Volume LXXIV, Number 44
Custom Suits a Vision and Reality at Jeffrey Scott . . . . . . . .5 Marc Dashield to Retire as Municipal Administrator . . . . . . . . .7 Grants Provide Invaluable Resources For PPS . . . 10 Princeton Professor Brangwynne Wins Award for Young Scientists . . . 14 PU Women’s Hoops Alumna Dietrick Steps Up For WNBA’s Atlanta Dream . . . . . . . .29 Defender Rebak Assuming Central Role for Undefeated PHS Field Hockey . . . . .31
Liszt, Horowitz, and Poe Team Up for a Halloween Performance of The Mephisto Waltz . . . . . 18 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .22, 23 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 25 Classified Ads . . . . . . 38 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 36 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 26 Performing Arts . . . . . 19 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 38 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Council Approves Posts For Open Space Manager, Human Services Coordinator At its meeting Monday, Princeton Council voted in favor of ordinances establishing the positions of open space manager and human services outreach coordinator. Members of Council and the public expressed support for the newly created posts, which have been discussed for years. “I am here because more than 10 years ago I read an article in Town Topics that said because of budget cuts, the only person who spoke Spanish at Human Services was being laid off,” said Councilwoman Leticia Fraga. “So I volunteered. And here we are. I am so excited to move forward. It took a pandemic to make this happen, but Human Services will finally get the support they need.” Councilwoman Mia Sacks commented, “It has also been about 10 years that the town has tried to create an open space manager position, so I am glad that the two can finally come in.” Mayor Liz Lempert asked that the public spread the word about the new posts. “We’d love to get qualified applicants for these positions from the community,” she said. “Please help us because recruiting is most successful when you have a wide net.” The positions will be posted on the municipal website at princetonnj.gov. Lempert opened the meeting with a request that families consider non-traditional ways to celebrate Halloween this year. She has received numerous emails from residents worried that, because of the pandemic, trick-or-treating is not safe. “There are a few areas of town that see lots of trick-or-treaters. We’re not going to see that this year,” she said. “We’re asking everyone to rethink their Halloween plans. Those who do go out, try to keep it hyper-local. If you’re handing out candy, we’re encouraging people to not use a bowl. A lot of people aren’t really interested in participating this year. Just turn your porch lights off.” Chief Financial Officer Sandy Webb gave a report on the town’s 11th Best Practices Inventory, which is done by the state. There were 60 questions on this year’s inventory, 29 of which receive a score. “If you score really low, you have a chance you will not collect all of your state aid,” she said. “We have done well every Continued on Page 11
75¢ at newsstands
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
COVID Numbers Rise, Halloween Approaches As new case numbers rise and schools open and shut, the Princeton Health Department notes that large and small private social gatherings where little or no COVID-19 mitigation measures are in place are major contributors to the upswing in infections. “The irony here is that in-person learning in schools, returning to work, and indoor dining, likely because of the controls in place, are not major sources of COVID-19 infections,” said Princeton Press and Media Communications Director Fred Williams. With Halloween coming on Saturday, Princeton police officials are urging the community to follow state and local COVID guidance, particularly in restricting indoor and outdoor gatherings. In past years, Williams noted, Franklin, Moore, and Jefferson Streets and the Ettl Farm community have seen hundreds of visitors on Halloween. “There are no approved permits for any Halloween-related block parties or authorized street closures scheduled for mischief night or Halloween,” said Williams. “Additional police patrols and Safe Neighborhood officers have been assigned throughout the town to ensure the safety of those Princetonians celebrating Halloween.” In their Monday, October 26 COVID-19 Update, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert and
Princeton Council warned, “Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, typical Halloween parties, and COVID are a scary combination.” The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has issued health and safety guidelines for Halloween, strongly encouraging everyone to wear a face covering. Costume masks do not count, as they do not provide the necessary protection. The NJDOH also recommends adherence to the limits on indoor gatherings (25
people or 25 percent of a room’s capacity) and outdoor gatherings (500 people, with social distancing), and recommends that any Halloween activities be held outdoors. According to the NJDOH website, “Those who plan to trick-or-treat should limit their groups to current household members, consider staying local, and limit the number of houses on their route,“ Further guidelines for putting out treats and other safety tips can be found at covid19. nj.gov. Continued on Page 8
Second Round of Resiliency Fund To Begin Accepting Applications A second round of funding for Princeton businesses struggling through the pandemic was welcome news to owners of stores and restaurants attending last week’s Virtual Business Forum, held by the Princeton Merchants Association (PMA). The Princeton Small Business Resiliency Fund will once again accept applications starting November 1 for grants of up to $5,000. The announcement came at the end of a meeting that also focused on issues related to staying open during the winter months, and the possibility of a weekend winter village in early December. The initial round of funding distributed last month granted 70 businesses with
$5,000 each. Princeton University, the founding donor, had pledged $250,000 and an additional dollar for dollar match to the first $100,000 received from additional donors. More than $100,000 was contributed by Stark and Stark, the Sands Foundation, Callaway Henderson Sotheby’s, and FirstBank, among others. With more than $100,000 remaining in the fund, it was decided to reopen the application process. According to information given at the meeting, applications will be reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis. There is enough for up to 22 grants for qualifying businesses in Princeton. Continued on Page 12
BUDDING ARTISTS: Color Me Mine hosted a Pumpkin Painting Party, featuring Halloween-themed pieces, on Saturday afternoon at the Princeton Shopping Center . Shoppers share their favorite scary movies in this week’s Town Talk on page 6 . (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
If you didn’t use us you probably paid too much. Franklin H. Rainear, Jr. Owner-Manager, Licensed Funeral Director NJ Lic. No. 4543 1310 Prospect Street, Ewing, NJ 08638 AffordableFuneralServiceCremationCo.com