Volume LXXII, Number 13
Summer Programs Pages 14-15 Princeton Environmental Film Festival . . . . . . . . 5 No Tax Increase for 2018 in Municipal Budget . . . 9 Courage and Compassion: Woolf and Gonzalez . . . . . . . . . . 13 “Old Havana” Comes to Princeton . . . . . . . . . . 21 PU Men’s Hockey Falls to Ohio State in NCAA Tournament . . . . . . . . 30 PDS Girls’ Lax Starting 2018 Season Aiming for 4th Straight Prep B Crown . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
www.towntopics.com
Chief Sutter Speaks To Council About Incident at Panera
With the New Jersey Attorney General’s office in charge of investigating the shooting at the Panera Bread restaurant on Nassau Street last week, Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter is limited in how much he can share about the incident until the investigation is completed. But Sutter wants to keep the public as informed as he can about the events surrounding the death of 56-year-old Scott Mielentz, who was fatally shot after an armed standoff involving local, county, and state police; the FBI; and Princeton University police. Sutter read a statement at the Monday, March 26 meeting of Princeton Council. “I am confident that we did everything possible to help the person involved in this incident,” he said. “Some of our officers placed themselves directly in harm’s way to talk and comfort him throughout the incident. I also know that the process of healing will take time for members of our community and police department. They should all know that we are all here to support them through the process.” The Attorney General’s office Continued on Page 4
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Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Thousands Fill Downtown in March for Our Lives Optimistic organizers anticipated hundreds, but thousands of people showed up in Hinds Plaza Saturday to join Princeton’s March for Our Lives rally, one of more than 800 across the country in support of the national march in Washington, D.C., demanding that lawmakers take action against gun violence. Estimated at more than 4,000, the crowd overflowed the Plaza. Witherspoon and Hulfish streets were closed to traffic. “I was very surprised,” said student organizer Dziyana Zubialevich. “About 1,600 registered online. We expected about 800 — then almost 5,000 showed up.” The Princeton High School senior continued, “This movement is student-led. This gives people hope, voice — especially the younger generation. And parents and grandparents also want to support their children. I’ve worked on political campaigns before, but this is different. This movement has changed the situation. On gun control it’s been difficult to get our voices heard, and to get politicians to listen, but it’s very powerful this time.” In a Facebook post the following day, Zubialevich wrote, “Thank you all so much for coming yesterday. The event turned
out great! Now it’s time to turn the march into something actionable,” urging her followers to contact their legislators. On Monday in Trenton lawmakers seemed to have heard the new voices and felt the power of their pleas, as the New Jersey Assembly voted to pass six different bills to tighten gun restrictions. The bills will go to the state Senate, which must also pass them before they go to Governor Phil Murphy to be signed into law.
“I’m exhilarated,” said the Rev. Bob Moore, executive director of the Coalition for Peace Action, a co-organizer of the rally. Moore, who sent two bus loads off to the national march in Washington early Saturday morning, then drove to Westfield to speak at a rally, before returning to speak at the Princeton rally, described how his organization had printed 500 fliers, thinking that would be enough. “It was exciting, empowering,” he said. “The weather cooperated. It was a great Continued on Page 8
Schools: Referendum Will Cost $137M, Annual Budget $98M, Taxes Increasing Princeton Public Schools (PPS) have projected a cost of just over $137 million for an October 2 facilities referendum that would include a new 5/6 school at Valley Road, major renovations to Princeton High School, infrastructure and security improvements for all school buildings, and relocation of central office administration. More than $24 million of the referendum costs will be funded by grants from the state. Starting in 2020, taxpayers will see an additional $678 for the average
assessed home valued at $837,074, as old and new debt overlap for four years, rising to $823 in 2021. By 2023 the additional cost will be $319 for the average assessed home. “If the district takes on no additional debt, from 2023 through when the new bonds mature in 2049, the estimated additional cost to taxpayers will continue to decrease gradually,” PPS Superintendent Steve Cochrane wrote in a March 21 letter to families, community members, and Continued on Page 12
PHS Graduate Maud Mandel Named President of Williams College . . . 11 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .22, 23 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 27 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 39 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Music/Theater . . . . . . 24 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 37 New To Us . . . . . . . 10, 28 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 4 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MARCHING FOR OUR LIVES: More than 4,000 demonstrators overflowed Hinds Plaza on Saturday, demanding action on gun control legislation and expressing solidarity with the national March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. The Princeton march was initiated by Dziyana Zubialevich, a senior at Princeton High School. (Photo by Erica M. Cardenas)