Volume LXXVII, Number 49
Program on Old School Baptist Meeting in Hopewell . . . . . . . . . . 5 Time Travel, Love, and Mozart In Novel by Conductor Michael Pratt . . . . . . . . 8 Historic and Cultural Events on Tap for Trenton’s Patriots Week . . . . . . . 10 Let it Roll: The Ballad of George Harrison . . . . 15 PU Ensembles Come Together for Joint Concert . . . . . . . . . . . 16 PU Men’s Hoops Stuns Furman on Allocco’s Buzzer-Beater . . . . . . 24 Tiger Men’s Water Polo Falls to UCLA in NCAA Semis . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Brendan Beatty Looking To Shine as PHS Boys’ Hockey Gets Season Underway . . . . . . . . . 28 Art . . . . . . . . . . . .20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 22 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 33 December Arts . . . .18, 19 Holiday Magic. . . . . . 2, 3 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 New to Us . . . . . . . . . . 23 Performing Arts . . . . . 17 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 33 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Likely Rabid Raccoon Encountered on Hibben And University Campus On Monday, December 4 at approximately 8:42 p.m. near Dillion Gym on the Princeton University campus, a University student was attacked by a raccoon with suspected rabies, according to Princeton Deputy Administrator/Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser. The student received post-exposure treatment. The raccoon was exhibiting behaviors commonly associated with rabies, such as chirping noises, unprovoked aggressive behavior, and no fear of humans. Additionally, on Tuesday, December 5, at around 6 a.m., a resident on Hibben Road reported they were attacked by a raccoon that was sitting on their door mat. That resident was able to escape without injury, but did report behavior associated with rabies in the raccoon they encountered. The Municipality of Princeton’s Animal Control Officer James Ferry, who is working closely with Princeton University to locate and capture the raccoon, noted, “The behavior described was exactly the same. We’re assuming that it’s the same animal.” Ferry pointed out that, because a rabid animal will not eat or drink and will not go into a trap, trapping a rabid animal is impossible. “It has to be a manual capture. The only way to catch it is with nets and catch poles,” he said. He emphasized that even though he sees about five cases a year of animals that test positive for rabies, this is an unusual case. “Rabies has always been with us,” he said, “but in my experience we don’t see this kind of aggressiveness.” The woman who confronted the raccoon at her home on Hibben Road reported that it was between her and her doorstep when it turned to her and came right at her. “I’m pretty concerned about this animal,” Ferry said. On a more positive note, Ferry pointed out that the raccoon will probably die in one to three days and will not be able to spread the virus through biting in the meantime. He added that the animal is likely to be confused and unpredictable in behavior and will probably approach any movement or sound. “My recommendation is that if you go for a walk at night have a flashlight,” Ferry stated. “If you have dogs keep them Continued on Page 12
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Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Master Plan Approved After Lengthy Public Hearings Princeton Planning Board’s unanimous vote last week to approve the municipal Master Plan came after more than five hours of public testimony, mostly from residents who urged the board to delay voting until more research and public discussion. But the board, which presented the plan after more than a year and a half of work including open house events, surveys, interviews, and special listening sessions, opted to proceed. More than 225 people attended the Zoom meeting, which was the second of two public hearings on the issue. The November 30 hearing was scheduled because time ran out before all of those signed up at the first one on November 9 had a chance to comment. The meeting began with a presentation by the town’s planning director Justin Lesko, outlining some tweaks based on meetings with Historic Preservation Commission and historian Clifford Zink. Lesko also said he had met with residents from Battle Road, Ober Road, and Newlin Road to address concerns about proposed density. “We’re not calling for a major change in density,” he said. “I think we caused some of the confusion by labelling for lot rather than for acre. We’re not advocating for an increase in units on each lot. The plan does not advocate upzoning.”
That being said, he continued, there are places throughout the country that are doing that. “So this does happen in places, but in this plan it does not. It does recommend up front that growth is happening in Princeton as we speak. We are growing and need to coordinate that growth intelligently.” Among those expressing doubts about the plan was Bank Street resident Chip Crider, who also spoke about it at the most recent Princeton Council meeting.
“I’m concerned about what’s not been considered in the plan,” he said, referring specifically to service zones. He suggested the document limit the type of uses in the service zones, “so we actually get service.” Nicholas Garrison, an architect who lives on Ober Road, said the public was not given enough time to review and comment on the plan. “My biggest concern is about land use, specifically about accelerating growth,” he said. “We already have Continued on Page 12
Seventh Grade Entrepreneurs Sell Wares As Business Booms at PMS Winter Fest Twenty-eight pop-up shops — each a carefully structured business venture — are filling the main commons at Princeton Middle School (PMS) this week, offering an appealing array of foods, clothing items, crafts, jewelry, origami, holiday ornaments, and much more. Run by teams of highly motivated seventh graders, these shops are commercial ventures to be sure, but they are also exercises in social activism and hands-on entrepreneurial education. In just the first day, Monday, of the school’s Winter Festival, the businesses raised more than $700, with all the earnings going to social causes chosen by the students. The event has raised many
thousands of dollars in past years, according to “entrepreneurship, career, and readiness” teacher Kelly Riely, who leads the project as part of the PMS extracurricular program. “It’s a really cool project,” she said. “It really is a tribute to the student entrepreneurs and their selection of their favorite social causes. It’s effective social activism and entrepreneurship in one.” She noted that the students chose many different recipients for their earnings, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, HomeFront, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and others. Some of the seventh grade businesses have chosen Continued on Page 13
JAMMIN’ WITH SANTA: The PHS Studio Band and PHS Jazz Ensemble performed on Saturday at the annual event in the Princeton High School cafeteria. The festivities also included games, food, activities for all ages, and a visit with Santa. Attendees share their favorite holiday songs in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn) 138 Nassau St FL 2, GIFT A FINE ART CLASS Princeton NJ 08542 THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!
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