Volume LXXIV, Number 18
Mr. Rogers’ Neighbors Kindness Project . . . . . 5 Rabara Pilates Studio Stays Busy . . . . . . . . 10 Remembering Lee Konitz and April on Duke Ellington's Birthday . . 14 Beyond Broadway Celebrates Community Theatre . . . . . . . . . . 15 Analyzing Dream Matchup of ’15 vs ’20 PU Women’s Hoops Teams . . . . . . . 21 Hun School Formally Cancels its Spring Sports Season . . . . . . . . . . . 24
PPS Assistant Superintendent Annie Kosek To Retire in June . . . . . . . 11 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . . 16,17 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Classified Ads . . . . . . 28 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 20 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 26 Performing Arts . . . . . 18 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 7 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 28 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Council Passes Budget, Considers How to Operate Once Reopening is Underway Princeton Council voted unanimously at its virtual meeting on Monday, April 27, to adopt the 2020 municipal budget that was re-introduced at its last meeting. Amended in light of the pandemic and its impact on the local economy, the $64 million budget has no tax increase. The ongoing shutdown has presented numerous challenges to the municipality. The town’s administrator Marc Dashield delivered an update on how these challenges are being met, and how operations will continue once Witherspoon Hall is reopened. Staff has been working remotely in some cases, while others have been in the building on alternative work schedules to complete necessary tasks. The departments involved in health, safety, and public works are on site, and the recreation department continues to maintain public parks and take care of trash and recycling. Those paying taxes this quarter are urged to do it online or by mail. For those who cannot do so, a drop box is in place in the lobby of the police department. Dashield said a committee of municipal employees has begun to look at what municipal services will look like once the building officially reopens. “They will investigate and then make recommendations on things like social distancing, child care, high risk employees, and long-term infection prevention strategies,” he said. Glass shields are being installed in different departments to protect employees and visitors. Building inspections are being carried out using FaceTime when possible. Regarding fire prevention inspections, the town is now requiring affidavits confirming the existence of smoke detectors so that buyers of homes can close on their purchases. As has become the norm at Council meetings since the pandemic began, there were reports from Princeton Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser and Princeton Board of Health Chair Dr. George DiFerxes importance & home delivof custom bothe ering stressed dinando. ery Now offBoth contact tracing, which tracks the contacts of infected people and notifies them of exposure. “This is our number one tool in regard to how we oney do disease investigations,” rook said Grosser. “In Princeton, we are very rganic arm • •
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Wednesday, April 29, 2020
University Launches $1M Local Relief Fund
As COVID-19 cases and related death numbers start to level off and New Jersey, gradually and cautiously, looks forward to Gov. Phil Murphy’s “Road Back” plan, Princeton University has announced the establishment of a fund to support community relief efforts related to COVID-19, with an initial commitment of $1 million to support immediate needs in the municipality of Princeton. “The focus will be on contributions to organizations that distribute directly to other nonprofits or, where appropriate, businesses, and to partnerships of community organizations working collaboratively to address current needs,” the University wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon. A University committee has made recommendations and Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber and Provost Deborah Prentice have approved initial disbursements from the fund of $400,000 to the Princeton Area
Community Foundation COVID Relief Fund and $100,000 to the Princeton Children’s Fund Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund. “The remaining $500,000 will be distributed as additional contribution opportunities emerge,” the University announcement stated. Noting significant impacts of the crisis in communities where the University is located, the announcement stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in immense financial pressures for nonprofits and service organizations; businesses, particularly small businesses; and individuals and families.” It continued, “The University will use the fund to contribute to relief and recovery efforts already underway, and those that will emerge in the coming months. The fund is designed to distribute funds to partner organizations that provide grants, services, and other forms of direct
support to local organizations, businesses, and families.” In addition to its contributions through the relief fund, the University has been working to assist the local community in a number of ways, the announcement pointed out , including direct support to organizations fighting food insecurity, donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), hosting blood drives, providing perishable food items to local food kitchens, and faculty and staff volunteering in the community. The University made a $25,000 contribution to Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPPrinceton) to support the nonprofit group’s collaboration in feeding qualified Princeton Public Schools (PPS) students. The University also donated 15 mini-fridges to the PPS and SHUPPrinceton to support their family meal distributions. The Princeton Area Community Foundation COVID Relief Fund was established Continued on Page 7
Merchants Association Zoom Meetings Have Become A Staple of the Shutdown
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Early this week, Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled his plan to start New Jersey’s recovery from the COVID-19 shutdown. While the stay-at-home order for residents remains in effect until further notice, local businesses are starting to consider how and when they will reopen. Some, like Olives on Witherspoon Street, have already taken the step. Just what the town’s reopening might look like is among the topics to be discussed at the next Virtual Princeton Business Forum of the Princeton Merchants Association (PMA), being held Thursday, April 30 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Results of a survey that went out to local businesses will also be considered. The PMA has been holding online gatherings nearly every Thursday since non-essential businesses were ordered to close last month. These well-attended meetings, moderated by Princeton University Art Museum Director James Steward, have included various guest speakers, always with a focus on how to ride out the COVID-19 crisis and stay afloat. Last week, political scientist and Princeton University Professor Anne Marie Slaughter shared ideas about a fund to help nonprofits and businesses with resilience and renewal.
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COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER: For week one of our campaign highlighting fun projects for kids to do, we asked local youths to send in images of chalk art . This colorful design was created by Tommy, 13, and Sophia, 18 . See the Town Topics website and Facebook page for all submissions for this week . Next week’s project will feature ads designed for favorite local businesses .
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