Volume LXXIV, Number 38
Community Resource Guide Pages 12-14 Annual Hopewell Pumpkin Carve Will Be Drive-Through . . . . . . 5 Trumpocalypse Virtual Book Talk . . . . 8 Princeton YMCA Reopens Its Doors . . . . 9 Princeton Festival Piano Competition Goes Virtual . . . . . . . . . . 23 Fly Eyes Playwrights Presents Summer 2020: Eons at the Same Time . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 PDS Grad Barbara Showing Patience in PU Women’s Soccer Career . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 PHS Fall Teams Excited to Get Go-Ahead for 2020 Season . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Celebrating Federico Fellini’s Centenary With Thoughts on La Dolce Vita . . . . . . 18 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 25 Classified Ads . . . . . . 36 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 34 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 28 Performing Arts . . . . . 23 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 10 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 36 School Matters . . . . . . . 9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Eight School Board Candidates to Face Off In W-J Virtual Forum A virtual Board of Education (BOE) Candidates Forum on Saturday, September 19 at 9:30 a.m., sponsored by the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood Association (WJNA), will address issues of “equity, access, and accountability,” with eight candidates sharing their visions of the future for Princeton Public Schools and their reasons for seeking one of the three open seats on the BOE in the November 3 election. Also on Saturday’s agenda, for the second part of the meeting, will be a discussion on zoning and its impact on affordable housing in Princeton. BOE incumbents Beth Behrend, the current board president, and Michele Tuck-Ponder, current vice president, are slated to participate along with challengers Adam Bierman, Hendricks Davis, Jean Durbin, Bill Hare, Paul Johnson, and Karen Lemon. The candidates have been asked to comment for four minutes each on their vision for the district’s future and the experience and skills they would bring to the job. Emphasizing the importance of the moment and the fact that three of the eight candidates are African American, WJNA Co-Chair Leighton Newlin pointed out, “This comes at a time during a national pandemic when virtual education, tutorials through pods, internet access, and connectivity could further exacerbate the historical minority education achievement gap, making it intractable to address, adjust, or reverse.” He continued, “For the first time in the history of the Board of Education there are three African Americans [Tuck-Ponder, Davis, and Johnson] out of the eight candidates seeking three seats. We think that’s significant, and we want to give not only them but all eight candidates exposure because we believe that we’re at a critical juncture for education in Princeton and we want the right leadership taking us into the future.” In addition to emphasizing the minority education achievement gap and fears of its growth in an environment of virtual learning, Newlin said, “The School Board election is important for several reasons. There is also anticipated teacher growth with the affordable housing obligations that the municipality is under. There will be more housing and more children in the schools.” Continued on Page 10
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Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Council Pays Tribute to Police Chief Sutter October 1 is Princeton Police Chief Nicholas Sutter’s last day on the job. At Princeton Council’s meeting Monday, Sutter was lauded for his more than 25 years on the force — six of them as chief. The 49-year-old Lawrence resident announced his retirement three months ago. Current and past Council members, legislators, and Mayor Liz Lempert thanked Sutter for his leadership and credited him with transforming the department into “not only a state but really a national model of policing,” according to former Council member Heather Howard. Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman, Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker, all of New Jersey’s 16th Legislative District, took turns reading a joint legislative resolution dedicated to Sutter. Lempert read a proclamation from Council. “He led Princeton through consolidation as well as anybody could have hoped,” said Lempert, prior to reading the proclamation. She cited Sutter’s leadership for “the values our officers are told to uphold, empathy and service to the community. It’s hard to imagine this place without him, because of the big mark he’s left.” Sutter was captain in Princeton Borough before consolidation of the Borough and Township. He served as acting chief
when former chief David Dudeck was forced to retire amid allegations of harassment and discrimination, and a civil suit by seven police offers against him and the municipality. Sutter was named chief in 2014, a year after consolidation. Howard, who was the town’s first police commissioner and an original member of the public safety committee, said Sutter’s retirement was “sad for Princeton, and sad for me. I was continually inspired by his amazing leadership, especially for po-
lice to be guardians, not warriors.” Former Councilman Lance Liverman paid tribute to Sutter for his understanding when Liverman was arrested for driving under the influence in 2012. “When I was shamed by so many, the chief was there for me and my family.” he said. Municipal Administrator Marc Dashield called Sutter “by far the best chief of police I’ve ever worked with, after 25 years of working in the state. He has literally changed the culture of the department. What most Continued on Page 7
Princeton’s Fifth Annual Welcoming Week Celebrates Community with Shared Recipes It’s virtual this year and somewhat reduced in scope, but Princeton is celebrating its fifth annual Welcoming Week, sponsored by Princeton Human Services and the Princeton Public Library (PPL), with an invitation to all residents to share a favorite recipe. “The overarching goal of Welcoming Week is to celebrate the contributions of all residents in our community and to promote community and inclusivity among all of those who live in Princeton,” said Human Services Director Melissa Urias, and this year’s event, September 12-20, is featuring recipes that community members
might prepare for visitors and the stories behind those recipes. “If you were to make a dish to welcome someone into your home, or to welcome someone to the neighborhood, what would it be?” asks the engageprinceton. org website, headquarters for this year’s Welcoming Week events. “Is there a story around the recipe? What makes it special to you? Was it shared with you by a friend or family member — or was it a favorite of someone you love?” Welcoming Week organizers at the PPL are gathering the recipes and stories Continued on Page 10
PUMPKINS APLENTY: The first day of fall isn’t until next week, but pumpkins, mums, apples, and more are already in abundance at Terhune Orchards on Cold Soil Road . Area residents share what they are looking forward to this fall in this week’s Town Talk on page 6 . (Photo courtesy of Terhune Orchards)
