Volume LXXIV, Number 32
Home Sweet Home Pages 32-36 Jacobs Music is Closing, Hopes to Reopen Soon . . . . . . . 5 Lempert, Sutter Discuss Policing and Government . . . . . . . . 8 Westminster Choir College Now Based at Rider’s Lawrence Campus . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A Midsummer Night’s Dream of Olivia de Havilland . . . . . . . . . 15 PU Grad Proctor Signs with Cincinnati Reds . . 25 NJSIAA Provides Update, Cautionary Note on Fall Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHS Alumna Ryan Enjoyed Solid Career for Temple Lax . . . . . . . . 28
www.towntopics.com
Community Development Issues Featured in Second Week of Joint Effort Safe Streets Events Joint Effort Safe Streets 2020, dedicated to the memory of Romus Broadway, continues into its second week with a virtual forum on Wednesday, August 5 at 6:15 p.m. on “The Future of Princeton and Community Development Hot Topics.” Featured presenters will include Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter on policecommunity relations; Chris Foglio Palmer on affordable housing in New Jersey and Princeton; Bob Hillier (a Town Topics shareholder) on the Witherspoon Street corridor; Josh Zinder on Maclean Street, Griggs Corner, and John Street projects; Leighton Newlin on Franklin Avenue and Maple Terrace; and Michelle Pirone Lambros on redevelopment in the shopping center area. Mayor Liz Lempert, Mercer County Freeholder Andrew Koontz, Princeton Mayoral Candidate Mark Freda, Princeton Council President David Cohen, Councilman Dwaine Williamson, architect and Princeton Future President Kevin Wilkes, Princeton Civil Rights Commission (CRC) member and community nonprofit leader Fern Spruill, Princeton YMCA CEO Kate Bech, Arts Council of Princeton Interim Director Jim Levine, Princeton CRC Chair Thomas Parker, and Princeton Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) candidates Jean Durbin and Hendricks Davis will participate as panelists. “I’m excited about this event because
Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .20, 21 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classified Ads . . . . . . 31 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 13 New to Us . . . . . . . . . . 24 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 30 Performing Arts . . . . . 16 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 31 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 9 School Matters . . . . . . 12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Reopening on Pause, as Princeton Looks Ahead “We are not going to be safe against COVID-19 until a vaccine or suitable treatment is available for our population,” warned Princeton Public Health Officer Jeff Grosser earlier this week. With case numbers increasing, Grosser criticized breaches of rules on social gatherings, along with inadequate support for public health systems and failures of many other states to apply lessons learned from the early outbreaks and epidemiological evidence. Though Grosser noted the progress made locally, he remained less than optimistic. “Princeton has done a tremendous job of moving restaurant dining outside, preparing workplaces for safe business, masking up while outside, preparing our public employees for work amidst a pandemic, etc.,” he said. “The unfortunate certainty of this virus is that it is not just going to go away. All members of our town must act like a cohesive team to root out this virus, which includes holding everyone accountable for the negative and positive effects of our actions.” The Princeton Health Department on Monday reported four new cases in the past seven days, nine in the past two weeks, with 16 active cases, 207 total positive cases, 160 recovered with isolation completed, 18 COVID-related deaths,
and 12 additional probable COVID-related deaths. Acknowledging that more cases of COVID-19 will appear as state restrictions are lifted, Grosser expressed growing concern with the high percentage of new Princeton infections, which have been attributed, through contact tracing, to social gatherings. “Through spot checks on portions of town, we know that residents are abiding by public health executive directives, but it’s far too common to find out
that new infections are the result of a lack of compliance,” he said. Grosser pointed out that failure to follow social distancing guidelines and lack of facial coverings, particularly at social gatherings, have sparked a number of recent cases. The Health Department continues to emphasize the importance of social distancing and masks. The Princeton Health Department’s “mask ambassador” was on the job on Continued on Page 7
Rabner to Retire from Princeton Health After Almost Two Decades as CEO It isn’t just that he wants to spend time with his family, which now includes four grandchildren. Barry Rabner, president and CEO of Penn Medicine Princeton Health for the past 18 years — since it was known as Princeton Hospital — is ready for a change. The medical center announced last week that Rabner, 68, will retire as of January 1, 2021. “It was a combination of things,” he said Monday when asked what steered him toward the decision. “Having the grandchildren was reason enough, because that’s a big part of our life now. But I think it’s just the right time.”
The press release announcing Rabner’s retirement lists the changes, expansions, and accolades that the medical center received during his tenure — recognitions for nursing excellence, designation as a leader in health care equality for those who identify as LGBTQ, the doubling in outpatient capacity at Princeton House Behavioral Health, a five-fold increase in medical staff, partnerships in fitness and wellness, ambulatory surgery, gastroenterology, and a partnership with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, among other achievements. Continued on Page 12
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Tropical Storm Rocks Princeton on Tuesday New Jersey was pounded on Tuesday, August 4, by Tropical Storm Isaias, bringing fierce winds, heavy downpours, and two small tornadoes to the Garden State . Here in Princeton, the police department reported that, in the three hours between 11:01 a .m . and 2:01 p .m ., there were over 50 trees or limbs down, 22 reports of wires down, and multiple traffic signals out . About 36,000 PSE&G customers were without power by mid-afternoon . This included thousands of local residences and businesses, including the town’s central business district . There was debris on many roadways, and people were urged to stay home, even after the storm subsided in late afternoon .
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SUNDAY IN THE PARK: Despite the heat, children enjoyed some play time and the shade of the tall trees at Marquand Park . People share their favorite summertime memories in this week’s Town Talk on page 6 .
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