Volume LXXVII, Number 45
Diwali is Celebrated in Princeton, Around The World . . . . . . . . . 5 Positive Impact of Arts on Health Explored By Cultural Groups . . . 9 Empty Lot is Now a Sensory Garden . . . . 11 Once Upon a Time in Indiana: James Dean and Hoosier Hysteria . . . . 17 Princeton Pro Musica Opens 45th Season with Handel Oratorio . . . . 18 Lygas Hits 500-Kill Milestone as PHS Girls’ Volleyball Makes Sectional Final . . . . . 29 Goalie Ruf Comes Up Big as PDS Girls’ Soccer Heads to Non-Public Title Game . . . . . . . . 33
Archie Smith Helps PHS Boys’ Soccer Advance to State Semis . . . . . . . . 28 Art . . . . . . . . . . . .23, 24 Better Living. . . . . . . . . 3 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 25 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 37 Hopewell/Pennington. . 20 Luxury Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mailbox . . . . . . . . .14, 15 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 36 Performing Arts . . .19, 22 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 8 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 37 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Hearing on Master Plan At Planning Board Meeting Invites Public Comment The online meeting of the Planning Board on Thursday, November 9 at 7 p.m. is a chance for members of the public to comment on the proposed rewrite of the Princeton Master Plan. The draft of the document, which was 18 months in the making, was shared with the public at a Planning Board meeting on October 31, but no public comments were taken at that time. Residents can read the 270-page final draft of the plan online at princetonnj. gov/339/Master-Plan or engage.princetonmasterplan.org. New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law requires the adoption of a Master Plan. Princeton’s had not been updated since 1996. “A community’s Master Plan articulates a vision for the community, states assumptions that underpin that vision, and provides goals and policies to achieve that vision,” reads a November 1 release from the municipality. “The development of the Master Plan began with a strategic outreach campaign extending over an 18-month period to include a thorough and diverse range of community input, aimed at capturing the intricate fabric of Princeton’s many voices and perspectives.” The draft is divided into 18 sections encompassing the land use plan element, the mobility plan element, the utility plan element and stormwater management plan, community facilities, open space, conservation, recreation, economic development, and historic preservation, among other headings. Members of the Master Plan Steering Committee, the Planning Board, municipal staff, and consultants from the architectural firm Clarke Caton Hintz met with various community groups and neighborhood residents to hear opinions and suggestions for revamping the plan. Two community visioning surveys and economic stakeholder interviews were also part of the process. “The vision expressed by the community and captured in the plan is one for a vibrant, growing, and welcoming community with recommendations to increase housing diversity and choice for residents, and to create a robust transportation system for car-optional living, while also sustaining and improving Princeton’s Continued on Page 12
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Wednesday, November 8, 2023
BOE Challengers Running Strongly in Early Vote With only six of 22 precincts reporting by press time last night, the outcome of the hotly contested race with two incumbents and three challengers vying for three seats on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education was uncertain. At press time Eleanor Hubbard had received 1,708 votes, incumbent Beth Behrend 1,532, Adam Bierman 1,378, Rene Obregon Jr. 1,241, and incumbent Michele Tuck-Ponder 1,141. The unofficial totals so far do not include provisional ballots and some mail-in ballots. Princeton voters have apparently approved the PPS $13 million facilities bond proposal with a total of 1,908 to 751 votes as tallied at press time. In the 16th legislative district race for New Jersey state Senate incumbent Democrat Andrew Zwicker leads his Republican challenger Michael Pappas by 57 percent to 41.6 percent, with Libertarian Richard J. Byrne running a distant third with 1.4 percent out of about 57 percent tallied so far. With two positions in the state assembly 16th district on the line, incumbent Democrat Roy Freiman, and Mitchelle Drulis, also a Democrat, were leading their Republican rivals Ross Traphagen and Grace Zhang. With about 53 percent of the results in, Freiman had 28.6 percent of the votes, Drulis 28.3 percent, Traphagen 21.5 percent, and Zhang 21.5 percent. In the race for Mercer County executive, taking the seat of Brian Hughes, who is
stepping down at the end of the year after serving in the post for the past 20 years, Democrat Dan Benson seems to be coasting to victory with a lead of 16,590 (82 percent) to 3,489 (17 percent) over Republican Lisa Marie Richford. In the race for Mercer County sheriff, Democrat John “Jack” Kemler appears to have won a fifth term with 16,459 votes so far, besting Republican Bryan “Bucky” Boccanfuso with 3,292 votes, and Unaffiliated Drew L. Cifrodelli with 273 votes.
The incumbent Democrats on the Mercer County Board of Commissioners also appeared to have held onto their seats, as Lucylle Walter and John Cimino received 16,263 and 16,314 votes respectively to 3,559 and 3,495 votes respectively for their Republican challengers Joseph Stillwell and Denise “Neicy” Turner. Unopposed Democratic incumbents David Cohen and Leticia Fraga have successfully reclaimed their seats on Princeton Council for a third three-year term. —Donald Gilpin
As War in Gaza Enters Second Month, Princetonians Reflect, Mourn, Speak Out
As the fighting in Gaza continues into its second month, with the death toll mounting and no sign of a resolution in sight, groups and individuals at Princeton University and in the larger community, coming from a wide range of political and personal positions and perspectives, continue to respond, expressing their anger, grief, and hopes in many different ways. Approximately 1,400 were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and about 240 more are being held as hostages. Gaza’s Health Ministry says that the death toll since the Israeli bombing there now exceeds 10,000. As the New York Times reported on November 7, “Many in Israel, a country
of some nine million people, know someone who was directly affected by the attacks. Many have been directly affected themselves.” And surely the same is true for residents in Gaza. Last Sunday, November 5, about 70 people gathered at 4 p.m. at Hinds Plaza to urge that the hostages be released. It was far from the largest of the demonstrations and other events — pro-Israel, pro-Palestinians, or neutral — that have taken place in town and on the Princeton University campus during the last month, and it lasted less than half an hour. But it did reflect many of the feelings and thoughts that have been experienced on all sides of the issue over the past weeks. Continued on Page 10
COW CELEBRATION: Cows adorned with flowers and bells were celebrated and honored at the Annual Cow Parade at Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville on Saturday afternoon. The tradition comes from the Swiss Alps, when the cows are brought down from the mountains to the lower pastures each autumn, with elaborate decorations. The festival also featured hay rides, kids’ games, face painting, food, music, and local vendors. Attendees discuss their favorite cheese in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
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