event in January have been “ramping up steadily.” “The 2025 edition is shaping up to be as big or bigger than any in the past 20 years,” he said, “with more than 300 reenactors plus cavalry and artillery on the field.”
As of mid-August, 13 reenactor regiments had already committed to participate. “The Experience the Battle of Princeton Committee is working hard now to make sure we do a great job in January for the thousands of people who come out to watch this turning point in the American Revolution,” said Strong.
April 3 through May 1
September 4 through October 30
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza
FEATURING
Carlito’s Tacos • Catalina Empanadas
PBS Vice President Ken Gavin added, “We’re thrilled to see the early commitments from these 13 units. Just as 13 colonies grew into 50 states, expect at least three times as many units to commit over the coming months and to put hundreds of reenactors on the field.”
Carlito’s Taco Wagon • Catalina Empanadas
The Granola Bar • Ice Dreamz • Judith’s Desserts
The Granola Bar • Little Star Foods • Nutty Novelties
Lee’s Honeybees • Little Star Foods • Nutty Novelties
Ooika Matcha • One Up One Down • Picklelicious Pies & Quiches • Roper’s Way Farm • Sprouts Flowers
One Up One Down • Picklelicious • Pies and Quiches
Sprouts Flowers • Roper’s Way Farm
Terhune Orchards • Tico’s Eatery and Juice Bar
•
Terhune Orchards • Tico’s Eatery and Juice Bar
WooRi Mart • Yardley Refillary
The PBS website notes that the January 3, 1777 victory on Princeton Battlefield capped what historians call the “Ten Crucial Days,” that began with Washington’s famous December 25, 1776 crossing of the Delaware. During those days “Washington and the American forces rescued the War for Independence after months of crushing battlefield defeats in New York and New Jersey,” the website states.
—Donald Gilpin
“Molecular biology. I had a phenomenal AP bio teacher in high school. I really enjoyed the class, and it was the first time I was excited to go to class and could imagine a career in it. It’s an endless field.”
—Helen Xia, Maryland
“Right now I plan on chemical engineering. I have a lot of family that works in that field, and I think it might be cool to eventually go work with them.”
“I’m interested in studying English, theater, and creative writing. I’ve always been a storyteller, and never considered doing anything else. I love telling stories, and the power of that space — and it’s just so fun, too.”
—Kailani Melvin, Los Angeles, Calif.
“I plan to pursue computer science and minor in finance. My brother told me the minor would be beneficial to computer science.”
— Amber Khatib, Bowie, Maryland
Hunt Club Buttons Are Focus of New Jersey State Button Society Show
To the more than 2,300 members of the National Button Society, buttons are tiny treasures that tell a story. At its gathering on September 14 at the Union Fire Company in Titusville, the 83-year-old New Jersey State Button Society will hear stories inspired by a collection of hunt club buttons — used to fasten those scarlet jackets worn during fox hunts.
“Tally Ho! The Hunt is On!” is the presentation that avid collector Johnson Frazier will deliver during the show. A New Jersey native who now lives in Florida, Frazier returns as often as he can for the bi-annual
New Jersey show. He plans to bring eight trays of buttons for display, along with a large sample book from the late 19th century.
“It’s a lot of eye candy,” he said. “A lot of stuff to look at.”
Frazier and his wife recently returned from the national convention of the National Button Society in Springfield, Ill. Founded in 1938, the organization’s mission is “educating, enjoying, and preserving all that is beautiful and historic in buttons,” according to its website. Members come from 36 states and 10 countries. In addition, there are more than 150 local button clubs across the country.
Frazier has been amassing buttons since playing the drummer boy in Civil War reenactments at age 10. “I’ve always been interested in history,” he said. “And that’s the appeal of buttons. I primarily collect uniform buttons — police, fire, government organizations — anything like that. Having collected those of all types for many years, it just seemed that hunt club buttons should be on the list as well.”
Among the enthusiastic members of the New Jersey Button Society is Stonebridge resident Barbara Figge Fox, a longtime journalist for the newspaper U.S. 1. Like Frazier, Fox’s fascination started in childhood.
“My grandmother collected buttons in the 1940s, when the hobby of button collecting was new,” she wrote in an email. “I loved helping polish her metal buttons that pictured everything from Red Riding Hood to Joan of Arc. Now her buttons fill my file cabinets and, in frames, they decorate my walls.”
Fox has been helping out at the New Jersey organization’s events since her grandmother’s collection came to her 15 years ago. She also teaches button collecting classes at Princeton Adult School and gives library programs on the subject.
A big part of the appeal of buttons is the artistry that goes into their creation. “The older ones are like little works of art,” said Frazier. “The 18th century French ones, in particular — some are painted under glass. They are actually little portraits.”
Fox said buttons can be made from 48 different materials. “They are the world’s smallest antique, and I find it fascinating to research how each button has a story, starting with why and how it was made,” she said. “Some of my favorites are made from the shells of clams or whelks.”
According to a press release for the upcoming show, “In order to have the privilege of wearing buttons of a particular hunt, one would have to be an approved member of the hunt for some time and invited by the master of the hunt to wear them. Hunts were formed by well-to-do land owners and often had their name or county in which the hunt took place on a button.”
While fox hunts are still held in Britain and the U.S., including several in central New Jersey, they no longer involve the killing of a fox. The hounds chase the fox, “but when the fox goes to ground, that’s it,” Frazier said.
The New Jersey Button Society’s Fall 2024 Show and Competition will be at the Union Fire Company, 1396 River Road in Titusville, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Visit newjerseystatebuttonsociety.com for details.
“Buttons are a ‘politicsfree zone’ and offer a way to make lasting friendships,” said Fox. “At local club meetings, we have fun helping each other study how buttons are made.”
—Anne Levin
Get the scoop from
County Library System
Wraps
Reading Program
The Mercer County Library System has wrapped up its 2024 Summer Reading Program: Adventure Begins at Your Library, an annual initiative that encourages children and teens to read and engage in enriching activities throughout the summer.
Throughout the library system, over 3,100 children and teens participated in the eight-week program, earning prizes, including free books to help build patrons’ home libraries, and reading a total of over 1,500,000 minutes — a collective achievement that equates to about three years of continuous reading in just one summer.
In addition to the reading challenge, the library system offered over 1,100 entertaining and educational programs for children and teens, drawing nearly 30,000 attendees. These programs, supported with funding from library support groups such as Friends of the Library and township library committees, ranged from story times and craft projects to STEM activities, concerts, magic shows, and cultural events, offering something for every interest, encouraging families to
visit the library and become lifelong library users and readers.
Teens played a pivotal role in the success of the Summer Reading Program. Along with participating and earning prizes, over 95 teen volunteers contributed more than 3,000 hours of service at various branches. These volunteers helped distribute prizes and assisted with the preparation of library events, all while gaining valuable skills and experience.
The Summer Reading Program wasn’t just for kids. Some 221 adults also joined in, collectively reading over 1,000 books. Adult participants had the chance to win great prizes through raffl es at each of the branches, including gift certificates to local businesses.
“Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who made the 2024 Summer Reading Program such a success,” said County Executive Dan Benson. “Through programs like this, our libraries instill a love of reading and learning that will enrich the lives of our next generation for years to come.” We look forward to continuing this tradition and welcoming even more participants next summer.”
TALLY HO: This antique button is representative of those that will be on display at the September 14 gathering of the New Jersey State Button Society in Titusville.
PHS Prepares
continued from page one
Elizabeth organizes lessons, you do a lot of reading and a lot of discussion. She is able to take the material and deliver it in such a compact, impactful way. And when students take that home they also do a lot of interviews, a lot of projects, and a lot of research.”
She continued, “They write and they reflect, and they actually connect with their families, so I was interviewed, by my daughter, as an immigrant, as a single mother. That interview really opened up a conversation for two hours one night after midnight. You see how their minds are getting reshaped, and in the questions they ask after taking this class, you see how extensive their scope has become.”
Taylor explained the idea of the “sociological imagination” that frames her course, noting that most people are not aware of the underlying patterns that impact almost every situation in society. “So they make judgements without understanding the whole situation,” she said. “But sociology is all about trying to dig in to find those unseen patterns and to understand what the context is and what the nuances are.”
She continued, “A big part of it is recognizing that a lot of outcomes are not entirely based on individual decisions or individual choices. Instead it is these broader societal patterns that are playing a role.”
Taylor sees her role as helping students to ask questions that might lead them to understand what those patterns are, “and hopefully to
design policies that can help to change or interrupt some of those patterns in order to get better results.”
Accelerated Sociology starts with an introduction to sociology and a grounding in theoretical perspectives and in research methodology. The second unit is on culture. In one of the assignments for that unit students design their own experiments where they deliberately have to violate a cultural norm multiple times and then analyze how people responded to their violating that norm.
“That takes them out of their comfort zone,” said Taylor. “But there are a lot of rules I have for them in order to keep everyone safe.”
The f ollowing units focus on socialization, “like a mini-psychology unit,” according to Taylor; social stratification or inequality in societies, both U.S. and foreign; gender and sexuality; race and privilege; deviance, in a unit that confronts modern issues with criminal justice and mass incarceration; and education.
“I think the education unit is particularly powerful because it gives them a chance
to reflect on the education they’ve had up to this point,” said Taylor, “and it keeps the focus on inequality, really understanding how unequal public education is in the U.S. and how they have benefited from attending PHS.”
Ten years ago when Taylor, who considered herself an historian rather than a sociologist, was asked to teach a sociology course, she was reluctant. “I wished I could have said ‘no’,” she recalled. “But having to prepare to teach sociology has definitely strengthened my sociological imagination, and I had to dig into topics that I knew something about but never really had to get detailed information on.”
She continued, “It was good for me to get out of my comfort zone, to expand my content knowledge, and try out different ways of teaching the content and interacting with students. I feel that I am a better human because of teaching this course.”
The course was originally designed as an AP sociology pilot course. The College Board eventually decided not to create an AP sociology course, but PHS decided to keep the course, which has always been intended as the equivalent of a college course, but until now it has not had the college credit which AP status could provide.
This year, with Accelerated Sociology given dual enrollment status, students will be able to transfer their credits to whatever college they attend. “It’s an amazing opportunity, better than AP in certain ways. Whether they’re going to major or minor in sociology or not, it’s
just a great opportunity,” said Taylor, who notes that many of her students do decide to continue their sociology studies in college.
Extending opportunities like this to more students at PHS is a priority for Birge. “This really opens up access,” she said. “Also, there is a significantly reduced cost, so it really is a win-win in so many ways.” Unsurprisingly, Accelerated Sociology is a popular elective, with about 60 students this year in three sections, and the dual enrollment option is likely to generate even more interest.
Birge went on to mention the importance of this course and the humanities in general, particularly in the current STEM-focused environment.
“Machines are outpacing us in so many ways, but this class highlights the case for humanities education,” she said. “Elizabeth has illustrated how our students are trained to be critical thinkers and that is an element they will carry through the rest of their lives in the complex world we live in today. When we talk about the school’s mission, when we talk about raising critical thinkers, this course is really the training ground, and the timing is also perfect, because it’s aiming at upper class students to prepare them for a bigger environment, a bigger campus in college.”
—Donald Gilpin
Rider Furniture
Human Services Department Distributes School Supplies
Princeton Human Services has completed this year’s Backpack and School Supply Drive, made possible by the generosity of the Princeton community. The drive expanded its reach this year, providing essential school supplies from pre-k through 8th grade to 317 students.
In addition, extra backpacks and school supplies were distributed to students in need throughout the greater Mercer County area.
especially grateful to Princeton University, W.B. Mason, Whiting-Turner Contract Company, Stone Hill Church, Mt. Pisgah AME Church, CytoSorbents, and the Princeton PBA Local #130 for their continued support and generous donations.”
“Where
Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5
“For the past 14 years, this initiative has united local businesses, organizations, residents, municipal employees, and Princeton University to provide essential support for the children in our community,” said Human Services Director Rhodalynn Jones. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mayor Mark Freda, the Princeton Council, municipal employees, and the many Princeton residents who contributed to this effort. We are also
Freda also expressed his gratitude, saying, “This effort exemplifies the strong sense of community that makes Princeton so special. For over a decade, Princeton Human Services has coordinated this drive, and its continued success is a testament to the unwavering support of our donors, volunteers, and our dedicated staff, including Rhodalynn Jones, Sincy Sandoval, Kimberly Figueroa-Martinez, Laliana Azcuidiaz, the Summer Youth Employment Program staff, Brian Donis, Madison Hamlin, Judith Pwee, and Jihad Wilder.”
The municipality is committed to continuing the drive next year. For any questions, call (609) 6882055.
READY FOR SCHOOL: Helping get local students prepared for the coming school year are, from left: Kimberly Figueroa-Martinez, Rhodalynn Jones, Kenneth Kim, Lailiana Azcuidiaz, and Brian Donis.
Elizabeth Taylor
Bernie Miller
continued from page one the first mayor of the consolidated Princeton. “When he was mayor of Princeton Township, he fostered a supportive, collaborative culture within the Township Committee, something I’m grateful to have benefited and learned from.”
Referring to Miller’s career as an aeronautical engineer for RCA Laboratories and Lockheed Martin, Lempert continued, “He was brilliant – he really was a rocket scientist! But super humble. And he led an incredible life, including decades of service to the Princeton community, even after his retirement from the Princeton Council. I feel enormously lucky to have been his colleague and friend.”
As mayor of the former Township from 2006 to 2012, Chad Goerner found Miller a challenging act to follow.
“Bernie Miller preceded me as mayor in the Township, and he was perhaps the ultimate example of a tireless public servant,” Goerner said. “He always showed up with purpose, and was very goal-driven. His determination led to the completion of a myriad of projects and initiatives that ultimately made Princeton a better place. He was a great partner in achieving the successful consolidation of the Borough and the Township, and contributed an immense amount of time and effort to our successful endeavor.”
In an article by this writer in Princeton Magazine 11 years ago, Miller’s son Buddy Miller, a well-known country singer and guitarist, was asked what he thought of his father’s plan to run for reelection to Council at age 84. “My Dad is something else,” he said. “Still out there, causing trouble.”
—Anne Levin
Council continued from page one
“You are once again putting Princeton on the map,” said David Goodman of that organization. Goodman added that Princeton and the Council “have been leaders in democracy reform before,” he said, referring to work with former Mayor Liz Lempert and the governing body on approving the first anti-corruption resolution in the U.S. a decade ago.
Another member of Voter Choice NJ said a ranked choice voting mock election event will be held on September 17 from 7-9 p.m. at Princeton United Methodist Church.
Also at the meeting, Councilwoman Eve Niedergang said that the Princeton Environmental Commission has received an award in recognition of its Green House Tour events, which are cosponsored by Sustainable Princeton and showcase homes that create healthier and more energy-efficient
environments through green building practices. The next tour is on Saturday, September 28, and will be followed on October 19 by a video screening of three of the houses, and a panel discussion at Princeton Public Library.
Councilwoman Leticia Fraga reported that National Welcoming Week is September 13-22, to be kicked off with a cultural exchange night of music, dancing, and more on Hinds Plaza. The town’s Human Services Department is accepting applications from members of the community who would like to have a table sharing information about their culture at the event.
The next meeting of Council is September 9 at 7 p.m. Visit princetonnj.gov for more information.
—Anne Levin
West Windsor Bike Fest Is Back in
Full Gear
The 20th annual West Windsor Bike Fest is planned for Sunday, September 8 at West Windsor Community Park starting at 8:30 a.m. for the first ride; later depending on which route is chosen.
Held every year since 2005, this event brings community members from West Windsor and surrounding towns together for a day of exercise, community, history, and more. The event features four routes, exploring West Windsor and its surroundings: a 1.5-mile option (for kids), an 8-mile, a 20-mile, and a 40-mile route.
Riders visit historic stops along the way, including the 1700s-era Schenck Farmstead, which functions as the West Windsor History Museum, Princeton’s historic downtown, the communities of Dutch Neck and Grovers Mill, and the largest Hindu temple in the western hemisphere. The 1.5-mile route is a small “in-park” scavenger hunt style ride for kids that teaches them about local history. There will be additional activities for kids. Following the ride,
there will be a lunch, with food provided by Jhopri Indian cuisine of Plainsboro, and Aljon’s hoagies. This event is sponsored by West Windsor Township as well as three local nonprofits: the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance, the West Windsor Arts Council, and the Historical Society of West Windsor. It is formally organized via an all-volunteer committee working with the Township’s Parks and Recreation Department.
For registration and cost information, visit wwbikefest.weebly.com. “Where quality still
10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5
Princeton Community Housing to Host Benefit Event as Milestone Year Approaches
Inviting supporters to “sow the seeds of success,” Princeton Community Housing (PCH) will host “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” on Friday, September 27 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Morven Museum & Garden. The evening will feature a cocktail reception, a silent auction, and a seated dinner under the tent catered by Occasions by Cintron.
Presented by Penn Medicine Princeton Health, the fundraising celebration will benefit the work and mission of PCH, with this year’s theme highlighting the importance of having “a place to call home — whether a house or a community — to grow and thrive,” according to Event Committee Chair and PCH Trustee Caroline Travers.
PCH was founded by a group of community leaders in 1967, and in 1975 developed Princeton Community Village (PCV), 238 low-and moderate-income apartments, on Bunn Drive. Ten years later PCH opened Elm Court on Elm Road, a community serving low- and moderate- income seniors and adults of all ages with disabilities. In the coming year the nonprofit organization will be celebrating the 50th and 40th anniversaries of these two communities.
Kate Bech, PCH director of mission advancement, reflected on the impact of PCH on Princeton in the context of the current national discussions and debates about affordable housing and homelessness.
“The idea that they welcomed the first residents in 1975, when PCV opened, and here it is 50 years later, to me it’s a story about the community and a story about Princeton in general, a story about regular people who said this mattered enough to them,” said Bech. PCH has sustained its
focus over the years, last year completing the construction of a new energyefficient apartment building, named after Jim and Fannie Floyd, for 25 new families with very low, low, and moderate incomes.
The building is surrounded by Herrontown Woods, where a new trailhead was constructed last fall. PCH volunteers completed a successful $2 million capital campaign in 2023 to accomplish the project.
In addition to the September 27 “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” benefit, PCH is planning a series of events and activities over the course of the coming year to celebrate the milestone anniversaries and achievements.
“Penn Medicine Princeton Health is proud to support Princeton Community Housing in its very important mission to provide safe, well-maintained, affordable homes and social service supports to more than 1,100 area residents, what we know are key factors among the social determinants of health,” said Penn Medicine CEO James Demetriades, who is the honorary chair of the September 27 event and also, since May 2024, president of the PCH Development Corporation.
Travers expanded on the horticulture metaphor in emphasizing the importance of PCH to the well-being of the Princeton community. “Just as a well-tended garden nurtures seeds and helps them take root, a richly diverse and inclusive community creates opportunities for growth and success in life, benefiting everyone,” she said. “Affordable homes ensure that our town is a place where people from all backgrounds can put down roots, contribute to its vibrancy, enhance its ‘ecosystem,’ and grow and blossom by accessing and adding to our abundant resources.”
PCH Executive Director Ed Truscelli commented on the many services available to PCH residents and pointed out PCH’s dependence, as a nonprofit organization, on financial contributions in order to continue the essential work of promoting and managing affordable housing in Princeton.
“Thanks to many generous donors and their investments, we can maintain our vision to offer all people the opportunity to build more productive and fulfilling lives here in town,” said Truscelli. “Proceeds from this event underwrite what we call the ‘PCH difference,’ the supportive services, projects, and activities we provide, often through community-based resources coordinated by our social services coordinators and staff.”
PCH Community Board of Trustees President Karen Jeziemy added, “We invite everyone to join us in this important work and carry on our tradition of citizens supporting a balance of housing opportunities essential to the continued success and diversity of the Princeton community, and help us sow seeds for success.”
For tickets or sponsorship information for the September 27 event, visit pchhomes.org/support/2024community-roots or contact Bech at (609) 924-3822 x6 or by email at katebech@ pchhomes.org.
—Donald Gilpin
JUNCTION
BARBER SHOP
33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554
Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm
Rider University Offers Free Tuition Program
Eligible New Jersey residents can qualify for free tuition at Rider University through a new program. The Rider Tuition Guarantee is available to students pursuing their undergraduate degrees who meet financial and academic requirements. The University is devoted to creating pathways for students to earn their degrees with a particular focus on affordability.
“We’re dedicated to removing financial barriers for students through Rider’s robust scholarship opportunities and innovative financial aid support like the Rider Tuition Guarantee,” said Drew Aromando, vice president of Enrollment Management.
“Through this opportunity, high-achieving students who call New Jersey home can
pursue their program of choice.”
The goal of the program is to fill the gap in financial aid after all other scholarships and grants have been applied. The Rider Tuition Guarantee is available for incoming, first-year and transfer undergraduate students who remain in good academic standing.
To qualify, students must reside in New Jersey and have a 3.5 or above GPA on a 4.0 scale. Financially, their household must have an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less and receive both full Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) and Pell Grants. Students must also apply to
Rider for the fall 2025 or spring 2026 start terms, submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and make their deposit by the appropriate deadline in order to be eligible. Additionally, Rider also offers the opportunity for incoming undergraduate students to obtain free textbooks through its Books for Broncs program. Students must complete three qualifying campus visits with the Office of Admission to be eligible. Terms and conditions are available at rider. edu/books-for-broncs.
For more information, visit rider.edu/tuitionguarantee.
AFFORDABLE HOMES: Committee members for Princeton Community Housing’s upcoming “Community Roots, Opportunity Blossoms” event are planning a benefit on Friday, September 27 at Morven Museum & Garden to support projects for PCH’s 1,100 residents. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Community Housing)
The views of the letters do not necessarily reflect the views of
Town Needs to Take Measures to Ensure That Construction Projects are Not Endless
To the Editor:
Three years of construction noise. Two gas leaks requiring you to evacuate your home. Constant large construction vehicles navigating your narrow residential street, blocking traffic and interrupting your work or your sleep with backup alarms and other noise, starting at 7 a.m. Construction workers parking in front of your house, all day, every day, so that you and your other neighbors without driveways can’t park to unload groceries, or packages, or children. Damage to street trees. Standing water perfect for mosquitos. Loud talking or idling engines so close that you can hear details of the conversation and smell the exhaust as you sit in your living room.
The site, formerly a quiet duplex owned by the same family for decades, now has haphazard piles of construction materials in the front yard, set off by a temporary chain link fence that, after three years, seems permanent. Until this week, it had a sign pronouncing the arrival of new apartments for fall 2023.
On July 31, a police officer knocked on my door about 9 a.m. and told me to leave my house. It was the second time in a year that we had been forced out of our houses. There was no other emergency notification, although a Nixle alert did go out only that morning about a street closure for the digging that caused the leak.
As Princeton pushes to add housing, more and more neighbors will be confronted by construction projects next door. Hopefully, the addition of a single accessory dwelling unit will not take three years, but Princeton needs to take measures to ensure that they don’t. For larger projects, it could perhaps take the form of a construction bond, to be forfeited if agreed deadlines are not met, or compensation to neighbors for every violation of the construction code or major inconvenience. Prior notification of road closures should be required.
If you are concerned about this coming to your neighborhood, please let Council members know.
CATHLEEN CARROLL John Street
Candidate Erica Snyder Explains Why She Is Running for Princeton Board of Education
To the Editor:
In 2021, my husband and I moved our family of five to Princeton. After 13 years as an “Army wife” that sent us to North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and the United Nations in New York City, we chose Princeton in great part because of its reputation for excellent public schools. My kids quickly settled in, making friends at Community Park Elementary School and at soccer and hockey practices. I also settled in, connecting with other families on the sidelines, through CP’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), and at Cherry Hill Nursery School, which my youngest attended and where I’m now proud to serve as director. I began to understand both the great strengths and challenges that the Princeton Public Schools and the supporting community face to maintain their reputation for excellence and build even stronger schools.
I am running for the Princeton Board of Education because I care deeply about our students’ futures and the stability of the district, and I believe I have important skills and experience that can contribute to their success. As a former teacher and an education consultant (while my husband served the U.S. Army, I served in classrooms, schools and districts around the country as an instructional coach), I bring a wealth of experience in education technology, strategic planning, curriculum design, and educational leadership.
If elected to the Princeton Board of Education, I would focus on:
Superintendent
date with a clear vision to unite and innovate the district. Finding the right leader is crucial for our community’s growth and progress.
District Communication: I believe we need to increase transparency and reduce the miscommunications coming from the district to the community. Effective communication is key to building trust and ensuring that all voices are heard.
My career, enriched by skills such as education technology, standards and competency-based grading, strategic planning and master scheduling, school budgeting, curriculum and instruction design, teacher leader support, and educational leadership, has deeply informed my approach to how to address the issues facing Princeton today. I hope that you, my neighbors, consider giving me the opportunity to serve you on the Board of Education this November. For more information about me and my platform, visit ericasnyderforboe.com or email ericasnyderforboe @gmail.com.
ERICA SNYDER
Lawrenceville Road
Letters to the Editor Policy
Town Topics welcomes letters to the Editor, preferably on subjects related to Princeton. Letters must have a valid street address (only the street name will be printed with the writer’s name). Priority will be given to letters that are received for publication no later than Monday noon for publication in that week’s Wednesday edition. Letters must be no longer than 500 words and have no more than four signatures.
All letters are subject to editing and to available space.
At least a month’s time must pass before another letter from the same writer can be considered for publication.
Letters are welcome with views about actions, policies, ordinances, events, performances, buildings, etc. However, we will not publish letters that include content that is, or may be perceived as, negative towards local figures, politicians, or political candidates as individuals.
When necessary, letters with negative content may be shared with the person/group in question in order to allow them the courtesy of a response, with the understanding that the communications end there.
Letters to the Editor may be submitted, preferably by email, to editor@towntopics.com, or by post to Town Topics, PO Box 125, Kingston, N.J. 08528. Letters submitted via mail must have a valid signature.
Books
Journalist Oriana Fallaci is Subject of Biographical Novel
co-wrote and co-directed a 13-minute documentary titled “Breakfast Lunch Dinner: The Greek Diner Story,” on YouTube. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree from Montclair State University, where she taught essay writing. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and spends summers in Greece, where her parents were born.
New Jersey writer and journalist Anastasia Rubis discusses her novel, Oriana: A Novel of Oriana Fallaci, with author Laurie Albanese at the Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, on Sunday, September 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Community Room. Tea and cookies will be served, and a book signing will follow. Rubis has written the first biographical novel about Oriana Fallaci, the respected and glamorous Italian journalist who blazed a trail for women in the 1960s and ’70s with provocative interviews of world leaders such as Henry Kissinger, Yasir Arafat, Golda Meir, and Iran’s Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as prominent artists and celebrities. Fallaci is often placed in the same category as Barbara Walters and Mike Wallace when naming the great interviewers and is widely considered a trailblazer who broke through the glass ceiling of journalism. The book (Delphinium Books, $27.99) delves into her personal life as well, and her relationship with a Greek poet.
“Anastasia Rubis writes with a passion for her subject that matches Oriana’s own craving for a big full life and in turn does her and the era a great justice,” wrote Alice Elliott Dark, author of In the Gloaming and Fellowship Point. “In scene after breathtaking scene, we relive a time of great hope when getting at the truth was possible. A truly inspiring debut.”
Rubis’ writing has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post, New York Observer, Creative Nonfiction, North American Review, [PANK], Fiction International, and Literary Mama. One of her stories, “Girl Falling,” was named a Notable Essay in Best Essays of 2014. Another, “Blue Pools,” was included in the anthology Oh, Baby, edited by Lee Gutkind. She
Moderator Albanese has published fiction, poetry, journalism, travel writing, creative nonfiction, and memoir. Her books include Hester, Stolen Beauty, Blue Suburbia: Almost a Memoir, Lynelle by the Sea , and The Miracles of Prato, co-written with art historian Laura Morowitz. Albanese lives in Montclair. For more information, visit princetonlibrary.libnet.info/ event/11380968.
Doylestown, Pa., Bookshop Holds Local Author Expo
The Doylestown Bookshop on Main Street in Doylestown, Pa., showcases authors from the Bucks County community on Saturday, August 31 from 1-3 p.m. for its Local Author Expo.
Featured authors will be Chrysa Smith, Nicole Anderocci, Rachel Callaghan, Mary Beth Turchick, Bill Hemmig, Courtney Goodman, Roy Phelps, Chrissy Dugas, Etoile Blanche aka Joan Menapace, Saverio Monachino, and Tony Vlahovic. This event began as the Local Author Spotlight at the Doylestown Bookshop, and now hosts authors from several genres for a large group book signing event in the store. The authors represent small publishers; self-published books; and larger, more traditional publishers. The store is at 16 South Main Street and has a metered parking lot in the back. More information is at doylestownbookshop.com.
Thoughts About the National Pastime on a Special Day
Midway through the last week of August, in the aftermath of a Democratic National Convention about saving America, baseball fans are looking ahead to the do-or-die last month of the regular season, while the jazz world celebrates Lester Young, born August 27, 1909, and Charlie Parker, born August 29, 1920.
August 28
My father had just turned 40 when he took me to see Stan Musial’s St. Louis Cardinals play Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn Dodgers on August 28, 1950. This was a big deal since we lived 250 miles east of St. Louis. I took it for granted that my English professor father, who had absolutely no interest in baseball, would write to the Cardinals front office for good seats near the St. Louis dugout; reserve a hotel room; and make the drive at a time when interstate highways were not even a gleam in Eisenhower’s eye. No wonder, since this was the summer of 1950, two years before Ike scored the Republican nomination.
On August 28, 1951, during a weeklong road trip devised for a 12-year-old whose fascination with American cities, tall buildings, hotels, and movie theaters exceeded even his passion for baseball, my father took me to a night game between Cleveland and Philadelphia in Cleveland’s vast Memorial Stadium. That both of my first two big-league games happened on August 28 is merely coincidental. What makes the date significant isn’t baseball, it’s my father, who taught Chaucer and English Grammar for Teachers at Indiana University.
As I write, I’m looking at a bound copy of his 248-page dissertation in which he edited (“Englished” is the operative word) a Medieval encyclopedia from the original manuscript. Typed by my mother on a Royal portable with special keys, the volume is open to the title page: “Bartholomaeus Anglicus: De Proprietatibus Rerum: The First Three Books Which Treat of Incorporeal Substances.”
The question I never asked myself until now is how could a scholar who spent years of his life working on a Medieval manuscript possibly sit through two hours-plus of a slow-moving game he knows nothing about and has no interest in? The Cleveland game would have been the severest test of his patience since it was a 1-0 complete game shutout by Early Wynn.
Republican Roots
The big cities road trip of 1951 began when my father picked me up at my
Republican grandparents’ home in Topeka, Kansas, where I’d spent the first half of the summer. Our car, a bright blue 1947 Chevy convertible, looked like something out of a Donald Duck comic next to the grandparents’ big, shiny new Packard sedan. My father was fond of the Chevy, which came with a cord under the dash that sent forth a loud wolf whistle when pulled. Five years later when I was entering my senior year in high school, the scholar who edited Bartholomaeus Anglicus brought home a fire-engine-red Buick Special convertible, even though he must have known that my friends and I would take total possession of it on the weekends and especially at night.
If you’re wondering about my father’s taste in cars, not to mention the dissertation, consider where he was coming from: a boyhood of strict piano lessons conducted by his mother, who played the organ at the Methodist church. Besides leading the choir there, my father’s father was a Republican elector who attended the national conventions and whose mother was president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, in her prime the most powerful woman in the state, renowned for having helped Carrie Nation storm the saloons of Wichita. Thus copies of Esquire magazine containing a story by my father had to be hidden from her because it was teeming with liquor ads and racy imagery, and not least because she was the model for the story’s eccentric central character.
bat and the no-holds-barred base-running of Pepper Martin, the “Wild Horse of the Osage.” When I quoted Dizzy Dean’s famous line from his career as a broadcaster (“Al Zarilla slud into third”), the grammarian gave me the anticipated grimace and replayed the family joke about how my mother didn’t know “right base from left base.” Although he understood my excitement when Stan Musial sealed the victory for the Cardinals with a homerun, the mild-mannered professor couldn’t help making embarrassed “down-boy” gestures when I jumped up yelling and hollering along with everyone else.
Watching Early Wynn
The Gashouse Gang
On the long drive to the first game in St. Louis, my father occasionally let me pull the wolf whistle, but only when we were on the open road with no other cars in sight. I still have no idea what he made of the game, which the Cardinals won. I remember him teasing me, rubbing his hands together and saying “Oh boy! Oh boy!” when I told him how excited I was to actually be in Sportsman’s Park, where Dizzy Dean and the Gashouse Gang had played back in the 1930s. He made a polite effort to take me seriously when I described Ducky Medwick’s feats with the
The big cities trip a year later, with overnight stops in Des Moines, Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, Buffalo, Cleveland, and Columbus, was a once in a lifetime fatherson event. We went to penny arcades in every city, drove the little car down the rolling highway and played Skee Ball, went to movies, took long walks, bought postcards, went up to the top of skyscrapers, and watched Early Wynn pitch that complete game shutout. For two hours my father sat by my side attending to that 1-0 gem but did he appreciate it? For that matter, did I, given how little I knew about the nuances of the game? At least I could see Wynn as a warrior valiantly holding off the enemy, the high point of the drama being a scary eighth inning (two consecutive doubles), but what about the Medieval scholar sitting next to me who seemed to be reading the game as if the floodlit diamond and emerald green outfield formed the page of an illuminated manuscript like the one he’d labored over years before.
I found a clue on page 175 of the dissertation, about vision, in which “three codeterminous pyramids or cones are formed with the apex of each in the pupil of the eye” and how the third pyramid contains a distinct substance of light by which other bodies are illuminated.” Could it be that my father was contending with the tedium of a shut-out by summoning up memories of the most demanding optical endeavor of his life?
Probably not. Probably it was all about Early Wynn. “Quite a name for a pitcher,” he said. Of course! After all these years I’ve taken “Early Wynn” as much for granted as I have my father. A pitcher named Early Wynn ? Nor was it a mere nickname, since Early’s father was also named Early Wynn. And my father would have been well aware that Early was the family name of his WCTU grandmother and, in fact, had been his middle name until he rebelled and changed it to one of his choosing.
Stan the Man
What it all comes down to, really, is that my father drove me to St. Louis, 250 miles and back, so that I could see my idol Stan Musial hit a home run. Right now I’m picturing Stan the Man coiled in the batter’s box, the most picturesque stance in baseball, then the crack of the bat as he uncoils, sending the ball soaring toward deep right and into the right field stands of Sportsman’s Park.
A year ago, Landon Jones, who died at 80 on August 17, admitted in an email that he too was “a lifelong Cardinals fan — which was a certain kind of misery.” After we shared commiserations about the dismal year the 2023 Cardinals were having, he referred me to a passage about Stan Musial, “our Galahad,” in his new book Celebrity Nation (Beacon Press 2023). Having just flashed back to August 28, 1950, what particularly interests me is what he says about Sportsman’s Park, “the brooding, gothic pile of steel on St. Louis’ North Side. As you walked toward it on a dark night, the ballpark loomed like a cathedral, a study in hooded arches.” Jones describes how it was when Musial played and the crowd was white, “with one exception.” As he stood coiled in the batter’s box, “a phalanx of Black faces looked back at him from the right-field pavilion. In those days, Black people were limited first by law and then by custom to sitting only in the right field stands.”
The passage ends with Jones expressing regret that the one time he had a chance to meet Musial, he’d “hesitated to ask him about the ballpark or the integration of baseball teams he had witnessed when Jackie Robinson arrived.” Jones concludes that “the culture feels recycled, mired in the same nostalgia I felt when I met Musial. We’ll need to look elsewhere for people who help us bridge the gap between who we are and who we want to be.”
—Stuart Mitchner
Performing Arts
AND PROJECTION: The first event in the annual Princeton
will feature Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, performing against a
Kevork Mourad, in “Home Within,” focusing in Syria’s history.
Princeton University Concerts Opens with “Healing” Event
The Princeton University Concerts (PUC) 2024-25 Season will open on Thursday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium with the first event of the “Healing with Music” series. Making their PUC debuts, Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and visual artist Kevork Mourad will present Home Within , their production featuring original music by the clarinetist and live projected illustration depicting specific moments in Syria’s recent history.
They will also be joined by moderator Deborah Amos, international correspondent for National Public Radio and a Princeton University professor in Journalism, to discuss their work and war’s impact on our sense of “home.” Created in 2012 with the intention of raising awareness for Syrian refugees, Home Within has
discussions are free, and registration is required. On Wednesday, September 25 at 7 p.m., the theater will screen the Grammy-nominated documentary The Music of Strangers directed by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville, which follows members of the Silk Road Ensemble, including Azmeh and Mourad. For registration and tickets, visit puc.princeton.edu.
“For the upcoming third season of the Healing with Music series, we are shifting our focus from the many ways in which music can play a role through medical challenges to musicians who use their art and platforms to engage in civic discussion and respond to world events which have touched them in profoundly personal ways,” said PUC Outreach Manager Dasha Koltunyuk. “Kinan Azmeh and Kevork Mourad are powerfully talented artists who have channeled their immense creativity
for anyone who cares about what is happening in our world. This event also incorporates the bonus of a deepdive discussion with the artists. We are exceptionally fortunate to have Deborah Amos as moderator for this and for all our 2024-25 season Healing with Music events. She is a wonderful, insightful interviewer who is well-poised to facilitate these important, sensitive discussions.”
For tickets and more information, visit puc.princeton.edu.
“Life and Music of George Michael” at State Theatre State Theatre New Jersey presents The Life and Music of George Michael on Sunday, September 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29-$89.
The new concert-style show chronicles the journey George Michael had with music and his fans while capturing the performance and sound of the musical
along to blockbuster hits including “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,” “Freedom,” “Faith,” “Careless Whisper,” “Father Figure,” and many more.
Michael sold over 115 million albums spanning four decades and rose to fame as a member of Wham! in the early ’80s. He went solo in 1987 with Faith , one of the biggest albums of all time. The album had four No. 1 hits including “Faith,” “Monkey,” “Father Figure,” and “One More Try.” He won two Grammy Awards, three Brit awards, three American Music Awards, and four MTV Video Music Awards.
The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj.org for tickets.
Garden Theatre Continues
“Prof Picks” Movie Series The Garden Theatre will continue in September its flagship academic series, Prof Picks. Every semester the Garden’s programming team collaborates with professors and researchers from the region’s colleges and universities, bringing them into the cinema to introduce and discuss a film with the audience. Fall 2024’s lineup will feature The Palm Beach Story, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Phantom of Liberty Princeton University Professor Maria DiBattista explores Preston Sturges’ classic screwball The Palm Beach Story on September 26. DiBattista is the author of Fast-Talking Dames, a seminal study of American film comedy of the 1930s and 1940s.
Carnivorous plant expert and Princeton University alumnus Kevin Zhang ’16 will introduce the 1986 musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors on October 17. His presentation – “These Plants Bite: The Strange World of Carnivorous Plants” – will be paired with a lobby display of carnivorous plants he has grown.
Closing out the semester on November 13 will be Princeton University professor, poet, and Pulitzer Prizewinner Paul Muldoon, who will dissect Luis Buñuel’s The Phantom of Liberty , which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at princetongardentheatre. org/profpicks.
Continued on Next Page
Rider Furniture
ONE NIGHT ONLY: “The Life and Music of George Michael” comes to State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on September 22.
MUSIC
University Concerts series
background by visual artist
(Photo by Piotr Poloczanski)
Orchestra Returns to Stage Of Richardson Auditorium
On September 14-15, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO ) opens its 2024-25 season celebrating Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov’s 60th birthday. Violinist Aubree Oliverson makes her debut with the PSO as soloist in performances of Tchaikovsky’s Violin
Concerto in D Major, Op. 35. Also on the program are Gemma Peacocke’s Manta, performed with members of the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey, and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98.
Milanov conducts the concerts on Saturday, September 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 15 at 4 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium. He also hosts a 3 p.m. pre-concert talk, free to ticket holders, before the
Sunday performance.
“I am delighted to introduce Aubree Oliverson to our audiences,” Milanov said. “She is an exciting artist who performs with confidence and clarity — an absolute joy to watch and listen to. I’m also looking forward to working with YOCJ’s young musicians as they join us in performing Gemma Peacocke’s recent work. Throughout this season we’ll perform some of my favorite works in the orchestral
repertoire and continue to bring exceptional artists to Princeton.”
Oliverson has appeared with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Christopher Dragon, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Danzmayr, and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra led by Milanov. She will also appear with Milanov in performances with the Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra after being invited to return. In addition to several concert highlights, Oliverson is making her Montreal debut at the Bourgie Hall, accompanied pianist Frederico Gad Crema, to showcase a selection of chamber works.
Tchaikovsky composed his sole concerto for violin in 1878, following an inspiring session of music-making with violinist Iosef Kotek in Clarens, Switzerland on Lake Geneva. Gemma Peacocke, currently the Mark Nelson Ph.D. Fellow in composition at Princeton University, captures the natural grace and motion of the manta ray in Manta , written for orchestra and youth chamber string orchestra. Drawing inspiration from the eras of Beethoven
and Bach, Brahms’ Fourth Symphony demonstrates his compositional genius as a master of multiple forms. Single tickets start at $40 and subscriptions are available. Youths 5-17 receive a 50 percent discount with an adult purchase. Visit princetonsymphony.org.
French Theater Festival
On Princeton Campus
Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, Department of French and Italian, and L’Avant-Scène will present the 13th edition of Seuls en Scène French Theater Festival from September 12 to 22 at venues across the University’s campus. Most performances and talks will be in French, some with English supertitles. All events are free and open to the public, however tickets are required for performances.
Seuls en Scène ushers in the 24th 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 53rd Edition of Festival d’Automne in Paris and new partner Festival d’Avignon. Highlighing Seuls en Scène’s new partnership with Festival d’Avignon, a conversation with former Festival d’Avignon Director Hortense Archambault and current Director Tiago Rodrigues kicks off the festival in French on September 12 at 4:30 p.m. in East Pyne, Room 010.
Following on September 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. in the Wallace Theater at the Lewis Arts complex is L’Addition by Tim Etchells. This smallscale touring show from the 2023 Festival d’Avignon focuses on a customer who orders a drink and things go awry. This show will be performed in French with English supertitles in the Wallace Theater.
In addition to the new partnership with the Festival d’Avignon, Seuls en Scène continues its partnership with Festival d’Automne in Paris. Since 1972, the Festival d’Automne à Paris has been assisting artists internationally by producing and presenting their work in contemporary theatre, music, dance, visual arts and cinema at cultural venues throughout Paris. L’AvantScène anticipates a full year of programming with Masse planning to direct Le Tartuffe by Molière with performances on October 31 through November 2 in the Choi Glass Box Theater of Yeh College, and Bérénice by Jean Racine on December 6 and 7 in the Rocky/Mathey Theater. Performances and conversations at various venues follow throughout the festival. Tickets are free and required for all of the above performances and available at tickets.princeton.edu. Conversation events are also free but do not require tickets.
EN FRANCAIS: Nasi Voutsas, left, and Bertrand Lesca in “L’Addition” by Tim Etchells, part of the “Seuls en Scene” French Theater Festival at Princeton University September 12 to 22.
(Photo by Christophe Raynaud de Lage)
BACK AT RICHARDSON: Violinist Aubree Oliverson is the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra on the inaugural weekend of its 2024-25
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repetitive behaviors
• display very focused interests or rituals
• have sensory sensitivities
• have co-occurring ADHD, Learning Disorder, or Anxiety A neuropsychological evaluation is integral in diagnosing ASD. When identified, individuals can benefit from behavioral, academic, and counseling support to develop social and communication skills. The objective is to improve performance in school, work, and personal relationships.
Our uniquely specialized services in Brain Health include:
• Learning Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorders
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“ANGEL OF THE GRASSLAND”: This photograph by Rebecca DePorte of Princeton was named Best in Show, non-professional, in the 2024 Mercer County Senior Art Show, on view through September 9 at The Conference Center at Mercer on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor campus.
Winners Announced at MC Senior Art Show
A professional juror has selected the winners from 136 entries in this year’s Mercer County Senior Art Show, which is being held through September 9 at The Conference Center at Mercer on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor campus. The exhibition can also be viewed at mercercounty. org.
Each year, the Mercer County Office on Aging and the Division of Culture and Heritage partner to produce the Mercer County Senior Art Show. All first-place winners from the County show will advance to the New Jersey Senior Citizen Art Show, which will be held in October.
Each year, Mercer County residents age 60 or older may submit artwork to this show. There is never a fee to enter. Submissions must be the original work of the applicant, created within the last three years, and not previously entered in a Mercer County Senior Art Show or the State Senior Art Show. This year, artwork was entered in the following categories: Acrylic, Craft, Digital Imagery, Mixed Media, Oil, Pastel, Photography, Sculpture, Watercolor, and Works On Paper.
The winners were selected by professional juror Tricia Fagan, who has served in the arts and cultural heritage fields for more than 30 years
as an administrator, curator, and writer. Fagan’s extensive experience in the visual arts includes her time as coordinator for the State’s Senior Citizen Art Show while at the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage; 14 years managing and curating exhibits at The Gallery at Mercer County Community College; and her time as executive director of Artworks/ Trenton.
Twenty artists from the Mercer County Senior Art Show — one “non-professional” winner and one “professional” winner in each of the 10 categories will move on to the state show.
The non-professional winners are as follows: Acrylic, Charles Fox of Hamilton; Craft, Frank Castellana of Princeton; Digital, Stephen Heringes of Hamilton; Mixed Media, Eugenia Travers of Trenton; Oil, Claude Herzberg of Hopewell; Pastel, Susan Tsui of Hightstown; Photography, Best in Show, non-professional, Rebecca DePorte of Princeton; Sculpture, Kay Chen of East Windsor; Watercolor, Cecilia Hetzer of East Windsor, and Works on Paper, Barbara Bingham of Pennington.
The professional winners are: Acrylic, Jane Conlon Goble of Lawrenceville; Craft, Deb Brockway of Hamilton; Digital, Best in Show, professional, Maia Reim of West Windsor; Mixed Media, James Dashcund of Hopewell; Oil,
Karen Brodsky of Princeton; Pastel, Margaret Kalvar-Bushnell of Princeton Junction; Photography, Diana Frost, Princeton; Sculpture, Leslie Binswanger Siegel of Lawrenceville; Watercolor, Margaret Simpson of Hamilton; and Works on Paper, Terry Goldstein of East Windsor. For more information, visit mercercounty.org.
William Christine Solo Exhibition at SFA Gallery
“William Christine/YARD WORK,” a solo exhibition featuring oil paintings and watercolors by Bethlehem, Pa.-based painter and teacher William Christine, will be on view September 5-29 at the John Schmidtberger SFA Gallery in Frenchtown. An opening reception is on Saturday, September 7 from 5-8 p.m.
Christine received his MFA degree from Brooklyn College, City University of New York. He has taught at Messiah College, De Sales University, and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, and Parsons School of Design in New York. In 2003 he was honored with a solo exhibition of his Grand Canyon paintings at the Allentown Art Museum. This is his first exhibit at SFA Gallery. SFA Gallery is located at 10 Bridge Street in Frenchtown. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. and by appointment.
“Visions” Solo Exihition at Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury
The Cranbury Arts Council will present the paintings of Linda Gilbert in “Visions” September 6 through September 27 at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury.
Gilbert is the chairperson of the Gourgaud Gallery and has been a member of the Cranbury Arts Council since 2011. This is her fi fth solo show, and the third solo show at the Gourgaud Gallery. She has participated in numerous art shows in New Jersey and New York, and her work hangs in many homes in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Texas, and California, along with homes in England.
Gilbert is a native New Yorker who moved to New Jersey 17 years ago. Born in Manhattan, she grew up in Brooklyn and lived in Staten Island. She taught art in Brooklyn and Staten Island for 32 years. Her students exhibited in several local galleries in New York, plus a prestigious art showing at the Brooklyn Museum.
After retirement from the New York City Board of Education, Gilbert taught acrylic painting to retired teachers in the outreach program of the NYC United Federation of Teachers in Manalapan for eight years.
The Cranbury Arts Council provides arts-oriented programs, workshops, and performances aimed at
enriching the cultural experiences of the community and keeping the creative spirit alive in adults and children. Their mission is to foster, support, educate, inspire, and promote artists and art appreciation in the community.
Gilbert is donating 50 percent of the sales from this show to help support the Cranbury Arts Council so its programs can continue to thrive in the community. Gourgaud Gallery located on the first floor of Cranbury Town Hall at 23 A North Main Street in Cranbury. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit cranburyartscouncil.org.
For more information, visit sfagallery.com or call (908) 268-1700. Continued
“NOVEMBER LIGHT”: This oil painting by William Christine is part of “William Christine/YARD WORK,” on view September 5-29 at the John Schmidtberger SFA Gallery in Frenchtown. An opening reception is on September 7 from 5-8 p.m.
“BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK”: This acrylic on canvas work by Linda Gilbert is featured in “Visions,” her solo exhibition on view September 6 through September 27 at the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury.
“Pastel Perspectives: An Exploration of the Sourlands Mountain Region,” featuring paintings by Julia Doemland, will be on view at The Present Day Club, 72 Stockton Street. An opening reception is on Friday, September 6 from 5-7 p.m., and after that the exhibition will be open to the public every Friday from 12-5 p.m. through October 4.
“Celebrate to Elevate” Fundraiser for Arts Incubator
New Jersey Arts Incubator (NJAI), a new arts nonprofit, is hosting its premier fundraiser, “Celebrate to Elevate,” on October 5 at 862 Route 518 in Montgomery Township. While the focus of the fundraiser is introducing NJAI and its mission to support the arts in the community, the event will also feature several prominent local artists, and present the launch of NJAI’s inaugural public art project, “Barn Quilts of Central Jersey.”
NJAI has a dual mission. First, to elevate working artists through the “incubation” of artist brand identity, business development, strategic relationships, and strengthening avenues of revenue so that working artists can thrive and continue to be vibrant contributors to their communities. Secondarily, the NJAI is committed to more directly elevating the arts in the community by hosting hands-on arts classes for a range of populations, from youth to adult amateurs, from high school portfolio preparation to programs for seniors.
“Incubators aren’t just for the technology and science industries,” said Karen Tuveson, founder and president of the New Jersey Arts Incubator. “Just like other small business owners, artists require support, guidance, and nurturing to create businesses that are financially viable. NJAI was established to address the needs of the professional artist and to create a nurturing environment for artists of all skill levels to realize their potential.”
Tuveson’s own path as a professional artist includes establishing and being the driving force behind the Montgomery Arts Council, a subcommittee of Montgomery Township’s Economic Development Commission. After almost four years and seven juried community art exhibits, Tuveson realized that in addition to hosting events and the natural extension of sponsoring arts classes, she saw an unmet need in providing industryspecific programming for artists. With both formal classes and affordable studio/gallery space, it is her goal to enable artists to flourish in a rapidly evolving landscape.
For its first project, the New Jersey Arts Incubator is sponsoring a collaborative public art project that combines the creativity and diversity of regional artists with private agri-businesses, barn owners, and historical as well as cultural nonprofit organizations to create a “Barn Quilt Trail of Central Jersey.” Creating one-of-akind, colorful, quilt-inspired pieces on board, to be mounted on the exterior of barns throughout the area,
will develop a vibrant ‘trail’ throughout the community meant to tell the story of the region.
Township Committee member Devra Keenan said, “ We’re excited to see the development of an open-air public art project that celebrates Central Jersey’s rich agricultural history, as well as the cultures of the people who have contributed to it.”
The New Jersey Arts Incubator is accepting inquiries from community members who are interested in volunteering at admin@NJArtsIncubator.org.
“Celebrate to Elevate” will kick off on October 5 with a VIP mixology reception at 6 p.m.; general admission begins at 7 p.m. including light fare, cocktails, music, and art-making. Tickets are $75 individual / $150 VIP.
For more information, visit NJArtsIncubator.org.
Area
Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Denison Baniwa: Under the Skin of History” through September 1. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.
Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Surroundings” through September 1 and “Progressions” September 5 through October 6. An opening reception is on September 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lambertvillearts.com.
Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Under a Southern Star: Identity and Environment in Australian Photography” through January 5. Artmuseum.princeton.edu.
Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “WitherspoonJackson Gateway Exhibition” through September 1 and “Intersecting Identities” August 30 through September 28. An opening reception is on Saturday, September 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.
D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, has “Along the Delaware River & Crosswicks Creek” in the Johnson Education Center through September 27. Drgreenway.org.
Dohm Alley, next to 100 Nassau Street, has the Princeton Einstein Museum’s “Einstein’s “Attraction to Magnetism,” open 24/7 through September 15. Princetoneinsteinmuseum.org
Ficus Bon Vivant, 235 Nassau Street, has “Capture the Rhythm” through January 12. Ficusbv.com.
Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has an exhibit by the Creative Collective Art Group through August 29 and “Visions” September
6 through September 27. Cranburyartscouncil.org. Green Building Center, 67 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has an art show by the MUGA Group through December 31. Greenbuildingcenter.com.
Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Slow Motion” through September 1 and “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. Groundsforsculpture.org.
Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Princeton Reflected: Stories from HSP’s Collection” and “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery.” Museum hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. Princetonhistory.org
Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution” through December 31, 2026. Mercermuseum.org.
Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “George R. Anthonisen: Meditations on the Human Condition” through October 13 and “Monuments and Myths: The American Sculptors Augustus SaintGaudens and Daniel Chester French” through January 5. Michenerartmuseum.org
Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Morven Revealed: Untold Stories from New Jersey’s Most Historic Home,” through March 2. Morven.org.
New Hope Arts, 2 Stockton Avenue, New Hope, Pa., has “Raise the Roof: Contemporary Barnscapes” August 31 through October 6. Newhopearts.org.
New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts, 2594 River Road, New Hope, Pa., has “Timeless Art” through September 8. Newhopecolony.org.
Present Day Club, 72 Stockton Street, has “Pastel Perspectives: An Exploration of the Sourlands Mountain Region, open to the public on Fridays September 6 through October 4 from 12 to 5 p.m. An opening reception is on September 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has “Summer Bodies: Five Perspectives” through September 3. Paintings by Shane Daly are at the 254 Nassau Street location through September 3. Smallworldcoffee.com. Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, has “Ellarslie Open 41” through September 29. Ellarslie.org. West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Throwback Summer” through September 7. Westwindsorarts.org.
Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers, 71 George Street, New Brunswick, has “Michelle V. Agins: Storyteller” through December 8. Zimmerli.rutgers.edu.
“ROCK POND”:
A Family Business Serving New Jersey, Expert Chimney & Roofing Offers Quality Work
Anew chimney? A new roof? New front steps?
If any of these are on your list, Expert Chimney & Roofing is at your service.
IT’S NEW To Us
Headquartered at 0-02 Fair Lawn Avenue in Fair Lawn, this family business was opened in 2000 by Myrtezan Iseberi. Today his two sons, Eric and Tony, are the owners, and along with their brothers, are continuing what their father began.
“This is a real family business,” they explain. “Our father entrusted it to us. There are four brothers and our nephews working together, and also on different crews depending on the job that day. We help people all over New Jersey with our quality service.”
Cold Winter Nights
A fire in the fireplace may not be an August necessity, but even in the midst of summer, it is never too soon to think about those cold winter nights.
Chimney cleaning, repair, and replacement are important parts of Expert Chimney & Roofing’s work, as well as fireplace repair and remodeling.
“We start with a free inspection of the chimney and fireplace,” says Eric Iseberi. “We also often find that new chim-
Chimney cleaning can sometimes involve removing animals that have taken up residence in the dark confines of the chimney, he adds. Squirrels, raccoons, and birds have all been found from time to time.
The company focuses primarily on residential work, but projects can also include churches, institutions, and some commercial establishments as well.
They work all over New Jersey and on all sizes, styles, and ages of houses, and this can be a determining factor in how long a project will take. “It really depends on the job,” points out Tony Iseberi. “There are so many factors involved, and the main one is the weather. A chimney may take one day or two depending on the size, the season, and the weather.”
Roof Choices
Care and attention to the roof is crucial at any time, of course. Depending on its age, unseen problems underneath the shingles can cause serious damage. The style, age, and size of the structure can determine the appropriate roofing, adds Eric, “We offer a range of different types of shingles. it is usually best to remove the old shingles before putting on the new ones in case of possible problems underneath.”
The roofer will provide the customer with pictures of different roof choic-
Everything is discussed, and all options are explained to the customer. Warranties are available depending on the material chosen.
“Consider the stress that comes with a leaky roof. This is a heavy burden for the homeowner,” says Tony. “We strive to alleviate that stress by providing reliable and effective solutions. We also do gutter and downspout replacement and repair. Complete attention to detail and personalized service is our specialty. Roofs are so important for the safety and comfort of the home.”
New Steps
Masonry work is another important aspect of the company’s service. Brick repair is often part of the chimney work, reports Eric, “and Expert Chimney & Roofing has excellent masons and a very professional crew.”
Other masonry work may include repair or installation of new steps, reconstruction or repair of walkways, patios, and driveways.
The company is certified and insured in New Jersey in all their services, and over the years, it has developed a reputation for honest, reliable work, and attention to detail.
Someone is onsite every day to oversee the work, report the owners. In addition to the family members, the staff includes employees of long standing.
“We also have many loyal
for one kind of job, and then later come back for a different one. We try to help people with special deals and savings when they use us for more than one service.”
“Every day is different in our work,” he continues. “We go to different places and see a lot of people. Even during COVID, we were very busy, and worked every day.”
“We have had many customers in Princeton,” he says. “We seem to have at least one crew there every day, and we enjoy our Princeton customers. We get lots of referrals from them.”
Best Shape
“For many people, their home is everything,” points out Eric. “Some have dreamed of having a perfect home, and we take pride in helping to turn that dream into a reality for them. We can help them to keep their home safe and in the best shape.
“One of the most enjoyable parts of our work is being a part of other people’s lives. Our work is significant for our customers, and it is very fulfilling for us to see how our service can make people happy.”
Eric and Tony Iseberi are
proud to be able to continue the family business, and say, “We look forward to ensuring our company’s growth while maintaining it within the family and continuing that tradition even with all the challenges we face today, including rising costs in so many areas. But people can know we will always provide quality service and do our best for them. Every project is special for us. Give us the job, and consider it done!”
F or further information, call (732) 520-9554. Visit the website at expertchimneyroofing.com.
—Jean Stratton
BEFORE & AFTER: Expert Chimney & Roofing recently completed repairs of this chimney on a house in Princeton. The gargoyles added a unique look to the overall scene.
& Roofing is known for its expertise in chimney, roofing, and masonry work.
Town Topics | Mark Your Calendar
AUGUSTSEPTEMBER
Wednesday, August 28
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m .: “Leighton Listens.” Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin is on hand to discuss current events with members of the public at Olives, 22 Witherspoon Street.
7 p.m.: On Zoom, a discussion of the memoir The Pianist from Syria , in advance of Princeton University Concerts’ event with Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and artist Kevord Mourad. Visit princetonlibrary.org for the link.
Thursday, August 29
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers Market is at Hinds Plaza. More than 30 vendors with local organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, cheeses, fresh flowers, knife-sharpening, jewelry, and more. Live music. SNAP/ EBT cards and matches accepted up to $10 a day. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
10 a.m.-5 p.m .: Labor Day Sale at Homestead Princeton, 300 Witherspoon Street. Runs through September 5. homesteadprinceton.com.
Friday, August 30
Saturday, August 31
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more. Wwcfm.org.
10 a.m.-4 p.m .: The 41st Annual Howell Farm Plowing Match at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Howellfarm.org.
12-2 p.m .: Summer Music Series on the Green at Palmer Square, music by Vintage Vibe Tribe. Palmersquare.com.
12-4 p.m .: Plainsboro History Faire at the Wicoff House Museum, 641 Plainsboro Road. Interactive museum event bringing the 18th and 19th centuries to life. Presentations, demonstrations, reenactors, crafts, activities, and treats. Register at tinyurl.com/ whfaire24.
Sunday, September 1
1 p.m.: Carillon concert by Jessica Ip, New Colleague Recitalist, at the Princeton University Graduate Tower; listen from the lawn outside. Free, held rain or shine. Gradschool.princeton.edu.
5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips & Sounds at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Winery and Barn Door Café are open. Music by Ragtime Relics. Terhuneorchards.com.
4 p.m.: Gathering in solidarity with the October 7 hostages, and a call for their release. Organized by a grassroots group of Israelis in Princeton. At Hinds Plaza.
Tuesday, September 3
6:30-8 p.m .: HPL Book Club, at Hopewell Public Library, 13 East Broad Street, Hopewell. Discussion of David McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal Redlibrary.org.
7-8:30 p.m .: Continuing Conversations on Race at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Synatra Smith, project manager for the NJ Black Heritage Trail, discusses the initiative to highlight Black history, heritage, and culture. Princetonlibrary.org.
7:30 p.m.: Screening of the film Spinoza: 6 Reasons for the Excommunication of the Philosopher, followed by a panel discussion with director David Ofek. At Betts Auditorium, School of Architecture, Princeton University; free. philosophy.princeton.edu/events/ canceling-spinoza
Wednesday, September 4
6:30-8 p.m .: Night Knitters meet to knit at Hopewell
APPLES
Public Library, 13 East Broad Street, Hopewell, or via Zoom. Redlibrary.org.
Thursday, September 5
10 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton Farmers Market is at Hinds Plaza. More than 30 vendors with local organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, cheeses, fresh flowers, knife-sharpening, jewelry, and more. Live music. SNAP/EBT cards and matches accepted up to $10 a day. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
10 a.m. : Meeting of the 55-Plus Club of Princeton at The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street, and via Zoom at princetonol.com/ groups/55plus.Discussion of “The Democracy Effects of a Polarized Legal Profession.” led by Deborah Pearlstein, director of the Princeton Program in Law and Public Policy and visiting professor at Princeton University.
11 a.m.: Meet Princeton Community Housing, in the lobby of Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Connect with representatives and learn the history and mission of the organization that provides safe and affordable housing in the Princeton area. Princetonlibrary.org.
5-7 p.m.: Nassau Street Sampler, at Princeton University’s Dillon Gym and at Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street. Food, art-making activities, raffles, live entertainment by student groups, and more. Free.
6-7 p.m.: Fall Garden Tour and Seed Exchange, Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. Register at mcl.org.
Friday, September 6
5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips & Sounds at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Winery and Barn Door Café are open. Music by Laundrymen. Terhuneorchards.com.
7 p.m : Tavern Night at the Old Barracks Museum,
101 Barrack Street, Trenton. Fundraiser celebrating 19th century Colonial American history. Drinks, games, and dancing. $60 for members, $75 others. Available online at barracks.org/ tavern-night.html.
7-9 p.m .: “Dancing in the Dark” at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road. Dance party in a dimly lit room led by teaching artist Shira Hofmekler. All levels welcome. $5. Westwindsorarts.org.
Saturday, September 7
8 a.m.-2 p.m.: Annual Flea Market at Yardley Friends Meeting, 65 North Main Street, Yardley, Pa. Antiques, crafts, books, housewares, and white elephant sale. Music, homemade lunch and desserts. Bring a non-perishable food item for Mercer Street Friends food pantry. Rain date is Saturday, September 14.
9 a.m.-1 p.m.: West Windsor Farmers Market at Vaughn lot, Princeton Junction train station. Fresh produce and much more. Wwcfm.org.
10 a.m.-4 p.m .: 46th annual Cranbury Day 2024, Cranbury North Main Street. Live music, food, vendors, puppy parade, petting zoo, massages, and more.
11 a.m.-3 p.m .: eCommuter Fest, presented by Sustainable Princeton at Princeton Shopping Center. Second-hand fashion show on bikes, Trenton Circus Squad performance, NJ Bike Walk Coalition Street Savvy Cycling sessions, raffle prize drawings. Free. Sustainableprinceton.org.
11 a.m.-2 p.m .: Mercer County Master Gardeners Insect Fest, at 431A Federal City Road, Hopewell Township. Educational activities for all ages led by Master Gardeners of Mercer County. Mgofmc.org.
Sunday, September 8
8:30 a.m., with later times depending on the route: West Windsor Bike Fest begins in West Windsor Community Park, Princeton Junction. Several routes at different levels exploring the area’s history. Historic stops along each tour, lunch at the park pavilion, history scavenger hunt, bicycle tune-ups, books for sale, and more. Register at wwbikefest.weebly.com.
1 p.m.: Author Anastasia Rubis discusses her novel Oriana: A Novel of Oriana Fallaci with Laurie Albanese, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.
4 p.m.: Concert by The Rebound at Hinds Plaza. Classic rock songs from a wide range of bands and eras. Princetonlibrary.org.
6 p.m.: Oppenheimer Walking Tour, sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton. Inspired by the movie Oppenheimer, including locations where it was filmed. Princeton history.org.
Monday, September 9 Recycling
Tuesday, September 10
9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick: Tractors, at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Kids from preschool to age 8 hear a story and take a tractor-drawn wagon ride. $12. Terhuneorchards. com/read-pick-program.
7 p.m .: Songwriters Circle and Open Mic, at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. The Princeton chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association provides feedback and tips to help songwriters improve; also open mic. Princetonlibrary.org.
Wednesday, September 11
6 p.m.: Poet Paul Muldoon reads from his book Joy in Service on Rue Tagore , at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. Princeton library.org
7-8:30 p.m.: Sustainable Princeton presents “15-Minute Neighborhoods” at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, and livestreamed on YouTube. Planner Jon A. Carnegie and policy analyst Alex Ambrose will discuss this concept and how it could make Princeton more convenient and sustainable. Princetonlibrary.org.
Thursday, September 12
10 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton Farmers Market is at Hinds Plaza. More than 30 vendors with local organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, cheeses, fresh flowers, knife-sharpening, jewelry, and more. Live music. SNAP/EBT cards and matches accepted up to $10 a day. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.
6:30-8 p.m .: Poetry Reading and Open Mic at Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. Featuring local poets Marie Gray Wise and Lois Marie Harrod. Register at mcl.org.
7:30 p.m .: Editor John McMurtrie presents “Literary Journeys,” an illustrated guide to more than 75 journeys in world literature, via Zoom. Register via princetonpubliclibrary.org.
Friday, September 13
4 p.m.: Cultural Exchange Night on Hinds Plaza. Learn about different traditions and connect with neighbors at this event featuring cultural displays, music, art, crafts, and dance performances. Princeton library.org.
7 p.m .: Dancing Under the Stars at Hinds Plaza. Members of Central Jersey Dance demonstrate basic steps and lead an evening of dancing to recorded music of all kinds. Princeton library.org.
8 p.m .: El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico performs at State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. $39-$229. Stnj.org.
S ports
PU Men’s Soccer Focusing on Shoring Up Defense
As it Prepares for 2024 Season Opener at Rutgers
As it went 1-4-2 in Ivy League play last fall, the Princeton University men’s soccer team yielded 3.25 goals a game in its league setbacks.
Looking ahead to the program’s 2024 campaign, which starts on August 30 when Princeton makes the short trip to Rutgers, Tiger head coach Jim Barlow’s top priority is getting sharper play on the back line.
“One of the things we are trying to emphasize is to be a lot more stingy defensively and being hard to score on,” said Barlow, whose squad posted an overall record of 4-8-3 last season. “We felt like we gave up goals when we had more defenders back than they had attackers and teams still found a way to score on us. It was taking breaks, not getting every detail right, not locking in on guys in the box, and getting caught on plays where balls were getting cut back. We were got caught ball watching a few times.”
In Barlow’s view, the best defense could stem from a good offense.
“I think we are going to get our chances,” said Barlow. “We have some pretty athletic and dynamic guys in the attack. We just have to really focus on not getting too stretched out and try to not make it a track meet.”
The one-two punch at forward of junior Danny Ittycheria and senior Nico Nee should create plenty of chances this season. Ittycheria earned First-Team All-Ivy League honors last year as he tallied nine goals and one assist while Nee was a Second-Team All-Ivy selection with three goals and five assists.
“They are both effective in different ways,” said Barlow. “Danny is very fast, good in the air, and looks to go to goal when he gets the ball. Nico is more stocky, he can play with his back to the goal to hold off defenders, buy a little time for his teammates to get up the field and find them with a clever pass. They are both pretty good around the goal too. Both of those guys are very important to us on attack.”
Princeton will feature a number of other guys in
attack, including junior Will Francis (4 goals, 1 assist in 2023), senior Harry Roberts, sophomore Bardia Hormozi, sophomore Kevin Kelley (1 assist), and sophomore Ian Nunez (2 goals).
“We have got Will back; Harry is playing up the field now and he led our team in scoring in the spring,” said Barlow. “Bardia is back, he had a really good spring as well. Kevin and Ian are back. There are a lot of guys up the field who are off to a good start in preseason and all of them contending for minutes. Nico and Ian are more likely to play in the middle. Bardia can also play in the middle. Danny, Kevin, Will, and Harry are more wide guys.”
In the midfield, sophomore Liam Beckwith will be leading the way.
“Liam was awesome for us last year as a freshman,” said Barlow. “He is likely going to be getting a lot of minutes as a defensive midfielder. He is the most experienced in there from last year, we expect him to be a really important guy.”
Joining Beckwith in the midfield will be senior James Wangsness, junior Jack Hunt, freshman Garry Zhang, junior Will Travis, and junior Gabe Duchovny.
“Wangsness is in there, he had major surgery and it was a really, really long recovery, he is doing really well,” said Barlow. “Jack has gotten off to a very good start this year, Garry has gotten off to a good start in the middle of the midfield. Will and Gabe have all been contending for minutes in there too.”
Junior Jack Jasinski, who earned Second-Team AllIvy honors last year in the midfield when he had three assists, will be getting a lot of minutes on the back line this year.
“Jasinski is likely to play wide in the back this year, either the left or the right,” said Barlow. “He played there in the spring for us and he was tremendous. One
of the possible solutions to shoring up our defense and making us harder to score on will be having him back there.”
The rest of the Tiger defense will include junior Giuliano Whitchurch (1 assist), junior Stephen Duncan (1 goal), senior Issa Mudashiru, freshman Dash Papez, sophomore Sebastian Swary, junior Ian MacIver, and junior Sam Vigilante (1 assist).
“Giuliano has been a rock back there for a couple of years, Stephen has been really good for us,” said Barlow. “Issa, if he can stay healthy this year, can be good for us back there. Sebastian played some minutes as a center back last year. Dash is a freshman center back who has had a good start to preseason, he is a very athletic guy. Ian and Sam had very good springs for us but they both have early preseason injuries and hopefully we will get them back soon. We have got some options in the back.”
Highly touted freshman Rona Tsunehara, who was recently named to the Preseason All-Freshman Team by TopDrawerSoccer, gives Barlow some options with his talent and versatility.
“Roka is a very interesting guy, as a U-16 player, he was national Player of the Year as a forward,” said Barlow. “Lately he has been playing as a wide defender. We are not exactly sure where he is going to wind up yet. Another wide defender from last year, Sam Vigilante, has been injured in preseason so we have moved Roka back there for preseason and he has done fine back there. I think there is a chance we could see him as a forward or as a defender.”
Barlow likes what he is seeing from his goalie group which includes senior Khamari Hadaway (2.20 goals against average and 45 saves in 2023), senior Will Watson (1.80 goals against average, 21 saves), and sophomore Andrew Samuels.
“Khamari seems to be off to a good start in the preseason,” said Barlow. “Will has played a decent amount too, he is contention. Andrew had a tremendous spring as a freshman, he really has made the battle for that position really interesting. Khamari will likely be the guy against Rutgers.”
While the preseason is a whirlwind with preparation compressed into 12 days before the opener, Barlow believes his squad is in a good place.
“It is always a little bit going in the dark in the first game because it is so new and you are trying to figure things out,” said Barlow. “I feel like the fact that we had a good spring and the fact that we have a lot of guys returning with experience makes us feel like we are little bit further along in figuring out our identity and how we are going to take
care of our responsibilities this year. I think we are off to a decent start.”
Barlow is hoping for a strong finish to the Ivy campaign this fall. “I think there are a lot of guys that are in position to help us turn the corner to get back in contention for winning the league this year,” said Barlow. “It will be interesting to see how it comes together. So far there hasn’t been a ton of separation like here is the top group and then the rest of our team. That is great from a depth standpoint but is challenging to figure out
what the best combination is going to be.”
This Friday evening, Princeton should figure some things out as it battles local foe Rutgers (1-1).
“It has been a really fun rivalry,” said Barlow. “We expect it to be exciting again too. They are a good, solid team. A lot of their guys know some of our guys from being right down the road. They got off to a good start with a nice win the other day (3-1 over Northeastern on August 22). We are excited to see what it looks like.”
—
Bill Alden
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NEE-JERK REACTION: Princeton University men ’ s soccer player Nico Nee gets ready to boot the ball in a game last fall. Senior forward Nee, who tallied three goals and five assists last season to earn Second-Team All-Ivy League honors, will be looking to produce a big final campaign for the Tigers. Princeton opens its 2024 season by playing at Rutgers on August 30.
(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Displaying Resilience in Rolling with the Punches, Tiger Women’s Soccer Edges Miami 1-0 in Opener
If Saturday’s season opener is any indication, it could be a very good — albeit unpredictable — season for the Princeton University women’s soccer team.
The Tigers used players in different spots than they’d been accustomed to in the past, were missing two stars to begin with, got thinner with a key injury minutes into the game, didn’t possess the ball the way they would like to, and yet still posted a 1-0 win over a visiting Miami team that had two games under its belt and unveiled a new style that took Princeton by surprise.
“For sure it was a little resilience there for the players,” said Princeton head coach Sean Driscoll, reflecting on the opening day triumph. “There’s a lot of different names in different places, and so we’re a little bit unpredictable right now and I think getting ready to play us would probably be uncomfortable because we’re so unpredictable and as a coach, sometimes you just don’t know yet exactly what everyone is going to do and that’s kind of exciting. At the same time, it’s nervewracking.”
The Tigers opened Driscoll’s 10 th season at the helm as unsure of what to expect against Miami as any opening game of his career. Princeton graduated a terrific senior class last year, and were missing defender Zoe Markesini and forward Pietra Tordin, last year’s leading scorer, due to the
Women’s U-20 World Cup for as long as their teams from Canada and United States, respectively, stay alive.
Scoring is always a concern for any soccer team, and the loss of Tordin was exacerbated when Drew Coomans, a second-team all-Ivy League selection last year, was lost to a concussion less than five minutes into a contest, that despite Miami’s prior experience, Princeton came out flying, buoyed by a raucous crowd at Roberts Stadium.
“That really changed a lot after the first five minutes,” said Driscoll. “We looked really good, then she gets injured and we have to move players around. Drew’s a special player. It’s very hard to replace that and then when you do that, you have to move some people into different places than we had originally expected. So that kind of just set us back a little bit.”
It also opened the door for others to step up, something that will be a theme for the Tigers this year if they are to be as good as they can be. Senior goalie Tyler McCamey earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week by making five saves for her 11th career shutout and giving Princeton the chance to win it at the other end as the last line of a rebuilt defense.
“Getting Ryann Brown back after a year was huge for us because, other than Kiley [Hamou], she’s the
most seasoned in the back,” said Driscoll. “Both Esme [Rudell] and Kelsee [ Wozniak ], for their first time back there in a regular season game did very well.”
Princeton had to sort itself out a bit more after Coomans’ injury. They juggled spots, eventually even having to sub Hamou due to leg cramps, and all the while trying to counter Miami’s new approach after they lost their first two games. Miami outshot Princeton, 6-4, in the first half, and they finished the game with a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.
“They made some very good decisions on how to approach us,” said Driscoll. “It made life difficult, there’s no doubt, and Tyler made some good saves and we made some good blocks. We kept ourselves in the game and then we started to grow a little bit more in the second half.”
The game-winner came with about 26 minutes left on a beautiful combination from the Tigers. Wozniak played a ball up the right sideline to Kayla Wong. The sophomore midfielder sent a squaring pass to Pia Beaulieu, a key reserve with 48 big minutes in the game, who tapped it back to Wong as she overlapped. Wong laid a pass through to a streaking Isabella Garces, another player who came off the bench, who poked in her first career goal.
“Ultimately, I think the best teams are the ones that share the story so they’re
not focusing on that one individual and shutting them down,” said Driscoll. “If there is a benefit of not having a top goal scorer around, it’s that other people can show what they’re capable of doing and Bella ended her spring season really well with a hat trick and she started up where she left off and got a really good goal. It was a tremendous finish.”
The pass from Wong, though, was just as remarkable. Wong ended up playing 84 minutes in the win, 11 more than she did in any game last year as a freshman, and showed why it could be tough to take her off the field when she slotted the pass perfectly to lead Garces to the goal.
“Kayla played, as I said to the team, as good a pass as you could ever see,” said Driscoll. “One of the best passes I’ve seen in my 10 years here.”
It’s that sort of play that is why she will have plenty of minutes on the field this season. A playmaker like Wong can create more scoring opportunities, just as happened Saturday, for any number of finishers. Princeton is looking to find out who can reliably score goals this season.
“We’re going to do a good job negating her, that’s number one,” said Driscoll. “And then we’ll have to be up for it because it’s a New Jersey battle, like when we play Rutgers or Monmouth or Rider, there’s a little extra there. I know they’ll be up for it and excited. I expect some of the similar situation, some similar things to what we just endured in that last game, and the physical duels. We won a lot of balls in the air. We have to do the same thing and we also have to do a good job of getting our midfielders on the ball.”
Miami sent four players at Princeton’s three midfielders to neutralize the Tigers’ preferred way of advancing the ball upfield. The Tigers were caught at times playing the less precision long-ball game, of which Miami did some of the same. Now they take on a Seton Hall team on the rise with a proven offensive threat and a blue collar approach to the game.
they’re really, really difficult. And the moment you realize really how difficult is that moment you lose the game. So when you do have those moments you need to be grateful that you had the opportunity to get a win and never take it for granted.”
And especially with any number of things not going the way Princeton expected, and so many unknowns already, the Tigers will be trying to build on their opening win. There’s no resting on one good result.
“Kayla often assists, and it came off another pass from Pia,” said Driscoll. “Kayla’s vision is spectacular. I think that we have a number of players that can score goals and I do believe there’s a number of kids who can do that throughout the team, so for me I would like to be that team where no team can key on one individual player and for the first couple of weeks that’s going to be the reality of it.”
Princeton will be home again in its second game of the season on August 29, when it hosts in-state foe Seton Hall. The Pirates come in 2-1-1 led by last year’s Big East Offensive Player of the Year, Natalie Tavana.
“You’re going to have to find ways to make teams play the way you want them to, and not vice versa,” said Driscoll. “Anytime you fall into the trap of doing what the other team is doing, you’re basically playing your opponent the way they want to play the game, and that’s not at all what you want. But I’m curious to see what we do.”
Princeton will be working to defend its home turf again. Starting the year off with a non-conference win could have big ramifications at the end of the season as the Tigers look to again host an NCAA tournament game.
“It’s huge, if you look across the NCAA every day, what you’re guaranteed of on any given day is upsets, the head scratchers,” said Driscoll. “You look and say, ‘How did that happen?’ I think we said to the team at the end of the game, a win is a win and you always appreciate a win because
“We got the win, but we also know we have work to do to get better,” said Driscoll. “And so that’s the best kind of win – the one that kind of highlights areas that require improvement but at the same time you get the result and so I think that for us is really good. It just gives us some time now to prepare for the next thing, and then I’m sure once we play Seton Hall we’ll learn a bit more about us, things that we’re doing well, things we need to improve upon and that will help shape us for Penn State, and then so on and so forth.”
It’s very early, but Driscoll sees a team that is hungry to improve, and to prove themselves. They are working hard in practice, they are asking for more film study to see where they can develop, and they are competing for minutes and the opportunity to shine while helping the Tigers to win.
“I’m excited to see what they do,” said Driscoll. “I had such a pulse on the team last year. It’s a little bit different now. It’s just it’s more exciting than anything else because we’re waiting every game to see how much we’ve improved and who steps up and that’s the reality. Every game someone’s going to step up and be a star every game without fail. It’s just who’s that going to be? And I think in some respects it’s nice to not know ahead of time exactly who that’s going to be and for us the (Saturday) night we had so many contributors, some returners and some new ones. That’s the fun part of coaching.”
— Justin Feil
SPECIAL K: Princeton University women’s soccer player Kayla Wong, right, defends a foe in a game last fall. Last Saturday, sophomore midfielder Wong picked up an assist and helped key a strong defensive effort as Princeton defeated Miami 1-0 in its season opener. The Tigers will look to keep on the winning track when they host Seton Hall on August 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
After Stellar Postseason Run in His Sophomore Season,
McCarroll Primed to Star this Fall for PU Men’s Water Polo
For Logan McCarroll, a skiing injury to his older brother led him to get into water polo as a 10-year-old.
“My family used to be a whole bunch of skiers, we had a house in Mammoth and we used to go up there every weekend to ski,” said McCarroll, a native of Laguna Beach, Calif.
“My sister (Lela), brother (Larsen), and I were all on the Mammoth ski team, we competed doing that every year. My older brother tore his ACL skiing and he got into water polo. I watched a few of his practices and that is how I ultimately started with water polo.”
McCarroll liked water polo from the start. “I found a passion for water polo straight away,” said McCarroll. “I started with Laguna Beach water polo club, playing with my sister the first year on the 10-and-under coed team.”
That passion led McCarroll to star on the Southern California club scene, compete for the U.S. national cadet team, and enjoy a successful high school career.
In 2022, McCarroll headed east and joined the Princeton University men’s water polo team, making an immediate impact as a freshman, tallying 13 goals and 11 assists. Last fall, McCarroll scored 28 goals with seven assists to help Princeton make the NCAA Final 4 for the first time since the tournament was expanded in 2015.
Reflecting on his ascension up the ladder in the sport, McCarroll pointed to his experience with the U.S. national program as a middle schooler as a big confidence builder.
“The summer before high school, I played in Serbia and Montenegro with the U.S. cadet national team,” said McCarroll. “That was great representing my country, it was a pretty surreal
experience. We ultimately ended up getting third place in the group stage. It was just amazing and I think the tournament really set me up for a stellar season of high school water polo.”
As a freshman at Laguna Beach High, McCarroll was second on the team in goals with 60 and earned All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Third Team honors. He transferred to Mater Dei and produced a superb senior year there, making AllCIF Southern Section FirstTeam as his team won the Trinity League title.
Turning his attention to playing in college, McCarroll considered Stanford and Harvard during his college recruiting process but ultimately decided to come to Princeton.
“In choosing Princeton over Stanford and Harvard, I felt like the academic and athletic prestige this university brings opportunity I could not pass up,” said McCarroll. “I thought that the Princeton water polo team was the most close group of guys I ran into. Even when they are not playing water polo, those guys were always together, they were always doing stuff.”
In adjusting to the college game, McCarroll made a smooth transition.
“The high school and the cadet national team prepared me well for the college level,” said McCarroll. “Adapting to the new culture and the group of guys were the biggest challenges. Only 3 percent of the guys who play water polo in high school end up playing in college so you just see how everyone on any team is ultra-competitive. They are way faster, stronger, and play harder than the average high school player.”
In making 29 appearances as a freshman with 15 starts, McCarroll established
himself as key performer with his varied skill set.
“I think where I made the most impact was my versatility, being a utility where the coach (Dustin Litvak) could put me at center or the left side of the pool,” said McCarroll. “He would expect the same out of me from the two positions. One of my strong suits in the college game is earning exclusions where it benefits us on the man up.”
As a sophomore, McCarroll made an even greater impact as he developed a deeper comfort level with the college game. “I think that I was more familiar with the competitive atmosphere and there weren’t as many nerves as freshman year,” said McCarroll.
McCarroll was proud of how Princeton competed collectively last season as the Tigers went 28-6 and produced their historic postseason run.
“When we looked at our success in the fall of this last season, we made the quarterfinals the year before but nothing rolls over,” said McCarroll. “We had to earn it and prove ourselves day in, day out. I think that by creating that culture and being on the same mindset to achieve the same goal was ultimately what helped us this past season.”
In the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) tournament, McCarroll took his game to a higher level, scor ing five goals to go with four assists and five drawn exclusions as Princeton topped Iona 19-9 and then edged Harvard 8-5 to win the tournament and punch its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
“In the postseason was
definitely where I played my strongest water polo,” said McCarroll, who earned a spot on the All-Tournament first team. “I played center for most of the year until the postseason where our coach wanted to make a switch on the other team and put me on the left side of the pool. I think that was where I really dominated and got to play with Roko [Pozaric] . It really helped me step up my game.”
The Tigers defeated UC Irvine in the NCAA quarters before falling 17-13 to UCLA in the semis.
“That was really big for us, I think looking back on it, that game could have gone either way,” said McCarroll, reflecting on the loss to UCLA. “It was just our little mistakes that hurt us, we should have let UCLA earn more of their goals. At the end of the day, if we fixed those things, the outcome would have been different.
It ultimately shows us that we are capable of competing with anyone on any given day.”
As McCarroll prepared for his junior campaign which starts when Princeton plays in the Navy Invitational from September 7-8 in Annapolis, Md., he worked on two main aspects of his game.
“I have definitely been focusing on my speed and my shot,” said the 6’3, 210-pound McCarroll, who has been swimming a lot of 100 and 200-meter sprints on a difficult time interval, shooting in the pool with a weighted belt aiming at certain spots, and doing weight training. “It is my speed in the water, just the swimming aspect and then my shot. I think my catch and shot will be a big point of emphasis for me this year.”
A big point of emphasis for the team this season is to win an NCAA title.
“It is just knowing that our
past two seasons we were so close and that we always have the question what if we change this, what if we did that,” said McCarroll. “Now we will really hone in and just work towards a common goal. Our motivation is going to look at that UCLA game last year, knowing that we could have won that game. That is why our coach Dusty has given us the hardest schedule for an East Coast team ever.”
For McCarroll and his teammates, taking the hard road is second nature.
“We didn’t choose Princeton because it is easy, we chose it because we want to be challenged,” said McCarroll. “It is a different competitive nature and atmosphere than I have ever been a part of. Being on the Princeton men’s water polo team is working every day to achieve that main goal with 30 of my best friends.”
—Bill Alden
LOGAN’S RUN: Logan McCarroll gets ready to unload the ball in action last fall in his sophomore season for the Princeton University men’s water polo team. McCarroll scored 28 goals with seven assists in 2023 to help Princeton go 28-6 and make the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA semis since the tournament was expanded in 2015. McCarroll will look to be a greater offensive threat this season as the Tigers open their 2024 campaign by playing in the Navy Invitational from September 7-8 in Annapolis, Md. (Photo by Shelley Szwast, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)
PU Sports Roundup
PU Women’s Lax Star Dora Helps U.S. Win U20 Worlds Princeton University women’s lacrosse rising junior stars Haven Dora and Jami MacDonald faced each other last Saturday as the U.S. played Canada in the U20 Women’s Lacrosse World Championship gold medal game in Hong Kong.
Dora, a native of Spring Lake, helped the U.S. prevail 23-6 as it won its second straight gold medal in the competition. Dora finished the tournament with 29 points — good for seventh overall — while tallying 23 assists which was second among all players.
MacDonald, who hails from Georgetown, Ontario, scored three goals in the final. She ended up fourth overall and first on Canada in points in the tournament with 35. Her 25 goals were eighth-most by any player in the tournament.
For her efforts over the course of the tournament, MacDonald was one of 11 players named “All-World” with a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
PU Tennis Alum Seggerman to Compete in U.S. Open Doubles Princeton University men’s tennis team alum Ryan Seggerman ’22 was awarded a wild card spot for men’s doubles at the US Open as announced by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) last Friday.
Seggerman and his partner, Patrik Trhac, are currently ranked 91st by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
The duo has won five ATP Challenger titles this year and seven since October 2023. So far in 2024, Seggerman and Trhac have recorded 32 wins on the ATP Challenger Tour. In addition to their success on the ATP Challenger Tour, they also earned an ATP main draw win at Indian Wells with an opening round triumph.
While at Princeton, Seggerman was named to the First Team All-Ivy League Doubles Team along with qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Tournament in 2019 and 2022. He reached as high as No. 6 in doubles in the ITA rankings during his time with the Tigers.
Seggerman and Trhac will
compete in the men’s doubles main draw, which starts on August 28.
PU Water Polo Program
Adds Baia to Coaching Staff Bella Baia, a part of three NCAA tournament teams at UCLA including a national runner-up and two semifinalists, has joined the Princeton University water polo programs as an assistant coach under men’s head coach Dustin Litvak and women’s head coach Derek Ellingson.
During her college career, Baia scored 56 goals and had 32 assists across four seasons with the Bruins, helping the team reach the NCAA finals in 2021 and the semifinals in 2018 and 2019. Baia was a four-time MPSF/Pac-12 All-Academic honoree and was a ScholarAthlete on the Director’s Honor Roll every quarter at UCLA.
Baia began coaching in 2014 with the SOCAL Water Polo Foundation, working with girls youth teams, through 2021. Following her graduation from UCLA, Baia was the lead girls assistant coach at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, was a youth and high school assistant coach with the Premier Water Polo Club, and was a Coastal Zone youth assistant coach with the Olympic Development Program. During the 2023-24 school year, Baia was an Academic Mentor with UCLA’s Office of Academic Excellence, assisting student-athletes with managing their academic commitments and building academic skills.
“I look forward to joining the men’s and women’s
WATCH PARTY: Ozzie Nicholas wards off a foe in action last fall during his senior season for the Princeton University football team. Star linebacker Nicholas, who is playing for Duke this fall as a grad student, and former Tiger standout offensive lineman Jalen Travis, now competing for Iowa State as a grad student, have both been named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List, the organization said last week. Nicholas, a 6’2, 225-pound native of Encinitas, Calif., was named a Stats Perform All-American Third Team performer and a PFF FCS All-American in 2023 when he recorded 104 tackles, making the most by any Tiger football player since Zak Keasey had 127 stops in 2004. Travis, a 6’9, 315-pound native of Minneapolis, Minn., earned Second-Team All-Ivy League honors in 2022 and 2023.
programs at Princeton alongside Dustin, Derek, and the rest of the team to continue their run of success,” said Baia. “Both teams have made representing Princeton in the NCAA tournament a standard for their programs, and I am honored to have the opportunity to help uphold this level of excellence. Having competed regularly in the NCAA tournament myself, and then going on to serve as an academic mentor, I know well the kind of
balance that the studentathletes at Princeton have chosen to undertake.”
A native of Orange, Calif., Baia graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2022 and added a master’s degree in education, focusing on transformative coaching and leadership, in 2023.
Princeton Rowers Medal at U23 Worlds
Five members of the Princeton University rowing program earned medals at the U-23 & U-19 World Rowing
Championships last week in St. Catharines, Canada. Princeton men’s heavyweight rowers, Kian Aminian ’27 and Keenan Good ’24, helped the U.S. men’s eight take silver in the U-23 competition with teammate Ed Nutt ’27 earning bronze for Australia.
The U.S. clocked a time of 5:27.50 over the 2,000-meter course, narrowly trailing Great Britain who won gold in 5:24.73. Australia took third in 5:29.43.
A pair of Tiger women’s open rowers, Margot LeRoux ’27 and Joely Cherniss ’27, helped the U.S. women’s eight take silver in the U-23 regatta.
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The U.S. posted a time of 6:08.35 in taking second just behind Great Britain, who clocked a winning time of 6:06.58. Germany finished third in 6:08.61.
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(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Facing a Gauntlet of Local Foes This Season, PHS
Football Aiming to Keep on Winning Track
With the Princeton High football team having gone 5-4 last year to post its first winning season since an 8-2 campaign in 2014, the bar has been set higher this year.
PHS will be facing much stiffer competition this fall as it will be resuming matchups against such local foes as Allentown, Trenton Central, Hamilton West, Ewing, Nottingham, and Robbinsville.
“The schedule has changed, I think this schedule will be more challenging,” said Tiger head coach Charlie Gallagher, whose team has been moved to the West Jersey Football League Valley Division this fall. “It does renew some rivalries. We haven’t played Trenton in who knows how long, we haven’t played Nottingham in a while.”
In Gallagher’s view, PHS has the manpower and mindset to hold its own as it battles that gauntlet of foes.
“Right now, we are roughly at 60 players, we will field a very healthy varsity team and a very healthy JV team,” said Gallagher, whose team faced Brick Memorial, Central Regional and St. John Vianney in its first scrimmage and then played Hopewell Valley in a second practice contest. “There are a lot of positive vibes, we have had some really great and tough scrimmages. It was great to compete against really high caliber players and coaches. We fared well but at the same time we learned a lot.”
PHS features a high caliber quarterback in senior Travis Petrone, who passed for 564 yards and six touchdowns last fall.
“Travis is ready to start week one, we are excited to roll with him,” said Gallagher, whose team plays at Lawrence High on August 30 in its season opener. “He had a good season last year, we are real happy with where he is at right now. He is a heck of an athlete, he is a three-sport guy. He leads the pack. He should do really well this year, he has a good supporting cast. I think he is going to have a really successful season.”
The Tigers have some depth at the QB spot with senior Brady Collier serving in the backup role.
“We are trying to find different ways to get him on the field, he is excited,” said Gallagher of Collier who passed for 165 yards and four TDs in 2023. “I think he might play a little running back and safety. We won’t be surprised if he has
a few touchdowns throughout the season.”
The PHS rushing attack will be spearheaded by juniors Carmine Carusone and Andrew Foreman. “We have got Carmine, who is having a really great preseason,” said Gallagher. “He is going to be one of our two running backs with Andrew. Both of these guys are just top-notch guys.”
Junior star Ellington Hinds has emerged as a top wide receiver and superb defensive back. “Ellington is back, he looks really sharp,” said Gallagher of Hinds, who made 13 catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns last season. “He did a great job in the offseason. He went to football camps. He learned a lot about the craft of wide receiver and free safety. He is a much better tackler this year, which is awesome. In the scrimmage at Brick, he pulled down some really amazing acrobatic catches. He is also a returner, he had two punt returns for TDs last year. He is a smart football player. Couple that with the talent level, the size, and the speed, he should be a problem for a lot of teams.”
Hinds’ younger brother, sophomore Langsdon, along with sophomore Zach Nelson and junior Jaxon Jones could also pose problems for PHS’s foes as additional targets in the passing game.
“Langsdon has the wing span of a condor, he is a great kid and he has come into his own,” said Gallagher, noting that senior Wyatt Arshan is currently sidelined but has been helping to coach the younger receivers on a daily basis. “He is at a spot where he can play some varsity football. Zach and Jaxon are two guys that we are going to rely on at tight end position.”
Gallagher will relying on the trio of senior Sean Wilton, senior Leo Sarett, and junior Zyair Mackey-Wright to anchor the offensive line.
“Sean is at left tackle, he is a three-year guy,” said Gallagher. “Leo is at center and has been there for a while. Zyair is at right tackle, he had a great offseason.”
Senior Elisio Moncada will be shoring up the Oline. “One of our linebackers from last year, Elisio, is going to play linebacker and guard for us this year which is awesome,” said Gallagher. “He is a senior and sometimes you have to ask guys to step up.”
As for the other guard spot, Gallagher is looking for sophomores Ajay Coulianidis, Dimiter Petrov, and Rio Giamarese to step up.
“We have a little bit of a rotation with Ajay, Dimiter, and Rio,” said Gallagher. “They are three really solid guys, did a great job in the weight room, they are big and strong. They are young but they all played last year and they are figuring it out.”
On the defensive line, Wilton and Mackey-Wright will be leading the way along with senior Richard JeanPierre and junior Tihir Russell.
“Zyair and Sean will be there and we have Richard playing some defensive tackle,” said Gallagher. “Tihir is a junior: we are excited for him, he has done a nice job for us.”
Senior linebacker Joe George, who had a teamhigh 64 tackles last fall, figures to be in the middle of the action again.
“Joe is doing a great job, he was an All-Division linebacker last year,” said Gallagher, whose linebacker group will also include Moncada, junior Simon Obregon, and junior Truman Arshan. “He is a little nicked up at the moment so we are hoping to get him ready for Friday. He is another great leader, like Travis.”
The Tiger secondary features the Hinds brothers, Carusone, and Petrone along with junior Anderson Potter and junior Sam Raymond.
“Ellington, Carmine, and Travis will be back there,”
said Gallagher. “Anderson will be back there as well. We also have Sam there. Langsdon will be back there.”
In Gallagher’s view, PHS has the pieces in place to build on last year’s progress.
“It all starts at quarterback, the success of Travis and the supporting cast around him is critical,” said Gallagher. “With him playing three years now and with a group of wide receivers led by Ellington, we will be throwing the ball more. On top of that, in order to win football games, you have to be able to run the ball. I think Andrew, Carmine, and our three returning offensive linemen will be really big. Defensively, Carmine had four picks last year, one for a touchdown. Ellington had four picks. Joe and Elisio are some of our best linebackers in probably the past seven or eight years, they were tackling machines. They have speed, they know the game.”
PHS will be looking to get up to speed as it kicks off its season under the lights this Friday at Lawrence.
“I put it on my calendar the day after; they have a beautiful field and Rob Radice is a good coach,” said Gallagher, whose team topped Lawrence 20-0 in last year’s season opener. “It was a good night last year. We were only up a few points at the half, it was a tight game overall. We are watching a lot of film on Lawrence, they have some playmakers. I hope we have a few more playmakers that can make positive plays.”
— Bill Alden
4621 Route 27 Kingston, NJ 609-924-0147 riderfurniture.com Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5
AIRING IT OUT: Princeton High football quarterback Travis Petrone fires a pass in a game last season. Senior star Petrone, who threw for 564 years and six touchdowns in 2023, is primed to trigger the Tiger offense this fall. PHS opens its 2024 campaign by playing at Lawrence High on August 30.
(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
After Capping her Mercer Rowing Career at Henley Regatta, PHS Grad, Star Coxswain Zammit Headed to Stanford Crew
Heading into middle school, Gabrielle Zammit’s athletic focus centered on the ice rink.
“My whole family is like a huge ice hockey family,” said Zammit, whose older siblings Alexa and Victoria starred for the PHS girls’ hockey team while John was a mainstay for the Tiger boys’ program. “I started skating as soon around I could walk and then I played through middle school.”
But as Zammit entered high school, she shifted her sporting efforts to the water.
“I started by doing the Mercer rowing summer camps, going into 8th grade, I did a few of the camps,” said Zammit. “My parents were the ones who got me into it. We had a family friend who was a rower on the Mercer women’s team. Being around the Princeton community and being around Lake Carnegie and seeing the rowing teams out there all of the time made me want to try it out.”
As Zammit got into competing for the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/Mercer Junior Rowing program, she saw the coxswain spot where she could steer and guide a boat as the best role for her.
“I was rowing for the girls’ team and then I wanted to start coxing,” said Zammit. “They didn’t really let me cox that much in my first year. Then the boys’ team needed a coxswain in their bottom level boat for one of
the races so they kind of just threw me in there because I wasn’t really needed on the girls’ team.”
Thriving in that role, Zammit made a rapid ascension up the coxswain ranks. She coxed the second boys’ varsity eight in her sophomore year before moving up to the first varsity eight as a junior.
In the summer after her junior year, Zammit made the U.S. U-19 team and guided the men’s eight at the 2023 World Rowing Under-19 Championships in Paris.
As a senior, Zammit helped lead the Mercer boys’ varsity eight to a fifth place finish at both the Head of Charles Regatta and the USRowing Youth National Championships. She capped her Mercer career last month by helping the varsity eight make the quarterfinals in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at the Royal Henley Regatta in England. Next month, she will be starting her college career at Stanford, coxing for its men’s rowing program.
Zammit has found a home guiding boy rowers. “I have just stayed on the boys’ side,” said Zammit. “I really like the aggressiveness and competitiveness of the boys’ team. There were a lot of really good coxswains on the boys’ team when I was really getting into it. Having them to edge off of and feeding off of the talent that was already there on the team really helped me improve.”
Getting exposed to talented rowers and coaches in her U.S. U-19 experience proved to be a key learning experience for Zammit.
“It really boosted my development as a coxswain, just being in such a high level environment with the amazing coaches that were there,” said Zammit. “It gave me a little bit of perspective on how amazing the Mercer program is. There were a lot of rowers coming from smaller programs who definitely didn’t grow up with the same coaching that I did at the youth level so it made me really appreciative of Mercer.”
Zammit enjoyed an amazing final season for Mercer, starting with guiding the varsity eight to a fifth place finish last fall at the Head of Charles in Boston.
“We got a fifth to get medals at the Charles which is a huge deal,” said Zammit. “It was a really stressful course. I raced it in my sophomore and junior as well so I was a little bit familiar with it. I spent a lot of time studying the course map and watching other YouTube videos, trying to get a feel for the course. A lot of preparation went into it.”
In June, Zammit helped the varsity eight take fifth at the Youth Nationals at the Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla.
“It was a hard race, we were in second place for most of the race,” said Zammit. “It was a densely packed field, everyone was really close. We kind of just ran out of gas at the end. We felt really good about the race, it was a very good race.”
This July, Zammit found herself in another hard competition as the Mercer boat competed in the world famous Henley event on the Thames River near London.
“That was a more stressful course for me than the
Princeton High grad Zammit helped the Mercer boat advance to the quarterfinals of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley. Zammit will be continuing her crew career this fall as she joins the Stanford University men’s rowing program.
Head of Charles,” said Zammit. “It was probably one of the most difficult courses, I have ever practiced or raced on. It took a lot of getting used to and just adjusting. It is on a river which in a coxswains’ view, you have to be really on it. You can’t just sit in one spot for too long. You have to make decisions or else you are going to be pushed. It is funny because in the U.S. we race in meters and in international racing it is all in meters but on that course, the markers are in miles. It just throws you off.”
Racing in Henley’s Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Mercer posted wins over Shrewsbury and Abington to advance to the quarterfinal.
“It was such a good feeling to have all of the work we put in during the training season led up to that moment and to see where we were that allowed us to compete overseas,” said Zammit, reflecting on the first round victory. “Winning that race felt so good. We were all, yeah we won it, it was good, but we were looking to win again the next day and stay focused. We were definitely going into it less nervous, that was a more fun race. We were relaxed and focusing on the rhythm of the boat. I could just take a deep breath out there and race the race.”
In the quarterfinal, the Mercer boat got edged by just over a boat length by eventual champion St. Paul’s.
“They won the Charles, they blew everyone out of the water so we knew that they were really fast,” said Zammit. “They had won the English schools national competition as well. We knew going into it that we were going to have a big fight. We just stayed internal, I think we rowed a good race. It was sad to be out of the competition but it was a respectable loss. They were such a good team.”
Overall, the Henley competition was another good step in Zammit’s development.
“It was a really crazy experience to be in a huge venue like that, you don’t have that many spectators at an average regatta in the U.S.,” said Zammit. “There were just so many people there. Every time I go to a new regatta, it definitely puts another race under my belt. It is another experience of putting myself in an uncomfortable situation with where I can learn to adapt to things on the run. It definitely makes me a better coxswain. It builds my confidence a lot to make the transition into collegiate rowing. I feel like I can roll with the punches and learn as I go.”
In a few weeks, Zammit will be heading west to start her Stanford career.
“There is a little bit of nerves,” said Zammit. “I am definitely just really excited to be competing at the collegiate level and to be exposed to new coaches, new training, new rowers and all of that.”
As Zammit looks forward to collegiate rowing, she is primed to make an immediate impact.
“I would like to push for the highest crew and be on the highest boat that I can,” said Zammit. “I am excited for some coxswain competition when I get there. They do have quite a few amazing coxswains, I am excited for all of the seat racing and everything.”
Zammit is also planning to keep pushing on the national scene as she looks to join the U.S. U-23 rowing program.
“That is the next level, it is usually the older rowers who make the team,” said Zammit. “Right now the goal is to shoot the shot and try to get invited to camp again. I want to keep going with it and take it as far as I can.”
No matter how far she takes it, Zammit has certainly come a long way since she left the rink for the water.
—Bill Alden
PERFECT STORM: Members of the Princeton Supply team are all smiles after they topped Kline Brothers 80-71 in the final of the college summer league at Monroe Sports Center earlier this month. Former Princeton High star and current Kenyon College player Gefen Bar-Cohen scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the final as Princeton Supply ended the season with an 11-0 record in the league. The squad was coached by Phil Vigliano and included Shaquan (Bean) Worthy, Quayson Williams, Greg Ford, Kareem Elhosseini, Trevor Giordano, Steve Adams, Roshon Ayiar, Brian Burke, and Jared Minor in addition to Bar-Cohen. (Photo provided by Phil Vigliano)
GIFT OF GAB: Gabrielle Zammit makes a call from her coxswain spot as the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/Mercer Junior Rowing men’s varsity eight competed at the Royal Henley Regatta in England earlier this summer. Recent
(Photo provided by Gabrielle Zammit)
Religion
Princeton Theological Seminary Hosts Organ Concert September 20
The Joe R. Engle Organ Concert at the Princeton Theological Seminary on September 20 will feature a wide range of repertoire linked to dance, from the sarabande and jig to the tango and cancan. This is not a concert for the ears alone — all will be invited to join their hearts, voices, hands, and feet to the melodies and the rhythms of the music.
choral activities and associate professor of music at the University of MissouriColumbia; Ahreum Han Congdon, director of music and organist at the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth; and Eric Wall, professor of sacred music and dean of the chapel at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
The musicians will be joined by the Princeton Seminary Chapel Choir, Martin Tel, director, and Mina Choi, accompanist. The concert is free and open to the public.
The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with a brief service of evening prayer followed immediately by the organ concert, concluding with a reception. The Seminary is located at 64 Mercer Street. Featured guest artists are Brandon Boyd, director of
DIRECTORY OF
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
S unday S
8:00 am: Holy Communion Rite I
10:00 am: Holy Communion Rite II 5:00 pm: Choral Compline or Evensong
The Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector The Rev. Canon Dr. Kara Slade, Assoc. Rector Wesley Rowell, Lay Pastoral Associate
33 Mercer St. Princeton 609-924-2277 www.trinityprinceton.org
Wherever you are in your journey of faith, come worship with us
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Princeton 16 Bayard Lane, Princeton, NJ You are welcome to join us for our in-person services, Sunday Church Service and Sunday School at 10:30 am, Wednesday Testimony meetings at 7:30 pm. Audio streaming available, details at csprinceton.org.
Brandon Boyd
Preaching Sunday, September 1 is Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, Princeton University
University Chapel Choir with Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music and Chapel Choir, and with Eric Plutz, University Organist.
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