Volume LXX, Number 20
www.towntopics.com
Changes in Management At Palmer Square As Newton Moves On
Previewing New Book About Jazz Great Charles Mingus . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sharyn Rothstein’s All the Days Has World Premiere at McCarter . . . . . . . . 20 Princeton Symphony Orchestra Continues Its Focus On Creativity of Women . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Founder and Owner of Ambleside Gardens & Nursery Townsend Scudder Jr . Dies . . . . . 36 Princeton Baseball Rallies to Win Ivy Series . . . . 28 PDS Girls’ Lax Wins 2nd Straight Prep B Title . . 33
Kristina Lindbergh Talks About Her Famous Grandparents . . . . . . . . 7 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 25 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classified Ads . . . . . . . 38 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Music/Theater . . . . . . 18 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 27 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 36 Police Blotter . . . . . . 16 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 38 Service Directory . . . . 37 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
After two decades at the helm of Palmer Square Management, vice president David Newton is stepping down. Taking over the job is Lori Rabon, who has been general manager of The Nassau Inn for the same time period. Ms. Rabon will continue to lead the hotel while assuming the new position, and Mr. Newton will move on to other projects within the company, according to Ms. Rabon. “What is happening is that ownership is transitioning some of our roles,” she said this week. “David is going to be doing some developmental projects with them in other areas of New Jersey. I’m a newbie, but I have been with the ownership group for 20 years. I’ll be working with both the Palmer Square team and the hotel team.” Mr. Newton’s last day was last Friday, and Ms. Rabon began her new assignment on Monday. The transition has been in the works for some time, she said, and has gone smoothly. “There are no plans at all to upset the apple cart,” she said when asked if any more changes were planned for Palmer Square Management. “I have complete confidence in the team here as well as at The Nassau Inn.” Palmer Square Management and The Nassau Inn are owned by a limited partnership based in New York City. Complaints among local residents that Palmer Square has become a trendy area geared to tourists rather than people who live in town have not gone unnoticed, Ms. Rabon said. “It is definitely one of the things we’ve heard, and it is something we are very much listening to regarding the mix of new tenants,” she said. “We are hearing public comment and keeping those thoughts in mind. We know there are services the residents would want to come downtown for.” Vacancies along the square had “nothing to do with these decisions, which have been ongoing for months,” she said. “This is really an opportunity for us, with the vacancies we do have, to strategically be able to place the right tenants in this premier property. I’ve spent all these years promoting Princeton as a destination, a gem. Now we’ve been given this opportunity and I’m grateful ownership had the thought to put me in as vice president and pull together all the different aspects of the Palmer properties. I’ve got some great teams to work with.” Continued on Page 10
75¢ at newsstands
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Candidates Consider Charging for Communiversity
Should there be an admission price for Communiversity? The question has been raised repeatedly in recent weeks about this annual festival of local culture, food, and shopping. Sponsored by the Arts Council of Princeton with support from Princeton University and the town, it brings approximately 40,000 to downtown and surrounding streets. Some feel that charging a nominal admission could help increase revenue and as a result, help balance the budget. Others disagree (see this week’s “Town Talk”). During his annual report to Princeton Council this month, Arts Council executive director Jeff Nathanson suggested that the organization could work with the town, the University, and area merchants on a fiscal impact study that would examine the question of whether Communiversity should remain free or become a ticketed event. Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller brought up the idea of charging admission at that same meeting, and then again at a recent forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters where those running for seats on Council had a chance to answer questions on various issues.
Ms. Crumiller, an incumbent in the race, expanded upon her views during a telephone interview. “Communiversity has grown from a community town/gown function that was really focused on the Princeton residents to a regional, humongous street fair, even with car dealers there this time,” she said. “It’s just gotten a lot more commercialized, and the town pays a cost. It is less of a community celebration than it used to be and has almost gotten out of hand as far as traffic goes. Last year, I got stuck on my own street with my screaming granddaughter
in the car.” Charging a fee might discourage crowds and recoup the cost. “It could be a revenue source,” Ms. Crumiller said. “I’m thinking of a low-cost admission. If the Arts Council wanted to charge more for the vendors, that might also be an option. But somehow, I think we should get more money out of the whole day.” Leticia Fraga has also spoken in favor of charging “a minimal admission fee” for Communiversity. “Even with just a minimal Continued on Page 13
Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment Holds 3-Day Opening Ceremony This Week On the agenda is nothing less than the energy and environmental problems of the world and the future of technology in addressing those problems, as national leaders in science, technology, industry and government gather at Princeton University this Wednesday through Friday to celebrate the opening of the University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment.
“Meeting the world’s energy demands in a way that serves all of society and preserves the environment is an all-handson-deck challenge,“ said Emily A. Carter, founding director of the Center and incoming dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. “We are working broadly across many disciplines and collaborating with industry and other institutions, and we invite interested people of all Continued on Page 14
JUMPING FOR JOY: Members of the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team celebrate after defeating Robbinsville 17-8 in the Mercer County Tournament championship game last Thursday at WW/P-N . It was the first-ever county crown for the boys’ lax program . PDS, now 14-1, will go for a second title when it hosts Montclair Kimberley in the state Prep B championship game on May 18 . For details on the MCT final, see page 32 . (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)