Volume LXXI, Number 38
Chef Jeff Speaks at Rescue Mission . . . . . . 5 PSRC’s HomeFriends Marks 30 Years . . . . . . 7 Pegasus Theatre Presents Chapter Two . . . . . . . 18 Paranormal Pleasures of Fargo and Twin Peaks . . 20 Beethoven Symphony Opens PSO Season . .22D PU Women’s Soccer Tops Delaware to Improve to 7-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Lis Stars as PHS Girls’ Soccer Defeats WW/PSouth . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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Senior Living Complex Proposed for Harrison Street Spurs Fire Safety Concerns
During the public comment period at Princeton Council’s meeting on September 11, the issue of fire safety was raised by two residents of the town. Paul Driscoll and Alexi Assmus asked Council to consider making round-the-clock fire watches a requirement during construction of large-scale, wood housing. Their request was motivated by the recent announcement that Sunrise Senior Living wants to construct a 76-unit development on North Harrison Street, near Princeton Shopping Center. The plans call for a two-story building with 52 units, and a one-story building with 25. It is during the construction phase of such projects, before sprinklers are installed, that fires frequently happen, Assmus and Driscoll told the governing body. And they offered some statistics to back it up. Continued on Page 8
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Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Vigil Shows Support for Imprisoned Student About 200 professors, colleagues, friends, their families, and other supporters gathered in Princeton University’s East Pyne Courtyard Friday evening to hold a candlelight vigil in support of Xiyue Wang, a graduate student who has been imprisoned in Iran for the past 13 months. Speakers, who included Wang’s wife, two of his professors, and several of his colleagues and friends, focused mostly on Wang’s qualities as a person, a scholar, a husband, and father to a 4-year-old son. Those closest to Wang, 37, described him as a talented, ambitious, dedicated scholar, full of intellectual curiosity and interest in Iranian culture, a steadfast friend and a loving family man with a distinct flair for cooking. There was also a call, sounded most directly by his wife, for the United States to work with the international community to bring pressure on Iran to release Wang and other political prisoners.
“My husband was persecuted for his scholarship and criminalized for his American citizenship,” said Hua Qu, Wang’s wife. “America is my husband’s adopted homeland. He chose to study and work here. Will this country stand up for him the way he stood up for American values? I hope the answer is a resounding ‘Yes.’” Relations with Iran are on President Trump’s agenda this week at the United Nations in New York, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif both in attendance, and Trump is expected to raise the issue of American hostages, along with concerns about the nuclear agreement, Iranian military action in the Middle East, and human rights abuses. “It is time for the regime to free all Americans and citizens of other nations that they have unjustly detained,” Trump said in his speech to the General Assembly Tuesday. In July, after Iran announced Wang’s
10-year sentence for espionage, the White House issued a statement that Trump and the administration were “redoubling efforts to bring home all Americans unjustly detained abroad.” The statement concluded, “President Trump is prepared to impose new and serious consequences on Iran unless all Continued on Page 23
Mayor and Officials Update Merchants on Current Projects, Plans In a “State of the Community” dialogue with Princeton business leaders at the Nassau Inn Tuesday morning, Mayor Liz Lempert, Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton, and Police Chief Nick Sutter presented a positive picture of projects underway and challenges ahead for the community. Continued on Page 8
C . Ryanne Domingues Named Passage Artistic Director . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 25 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 37 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Music/Theater . . . . . . 18 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 26 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 36 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 23 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 37 Service Directory . . . . 38 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
ALL THAT JAZZ: Thousands of music lovers gathered in Palmer Square on Sunday for the 26th annual JazzFeast, which featured performances by some of the industry’s best jazz musicians and showcased food from many of the area’s finest restaurants. Fans share their favorite jazz greats in this week’s Town Talk, and more photos are on page 22A. (Photo by Erica M. Cardenas)
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