Volume LXXIV, Number 52
Princeton High’s Studio Band Releases Album Recorded at Abbey Road Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Town, PU Agree on $8 .5M Contributions to Municipality . . . . . . . . . . .8 Neighbors Kindness Project Moves into Holiday Gift Stores . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Boheme Opera NJ Presents Series of Virtual Concerts . . . . . . . . . . . 15 PU Alum Venable Named Bench Coach for Boston Red Sox . . . . . . . . . . . .24 PHS Soccer Goalie Bell, PDS Girls’ Soccer Star Beal Tabbed as Top Fall Performers . . . . . . . . . .26
Marking 250 Years of Beethoven . . . . . . . . . 14 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .18, 19 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 20 Classified Ads . . . . . . 31 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 30 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 23 Performing Arts . . . . . 16 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 31 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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COVID-19 Vaccinations Proceed, New Cases Remain High in Princeton Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have arrived in the state, along with some signs that the second wave of COVID-19 is starting to level off, but new cases in Princeton remain high, and local authorities are issuing stern cautionary advice for the coming days and weeks. The Princeton Health Department on Monday, December 21, reported a record total of 64 new cases in the previous 14 days, with 35 new cases in the previous seven days, short of the highest sevenday total of 39 reported last week. According to Monday’s report, there was a total of 50 active positive cases in Princeton and 30 total hospitalizations. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that the state’s transmission rate had dropped below 1, to 0.99, the lowest rate since September 3 and the eighth consecutive daily decline. Since any number over 1 means that each infected person is spreading the virus to more than one other person, getting the rate below 1 is crucial to stopping the spread. The Princeton Council and mayor, in their Princeton COVID-19 Update, have written that “happy, healthy holidays call for new traditions,” with indoor gatherings presenting a high risk for transmission at a time when the health department and hospitals are under the pressure of handling the increase in cases and coordinating the vaccine distribution. “The holidays, cold weather, and COVID fatigue may make it tempting to get together, but you are putting yourself, your loved ones, and our health care system at risk,” the newsletter stated. “The end is in sight. Please act responsibly now so we can all benefit from the vaccine. This is the year to get creative with virtual gettogethers and time spent with the people in your immediate household.” The Princeton Health Department, as part of the Mercer County Health Officers Association, is in the process of obtaining and distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. Hospitals have been vaccinating their staff and patients, and long-term care facilities plan to administer vaccines the week of December 28. The first series of local clinics, also scheduled for next week, will focus on local emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, other community health care workers, and Continued on Page 10
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Council Vote Finalizes One-Way Traffic on Witherspoon Princeton Council voted unanimously at a public hearing Monday night in favor of an ordinance that makes permanent what was a temporary change on a portion of Witherspoon Street. Traffic will now be one-way going north from Nassau to Spring streets, as it has for the past several months. The ordinance was introduced at a Council meeting two weeks ago. The stretch of Witherspoon Street had been operating one-way to accommodate outdoor dining and encourage patronage of local businesses suffering during the pandemic. Three options were considered for the future of the street: returning it to two-way, keeping it one-way, or closing it to vehicular traffic. Traffic consultants McMahon Associates recommended maintaining the one-way scenario after running a study based on pre-COVID conditions, when traffic was heavier and flowed in both directions. As part of the plan, South Tulane Street will be changed from oneway going north to south to one-way south to north. Making turns onto Nassau Street from Tulane and Chambers streets will only be permitted to the right. Some people spoke in favor of the ordinance, while others objected. David Newton, who owns the Hamilton Jewelers building at 92 Nassau Street and the
building at 16 Chambers Street, said that several of the retailers in town were not in favor of the ordinance. “We are living in a time of terrible vacancy in the retail business,” he said. “They are living in appallingly stressful conditions.” Of particular concern to Newton is traffic that will be diverted to Chambers Street, which will likely become extremely congested during the construction phase of a hotel planned for the building at Nassau and Chambers Street, should it be approved.
“Between stressing these retailers out, whom one has to admit have to be considered a great asset to this community, and also during the construction process of Graduate [the hotel] creating enormous congestion on Chambers Street, I request at the very least from Council a delay on this project until, hopefully, the retail situation levels off, we find more retailers to fill our stores, and Graduate is up and running.” Continued on Page 12
Liz Lempert’s Eight Years As Mayor Draw to a Close
When Princeton Council gathers for its annual reorganization meeting on Monday, January 4, it will be the first time in eight years that Liz Lempert will not be presiding as mayor. Lempert steps down officially on December 31, and new mayor Mark Freda, a fellow Democrat, will take her place on the dais. Lempert’s tenure has been eventful, to say the least. It began in 2013 with consolidation of the former Borough and Township. It concludes with the ongoing challenge of managing Princeton’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, issues from parking to
sustainability to affordable housing to over-development have dominated Council’s agendas, almost always with spirited commentary from the public on different sides of the issues. “There have been challenges, for sure,” said Lempert during a telephone interview. “But we also benefit from the fact that not just Council, but members of the community, get involved. People recognize that Princeton is a special place. People want to see what’s best for the town. They really want to do what’s best. There is not always agreement as to what that Continued on Page 7
SLED TIME: Winter came a little early with last week’s storm, but the snow enticed some people out for sledding at the Springdale Golf Club on Thursday . (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)