Volume LXXIV, Number 24
Road to Reopening Pages 11-16 Black Mothers Rising Holds Dialogue with Police . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Joint Effort Safe Streets to Honor Five Public Servants . . . . . . . . . . 8 Students Help Local Businesses Adjust to “New Normal” . . . . . 10 Quinn Emerged as a Stalwart for PU Men’s Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 14 PDS Grads Heading to College Sports Programs . . . . . . . . . . 27
Princeton Literary Legend John Berryman is the Subject of This Week’s Book Review . . . . . . . 20 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .18, 19 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Classified Ads . . . . . . 30 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 17 New to Us . . . . . . . . . . 23 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 28 Performing Arts . . . . . 21 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 30 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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“Mapping the Spread”: Contact Tracing is Vital In COVID-19 Battle In Princeton’s battle to flatten the curve of coronavirus infections and to prevent the deadly virus from spreading over the past three months, contact tracing has been one of the Princeton Health Department’s most effective tools. As restrictions lift, the town opens up, and Princeton residents venture from their homes into the streets, stores, and other public spaces, the Princeton Health Department’s team of contact tracers, expanded from 1.5 during “normal” times to its current group of 13, is prepared to combat any outbreaks that may occur. The team includes volunteers, health department staff, municipal work staff, Princeton Public School nurses, and an intern from The College of New Jersey. With only eight new COVID-19 cases in Princeton in the previous 14 days, as reported by the Health Department on Tuesday, as opposed to a 14-day total of 55 new cases during the height of the pandemic in the last week of April and first week of May, the flattening curve that can lead to a new normal, post-COVID situation is apparent. Contact tracing, says Municipal Health Officer Jeff Grosser, is a key component to help keep Princeton on track. “With contact tracing you keep the cases low enough so that you can address them, treat them medically, and do the contact tracing you need to do with the team you have,” said Ann Marie Russell, a volunteer who has been working with the Princeton Health Department on contact tracing and oversight of the outbreak response at long-term care facilities. “Contact tracing helps Princeton manage COVID-19 cases at an ongoing low level, to prevent future surges, and to be able to reopen New Jersey as safely as possible.” Emphasizing the necessity of sustained teamwork throughout the community, retired public health education consultant Francesca Calderone-Steichen, who has been working with the Princeton Health Department since April and has taken the lead on many local cases, noted, “The community has a critical role to play in damping this particular pandemic down. Americans are great problem solvers and highly independent people, and we also like quick fixes, but we may not be able to do those things with this particular coronavirus, which is silent but infectious Continued on Page 7
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Policing Issues Take Precedence At Council Meeting Issues of race and law enforcement were the focus of Princeton Council’s virtual meeting Monday evening, June 8. The governing body passed a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, calling for an assessment of policy and procedures “to ensure racial equity is a core element of all municipal departments,” the resolution reads, among other objectives. Commenting via emails that were read aloud, numerous members of the public called for defunding the local police force and redirecting money to affordable housing, mental health, human services, and other social programs. Delivering his regular report on Princeton Police Department activities, Chief Nicholas Sutter gave an emotional account of how the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has affected him and the department, which he said has worked since 2013 to be diverse, transparent, and engaged in the community. Responding to the public comments
urging defunding the police, Councilman Dwaine Williamson expressed frustration. “Please don’t tell me you’re doing me a favor as a black man by advocating for something that will only play into the hands of people against Black Lives Matter,” he said. “Let’s talk about real progress and real things we can do to make our society better. It’s not doing me or 40 million black Americans a favor.” Later in the meeting, Williamson apologized for his heated response. “My intent was not
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to insult. I look forward to progressive and respectful dialogue where I don’t use words like ‘ridiculous’ and my emotions don’t come out,” he said. Sutter said he first heard about the killing of George Floyd from his 16-year-old son. “He grew up being told that policing was righteous, just, and honorable,” Sutter said. “I still feel that way. But I saw on his face that night that he may have thought I’d been lying to him, or just giving him Continued on Page 7
Pomp and Circumstance and Much More On Tap for PHS Virtual Graduation Ceremony Princeton High School (PHS) will be celebrating its 92nd commencement next Tuesday, June 16, with orchestral and vocal music; speeches by students, teachers, and administrators; and the presentation of diplomas to 353 students graduating in their caps and gowns. It’s the school’s history-making, first-
ever virtual graduation, and PHS is making the most of the power of electronics to create an event that goes beyond the possibilities of any normal year in-person event. More than 300 of the degree recipients returned (with appropriate social Continued on Page 7
RIPE FOR THE PICKING: It’s been a good season for strawberries, which are now available for picking, with new rules, or just purchasing at Terhune Orchards on Cold Soil Road . The fields will remain open while supplies last . (Photo courtesy of Terhune Orchards)
In-Town Specialist Barbara Blackwell Broker Associate
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Opportunity knocks on a very special tree-lined street in Princeton with a collection of homes each more charming than the next. The Tudor-style home features oak floors, paneled pocket doors and a sunny kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances and a door to the patio. $950,000 Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Subject To Errors, Omissions, Prior Sale Or Withdrawal Without Notice.