Volume LXXI, Number 35
Back-to-School Begins on 22 Young Philanthropist Forms Local Giving Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Growing Up With Lewis, Looking for Gregory . . . 8 50 Years After Bonnie and Clyde . . . . . . . . . 17 New Executive Director Joins SAVE . . . . . . . . 20 PU Field Hockey Bringing Confidence Into 2017 Campaign . . . . . . . . . 30 PHS Football Hungry to Get Back on Winning Track . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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PPS Initiatives Seek to Promote Equity, Close The Achievement Gap A middle school oceanography course and a Diverse Educators Recruitment Day are just two of the many ways that Princeton Public Schools (PPS) have been working this summer to fulfill PPS’s strategic goal to “promote equity and access in ways that effectively eliminate the ‘achievement’ or opportunity gap.” Designed to engage and excite students who are under-represented in more advanced science courses, the oceanography class ran from August 7-18 for four hours each day. Fifteen John Witherspoon Middle School students attended the course, which was sponsored by the Princeton Area Community Foundation. “The students tried new things and took advantage of the experience,” said the instructor, Princeton High School biology teacher Jackie Katz. “We wanted Continued on Page 13
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Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Local Organizations Mobilizing to Help Texas During the service this past Sunday at Nassau Presbyterian Church, Pastor David A. Davis urged worshippers to contribute funds for victims of the disastrous, recordbreaking flooding in Texas. At the Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks, an e-blast asking for contributions this week got an immediate response. At SAVE, A Friend to Homeless Animals in Skillman, discussions were ongoing Tuesday about how best to assist the rescue of dogs, cats, and other animals left to fend for themselves in the ongoing storm. Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday evening, August 25, as the first category 4 hurricane to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005, the destruction has been relentless and will take years to address. Anxious to help, local organizations have begun mobilizing to offer assistance — monetary and otherwise. Money collected last Sunday at the Nassau Presbyterian Church goes to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which has resources and a national response team
ready to deploy once it is safe to do so. “Initially, we will send money to that fund,” said the church business administrator Linda Gilmore, on Monday. “We got an email early today saying they are in touch with the affected area. That’s the fastest way to do something. With Katrina, we went through them initially and then had some groups go down to help. It might be that we formulate other responses later, but we’ve learned that getting funds to organizations already mobilized is better than us trying to get supplies to them. As we see what’s really needed long-term, we might do more.” Ms. Gilmore said those who wish to contribute can either send a check, designated for storm relief, to the church at 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542; or donate online at nassauchurch.org. Otherwise, contribute directly to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance at pda.pcusa.org. Paula Joffe, director of women’s philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks, said 100 percent of all
monies donated via www.jewishpmb. org/harvey go directly to the relief effort. “Our community is amazingly empathetic and responsive,” she said. “Whenever we have put out appeals to our supporters to help communities in crisis around the country, our community stands up. They are amazing people.” Continued on Page 9
Town Settles Lawsuit Brought By AvalonBay A lawsuit filed by AvalonBay against the town of Princeton has been settled with the municipality agreeing to pay the developer $50,000. Princeton Council passed a resolution at its meeting last week to end the dispute, which was over charges to the escrow account created by AvalonBay during construction of the rental complex on Witherspoon Street where Princeton Hospital once stood. Continued on Page 12
Part Two of Readers’ Choice 2017 Awards Results . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 29 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 38 Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Music/Theater . . . . . . 17 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 36 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 9 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 38 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
YOUNG GARDENERS: Gardening teacher Suzanne Cunningham shows a flourishing array of poppies to first-grade students at the Waldorf School of Princeton. The school features a gardening program as part of its curriculum. This week’s Back-to-School section begins on page 22. (Photo courtesy of Waldorf School of Princeton)