Town Topics Newspaper, August 9, 2023

Financial Situation at Rider University is

Recently announced staff layoffs, cabinet restructuring, and possible faculty layoffs this fall have led Rider University’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to once again urge the board of trustees to replace University President Gregory Dell’Omo.

In a Zoom meeting for faculty and staff on July 27, Dell’Omo discussed his threeyear-plan, known as “The Path Forward,” to help return the nancially distressed University to stability. Dell’Omo announced that eight staff members had been laid off, and more than 20 positions were being eliminated. Rider’s contribution to the retirements of non-union employees will go from 5 percent to 2.5 percent.

“Our basic position is that the board of trustees needs to make a change at the very top,” said Jeffrey Halpern, a professor of social science and the AAUP chapter’s chief grievance officer and contract administrator. “The president keeps announcing new paths forward. At each iteration, our nancial situation becomes worse and worse. He cannot keep denying some responsibility for this. The board needs to take action to rebuild every element of the institution, beginning with staff and faculty morale. His plans effectively are nothing but trying to cut, cut, cut, and we’ve seen the effect of that.”

A recent article about the Zoom meeting in The Rider News quoted Dell’Omo as saying, “Rider’s financial position, which was challenging before the pandemic, has become dangerously uncertain. We must stabilize our nances.” He described the plan as an “aggressive, comprehensive approach to achieving deficit elimination,” with the goal of a positive operating balance by the 2026 scal year.

Dell’Omo’s decisions have been controversial since Rider attempted unsuccessfully to sell Westminster Choir College in Princeton, with which it merged in 1991. Westminster — which offered specialized practice rooms, several pipe organs, and numerous pianos — was relocated to Rider’s Lawrence Township campus in 2020, where comparable facilities for the music students do not exist. The future of the 22-acre Westminster campus on Walnut Lane remains

COVID Numbers Rise, But No Surges Expected

COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations are up, and the new subvariant EG.5 now accounts for the largest proportion of COVID-19 cases in the country, but the experts are not expecting the kind of surges that Princeton and the rest of the world have experienced in recent years.

“Living with COVID-19 means getting used to the highs and lows of its viral activity,” wrote Dr. Syra Madad, infectious disease epidemiologist in the New York City Hospital system and at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in an August 8 email. “While we are seeing an uptick in COVID activity detected in wastewater and people seeking care for COVID-19 at emergency rooms, numbers are still the lowest we’ve seen in the last three summers. It’s all about shifting baselines — meaning despite its relative perception of seeing a 10 percent increase in hospitalizations, which may seem like a lot, it’s still a small increase in numbers.”

In Mercer County, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the last week of July saw seven new hospital admissions of con rmed COVID-19, a 75 percent increase, but still considered a “low” level of admissions.

Nationwide the CDC reported a 12.5

percent increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions.

An article in the August 8 Washington Post noted that EG.5, unofficially nicknamed “Eris,” is a bit more infectious than other Omicron variants but not more virulent. The article also stated that the response to EG.5 is the same as for other variants, and its impact on those infected is similar.

Penn Medicine Princeton Health (PMPH) reported Monday that “the

number of COVID-related hospitalizations remains low” at PMPH, but went on to recommend vaccinations and testing.

“Adhering to vaccination recommendations and getting tested following symptoms or exposures remain important strategies to help prevent spread of the virus in our communities,” according to the PMPH statement. “If you have COVID-19 symptoms — such as fever, congestion, sore throat, or a cough — please get tested. We also recommend testing if a member

Awards, Athletics, Forums, and Festivities As Joint Effort Heads into Final Weekend

Following up on an action-packed opening week of discussions, re ections, celebrations, and recognitions, Joint Effort Safe Streets will wrap up its 2023 program with an array of Jim Floyd and Romus Broadway Day events on Wednesday, August 9 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP); Paul Bustill Robeson Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with discussion of several hot topics and a candidate forum at the First Baptist Church of Princeton; a Community Block Festival at the YMCA Field on Saturday afternoon; and basketball for all ages on the Community Park basketball

courts, with a clinic on Saturday morning and games throughout the day on Pete Young Sr. Day on Sunday, August 13.

“It’s been thought-provoking and inspiring, and the ancestors are telling me I’m moving in the right direction,” said Safe Streets Founder and Event Coordinator John Bailey as he re ected on the opening weekend and looked ahead to upcoming events.

Expanding on the theme of “Re ections on Princeton’s Black Community — Growing Up in the Witherspoon-Jackson Community,” the August 9 evening gathering

“Dangerously Uncertain”

ALL ABOUT BUTTERFLIES: A monarch butterfly rests on a bee balm plant at The Watershed Institute’s 23rd Annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday. Attendees share what they like best about butterflies in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Grace Roberts)

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COMPETITION WINNER: Brittany Ennis, membership and communications director at Springdale Golf Club, is the newly crowned National Elite Ms. Agriculture USA.

Springdale Membership Director Is National Ms. Agriculture USA

Growing up in the small farm town of West Amwell, Brittany Ennis has always had an appreciation for and understanding of agriculture. Today, the membership and communications director at Springdale Golf Club is the newly crowned National Elite Ms. Agriculture USA, taking on the role of educating others about the importance of agriculture.

Ennis recently competed for the state of New Jersey at her first national

showing with Miss Agriculture USA. Following twoand-a-half days of competition, she returned from Mantua, Ohio, with the 2023 National Elite Ms. Agriculture USA title. Miss Agriculture USA is a national non-profit organization that focuses on positively promoting agriculture. The organization features queens of different ages across the country, who play a role in educating and celebrating all of the diverse aspects and facets of agriculture.

organization while completing Troon’s LEADer Program in 2022. The LEADer Program is an industry-leading 12-month curriculum that combines hands-on learning, interactive webinars, and individual coaching to prepare future leaders for high-level roles within the golf industry. While completing her rotation with Springdale Superintendent Donovan Maguigan and his agronomy staff, she was reminded of her love for agriculture education and was inspired by the mentorship of Troon to research ways that she could further give back to an industry that helped shape who she is today.

Ennis will have the opportunity to advocate on a national level by attending, promoting, or hosting agriculture-based events.

“It’s an incredible feeling to have your career continue to inspire and support your passions,” she said. “The LEADer Program truly led me to finding Miss Agriculture USA and helped spark the desire to be a positive voice.”

Ennis started as membership coordinator at Springdale Golf Club in 2019, and later grew to membership and communications d irector in 2021. For more information, visit springdalegc.org.

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Topics In Brief A Community Bulletin

Commemorative Bricks at Community Park Pool: To raise funds for its endowment fund and ongoing support to the Recreation Department Scholarship Program, the community can have a brick paver engraved to honor a loved one or share a positive message. The deadline is September 1. Visit princetonnj.gov or call (609) 921-9480.

Washington Road Closure: Until October, the road is closed at the D&R Canal while the bridge over the canal is removed and rebuilt. A detour using Nassau Street, Harrison Street, and Route 1 will be in place. The towpath will largely be available during the closure.

Outdoor Dining: Princeton Council and staff want to hear opinions and suggestions from residents about the future of outdoor dining in town. Visit princetonnj.gov. Call for Land Stewards: Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) holds morning or afternoon summer volunteer sessions on August 12, 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. under the guidance of FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship to assist with various conservation projects at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Visit fopos.org. Blood Drive: At MarketFair August 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit RedCrossBlood. org/RapidPass to complete pre-donation screening..

Branch and Leaf Collection: Begins with Section 1 on August 14. For details and rules, visit princetonnj.gov/450/Leaf-Branch-and-Log-Collection.

Volunteer for Womanspace: The organization, which provides emergency and follow-up services to those impacted by domestic and sexual violence, seeks community members to be trainees for the Womanspace Response Teams of Mercer County. Visit womanspace.org.

Renovation

Continued from Preceding Page kitchen “is very high quality,” Gallagher said. “The cabinets by Christopher Peacock are pretty impressive, too.”

The owner praised the team of Lasley Brahaney and Peacock. “Kitchens can be challenging in that they are modern spaces which we needed to accommodate our young family,” she said. “Yet we wanted a timeless and classic design appropriate for a 170-year-old house. Since we had the benefit of living in the space for several years, it helped us communicate certain design priorities.”

Heathcote Farm was built on a site where the State of New Jersey had begun to develop a juvenile penal institution in 1850. When the project was abandoned two years later, it became the country estate of Isaac Chandler Withington, the original owner [who had sold it to the state and bought it back]. Withington hired New York architects Gamaliel King and John Kellum to design the two-and-a-half story brownstone building.

“The head of Kingston’s most prominent family in the mid-19th century, Isaac would soon reacquire the farm and turn the state’s ambitious but ill-fated plans to his own use,” reads an article in The Princeton Recollector from September 1982.

Withington died in 1914, and his heirs sold the property to Joseph Garneau of New York City. Garneau had the house renovated to reflect Colonial Revival instead of Victorian architecture styles, and added wings to both sides. The Cook family purchased the homestead in 1926, and donated what is now known as the Cook Natural Area in the 1970s. Among the features of the site that captivated the current owners is an Adirondack-style gazebo, which has survived since the property’s early days.

In an excerpt from the National Register of Historic Places 1984 nomination form for Heathcote Farm, the property’s “structural and landscape architectural quality is considerable, and its early history as the proposed site of a juvenile penal institution, and later conversion to a private residence/farmstead, bears a definite element of uniqueness,” it reads.

For the current owners, living in a home that has open space and architectural significance is important. “We value being a steward for the house and teaching our children not only the importance of historical preservation, but environmental preservation as well,” the owner said. “Hopefully, we will leave Heathcote Farm better than we found it.”

—Anne Levin

Correction

The article “Five Candidates in Race for Three BOE Seats” [August 2, page 1] incorrectly stated that Eleanor Hubbard is a Princeton University history professor. In fact, she taught in the history department at Princeton University from 2009 to 2020.

A forum for the expression of opinions about local and national issues.

Alexa: “I think they’re really pretty.”

Nathan: “I like the white ones, and I like the caterpillars!”

“I just love their colors and their beautiful wings!”

Nataly: “Their patterns and different colors on their wings. I’ve really enjoyed this event; we’ve learned so many facts about butterflies that we never knew before!”

Sophia: “They can blend into different leaves and stuff, like camouflage.”

Catherine: “I like the orange ones the best.” —Carson and Catherine Allen, Kendall Park

—Gilda Suncar, Ewing

—Alexa, Nathan, and Reanna Pratts-Ruiz, Hamilton

—Nataly and Sophia Thorpe, Elizabeth

Rider University

continued from page one undetermined. Rider is currently involved in two court cases related to the move.

“You would think that his initial plan to sell Westminster and raise $40 million, which was a failure, would be admitted at some point,” said Halpern. “And the movement of Westminster to this campus has been a failure. We’re now down to fewer than 100 [Westminster] students, and the incoming class, last I heard, was 18. And it may be fewer. Effectively, that institution is destroyed.”

According to The Rider News article, two past diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff members have resigned, to be replaced by the director of faculty development. Numerous other restructuring of departments and staff was announced.

This past April, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Rider’s bond rating for the third time since 2020, driven by “the University’s multi-year deep deficit of operations and rapidly deteriorating unrestricted liquidity,” the service wrote in an explanation.

Kristine Brown, Rider’s associate vice president for marketing and communications, said the downgrading “reflects the reality that institutions like Rider University have been facing for years, such as challenging demographics and heightened competition.”

At the Zoom meeting, Dell’Omo announced that undergraduate enrollment for the coming school year is looking stronger than the past two years, according to

The Rider News article. Returning student numbers are also rising.

“I believe very strongly that there is a path forward for rider if we all work together,” Dell’Omo said at the meeting’s close.

Halpern described current faculty and staff morale as non-existent. “Staff are voting with their feet,” he said. “Even in the middle and upper levels of administration, you saw two resignations. Faculty are leaving whenever they can. Generally, in academia, people don’t resign tenure track positions.”

An email the AAUP sent to its members last week urged them to attend an upcoming chapter meeting.

“We would like to continue updating you on these issues and events, as well as answer your questions at our chapter meeting before convocation,” it reads. “Please make every attempt to attend the chapter meeting on August 31 in the BLC Theater.”

—Anne Levin

Rider Furniture

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Joint Effort Safe Streets continued from page one at the ACP will branch out from “I remember when…,” with discussion and reflection from a variety of men and women who grew up in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood including Grace Kimbrough, Sharon Campbell, Evelyn Turner Counts, Shirley Satterfield, Leighton Newlin, Joyce Gillette Johnson, Earl McQueen, Peter Young Jr., and John Thompson.

Other highlights of Wednesday’s ACP event include the Cynthia “Chip” Fisher Memorial Art Exhibit with art by Aaron Fisher and Onome Olotu, community recognition of the Broadway family, a presentation to the ACP, and Joint Effort book scholarships presented to 12 local students.

Saturday morning’s Robeson Day community discussion will focus on affordable housing, the design for Witherspoon Street, cannabis, open space and the Emerald Necklace project, climate change, public safety, social equity,

education, and more.

Princeton Mayor Mark Freda, architect Josh Zinder, Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, Councilman David Cohen, Princeton Police Chief Jon Buccherre, and Princeton Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Tew will lead the discussions.

The candidate forum on Saturday will feature political leaders and Princeton and Mercer County candidates who will be on the ballot this November, including the five candidates for three open spots on the Princeton Board of Education.

Saturday’s Community Block Festival, with food, fun, and entertainment at the YMCA field from 1 to 7 p.m., will feature the Grace Little Band at 4 p.m., preceded by DJ Darius at 1 p.m., Jennifer Bell at 2:30 p.m., and Dennis Rodgers at 3 p.m.

For further details and information about Joint Effort Safe Streets, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org/safestreets.

—Donald Gilpin

Mercer County Democrats

Night Out on August 10

With a major election less than three months away, the third annual Trenton and Mercer County Democrats Night Out, hosted by the Capital City Area Black Caucus (CCABC) and Mercer County Commissioner Sam Frisby, will bring together Democrats from throughout the County on Thursday, August 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Greater Mt. Zion AME Church, 42 Pennington Avenue in Trenton.

Dedicated to the memory of recently deceased New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, the gathering of elected and other Democratic Party officials, faith and community leaders, and other concerned citizens from throughout the state will discuss state, county, and Trenton issues, as well as share information, network, and prepare for the November election.

“This Mercer County Democrats Night Out is a call to action and an opportunity to bring Democrats from throughout Mercer County

together before a major election,” Frisby said in an August 7 press release. “We need every Democrat in the county to be a part of our efforts to support our leadership and our candidates. This Dems Night Out is a powerful statement and shows the will in the Mercer County area for Democrats to work together and do the right things for Mercer County citizens.”

Frisby noted that every Democratic elected official and candidate in the county has been invited to attend.

The agenda for the event includes a keynote address on the future of Mercer County by New Jersey Assemblyman Dan Benson, candidate for Mercer County executive; remarks from Trenton and Mercer County elected officials; remarks from CCABC founders and community leaders; an update on upcoming elections; and a presentation on the upcoming Black Community Social Equity Summit, as well as a recognition ceremony acknowledging a number of area honorees.

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Jill Barry to Leave Morven Museum

After Seven-Year Tenure as Director

Looking back on her seven years as executive director of Morven Museum & Garden, Jill Barry is confident that she is leaving the organization in good hands.

“The most gratifying thing has been how the institution has really come together,” said Barry, who announced her departure last week. She is relocating to Texas to become CEO of the Houston Botanic Garden. Her last day at Morven is September 1.

“The staff is really strong,” she continued. “And quite frankly, we’ve done a lot. When I say ‘we,’ I mean that I’ve done none of these things myself.”

During Barry’s tenure, Morven built the Stockton Education Center, a project that had been in the making for a decade. The building, which opened on the grounds in 2018, added program space, a classroom, new offices, storage space, and more.

“That was one of the first charges when I got here,” she said. “They needed more space, and we were able to get it done. Building a building is always a nice achievement.”

Steering the historic property through the pandemic presented considerable challenges. “Nobody knew what was going on,” Barry said. “We had to come together and figure out how to go forward. I think because we were small and facile, we could move a lot faster than bigger museums. We were

one of the first cultural organizations in the state to open safely.”

When the shutdown began, Morven was planning its annual plant sale. “The staff was able to get a website up, and get the sale online,” said Barry. “Being able to create an income generator was a

Farmers Market Week

Celebrates Peak of Season

believed to have slept. It was a very impactful program that people still talk about today.”

Barry’s new position will present new challenges. The three-year-old Houston Botanic Garden is a 132-acre expanse located on a former public golf course. “It’s still in its early startup days,” she said. “We will have to do building projects, and a lot of the kinds of things we’ve done at Morven. That’s the stuff I love to do.”

Elizabeth Allan, Morven’s current deputy director and curator and an employee for the past 13 years, will serve as interim director while a national search is launched for Barry’s permanent successor.

Jill Barry

Morven was originally the home of the Stockton family, which owned slaves for several years. That part of its history became a focus during Barry’s tenure.

“The museum field had been moving toward a more robust interpretation of that history when I arrived here,” Barry said. “The staff, and later the board, were ready enough to really start having these conversations in earnest. One proud moment was being able to bring the Slave Dwelling Project [a national program at sites where people were enslaved] here in 2018, for the first time. We had a big community supper, a fireside chat into the evening, and about 20 of us slept in the museum that night, where the slaves were

“Moven is in a very solid place,” Barry said. “Everyone knows what they are doing and what they are supposed to be doing. I’m a little sad, but I don’t feel bad.”

—Anne Levin

Rider Furniture

“Where quality still matters.”

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Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5

New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison III marked National Farmers Market Week (August 6-12) with a visit to the West Windsor Community Farmers Market on Saturday morning, August 5.

The USDA each year proclaims a National Farmers Market Week to remind consumers to visit these markets this summer and fall.

“Community farmers markets provide a convenient avenue for residents to access a wide variety of delicious just-picked Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Atchison. “Farmers markets foster a sense of community and allow consumers an opportunity to interact with farmers and gain a better understanding of where and how their food is grown.”

There are approximately 140 community farmers markets and 700 independent farmers markets in the state. Farmers who attend these markets sell produce they’ve picked at the peak of ripeness within 24 hours of sale to ensure the best taste and highest quality.

The West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market, celebrating its 20th season, is located at 877 Alexander Road in West Windsor. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through November 18 and runs twice monthly throughout the winter. The market hosts approximately 50 vendors with nearly 20 farms represented, along with a variety of other food-related booths, knife sharpening, a composting service, live music, and community groups.

Last year in a poll by American Farmland Trust, the West Windsor Market was voted by the public as the No. 1 community farmers market in New Jersey and the No. 4 market in the Northeast.

“As a farmers market organized entirely by the community, creating a welcoming and vibrant pop-up open-air marketplace each week to celebrate New Jersey farms and artisan food purveyors has been our mission since 2004,” said Chris Cirkus, manager of the West Windsor Community Farmers Market. “Our weekly roster is representative of the diverse offerings grown, raised, and produced in the Garden State, and we absolutely love that our shoppers can do most of their weekly shopping with us, all while supporting our farms and vendors.”

According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, eating Jersey Fresh fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products can go a long way to improving overall health. Eating locally also is a good choice for protecting the environment by reducing the miles a meal travels between farm and fork, lessening fuel consumption. In addition, choosing locally grown products helps keep New Jersey farmers on their land, preserving the Garden State’s quality of life.

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PSRC Announces New Fall Evergreen Forum Courses History Via Shakespeare, Medicine: The History and the Mystery, and Introduction

to Mindfulness are just a few of the new courses that will be offered for the fall 2023 session of the Evergreen Forum, a program of the Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC). Starting in September, the program will offer 26 courses for adults that focus on science, literature, art, history, social studies, and culture.

Returning instructors this fall include Stan Katz, who will be teaching America in the 1990s, and Wendy Worth, who will teach Outsider Art.

Registration is first-come, first-served. Online registration opens on August 22 at 9:30 a.m. at princetonsenior.org. Electronic brochures are available online on the PSRC website.

Most classes begin the week of September 26 and meet once a week for two hours. Fees are $110 for sixto eight-week courses, and $85 for three- to five-week courses. Seniors scholarships are available to those for whom the fee is a hardship. To apply, contact Sharon Hurley, volunteer and Vaccine Navigator coordinator, at shurley@princetonsenior.org or (609) 751.9699, ext. 104.

The PSRC is a community nonprofit where aging adults and their families find support, guidance, education, and social programs to help them navigate life transitions and continue to be active, healthy, and engaged in the community.

The Evergreen Forum is an affiliate of the Road Scholar Institute network. The Evergreen Forum corporate sponsors for fall 2023 are Brandywine Living: Princeton, Pennington, and Serenade at Princeton; Capital Health; Homewatch CareGivers; McCaffrey’s Food Markets; Penn Medicine Princeton Health; and Stark & Stark Attorneys at Law.

Literacy New Jersey Mercer Tutor Training Workshop

Volunteer tutors are needed by Literacy New Jersey Mercer to help adults improve their English literacy skills. Volunteers work

one-to-one or in small groups to teach adults who are learning to speak, read, and write English.

The organization will hold a Tutor Training Workshop on Zoom on Wednesdays September 6, 13, 20, and 27; and October 4 and 11, from 6-8 p.m. Participants are expected to attend all training sessions and complete some independent online assignments.

Previous teaching experience is not necessary. The training will provide all the essential skills and support to become an effective tutor. After the training, volunteers will be ready to start meeting with students in person or online, once a week.

Email mercer@literacynj. org or call (609) 587-6027 for more information.

Vegan Chef Challenge Coming to Princeton

The inaugural Princeton Vegan Chef Challenge, sponsored by Vegan Outreach, kicks off on September 1. Local chefs will be competing for votes with plant-based menu options.

To participate, members of the public can visit restaurants on the Princeton Vegan Chef Challenge website between September 1-30 to sample vegan dishes; then vote for favorites either at the restaurants or on the website. Winning dishes will be announced in October.

The Vegan Chef Challenge also invites diners to experience the benefits of a plant-based diet by signing up for the free 10 Weeks to Vegan program. This guided challenge gives participants everything they need to get started with eating vegan. Each week, participants learn to replace one animal product with a vegan version, while receiving nutritional tips, product recommendations, and recipes. To learn more, visit 10weeks.org.

Vegan Outreach is an international, nonprofit organization aiming to reduce animal suffering by promoting a vegan lifestyle through education and making vegan options more accessible.

CELEBRATING FARMERS MARKET WEEK: West Windsor Community Farmers Market Manager Chris Cirkus, left, was joined by New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison III at the West Windsor market on August 5.

Dr. Jared Levin was locally born and raised in Lawrenceville, NJ. He graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biopsychology. He went on to receive his Doctor of Dental Science degree from NYU College of Dentistry in 2022. He completed his General Practice Residency in June, 2023 at Newark Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Levin prides himself on providing comprehensive dental care to both adult and pediatric patients. When he is not providing dental care, Dr. Levin enjoys attending sporting events, traveling, playing golf, and taking trips to the Jersey Shore.

Dr. Levin is joining F. Charles Wightman, DDS.; Darren S. Brummel, DDS.; Matthew Montenero, DDS.; Alisa H. Wain, DDS.; and Samin Nawaz, DMD.

Princeton Dental Group is pleased to announce a new addition to our professional staff – Dr. Jared Levin

HomeFront

Needs Help to Provide School Supplies for Hundreds of Kids

Many Mercer County chil dren need school supplies, clothing, and shoes to start the new school year, and HomeFront’s Back to School Drive is calling for wide spread community support to ensure that those stu dents are well prepared for the opening day.

“Feeling and looking their best is really important to most kids, especially on that first day of school,” said Chris Marchetti, director of HomeFront’s Joy, Hopes, and Dreams program. “The Back to School Drive aims to help our parents provide youngsters with new clothes, shoes, book bags, and sup plies, so they can feel on top of their game, ready to learn and prepared for the year ahead.”

The HomeFront Back to School Drive, which is now in its 30th year, will run through August 18 with a goal of meeting the needs of 1,500 students. Last year’s drive successfully outfitted more than 1,350 local chil dren, while helping to foster a sense of enthusiasm for learning and empowering the next generation to thrive on their educational journey, according to HomeFront.

“With the academic year just around the corner, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to excel in their studies,” said HomeFront Director of Development and Community Engagement Meghan Cubano. “Our Back to School Drive aims to alleviate the financial burden on families who struggle to afford essential school supplies, clothing, and shoes, ensuring that students can fully focus on their education without any worries.”

HomeFront notes on its website (homefrontnj.org) that there are many ways to help. Participants can sign up to sponsor a child; organize a drive to sponsor several families; donate gift cards to Old Navy, Target, or Walmart; or make a donation to HomeFront’s Back to School Fund.

“The first day of school can be hard — especially for students affected by poverty and homelessness,” states the website. “Your support allows our kids to start the school year off with the tools they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond.”

Participants who choose to sponsor a child will be given a set list of items needed for their individual backpack. Each child’s list will also state whether they need a back to school outfit or a new uniform and the sizes of clothing and shoes they wear.

The shopping list might include a new shirt, pants, a skirt, underwear, socks, shoes, and a host of school supplies like notebooks, a three-ring binder with paper, folders, pens, colored pencils, erasers, rulers, glue sticks, tape, crayons, and safety scissors or, for middle and high school students, a scientific calculator, a geometry set, a stapler, a composition notebook, and subject dividers.

Also needed for some backpacks and for HomeFront’s Artie the art van is an assortment of art supplies. “Artie delivers art supplies,

COVID continued from page one of your household is COVIDpositive or if you or a household member was exposed to someone with COVID-19, especially in an indoor setting.”

Princeton Deputy Administrator and Director of Health Jeff Grosser also pointed out that despite reports of an uptick, COVIDrelated hospitalizations, which have replaced case counts as primary indicators, remain near all-time lows. He also noted the “good news” that the Omicron subvariants “tend to behave similarly to one another.”

He went on, “Now that we are in more of a ‘holding pattern’ with COVID-19, and our public health response is similar to our response to some of our other communicable diseases like flu, it’s vital that disease surveillance continues to be our metric on public health preventative measures, and, of course, that public health resources continue to be supported so increased mobilization and response does not lag behind.”

“It’s hard to tell what the fall will bring,” she said. “Luckily, we are still dealing with the Omicron family of COVID-19 and all its offshoots, so there is already built-up immunity. However we should continue to stay vigilant about this upcoming viral respiratory season, including COVID and flu activity.”

She continued, “It’s important once the updated COVID monovalent booster doses are available later this fall, those eligible should get vaccinated. And make sure to get your flu shot by Halloween! Masks are a great tool to wear when transmission levels of any of these respiratory viruses are circulating.”

Grosser explained that Pfizer and Moderna are working to get FDA approval on new boosters, expected this fall, and that these boosters will adapt to newer strains of COV -

ID-19 to provide additional protection. “Individuals should consult their primary care physician about whether they should wait for the updated booster to come this fall or receive the bivalent booster now,” he added.

At some point this fall, the federal COVID-19 vaccination program will end, but remaining doses that have been purchased by the federal government will remain free until they run out, and Medicare Advantage plans will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccinations in-network, Grosser said.

“Medicaid will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccinations through September 30, 2024 and will generally cover ACIP-recommended vaccines for most beneficiaries thereafter,” he added. “Once the federal vaccine program ends, anyone uninsured will need to pay out of pocket.”

READY FOR SCHOOL: HomeFront’s Back to School Drive is aiming to provide backpacks, school supplies, and necessary clothing items for more than 1,000 area children. The start of the school year is approaching, and HomeFront needs sponsors to contribute and donate supplies by August 18. (Photo courtesy of HomeFront) housing; education; child care; preschool; summer camp; after-school programs; employment training and placement; case management; and necessities such as food, clothing, hygiene items, diapers, and furniture.

creative experiences, and smiles to Mercer County’s under-resourced children,” according to HomeFront.

Donations can be dropped off at the HomeFront main office at 1880 Princeton Avenue in Lawrenceville, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Dropping off by August 18 will ensure that the items get to the families and children in time for the first day of school. For art supplies there will be an additional drop-off donation opportunity Saturday, August 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Baxter Construction parking lot at 31 West Broad Street in Hopewell.

HomeFront Marketing and Communications Specialist Jay Moschella reported on August 7 that the Back to School Drive was about halfway to its goal with about 10 days to go. The needs of those affected by poverty and homelessness in Mercer County are growing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic is over,” said Moschella, “but there is still a crisis for human services.”

Moschella pointed out that the number of evictions has been rising, and there are more and more people who can barely keep afloat. “More people than ever before are coming to the HomeFront food pantry,” she said.

“We know that education is a key to success for families clawing their way out of poverty,” said HomeFront Chief Executive Officer Sarah Steward. “With the community’s support, we will make sure that every child has the basics to ensure a strong start to another important year in school.”

HomeFront offers more than 30 integrated programs which deliver immediate and long-term solutions for families in the crisis of homelessness. These supports include shelter; affordable

For more information or to sign up to support the Back to School Drive, visit homefrontnj.org, call (609) 989-9417 x150, or email getinvolved@homefrontnj.org.

—Donald Gilpin

Madad also urged vigilance, noting, “While there’s no set seasonality associated with COVID-19 yet (like when we have a flu season), it’s important to be cognizant of your local community transmission levels, especially if you are at high risk for severe illness associated with COVID-19 infection, and take extra precautions like wearing a high-quality mask and ensuring you’re up to date with your booster.”

Madad went on to express optimism about levels of immunity, with most Americans having immunizations or repeated infections or both, but she urged wariness as the fall season approaches.

—Donald Gilpin

Community Should Be Aware of Poison Ivy at Community Park Pool

To the Editor:

I’d like the community to be aware of a poison ivy danger at Community Park Pool. There are sprouts coming out onto the sidewalk along the fence between the parking lot and the children’s pool. There are also sprouts along the trees in the children’s pool area. Some sprouts are making their way onto the grass at the back of the shaded area. I told the office about this issue weeks ago, and they continue to assure me that maintenance will get to it as soon as they can. But until then — beware!

PETER KRAMER Prospect Avenue

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 un derstanding 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

written a pocket-sized citizen’s guide on how to fight back against the disinformation campaigns that are imperiling American democracy. He contends that the issue is “the culmination of 70 years of strategic denialism,” and shows how the war on facts began. He explains why the best way to combat disinformation is to disrupt its spread.

McIntyre is a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and a recent lecturer in ethics at Harvard Extension School. He holds a bachelor’s degree

from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan. He has taught philosophy at Colgate University, Boston University, Tufts Experimental College, Simmons College, and Harvard Extension School. Formerly executive director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, he has also served as a policy adviser to the executive dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard and as associate editor in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Guide to Combatting Disinformation To Be Discussed in Virtual Author Talk

Author and research fellow Lee McIntyre will discuss his book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy (MIT Press, $14.95), which examines the roots of disinformation, and explores what can be done to combat this growing problem.

The program offered by Princeton Public Library is virtual, on Zoom, on Wednesday, August 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. Go to princetonlibrary.libnet.info/events for the Zoom link registration.

McIntyre, who also wrote Post-Truth and How to Talk to a Science Denier, has

Higher and Higher — Taking It to the Limit with David Lynch

Put me on a highway

Show me a sign

Take it to the limit

One more time

—from the Eagles, “Take It to the Limit” (1975)

Because the audience knows how far over the top the song and singer are going to go, the excitement is already building as Randy Meisner sings the first words (“All alone at the end of the evening and the bright lights have faded to blue”). A bass guitar around his neck, he’s standing front and center with the Eagles at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, March 21-22, 1977.

The song’s title is itself a constant challenge for a lifelong dreamer who “can’t seem to settle down,” whose dreams keep “burning out and turning out the same,” until he gets to the “take it to the limit one more time” cadenzas, holding each note a life’s breath longer until it’s as if he’s gone so high and so far that he’s lost in an absolute and might not make it back but for the intoxicated crowd willing him to surpass the unsurpassable. As many times as Meisner gave the crowd the high they wanted, the night came when he had to tell his bandmates that he could no longer do it, and that was the beginning of the end of his time with the Eagles. As he says in the documentary History of the Eagles , “The line ‘take it to the limit’ was to keep trying before you reach a point in your life where you feel you’ve done everything and seen everything.” He was in his early thirties when he sang it and 77 two weeks ago when he died.

descriptions, I knew David was going to take that as the blueprint for something extraordinary. He ran with it and elevated it to a whole other level” where “the atomic explosion was probably half a page as written,” but “in David’s hands, it could run as long as 10 or 12 minutes, and it would be riveting. It was certainly a narrative departure from what we had done before.”

“She’s Gone Away”

Cut along the length, but you can’t get the feeling back ... She’s gone, she’s gone, she’s gone away.”

Visions of Trinity

Lynch puts the date, time, and place in white letters on a black screen — July 16, 1945, White Sands New Mexico, 5:29 AM (MWT) — before presenting his remaking of Trinity, which will spew psychic fallout to key locales on Planet Lynch such as Las Vegas, South Dakota, New York City, and Twin Peaks, Washington, where the woods are dark and deep and the “owls are not what they seem.”

Origins

While I have no evidence that David Lynch ever responded to Randy Meisner’s signature song, his work has always embodied a take-it-to-the-limits aesthetic, and none more so than the original Twin Peaks (at its best) and Twin Peaks: The Return (2017), the subject of the final chapter of Lynch’s hybrid biography/memoir Room to Dream (Random House 2018, with Kristine McKenna). It’s characteristic that music is at the heart of the chapter’s opening paragraph: “There’s something about stopping something before it’s finished that leaves you wanting it, and Twin Peaks wasn’t finished. In music you hear a theme and then it goes away, then the song goes along for a while, then you sort of hear the theme again, then it goes away again. It feels so good and then it goes and you can’t get it out of your mind.”

In a May 2018 Salon interview Twin Peaks 3 co-author Mark Frost described the famous, widely acclaimed Part 8 (“Gotta Light?”) as a platform for determining where the entire Twin Peaks project’s “pervasive sense of darkness and evil” originated: “We wrote it in great detail,” but “as we were putting down the

Every installment of TP3 except Part 8 ends with a performance at the Twin Peaks hangout the Roadhouse. Lynch, however, chooses to place a sludgy rock dirge performed live by Nine Inch Nails directly before his bravura reinvention of the Trinity blast (shown above), suggesting the relation between the explosion and the Twin Peaks “origin story.” The gruesomely evocative who-killed-LauraPalmer lyrics of Nine Inch Nails’ “She’s Gone Away” (“You dig in places ‘til your fingers bleed / Spread the infection where you spill your seed”) suggest as much: “I was watching on the day she died / We keep licking while the skin turns black /

Lynch usually prefers placing romantic music in unromantic contexts, as he does with Roy Orbison’s “Dreams” in Blue Velvet. The original Twin Peaks is haunted by the lovelorn singing of Julee Cruise (1956-2022) and Angelo Badalamenti’s (1937-2022) rapturously sinister score. “She’s Gone Away” doesn’t build tension as much as it delays and distances the coming spectacle. If there has to be a Roadhouse song at this point, it might be better to go

The vision of the test in Christopher Nolan’s recently released fi lm Oppenheimer, reviewed here two weeks ago, created considerable media fallout, as in the New York Times opinion piece from a resident pointing out that “the area of southern New Mexico where the Trinity test occurred was not, contrary to the popular account, an uninhabited, desolate expanse of land. There were more than 13,000 New Mexicans living within a 50-mile radius. Many of those children, women, and men were not warned before or after the test.” On July 20 the Times ran an article complete with elaborate color graphs showing that within 10 days of detonation the fallout from White Sands had reached 46 states, Canada, and Mexico. Quoted in the article, a Manhattan Project physician reported that the Trinity cloud “remained towering over the northeast corner of the site for several hours.” Soon, he added, “various levels were seen to move in different directions.” An assessment “of the fallout’s reach could be undertaken later on horseback.”

IMAX to the Limit

2 & 3 BEDROOMS

with the usual Lynchian mix of irony and teen angst with a song like “Take It to the Limit” where “You can spend all your time making money” and “all your love making time.” Better yet leave Part 8 devoid of music except for Penderecki’s Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima and the Platters’ “My Prayer,” which is playing over the radio 11 years later as a frog-moth hatched from the dust of Ground Zero crawls into the open mouth of the sweetly asleep AllAmerican schoolgirl who will grow up to be Laura Palmer’s haunted mother.

Nolan’s version of the test at Trinity was spectacular enough to move the Guardian reviewer to hail it as Oppenheimer’s main event, “that terrifying first demonstration ... This is the big bang, and no one could have made it bigger or more overwhelming than Nolan. He does this without simply turning it into an action stunt.”

That is, no one could have made it “bigger” except David Lynch. Nolan’s blast can be seen supersized on IMAX. Made for the so-called small screen, Lynch’s version seems to be attempting to manifest something like the doomsday event the Manhattan Project scientists knew might take place should the chain reaction ignite the Earth’s atmosphere. And what would happen should audiences one day see Part 8 of Twin Peaks 3 on the IMAX? The possibilities are wild. Imagine anything. Take it to the limit. As David Lynch remarks in the last chapter of Room to Dream after describing his discovery of the “frog-moth” when stepping off a train into the soft dust of Yugoslavia (“and out of the earth these huge moths, like frogs, were leaping up, and they’d fly and flip and go back down again”): “Things just sort of show up in the world of Twin Peaks.”

—Stuart Mitchner

Performing Arts

91 University Place, on Saturday, August 12 at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m.

Check in is at the Berlind Theatre lobby. The young actors will be asked to sing, dance, and act; no professional experience is required. The children must be between the ages of 8 and 14 to participate.

McCarter casts a group of young actors in the Youth Ensemble, who take on roles within the annual production. Those chosen have the opportunity to perform alongside professional actors on McCarter’s Matthews stage. This year’s production, which stars Joel McKinnon Miller as Ebenezer Scrooge, is December 6-24. Visit mccarter.org for more information.

Single Tickets Now Available Online for University Concerts

BLUES VIRTUOSO: Grammy Award-winning musician Gary Clark Jr. comes to the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on August 27.

Gary Clark Jr. Performs

At State Theatre NJ State Theatre New Jersey and The Bowery presents Gary Clark Jr. on Sunday, August 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $59-$199.

Clark is a 21st-century rock ’n’ roll musician — a blues virtuoso who blends in reggae, punk, R&B, hiphop, and soul. He has been performing since his childhood in Texas, and won his first Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Please Come Home” from his 2012

debut Blak And Blu.

Clark’s third album, This Land , hit No. 6 on the Billboard Top 200, his third consecutive Top 10 debut. He has appeared at festivals and venues including the Hollywood Bowl, made appearances sharing the stage with The Rolling Stones, and performed at the White House for the Obamas.

In 2020, Clark won three Grammy Awards. He performed “This Land” backed by The Roots during the ceremony, releasing the live

version as a single. Clark is currently working on a follow-up to the album, continuing to experiment and push the possibilities of American roots music.

The State Theatre is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit STNJ.org.

Youth Ensemble Auditions

For “A Christmas Carol”

McCarter Theatre Center will hold auditions for young actors to appear in the annual production of A Christmas Carol. The tryouts will be at the theater,

Single ticket sales for Princeton University Concerts’ (PUC) 130th Season are now available for purchase online only. Sales will be available over the phone beginning Tuesday, September 5.

PUC has also launched its new Admit All ticket access program for low-income patrons, and added All in the Family concerts to the season roster. General ticket prices range from $10 to $60. Student ticket prices range from $5 to $15. Children’s tickets to All in the Family concerts are $5.

Among the events are the Concert Classics series in Richardson Auditorium; Special Event mainstage concerts with soloists; the Performances Up Close series, with audience seated alongside the artist on stage

in a more informal and intimate atmosphere; the Healing with Music events which highlight music’s powerful role through adversity through discussions and live performance; free Live Music Meditations; concerts by the Richardson Chamber Players faculty ensemble; Family Concerts; Do-ReMeet social events for music lovers; and more.

Artists booked for the season include the Chanticleer vocal ensemble, Hagen and Doric String Quartets; jazz pianist Brad Mehldau; Icelandic pianist Víkingur

Ólafsson playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations ; pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Jonathan Biss playing Schubert works for fourhands; baroque violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte alongside harpsichordist Justin Taylor; pianist Hélène Grimaud; South African soprano Golda Schultz; and the trio of violinist Isabelle Faust, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, and pianist Alexander Melnikov. A comprehensive list of 2023-24 season events and performances can be found at puc.princeton.edu.

A BUSY SEASON: South African soprano Golda Schultz is among the artists booked for the coming arts season by Princeton University Concerts. (Photo by Dario Acosta)

Art

As part of a nonprofit Cranbury Arts Council, the Gourgaud Gallery donates 20 percent of art sales to the Cranbury Arts Council and its programs that support arts in the community. Cash or a check made out to the artist is accepted as payment.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit cranburyartscouncil.com.

Area Exhibits

Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Victor Ekpuk: Language and Lineage” through October 8. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

“GREAT BLUE HERON”: The Arts Council of Princeton unveiled a new community mural last week in downtown Princeton, designed and painted by Trenton-based artist Jonathan Conner, known as LANK. It is the 10th temporary mural on Spring Street since the site’s inception in 2020.

ACP’s Latest Public Mural Honors Heron, D&R Canal

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) unveiled a new community mural last week at Spring and Witherspoon streets, honoring the D&R Canal and its most famous avian resident.

The new work was designed and painted by artist Jonathan Conner, who goes by LANK. A lover of the outdoors and wildlife, his mural features a great blue heron, a nod to his favorite way to travel from Trenton to Princeton — the D&R Canal path. The gold line running through the mural is an approximate map of the path.

LANK is a Trenton-based artist and graduate student in anthropology at Monmouth University. He is a founding member of the grassroots city beautification organization, SAGE Coalition, and is the public projects manager for Artworks Trenton. LANK has been organizing and executing mural projects and community art-making since 2008.

Great Blue Heron marks the ACP’s 10th temporary mural on Spring Street since the site’s inception in July 2020. What started as a way to show solidarity and togetherness during the COVID-19 lockdown has evolved into a mainstay of Princeton’s Central Business District. The location’s temporary nature allows the ACP to showcase multiple local and regional artists each year, including Leon Rainbow, Fiona Chinkan, Dave DiMarchi, and Ben Colbert, to name a few. An application for artists to submit their mural proposals is available on the ACP’s website.

Great Blue Heron is the latest of the ACP’s growing public art presence around Princeton. Also on view are Continuum by Illia Barger at Terra Momo Bread Company, Journey by Marlon 7oveChild Davila on the corner of John Street and Leigh Avenue, and the Bring on the Joy, LOVE , and Kindness murals at the Princeton Shopping Center.

LANK’s work will be on view on Spring Street until

fall 2023, when a new mural will take its place.

To learn more about the ACP’s public art projects and free community programming, visit at artscouncilofprinceton.org.

HV Arts Council Presents

“Radius 14” Local Artists Exhibit

The Hopewell Valley Arts Council invites the community to meet the artists at the opening reception for “Radius 14: Celebrating Our Local Artists” on Thursday, August 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibition is for two weeks only, with works by artists within a 14 mile radius of Hopewell Valley. The exhibition is part of “Seward Johnson | Celebrating the Everyday,” HV Art Council’s year-long tribute to the life of Seward Johnson and his guiding influence over the art community in Hopewell Valley.

The exhibition will be on view at Gallery 14, 14 Mercer Street in Hopewell, for two long weekends — Thursday through Sunday, August 10, 11, 12, and 13 and August 17, 18, 19, and 20 from 12 to 5 p.m. each day.

Visitors can explore a diverse range of art forms including paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media, photography, printmaking, and more. Selected artwork will be displayed at Gallery 14 and online, providing an opportunity for viewing and purchase.

For more information, visit hvartscouncil.org.

Call to Artists: Off the Wall Holiday Market

West Windsor Arts is seeking original wall hanging art or sculpture. Work must be original and handcrafted by the artist. The Holiday Market will take place in their gallery with holiday tents and lots of cheer to welcome customers. The focus is on you, the Maker: your story, what makes your process unique, the history of your craft, your sustainable practices, and any other aspect of your business that helps customers understand who you are.

This open call is dedicated to artists looking to sell wall hanging 2-D artwork and sculpture. There is a

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “The Stories We Tell” August 10 through September 3. An opening reception is on Saturday, August 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. lambertvillearts.com.

separate open call for artisans looking to submit handcrafted functional objects and crafts at westwindsorarts.org/exhibition/call_to_artisans_for_holiday_market.

In-person market dates will be on November 18-19, and December 2-3, 9-10, and 16-17. The time each day will be from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. The online store will be open 24/7. The final deadline to submit is on Monday, September 25.

For more information regarding the exhibition and eligibility requirements, visit the WWAC website at westwindsorarts.org/exhibition/ call-to-artists-for-holiday-artshow or call (609) 716-1931.

“Nature Revisited” Exhibit Now at Gourgaud Gallery Gourgaud Gallery, located in Cranbury Town Hall, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, presents “Nature Revisited” by artist Evie Sutkowski, on view through the end of August. An opening reception is on Sunday, August 13 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The artwork in the exhibition includes the mediums of watercolor, collage, mixed-media, eco-print, and cyanotype.

The pandemic impacted Sutkowski by restricting person-to-person contact with people. To avoid the enclosure of her home space and gain exercise, she said she took solo walks outside, which resulted in a return to her childhood love of nature. The forced solitude of this period ignited in her a meditative frame of mind. On walks in the woods, near rippling streams, she took in the sounds, scents, and views of her surroundings of birds chirping and the swift motion of startled deer. She also visited the seacoast and beaches and saw afresh how the sun reflected transparently on the rocks. This fresh vision inspired her watercolor paintings during this period.

Also, studying the perfection of nature’s floral and leaf patterns led her to create the patterns in artwork utilizing art forms new for her: eco-prints and cyanotypes. She demonstrates her refreshed artistic vision in in “ Nature Revisited.”

Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Art About Art: Contemporary Photographers Look at Old Master Paintings” August 19 through November 5. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

D&R Greenway Land Trust Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, has “Migration: Movement for Survival” through September 24. drgreenway.org.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has “Nature Revisited” through August 31. An opening reception is on Sunday, August 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. cranburyartscouncil.org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, has “Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits” and “Spiral Q: The Parade” through January 7 and “That’s Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery,”

“Princeton’s Portrait,” and other exhibits. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m., Thursday to 7 p.m. princetonhistory.org

Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “Alan Goldstein: Elemental” through September 4 and “Sarah Kaizar: Rare Air” through November 5. michenerartmuseum.org

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Striking Beauty” through February 18 and the online exhibits “Slavery at Morven,” “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761–1898,” and others. morven.org.

Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, has “Everything’s Fine: Surreal Paintings About Mental Health” through October 15 in the second floor Reading

Room. An Art Talk by Gwenn Seemel is on August 16 at 7 p.m. princetonlibrary.org.

Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University, has “Nobody Turn Us Around: The Freedom Rides and Selma to Montgomery Marches: Selections from the John Doar Papers” through March 31. Library.princeton.edu.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has art by Jahnavi Zondervan through September 5. Works by Nicky Belletier are at the 254 Nassau Street location through September 5. smallworldcoffee.com.

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, has “Ellarslie Open 40” through September 30. ellarslie.org.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Jump into Pictures” through August 26. westwindsorarts.org.

TOWN TOPICS

“NATURE REVISITED”: Works by Evie Sutkowski are on view at Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury through August 31. An opening reception is on August 13 from 1-3 p.m.

Mark Your Calendar TOWN TOPICS

Wednesday, August 9

4 p.m.: Meeting of the Princeton Special Improvement District (Experience Princeton) Board of Directors, at the Nassau Inn, Palmer Square.

5:30 p.m.: “I Remember

Yesterday, When … A Salute to Our Ancestors.” Panel discussion, food, culture, scholarships, Jim Floyd Memorial Lecture, and Cynthia “Chip” Fisher Memorial Art Exhibition, at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Part of the Joint Effort Safe Streets week of activities. Contact John Bailey at johnbailey062@gmail. com for information.

Thursday, August 10

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

6-8 p.m.: Dueling Piano Night on the Palmer Square Green. Palmersquare.com.

6-7:30 p.m.: Evening Yoga in the Garden at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Led by Gemma Farrell at Gratitude Yoga. The event will

move into the Stockton Education Center in the event of rain. Morven.org.

6-8 p.m.: The Amazin’ Grace and GLB perform at Princeton Shopping Center as part of the Summer Concert Series. Free, bring a blanket or lawn chair. Princetonshoppingcenter.org.

Friday, August 11

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by ALBO. Terhuneorchards. com.

5-8 p.m.: “Dive into Summer at WaterWorks,” West Windsor WaterWorks, 193 Princeton Hightstown Road. Swimming, waterslide, food, games, silent auction, DJ. Fundraiser for West Windsor Arts. $5. Westwindsorarts.org.

Saturday, August 12

9 a.m. and 3 p.m.: Friends of Princeton Open Space holds the final summer weekend land stewards volunteer session with the stewardship team to perform riparian restoration, including invasive species removal, specimen planting, protecting young saplings, and more. Space is limited, sign up at fopos.org/eventsprograms

9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: didates’ Forum and Hot Topics Community Discussion on affordable housing, Witherspoon Street design, cannabis, education, and more, at First Baptist Church of Princeton, 30 Green Street. Part of the Joint Effort Safe Streets week of activities. Contact John Bailey at johnbailey062@gmail.com for information.

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Joint Effort and Bailey Youth Academy Basketball Clinic, Community Park Basketball Court, 372 Witherspoon Street. Part of the Joint Effort Safe Streets week of activities. Contact John Bailey johnbailey062@gmail. com for information.

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Potato harvest at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Children’s craft: potato chips (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Howellfarm.org.

12-2 p.m.: Summer Music Series on the Palmer Square Green with the Eric Daab Trio. Palmersquare. com.

12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Jerry Steele performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards. com.

Peak of the Season

Peak of the Season

Sunday, August 13

12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Michael Montemurro performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.

Lisa Lonie plays the Princeton University carillon at the Graduate School, 88 College Road West. Listen from outside, rain or shine. Free. Arts.princeton.edu.

2 p.m.: “Trenton Eyewitnesses to Revolution,” at the Trent House, 15 Market Street, Trenton. Larry Kidder talks about Revolutionary War-era Trenton residents. Free. Pre-registration encouraged at Williamtrenthouse.org.

4 p.m.: Putman County performs rock and blues at Hinds Plaza. Princetonlibrary.org.

Monday, August 14 Recycling

7 p.m.: Gotham Princeton holds a cocktail party with organization leaders Fred Klein, Mitch Tobol, Cynthia Somma, Corey Bearak, and Joshua Zinder at Trattoria Procaccini, 354 Nassau Street. Reserve in advance. (609) 915-0817. Gothamnetworking.com.

Wednesday, August 16

10-10:30 a.m.: Storytime on the Palmer Square Green. Palmersquare.com.

4:30 p.m.: Brownie Girl Scout Dance Workshop at Morven, 55 Stockton Street. Sue Dupre, a caller with Princeton Country Dancers, teaches popular dances from the 18th and 19th centuries, and participants make up their own dances. Morven.org .

6 p.m.: Trenton Night: Instant Funk and Grace Little Band, at Mercer County Park festival grounds, West Windsor. Mercercountyorg/parks.

7-8 p.m.: Meeting of the League of Women Voters of the Greater Princeton Area, at West Windsor Library, 333 North Post Road, Princeton Junction. Lwvprinceton.org.

Thursday, August 17

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

6-8 p.m.: Dueling Piano Night on the Palmer Square Green. Palmersquare.com.

6:30 p.m.: Story & Verse, storytelling and poetic open mic at Pettoranello Gardens, Community Park North. Outdoor summer series. The theme is “Blessings in Disguise.” Those wishing to participate should arrive at 6:15 p.m. Free. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

8 p.m.: “Brit Floyd: 50 Years of Dark Side,” at the State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. 39-$179. STNJ. org.

Friday, August 18

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Joan Blume. Terhuneorchards.com.

Saturday, August 19

9-11 a.m.: Forest Art Walk led by Friends of Princeton Open Space land steward intern Tina Kulick, at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Preserve. Bring art supplies; some pencils and sketch paper will be provided. Sign up at Fopos.org.

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Picket Fence Art Show at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Children’s craft: painting with the artists (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Howellfarm.org.

11 a.m.: “Sing Along with Sarah” at Morven’s gardens, 55 Stockton Street. Singing, dancing, playing instruments, food and crafts for the whole family. Morven.org.

12-2 p.m.: Summer Music Series on the Palmer Square Green with Ant Gio. Palmersquare.com.

12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Brian Bortnick performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.

3-6 p.m.: Summer Community Fair at Slackwood Presbyterian Church, 2020 Brunswick Avenue, Lawrence Township. Free event with a petting zoo, bouncy house, music, games, prizes, food, crafts, face-painting, and raffle prizes from local businesses. Slackwoodchurch.org.

5 p.m.: The Judy Kang Experience brings chamber music with classical, pop, jazz, and more to Nassau Park Pavilion, West Windsor. Free. Judykang.com.

Sunday, August 20

12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Sarah Teti performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 p.m.: Princeton Carillon Studio members play the Princeton University carillon at the Graduate School, 88 College Road West. Listen from outside, rain or shine. Free. Arts.princeton.edu.

Tuesday, August 22

9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick: Farm Animals. Hands-on farm activity followed by stories for children aged from preschool to 8 years at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Craft activity with wool from Terhune sheep. Terhuneorchards.com.

Thursday, August 24 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

AUGUST

Friday, August 25

5-8 p.m.: Sunset Sips and Sounds at Terhune Orchards Vineyard and Winery, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music by Jerry Steele. Terhuneorchards.com.

7-9 p.m.: “We All Scream for Ice Cream, a Storytelling Event,” at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road. $20$25. Westwindsorarts.org.

8-9:30 p.m.: Outdoor Dance Party at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Held in the parking lot (if it rains, moved inside to the Solley Theater) for all ages. $5 donation. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Saturday, August 26

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Fiddlin’ on the Farm at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. Children’s craft: tambourine (11 a.m.-3 p.m.). Howellfarm.org.

10 a.m. “Army Meets Town: 3rd Annual Reenactment of the 1781 Encampment of Continental and French Armies in Trenton,” at the Trent House, 15 Market Street, Trenton. Family-friendly event including crafts and a scavenger hunt. Free. Williamtrenthouse.org.

12-2 p.m.: Summer Music Series on the Palmer Square Green with Electric Stingray. Palmersquare.com.

12 p.m.-5 p.m.: On the Fly performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.

2-4 p.m.: S.T.A.R. Swap Party, 1 Monument Drive. Swap gently used household goods with neighbors. Free. Sponsored by Sustainable Princeton. Sustainable princeton.org.

Sunday, August 27 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Reenactors of George Washington and his African American valet Bill Lee will ride in Griggstown on the anniversary of the march to Yorktown. Canal Road will be closed to cars and open to pedestrians. Millstonevalley.org.

12 p.m.-5 p.m.: Allan Willcockson performs at Terhune Orchards’ Winery Weekend Music Series, 330 Cold Soil Road. Terhuneorchards.com.

1 p.m.: Noah Kravitz plays the Princeton University carillon at the Graduate School, 88 College Road West. Listen from outside, rain or shine. Free. Arts. princeton.edu.

1:05 p.m.: The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum and the Somerset Patriots present the inaugural Negro League tribute baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater. The Patriots play the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies). Ssaamuseum.org.

2 p.m.: People and Stories holds “Try It” With Writing, with Charlotte Friedman, at Lawrence Community Center, 295 Eggert Crossing Road. Peopleandstories.org.

VOTE NOW FOR YOUR FAVORITES!

What’s your favorite area restaurant? Do you have a landscaper that you love? Town Topics Newspaper is happy to announce that its 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards is now open for VOTING FOR THE BEST:

DINING

Al Fresco

Appetizers

Bagel

Bakery

Bar

Burger

Breakfast Sandwich

Caterer

Cheese

Chocolatier

Deli

Farmers Market

Gluten-Free Option

Happy Hour

Ice Cream

Italian Restaurant

Lunch Break

Mexican Restaurant

Pizza

Plant-Based Dish

Seafood Restaurant

Soup

Sushi

Takeout Meals

Vegetarian Restaurant

Wings

FITNESS

Gym

HIIT Class

Physical Therapist

Pilates

Spin Class

Trainer

Yoga

Zumba

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Acupuncture

Barber Shop

Chiropractor

Cosmetic Dentistry

Dentist/Prosthodontist

Dermatologist

ENT Hair Salon

Hair Color/Highlight Stylist

Hospital

Massage

Med Spa/Botox

Nail Salon

Ob/Gyn

Optometrist/Opthalmologist

Orthodontist

Orthopedist

Pharmacy

Plastic Surgeon

Podiatrist

Spa

Senior Care

Speciality Medicine

HOME & REAL ESTATE

Architect

Electrician

Furniture Store

Granite & Marble Store

Home Stager

HVAC

Interior Designer

Kitchen/Bath Designer

Landscape Designer

Nursery/Garden Center

Organic Lawn Care

Outdoor Furnishing Store

Painter

Plumber

Pool Services

Realtor

Roofing

Senior Living

Tree Service

KIDS

After-School Program

Camp

Child Care/Preschool

Children’s Gym

Children’s Dance Lessons

Children’s Martial Arts

Children’s Party Place

Children’s Photographer

Children’s Swim Lessons

Kid-Friendly Restaurant

Pediatrician

Toy Store

Tutoring

RETAIL

Antique Shop

Florist

Bike Shop

Men’s Shop

Pet Supply

Shoe Store

Speciality/Gift Store

Women’s Boutique

SERVICES

Accountant

Animal Boarding/Daycare

Attorney-Lawyer

Auto Detailing

Auto Shop/Mechanic

Car Service/Limo

Cleaners

Financial Advisor/Planner

Grocery Store

Pet Groomer

Pet Sitter/Dog Walker

Pet Training

Veterinarian

MISC.

Adult Classes

Arts Festival

Group Outing

Hidden Gem

Live Music Venue

New Business

Night Out

Summer Day Trip

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS SEPTEMBER 13

The winners will be announced in the October 4 and 11 editions of Town Topics Newspaper. Don’t miss your chance to vote for your favorite businesses or services!

The Readers’ Choice Awards is open for online voting now at towntopics.com, or mail to 4438 Route 27, P.O. Box 125, Kingston, NJ 08528. NO PHOTOCOPIES ACCEPTED. Must be on original newsprint.

Do you have a suggestion for Town Topics or Princeton Magazine? Submit your response here:

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S ports

Making Impact for Pistons in NBA Summer League, PU Alum Evbuomwan Utilized his Trademark Versatility

Tosan Evbuomwan

stuffed a statistics sheet at Princeton University, but only cared if it led the Tigers to winning. He is taking that same approach to his professional career.

If his first foray as a part of the Detroit Pistons summer league is any indication, the recent Princeton graduate looks as though he could have the same effect at the pro level. Evbuomwan finished tied for third in the entire NBA Summer League in plus-minus at plus-17, meaning the Pistons were 17 points better with Evbuomwan on the court than when he was off it.

“When I’m playing, I don’t really tend to stuff like this,” said Evbuomwan. “I just try to play my game and try to impact winning positively. It was positive from the coaching staff and the front office. I’m looking forward to going into training camp and what follows.”

Evbuomwan helped the Pistons go 4-1 in the summer league held in Las Vegas, Nev. The versatile 6’ 8, 219-pound forward from Newcastle, England, averaged 22.8 minutes per game, scored 7.0 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, averaged 4.0 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game.

“Obviously my role

changed from Princeton to the Pistons, but I think just for me it was important to show that I can impact winning,” said Evbuomwan, who scored 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his final year at Princeton as he earned first-team All-Ivy League honors and helped the Tigers advance to the NCAA Sweet 16.

“That was important for me to show on both ends of the floor and the different ways I can do that. I think I showed that pretty well at summer league. That was a big focus.”

Evbuomwan returned to his native England following summer league to see his family, but anticipates returning to the United States soon to resume training to try to make the Pistons. He has been working out since leading Princeton to its historic NCAA run as the Tigers became just the fourth 15thseed to reach the Sweet 16.

“I had some really great people working with me, some great trainers, to be as ready as possible,” said Evbuomwan. “I had a lot of team workouts prior to the draft and obviously the combine. I think there were 17 workouts with teams. That was keeping me busy of course, and any time I had back at my base I was working with my trainer and getting ready for these

opportunities in these next coming months which are important.”

Evbuomwan wasn’t drafted in either of the first two rounds of the NBA Draft, but the Pistons were among a number of teams to reach out to him after the draft. Evbuomwan was most comfortable with the opportunities that the Pistons offered.

“I felt it was the best situation,” said Evbuomwan. “I was weighing some other teams that also reached out to my agent and we felt best about the situation.”

Evbuomwan was projected by some to be a second-round draft pick. He would have loved to have been drafted, but getting the chance to choose which team to sign with has its plusses as well. He liked the style and the chances to compete for a roster spot that Detroit presented, and was able to agree to his next stop on draft night as though he was a pick.

“It was great,” said Evbuomwan. “I think the most important thing for me has always been fit and not being shortsighted. Of course, everybody would like their name to be called but fit has always been more important to me. I think I made a good choice with the Pistons. Draft night was fun still. Family and close friends were there and we got to celebrate. I had it with Ben

Sheppard (Belmont product picked by the Indiana Pacers) and got to celebrate him going in the first round and me agreeing to a deal with the Pistons as well, so it was a good night.”

Practicing and playing in the summer league gave Evbuomwan a first-hand idea of where he stands and how his game translates to the next level. The summer league allowed him to see how he could fit with the Pistons’ style of play and how he could help the team improve.

“I was happy with what I was able to do with the opportunities, so I’m feeling confident in myself and the level I can play at, and the same with the team,” said Evbuomwan. “That’s always been the most important thing to me. I’m feeling good about the level I’m playing at and a lot of stuff, and I can only really just hope to keep improving and keep showing that.”

Evbuomwan utilized his summer league experience to display his multi-faceted tools. He took advantage of a new set of eyes with the Pistons staff to find out what they were looking for from him, and how he might develop his game further. Evbuomwan continues to work at stretching his shooting range and proving he can defend a variety of types of forwards. He tried to take the pointers the Detroit coaches gave to work

toward fulfilling the potential they see in him.

“The coaching staff is always open to talking through things with you,” said Evbuomwan. “I’m always someone that wants to keep improving so I enjoy that type of feedback. There was dialogue between my agent and the Pistons as well. That’s when you play focused in these next however long weeks it is before training camp and then obviously when you’re in training camp as well.”

Evbuomwan is looking forward to building on all that he learned at Princeton. A late arrival to the game as he initially focused on soccer, he worked hard to improve throughout his time with the Tigers. He was named the Ivy League Player of the Year as a junior and the Ivy League Madness tournament Most Outstanding Player as a senior after leading the Tigers back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.

“I had a great time at Princeton, a great coaching staff, and I was able to obviously develop there, develop a skill set,” said Evbuomwan. “More than anything and the work ethic that I carry with me now into the pro level, a lot of that became focused at Princeton with the coaches and the work we did outside of practice. I’ll always be really thankful to everybody at Princeton who helped prepare me for this moment.”

Evbuomwan’s summer league play was reinforcement that his Ivy success and NCAA tournament highlights were no fluke. He used his first pro experience to show how he can contribute at the next level.

“It was good to have the opportunity and I tried to make the most of it,” said Evbuomwan. “I had a lot of fun being a part of the Pistons. I was pleased with the way I played and the way the team played. It was a good, I’ll say, beginning to the year from a franchise perspective for the organization. Individually I was happy with what I was able to do with the opportunities given to me.”

His next opportunity will come with more on the line when NBA training camps open in the fall. Evbuomwan will be working to prove that he has the tools to help make Detroit a winning team as he tries to become the first Princeton product since Devin Cannady ’19 (Orlando Magic, 2021-22) to earn a spot on an NBA roster.

“Just keep doing what I’m doing and keep improving,” said Evbuomwan. “Impacting winning in the different ways I do on both ends. I need to guard multiple positions, be disruptive on defense, and facilitating is my No. 1 strength offensively. I need to continue to do those things and make winning plays, just continue to be me, really.”

—Justin Feil

SUMMER JOB: Tosan Evbuomwan heads to the hoop last winter during his senior season with the Princeton University men’s basketball team. Evbuomwan recently competed a NBA Summer League campaign for the Detroit Pistons. Evbuomwan scored 7.0 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, averaged 4.0 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game in helping the Pistons go 4-1.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Princeton Football

Picked No. 2 in Ivy Poll

The Princeton University football team was ranked second in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll, which was released by the league last Monday.

Yale was chosen to take first with 13 first-place votes and 122 points. The Tigers got one first place among the 16 media members who voted, earning 103 points. Penn was third (90). Harvard (84, one firstplace vote), Columbia (62, one first-place vote), Dartmouth (54), Cornell (37), and Brown (24) round out the poll.

The Tigers, who went 8-2 overall and 5-2 Ivy last season, will host five home games this year at Princeton Stadium starting on September 23 when they face Bryant, and ending with a clash against Ivy rival Yale on November 11.

PU Hoops Alumna Meyers

Signs with London Lions

Former Princeton University women’s basketball star Abby Meyers ’22 has signed with the London Lions of the Women’s British Basketball League.

Meyers, a 6’0 guard from Potomac, Md., is currently playing with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA and will join the Lions this fall, whose season tips off

on October 21 with a game against the Essex Rebels.

Having signed with the Mystics in late June, Meyers has played in nine games so far this summer for the Mystics, averaging 1.4 points and 0.4 rebounds a game. Meyers had been drafted in the first round of the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings and waived in the preseason.

Meyers finished her collegiate career at the University of Maryland in 202223. The Terrapins won 28 games and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Last winter, Meyers played in every game for the Terps, averaging 14.3 points while shooting 38.8 percent on 3-pointers. The former Tiger also added 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 steals. Meyers was a second-team All-Big 10 selection and was a co-captain.

In her senior year at Princeton in 2021-22, Meyers was the unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year. She averaged 17.9 points per game, giving her 538 points overall, the most in a single season in program history. She was ranked among the top 60 players in the entire country in scoring, field goals made, and three-pointers. She earned AP Honorable Mention AllAmerica status, making her just the third Tiger to earn All-American honors.

Former PU Rower Elefant

Joining Tiger Coaching Staff

The Princeton University men’s heavyweight rowing

team has hired former standout Tiger lightweight rower Jason Elefant ’15 as an assistant coach.

Elefant spent last season coaching with the University of California, Berkeley men’s heavyweight program that repeated as Intercollegiate Rowing Association ( IRA ) n ational champions after sweeping all four IRA events.

“It’s hard to express how excited I am to return home to Princeton,” said Elefant, a Hun School alum who was the Raider team captain and MVP in 2011. “It’s not every day you get the chance to coach at your alma mater. The Princeton boathouse has a life-changing impact on its student-athletes, and I am looking forward to assisting Greg [Hughes] , Matt [Smith], and the rest of the boathouse in our shared pursuit of excellence.”

Prior to his year at Cal, Elefant spent the previous five seasons with Syracuse, including the last four as recruiting coordinator.

Elefant helped recruit all nine members of the 2022 Syracuse varsity 8 that took fifth in the 2022 Intercollegiate Rowing Association ( IRA ) Championships. The 2V8+ and 3V8+ placed eighth and 10th respectively, making it the third time in the previous five years that Syracuse has placed three crews in the top 10 nationally.

Before joining the coaching staff at Syracuse, Elefant spent two years coaching junior rowers in Great Britain. From 2015-17, Elefant held the position of Colet Fellow

at St Paul’s School in London, one of the country’s pre-eminent schools and rowing programs.

During his career with the Princeton men’s lightweights, Elefant medaled three times at the Eastern Sprints and earned a spot on the 2014 IRA All-Academic Team during his junior year.

PU Women’s Lightweights

Have 3 Named All-American

The Princeton University women’s lightweight rowing team had three rowers recently named as Collegiate Rowing Coaches’ Association (CRCA) All-Americans.

Tiger standouts Daisy Devore ’23, Sarah Polson ’23, and Margaret Murphy ’23 earned All-American recognition.

Those three rowers were on the first varsity that won Intercollegiate Rowing Association ( IRA ) gold. Princeton finished with a 6:40.03, 6.2 seconds ahead of Stanford (6:46.31). It was the varsity eight’s third consecutive IRA gold medal. That boat has not lost to another lightweight boat since the 2019 IRAs.

The Tigers totaled 72 points in the regatta, 15 more than runner-up Boston University for the team title and IRA Commissioner’s

Cup. It marked the second straight year that the Tigers have recorded the most team points at the regatta.

Five Princeton Open Rowers

Earn All-American Honors

The Princeton University women’s open rowing team had five rowers recently named as Collegiate Rowing Coaches’ Association (CRCA) All-Americans.

Princeton stars Katherine George ’25, Lydia Rosen ’23, and Camille Vandermeer ’23 were named first team honorees while Hannah Diaz ’23 and Lucy Koven ’24 were second team selections.

The five rowers were on the first varsity 8 that finished third at the NCAA Rowing Championships behind Stanford and Washington. It was the third time ever that the boat has medaled at NCAAs in consecutive years (200910, 2005-06).

Princeton finished third in the NCAA team standings with 113 points, trailing Stanford (129) and Washington (120). It was the second straight season the Tigers placed third, marking the first time in program history that the Tigers finished top three in consecutive seasons.

BATTLE OF TRENTON: Princeton University men’s basketball player Caden Pierce fights to get to the hoop in a game last winter. Rising sophomore Pierce and the Tigers will be renewing a storied local rivalry as the Gazelle Group announced last week that Princeton and Rutgers will face off in the inaugural 2023 Jersey Jam on November 6 at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton. Princeton and Rutgers have played 120 times with the Tigers leading the series 7545. The first meeting between the rivals took place in 1917 with the most recent coming on December 11, 2013 which saw Princeton win 78-73 in Piscataway. Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson is excited about the resumption of the series. “Generations of Princeton and Rutgers fans know what this game means to both programs, alums, and the state of New Jersey,” said Henderson. “We are thrilled that this tradition will be renewed and the next generation of Princeton and Rutgers fans will be able to experience this rivalry.” (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

CP

Bluefish Overcame Early Adversity this Summer

On the Way to Winning 8th Straight PASDA Championship

Things were a little choppy at the beginning of this summer for the Community Park Bluefish swim team.

“We had to overcome some adversity,” said CP Bluefish co-head coach Mike Uchrin. “It was cold at first, and then the sun came out and it was hazy. Then after that we had thunderstorms every day. We had a lot of challenging mental things to overcome at first.”

Overcoming those challenges, the Bluefish went 5-0 in Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) Division 1 dual meets to extend their winning streak to 40 with their last loss coming in 2014. Ending the season by hosting the PASDA championship meet, CP rolled to its eighth straight title, piling up 3,588 points in taking first, more than doubling runner-up Country Pool Club Swim Team (1,485 points).

Being at home for the PASDA meet helped spur the Bluefish to their dominant performance.

“I thought it went really well, we were really excited to be back here again,” said Uchrin. “We love hosting it. Being such a community team, our kids like to be able to bike to the pool. The kids swim hard to defend their home turf. We were really happy with how the results went and how hard the kids swam.”

The program’s depth once again made a big difference.

“We had 275 swimmers

this year; last year we were at almost the exact same number and that was our biggest,” said Uchrin, who along with co-head coach Kelsey Schwimmer, a former Princeton High standout, led a staff that included 10 assistant coaches. “This right around ties the largest team we have ever had, which is really exciting because there are a lot of teams in PASDA that are struggling or have closed down. We are really excited and really happy that we are able to continue the momentum that we had last year.”

In the 6U boys, Manning Xia provided some exciting swims for CP, placing first on both the 25-yard freestyle and 25-yard backstroke.

“We were blown away by Manning this year, he really showed up,” said Schwimmer, noting that Xia was in his first year with the program. “I think he surprised everyone when he hopped into the pool. He set two records at champs, one of which was a league record for the entire PASDA in the backstroke.”

As for the 8U boys, Kian Martin took first in the 25 breaststroke and the 100 individual medley while Theodore Cotter finished third in both the 25 back and 25 breast.

“The 8-and-under boys were some of our kids who were there every week cheering their teammates on,” said Schwimmer.

“Teddy and Kian did excellent. Kian actually won the

PASDA MVP for 8-and-under boys.”

James Cotter and Tristan Wysocki led the way for the 10U boys with Cotter finishing first in the 25 breast and second in the 25 butterfly and Wysocki taking fourth in both the 25 back and the 100 IM.

“Both were awesome; they were great teammates too with the relays,” said Schwimmer of Cotter and Wysocki.

“They were excellent.”

A trio of standouts stepped up for the 12U boys as Natan Wysocki placed first in the 50 back and second in the 100 IM with Nathan Ricciardi taking fourth in the 50 free and second in the 50 fly and Garik Zlotchew coming in second in the 50 fly and fifth in the 100 IM.

“We had a good team effort for that group, we ended up winning both of the relays,” said Uchrin. “Natan Wysocki had some really great swims for us. That was a deep group. They were a fun group — they cheered each other on, they worked hard together.”

Darren Elwood provided a highlight for the 14U boys, placing third in the 50 fly.

“That group had great attendance at those dual meets,” said Uchrin.“They cheered each other on, they worked hard. They were the embodiment of summer league in a lot of ways with the way that they worked together, built each other up, and had a lot of fun in the process.”

Best Pizzeria

Thank you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

Thank you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

ALEXIS THE GREAT: Community Park Bluefish swim star Alexis Julian displays her breaststroke form in a race this summer. Julian helped the Bluefish place first in the Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet in late July. Julian finished first in the girls’ 10U 25-yard freestyle and 100 individual medley and earned the Most Valuable Player award in the age group along with teammate Oceana Hsieh, the first place finisher in the 25 breaststroke and the 25 butterfly. CP rolled to its eighth straight title in the competition, piling up 3,588 points in taking first, more than doubling runner-up Country Pool Club Swim Team (1,485 points). (Photo provided by Mike Uchrin)

The pair of Kentaro Bauer and Mark Lackner starred for the 18U boys as Bauer placed first in the 50 fly, second in the 50 breast, and second in the 100 IM while Lackner took fourth in the 50 back and fifth in the 50 free.

“Kentaro did great, he set our team record in the 50 breaststroke which was awesome,” said Uchrin. “That was a great record; he was gunning for that and he got it. He really set the bar high and competed super hard. Mark really pushed hard, he surprised us a little bit. He finished strong and was a leader on both the relays.”

As for the Bluefish 6U girls, Alanis John proved to be a standout, taking third in the 25 free and second in the 25 back.

“Alanis was another one of those swimmers who stepped up in every meet,” said Schwimmer. “We had a smaller group of 6-and-unders this year, but they were really strong and came to everything that they could. Alanis was small, but she was really excited to swim and do everything she could.”

The pair of Alicia Ben and Alea Martin came up big for the 8U girls as Ben finished first in both the 25 fly and 100 IM with Martin taking first in the 25 free and second in the 25 fly.

“They were so strong, there was a lot of depth in that 8-and-under group,” said Schwimmer. “Alicia Ben stood out, she got the Most Valuable Player award for her age group. She also got a Bluefish record in the butterfly.”

“Adalyn won the MVP,” said Uchrin. “One of the most impressive things that tells you everything you need to know about how great that 11-12 group for us was that both of the relays won by over 10 seconds. That shows you the depth we have. They definitely swam very hard for one another, and you could see it in the results.”

The pair of Zoe Bitterman and Charlotte Flanagan swam hard for the 14U girls. Bitterman placed first in in the 50 back and first in the 50 fly while Flanagan came in second in the 50 back and third in the 100 IM.

“Zoe was excited to defend her crown; she is a great example of what this program is, she is a lifetime Bluefish,” said Uchrin. “Charlotte has been awesome, her backstroke is very good. I am really proud of the effort that she did this year, not just in champs but in all of the dual meets. She also really helped as a leader to bring that group together.”

The dominance of the Bluefish was exemplified by its 18U girls as Annie Flanagan placed first in the 50 free and in the 100 IM, while Sabine Ristad finished first in the 50 back and in the 50 fly and Piper Dubow took first in the 50 breaststroke.

“I work directly with that group and I am so proud of how they competed, they all did fantastic,” said Uchrin. “What I was really excited about is that we collectively won every 15-and-over girls’ event. Annie, Sabine and Piper each won the individual events.”

last year swimming before she goes to college at Middlebury. She has coached for us for a couple of years. I remember putting Piper into a Bluefi sh cap when she was 8 years old and here she is graduating for us. She was defending her crown in the 50 breast.”

In reflecting on the program’s success over the years, Uchrin cited the loyalty and enthusiasm swimmers like Dubow have brought to the Bluefish.

“We have been embraced by the community and you can see that,” said Uchrin. “We had such a great turnout of 10, 11, and 12-yearolds. We were getting almost entire school classes that registered for the team. We had entire groups of kids that all went swimming. That is part of what makes summer league so great and what has made our program do so well. The kids are able to come here and have a good time and get better at swimming. It is just part of summer in Princeton.”

For Schwimmer, being involved with the CP team is an annual highlight for her.

“I have been coaching since 2012; it is always my favorite part of the summer,” said Schwimmer, a 2014 PHS alumna. “I like seeing the same families come back year after year and hearing the kids tell me that they can’t wait to get started and to see all of their friends. I just love how families are telling their friends and getting their friends’ kids to join too because it has just been since a wonderful part of the summer for them. It makes us feel great about the work that we do.”

you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

Since [1950] Conte’s has become a Princeton destination; a great old-school bar that also happens to serve some of New Jersey’s best pizza, thin-crusted and bubbly. The restaurant hasn’t changed much since then; even the tables are the same. It’s a simple, no-frills space, but if you visit during peak times, be prepared to wait well over an hour for a table.

We could not have reached this accomplishment without our dedicated employees and customers.

We could not have reached these accomplishment without our dedicated employees and customers.

The 10U girls were sparked by a trio of standouts as Alexis Julian took first in 25 free and 100 IM while Oceana Hsieh placed first in the 25 breast and the 25 fly and Gabriella Scarpinato finished second in the 25 back and third in the 100 IM.

The trio built on strong efforts during the high school season over the winter as Flanagan and Ristad helped the Princeton High girls’ squad go undefeated on the way to a state championship while Dubow was a standout for the Pennington School.

Uchrin, for his part, feels great about the resilient spirit displayed by his swimmers this summer.

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“That group was so strong, I love those girls,” said Schwimmer. “They were such a tight knit group. They swim with each other, they practice with each other, and they are always cheering for each other. It is so fun to coach them. Alexis and Oceana both blew us away, they were co-MVPs for their age group.”

“Annie and Sabine were co-MVPs which was exciting,” said Uchrin. “Annie is a good sprinter; one of my favorite things about Annie is that she is so competitive. She would do morning Bluefish practice and then would stay after and swim independently to do some long course work and then would go to her evening club practice. Piper is a lifetime Bluefish. This was her

“We were really able to get the job done and the kids had a ton of fun and that is what it is all about,” said Uchrin. “The winning streaks and all of that kind of stuff, that is not what we do. Summer league is about the idea that it doesn’t matter if you are a club swimmer or if you just joined, it doesn’t matter where you are from — this is a place where you come together, have a blast with your friends, and get a little better at swimming. I thought we overcame a lot to do that this year.”

— Bill Alden

could not have reached this accomplishment without our dedicated employees and customers.

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The 12U girls featured a one-two punch of Adalyn Ben and Syann Priester as Ben placed first in the 50 fly and 100 IM while Priester placed second in the 50 back.

Local Referee Glock Reached Officiating Pinnacle, Serving as Crew Chief in World Men’s Lax Final

On the afternoon of July 1, Keith Glock was standing on the field at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif., but felt like he was on the top of the world.

That day, Glock was serving as the lead official of the gold medal game at the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship as the U.S. faced Canada.

For Glock, 42, a resident of Lawrenceville and a guidance counselor at Montgomery High, that assignment marked the pinnacle of an officiating career that started in 2001 when he was a student at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).

“It was one of the most humbling things that I could possibly ever feel and experience, that is the best way I can describe it,” said Glock. “Not only because of the people that have come before me and the people who have been mentors, but just focusing on 2023 and the group of people we were with. This is why we do this. I got a number of emails and texts from people. I got a text from somebody I haven’t talked to in 10 years, one of my high school coaches reached out to me.”

The road to San Diego began for Glock in Jersey City when he took up lacrosse at St. Peter’s Prep, playing for the school’s first-ever lax team. Glock started as a goalie in high school and ended up as an attackman. He went to play for the club program at TCNJ.

While at TCNJ and covering local lacrosse games for the Trenton Times, Glock was urged in 2001 to give officiating a try by Bob Nuse, the former sports editor of the Princeton Packet and a longtime official and assignor who is in the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

“Lawrenceville was playing Princeton and I had on USA Lacrosse shorts,” recalled Glock. “Bob was like, ‘Who are you, are you a lacrosse guy?’ We were both covering the game and he was like, ‘You should referee.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I should do it,’ and that was it. Like anything that I end up doing, and knowing myself and my personality, I committed to say I was going to do this thing, so I just started doing it.”

By 2006, Glock was officiating several high school games a week and moving up the referee ladder. In 2008, Glock officiated a state semifinal game. A year later, he took things to a higher level as he added

college games to his referee portfolio.

“I still remember being so green with three-person mechanics like the whole first year I was out on the field,” said Glock. “I was telling myself, ‘Why I was running at a certain place on the field?’ I was telling myself what my job was — I was thinking about the out of bounds on the end line. I was always so used to only blowing the whistle on the end line when we were running to the right and not it was like I had to do it in the other direction. It was not intuitive.”

Glock developed a comfort level with the college game, pointing to an early season contest between Stevenson and Haverford in 2011 as a key confidence builder.

“It was like No. 2 versus No. 7; it was clearly the biggest game I have ever reffed,” said Glock, who was the substation box official at the 2019 NCAA Championships and has worked NCAA Division I, II, and III postseason games. “The wind is blowing in the pregame and I am thinking to myself, ‘I am so nervous, like what am I doing here?

I am going to mess this up.’ Then the game started and I was like, ‘come on.’ I swear to God that is the last game I have ever been nervous. I just don’t really get nervous. I am very lucky.”

Developing that poise led Glock to believe he was ready to test his skills on the international stage. He tried out to earn a spot in the 2010 U19 world championships but was not selected. Keeping at it, Glock was selected to officiate at the 2014 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in Denver.

“It was intimidating, the rules are very different and they have not evolved at the rate that American lacrosse has,” said Glock, reflecting on his worlds debut. “Nobody cares about that, least of all the folks who play international lacrosse.”

While Glock got up to speed with the international game, he developed bonds with officials from other nations.

“It is so much fun, everybody speaks English,” said Glock. “The most challenging to communicate, I would say, is the Japanese. All those guys speak English, we just go a little slower. It is also an interesting challenge because the mechanics are very different, like the mechanics of where to stand and literally how to blow the whistle. They don’t

want double whistles, we get graded down in evaluations if you don’t blow a singular whistle. It is very, very specific — where to stand, how to point. We don’t put our hand in the air when the ball goes out of bounds. These are the kinds of things that they look for.”

Heading to Netanya , Israel, to work at the 2018 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship, Glock ended up facing a painful personal challenge.

“I went to Israel and a day into it, my sister sends me a message on What’s App, saying we have to talk,” said Glock. “She knew I was in Israel, and she told me my mom died. She had an aneurysm rupture in her brain. Literally I was there for 23 hours. We didn’t get to any of the pre-orientation stuff yet and I was on a plane back. I was on the plane back from Israel literally less than a day after landing. It was just tough.”

With this year’s world men’s tourney being held in San Diego, Glock was excited to get back on the international stage.

“To say that I was fired up was such an understatement; there was certainly a lot of emotion and meaning for me because of what happened with my mom in 2018,” said Glock. “When you put that in with the relationships and wonderful friendships I have developed over the years with the guys and girls that are involved in this, getting to do this with them every few years is so special. It is this fraternity and sorority. I love doing this because this is everything to those guys. It is hearing the stories from them, like how the German guys drive six hours to get paid five euros to ref a game.”

The opening ceremony was special for Glock as the officials entered the stadium as a group.

“We march in just like a country and we are the largest team at every international event,” said Glock who had the honor of reciting the officials’ oath at the ceremony. “We had 52 this year.”

Once the tournament started, Glock was in a competition of his own as he looked to earn plum assignments for the final stages of the event.

“They had pre-identified 16 of us that were going to work Pool A over the first three games,” said Glock, who stays fit by playing pickleball six times a week. “Then based on our grades,

they were going to do some promotion or relegation, and then after the seventh day they were going to reevaluate again.”

On the eve of the final, Glock found out that he was not only going to be on the crew for the gold medal contest, but that he was going to be the lead official.

“It came out at halftime of the Japan-England game,” said Glock, who had worked the gold medal game at the 2022 World Lacrosse Sixes tournament at the World Games in Birmingham, Ala. “I felt very happy with the job I did during the tournament to that point, so I felt like I was in consideration for it. It was the first time in the history of the world championships that they did not use a neutral country official as the crew chief.”

Glock and his crew had a good game in the finals, keeping control of a heated, physical matchup as the U.S. prevailed 10-7.

“You don’t want the game to get out of hand physically; we are thinking about that every game,” said Glock, noting that the fiveman crew was comprised of U.S. and Canadian officials.

“The gold medal game is a little bit of a different animal because you look at it and because this means so much, they are probably not going to go crazy fouling each other. That is not to say that there is not going to be physical play. One of the things that we have the advantage of as Americans is that the level of violence between guys that are that big and that fast is something we are used to seeing.

The crew was very strong, I was really happy.”

For Glock, branching out internationally has changed his world on and off the field.

“It is one of the most memorable experiences of my life and not only because of the gold medal game, while that game certainly was a highlight,” said Glock. “It is the whole experience from the tryout in 2009 through this. This was like a humongous, humongous exclamation point on everything because of how much the international game has meant to me with the relationships I have built and what happened with my mom. You combine all of these things together and I have a new family that is all around the world.”

—Bill Alden

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: Referee Keith Glock giving instructions during the pregame lineup before the gold medal game at the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship on July 1 as the U.S. faced Canada. Glock, a resident of Lawrenceville and a guidance counselor at Montgomery High, served as the lead official in the contest that was won 10-7 by the U.S. (Photo provided by Keith Glock)

Sparked by Clutch Play from Jones Down the Stretch, Princeton Supply Wins Summer Hoops Championship

Although Princeton Supply pulled away to a 66-54 win over a short-handed LoyalTees squad in the opener of the best-of-three championship series in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League, Troy Jones knew that earning a title was still going to be a struggle.

“We just knew that we had to play our game,” said Princeton Supply star guard Jones in assessing the team’s mindset as it came into Game 2 last Wednesday night at the Community Park courts. “We knew it was going to be a way different game than the last game. It was a much tougher game.”

A proud LoyalTees team, which has won three league titles in the last fi ve years, displayed its championship mettle as it built a 31-25 lead at halftime, bolstered by the addition of Nick Davidson and Vince Anfield who weren’t on hand for the opener on July 31. Jones and his teammates, though, were unfazed by the deficit.

“With Phil (team manager and coach Phil Vigliano), we are always composed and poised,” said Jones. “We have all been there before. We are not scared of the

moment. The people he put in there were the closers.”

Trailing LoyalTees 5348 with just over a minute remaining in the contest, Princeton Supply showed its poise and closed the deal, going on a 9-1 run to pull out a 57-54 victory and earn the title.

Quayson Williams hit a three-pointer from the corner to give Princeton Supply a 55-54 lead with Jones adding a lay-up in the rally. After the game, the handshake line turned into a series of hugs between the players as the foes showed their respect for each other.

In reflecting on the comeback, Jones credited it to Princeton Supply’s competitive fi re.

“It was intensity and defense,” said Jones. “We knew had to keep running and keep pushing them and they would eventually wear down. They missed a lot of free throws tonight.”

Jones made a big shot in the late run, racing in for a key bucket in the last minute of the game.

“They left me open and I was like, this is easy,” said the 6’0, 170-pound Jones, a former Notre Dame High and East Stroudsburg University standout. “This is what we

work on and do all the time.”

Putting in good work over the championship series, Jones earned the league’s Foreal Wooten Playoff MVP.

“It is a lot, it is an honor,” said Jones, who tallied 20 points with six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one blocked shot on Wednesday after scoring 28 points in the opener. “I couldn’t be MVP without my teammates. I can’t be who I am or go where I want to without my team.”

Mike Kane proved to be a key teammate for Jones as he tallied 16 points with five rebounds and one steal in the win last Wednesday.

“That is the Notre Dame connection, me and my boy Mike,” said Jones of Kane who went on to star for Drew University. “We actually never got to play with each other there. Coming out here and being able to see how good he got since high school is amazing to me.”

The infl uence of Vigliano helped Princeton Supply connect.

“Coach Phil is the greatest coach; he built this team around shooters and players that play hard and put all of the work in and make smart decisions,” said Jones. “Defense is our game plan, that is our mentality.”

Vigliano, for his part, praised LoyalTees, which got 21 points from Zahrion Blue and 20 from Davidson last Wednesday, for pushing Princeton Supply hard.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfi ght, I give that team so much credit,” said Vigliano, who runs a basketball training business and whose coaching stops include Delaware Valley University and Princeton High. “They actually make me bring a great team like this because of them. They bring out the best, they have such classy guys. I love those guys, many of those guys played for me in other leagues.”

In refl ecting on Princeton Supply’s second half comeback, Vigliano credited his veteran guys with digging deep.

“You try to get everybody in in the fi rst half and you try to see who is hot,” said Vigliano. “Some of these guys just don’t have the experience in a game like this. There is something to be said for experience, so I had to lean on those other guys.”

Princeton Supply certainly leaned on Jones down the stretch. “That is why he was a scholarship player and he is a professional,” said Vigliano of Jones, who competes for the Al Wathba Homs in the Syrian Basketball League and previously played for Cilicia in Armenian Caucasus Basketball League.

While Jones played a key role for the squad, Vigliano saw the triumph as a total team effort.

“Shaquan Worthy is our point guard; other than scoring, he checks every single box almost better than any player with rebounds, assists, and steals,” said Vigliano. “Mike Kane being so strong and resilient was big. He played almost the whole game and he still had enough to get legs into his shot or get to the basket. Terry Taylor was big. Amori Spence has to be the newcomer of the year; the kid averaged 16 points, he was great. Trevor Giordano was so, so solid for us, as was Jake Manuel.”

For Vigliano, a Princeton Summer League stalwart who had never earned a title until this year, getting the crown was special.

“It is great,” said Vigliano. “They just connected and they shared the basketball. We have four college guys, two pros, and my rec players are at the top of their game. We took the talents that they had and easily jelled it into a team.”

Jones, for his part, was proud of how Princeton Supply jelled into a champion.

“It is hard work. We all came together at midseason,” said Jones. “We got put together as a team and it was able to work. To be the champion in such a little time was amazing.”

— Bill Alden

Local Sports

Former PDS Standout Alu

Back with Washington Nationals

After a stint with the Washington Nationals this May, former Princeton Day School standout Jake Alu was recently called back to the National League club. Alu, who graduated from PDS in 2015 and went on to star at Boston College, has hit .333 with five RBIs and two stolen bases with an OPS of .745 since his recall. Overall, Alu, who has played outfield and third base for the Nationals, is hitting .286 in nine games with five RBIs and three stolen bases with an OPS of .654.

Joint Effort Safe Streets Program

Holding Hoops Clinic, Games

The Joint Effort Princeton Safe Streets Summer Program, in conjunction with the Princeton Recreation Department, Princeton Police Department, Princeton Public Schools, Bailey Basketball Academy (BBA), and PBA No. 130, is sponsoring a free youth basketball clinic on August 12 from 10 a.m.12 p.m. at Princeton High

This program is a player development skills clinic for boys and girls age 8 and up. All clinic attendees should bring their own ball. The clinic will be led by Kamau Bailey, the director of BBA, a Philadelphia 76ers camp clinic, and former head coach of the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team. It will be staffed by community volunteers and members of the Princeton Police Department.

In addition, on August 13, the Joint Effort Safe Streets will sponsor the Pete Young Sr. Memorial Games for Princeton and area youth at Princeton High. These annual games are held each year in the memory of Pete Young Sr., a Princeton businessman, community advocate, sports enthusiast, and supporter of youth and community programs who was beloved in the WitherspoonJackson Community. The nine games start at 10 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. and will include contests featuring youth players, high school boys and girls, and men.

The Joint Effort Clinic and Games are free and open to the public. There will be bags provided for clinic participants and shirts will be provided for those playing in the games.

For more information on Joint Effort Safe streets clinic or games, contact John Bailey at (720) 629-0964 or email johnbailey062@ gmail.com or Kamau Bailey at (917) 626-5785 or at kamau.bailey@gmail.com.

Helene Cody 5K Race Set for September 9

The 15th annual Helene Cody 5-kilometer race and 1-mile fun run is taking place on September 9 with the start and finish line at Heritage Park in Cranbury.

The fun run begins at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9 a.m. The 5K is chip-timed and USATF-certified with water stations throughout the course.

Trophies will be awarded to the top three male and female fi nishers overall and in each age group for the 5K. Every fun run finisher will receive a medal and trophies will be awarded to the top three boys and girls. The Cranbury Day celebration will begin immediately after the race on Main Street.

Additional race information and online registration is available at helenecody.com/5kand-1-mile-runwalk.html.

This event is the main fundraiser for the Helene Cody Foundation, whose mission is to inspire youth to volunteer, to better their communities and themselves. Prior to her death in 2008, Helene Cody, a Princeton High student, planned to revive the Cranbury Day 5K, a community event that had been discontinued in 2006, as a way to combine her love of distance running and community service for her Girl Scout gold award project.

When she passed away, a classmate organized the first Helene Cody Cranbury 5K in memory of Helene for his Eagle Scout project. Every year since, the Helene Cody Foundation has used the event to bring the community together and use the proceeds to sponsor youth service projects and provide scholarships. All proceeds go directly to the Helene Cody Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity.

sweep

SUPPLY AND DEMAND: Troy Jones of Princeton Supply puts up a shot in recent action in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Last Wednesday, Jones tallied 20 points with six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one blocked shot to help Princeton Supply edge LoyalTees 57-54 in game two of the league’s best-of-three championship series to

the finals and win the title. Jones, a former Notre Dame High and East Stroudsburg University standout, was named as the Foreal Wooten Playoff MVP. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

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