Volume LXIX, Number 40
Ads With Pink Ribbons Support the BCRC Princeton Public Schools Announce HomeworkFree Breaks . . . . . . . . . 9 Book Heaven: Friends of the Princeton Public Library Sales Features Over 10,000 Books for all Ages . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Celebrating Yadi and Yogi as Baseball Playoffs Begin . . . . . . . . . . . 13 C. K. Williams, Who Died September 20, Remembered as “Great Poet” . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 In Final Campaign for PU Field Hockey, Senior Benvenuti Helps Tigers to 2-0 Weekend . . . . . . . 25 Featuring Balance, PDS Girls’ Soccer Produces 9-0-1 Start. . . . . . . . . 29
Joe Rhattigan Helps PU Football Top Columbia in Ivy Opener. . . . . . . . . 23 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Area Exhibits . . . . . . . 15 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 22 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 34 Home Improvement . . . 27 Music/Theater . . . . . . 16 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 33 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 34 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
PSRC Director Comments On Council’s Questions About Proposed Expansion Princeton Senior Resource Center is about to embark on a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million for a much-needed expansion of its facility in the Suzanne Paterson Center on Stockton Street. That figure would augment $250,000 already in Princeton’s capital budget and another $250,000 that would come from Mercer County for the project. When PSRC’s director Susan Hoskins presented Princeton Council with the organization’s expansion plan at a meeting late last month, Council members had some questions not only about the scope of the project, but about just who it will serve. Heather Howard asked how many users of the senior center are actual residents of Princeton. Ms. Hoskins put that figure at about half, though all social service programs are restricted to town residents. Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller commented, “So in a way, we’re building a bigger building for residents in other towns.” Speaking a few days after the meeting, Ms. Hoskins said she was puzzled by the remarks. “I was surprised that we returned to the question of people who live in Princeton and people who live outside of Princeton,” she said. “Princeton is a magnet in every aspect of the community, and we have created senior programs and services here that are also a magnet. The people who come into town for our classes also shop and eat in town. I think many of our instructors come from out of town. I also think there is a lot of value to having a mixture of people. If the municipality were covering 100 percent of our expenses, I could see these concerns. But we have donors, and many of them come from out of town. So it’s not that anyone is taking advantage, or are interlopers.” Another comment that struck Ms. Hoskins was about keeping Princeton, which was the first town in New Jersey to be designated an age-friendly community by the World Health Organization, from becoming “an old community.” “I was even more surprised at that,” she said. “My response was that we really want to reframe that, and see our older adults as an asset. They’re the volunteers who keep organizations and commissions going. Some of my board members said Continued on Page 10
OCTOBER 16-18
75¢ at newsstands
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Schools and Police Confront Swatting Menace
“How do we stop this?” asked Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Steve Cochrane. That is the big question for the schools and the Police Department after a series of bomb threats over the past two weeks that have disrupted classes at Littlebrook Elementary, Princeton High School, and, most recently, John Witherspoon Middle School. Students, teachers, parents, administrators, and police officials share feelings of frustration and anxiety in the face of what Princeton Police Chief Nick Sutter calls “acts of terrorism.” “The motivation is to disrupt,” Mr. Sutter explained, “to cause fear and anxiety, to scare people and disrupt our lives. These incidents are random and widespread across the entire country.” PHS drama teacher Pat Wray voiced the consternation felt by many, inside and outside the schools. “The swatting actually started last spring and was scary for the students and staff,” she recalled. “Now that it’s happening again and regularly, it is a huge disruption to educational instruction and there is the danger that lockdown and evacuation procedures may become mundane.” Last Wednesday’s swatting was similar to recent incidents. At 10:45 a.m. the main office at John Witherspoon received a computer-generated recorded phone
message warning that there was a bomb in the school. The Princeton Police Department responded immediately to investigate. Students and staff were evacuated. State Police and Mercer County Sheriff Department K-9 officers with five dogs conducted a thorough search of the school. No bomb was found. Students and staff returned to the school at approximately 1:10 p.m., as Princeton Police officers remained in the school area throughout the day. Cooperation between the schools and the Police Department has been continuous and increasingly extensive, with Mr. Cochrane and Mr. Sutter in communica-
tion daily. Sharing the feelings of exasperation of school and community members, Mr. Sutter said, “As frustrating as this is, safety has to be the number one priority. If there’s any question of the legitimacy of the threat, we have to err on the side of safety.” In response to students, school staff, and parents (like the mother of two who wrote to Town Topics this week seeking clarification on Police Department plans for “assessing and reacting to these calls” and plans for “minimiz[ing] disruptions”), Mr. Sutter, himself the father of three young children, expressed his concern: Continued on Page 10
Princeton University Endowment Reports Growth to $22.7 Billion Princeton University’s endowment earned a 12.7 percent investment gain for the most recent fiscal year, it was announced this week. The University has a $22.7 billion endowment, an increase of about $1.7 billion from the previous year. Major schools began reporting their annual return figures during the past few weeks. Harvard said it had earned 5.8 percent, while Yale reported an 11.5
percent return. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s figure was 13.2 percent, and Bowdoin College reported 14.2 percent earned for the year. Princeton’s results are scheduled to be certified on October 22 during a meeting of the directors of the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO), the University office that manages the endowment. Continued on Page 4
ALMOST THERE: Sunday’s Half-Marathon began and ended at Paul Robeson Place, not far from where Princeton’s most famous native son was born. Sponsored by HiTOPS, this year’s race drew more than 1200 runners. Winner Zach Rivers, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who set a new course record, reveals what his favorite part of the course was in this week’s Town Talk. (Photo by Emily Reeves)
Help The Rescue Mission break the Help The Rescue the of clothing World Record ForMission Largestbreak collection World Record For Largest collection of clothing for recycle/donation! for recycle/donation! Call (609) 964-0414 x 100 rmtrenton.org/100 Call (609) 964-0414 x 100 rmtrenton.org/100
25% OFF
Your Source for Fun Halloween Costumes and Props
ANY SINGLE ITEM.
EXCLUDES DISCOUNTED ITEMS
3256 US 1, Lawrenceville, NJ • 609-799-0119 (Between Coleman Cadillac & Quakerbridge Mall)
See our ad on Page 13
Halloweenwholesalersnj.com
One Discount per season. Not valid with any other offers. Not redeemable for cash. Offer expires 10/25/15.