Volume LXXII, Number 6
Local Company Turns Old Clothes Into Keepsakes . . . . . . . . . . 5 Judge Denies Faculty Request to Stall Westminster Sale . . . . . 7 Dreams, Dreamers, and Frank Borzage . . . . . . 12 Goalie Halford Stars in Relief, PU Men’s Hockey Edges St . Lawrence . . 23 Stuart Track Wins Its First Prep B Indoor Title . . . 29
Freddie Young Jr . Helps PDS Boys’ Hoops Win Prep B Quarterfinal . . 27 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 19 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 32 Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Music/Theater . . . . . . 16 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 13 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 31 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 9 Service Directory . . . . 36 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Medical Experts Urge Those Not Immunized To Get Flu Shots
A century ago, a flu pandemic took the lives of an estimated 50 to 100 million people around the world, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. While the current flu epidemic is not as dangerous, it is serious and considered one of the worst on record. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 50 children have died of the flu this season. The virus has sent scores of otherwise healthy individuals to the hospital. At Princeton Medical Center, 412 patients have tested positive for influenza this season, compared to nearly half that a year ago. That includes outpatients, emergency department visits, and in-patients at the hospital. “Part of the problem is that there are a lot of other upper respiratory illnesses going on at the same time,” said Jeffrey Grosser, Princeton’s municipal health officer. “What we’re really concerned with is that people stay home from work or school if they are sick. Especially with children and the elderly, this is a big issue.” Experts stress that it is not too late to get a flu shot. While the strain of flu known as H3N2 is affecting many people who have been vaccinated, they are suffering less and for a shorter amount of time than those who have not had the shot. “The flu this year is a lot more intense and a lot more widespread than we thought it would be,” said Dr. Seth Rosenbaum, chief medical officer, senior vice president, and an infectious disease expert at RWJ University Hospital Hamilton. “This strain is not covered as well as it should be in the vaccine that we have, and that’s the predominant strain seen now. The best way to still prevent it is the vaccination. The recommendation is if you have not gotten it yet, it’s not too late.” Princeton University has seen only a slight increase in the number of flu and flu-like diagnoses so far this season. But University Health Services is bracing for an uptick. “We do not think we have seen the worst yet,” said Dr. Jonathan Pletcher, director of medical services. “The next two to three weeks are expected to be the peak of local activity.” The school is continuing to promote and provide flu shots. “It’s possible that high immunization rates could mitigate Continued on Page 8
Bach Cantata Fest Nos. 85, 111, and 138 Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3 pm Miller Chapel
See p. 12 for details.
75¢ at newsstands
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Three More Candidates Enter Race For Council Michelle Lambros, Adam Bierman, and Myrtha Jasmin have joined the field for the Democratic nomination for Princeton Council, along with Eve Niedergang and Dwaine Williamson as announced in last week’s Town Topics. They are vying for seats currently held by Heather Howard and Lance Liverman, who will be stepping down when their current terms end at the end of December. Additional candidates may emerge in the next two months before the April 2 deadline for submitting nominating petitions to the Princeton Municipal Clerk. The Democratic candidates will have an opportunity to deliver a short statement and answer questions from the audience at a March 18 Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) meeting, which will culminate in a vote for endorsement of candidates. The primary elections will take place on June 5, with two nominees chosen to run in the November 6 general election. Michelle Lambros
Lambros, a businesswoman and Princeton native who recently moved back to town from Kuwait, has lived and traveled in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. Declaring Princeton “one of the best places in the world to live,”
Lambros stated, “I look forward to the opportunity to serve the town and delve into the detailed, important decisions that our Council makes to assure our town continues to be a safe, beautiful, and worldclass community.” Emphasizing the value of her business experience, Lambros noted, “having been a small business owner for many years, I understand the challenges small businesses are facing from online sales and big box stores. I want to support shop-
ping locally. I want to support the vibrant restaurants and retail establishments we have here. It’s important that town Council support those businesses, whether it’s through parking or infrastructure or other means.” With an undergraduate degree in political science from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa., and a master’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University, Lambros, who Continued on Page 8
Candlelight Vigil to Support Olympic Truce Will Take Place Friday in Palmer Square As the Winter Olympics open in South Korea, an Olympic Truce vigil, sponsored by the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), will take place on Friday in Palmer Square from 5-6 p.m. “This vigil is building on a long history of Olympic Truces and peacemaking, a tradition of worldwide truce at the time of the Olympics,” said CFPA executive director the Rev. Bob Moore. Moore described “belligerent rhetoric” between North Korea and the United States “getting worse and worse.” He added, “Many were worried about esca-
lation and increasing risks of miscalculation. Then on January 1 the North Korean leader held out an olive branch. South Korea agreed. ‘Let’s start talking. Let’s get to the Olympics.’ That cooperation has de-escalated the rhetoric.” North Korea will send athletes, an orchestra, cheerleaders, and a high-level delegation to the Olympics, and the two Koreas have agreed to march together in the opening ceremony and create a joint team for women’s ice hockey. Earlier this year a communications hotline between Continued on Page 9
MEALS FOR MERCER STREET FRIENDS: JM Group’s recent Holiday Meal Drive resulted in more than 173,350 donated meals for those in need. The staff of Witherspoon Grill, Blue Point Grill, Princeton Farmers’ Market, and Nassau Street Seafood & Produce Company thank all those who sponsored “Under the Harvest Moon,” a cocktail party fundraiser, which provided the meals for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. (Photo Courtesy of JM Group)
Happy Valentine’s Day! Don’t Forget Your Perfect Cake From
Chez Alice Gourmet Cafe & Bakery 5 Palmer Square West, Princeton ·609-921-6760 (p) www.chezalicecafe.com
Learn more about Cherry Hill Nursery School See p. 9 for details.