Volume LXXV, Number 37
www.towntopics.com
Rev. Robert Moore Honored as Leader In Quest for Peace
Community Park Amphitheater Hosts Annual Storytelling Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Residents Express Concern To Council About Rosedale Road Crossing . . . . . . . 10 Disaster Relief For Victims Of Hurricane Ida . . . . . 14 PU Football Returning to Action by Playing at Lehigh . . . . . 29 Carusone Tallies Decisive Goal as PHS Boys’ Soccer Wins Opener . . . . . . . . 32
Celebrating Michael K . Williams on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 . . .16 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 20 Classified Ads . . . . . . 39 New to Us. . . . . . . . . . 28 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 37 Performing Arts . . . . . 17 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 14 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 39 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
Last Wednesday, September 8, the Rev. Robert Moore, executive director of the Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) for the past 40 years, was working in his Witherspoon Street office when Princeton Councilmember David Cohen, along with five of Moore’s CFPA colleagues, paid him a surprise visit. September 8, 2021 is “Reverend Robert Moore Day” in Princeton, Cohen announced, as he read out loud a Princeton Town Council Municipal Resolution in Moore’s honor. The resolution — citing Moore’s four decades of leadership in working with the CFPA to abolish nuclear weapons, end endless wars, prevent gun violence, and combat growing militarism and the climate crisis — was formally passed by the full Council at their Monday, September 13, meeting. In September 1980 a group of Princeton-area faith leaders, concerned about the escalating nuclear arms race, founded what would become the CFPA, and on September 8 of the following year they hired Moore to lead the organization. Under his leadership the CFPA has expanded to become a regional office serving central and south New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. It is one of the largest grassroots affiliates of National Peace Action, with over 7,500 member and supporting households. “Rev. Bob Moore has been a superb team leader who has been a major factor in CFPA being widely recognized as one of the most respected and effective grassroots peace groups in the country,” said Irene Goldman, longtime organizational leader and CFPA board chair since 2004. “We are fortunate to have his leadership continue as he reaches his 40th anniversary as executive director.” In a September 10 phone interview, Moore reflected on the accomplishments of the past 40 years and on the urgent work ahead. He spoke proudly of the CFPA’s reliance on “the classic means of democracy,” mobilizing people to make their voices heard in a variety of ways. “Democracy is achingly slow a lot of times, but for those people who will stay with an ongoing, organized effort like the one we offer through the CFPA, if you hang in, over time democracy does work,” he said. “You just have to be really persistent — and smart.” Continued on Page 12
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
COVID Numbers Rise to January 2021 Levels The Princeton Health Department on Monday reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 in the previous seven days, 42 new cases in the previous 14 days in Princeton, as infection levels continue to increase. All 21 New Jersey counties are now listed as having high rates of COVID transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The statewide transmission rate is currently 1.01, with any number over 1 indicating that each new case is causing more than one additional case and that the outbreak is expanding. The CDC is recommending that people in all counties in the state wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. “COVID-19 cases have been rising in the Princeton community to a level we observed in January 2021, approximately 3.25 new cases per day,” said Princeton Public Health Officer Jeff Grosser. Attributing much of the problem to the Delta variant, Grosser noted that the United States is averaging 152,000 cases each day, close to four times the levels reported at this time last year. “Delta continues to circulate throughout the community, and public health has shared the devastating impact it has had in communi-
ties with lower vaccination rates across all demographics, particularly those 65 years and older.” Grosser noted that the current surge is different from the surge of last fall and winter with transmission occurring more readily now. He added, “The vaccine has absolutely helped, and those who still get COVID-19 are likely to have milder, shorter illnesses and appear to be less likely to spread the virus to others.” Six Princeton residents, with an average
age of 85, have been hospitalized recently in vaccine breakthrough cases, Grosser reported. He urged people to “be aware of what the current guidance is; how to prevent transmission; how to protect ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbors.” As schools get underway in person for the fall term, with mask mandates for all and vaccine or frequent testing requirements for faculty and staff, Grosser Continued on Page 8
BOE Candidate Profile: Mara Franceschi, Financial Analyst, PTO President at JP Two incumbents, Betsy Baglio and Brian McDonald, and two new candidates, Mara Franceschi and Jeffrey Liao, will be competing in the November 2 election for three available seats on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE). The top three vote-getters will win three-year terms on the BOE, beginning in January 2022. With just seven weeks until election day, Town Topics is beginning a series of weekly candidate profiles in which the candidates will present a summary of their personal, academic, and profes-
sional backgrounds; why they got involved in the schools and in this particular election; and what their priorities are for the future of the PPS. Mara Franceschi is leading off: “I consider few things more important than a high-quality public education for ALL our children. With a new superintendent and other key personnel, it is an exciting time in our district. However, the district must also navigate many challenges to ensure continued success. Chief among those challenges is balancing Continued on Page 8
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September 18 - October 31 - Weekends
COMMEMORATING 9/11: A Remembrance Ceremony was held by the Princeton 9/11 Memorial Committee on Saturday afRoad, . 609-924-231 ternoon at the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad headquarters on Mount Cold LucasSoil Road. ThePrinceton, event was NJ one08540 of many area LIVEattacks. MUSICAttendees share where they were observances marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist and what they were doing when they first learned of the attacks in this week’s Talk on page 6. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn) PONYTown RIDES
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