Volume LXXIV, Number 35
Back to School Pages 12-19 Alan Zweibel on the Highs and Lows of a Life in Laughter . . . . . . . . 5 New Fund Helps Arts Groups Survive Pandemic . . . . . . . . . . 8 Nights With Count Basie — A Birthday Celebration . . . . . . . . 23 PU Men’s Lax Alum Ambler Stars for Archers in PLL Tourney . . . . . . 28 NJSIAA Allowing Fall Sports, But Questions Remain . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lorraine Goodman Takes the Reins at LALDEF . . . . . . . . . . 10 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 26 Classified Ads . . . . . . 35 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 33 Performing Arts . . . . . 24 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 4 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 35 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Preparations for School Reopening Move Forward Amidst Uncertainties Preparations for September and the first day of a new school year are never simple, but the global coronavirus pandemic has brought on what seems like an infinite array of complications and challenges, frustrations and fears, for school officials, teachers, staff, parents, and students. At its meeting last week the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) announced a delay in its revised opening plan. Remote instruction will begin for all PPS students on September 14, but in-person learning, a phase-in hybrid program, is now postponed to October 12 for elementary schools and special education programs, and a week later, October 19, for middle and high school students. PPS Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso, however, noted that two criteria must be fulfilled before in-person instruction can take place in the school buildings. For the first, there must be enough teachers on site to run programs in the classrooms and the schools. In preparations for the originally planned September 14 opening, about 100 staff members requested accommodations, Galasso reported, and there were not enough replacements available to staff the schools. For the second, Installation of new air filtration units in the school buildings must be complete, with the units functioning effectively. In a telephone conversation Monday, Galasso expressed confidence that HVAC and other building modifications and personal protective equipment would be ready for the October 12 opening. In addition to a survey of teachers, the administration is discussing plans with teachers individually. “Over the next couple of weeks, the board will determine what replacements we need to get, what we need in order to be ready to staff our schools for the October 12 phase-in reopening,” Galasso said. “They will review accommodations and criteria, then grant or not grant accommodations based on the criteria. We’ll have to see how this finally shakes out.” Galasso acknowledged the dilemma facing many teachers and others in making the decision to come back into the schools, but he emphasized PPS’ extensive preparations. “So we’re hoping Continued on Page 7
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Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Council Amends Definition of Accessory Dwelling Unit At a virtual meeting Monday night, August 24, Princeton Council voted in favor of an ordinance amending the definition of an accessory dwelling unit. The vote was unanimous, though Councilman Dwaine Williamson said he was “51 percent in favor, 49 percent opposed.” The governing body voted after listening to numerous comments from the public. While many expressed support for the amendment, several were opposed. The amendment goes back to an ordinance that Council adopted in June, allowing that a primary unit and an accessory unit on a property can be owned separately instead of by one owner. Council introduced the amendment at its previous meeting. The Planning Board reviewed it at a special meeting on August 20, and determined that it was consistent with Princeton’s Master Plan, the town’s Planning Director Michael LaPlace told Council. Some members of the public urged Council to delay voting on the issue, saying it needs more research. Others expressed concerns that it would cause problems with traffic, density, and parking, and would motivate developers to build more multi-unit condominiums. Yina Moore, Kip Cherry, Michael Floyd, Shirley Satterfield, and Joseph Weiss were
among those opposed. Those in favor called the proposed measure “progressive,” saying it would help the “missing middle” class afford to live in Princeton. Homeowners financially unable to remain in Princeton would be able to stay and age in place, they said. It would also help create a more walkable community, they said. The meeting also included a detailed report from the Princeton Fire Department, updating Council on the state of the
department since paid career firefighters were brought on eight months ago to augment the volunteer staff. While COVID-19 has brought numerous challenges, the addition of career staff has had an overall positive effect on the department and the improvements in the time it takes to reach a fire scene, said Fire Chief T.R. Johnson. Councilwoman Leticia Fraga commented that she hoped there would be more emphasis on diversity in future recruitment, and suggested the department Continued on Page 7
Demonstrators Urge: “Save the Post Office,” “Protect the Vote” at Local Rally Calling on authorities to “save the post office,” “defend democracy,” and “protect the right to vote,” about 50 demonstrators gathered at the Alexander Road Post Office in Carnegie Center on Saturday morning, August 22, as part of more than 800 nationwide rallies that day. “Our demand today is that the post office continues to do its job and deliver our ballots quickly to us and then back to our county governments for counting,” said event co-organizer Frank von Hippel, senior research physicist and Princeton University professor emeritus in the Program on Science and Global Security.
In the event co-sponsored by the Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA), von Hippel joined with Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker, Princeton University Computer Science Professor Andrew Appel, CFPA board member and Treasurer Mark Pepper, and CFPA Chair Irene Goldman in calling on Congress to protect the postal service from Trump administration attacks, and to act to safeguard the integrity of the mail and the upcoming election, which during the pandemic will be conducted more than ever before through mail-in ballots. Continued on Page 11
SOCIALLY DISTANT CINEMA: The Princeton Shopping Center hosted an outdoor screening of “Pine Mud,” a new documentary by local filmmaker Jared Flesher, last Thursday evening . The event was also sponsored by the Princeton Environmental Film Festival and Sustainable Princeton . Attendees share their biggest concerns for the environment in this week’s Town Talk on page 6 . (Photo courtesy of Princeton Shopping Center)
