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School Matters
After being closed since the onset of the pandemic, the Princeton Family YMCA opened its doors this week. Capacity is limited and certain restrictions are in place. Loyal members have begun returning to the facility on Paul Robeson Place.
“I heard a wonderful story today,” said Kate Bech, the organization’s executive director, on opening day Monday, September 14. “We have four people who have already reactivated their memberships, and they are golden members, which means they are 85 and older. One of them showed up today and said by golly, she was glad to be back! This is very real for a lot of people. For older residents, this has all been very isolating. For them to return to their rou tine at the Y is very meaningful.”
As of September 1, Gov. Phil Murphy allowed all gyms in the state to reopen as long as they do not exceed 25 percent of indoor capacity, and they follow other safety guidelines. The YMCA rearranged the exercise equipment in its Fitzpatrick Fitness Center, instituted temperature checks, and health screenings, increased sanitation, and is requiring masks to be worn.
Those using the Wellness Center and the pool for lap swimming must make a reservation ahead of time, either online or at (609) 497-9622. Appointments
can also be made in person, at the Welcome Desk. The pool is especially popular, and Bech is hoping it will eventually resume a full schedule. In the meantime, members can reserve a onehour swim in one of the four lanes. Some lessons are also being offered on a limited basis.
The YMCA underwent major renovations in 2016. “They have been hugely popular,” said Bech. “Membership was at its height, and we were feeling great about our growth when the pandemic began in March. It has been pretty dramatic. It was like a spigot being turned off. We had to lay
BACK IN THE SWIM: Among the most popular spots at the Princeton Family YMCA is the pool, where lap swimming has resumed, by appointment, along with other activities.
School Matters
Child Care Scholarships and Internet Access for PPS Students
Approximately 200 Princeton families will receive unlimited wireless data in their homes for the school year, under an agreement between Princeton Public Schools (PPS) and two internet providers, Comcast and T-Mobile. The companies are offering discounted service for qualifying families, and PPS will cover this cost with funds from a grant from an anonymous donor.
The district has also received a grant to provide child care in partnership with the Princeton YMCA during the current remote learning period and beyond. The
YMCA is providing safe, monitored child care for students at the Pannell Center and the Crimmins Center for approximately 40 qualifying students, which began on September 14. Advisory Committee to Help Name Middle School
An advisory committee of ten school officials and community members will hold its first meeting on September 21 to plan the initial steps in suggesting new names for the Princeton Unified Middle School (PUMS), formerly John Witherspoon Middle
School.
As the naming process continues, the committee will be seeking input from school staff and students and the community.
The committee so far includes Debbie Bronfeld and Betsy Baglio, from the PPS
Board of Education; Shirley Satterfield, local historian; Geoffrey Allen, Princeton
High School graduate and author of the original petition to remove the name of
Witherspoon; Jason Burr, PUMS principal; Jen Bigioni, Princeton High School teacher and librarian; Stephanie Tidwell, PPS mathematics supervisor; Cecilia Birge,
PHS assistant principal; Angela Siso Stentz, Johnson Park principal; and Interim
Superintendent Barry Galasso.
The BOE decided on August 11 to change the name of the middle school, remov ing the name of John Witherspoon, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the sixth president of Princeton University but also a slave owner who opposed abolition. The BOE set a deadline of June 20, 2021 to decide on a new name, with
Princeton Unified Middle School to be the school’s name in the meantime. New Teachers and Staff at Pennington School
The Pennington School has welcomed three new administrators and six new teachers to its staff for the 2020-21 school year.
Stephanie Balazsi, formerly the administrative assistant to the head of Upper
School at Princeton Day School, will be the new executive assistant to the Head of School at Pennington. Jennifer Helmrich, with 22 years of pediatric nursing experience, joins the Health Center as director of health services. Camille Osborne, formerly administrative coordinator of teacher education at Rutgers University’s
Graduate School of Education, is the new administrative assistant to the dean of faculty and the dean of academic affairs.
New faculty include Julia Barrett, who will be teaching middle school history;
Tiernan Close, who is returning to teach history at Pennington School, where she worked as a religion and history teacher from 1998 to 2007; Delonte Egwuatu, who has taught at St. Andrews Episcopal School in Maryland for the past there years, will be teaching Spanish; Anna Leader, who has written several award-winning novels, poems, and plays, will be teaching English and French; Dawn Nelson, who taught at McGuire Air Force Base for several years, is teaching compensatory skills in the
Cervone Center for Learning; and Shawn Nicosia, who has taught at Lawrence
Middle School, is returning to Pennington, where she worked from 1994 to 2002, to teach in the Cervone Center for Learning. off 95 percent of our staff. But we have brought back a small number of both fulland part-time.”
During the summer, the YMCA was able to offer its annual nine-week camp for 95 children. “We ran the camp successfully, and we kept the building shuttered except for the pool, which was just for the campers,” Bech said. “Then once camp was over, we were able to pivot and start to open the pool for lap swimming.”
The YMCA’s facilities are open to all active members ages 14 and up Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Since all memberships were put on hold when the facilities closed, memberships will need to be reactivated. Members can do that by stopping by the Welcome Desk, or by contacting Bobby Dobra, director of membership and healthy living, at bdobra@princetonymca. org.
Members also need to esign an updated Membership Waiver and Code of Conduct before their first workout session.
The YMCA is also offer ing some programs for children to get them physically active, and interacting with each other. SportsMania introduces children ages 3-5 to a variety of sports each week; the Fall Soccer Clinic helps players of all levels in grades PreK to 4 hone their soccer skills; and the Fall Basketball League focuses on skill development, team work, fair play, and fun for players in grades one to six.
The YMCA is also teaming up with Y member (Princeton University) Coach Mitch Henderson for the first time, to offer basketball lessons for players in grades one to six. The program is designed to take kids’ basketball skills to the next level by learning the fundamentals of basketball, enhancing their skills, and learning to play on a team, all while having fun, practicing Y values, and being active. Financial assistance is available for all programs.
“People are coming back slowly, as you might imagine,” said Bech. “I think there is a segment that is not going to cross our threshold for some time. By the same token, we have our group that was there on day one, ready to go. We were happy to see them, and will be thrilled to see everyone else when they are ready to return.”
—Anne Levin
Crowley Joins Board of Princeton Community TV Princeton Community Television (PCTV) has named Peter Crowley as a new member to its board of directors. Crowley served as president of the Princeton Chamber of Commerce for over 13 years. Under his leadership, the organization grew to become the largest regional Chamber in the central New Jersey region and one of the largest in the state. Crowley presently serves on the board of the Princeton Regional Chamber Foundation and Trenton Downtown Association. Prior to that, he served on the board of the Saint Lawrence Rehabilitation Center in Lawrence, and NJ Minding Our Business (MOB) in Trenton. 9 • TOWN TOPICS, PRINCETON, N.J., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
“The Board is excited that Peter is joining the PCTV Board. We look forward to him bringing his vast business experience to assist Princeton TV in moving strategically forward to service the Princeton community in the years to come,” said Lew Goldstein, president, Princeton Community Television.
Crowley’s appointment comes as PCTV implements a plan of strategic growth,
development, and outreach.
Virtual Zoom Presentation Co-Sponsored by HarborChase & Archer Law Office

September 23, 2020 at 4:00pm
Join us on Zoom and learn how to protect or even save your life if you are injured or ill at home and unable to communicate. George Luck, Chief at Kingston Volunteer Fire Company #1, will discuss the Vial of Life Program and how it is especially helpful for seniors. All participants will receive the Vial of Life kit free of charge!
RSVP required. To reserve your place and receive your Zoom invitation, contact Tracy at (609) 917-9985 or PrincetonDOS@HarborChase.com.
HARBORCHASE OF PRINCETON ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE RESIDENCES