Town Topics Newspaper, January 15

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Volume LXXIV, Number 3

Former St. Michael’s Orphanage Resident To Tell Her Story of Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Princeton University Sues Architecture Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Princeton Women’s Hoops Defeats Penn in Ivy League Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Coach Monzo Bringing Emphasis on Basics to PHS Wrestling . . . . . . . 25

Profiles in Education: Choral Director Patty Thel . . . . . . . . . . 10 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .18, 19 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 17 Classified Ads . . . . . . 31 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 30 Performing Arts . . . . . 13 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 11 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 31 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6

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Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Protestors Seek “Diplomacy, Not War” with Iran

Council Gives Nod To Formal Resolution Supporting Migrant Families

More than 200 protestors gathered for a “No War with Iran” rally at Hinds Plaza next to the Princeton Public Library on Saturday afternoon, January 11. Under sunny skies with spring-like temperatures, 10 different speakers from political, academic, religious, and military communities addressed the crowd, many of whom carried signs or posters expressing anti-war sentiments. Sponsored by the Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), along with the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRC), Muslims for Peace, and Indivisible Cranbury, the rally was a response to the January 3 drone killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani ordered by President Trump. Protestors carried signs bearing such messages as “Diplomacy Not War,” “Trump Lies and People Die,” “Remove Trump,” Prevent WW III,” “No Imperial Presidency,” and more. “Say No to War,” sang singer/songwriter Sharleen Leahey. “What are we gonna tell our children? When are we gonna end all this madness?” as the audience joined in on the chorus.

A resolution related to the welfare of migrant families was the focus of a meeting of Princeton Council on Monday, January 13. The governing body voted unanimously to approve the measure, “calling upon the White House and Congress and the state of New Jersey to reunify migrant families, release them from detention, and afford them due process in immigration proceedings.” Several members of the public spoke in favor of the measure, as did Councilwoman Leticia Fraga, who thanked resident Afsheen Shamsi for crafting the resolution. “It truly reflects our values and who we are when it comes to protecting our neighbors,” Fraga said. One local resident who has accompanied migrants without legal representation to hearings — including an 8-yearold girl — said that while passage of the resolution is a positive step, a legal representation program is sorely needed. Shamsi commented that Princeton was among the first three towns to pass the resolution. She is delivering a “tool kit” to expand it on a national basis. Others who spoke in favor of the resolution included Maria Juega, former executive director of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Tom Parker, chair of the town’s Civil Rights Commission; residents John Heilner and Linda Oppenheim; and immigration lawyer Sally Steinberg. Also passed by Council was a resolution authorizing a lease agreement with Mercer County to reinstate a nutrition program for the elderly, moved from Princeton Senior Resource Center to the Chestnut Street Firehouse, which has been renovated for the purpose. The new location can accommodate up to 80 people, while the former site served up to 20 people. There is no income requirement to participate. Those concerned about parking limitations on Chestnut Street can park at PSRC and take the FreeB bus to the site. Four ordinances held over from 2019 were introduced at the meeting. One creates permanent, paid firefighter positions in the Princeton Fire Department, which was previously staffed only by volunteers. Another is for a lease with the Friends of Herrontown Woods for care and maintenance of the Veblen property. Council

“What needs to happen now is serious engagement and diplomacy,” CFPA Executive Director the Rev. Robert Moore told the crowd. “We know that diplomacy works. It’s time to have diplomacy, not war with Iran.” Though by Saturday a de-escalation in tensions between the two countries had taken place, Moore warned, “It’s not a permanent de-escalation. The factors that could lead to war are still there.” He went on to criticize the use of drones as weapons of assassination and claimed that the kinds of strikes that killed Soleimani are undermining the peace process in the Middle East.

Richard Moody, former fighter pilot for both the United States and the United Kingdom, provided further background on the “extremely distressing,” increasingly dangerous uses of armed drones. “Did Trump order this attack to distract the public from his impeachment?” Moody asked the gathering. Moody went on to quote first Winston Churchill: “Jaw, jaw, jaw before war, war, war” and “War is the failure of diplomacy,” then Pete Seeger: “When will we ever learn?” from “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Continued on Page 8

Planning Board Gets Update On East Campus Projects

Princeton’s Planning Board heard a concept presentation on January 9 about the projects that are part of Princeton University’s East Campus development. A new parking garage, soccer stadium, soccer practice field, and a geo-exchange utility facility known as “T.I.G.E.R.” are the key elements of the plan. The concept review was for an area of

the University covered in its 2026 Campus Plan, which was unveiled in June 2017. The area is at the eastern end of the campus, bordered by Western Way, Princeton University Stadium, Faculty Road, and Broadmead. It affects the athletic fields and parking lots, FitzRandolph Observatory, and academic support Continued on Page 11

“DIPLOMACY, NOT WAR”: More than 200 protestors gathered at Hinds Plaza on Saturday afternoon for a “No War with Iran” rally . The event featured 10 speakers from political, academic, religious, and military communities, along with a musician . Participants share what brought them to the rally in this week’s Town Talk on page 6 . (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

Continued on Page 9

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