Town Topics Newspaper, September 27, 2023

Progress Report On Master Plan at Second Open House

On the heels of a series of listening sessions related to Princeton’s Master Plan held in recent weeks throughout the town, the municipality is holding an open house on Wednesday, September 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Witherspoon Hall, 400 Witherspoon Street.

Where the listening sessions in different neighborhoods were designed to hear from the public about what should be prioritized in the reworking of the document, the open house is about taking that information to the next step.

“We’re getting to the point now where we’re able to tell back some of the big themes we’ve heard through these events,” said Municipal Planning Director Justin Lesko. “It’s more about getting to what will be in the document rather than what people want to see. But they can still comment. Staff and consultants and members of the steering committee will be there.”

Previous to the listening sessions, the municipality invited the public to take part in an online survey addressing various questions including under-utilized parcels, whether the town should develop a community center, and transportation and traffic issues, among other questions.

The Princeton Master Plan is an important legal document and the community’s vision for how and where growth should occur. All municipalities in New Jersey must adopt a master plan.

The document sets forth the policies for land use as envisioned by a municipality. This includes the character and location of new development and redevelopment, as well as circulation (vehicles, pedestrians, and bikes), hazard mitigation and climate adaptation, conservation, preservation, utilities, public facilities, and other elements of the built and natural environment. Through its various “elements,” which are distinct and yet interrelated, the master plan articulates a vision for the community, informed by the community.

Princeton’s current master plan has been in effect for nearly 30 years. Master plans generally can be expected to be in force for at least 10 years. The existing plan dates from 1996, and was reexamined in 2001, 2007, and 2017.

While the recent listening sessions

PPS Afterschool Program in Transition Process

Following a series of concerns and complaints that started in the rst weeks of the school year and a week of petitioning, meeting, and alarms raised over the safety and well-being of the elementary school children in the program, Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Carol Kelley announced last Friday, September 22, that the afterschool services provider Right at School (RAS) had announced its intention to terminate its contract with PPS and that a transition plan is underway to choose a new provider.

“I’m not a parent who complains too much,” said Sarah Tannenbaum, who has two children in the Littlebrook School aftercare program and has been a leading voice in raising concerns about the program. “I’m quiet normally, but this was really risking the safety of the children. It was pretty ridiculous, and that was clear to everybody. They didn’t have enough staff. The kids were crying and screaming. They were not taking them outside. At Riverside they were just watching kids roughhousing.”

Tannenbaum noted, on Tuesday, September 26, that the current transition period seems to be working smoothly. Apparently RAS has replaced some of its workers, and the district has its own

staff members on the job in addition to the RAS staff. “They’re watching the kids,” said Tannenbaum. “Things are very well structured now. The parents feel that their kids are at least safe now with this transition plan, but they’re upset that this even happened.”

Kelley wrote in her September 22 statement, “On Thursday afternoon, Right At School … informed us of their intention to terminate their contract with the Princeton Public Schools. We will

make every effort to continue before and after care school services without disruption as we work to identify a new provider.”

Kelley went on to comment on the transition process and the selection of a new provider. “Effective immediately, each site will be staffed by Right At School employees and a Princeton Public Schools staff member to ensure our students receive the best possible care. A transition plan is being developed by

Charter School Wins 2023 Blue Ribbon, One of Only Nine in NJ, 353 in Country

Princeton Charter School (PCS) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School (NBRS) award winner. PCS is the only 2023 Blue Ribbon award winner in Mercer County, one of just nine in New Jersey, and only 353 schools in the country.

“We are proud of this amazing achievement as a credit to the students, teachers, staff, parents, and administration of Princeton Charter School,” wrote Head of School Larry Patton in a letter to PCS parents. “No single act resulted in this honor, but rather it re ects the collective efforts,

dedication, and shared vision of the entire Charter community.”

Founded in 1997, PCS, located on Bunn Drive with a student population of about 420 from kindergarten to grade eight, was also recognized as a Blue Ribbon School in 2004.

“A strong sense of community is at the heart of our work,” noted Lisa Eckstrom, assistant head of school for grades ve to eight, pointing out that the school was particularly successful in working through the challenges of the pandemic. “Although it would be an honor to

Continued on Page 7

handson activities, science demonstrations, talks, electric bus rides, food, and more. Attendees share what they learned at the event in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)

COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY CELEBRATION: The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory hosted a free event focused on sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental stewardship on Saturday. The celebration featured

Fall

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Planting

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Fall is for Planting

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Woolverton Inn Inducted to Historic Hotels Of America

The Woolverton Inn in Stockton has been inducted into Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Woolverton Inn is one of more than 300 hotels and resorts throughout the country that is recognized by Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance.

“Historic Hotels of America is delighted to induct The Woolverton Inn, a boutique hotel built in 1792,” said Lawrence Horwitz, executive vice president of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide.

“We commend Woolverton

The Woolverton Inn has been a member of Select Registry for many years and has received TripAdvisor’s Traveler Choice Award for the last three years. The inn was recently named one of the Top Ten B&Bs in the USA by Bed&Breakfast.com.

To be selected for membership in Historic Hotels of America, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a

National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance.

HISTORIC HOTEL: The Woolverton Inn in Stockton was recently inducted into Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance. Inn, Mary and Mario Passalacqua (owners), and the leadership team for their careful historic preservation work, stewardship, and vision that will allow future generations of travelers to experience this unique historic destination.”

“We are delighted to join Historic Hotels of America,” said Mary Passalacqua, owner and general manager. “Many of our visitors are interested in the history of our property and the surrounding area. This is a wonderful opportunity to enhance our guests’ experience with resources and support available through this great organization that shares our values for preservation of our country’s precious historical assets and related stories.” For more information, visit woolvertoninn.com.

Topics In Brief A Community Bulletin

Call for Land Stewards: Join Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) in September, October, and November for morning or afternoon Saturday volunteer sessions under the guidance of FOPOS’ director of natural resources and stewardship to assist with various conservation projects at Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. More at fopos.org/getinvolved.

Princeton University Farmers Market: On Wednesdays through October 4, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza. Farmersmarket.princeton.edu.

Princeton Flu Vaccine Clinic: From September through December, Princeton is hosting a clinic for those age 3 and older, including September 28, 3-5 p.m. at Princeton Senior Resource Center, 45 Stockton Street. There is no charge, but bring insurance information if you have coverage. Visit princetonnj.gov for more details.

Master Plan Open House: On Wednesday, September 27 from 4-7 p.m. at 400 Witherspoon Street, the municipality holds an open house on the ongoing development of the new master plan. Visit engage.princetonmasterplan.org for details.

Celebration of 10 Years of Consolidation: On Thursday, September 28 at 4:30 p.m., the community is invited to a gathering marking the 10th anniversary of the consolidation of the former borough and township, featuring speakers State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Mayor Mark Freda, and Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, at 400 Witherspoon Street. Followed by music and refreshments. Princetonnj.gov. Call for Vendors : The municipality seeks craft vendors for the holiday chalets that will be located at Hinds Plaza beginning November 24 and ending on Christmas Eve. Apply by September 29. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

Green House Tour Invites Visitors In To Learn How Sustainable Homes Work

Most house tours open the doors to mansions that boast rooms done up in high style by interior design professionals. At a tour of five Princeton homes and two gardens on Saturday, September 30, a different focus is in play.

The first-ever Green House

Tour, sponsored by the Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) and Sustainable Princeton, invites visitors into homes where sustainability is the priority. They even have titles: “Mrs. Brown’s Lucky Oyster Bar,” “The Hello Sunshine, Goodbye Gas House,” “Leedin’ on Linden,” “Bloomin’ on Birch,” and “The Radically Radiant Retrofit.”

TOPICS Of the Town

The goal is to inspire homeowners and renters to make their own homes healthier, more energyefficient, and green. “The whole idea is to reach the community and let them see it is not necessarily out of their grasp,” said Lisa Marcus Levine, a member of the PEC. “We’re demystifying the idea.”

The event is free, but registration is required because a limited number of tickets are available for each tour. The day begins with a screening of four videos about some of the homes on the tour, at Princeton Public Library from 10 to 11:30 a.m. No registration is needed for the screening. The in-person tours follow from 12 to 4 p.m., with multiple time slots. Visit princetongreenhousetour.com to sign up for visiting the homes and garden.

“Princeton homes are responsible for about 20 percent of our community’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Christine Symington, executive director of Sustainable Princeton. “The homes featured in the videos and tours demonstrate how homeowners [and renters] can help us reach our emissions reduction and climate resilience goals while saving money over the long run.”

Levine credits the seed for the event to a tour of some green homes, designed by architect (and current Councilman) David Cohen and sponsored by the PEC, in 2014. “It was a brilliant idea at the time,” she said. “A few years later, people were really starting to get more interested in how they can have a sustainable house. I thought, why don’t we do what they do at the Junior League showhouses, but make the theme about sustainability? “

The idea sparked interest, but didn’t quite get off the ground. “So, it sat on the back burner,” Levine said. “Then there was COVID.”

Now resurrected and copresented by Sustainable Princeton, the event is more ambitious in concept and scope than originally imagined. The video component was overseen by video producer Seth Mellman, who recruited Devan Sakaria from the film program at Princeton Day School and mentored him through the filming process.

While interior design is not a priority, the homes on view are imaginative as well as sustainable.

Of “Mrs. Brown’s Lucky

Sustainable Homes

Continued from Preceding Page Oyster Bar,” Levine said, “It is stunning, but in a very simple way. They prioritized a small footprint with a well-insulated envelope and a solar array, so they are carbon neutral. The couple that built it did a wonderful job designing a fresh, open interior, with cork flooring, a recycled glass composite countertop, and a few pieces of art and trinkets collected over the years to make it their personal space. It’s not a million-dollar interior, but it is stunning nonetheless.”

“The Radically Radiant Retrofit” is a work in progress, named for its radiant heating/cooling floor among other features. The “Hello Sunshine” house, which is in Montgomery, has a geothermal heat pump, induction cooktop, and a rooftop solar array with backup lithium-phosphate batteries. “Bloomin’ on Birch,” in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, has geothermal, solar panels, two-layer insulation, and more. “Leedin’ on Linden” is architect Kirsten Thoft’s house, and one of the only LEED-forhomes platinum-certified houses in town.

The “Livestreaming Yard” belongs to sustainable landscaping expert Steve Hiltner, who will be on hand to talk and answer questions. The second garden, titled “Tree Street Rain Garden,” was finished in 2016 and is a “point of interest” on the tour, which visitors can observe but not enter.

“We have over 150 people signed up so far, which is very exciting,” Levine said last Friday. “We can possibly reach capacity. Fifteen people can go in at a time for the tours.”

An additional impetus for the event is acquainting people with the PEC. “We want people to know they have an environmental commission,” said Levine.

Tammy Sands, who chairs the PEC, said, “The PEC is hopeful that the Green House Tour will provide the community with an inspirational learning opportunity. The tour is for all Princeton residents — homeowners and renters alike — to see that there are various degrees of change that can be made to create more sustainable living spaces.”

—Anne Levin

TOWN TALK©

A forum for the expression of opinions about local and national issues.

Question of the Week: “What did you learn here today?”

(Asked Saturday at the Community Sustainability Celebration at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) (Photos by Weronika A. Plohn)

“It was interesting to learn about plasma today. I find fusion very fascinating, so it was important for me to see the place where the research is being done. I am very interested in electric vehicles, and the electric bus tour that was available today for everyone was in line with the idea of sustainability and care for the future.”

—Alessandro Favaro, Venice, Italy

“I like the experiment with static electricity. I was touching the globe and my hair went up and I was able to shock the person next to me. It was really fun and didn’t hurt at all.”

—Logan Ulrich, Delran

Nira: “I learned about plasma and different sources of energy. I did not take an electric bus tour, but we got here in our electric car.”

Nikhil: “I learned how plasma works and how nuclear fusion works. It would be cool to study that at school when I am older.”

Caleb: “I did some experiments with the spherical ball where —Caleb and Amelie Mills, North Brunswick

Gwen: “The fact that so many people came out in the rain here today shows that there are people who care and want to learn about the work that we do here in the lab, and also what they can do in their own community.”

Michelle: “I learned from keynote speaker Ted Borer that you can do a lot at home, even if it is just in small increments, to reduce your carbon footprint.”

—Gwen McNamara,

Ringoes with Michelle Turnbach, Hamilton

—Nira and Nikhil Nair, Plainsboro

Charter School continued from page one receive the award at any time, I believe that this award holds special significance given the many obstacles that all schools have faced since March 2020,” said Eckstrom, as quoted in Patton’s letter to the PCS parents. “I would like to recognize our faculty, staff, parents, board members, administration, and most of all our students, who all found nimble and creative solutions to challenges that we could not have imagined pre-COVID.”

She continued, “The ethos of Princeton Charter School is to challenge ourselves to improve our curriculum, to broaden opportunities for our students, and to form ever stronger partnerships with our parents.”

In a September 21 phone interview, Eckstrom and Patton both commented on some of the particular qualities that characterize PCS and have boosted its success. Patton emphasized “the ongoing attention to being on mission.” He explained, “We continue to execute in pursuit of our mission” in maintaining the school’s commitment to pursue the best mode of instruction for all students.

As one of the highlights of the school’s NBRS application, Patton cited “how nimbly we adapted and addressed the pandemic and kept that academic focus in addition to addressing all the safety and emotional concerns.”

Eckstrom described how during the first full year of COVID-19 the students

were divided into classes of those who had chosen to attend in person and classes of students who were attending online. The students online were never competing for attention with those who were there in person. “It was very complicated,” Eckstrom said, “but you were in your own online class from homeroom on so you felt really a part of that community, a part of that group, and you weren’t competing with students in the classroom.”

Patton explained, “Having a hybrid class of kids in front of you and kids at the computer is not effective. We really moved everything to create classrooms for kids who were there in person,” and teachers found spaces where they could teach their remote classes.

He continued, “It was really a dance, but it was based on the notion of finding the best mode of instruction. We decided that the best mode of instruction for remote students was a class no bigger than 12, depending on the age, and not a hybrid. We decided this is what works and we’re going to make it happen.”

In offering other examples of PCS’s strategies and the practices that have been most instrumental to the school’s success, Patton reiterated the school’s commitment to meet the educational needs of each student at every grade level.

“It’s not one size fits all,” he said. “You need to be very thoughtful about what’s happening at every grade level. We’re just trying to meet what is the best instructional mode at each level.”

One strategy he cited was

the PCS instructional system of co-teaching with two teachers in the classroom in third and fourth grade and in some fifth grade subjects, then moving into smaller sections with just one teacher in the classroom in upper grades.

Patton noted that another strategy crucial for their success has been “our genuine engagement of staff in our curricular instructional process.” He continued, “It’s not a top-down structure for things like curriculum.

Lisa [Eckstrom] and I are not coming into the English Department saying, ‘Here’s your new textbook.’ Teachers are asked to evaluate and determine what works best and they’re saying things like, ‘We want to move to this instructional practice for writing.’”

Patton also pointed out a science teacher’s initiative to shift to a two-year rotation in order to organize labs more effectively and the transition to a readers-writers workshop for teaching writing. “We’re not saying ‘do this.’ It’s really a collaborative process where we’re thinking about the best ways to instruct,” he added.

“A lot of these innovations came from teacher leaders, which really indicates their investment in the outcome for the school and the students and their agency in being able to have a voice,” Patton explained. “We all talk about stakeholders and sometimes we never give those stakeholders a stake in the process, but that’s something we as an institution make sure we do.”

Eckstrom highlighted the role of the parents in

supporting teachers at PCS. “Our parents really appreciate what teachers do,” she said. “Our parents play such an important role. By word and by deed they make teachers know how treasured they are in our community.”

Patton added, “This is a town that really cares about education. We’re fortunate to be where we are.”

In the DOE’s announcement of 2023 Blue Ribbon Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stated, “The honorees … have set a national example for what it means to raise the bar in education. The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”

The DOE announcement went on to point out that the different Blue Ribbon Schools share some essential elements. “National Blue Ribbon School leaders articulate a vision of excellence and hold everyone to high standards,” the announcement stated. “They demonstrate effective and innovative teaching and learning, and the schools value and support teachers and staff through meaningful professional learning.”

Patton said that he and the PCS community saw the honor as a significant affirmation and were “feeling really proud,” but added, “I don’t think it’s going to change us at all. I think we’re going to continue to

change while being the same in terms of our goals and our mission.”

He continued, ”My role is really trying to make sure that we are translating our mission and our goals for the school into the 20242025-2026 version of that, given technology, learning, all of the challenges that come in from the outside. We want to adapt and be nimble, and we also want to continue to meet our goals.”

PCS Board of Trustees

Chair Stefanos Damianakis thanked the teachers, administration, and staff, and he stated that the National Blue Ribbon recognition “speaks to our unwavering commitment to our mission, our north star, and the consistent execution of that mission over time, from the founders’ original vision for Charter, through the continual efforts to adapt our program to meet the needs of our students over the last 27 years.”

—Donald Gilpin

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Trenton Shuttle Service

Launched by Isles

On Wednesday, September 27 at 1:30 p.m., the Isles organization is presenting the “soft launch” of the GOTrenton! Transportation service for Trenton residents, at 265 Allen Street.

The all-electric, on-demand shuttle service is one of the first all-electric, community-driven transportation solutions in the nation, according to Isles. Powered by Circuit, the service will provide an access-to-work van for workers traveling outside the city. This sustainable effort is designed to improve mobility for lowincome residents in Trenton and increase access to jobs, healthcare, shopping, and recreation.

Attendees at the soft launch will be able to take rides in the shuttle following the program. Speakers are to include New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette; Isles CEO Sean Jackson; Assemblyman Dan Benson; Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora; Trenton Area Soup Kitchen CEO Joyce Campbell; Doug O’Malley of Environment NJ; and Dan Fatton of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Visit Isles.org for more information.

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27, 2023

Leaders from Technology and Art Discuss Implications of ChatGPT

Is ChatGPT an enhancement or a threat to creativity? At a panel conversation on October 3 at Princeton Public Library, the focus will be on how the artificial intelligence chatbot (ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a tool to assist and inspire rather than limit human creative endeavors.

“Creativity in the Age of ChatGPT,” to be held in the Community Room from 6 to 7:30 p.m., is co-hosted by the library, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and the National Humanities Center. The discussion delves into how the chatbot “has kindled imaginations and stoked debate since it was launched by OpenAI in November 2022,” according to a release from the Council for the Humanities.

“I see this as the beginning of a conversation, so I anticipate more events like this to come,” said Carin Berkowitz, executive director of the Council for the Humanities. “When ChatGPT arrived, we saw a lot of hand-wringing in the newspapers. There seemed to be conversations tinged with alarm in our community.

“We thought it was important to take this beyond the initial panic. People who know the technology and the human pieces of it can talk us through. A lot of what ends up happening is that where it looks like this monolithic thing is coming to take over our lives, it isn’t. People have a lot of agency. They take these things and turn them

on their heads. We wanted to open that up.”

The moderator for the event is Rishi Jaitly, Princeton University Class of 2004, former executive at Twitter (now X), Google, and YouTube, and current Distinguished Fellow at Virginia Tech’s Center for Humanities. Panelists are Min Li Chan, essayist, technologist, and Alphabet/ Google alum; Edward JonesImhotep, director of Toronto University’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology; and engineering artist Helena Sarin.

“The internet and digital technologies have, in many ways, ushered in a new era of human connectivity,” said Jaitly. “One of the things that becomes clear when you have a front row seat at these digital platforms is the extraordinary amount of creativity around the world. In the last year, we’ve seen the rise of tools that take creative potential to the next level. The conversation in Princeton is to take a step back and reflect on the fact that we’re at the beginning of another new era of creativity, which yields lots of questions for things like

government and education.”

Jaitly hopes people will leave the event “feeling empowered,” he said. “Part of what we do in this conversation is answer some of those questions. One might say that creativity, for a long time, has almost felt mystical — composing music, writing a novel, architecting a building — and in many ways, you could make the case that these technologies might serve to demystify. I’m confident that a new kind of creativity will emerge.”

“I’m a historian of science, so I tend to view things through a historic lens,” said Berkowitz. “There have been many times in the past where people thought a new technology would upend life. It’s rarely the case. It has just shifted where humanity finds its space.”

Following the panel, light refreshments will be served and there will be opportunities to talk informally with the program participants. Advance registration is recommended, but not required, at njhumanities.org/event/creativity-in-the-age-of-chatgpt.

—Anne Levin

Saint Peter’s Launches “TeamBirth” Program

On September 19, Saint Peter’s University Hospital, in conjunction with members of the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services, celebrated the launch of TeamBirth, an evidence-based, national model for better provider and patient communication during the birthing experience.

The goal is to empower all members of the care team, including the patient, to play an active role in shared decision-making as it has been shown to significantly improve safety, quality of care, and overall birthing outcomes. TeamBirth is a structured method to foster better communication between laboring mothers and the clinical team caring for them. The NJ Quality Institute, in partnership

with Ariadne Labs, is leading the initiative in the state. The program was developed by Ariadne Labs, which is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

TeamBirth was designed around best practices in communication, teamwork, and clinical care. The initiative ensures that the individuals giving birth and the clinicians who are caring for them have shared input and understanding into decisions made during labor and delivery. The New Jersey Department of Health is a TeamBirth NJ partner and is providing funding, ensuring that lessons learned will be shared statewide.

“Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been a leader

in maternal health and we’re proud to be an active participant in TeamBirth, an initiative that will ensure better outcomes for expectant mothers and their newborns,” said Linda Carroll, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “Our physicians, nurses and maternal care team members have enthusiastically supported TeamBirth and its practices which will transform the communication process between mothers and the healthcare providers that support them during one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life.”

DISCOVER INDIA: Hundreds attended a vibrant multicultural celebration of the rich and diverse heritage of India on September 16 in Palmer Square. The event showcased performances, dance workshops, various attractions including multiple photobooths curated around the theme of Indian cinema, and more. (Photo courtesy of Discover India)

Master Plan continued from page one took place in different neighborhoods with varying demographics, “there were more similarities than differences in what they asked and what they were looking for,” said Lesko. “There were a lot of themes, particularly related to bicycle connections, sidewalk connections, things like that. An interesting one was about how traffic is stalled by the two school pickups and drop-offs, twice a day. They wanted to know if there is any way to relieve that.”

Planning Board Chair Louise Wilson, who attended most of the sessions, said in a release, “We’ve heard from a wide variety of residents: some who own beloved businesses, many who are deeply concerned about the big challenges we face, and some who are truly vulnerable, whose voices are not often heard. Climate and housing are huge concerns. Also equity, natural beauty, the arts, quality of life, public health and safety, and transportation. The insight we gain from public engagement is truly helpful as we get close to final recommendations about land use, mobility, conservation,

historic preservation, economic development, community facilities — virtually every aspect of the plan.”

Following the open house, next in the process is an introduction of the master plan to the Planning Board on October 19. Then, a hearing on the plan is scheduled for the November 9 Planning Board meeting. More information about the elements of the master plan, timeline, meetings and events, and project team can be found at engage.princetonmasterplan.org.

—Anne Levin

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Rider University Partners

With the New York Giants Rider University is now an “Official Higher Education Partner of the New York Giants.” The partnership is driven by opportunities curated for Rider students to gain hands-on experience across Giants business functions through part-time, full-time, and game-day internships.

In addition to internships, students will also have the opportunity to conduct a business-related research project related to the sports industry. The topic of the project will be selected by Giants administration and researched in a case study format by Rider students throughout the year. At the conclusion of the project, students will present their findings to members of the Giants’ front office. Throughout the academic calendar, the Giants will also send front office members to serve as guest speakers at campus events.

The partnership also reinforces the Giants’ and Broncs’ commitment to the community by serving alongside each other annually across community initiatives. The two

organizations will collaborate on a joint cause-related initiative, providing the opportunity for members to volunteer their time to benefit the broader community.

The integrated partnership will be featured across both Giants and Rider channels, including social media, digital content, events, and game- day activations.

“Rider University shares many of our same core values, which is why we are excited to kick off this partnership,” said Jessica Slenker, Giants senior vice president, corporate partnerships. “So much of our business revolves around hands-on opportunities and we are thrilled to create new ones together with the team at Rider University.”

Annual Beer Garden Event Is Arts Council Fundraiser

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will host a PopUp Beer Garden in partnership with Triumph Brewing Company on Saturday, September 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of the ACP, 102 Witherspoon Street.

The event raises funds for the Arts Council’s longstanding community outreach programs, public art initiatives, and year-long community events and projects. Ticketholders will celebrate community with Triumph beers and live music by the local band The Prisms. Every attendee will receive a ceramic beer stein made especially for the event by ACP executive d irector and ceramicist Adam Welch.

To reserve tickets, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.

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CHEERS: The Arts Council of Princeton’s Pop-Up Beer Garden will treat attendees to local Triumph Brewing Company beer and live music to raise funds for the organization’s community programs.

PU Professor and His Graduate Student

Join List of Most Influential People in AI

Leading the discussion on one of the most hotly debated subjects in the news are a Princeton University professor and his graduate student, who have captured the attention of millions in their explorations of the dangers and potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI).

Arvind Narayanan, a computer science professor and director of the Center for information Technology Policy (CITP), and Sayash Kapoor, a CITP science Ph.D. candidate, have been selected for Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence.

Narayanan and Kapoor are now collaborating on a book titled AI Snake Oil, due out next year, and they write a digital newsletter of the same name providing critical commentary on AI. Narayanan’s research focuses on the societal impact of digital technologies, especially AI, and he has co-taught a related course at Princeton on limits to prediction.

“We started our AI Snake Oil newsletter because it allows us to dissect false or misleading claims about AI in real time,” Kapoor wrote in an email. “Through it, we have been able to share our scholarship and analysis on AI with the public at large. Many false or misleading claims about AI are made every day, and we hope the newsletter has helped push back against some of the misleading narratives.”

About the AI 100, Time

Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs wrote in the September 7 issue, “This group of 100 individuals is in many ways a map of the relationships and power centers driving the development of AI. They are rivals and regulators, scientists and artists, advocates and executives — the competing and cooperating humans whose insights, desires, and flaws will shape the direction of an increasingly influential technology.”

in the way that one would hope for is just not working. And that’s because the hiring processes themselves seem to be broken.”

He added, “A lot of people who are pushing hype are not just fooling others, they’re fooling themselves.”

Both Narayanan and Kapoor suggest that AI has been a net positive for society. “As an engineer by training, I think AI has been super useful and the impact can hardly be overstated,” said Kapoor. “I think the reason a lot of what we write on the blog seems to be critical is because there is a pretty big vacuum in the space of people who have the capacity to respond to AI critically, but also have the incentive. If either of us were in the industry, or if we were working at one of these companies, it would be much harder for us to talk about the harmful impacts of AI.”

In an interview with Time, Narayanan noted that there is a great deal of demand in our society for “snake oil” or “bullsh-t.”

“Our thesis in the book is that broken AI is very appealing to broken institutions,” he said. “The reason that HR departments are desperate for AI that claims to predict which candidates are going to be good is because they’re getting hundreds, perhaps thousands, of applications per open position. And the idea of evaluating them thoroughly

Narayanan added, “I’ve been working on tech accountability for 15-plus years … I think tech in general can and largely has been a force for good in this world. But that can only continue to happen if there are strong countervailing forces that try to align incentives between companies and the rest of society. So it is in that sense that I do all this work.”

In addition to Narayanan and Kapoor, four Princeton University alumni are featured in the Time 100 AI list. They include Dario Amodei, a Ph.D. alumnus and CEO and president of Anthropic; Fei-Fei Li, a 1999 graduate and professor of computer science at Stanford University; Eric Schmidt, a 1976 graduate, co-founder of Schmidt Futures, and former CEO of Google; and Richard Socher, a 2008-2009 graduate student and the CEO and founder of You.com

—Donald Gilpin

Princeton Community Housing Plans Benefit Event at Morven Planning is underway to host “Birds of All Feathers,” a gathering to benefit the work and mission of Princeton Community Housing on Friday, October 6 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Morven Museum and Garden.

“Everyone is invited to share in a lively conclave (Cardinals), a little mischief (Crossbills), and the pandemonium (Parrots) as part of this happy cotillion (Terns),” reads a press release for the organization. Presented by Penn Medicine Princeton Health, the party will feature a cocktail reception silent auction, and a seated dinner under the tent,

catered by Emily’s Café of Pennington.

PCH trustee and this year’s Honorary Chairman James Demetriades, CEO of Penn Medicine, said, “Penn Medicine Princeton Health is proud to support Princeton Community Housing in its very important mission to provide safe, well-maintained, affordable homes and social service supports to more than 1,100 area residents. We know that both are key factors among social determinants of health. We encourage others to join us in supporting the ‘Birds of a Feather’ event, which promises to be a very enjoyable evening.”

Last month, PCH completed the construction of a new, energy-efficient apartment building that welcomes 25 families with very low, low, and moderate incomes to Princeton. Located at Princeton Community Village just off Bunn Drive, the new building is situated in the Sassafras Row neighborhood between Holly House and the Ted Vial Clubhouse. Neighborhood enhancements include Clubhouse improvements, additional landscaping, new lighting, and a new trailhead to the adjacent Herrontown Woods.

To help achieve these new homes and enhancements, PCH volunteers completed a

successful $2 million capital campaign last year, exceeding their goal.

“As a nonprofit organization, PCH depends on financial contributions to continue the essential work of providing, managing, and advocating for affordable housing in Princeton. Thanks to many generous donors and their investments, we can maintain our founders’ vision to offer all people the opportunity to build more productive and fulfilling lives here in town,” said Ed Truscelli, the organization’s executive director. “Proceeds of this event underwrite what we call the ‘PCH Difference,’ the supportive services we provide through community-based programs coordinated by our social services coordinators.”

“By joining our flock, you can help build a better, more vibrant, and inclusive community where people who work and contribute to Princeton can afford to live, grow and thrive, and age in place with dignity,” said Alice Small, president of the PCH Development Corporation and committee member.

For tickets or sponsorship information, visit pshhomes. org/support/2023 or call Kate Bech, director of mission advancement, at (609) 924-3822 ext. 6.

Arvind Narayanan

RUFFLING NEW FEATHERS: The planning committee for “Birds of All Feathers,” a benefit for Princeton Community Housing, recently posed together while working on the October 6 event at Morven.

PPS continued from page one the administrative team which will include parent participation on a selection committee to choose a new provider. A timeline for the selection process and committee formation are forthcoming.”

Kelley added, “We are appreciative to all of the elementary school parents who came forward to share their concerns with district officials. I am confident that through continued dialogue with parents we will be able to select a new provider that meets the needs of our students and their families.”

As of noon on September 26, PPS reported that there was “no new information to share.”

A petition, originally submitted from Riverside Elementary School parents on Friday, September 15, then repeatedly updated and expanded to include additional concerns and additional parents of students at all four district elementary schools, declared a loss of confidence in RAS and a request for PPS to terminate the contract with them.

“We the undersigned,

as parents of children enrolled at Princeton Public Schools, have come together to express our shared alarm about the safety and wellbeing of our children in connection with the RAS aftercare program,” the petition read.

It went on to state a number of issues with “a small, constantly changing, and deeply unprofessional staff”; safety violations and lack of access to the playgrounds; and a lack of transparency and community involvement in the selection process that led to RAS being selected to run the aftercare program instead of the YMCA, which had run the program last year.

At a September 20 Zoom call scheduled by the district for elementary school parents, Board of Education members, district officials, and RAS representatives, many parents apparently voiced concerns raised in the petitions, recounted a number of unfavorable incidents that had occurred during the aftercare programs this year, reiterated their lack of confidence in the aftercare provider, and called for a termination and transition to a new provider.

RAS apparently provided explanation and promised improvements, but the following afternoon they announced their intention to terminate the contract with PPS.

“The district seems to have responded appropriately,” said Tannenbaum. “They took action. They responded in emails. They met with us. And the provider is terminated. RAS needs to be investigated. There needs to be more investigation into how many corners they are cutting.”

She continued, “RAS is a rapidly growing for-profit private company. They’re cutting corners, and I worry about districts that don’t have parents who can fight back and argue and have influence. I worry about districts that don’t have that advantage. I worry about how their kids are being treated.”

She went on to note that an interview process is now in place with one or two elementary school parents on the interviewing committee to help select the next beforecare and aftercare provider.

—Donald Gilpin

Morven Announces Programs

Throughout the Fall Season

Morven Museum & Garden will present several events to celebrate fall.

On Saturday October 28 from 12-3 p.m., the 2023 Harvest Festival takes place in partnership with the Guild for Early Music, with activities for the whole family including ensembles and musicians performing music of medieval, Renaissance, baroque, and early American eras. Attendees can visit Morven’s gardens to help harvest vegetables and take part in hands-on activities including “spooky season” crafts, and an instrument “petting zoo” with the Guild for Early Music. Those in Halloween costumes can to enter to win special prizes.

The museum will be open for paid admission to explore the exhibition “Striking Beauty: New Jersey Tall Case Clocks, 1730 - 1830,” featuring over 50 tall case clocks that represent almost as many different clockmakers. Food and hot beverages will be available for purchase. The program will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

On Wednesdays, September 27 and October 4 and 11 at 6 p.m., Moven holds Evening Yoga in the Garden with Gratitude Yoga. These donation-based, all-levels Vinyasa classes are open to everyone, providing support for Morven’s exhibitions, educational programming, and special events. In the event of rain, the sessions move into the museum’s Stockton Education Center. Visit gratitudeyoga. org for more information.

On Thursday, October 12 at 6:30 p.m . , a screening and discussion of The Price of Silence , part one of an Emmy-nominated documentary from Truehart Productions sharing the history of New Jersey’s enslaved people, will be held. Hear from descendants and historians

telling their own stories and exploring why New Jersey was the last northern state to end the institution of slavery; a past to which Morven and its inhabitants were inextricably tied. The screening of the 25-minute documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker and historians featured in the film.

This event is hybrid — held both in-person at Morven’s Stockton Education Center and online. In-person tickets are $5 general admission, free for students and Morven members. Virtual tickets are free for all registrants. A Zoom webinar link will be shared with virtual ticket holders upon registration, and a recording will be provided after the program.

On Wednesday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m., a “Meet the Curators” tour of the Striking Beauty exhibition will be held. Tickets are $15 ($10 for members). Pre-registration is required. A docent-led tour of the exhibit is Thursday, October 19 at 2 p.m. These tours are offered on a monthly basis.

The “Build a Bouquet” workshop with autumn blooms is on Tuesday, October 24 at 6 p.m., led by Vaseful Flowers & Gifts. Preregistration is required.

Morven is at 55 Stockton Street. Visit morven.org for more information.

“Jersey Devil Homecoming”

At Bordentown City Hall

Old City Hall in Bordentown presents a Friday the 13th “Jersey Devil Homecoming” on Friday, October 13 at 7 p.m. The venue is at 13 Crosswicks Street.

The Halloween season program features a night with William Sprouse, a journalist, historian, and a descendant of the family credited with creating the legend of New Jersey’s most famous monster. In 1735, state colonist Jane Leeds gave birth to a “cursed”

13th child that turned into a winged creature that continues to haunt the state.

Sprouse is a direct descendent of the Leeds family. A trained historian, he began his research on his family and the devil for his thesis at Yale University. He then used the material to create the book The Domestic History of the Jersey Devil

The account weaves together the facts and fiction that shaped the myth, family lore, interviews with “Jersey Devil experts,” and on-thescene reporting from the wilds of New Jersey — including a southern New Jersey WaWa parking lot. Sprouse’s program will include digital images, a book presentation and signing, and questions from the audience.

The program moderator is Dan Aubrey, a Bordentownbased reporter and a U.S. 1 Newspaper editor who has written about the Jersey Devil.

Adding to the significance of an event about the 13th devil child held on Friday the 13 is the program’s “homecoming” location.

Bordentown has several links to the Jersey Devil. Prominent city resident and former king Joseph Bonaparte reported encountering it in the woods, the devil visited the city during its infamous 1907 weeklong reign of terror, and one account argues the devil was born in the historic city.

The event is a project of the Old City Hall Restoration Cultural Vision Sub-Committee, a volunteer group that offers an assortment of free and ticketed community events to strengthen the visibility of the late 19th century building that served as the city’s police department, courthouse, and municipal offices from 1888 to 1960.

Donations are requested. For more information, visit facebook.com/OldCityHallRestoration.

Artwork by Nicole Steacy

Thanking Recreation Dept. for Extra Swim Days at Community Park Pool

To the Editor:

What a great idea! Nearly every summer, the day after Labor Day is very hot. I walk over to Community Park, put my fingers through the chain link fence, and stare at the pristine, still pool.

This year, along with hundreds of other celebrants, I got to swim! For two extra days! Thank you Evan and staff. In the spirit of Mr. Ivan, you gave us two joyful afternoons.

STEPHANIE MAGDZIAK Jefferson Road

Trinity Counseling Service Looks Forward to Continued Collaborations with Area Organizations

To the Editor:

We are grateful that the municipality acknowledges the importance of expanding and enhancing mental health services in our community [“Town Behavioral Health Services to Be Provided by Catholic Charities,” September 20, page 1].

The pandemic highlighted the need for mental health services with individuals and families seeking support in record numbers. Yet there is clearly an alarming shortage of health care providers with availability in Princeton and neighboring communities.

This year Trinity Counseling Service (TCS) celebrates our 55th Anniversary providing mental health services to the Greater Princeton Community. We have relied on our partnership with Corner House and Catholic Charities for decades.

We have called on Corner House for referrals and guidance with issues involving substance abuse treatment, prevention, and intervention and we are hopeful that the expertise and focus in this area will remain.

At TCS we have clinicians expertly trained to treat children, adolescents, adults, and seniors managing a variety of issues including generalized anxiety, depression, complex grief, and loss. Many of our clients struggle with feelings of loneliness and describe being overwhelmed by life’s challenges. At TCS we see grant-funded clients, clients on a sliding scale, and we accept BCBS, Aetna, and Medicare. No one is turned away due to financial resources.

At TCS we continue to have exciting and hopeful dialogues with partner organizations and colleagues (organizations, schools, and private practitioners) in Princeton and neighboring towns about how to best serve our community. We look forward to collaborating with Corner House, Catholic Charities, and the Municipality of Princeton in the months and years ahead.

WHITNEY ROSS, P h .D. TCS Executive Director PEGGY GRAUWILER, P h .D., LCSW TCS Director of Clinical Operations Nassau Street

League of Women Voters Shares Forum, Voter Information for Upcoming Election

To the Editor:

Candidates for the Princeton Board of Education will meet in a webinar hosted by the Princeton Public Library on Thursday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. Go to https://princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/9223094 to register for the event. Send questions for the candidates to lwvprinceton@ gmail.com — subject line Princeton BOE — by October 9. Questions will also be taken during the event.

Video of the forum will be posted on the League of Women Voters’ website lwvprinceton.org, at VOTE411. org, and on the library’s YouTube channel.

To read about the platforms of these candidates as well as others, visit VOTE411.org. If any candidates on your ballot have not responded, please urge them to do so.

Chesterfield Organic Orchards

Fruit Plant Sale

Go to VOTE411 or Vote.nj.gov to find specific information about early voting, vote-by-mail, polling and drop box locations, as well as hours and deadlines. Voter registration forms must be postmarked by October 17. Vote-bymail ballots arrive this week. They must be postmarked or placed in drop boxes by November 7 and cannot be returned to polling places. Voters marked “VBM” may only vote provisionally at the polls.

On Election Day, voters will now use the machines used in early voting. They will sign in, receive a printed voting authority and plastic card, and be directed to a machine. Inserting the card brings up their ballot on a touch screen. After voting on the screen and reviewing for accuracy, voters will print their completed paper ballot and deposit it in the tabulator, as in the last election.

The League of Women Voters encourages civic engagement. Board (poll) workers, including students aged 1617, are needed for the nine days of early voting and on November 7. Board workers are compensated: $300 on Election Day and $21.43/hour during early voting, plus $30 for attending training. Contact your county board of elections or visit Vote.nj.gov. Students should ask whether a special student application is required.

Vote early, by mail, or on Election Day — but please vote!

CHRYSTAL SCHIVELL

League of Women Voters of the Greater Princeton Area Monroe Lane

PPS BOE Candidate Rene Obregon is a Leader Who is Committed to Education

To the Editor:

We are voting for Rene Obregon in the upcoming Princeton Public Schools Board of Education election and encourage our fellow residents to also vote for Rene.

We have known Rene since meeting at a fundraiser for Johnson Park Elementary PTO almost nine years ago. Over that time Rene has actively supported our schools and the community in many ways, ranging from fundraising at JP, to being a class co-president at PMS, and advocating for all our kids at PHS. Rene was also a strong supporter of the Princeton Education Foundation which Rene’s wife Karolin served on the board of with Amanda.

As a further example of Rene’s commitment to education, and helping students gain real life experiences, he started a two-week internship program at his company for high school juniors that is now in its fifth year. His program exposed several PPS students to real life work scenarios (the importance of being on time, interacting in an office environment, learning to ask questions, completing a task to a timeline). His charisma and personal involvement were both inspiring and motivating for the students.

We believe Rene will work hard to ensure that our beloved PPS will stay focused on providing a robust curriculum, addressing the learning gap head on, and that he will be proactive managing the projected student population growth. He is a leader and will not shy away from challenging the current processes where necessary, driving accountability and transparency, which is what our community needs and deserves.

We recommend voting for Rene Obregon on November 7. DR.

NICK AND AMANDA BOTWOOD Christopher Drive

Requesting a Contiguous Sidewalk Soon for a Side of Terhune Road

To the Editor:

Princeton needs a contiguous sidewalk on at least one side of Terhune Road. Terhune between Route 206 and Snowden will soon have a large increase in traffic which, by my very modest estimate, will be several hundred more vehicles coming from the new housing on Terhune near Ewing.

There’s already a bus that runs on Terhune, and we currently have more truck traffic due to nearby construction, all of which makes it difficult for school children, caregivers pushing strollers, and even the occasional senior citizen (like me) trying to navigate Terhune without getting hit by a car, bus, or truck. How has this escaped the attention of our mayor (who was recently selected for membership in

the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety) or our Princeton Town Council (one of whom lives on Terhune, and cannot help but be aware of the necessity of a decent sidewalk along Terhune)?

I hope that moving forward, and the sooner the better, we can see some action on this — rather simple request — for a sidewalk that runs contiguous from Terhune at Witherspoon Street all the way to Snowden Lane.

SUZANNE JOHNSTONE Dempsey Avenue

BOE Candidate Eleanor Hubbard Works Hard and Gets Things Done

To the Editor:

I write to support Eleanor Hubbard’s candidacy to join the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education.

You want Eleanor Hubbard on your team. No matter the task at hand, Eleanor will be an asset. I’ve become familiar with the limitless talents of Eleanor Hubbard as a fellow parent raising children in the Riverside neighborhood. For several years, I’ve served on the executive board of the Riverside School PTO. In this role, I have witnessed Eleanor in action. She shows up. She works hard. She gets things done.

During the early months of the pandemic, Eleanor saw how difficult it became for children to get a book in their hands when the school and public library shut their doors. Eleanor started a book drive and created a “free bookstore” to promote equity in remote learning. She noticed a need and led our community toward a solution.

Everyone loves Riverside’s large and luxurious school garden. Yet, few get down in the dirt and actively care for it. Eleanor does. As the VP for the Riverside Garden, she now coordinates fundraisers and organizes volunteers in addition to the hours of physical labor gardening. She is passionate about educating the whole child and speaks out in support of outdoor education and the importance of playground time.

Eleanor and I also work together on Broadmead Swim Club’s volunteer board. Here I have watched Eleanor shine in several capacities. She steps up whenever she can to keep Riverside’s neighborhood pool open. I’ve seen her patch up a hole in a wall and go over finances with our treasurer all in the same morning. Eleanor never seems to think a task is too great or too small to tackle.

In sum, Eleanor is qualified to serve on our Board of Education. She has valuable classroom teaching experience and is familiar with our district after years of active parent participation. She knows when to fight for something and knows when to compromise. She always listens. I strongly endorse her candidacy.

Thanking All Who Contributed to Success Of Princeton Senior Resource Center Gala

To the Editor:

As members of the Board of Trustees of the Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC), we want to thank all those who helped to make the PSRC gala on the evening of September 14 a spectacular success. The 250 attendees at the sold-out event had a wonderful time thanks to the PSRC leadership — especially CEO Drew Dyson, COO Donna Cosgrove, and CDO Lisa Adler — the entire staff, and our many amazing volunteers. The event included a celebration of PSRC’s social services — a core feature of PSRC’s work in the community since its inception in 1974 as “Tenant Services” at Spruce Circle. It was also an opportunity to celebrate our honorees, Hazel Stix, Bryn Mawr Trust, and the mayor and Council of Princeton.

Hazel Stix, our individual honoree, has been an active leader at PSRC since the beginning, working alongside and supporting Jocelyn Helm in creating this organization 49 years ago. Hazel has been a generous supporter, engaged leader, and avid participant in the work of PSRC.

Bryn Mawr Trust, our corporate honoree, was integral in PSRC’s purchase and renovation of The Nancy S. Klath Center for Lifelong Learning at 101 Poor Farm Road. Their support and guidance were instrumental in the successful completion of this project. We also took the occasion to honor the memory of former president of BMT’s banking division, Kevin Tylus.

The current mayor and Council of Princeton were the deserving recipients of our inaugural Community Impact Award. Their enduring commitment to PSRC and to the older adults throughout our community, and the commitment of their predecessors in the municipality and the former Borough and Township, has made a profound impact.

This event was, for the 250 attendees, a reminder of the impact that PSRC has through its focus on building community, making connections, and providing lifelong learning and support services. In the past year, PSRC has served over 5,500 participants. It is a welcoming and inclusive place with something for everyone, whether you are 55 or 105, and whether you are in Princeton, Trenton, Yardley, or Florida!

Finally, our thanks to everyone who attended the gala. Without you, PSRC could not accomplish all that it does and could not plan for even more programming and services in the future!

Fig Trees Blueberry Plants Blackberry Plants Hardy

ANNE THOMSEN LORD Princeton Kingston Road

Noting That Civility, Logic are Needed in Public Discussions

To the Editor:

I read the recent letters from Mike Head [“Wondering if Recent Court Ruling Means End of Tax Breaks for Developers in Town,” Mailbox, September 13] and Carlos Rodrigues [“Group Should Stop Peddling Misinformation About Redevelopment Plans in Princeton,” Mailbox, September 20] concerning development in our community, and I was surprised at the level of personal attack in Mr. Rodrigues’ letter.

If he wishes to defend his role in the developments in our town, can’t he do so with facts and logic instead of criticizing residents whose opinions differ from his?

MARYANN WITALEC KEYES Franklin Avenue

Behrend Possesses Vision, Dedication to Navigate Evolving Landscape of Education

To the Editor:

We are writing to express our enthusiastic endorsement and support for Beth Behrend, a dedicated and highly qualified candidate running for reelection on the Princeton Board of Education. Having closely followed her commitment to data-driven education and student-centered decisions, we believe she is the right choice to help lead our schools forward providing valuable experience and continuity.

Beth’s extensive experience in educational leadership, as well as her advocacy for quality education for all students, showcase her dedication to ensuring that each child receives the support and opportunities they need to succeed academically and personally.

One of Beth’s key strengths lies in her ability to collaborate and engage with various stakeholders, including parents, educators, administrators, and community members. Her inclusive approach ensures that all voices are heard and considered in the decision-making processes, leading to well-informed policies and programs that benefit the entire school community.

She understands the challenges faced by educators, students, and parents and is dedicated to working collaboratively to find effective solutions to internal and external pressures. During Beth’s past two terms, she moved forward a multi-year, long-term planning process involving many of these stakeholders to respond to rising enrollments. She served as chair of the Long-Term Planning Committee from 2022 to 2023 and Board president from 2019 to 2021. Beth’s ability to work collaboratively, listen to disparate viewpoints, and foster communication between various groups will help bring this important planning process to a successful conclusion.

We need leaders like Beth Behrend who possess the vision and dedication to navigate the evolving landscape of education with its existing challenges and unanticipated issues. Her unwavering commitment to enhancing the educational experience for every child, coupled with her inclusive leadership style, positions her as a valuable asset to the Princeton Board of Education.

CARRIE ELWOOD Poe Road CHRISTINA WALDEN Dodds Lane

Offering a Suggestion for Impatient Drivers Dealing with Morning Traffic

To the Editor:

Last Wednesday and Thursday, both perfect fall weather, there was a terrible back-up of cars going in all directions between 8 and 8:15 a.m. at my crossing guard post. Worse, on Thursday, motorists were honking their horns in impatience at having to wait their turn. While there were some road closures, I don’t think that accounts for the delays — the closures were no worse than the previous week, but the traffic was.

I think part of the problem is that it is early in the school year, and students and parents are eager to get to school to live up to personal resolutions to “be the early bird” and “catch the worm.” An admirable goal, but I have a suggestion for an equally admirable approach which doesn’t involve waiting in line.

Just because you live too far from school for your child to walk from home doesn’t mean you have to drive them all the way. Please consider dropping them off a few blocks from school and letting them walk the rest of the way. This is a win for the child, giving them a little extra fresh air and exercise, a win for you, not having to sit in a long line of cars, and a win for the environment, reducing idling time and emissions.

If this idea doesn’t work for you, be prepared to wait, and please don’t honk! I am doing the best I can to move things along while keeping our kids safe.

DAVID COHEN Crossing Guard/Councilman Witherspoon Street

Writing in Support of Eleanor Hubbard For Election to the Board of Education

To the Editor:

I am writing to urge fellow Princeton parents and taxpayers to vote for Eleanor Hubbard for Board of Education (BOE) on November 7.

There is a real need for new and competent leadership on the BOE, which is the elected body that oversees the Princeton Public Schools system. In recent years there has been a marked decline in the academic achievement of Princeton Public Schools students as compared with surrounding school systems such as West Windsor-Plainsboro and Montgomery, which now surpass Princeton on standardized test scores. In particular, the quality of the math program in Princeton schools has been degraded, for example through incoherent reforms in the Princeton

Middle School that have dramatically weakened students’ understanding of algebra, reducing opportunity for advancement in math for Princeton High School students. At the same time, Princeton Public Schools’ spending, which accounts for over half of residents’ property tax bill, has increased significantly.

Both school curriculum and school spending are overseen by the BOE. Your vote for Eleanor Hubbard, as a candidate who was not on BOE previously and did not support these decisions, could help get the Princeton Public Schools system back on the track of excellence that our students and taxpayers deserve.

Eleanor Hubbard is exceptionally qualified to serve on the Board of Education. She obtained her own undergraduate and graduate degrees in literature and history from Harvard University, and taught for many years at Princeton University. She has a long record of service to children’s issues and to education as both a teacher and a parent. For example, she worked full time as a public school teacher in the South Bronx for two years, and in Princeton, is an active member of the Parent-Teacher Organization at Riverside Elementary, where two of her own children are in school. She has an astute grasp of the complex issues that the BOE members need to understand, including not only the educational but also the intellectual, financial, social, cultural, and interpersonal issues. Last but not least, she is an authentic and kind person who gets along with everyone, and who could help bridge the current gap between the BOE and dissatisfied Princeton parents and taxpayers. Princeton residents are fortunate to have the opportunity to vote for Eleanor Hubbard on November 7. Please consider doing so!

Letters to the Editor Policy

Town Topics welcomes letters to the Editor, preferably on subjects related to Princeton. Letters must have a valid street address (only the street name will be printed with the writer’s name). Priority will be given to letters that are received for publication no later than Monday noon for publication in that week’s Wednesday edition.

Letters must be no longer than 500 words and have no more than four signatures.

All letters are subject to editing and to available space.

At least a month’s time must pass before another letter from the same writer can be considered for publication.

Letters are welcome with views about actions, policies, ordinances, events, performances, buildings, etc. However, we will not publish letters that include content that is, or may be perceived as, negative towards local figures, politicians, or political candidates as individuals.

When necessary, letters with negative content may be shared with the person/group in question in order to allow them the courtesy of a response, with the understanding that the communications end there.

Letters to the Editor may be submitted, preferably by email, to editor@towntopics.com, or by post to Town Topics, PO Box 125, Kingston, N.J. 08528. Letters submitted via mail must have a valid signature.

RACHAEL WINFREE Moore Street

Fine

by Sean Carney

Princeton Public Library to Host Children’s Book Festival Oct. 7

Favorite authors and illustrators of books for children will gather on Hinds Plaza to meet and interact with readers on Saturday, October 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Princeton Children’s Book Festival is being held rain or shine.

A Princeton tradition, the event is intended to ignite a lifelong love of books and reading, and is a chance for

children and teens to meet and interact with some of their favorite authors and illustrators. This year nearly 50 acclaimed authors and illustrators of children’s literature are expected.

The festival will also feature arts and crafts activities for children between 12 and 2 p.m.

The poster for this year’s

award-winning illustrator Mika Song, whose Norma & Belly graphic novels include Donut Feed the Squirrels, Pizza My Heart, Apple of My Pie, and the recent One Smart Cookie. Song will be presenting an interactive story time at 10:30 a.m. on the third floor of the library to open the festival. Book sales for the Princeton Children’s Book Festival

will be handled by festival sponsor jaZams of Princeton, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the library. The attending authors and illustrators will sign copies of books purchased at the event.

A complete list of authors and illustrators participating in the 2023 Princeton Children’s Book Festival is available at princetonlibrary. org/bookfestival.

Ma, Cisneros, Kick off Princeton Reading Series

Princeton University is kicking off the Althea Ward W’21 Reading Series, hosted by the Program in Creative Writing, with writers Ling Ma and Sandra Cisneros on Tuesday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m. The noted writers will read from their work in the Donald G. Drapkin Studio in the Lewis Center for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public but tickets are required through University Ticketing, tickets.princeton. edu/online. The Drapkin

essayist whose work explores the lives of the working class. The author of The House on Mango Street , her awards include NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, a MacArthur Fellowship, the PEN/Nabokov Award for International Literature, the National Medal of Arts, and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, among others. A new book, Martita, I Remember You/ Martita, te recuerdo, a story in English and in Spanish, was published in 2021. Last fall, Cisneros’s new poetry collection, Woman Without Shame , was published by Knopf and by Vintage Español in a Spanish language translation, Mujer sin vergüenza , by Liliana Valenzuela.

The Bucks County Bookfest is September 29 through September 30 — with keynote speaker Julie Quinn, New York Times best-selling author, author of the Bridgerton Series, a collection of eight novels set between 1813 and 1827.

The keynote talk is on Friday, September 29 at 7 p.m. at the Life Sciences Auditorium at Delaware Valley College, 700 East Butler Pike, Doylestown, Pa. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Additional copies of a selection of Quinn’s novels will be available for purchase at the event. Only books purchased with the event ticket or at the event will be eligible for signing by the author. Tickets are available at bucksbookfest.org/juliaquinn and range from $20 to $32.

The Bookfest continues on Saturday, September 30 with the Bucks County Writers Market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the James Lorah Memorial Home, 132 North Main Street, Doylestown, Pa. This new event will feature Bucks County independent or self-published authors. More information is at bucksbookfest.org.

Upcoming Panel Weighs Effects of Book Bans

How do book bans threaten the right to freely speak, read, and write? What is our responsibility in protecting these rights, which are the foundation of democracy?

Labyrinth Books, the ACLU of New Jersey, the Princeton Public Library, and Princeton University Press will present a special forum, “More Than Empty Shelves: How Book Bans Undermine Identities and Restrict Information,” on Monday, October 2 at 6 p.m. at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street.

undermining experiences across all races, genders, and sexualities. While New Jersey has been a leader in protecting and expanding civil rights and liberties, the state has seen censorship attempts.

Panelists will include Martha Hickson, New Jersey Library Association 2023 Librarian of the Year; Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read Program Director at PEN America; and Brielle Winslow-Majette, deputy director of Garden State Equality.

This event will also be livestreamed on the ACLU of NJ Facebook page (facebook.com/aclunj).

For more information, visit labyrinthbooks.com.

Scholars Brown, Tannous Recount Study of History

Eminent historian Peter Brown has a written personal account of his studies of the period called late antiquity. Fellow historian Jack Tannous joins him in conversation.

Brown recounts his work in Journeys of the Mind: A Life in History, which he discusses at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, on Wednesday, October 4 at 6 p.m. with Tannous, professor of History and Hellenic Studies and chair of the Center for the Study of Late Antiquity at Princeton University.

In the book (Princeton University Press, $45), Brown describes his efforts to recapture the spirit of an age. The end of the ancient world was long regarded by historians as a time of decadence and decline. But, in his career-long engagement with this era, Brown has shown that the “neglected half-millennium,” now known as late antiquity, was in fact crucial to the development of modern Europe and the Middle East (the period roughly begins in the late third century). As he and other scholars opened up the history of the classical world in its last centuries to the wider world of Eurasia and northern Africa, they discovered previously overlooked areas of religious and cultural creativity as well as foundational institution-building.

is a poet, short story writer, novelist, and

The forum will address the resurgence of systematic attempts to ban books from libraries, classrooms, and curriculums which result in

“Peter Brown ranks among our greatest living historians and finest writers in the English language, and this book takes us on a trip across worlds and histories,” according to David Nirenberg, director of the Institute for Advanced Study, as stated on the publisher’s website. The ultimate goal of Journeys of the Mind, he writes, “is to teach each of us in our own present what it means to think historically, through the example of a life that has done so.”

Brown is Professor Emeritus of History at Princeton University and the author of Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350–550 AD ; The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity, A.D. 200–1000 ; and many other books.

Tannous is the author of The Making of the Medieval Middle East: Religion, Society, and Simple Believers

The event is co-presented by Labyrinth Books and the Princeton Public Library and co-sponsored by Princeton University’s Humanities Council and Classics and History Departments.

Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros (Photo by Keith Dannemiller)

Author Julia Quinn at Bucks County Bookfest

Gershwin at 125: American Visions in “The Great Gatsby” and “Rhapsody in Blue”

Mr. Gershwin was a child of the Twenties, the Age of Jazz. In the fast two-step time of the years after the war he was to music what F. Scott Fitzgerald was to prose.

—from the July 12, 1937 New York Times obituary

After pairing George Gershwin and Scott Fitzgerald as voices of the Jazz Age, the Times obit observed that “Four years after that mad decade began, Paul Whiteman sent the strains of Rhapsody [in Blue] cascading far beyond Broadway and the music they called Jazz had come of age. Serge Koussevitsky of the Boston Symphony Orchestra played his work and the capitals of Europe called for more.”

When Fitzgerald died three and half years later, the December 23, 1940 Times obituary spoke of a career “that began and ended” with the 1920s, its “promise never fulfilled.” The paper does at least note that “the best of his books” was The Great Gatsby, published “at a time when gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession.” In it Fitzgerald was “at his best,” which was in his “ability to catch the flavor of a night, a snatch of old song, in a phrase.”

Playing the Numbers

I saw no reason to connect these two artists and their signature works until I put the numbers together. Born September 24, 1896, Fitzgerald was two years and two days older than Gershwin, born September 26, 1898; yesterday was his 125th birthday. A more significant coincidence is that both men were at work a hundred years ago completing their landmark creations: Rhapsody in Blue first performed on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, 1924; The Great Gatsby published on April 10, 1925.

An American Vision

According to Gershwin’s own account, quoted in Howard Pollack’s 2006 biography, “It was on the train, with its steely rhythms, its rattle-ty-bang that is so often stimulating to a composer” that “I suddenly heard – and even saw on paper – the complete construction of the rhapsody, from beginning to end.... I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope of America – of our vast melting pot, of our unduplicated national pep, of our blues, our metropolitan madness.” It was “all New York, all America ... a picnic party in Brooklyn or a dark-skinned girl singing and shouting her blues in a Harlem cabaret. I try to depict a scene, a New York crowd. And it’s vulgar. It’s full of vulgarisms. That’s what

gives it weight. I never tried to prettify it.”

Midway into The Great Gatsby, speaking through his narrator Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald composes a variation on Gershwin’s “musical kaleidoscope of America” as he and Gatsby are driven across the Queensboro Bridge by Gatsby’s chauffeur. Seen from the bridge, the city rises up across the river “in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money.” The next sentence offers a melodic alternative to that atonal analogy: “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.”

After describing what appears to be a gangster’s funeral, Nick thinks, “Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge.... Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder.”

That freighted passage suggests a range of elements like those Gershwin imagines in his Rhapsody , the “vast melting pot,” the “national pep,” the “blues,” the “metropolitan madness.” It is “all New York, all America ... and it’s vulgar ....”

Although the Times’ reference to gin and sex would seem to give Gatsby a head start on vulgarity, I find it hard to relate Gershwin’s “vulgarisms” to Rhapsody in Blue. The dictionary suggests “lacking sophistication or good taste; unrefined, as in the vulgar trappings of wealth.” It’s a given that one of New York City’s seedy charms, then and now, is the jazzy, honkytonk vulgarity of an area like Times Square, which can presumably be read into Paul Whiteman’s original recording, orchestrated by Ferde Grofé with Gershwin playing the piano part. A passage speculating on the Rhapsody in Edmund Wilson’s novel I Thought of Daisy mentions only “the sounds of the streets ... the taxis creaking to a stop ...

some distant and obscure city sound in which a plaintive high note, bitten sharp, follows a lower note, strongly clanged and solidly based.” The soundscapes of Schoenberg and Stravinsky are also cited, but Gershwin himself would surely hesitate to equate modernism and atonality with vulgarity. By the end of Gatsby, the glow is off the “vulgar trappings” of Gatsby’s wealth as Fitzgerald takes his vision to another level.

“I Can Hear It Yet”

Phrases like the “wild promise” and “mystery and beauty” that Nick sees in the city across the river evoke music at its most powerful and moving, as in the Rhapsody’ s glorious Andantino, the “middle theme” Gershwin says came to him while he was “rattling away” at the piano “without a thought of rhapsodies in blue or any other color” when “all at once I heard myself playing a theme that must have been haunting me inside, seeking outlet.”

In an early draft of Gatsby that Fitzgerald originally called Trimalchio , after a character in the Satyricon, he refers to a piece of music played by a hired orchestra at the party where he first meets Gatsby.

Titled The Jazz History of the World , an apparent allusion to Rhapsody in Blue , it began, as Nick hears it, “with a weird, spinning sound,” followed by a series of interruptive notes which colored everything that came after them until before you knew it they became the theme.... Long after the piece was over it went on and on in my head — whenever I think of that summer I can hear it yet.”

Prose as Music

Fitzgerald’s most inspired prose music comes in the closing pages of Gatsby , where, after gazing at “the huge

incoherent failure” of Gatsby’s mansion, Nick notices that “there were hardly any lights except the shadowy, moving glow of a ferryboat across the Sound. And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes — a fresh, green breast of the new world,” where “for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent ... face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.”

The full measure of Fitzgerald’s rhapsody is achieved in the next paragraph when Nick imagines that “Gatsby’s dream must have seemed so close that he would hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.”

In My Life

If I could rewind a home movie of all the times my father sat down at the grand piano in our living room circa 19501958, I know I could find the afternoon or evening he played highlights from the Rhapsody that would end with a stirring performance of the Andantino that David Schiff called “the most famous melody in twentieth century concert music.” My mother, who might have been furious with him half an hour before, would be in tears, “reduced to rubble,” as she liked to put it.

Iheard a recording of Rhapsody in Blue for the first time when I was 18, roughly around the time that I first read The Great Gatsby. The Gershwin melody that led to a turning point in my life, however, found me in the fall of 1998, his centenary year. The medium was the tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray (1921-1955), with his extraordinary improvisation on “The Man I Love” recorded in three takes in November 1946, nine years after Gershwin’s death. So began a quest to know more about the life and work of the man who would dominate my listening life for the better part of a decade. In June 2003 I finally put what I learned and felt into an article in the Village Voice called “Song of the Thin Man.” Besides leading to my job as a Town Topics reviewer, the article introduced me to Gary Giddins, who will soon publish a new biography of George Gershwin. Meanwhile, I’ve found a useful source in Howard Pollack’s George Gershwin: His Life and Work (University of California Press 2006).

—Stuart Mitchner

McCarter Opens its Season with a Successful Production of “Bulrusher”; A Clairvoyant Orphan Befriends an Out-of-Towner in a Poetic, Layered Play

The title character of Bulrusher has a unique backstory. Orphaned as an infant, she was sent down the river in a basket — the allegory to the story of Moses is obvious — and arrived in the rustic town of Boonville, California.

Now a young woman in 1955, Bulrusher has the gift of clairvoyance. She can tell a character’s future by reading the water that they have touched. In an equally perceptible reference to the story of Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams, Bulrusher has used her talent on behalf of many townspeople.

Playwright and songwriter Eisa Davis begins the multilayered drama with a poetic monologue for the mystic, free-spirited title character. “I float in a basket toward the Pacific, hands blue as huckleberries,” she recites to the river. “What is a motherless daughter but pure will? The river hears me and turns to molasses.... I am born into a new language.”

Bulrusher is a 2007 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Its production history includes an online presentation in 2020 by Bard at the Gate, a series that McCarter Theatre Center coproduces.

McCarter opens its current season with a fully staged production of Bulrusher in collaboration with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson directs.

The elaborate set, designed by Lawrence E. Moten III, is tasked with depicting — among other things — a river. This is ac complished via a stage-length gap filled with water.

Above the stage, Katherine Freer’s pro jections depict a serene blue sky, across which clouds gently but noticeably move. This opening tableau, which is visible be fore we ever hear Bulrusher’s introduc tory monologue, informs us that nature is a crucial component of the play, as are movement and change.

Elsewhere, many changes in the projec tions are beautifully synchronized with the actors’ movements; this is a credit to Freer, as well as to Watson, Movement Director Paloma McGregor, and Associate Director Jessica Natalie Smith.

Our sense of being immersed in nature is enhanced by Sound Designer Kate Marvin, who surrounds us with forest sounds, along with period songs such as Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill.” (Like Davis, Marvin also furnishes some original compositions.)

Jordan Tyson’s portrayal of the freespirited Bulrusher captures the character’s affinity for the water, as she reverently moves her arms through it. Some of Tyson’s other motions are somewhat (artfully) jerky and unpredictable, befiting Bulrusher’s youthfulness.

As Bulrusher’s opening monologue

suggests, language is important to the piece. The residents of Boonville have developed their own lingo, Boontling, which a program note describes as a “hyperlocal and elaborate secret language with specialized vocabulary. It was deliberately contrived in the late 19th/ early 20th centuries.” The program offers printed translations of slang used in the dialogue; they are interesting but probably not necessary to infer much of what is said.

Upon arriving in Boonville, Bulrusher has been adopted by Schoolch, a teacher. Schoolch is reserved, often inscrutable, and for much of the first third of the play, silent. But Jamie LaVerdiere’s body language for the character speaks volumes, conveying his point of view with a swift exit, or a subtle change in facial expression while he ostensibly concentrates on reading.

Valerie St. Pierre Smith’s costumes aptly reflect all of the characters, but Schoolch’s outfit is particularly astute. Impeccably attired in slacks, a white shirt, and bow tie,

he is — metaphorically and literally — buttoned up.

As is noted above, Bulrusher uses her gift of clairvoyance on behalf of several Boonville residents. However, Madame — the fastidious, businesslike owner of the town brothel — flatly refuses to let Bulrusher read her future. The character of Madame offers ample scope for a nuanced performance, and Shyla Lefner (last seen on the McCarter stage in a dual role in Between Two Knees ) makes the most of this, carrying herself with dignity and infusing every line delivery with authority.

Jeorge Bennett Watson brings a placid, affable sincerity to the role of Logger, who is Madame’s most loyal customer. We will discover that Logger, like Madame, is a blood relative of another character.

Bulrusher is aggressively pursued by a young man known as Boy, whose advances she rebuffs (leading to a memorable conflict). Rob Kellogg infuses the character with raw passion and high energy. He also brings musical talents — singing and playing guitar. Much later, Boy leads the

townspeople in a square dance (in a scene that is given some particularly attractive — and appropriately festive— lighting by Sherrice Mojgani).

The comparative racial harmony in the town is underlined in a scene in which Boy (who is white) accompanies Logger (who is African American) in a song. Because of moments such as this, Bulrusher (who is mixed-race) is unaware of the prejudice facing African Americans. This astonishes Vera — a Black woman from Birmingham, Ala., who arrives in Boonville. She harbors a painful secret that embitters her.

In delivering Vera’s lines, Cyndii Johnson brings a warm smoothness that is almost musical. Her body motions, too, are smooth (in contrast to Tyson’s sometime jerkiness for Bulrusher). Like Boy, Vera is impassioned — but in a more refined way. St. Pierre Smith outfits Vera with a bright red dress, underlining both her vibrancy and Bulrusher’s fascination with her.

To Boy’s frustration, Bulrusher and Vera form a close bond that blossoms when the two women bathe together in the river. Much can be read into this moment. The river connects the two characters; and because of Bulrusher’s natural affinity for the water, the sequence can be described as Vera entering her world. Carrying the play’s earlier Scriptural imagery a step further, the scene even might be interpreted as a joint baptism for the two young women — albeit a secular one.

The sequence is given some of Watson’s best staging, and some especially beautiful acting by Tyson and Johnson. What makes the scene work so well is that the connection between the two women starts tentatively, and is given room to grow.

Bulrusher allows the line between friendship and romantic interest to blur, a fact that is pointed out to her in one of the play’s most tense scenes. But it is not a simple matter of Bulrusher choosing Vera over Boy; Davis’ script is too nuanced, multilayered, and deft for that. All of the characters’ relationships — along with the play’s exploration of race, sexuality, and gender issues — develop in ways that are poignant and unpredictable.

In a review of McCarter’s production of Blues for an Alabama Sky (also directed last spring, I wrote that the play “has a unity of script and production that is as tight-knit as the friendship that the play depicts. It makes one look forward to future McCarter productions directed by Watson.”

Aided by a uniformly talented cast and creative team, Watson’s direction of Bulrusher triumphantly builds on that previous success.

—Donald H. Sanborn III

Produced by McCarter Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre; and directed by McCarter’s Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson, “Bulrusher” runs through October 7 at McCarter’s Berlind Theater. For tickets or additional information, visit McCarter.org.

“BULRUSHER”: Performances are underway for “Bulrusher.” Written by Eisa Davis and directed by Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson, the play runs through October 7 at McCarter’s Berlind Theater. Above: The mysterious Vera (Cyndii Johnson, left) bonds with the free-spirited Bulrusher (Jordan Tyson), an orphan who has the gift of clairvoyance.

(Photo by T Charles Erickson)

Performing Arts

Koh will play Missy Mazzoli’s Violin Concerto (Procession), which was written specifically for her in 2022. Also on the program are Felix Mendelssohn’s Scottish-inspired The Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave), Op. 26 and Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43, one of his most popular works. PSO Assistant Conductor Kenneth Bean leads the concerts, taking place on Saturday, October 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 15 at 4 p.m. The Sunday performance will be preceded by a 3 p.m. pre-concert talk.

Orchestra’s Five Concerts

Explore Musical Families

The Westminster Community Orchestra (WCO), conducted by Ruth Ochs, announces its 2023-2024 season, which will include five concerts that explore the historical thread of musical families. Four of the five concerts take place at Hillman Hall, in the Cullen Center, on the campus of Westminster Choir College on Walnut Lane.

“While the Bach family of musicians was a dynasty, and of course, there’s the Mozart family, we will showcase some of the other musical families in our programming in the hopes of uncovering new musical gems,” said Ochs in describing the upcoming season.

The series begins on Sunday, November 5 at 3 p.m. with a concert featuring works by Felix Mendelssohn and his sister Fanny Hensel, as well as pieces by 18th century French composer André Grétry and his daughter, Lucille. The performance will also include Beethoven’s Second Symphony.

The orchestra’s annual Holiday Sing-along concert will take place on Wednesday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m., with soprano Danielle Sinclair, a member of the Westminster Conservatory faculty, in a performance of seasonal favorites. The audience will be invited to sing along on a variety of Hanukkah and Christmas selections. All ticket donations will be distributed among several local food pantries and service organizations.

On Sunday, February 4 at 3 p.m., the WCO will present the annual Conservatory Showcase, featuring the winners of the Westminster Conservatory Concerto

Competition, as well as a world premiere by a Conservatory student composer, along with other musical elements of the Conservatory.

The Guitars of Westminster, directed by Mark Johnstone, will be highlighted in the orchestra’s March 3 program at 3 p.m., performing a new work composed for them and the WCO by Kathleen Scheide. May 19 will mark the end of the season with a 3 p.m. concert featuring the orchestra performing works by the Johnson brothers, in addition to other pieces.

There are no tickets required for the Hillman Hall concerts, although a $10 donation will be collected at the door. Conservatory Showcase tickets will be available closer to the concert through the Princeton University box office.

Now in its 39th season, the WCO is known for performances that showcase the artistry, commitment and passion of a true community ensemble. The group presents popular programs noted for their diverse repertoire and widespread appeal. Members are professional and gifted amateur musicians from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They come from all walks of life but share a common goal: the desire to make music for themselves and their community.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/Westminstercommunityorchestras.

American Repertory Ballet Presents Three Short Works

American Repertory Ballet opens its 2023/24 season, titled “Elevate,” at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center October 13-15. The program features world premieres by Stephanie Martinez and Meredith Rainey, along with the return of

ARB Artistic Director Ethan Stiefel’s Wood Work, set to modern renditions of Nordic folk tunes by the Danish String Quartet. Plus, Stiefel will create a new solo set to “If I Could Only Fly” by American singer-songwriter and poet Blaze Foley.

Martinez’s work “explores and discusses how we never truly understand our desires, but the effort is necessary to attain happiness,” she said. Rainey said his work “leaves space for audiences to make connections to their own personal experience and draw their own conclusions.” For Intrare Forma , Rainey partners with composer Miranda Scripp, who is currently studying composition at New York University. Scripp’s mother, Beatrice Jona Affron, is the music director and conductor for Philadelphia Ballet where Rainey was a soloist dancer.

“Meredith has known me my whole life,” said Scripp. “He has taken interest in my music, and he approached me for this commission. From the beginning, Meredith made it clear that he wanted this project to be a collaboration.” The music is for string octet (four violins, two violas, and two cellos).

The theater is at 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Performances are October 13 at 7 p.m., October 14 at 2 and 7 p.m., and October 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $25. Group sale discounts are available. Visit arballet. org or call (732) 745-8000. Works Old and New On Symphony Program Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh appears with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) at performances the weekend of October 14-15, at Richardson Auditorium

“I look forward to taking patrons on this amazing musical journey from the tumultuous waves of Mendelssohn’s Hebrides , to the contemporary vibrance of Mazzoli’s concerto brought to life by the incomparable Jennifer Koh, and culminating with the grandeur of Nordic landscapes depicted by Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony,” said Bean. “The program serves as a wonderful reminder that music is both an echo of the past as well as a beacon for the future.”

This season, Koh continues her New American Concerto series , an ongoing, multi-season commissioning project that explores the form of the violin concerto and its potential for artistic engagement with contemporary societal concerns. Koh continues to perform works from critically acclaimed solo and duo commissioning projects, including Alone Together, Bach and Beyond Bridge to Beethoven, Limitless , and Shared Madness . She also begins a new role as artistic director of the Fortas Chamber Music Concerts at the Kennedy Center.

Bean has served as the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s Georg and Joyce Albers-Schonberg Assistant Conductor as well as the Symphonic Orchestra Conductor for the affiliated Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey since 2021. He is also an instructor and conductor in the Philadelphia area, as well as an active freelance trumpeter. He has appeared as a guest conductor for the Marywood String Festival, Berks County Orchestra Festival, and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He currently serves as assistant conductor of Symphony in C, conductor of the Symphony in C Youth Orchestra in Collingswood, and director/conductor of the Young Musicians Debut Orchestra, the newest full orchestra within the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute.

For tickets, visit princetonsymphony.org or call (609) 497-0020.

A NEW SEASON: Ruth Ochs leads the Westminster Community Orchestra’s opening concert November 5 in the Cullen Center on the campus of Westminster Choir College, Walnut Lane.

THREE SHORT WORKS: Ethan Stiefel’s “Wood Work,” a hit of last season, is on the program of American Repertory Ballet at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center along with two brand new ballets by Stephanie Martinez and Meredith Rainey. (Photo by Eduardo Patino)

AWARD-WINNING SOLOIST: Violinist Jennifer Koh will play a work written specifically for her at upcoming performances by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra at Richardson Auditorium. (Photo by Juergen Frank)

Performing Arts

Continued from Preceding Page

Princeton University Concerts

Opens Season with Chanticleer

Princeton University Concerts (PUC) launches its 130th Concert Classics series with multi–Grammy Awardwinning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, making their Princeton debut on Thursday, October 12 at Richardson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

The festivities begin on Wednesday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m., when Chanticleer

on October 12. Additional events are

invites amateur community members of all ages to sing alongside them in the Princeton University Chapel as part of PUC’s free annual Chamber Jam. The following day, a second free event features Chanticleer performing as part of a Live Music Meditation at 12:30 p.m., followed by the ticketed appearance at Richardson Auditorium.

“We are thrilled that the extraordinary Chanticleer ensemble is engaging with our programming and our audiences in such a robust

(Photo

way,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Community is clearly at the fore for their approach to chamber music. Now, they are bringing that collaborative spirit to us. They also bring with them unique ties to the Princeton and the University community, which makes their involvement feel even more intimate and meaningful.”

Directed by Tim Keeler, a 2011 graduate of the Princeton University Music Department, Chanticleer has curated a program for

their evening concert called “Music for a Silent World.”

Student members of the Princeton University Glee Club will perform alongside Chanticleer during the concert. The program includes works by Heinrich Isaac, Max Reger, Kurt Weill, and Joni Mitchell, along with two new works: a piece written specially for the occasion by the group’s composer-in-residence Ayanna Woods, and a new arrangement of Princeton alumna Majel Connery’s (Class of 2001) song cycle

The Rivers are our Brothers

“The goal is to give nature a voice,” said Connery. “I wanted to allow these vibrant things to speak on their own behalf. The title of the cycle is based on a quote from the Native American leader, Chief Seattle, who believed we must relate to our environment the way we relate to our closest kin.”

Prior to the performance at 6:30 p.m., all event ticketholders are invited to join composer Connery, Princeton University Glee Club director Gabriel Crouch, English Professor Jeff Dolven, and Chanticleer director Keeler for “The Art of Choral Arrangement,” a pre-concert discussion in Richardson Auditorium.

At the Live Music Meditation, instruction will be provided by Matthew Weiner, associate dean in the Princeton University Office of Religious Life. This is a free, unticketed opportunity to indulge in attentive, focused, and mindful listening.

At the event in the Chapel, amateur vocalists of all ages and levels are invited to join Chanticleer in

singing All Night, the third movement from The Lotus Lovers by Stephen Paulus. No advanced preparation is required, but all registrants will receive scores prior to the event should they want to prepare. Keeler will conduct. This event is free, but registration is required. Visit puc.princeton.edu for ticket information and registration.

ONE TIME ONLY: American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) Fall Gala at the David H. Koch Theatre at New York’s Lincoln Center on October 24 will feature Cassandra Trenary and Calvin Royal in the pas de deux from Kenneth Macmillan’s “Romeo and Juliet,” among other ballet excerpts danced by members of the company. In addition to the gala, ABT’s season runs October 18-29 with three programs and eight ballets. Visit abt.org for ticket information.

(Photo by Rosalie O’Connor)

PRINCETON DEBUT: The vocal ensemble Chanticleer performs for the first time at Princeton University Concerts’ series in Richardson Auditorium

planned as part of the visit.

by Stephen K. Mack)

VOYAGE TO INDIA: Shivani Badgi will perform a traditional “Kathak” work — blending dance with music, art, and history — at West Windsor Arts on October 14.

Traditional Indian Dance

By Local Choreographer

West Windsor Arts is hosting a special solo dance concert by Shivani Badgi, an Indian American dancer, teacher and choreographer, on Saturday, October 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road.

Badgi will perform Nritya Mehfil, a traditional Kathak dance that originated in northern India hundreds of years ago. Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word “katha,” which means story.

During a Kathak performance, the dancer becomes a storyteller through graceful, expressive movements.

“Shivani will transport you to an Indian country-style Mehfil,” said Aylin Green, executive director of West Windsor Arts. “She will blend dance with music, art, and history for a very special evening.”

“When performed in the United States today, Kathak is often a part of a larger show, rather than the entire show,” said Shivani, who grew up in West Windsor and is the artistic director and

owner of The Gurukul Performing Arts, a performing arts school with branches in Plainsboro and New York City. Traditionally, Kathak is performed in intimate settings that allow the dancer to talk directly to the audience throughout the performance.

“I am excited to present this kind of immersive, evening-length solo show to my community,” Shivani said. “I wanted to bring the whole ambiance — what you would get if you went to a show in India 200 years ago. It will be a treat for all the senses.

You will smell the sandalwood and taste the tea. I will also be explaining to my audience what I am doing, and what to look for in the next portion of the dance.”

Shivani, whose mother is also a Kathak practitioner, has been performing since she was 5 years old. In addition to running the school, she performs in and around New York City at festivals and cultural events, as well as solo shows.

“This performance is a great opportunity to give back to the community I love,” she said.

Tickets are $35 for West Windsor Arts members and $40 for non-members. Visit westwindsorarts.org.

“Matilda the Musical”

Comes to Kelsey Theatre

Now in its 20th year, Maurer Productions OnStage will bring Roald Dahl’s “Matilda the Musical” to the stage of Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) Kelsey Theatre October 6-15, on MCCC’s West Windsor campus.

Dates and showtimes for the performances are Fridays October 6 and 13 and Saturdays October 7 and 14 at 8 p.m., and Sundays October 8 and 15 at 2 p.m.

Matilda, a brilliant little girl with a big heart and even bigger dreams, is on a journey of self-discovery. The show is geared to a family audience. Matilda takes on the formidable Miss Trunchbull, champions the power of books, and inspires all to stand up for what we believe in.

Tickets are $26 for adults and $24 for seniors, students, and children. Visit KelseyTheatre.net or call (609) 570-3333.

After Noon Concert Series

Thursdays at 12:30pm

Princeton University Chapel

A weekly opportunity for the Princeton Community to enjoy performances by local, national, and international organists. Performing September 28 is Sook Hyun Kim, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles

Open to all.

Princeton University Orchestra

Lysenko: Elegy

Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1

Aster Zhang ‘24, Cello

33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554

Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm

Nathaniel Gumbs, Concert Organist

Music of Mendelssohn, Widor, Price, and Sowande

Friday, September 29, 8pm

Princeton University Chapel

All are invited to hear Dr. Nathaniel Gumbs, Director of Chapel Music at Yale University, explore the colors of the Chapel’s Mander/ Skinner Organ in the soaring acoustics of the Princeton University Chapel. Free to all.

A GIRL WITH A BIG HEART: “Matilda the Musical” comes to the stage of Kelsey Theatre October 6-15. The Tony Award-winning show, adapted from a story by Roald Dahl, was a hit on Broadway.

PRINCETON MAKES PRESENTS

ART IN THE COURTYARD

SUNDA Y , OCTOBER 1

11 AM 5 PM -

ART DEMOS FOOD LIVE MUSIC ART FOR SALE FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

FOOD DRIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRINCETON MOBILE FOOD PANTRY

301 N HARRISON ST

PRINCETONSHOPPINGCENTER.COM

ELEVATE

October 13-15

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center

Ethan Stiefel, Artistic Director Julie Diana Hench, Executive Director

Classes are designed for all ages to build confidence, artistry, discipline, and foster students’ love of dance. Our world class faculty is dedicated to helping each student reach their full potential, with spacious studios, new state-of-the-art dance floors, and live music. The perfect environment to learn and grow!

FEATURING

premieres

PLUS new music by Miranda Scripp and the anticipated return of Ethan Stiefel’s

arballet.org

World

by Stephanie Martinez and Meredith Rainey

Wood Work

Harald Schrader Photography Erikka Reenstierna-Cates

“WHEN THE SHADBUSH BLOOMS, THE SHADFISH RETURN”: This acrylic on paper work by Susan Hoenig is featured in “On Lenape Land,” on view October 31 through December 31 at the Tulpehaking Nature Center in Hamilton.

“On Lenape Land” Exhibit at Tulpehaking Nature Center

“On Lenape Land,” an exhibition of paintings and forest compositions by Susan Hoenig, will be on view October 1 through December 31 at the Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Avenue, Ham-

ilton. An opening reception is on October 1 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The artist states: “The land upon which we gather is part of the traditional territory of the Lenape, called Lenapehoking. The Lenape people lived in harmony with

the land for thousands of years.

“Crosswicks Creek and the Bordentown Bluffs are at the edge of the Abbott Marshlands, an area in New Jersey that was the largest site for Middle Woodland occupation in the Northeast. For at

least 13,000 years Native Americans were drawn to the Bordentown Bluffs overlooking the fl ood plains around the wetland margins, on the banks of the Delaware River. They often built their settlements on the bluffs; fish and the plants of the marsh areas were an important reason why they came. The size of the groups the Native Americans lived in varied significantly over time. They tended the natural plants on the land and gathered them for food and medicine for thousands of years before they started to plant corn.

“I took many Friends for the Abbott Marshlands walks led by Charlie and Mary (Allessio) Leck to observe avian and plant life. In the spring of 2021, Mary Leck, botanist and emeritus professor at Rider University, invited me to accompany her with naturalists and conservationists

to walk the trails along the Bordentown Bluffs edge, 60 feet above Crosswicks Creek. Mary pointed out hemlocks in the least disturbed area of woodlands. We also saw beautiful, blossoming mountain laurel, rhododendron that was yet to flower, chestnut oak, tulip poplar, umbrella magnolia, mapleleaf viburnum, and indigo bush.

“Since then, I have filled sketchbooks and created paintings. I am now interested in the geology of the bluffs; the exposure of marshland’s sediment of clay, silt, sand, and pebbles; and other streambed features. I have a passion for the lives of trees and feel a great spiritual connection in acknowledging the land of the Lenape and its history.

“From our perspective, early cultures stewarded this land wisely. Life that surrounds us can teach valuable lessons in

our interactions with the land, air, water, and wildlife. In my paintings, I hope to convey this special, vibrant living place related to a rich tapestry of cultural heritage.”

An artist workshop for young people ages 12-18 is on October 31 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is free bur required at abbottmarshlands.org/event/rhythms-ofthe-land-1.

A workshop for ages 18plus is on December 11 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register at abbottmarshlands.org/ event/rhythms-of-the-land-2/ adults-2.

Both workshops will feature the use of watercolor and oil pastels to express the beauty of trees.

The Tulpehaking Nature Center is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, visit abbotmarshlands.org.

CHARLES DAVID VIERA

To view this exhibition online, or for more information, visit charlesdavidviera.com newhopearts.org

Grant Furthers Grounds For Sculpture’s Wellness Initiatives

Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) FY2023 Museums for America program. The IMLS grant is a competitive national grant and one of the largest GFS has ever received. This funding will be used over the next three years to support and expand wellness initiatives at the organization.

The distinct combination of art and nature, alongside programs centered on mental and physical wellness at GFS, offers the regional community a place for post-pandemic recovery and self-nurturing. The funding includes hiring a new wellness manager to oversee the current programs and take the lead on expanding program offerings and engagement. This professional will be joining a team of educators transforming ideas into practice and partnering with the community to deepen ties and broaden engagement.

Healing, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJ), Hamilton. GFS landscape architects designed plans to create Grounds for Healing at every hospital entrance, including a private garden for cancer patients. Since then, GFS’s wellness programs have grown to include a wide range of activities on the GFS grounds such as Wellness Walks; Tai Chi; Meditation and Mindfulness; Introduction to Herbalism; Sound Baths; and corporate and nonprofit wellness retreats.

GFS sees a unique opportunity to be a catalyst for change through its Wellness Initiative. The broadening of its wellness programs can serve as a conduit to decreasing anxiety and stress related to mental health challenges like isolation and cultural exclusion. This

funding will help GFS continue deepening relationships with Black and Brown communities, seniors, individuals with varying abilities, veterans, first responders, and health care professionals as well as intersectional audiences among these groups.

On October 1, GFS guests can experience the benefits of wellness surrounded by art and nature at the Health + Wellness Fair. Practice yoga, meditation, and join experts in the wellness field as they share resources and tips on how to live a healthy, balanced life. This event is for people of all ages and fitness levels.

To learn more about and to register for the fair and current wellness programs, visit the events calendar at groundsforsculpture.org.

We Buy Books

INKTOBER: The Arts Council of Princeton has partnered with an international drawing challenge to encourage positive art-making habits within the Princeton community. Teaching artist Barbara DiLorenzo, whose work is shown here, will lead free drawing sessions for participants. inspiration as literally or imaginatively as they’d like.

ACP, Inktober Partner for Month-Long Art Challenge

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) has announced a partnership with Inktober, a month-long art challenge focused on improving skill and developing positive drawing habits.

Jake Parker created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve his inking skills. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. Inktober is held virtually throughout the month of October, when, each day, anyone participating in the challenge creates an ink drawing and posts it to social media. A list of prompts guides artists of all skill levels to create a new drawing every day, and participants are welcomed and encouraged to interpret the

To encourage our Princeton community of artists and art-lovers to explore the challenge, ACP teaching artist Barbara DiLorenzo will host free virtual drawing sessions on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 p.m., beginning September 27 and continuing weekly through October.

DiLorenzo has participated in Inktober for years and looks forward to sharing the experience with the local community.

“The Arts Council of Princeton works hard to create a safe space for creative people of all ages and abilities,” said DiLorenzo. “As a teacher, it is my joy to help students break down complex subject matter into big shapes, working to refine the work and add details. It

is also my joy to encourage imaginative brainstorming, where every idea is welcome on the page. Ultimately, my goal for every artist is to help them find their own unique voice and express it clearly. In a supportive artistic community, creative people can relax and have fun making what they love.”

At the conclusion of the month, participants are invited to contribute one of their Inktober drawings to an exhibition to be shown at the Arts Council, open ing this December.

ticipate in Inktober is not required, but helpful in formation, material sugges tions, and tips and tricks can be found at inktober. com. Free registration for DiLorenzo’s drawing sessions can be found at artscouncilofprinceton.org.

GFS Executive Director Gary Garrido said, “ It is an honor to be awarded this significant multi-year grant for this initiative by the Museums for America program. It will allow Grounds For Sculpture to maximize resources to address community needs through partnerships and collaborations, and advance opportunities for our Wellness Initiative to benefit more guests. We are excited to fully explore the potential of this Initiative throughout the grounds and with our health and wellness partners.”

GFS began its wellness work nearly two decades ago with a project, Grounds For

“PARKER’S LEGACY GARDEN”: Local artist Marlon Davila worked with fifth grade students at Community Park Elementary School to create a new mural that was recently unveiled at the school. (Photo courtesy of Marlon Davila)

“FRIDA KAHLO”: Princeton Makes member Tatiana Oles, whose work is shown here, is one of the participating artists in Art in the Courtyard — Fall Festival, to be held on Sunday, October 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Princeton Shopping Center.

Art

Continued from Preceding Page Art in the Courtyard at Princeton Shopping Center Princeton Makes, in collaboration with the Princeton Shopping Center, will host Art in the Courtyard — Fall Festival on Sunday, October 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the shopping center courtyard on North Harrison Street. The festival, which is free to attend, is a celebration of

creativity and community and will showcase the local artistic and musical talent of Princeton and neighboring areas.

Art in the Courtyard is designed to give local artists and artisans the opportunity to spotlight their artwork in a myriad of media — f rom paintings to sculptures, and jewelry to pottery. The festival will also feature live music, community projects and interactive activities, and the opportunity to participate in

a food drive ,which is being held in collaboration with the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, the Junior League of Greater Princeton, and McCaffrey’s Food Market.

Princeton Makes is a cooperative comprised of 35 local artists who work across a range of artistic genres, including painting, drawing, stained glass, sculpture, textiles, and jewelry. Customers are able to support local artists by shopping for a wide variety of art, including

large paintings, prints, custom-made greeting cards, stained glass lamps and window hangings, jewelry in a variety of designs and patterns, and more. For more information, visit princetonmakes.com.

Area Exhibits

Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Victor Ekpuk: Language and Lineage” through October 8. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Here and There” through October 1. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. lambertvillearts.com.

Art on Hulfish, 11 Hulfish Street, has “Art About Art: Contemporary Photographers Look at Old Master Paintings” through November 5. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “Our Knowledge is Power: The Cultures of Beauty and Survival in Isle de Jean Charles, LA and Shishmaref, AK” through September 30 in the Taplin Gallery. Artscouncilofprincetton.org.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography, 14 Mercer Street, Hopewell, has “A Photographic Salon” through October 1. gallery14.org.

Gourgaud Gallery, 23-A North Main Street, Cranbury, has “Water, Woods, and Wonder” through September 28. cranburyartscouncil.org.

Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way,

Hamilton, has “Local Voices: Memories, Stories, and Portraits” and “Spiral Q: The Parade” through January 7 and “That’s Worth

Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family” through the end of 2024, among other exhibits. groundsforsculpture.org.

Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery,” “Princeton’s Portrait,” and other exhibits. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m., Thursday to 7 p.m. princetonhistory.org

Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “Sarah Kaizar: Rare Air” through November 5 and “Never Broken: Visualizing Lenape Histories” through January 14. michenerartmuseum.org

Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Striking Beauty” through February 18 and the online exhibits “Slavery at Morven,” “Portrait of Place: Paintings, Drawings, and Prints of New Jersey, 1761–1898,” and others. morven.org.

Phillips’ Mill, 2619 River Road, New Hope,

Pa., has “94th Juried Art Show” through October 29. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. daily. phillipsmill.org.

Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, has “Everything’s Fine: Surreal Paintings About Mental Health” through October 15 in the second floor Reading Room. princetonlibrary.org.

Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University, has “Nobody Turn Us Around: The Freedom Rides and Selma to Montgomery Marches: Selections from the John Doar Papers” through March 31. Library.princeton.edu.

Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has “Flore Organic Botanics” through October 3. Watercolors by Mia Yashin are at the 254 Nassau Street location through October 3. smallworldcoffee.com.

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, Cadwalader Park, Trenton, has “Ellarslie Open 40” through September 30. ellarslie.org.

West Windsor Arts Center, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “Ode to New Jersey Art Show” through October 28. westwindsorarts.org.

Mark Your Calendar Town Topics

Wednesday, September 27

11 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton University Farmers’ Market at Firestone Library/ Chapel Plaza. Vendors include Catalina Empanadas, The Granola Bar, Judith’s Desserts, Little Star Foods, Terhune Orchards, and more. Pumarket@ princeton.edu

4-7 p.m .: Princeton Master Plan Open House #2, in the municipal building, 400 Witherspoon Street. Learn about the process, existing conditions, and highlights from last year’s public surveys on reworking the master plan. The steering committee will be on hand to answer questions. Engage. princetonmasterplan.org.

5:30 p.m .: “Considering Mass Trauma: When Public Conversations Converge,” at Theodore Wright Library, 25 Library Place. Conversation between the Rev. Kim Wagner and author Cody Keenan. Bit.ly/wagnerandkeenan.

6 p.m.: Florian Fuchs and Daniel Heller-Roazen are at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, discussing “Civic Storytelling: The Rise of Short Forms and the Agency of Literature.” Labyrinthbooks.org.

Thursday, September 28

10 a.m.-3 p.m .: Princeton Farmers’ Market is at Hinds Plaza. Organic produce, pasture-raised meat and eggs, bread, empanadas, pickles, flowers, and more. SNAP/EBT accepted on eligible purchases. Free parking for one hour in Spring Street Garage. Princetonfarmersmarket.com.

10 a.m .: Meeting of the 55-Plus Club of Princeton at The Jewish Center, 435 Nassau Street. James Steward, director of the Princeton University Art Museum, will speak on “A New Museum in Princeton.” In person and via Zoom. Princetonol.com/ groups/55plus.

4:30-6:30 p.m.: “10 Years One Princeton,” celebration of the 10th anniversary of consolidation of Princeton borough and township, at 400 Witherspoon Street. State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, and Mayor Mark Freda will speak, followed by a community celebration with music and food. Princetonnj.gov.

5-7 p.m .: “Science Matters: New Jersey Newcomers Blazing New Trails and They’re Raising Money to Do it,” at Princeton Innovation Center BioLabs, 303A College Road East. Panel discussion, networking, and reception. Princetonbiolabs.com.

6-9 p.m .: 10th anniversary celebration and fundraiser for Women & Girls Education International (WAGE) at the Nassau Inn. Keynote speaker is Yolanda Nelson. Wageinternational.org.

Friday, September 29

7:30 p.m.: Acting Naturally presents Beyond the Door and Murder Well-Re hearsed at 164 North Flow ers Mill Road, Langhorne, Pa (267) 798-9165

8-9:30 p.m .: Outdoor

Dance Party at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Held in the parking lot (if it rains, moved inside to the Solley Theater) for all ages. $5 do nation. Artscouncilofprinc eton.org.

8 p.m .: Olivier Tarpaga

Dance Project presents

“Once the Dust Settles Flowers Bloom,” part of the Princeton University Music Department’s Tim buktu Grooves festival at McCarter Theatre, 91 Uni versity Place. In partnership with Seuls en Scene French Theater Festival. $15-$25. Mccarter.org.

Saturday, September 30

9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Windsor Community Farm ers’ Market, Vaughn lot of the Princeton Junction train station, 877 Alexan der Road. Fresh produce, seafood, poultry, pastured eggs, cheese, baked goods, and more. Entertainment by Bob Mecklenberger. West windsorfarmersmarket.org.

10 a.m.-5 p.m.:

Family Fun Weekend at Ter hune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Pony rides, ped al and play tractors, kids’ games, animals, stories, food, live music, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

10 a.m.-3 p.m.:

bertville Goes Wild and the Lambertville Environmental Commission host a Green Fair at Ely Park on Main Street. The theme is “We Are the Solution,” focused on stormwater, flooding, air and water pollution, and more. Lambertvillegoeswild.com.

12-4 p.m .: Green House Tour of five homes and one yard in Princeton that are based on sustainable practices. Preceded at 10 a.m. by a screening at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princeton GreenHouseTour.com.

1 p.m.: The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice hosts a conversation and celebration in conjunction with the release of Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics , at 12 Stockton Street. Bayardbook.eventbrite.com.

2-5 p.m.: Pop-Up Beer Garden at the parking lot of the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Fundraiser for outreach programs and public art initiatives. Triumph beers, live music by The Prisms. Every attendee gets a ceramic beer stein made by Arts Council Executive Director Adam Welch. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.

4 p.m.: Acting Naturally presents Beyond the Door and Murder Well-Rehearsed at 164 North Flowers Mill Road, Langhorne, Pa (267) 798-9165

6:30-9:30 p.m.: Greenway Land Trust’s Har vest Moon Ball, at Point Breeze, 101 Park Street, Bordentown. $60. Benefits the historic and ecological ly important Point Breeze property. Music, theater per formances, drinks, desserts, and more. Drgreenway.org.

7:30 p.m.: Lawrence Hopewell Trail’s Full Moon Bike Ride, at Rosedale Lake in Mercer Meadows. For ages 12 and up; campfire, music, and more. $20 adults, $15 for ages 12-17. For more information, visit lhtrail.org.

8 p.m .: Fatoumata Diawara concert at McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place. Part of Princeton University Music Department’s Timbuktu Grooves festival. Mccarter.org.

8-11 p.m .: Central Jersey Dance Society presents the No Name Dance, A Swinging Evening of Dancing, at Suzanne Patterson Center, 45 Stockton Street. No partner needed. Hustle lesson from 7-8 p.m. Open dancing to California Mix, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Night Club 2-Step, Country 2-Step, Hustle, and Latin. $15 ($10 full time students). Centraljerseydance.org.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

Sunday, October 1

8:30 a.m.: Good Grief’s inaugural Princeton 5K Run & Walk, with family-friendly activities and refreshments, including a kids’ dash, at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor. Funds raised support Good Grief’s work helping children, teens, and young adults after the death of a family member. Register at support.good-grief.org/ princeton5K.

9 a.m .: Eden Autism 5K & Fun Run/Walk, 2 Merwick Road. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Benefits Eden Autism’s work to support individuals with autism throughout their lives. Edenautism. org.

10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Fall Family Fun Weekend at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Pony rides, pedal and play tractors, kids’ games, animals, stories, food, live music, and more. Terhuneorchards.com.

11 a.m.-5 p.m.: Art in the Courtyard — Fall Festival, hosted by Princeton Makes and the Princeton Shopping Center. Local artists and musicians, community projects, interactive activities, a food drive, and more. At Princeton Shopping Center, North Harrison Street. Princetonmakes.com.

12-2 p.m .: Swingadelic Does Sinatra as part of the Music on the Green festival at Palmer Square. Free. Palmersquare.com.

12-5 p.m .: The Unruly Sounds Music Festival of music by local composers showcasing local bands and musicians, featuring rising talents in the Princeton University graduate composition program, is held at Hinds Plaza. Princetonlibrary.org.

3 p.m.: Belle Mead Friends of Music holds a meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 50 Cherry Hill Road. The program includes Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, played by pianist Rosanne Nahass; Schumann’s Forest Scenes , played by pianist Frances Fowler Slade; and Mozart’s Sonata in F major, K. 376, played by violinist Burgel Zomorodi and pianist Lew Coopersmith. Coopersmith@rider.edu

3-5 p.m.: FOPOS Fall Festival: Friends of Princeton Open Space celebrates at Mountain Lakes House, 57 Mountain Avenue, with live music, plant-based fall food, craft beer and hard cider, and nature-themed activities for all ages. $60 (free 12 and under), benefits the organization’s paid internship program. Fopos.org.

4 p.m.: “Djandjoba: The Big Gathering,” part of the Princeton University Music Department’s Timbuktu Grooves festival at Richardson Auditorium. $5-$15. Mccarter.org.

Monday, October 2

6 p.m.: “More Than Empty Shelves: How Book Bans Undermine Identities and Restrict Information,” a panel discussion at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. Labyrinthbooks.com.

Tuesday, October 3

9:30 and 11 a.m.: Read & Pick Program: Pumpkins, at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, For kids from preschool to 8 years; handson activity with a story. $12. Terhuneorchards.com.

4:30-6 p.m .: Princeton University Library Author Talk: Ryo Morimoto discusses the book Nuclear Ghost with Zia Mian. At Firestone Library. Libcal.princeton.edu.

6-7:30 p.m .: “Creativity in the Age of ChatGPT,” at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Panel conversation moderated by Rishi Jaitly, Princeton University alumnus and former executive at Twitter, Google, and YouTube. Free. Registration encouraged. Princetonlibrary.org.

Expert Psychological and Neuropsychological Services Are Available from Princeton Neuropsychology-SCCNJ

Winter blues, ADHD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, chronic headaches, autism, learning and memory difficulties, dementia, concussions, difficult behaviors, and personality changes — all of these conditions may be related to neuropsychological problems. And they are all the types of disorders that can be assessed and treated by the Princeton Neuropsychology at RSM-Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey.

IT’S NEW To Us

Located at 100 Canal Pointe Boulevard, Suite 210 at the MarketFair Mall, the center focuses on evaluation and treatment of a very wide range of cognitive, emotional, and physical disorders that are often inter-connected.

Established in 1999 by Director Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Ph.D., it offers the hope of positive change for people of all ages who are coping with many mental and physical challenges.

Neuropsychology combines the knowledge of brain neurology (the study of the nervous system) with psychology (the study of the mind) and how this affects behavior, explains Moser, board-certified neuropsychologist, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Behavioral Changes

Neuropsychologists look at how a brain injury or illness can affect daily life and many aspects of behavior. They conduct evaluations to identify behavioral and cognitive changes, resulting from central nervous system disease, developmental problems, or injury.

Moser and the staff of two other neuropsychologist doctors, including Bridget Mayer, Psy.D. and Kaitlin Riegler, Ph.D., treat workplace and military injuries, school-related problems, and sports injuries, as well as the numerous other cognitive/physical issues that affect many people. Their youngest patients are 6 years old and their oldest are over 90.

“Helping people and making a difference in their lives is our motivation,” points out Moser. “People come to us when they really want help, and we do our best to help them.”

“I was always interested in psychology, and in graduate school I also became interested in the specialty of neuropsychology,” adds Riegler. “I saw this as an important way to help people bridge the mind and body connection.”

And as Mayer points out, “Psychology is learning about the mind, and neurology is about the nervous system. When they are combined, we can learn even more. And every day, every case, every person is different. And underlying everything is our desire to help people achieve their best functioning.”

Patients may be referred to the center by physicians, therapists, schools and

universities, sports teams, counselors, or friends and associates. Some patients learn about the center online, as they seek help.

All About Them

There is an initial consultation to assess each individual’s situation, says Moser. “This can take an hour or so as we inquire about the person’s life: childhood, school, work, social life, relationship with family and friends. We want to get a full picture. We really need to know all about them if we are going to be able to assist them. They are willing to answer our questions because they truly are motivated to learn about their difficulties and make a positive change.”

After the consultation, a lengthy testing and evaluation process, including neuropsychological and psychological testing, will help to identify possible learning, reading, attention, and developmental disorders, autism, memory problems, traumatic and acquired brain injury, and brain diseases.

The selection of tests depends on the individual’s presenting concerns, explain the doctors. Psychological and personality testing helps to measure intellectual abilities, behaviors, and emotional mood. Academic testing measures achievement skills, and is helpful when a student is experiencing significant learning difficulties in school that do not improve with regular school interventions. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation that combines all these tests with neuropsychological tests that measure memory, attention, sensory-motor skills, rightleft brain differences, and reasoning abilities can provide the best solution.

Treatment can include many different procedures depending on the condition. It can range from counseling and psychotherapy with training in breathing and relaxation exercises and meditation, to pain management to academic coaching to help improve organizational, attention, and executive functioning skills, and to reduce procrastination.

Supportive Environment

For an individual who has sustained brain disease, brain injury, or concussion, cognitive remediation or rehabilitation can be indicated to improve brain functions.

For a person who may be experiencing emotional difficulties related to brain function, psychotherapy is recommended. This treatment is grounded in dialogue and provides a supportive environment that allows the patient to talk openly with someone who is objective and nonjudgmental. Problem-solving and learning rational strategies and ways of thinking help reduce anxiety.

In addition, consultations with other healthcare providers may be recommended. Individual sessions are primarily virtual, and typically last 45 minutes of less. The center also provides group treatment sessions that can be 60 minutes, and are also usually provided virtually.

The number of sessions for a weekly group depends on the topic or objective of the group therapy. Many individuals do well in such a setting, according to the doctors. Executive Organizational Skills will be the focus for an upcoming group.

Another important aspect of the work at Princeton Neuropsychology is its focus on sports concussion education, identification, treatment, and research.

Awareness of brain health and emotional well-being in athletes from students in school and college, to weekend warriors to professional athletes is increasingly recognized, explains Moser.

“Sports neuropsychologists helped launch the first programs for concussion testing, identification, treatment, and research in professional athletes back in the 1990s. Soon after, we brought those programs to youth and amateur sports.” Moser now serves as the president of the Sports Neuropsychology Society, an international organization focused on brain health in athletes.

Master Controller

“Keeping athletes’ brains healthy is not an easy task. Yet it is critical to emotional well-being,” adds Mayer.

“The brain is an extraordinary, complex organ composed of billions of nerve cells called neurons. These nerve cells connect to send electrochemical messages throughout the nervous system.

“Basically, the brain is the master controller of everything your body does and feels. Your sensations, movements, thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. When your brain neurochemistry gets rattled, all kinds of quirky symptoms can occur: physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional.”

Princeton Neuropsychology is involved in ongoing education and has a long history of conducting research on the brain, report the doctors.

It is encouraging to patients that the spacious office offers a warm atmosphere and light-filled setting. As Moser points out, “An important part of patient care and comfort is the office environment and the first person you see, especially in these days of high stress. We are fortunate to have Cate Mann as our office manager. She is welcoming, sensitive, patient, and helpful.”

For those facing difficult physical, cognitive, academic, or emotional challenges, which interfere with what they hope to accomplish in life, Princeton Neuropsychology is available to help them identify the challenges, set goals, and move forward toward a sense of confidence and wellbeing.

The center is open Monday through Friday by appointment. For further information, call (609) 895-1070, and visit the website at princetonneuropsychology.com.

—Jean Stratton

POSITIVE CHANGE: “Our dedicated staff specializes in comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological testing and treatment for school age children and adults of all ages. We believe in a personalized approach, which is direct, problem-oriented, and solution-focused, and which can be individualized and/or family oriented.”

Shown, from left, are Bridget Mayer, Psy.D.; Kaitlin Riegler, Ph.D.: and Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, Ph.D. of the Princeton Neuropsychology at RSM-Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey.

S ports

Squandering Big Day from Star RB Volker, Late Lead, Princeton Football Loses 16-13 in Overtime to Bryant

With John Volker rumbling through the rain and wind last Saturday afternoon, the Princeton University football team built a 13-3 lead early in the fourth quarter against Bryant in a soggy Princeton Stadium.

Junior running back Volker ran for a 49-yard touchdown in the second quarter and went over 100 yards rushing for the first time in his career as Princeton appeared on the verge of going 2-0.

“I saw Jalen Travis get a really good block there, I was just following him,” said Volker, reflecting on his TD jaunt late in the second quarter as the Tigers went ahead 6-0. “I made a good read off of his block and then just sprinted to the end zone.”

Having gained 91 yards in a 23-12 season-opening win over San Diego on September 16, Volker was finding a groove.

“I think a lot of it is credit to our offensive line,” said Volker. “It is really easy when you have a 6-foot-wide hole that you are running through. I am really excited about our run game.”

But last Saturday, it was Bryant that enjoyed an exciting finish. After Dareion Murphy scored a touchdown with 11:37 left in regulation as the Tigers went up 133, the Bulldogs went on a scoring march of their own. Driving 65 yards in 11 plays, Bryant narrowed the gap to 13-10 with 6:37 left in the fourth quarter after an 11yard TD pass from Zevi Eckhaus to Konor Lathrop.

The Bulldogs knotted the game at 13-13 on a 38-yard field goal by Ethan Gettman with 1:37 remaining in regulation for force overtime. In OT, the Bulldogs had the first possession and went ahead 16-13 on a 37-yard field goal by Gettman. Princeton got the ball and Volker rushed for nine yards on two carries. But the Tigers could get no further as quarterback Blake Stenstrom was stopped on two straight QB sneaks for no gain and Princeton ended up losing 16-13 before a drenched crowd of 4,004 at Princeton Stadium.

Princeton senior linebacker and co-captain Liam Johnson didn’t mince words as he assessed the disappointing defeat.

“We just got outplayed,” said Johnson, who had nine tackles and a sack on the day. “It is important to really recognize what we did wrong and come back better from it. That is what losses are — they just teach you lessons.”

The loss snapped a 17game non-conference winning streak for the Tigers, which may have been the only silver lining on a miserable day.

“In the Ivy League, every game is a championship game,” said Johnson. “So you would rather lose and learn those lessons in a nonleague game where it doesn’t matter as much but losing always stinks.”

Princeton head coach Bob Surace realized that inclement weather was going to

change the complexion of the contest.

“I knew when we saw the weather conditions it would be a tough offensive game,” said Surace, noting that the game was moved up to noon from its original starting time of 3 p.m. “You have got to do a good job with ball security. I think we had a couple where we cost ourselves a little bit with that piece. It was hard to sustain drives, especially when either team was starting at the 10 or 15. On the first drive of the second half, we did a really good job of getting to a certain point but one little error hurt us. At the end of the game, we complete a third and whatever and there is a holding call. Any error just really impacted the game.”

The Tigers had a chance to win the game in overtime but fell inches short of keeping their possession going.

“I thought we could get push, it is a hard play to practice,” said Surace of the “tush push” play reminiscent of the Philadelphia Eagles that they ran with Stenstrom. “I don’t think we got it. We did consider doing something else (on fourth down). We only needed a couple of inches there. I don’t know if he (Stenstrom) got the snap completely; we will have to see that piece.”

Surace liked the push Princeton got from Volker as ended up running for a career-high 149 yards on 18 carries.

“He is really finishing the runs well and doing a good job with that,” said Surace.

“I felt last year, he had a great camp and then got banged up in the opener. He tried to come back and was just never healthy and had to shut it down.”

Volker, for his part, worked hard to get back to full health.

“The entire offseason I was really making an emphasis that I want to stay healthy,” said Volker. “I rehabbed my body really well. I am feeling great, it is paying off.”

Getting tips from his older brother, Charlie ’19, a former Princeton star running back who rushed for 1,849 yards and 32 touchdowns in his Princeton career, has been paying off for Volker.

“A lot of people think that I have got to be better than my brother and what not,” said Volker. “He is such an amazing resource to have — it is never like I want to be better than him. I am just using advice from him, he has helped me out. It is a lot of mental stuff like how to take care of stress but also more specific football stuff, all types of stuff.”

In reflecting on the loss to Bryant, Surace credited the defense with handling its business.

“We had some plus field positions with the turn overs and we held them to a field goal at the end,” said Surace, who got a game-high 15 tackles from Ozzie Nich olas. “We almost pushed them out of field goal range in overtime. We just missed, we were so close on a couple of things. I do think we are doing a good job with how we are using the lineback ers — Ozzie, Will [Perez], Liam [Johnson], and Marco [Scarano] — those guys did a really good job. There were probably one or two missed tackles, but we tackled re ally well.”

While Johnson was disap pointed by the result, he was proud of how the lineback ing unit performed.

“It is a blessing that Will has come back this year, we just move very well togeth er,” said Johnson. “We just love watching film together and feeding off of each other on big plays and stuff. Those guys are the best. Ozzie just took what he gets — he was the best player on the field.”

Looking ahead to starting the Ivy campaign by host ing Columbia (1-1) this Fri day night under the lights, Johnson is confident that the Tigers will learn from Satur day to produce a big effort against the Lions.

“We will just focus on watching the film tomorrow and taking each day day-byday,” said Johnson. “You can’t really look at the op ponent, you have to really learn from the loss.”

As the Tigers gird for the clash against Columbia, which is coming off a 30-0 win over Georgetown, Surace will be imploring his players to be more meticulous this week.

“I told them in the locker room that when there are things like this with the conditions, it is the detail that is important,” said Surace. “We are not the oldest team; you probably have to go back a while for when we have been this inexperienced. The level of detail has to be even higher. It is little things that we have to work on. We have an Ivy League game this week and we are going to have to come out with a lot of energy and play well.”

—Bill Alden

RUNNING INTO TROUBLE: Princeton University running back John Volker races upfield in a 2021 game. Last Saturday against visiting Bryant, junior star Volker rushed for a career-high 149 yards, his first 100-yard game for the Tigers, and one touchdown, but it wasn’t enough as Princeton squandered a late lead in falling 16-13 to the Bulldogs in overtime. The Tigers, now 1-1, host Columbia (1-1) in their Ivy League opener on September 29 under the lights. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

The Mercer Oak, set of 4, 35mm colored film prints, by John Rounds

Vowing

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Seamless Transition for Princeton Wrestling, Dubuque Gets Promoted to Head Coach After Ayres’ Exit

The success of the Princeton University wrestling team has opened up opportunities for Joe Dubuque to head a Division I program.

The New Jersey native who chose to remain for 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton, was named the new Tiger head coach on September 19 to replace previous coach Chris Ayres who departed for Stanford on September 11 after 17 years at the helm of the program.

“This is definitely my dream job to be able to work at the No. 1 academic institution in the country, while also doing it in my home state is something that’s very special to me,” said Dubuque, 41. “I think me being named head coach just validates everything I’ve been doing for the past 16 years of my career, which has led me to this point. Like anything, there were ups and downs in my career, but everything has put me into a position where I can continue to get better and then had the opportunity to be mentored by Chris. It validates everything that I’ve been doing and all the work and sacrifice that I’ve been making to get me to this point.”

Dubuque’s hiring was the last domino to fall in a shifting Division I wrestling coaching landscape as he takes the place of Ayres, who took over for former Stanford coach Rob Koll who returned to his alma mater North Carolina to replace Coleman Scott, who went back to his alma mater Oklahoma State as associate head coach.

Dubuque was among the applicants for the Princeton job along with another of Ayres’ assistant coaches, Sean Gray. Gray remains in place as associate head coach, and the Tigers added 2023 Princeton graduate and All-American Quincy Monday as an assistant.

“It’s definitely been a whirlwind,” said Dubuque.

“A lot of emotional ups and downs, obviously starting when Chris first told me and Sean that he was first interested in the Stanford job. That whole process starts, then him getting the job and seeing him off. Then the process of applying for the head coach opening here at Princeton, going through that process and me being named head coach. It’s definitely been some lows and highs. Obviously for me, a pretty great experience.”

Dubuque’s compares his coaching career to his wrestling career with the ups and downs of both. After winning two New Jersey state titles for Glen Ridge High, he became a two-time national champion at Indiana University after a challenging start to wrestling in college.

“Early on in my college career, I was very talented. I was athletic and powerful and had some unique and good attributes of a good college wrestler,” said Dubuque. “But I was stubborn. I had a good work ethic coming into college, and it was almost like it fell off a bit. As the kids say, I was feeling myself in regards to thinking I was the big man on campus. I was very highly recruited and those first two years of my college career were the worst years of my competitive career leading up to when I was even very young. A lot of that had to do with not taking direction and not being willing to work for what I wanted.”

Dubuque saw similar sorts of challenges when he began coaching. He started his career at Hofstra, where he lasted three years as an assistant coach. One of his issues at the time was that he wasn’t fully invested in every way and he wasn’t sure he wanted to coach full-time as a career.

“When I came into

Hofstra I was a two-time national champ, so I thought nobody is going to tell me how to coach or how I can be the best coach, I’m going to do stuff my way,” said Dubuque. “And me and the head coach at Hofstra butted heads, and it was all my fault. I was a very immature kid not willing to take direction, not willing to see him as a mentor.”

Dubuque found a spark when he left Hofstra to return to his alma mater. Just being back at Indiana helped, and he approached the job differently and he found a more selfless attitude to help the Hoosiers program. He found his passion to coach.

“I was all-in on what my head coach was doing and I was trying to think how can I fill some of these gaps that coach needs me to fill and elevate this program,” said Dubuque. “That’s how it started. My competitive career, I wish I learned a little sooner. But sometimes for me I have to learn the hard way. I think the thing I took away from my competitive career is just the work ethic. If you want something that’s hard to attain, you have to work for it.”

Dubuque weighed the risks and rewards when he decided to leave Indiana to join Ayres’ staff. Dubuque saw potential in Princeton, but success wasn’t a given.

“Choosing to go back to New Jersey and take the Princeton job, it was scary at first,” said Dubuque. “I had bought into Chris’s vision, but they were still struggling. He was five years in and they had had a glimpse of some success, but the jury was still out. It could still go in two directions — it could go south or it could be one of the best opportunities in my coaching career. It ended up being one of the best opportunities that I could have had.”

Dubuque served 10 years under Ayres. Last year, the program was only 4-11 overall, 1-4 in Ivy matches, and seventh in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships, but celebrated the Tigers’ first national champion, Patrick Glory, in 72 years in March. Glory, who won the title at 125 pounds, has credited Dubuque with helping him reach the top of the podium. Dubuque has seen the Tigers climb as a program as well with an Ivy League championship four years ago.

“Every year I felt like the program was getting better, and equally I was

getting better as a coach,” said Dubuque. “That’s one of the main reasons I felt the need to stay here. I had opportunities to go other places, take other jobs, but in the end, but being with Chris and in this program, I knew it was going to be the best thing for my career. I just felt like every year I was getting better as a coach and knowing I had an impact on the program and a loud voice in the things that were being discussed and the decisions that were being made.”

Princeton’s evolution has been recognized around the country. It made Ayres a candidate to replace Koll and enabled Dubuque to join the small company of 78 Division I coaches. It was an opportunity that he didn’t necessarily expect to open, but couldn’t pass up.

“I had two opportunities to be a D-I coach prior to this opportunity, and I wound up turning those down,” said Dubuque. “I felt like this is the place for me. I felt valued here obviously by Chris, by the alumni, by the administration. I felt like I was a valuable part of the success here. My goal was always to be a head coach but in the back of my mind, I was OK if I never was a head coach. If that makes sense — I was always striving and working to be a head coach, but in my heart I knew if I was at Princeton that if I wasn’t a head coach, I was still OK.” Dubuque’s first order of business upon being named was meeting with the team and talking to Princeton recruits. He met to go over expectations and address any concerns about changes coming from the new staff.

“I addressed the team and

made sure they knew that there will absolutely be continuity between myself and Chris,” said Dubuque. “It would be a seamless transition. There wouldn’t be major, major changes that would throw them off. A lot of our success was not just Chris, we did it as a group. I was totally on board with the direction of this program. I told them I’m keeping a lot of things the same. There will be little tweaks here and there.”

There will, however, be changes for the Tigers and for Dubuque. He moves into his first head coaching job with an idea of how his own responsibilities will have to shift from when he was an assistant.

“I almost had a little box of what I was focused on and what my responsibilities were so I wasn’t focused on what Sean was doing or what Chris was doing or what somebody else was doing,” said Dubuque. “I was really focused on the things I was in charge of while also giving my opinions on overall climate of the program and things like that. Now I have to almost have a macro vision of the program and the staff and make sure everybody is moving in the same direction instead of being so narrow in my focus on a day-to-day and weekto-week basis like I was as an assistant. That’s probably going to have to change.”

Dubuque has ideas for down the road, but with the Tigers due to compete in a month and a half, he doesn’t want to introduce anything too big. In the wrestling room, though, he intends to push a faster pace. While he calls Ayres a ‘guru of technique’ who could spend long stretches honing technique, Dubuque plans to keep the Tigers focused on pace while still hitting the most important aspects of technique and sharing his vision with the team for a way to attack teams.

“The main thing that I’m focused on is our energy and our brand of wrestling,” said Dubuque. “I think that if we can focus on what that looks like every match, every competition, and solely work to build that and stick to that, we’re going to be very successful and not focus on getting our hand raised. But if we can make sure that every match that our opponent wrestles against us,

when they come off the mat win or lose they don’t want to wrestle us again. I think that’s something that’s on the forefront of our minds every single time we step on the mat.”

He will have the help of Gray, who has been at Princeton for 12 years. Gray, too, built impressive credentials while helping to raise the Princeton program with Ayres, and was a candidate to succeed him.

“I’ve known Sean for 11 years now,” said Dubuque. “I’m happy that he’s here, he’s able to bring us along, continue what we set out to do. That’s important for the team to have that continuity, not just blow up the staff of familiar faces. Obviously, any situation like this there’s a bit of awkward moments, but hopefully we’ll be able to work through those and work toward the common goal of getting this team to the top.”

Dubuque also retains Monday in the program who fi nished third this past March in his fi nal NCAA Championships. The Tigers will host the new Morgan State wrestling program coached by Monday’s father, Kenny, an Olympic gold medalist wrestler at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, on January 13.

“Having Kenny Monday across the mat, he’s a legend in his own right,” said Dubuque. “We have a great relationship with him just built through Quincy. He was Dad. He wasn’t coach Monday. He’s getting his program started and it’s almost like I’m getting this program started so that’s a pretty cool experience that both of us can have. And for Quincy, he wants to beat his dad. And Kenny doesn’t want to lose to anyone. It’s going to be a fired up dual meet, a lot of extra stuff on the line.”

Princeton’s first dual meet of the season will bring him back to his own background as the Tigers host Indiana on December 3. Dubuque is still friends with their head coach, Angel Escobedo, a former teammate.

“It is really truly special that that’s going to be the first dual meet as the head coach,” said Dubuque. “Then also we owe them because they beat us up pretty good last year. We owe them the same outing that they gave us last year.”

—Justin Feil

NO ORDINARY JOE: Joe Dubuque, left, and Chris Ayres display their intensity during a Princeton University wrestling match. Dubuque, a longtime Princeton assistant coach, will be taking the helm of the program from previous head coach Ayres, who departed for Stanford earlier this month to guide the Cardinal wrestling team. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PU Sports Roundup

PU Women’s Soccer

Defeats Cornell 4-2

Featuring a balanced attack, the No. 14 Princeton University women’s soccer team defeated Cornell 4-2 last Friday in its Ivy League opener.

Princeton got goals in the victory from Jen Estes, Aria Nagai, Marissa Hart, and Lexi Hiltunen in improving to 6-1-1 overall and 1-0 Ivy.

The Tigers play at Brown on September 30.

Princeton Men’s Soccer

Edged 2-1 by Dartmouth

Danny Ittycheria scored a goal but it wasn’t enough as the Princeton University men’s soccer team lost 2-1 to visiting Dartmouth last Saturday in the Ivy League opener for both teams.

Sophomore forward Ittycheria found the back of the net in the ninth minute of the game with his team-leading fourth goal of the season. The Big Green responded with a goal at the 26:46 of the first half and then got the gamewinner at the 68:37 mark.

Princeton, now 2-3 overall and 0-1 Ivy, play at Yale on September 30 before hosting Georgetown on October 3.

Princeton Field Hockey Falls 4-0 at Northwestern

Unable to get its offense going, the Princeton University field hockey fell 4-0 at Northwestern last Sunday.

The Tigers were outshot 26-9 by the Wildcats as they dropped to 3-5 overall.

Princeton started the weekend by defeating Columbia 2-1 last Friday in overtime in its Ivy League opener.

The Tigers will continue Ivy play when they host Cornell on September 29.

PU Men’s Water Polo Goes 2-2 in MPSF Event

Facing some high level competition on a weekend trip to California, the No. 4 Princeton University men’s water polo team went 2-1 in the MPSF (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Invite) in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Tigers topped No. 14 Cal Baptist 16-8 on Friday to open the competition. In action on Saturday, Princeton lost 11-6 to No. 4 Stanford on Saturday and then edged No. 10 Long Beach State 9-8.

Wrapping up the event on Sunday, the Tigers lost 15-11 to No. 4 Pepperdine. (Princeton, Stanford, and Pepperdine entered the event tied for fourth in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) national poll.)

In upcoming action, Princeton, now 11-2, hosts Harvard and MIT on September 30 and Brown on October 1.

Tiger Women’s Volleyball Posts Weekend Sweep of Penn

Kathleen Bishop led the way as the Princeton University women’s volleyball team posted a home-and-home sweep of Penn last weekend to open Ivy League play.

Senior Bishop produced a team-high 14 kills as Princeton prevailed 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-18) last Friday evening in the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa.

A night later, Bishop record a career-high 17 kills as the Tigers posted a 3-2 (25-9, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 15-11) win over the Quakers in Dillon Gym.

Princeton, now 5-5 overall and 2-0 Ivy, plays at Brown on September 29 and at Yale on September 30.

PU Men’s Golf Takes

7th at Duke Invitational

Riccardo Fantinelli

starred as the Princeton University men’s golf team placed seventh at the Rod Myers Invitational at the

Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C., which wrapped up last Monday.

Sophomore Fantinelli tied for eighth place individually, carding a two-under 214 for the three-round event.

In the team standings, Princeton had a total score of 876 (+12) in taking seventh at the tournament that was won by host Duke, which shot an 8-under 856.

The Tigers are next in action when they compete in the Hamptons Invitational in East Hampton, N.Y., at the Maidstone Club from October 2-3.

PU Women’s Golf Starts Play in Texas Tech Event

Yu Kyung Kim had a big day as the Princeton University women’s golf team started play last Monday in the Texas Tech Red Raiders Invitational in Lubbock, Texas at The Rawls Course.

Senior Kim fired a oneover 143 to the tie for seventh individually through two rounds.

Princeton ended the day at tied for eighth in the team standings at +26 (602) with host Texas Tech leading the way with a score of 12-under 564.

The Tigers were slated to wrap up play in the event on September 26.

Princeton returns to action when it takes part in the UNC Charlotte Invitational in Charlotte, N.C., at the Cabarrus Country Club from October 16-17.

Thank you to our customers for voting us Best Pizza

CROWNING MOMENT: Former Princeton University men’s lacrosse star Tom Schreiber ’14 heads to goal in action for the Archers of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). Last Sunday, midfielder Schreiber helped the Archers edge the Waterdogs 15-14 in the PLL championship game at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. Schreiber, recently named the league’s regular season MVP and Top Midfielder, scored the winning goal in the contest, finding the back of the cage with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter. It marked the first PLL title for Schreiber and the Archers, who are guided by former Princeton head coach Chris Bates and include another Tiger alum, Ryan Am bler ’16, on their roster. The Waterdogs feature two former Princeton standouts themselves in Michael Sowers ’20 and Zach Currier ’17.

Since [1950] Conte’s has become a Princeton destination; a great old-school bar that also happens to serve some of New Jersey’s best pizza, thin-crusted and bubbly. The restaurant hasn’t changed much since then; even the tables are the same. It’s a simple, no-frills space, but if you visit during peak times, be prepared to wait well over an hour for a table.

We could not have reached this accomplishment without our dedicated employees and customers.

Thank you from the owners of Conte’s Serving the Princeton community for over 80 years, and we will continue to serve you another 80 years and more.

Senior Carusone Making Most of Debut Season, Emerging as Top Scorer for 7-0 PHS Boys’ Soccer

During his first three years at Princeton High, Pasquale Carusone played a lot of soccer.

But Carusone honed his skills for MLS Next of the Players Development Academy (PDA) and didn’t compete at all for PHS.

This fall, Carusone, who has committed to play at the college level for the University of Rochester, decided it was finally time to play for the Tigers.

“It is my senior year, I definitely have to play for my high school,” said Carusone. “A lot of kids were giving me stuff for it and saying we could go super far with you this year.”

The PHS players welcomed Carusone with open arms. “They were happy to see me, they have been wanting me to come out for three years,” said Carusone. “I have known the Smith [junior midfielder Archie and freshman midfielder Harvey] brothers for a while, I have played club with them forever. We jelled quick, it wasn’t like it took a few games.”

Carusone quickly established his presence at forward, scoring three goals as PHS got off to a 4-0 start.

“I feel like more of a goal scorer, I am definitely a finisher,” said Carusone. “We have a lot of midfielders in there, Archie, Felipe [Matar Grandi], Matt [Kim], and Harvey are great.”

Hosting Hopewell Valley last week posed a great challenge for PHS.

“We talked about it before

the game that we haven’t won against them in four years,” said Carusone. “This was definitely a big game for us and definitely a big game for PHS. We knew what we had to come out to do.”

Carusone came out on fire against the Bulldogs, tallying a goal 17 seconds into the contest, converting a feed from senior defender Nick Matese.

“We have been trying that all year, we have had Nick just kind of bobbing up,” said Carusone. “It just so happened it was a great pass by Nick; it went 60, 70 yards for sure and I see the opening. I was able to turn and I saw that the goalie wasn’t ready for the shot, and I just took it.”

HoVal, though, responded by generating several corner kicks and the rivals went into halftime with PHS clinging to its 1-0 lead.

Midway through the second half, Carusone found the back of the net again, volleying a pass from junior defender Connor Hewitt over the head of the Bulldog goalie to make it a 2-0 game.

“It was a great pass by Connor,” said Carusone. “It came in and I saw it. I just took it with that right foot and struck it to that top corner.”

With that cushion, PHS took care of business from there and snapped the losing streak against HoVal as it prevailed by that 2-0 margin.

“I think we have a great team this year, we are going to go far,” said Carusone, who scored two more goals as

PHS defeated Lawrence High 2-0 last Thursday in a bottle of undefeated squads. “Our starters are great, we have a great bench. There is a lot of energy on this team. Everyone on the bench is looking to get in — there is no drop off. We have Brian [Donis] coming off the bench. He has two goals, he is great. We have Matt [Chao] coming off the bench. There are a lot of kids on this team that could start for other teams.”

PHS first year head coach Ryan Walsh liked the energy his team brought into the clash with HoVal.

“We knew we hadn’t beaten this team since 2019,” said Walsh. “We were really ready and excited for this game. These guys, all they want to do is win. Their chemistry is great.”

The Tigers showed they were ready to go with the early tally. “It is a great start, it brings its own challenges because you have to kill the game for 80 minutes,” said Walsh. “But I would rather be up 1-0 than down 1-0.”

Carusone has been a great addition for PHS, providing a missing piece to the Tiger attack.

“That second goal was huge and just him being a part of this team this year, he has really fit right in,” said Walsh. “He came around this summer and the guys are really excited to have him. He has fit in right in the puzzle. Last year we had a quality team as well, but we didn’t have a go-to scorer. We were young but having a guy you

RISING

STAR: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Pascale Carusone goes up for a header in recent action. Senior forward Carusone, who just joined the program this year, has emerged as a go-to finisher for PHS, tallying a team-high seven goals as the Tigers have gotten off to a 7-0 start. PHS plays at Nottingham on September 28 and at WW/P-South on September 30 before hosting Robbinsville on October 3.

can count on for a goal or two a game is huge.”

At the other end of the field, a battle-tested Tiger back line has stifled its foes, not giving up a goal so far this season.

“Nick Matese, our captain, is amazing, he is the glue to that back four,” asserted Walsh. “With Jamie [Reynolds], Patrick [Kenah], and Connor [Hewitt], these four guys are a veteran group that has played a lot of minutes together over the years.”

Junior goalie Nick Holmelund had it together against HoVal, recording eight saves in earning the shutout.

“Nick has grown so much in the last 12 months; last year, he was just a sophomore and now he is much more mature,” said Walsh. “He was terrific today.

There have been a couple of games where he hasn’t had to make a lot of saves, but he came up big here. On that one early in the second half, he made a huge save. When you make a huge save, it really brings the team up.”

Walsh is excited by the terrific brand of soccer the Tigers have produced so far this fall.

“I am happy that we are winning games, I am happy that our performance is good in each game,” said Walsh, whose squad edged Princeton Day School 1-0 in double overtime last Saturday to improve to 7-0 and has now scored 19 goals this fall and yielded none. “I tell these guys that it is early and it is one game at a time. It is a long season. Injuries come into play with the grind of

the season and the school year. It is just day-by-day.”

In Walsh’s view, PHS possesses the depth and intensity to handle the grind.

“It is the quality that we have top to bottom — the training sessions are really competitive,” said Walsh.

“We have some young guys who are really good. Donis has been playing great for us off the bench. Matt Chao is coming off the bench. They bring a good spark.”

Carusone believes that a good team chemistry will help keep the Tigers competitive.

“It is like we have come into every other game, we have our music playing getting loud and we are getting loud on the bus rides home,” said Carusone. “It is staying together as a team.”

—Bill Alden

(Photo by Nicholas Niforatos)

With Todorov, Bushan Winning 1st Doubles at MCT, PHS Girls’ Tennis Finishes 4th in Team Standings

When it was all over last Wednesday afternoon, Maya-Alexandra Todorov and Ashna Bushan hugged each other on court 8 at the Mercer County Park Tennis Facility.

The pair were celebrating having just won the first doubles final at the Mercer County Tournament. Living up to their ranking, the topseeded team of Todorov and Bushan rolled through the competition, winning each match in straight sets.

In the final, they topped Sienna Kulynych and Grace Weekes of the Lawrenceville School 6-0, 6-1, dominating the match with their combination of superb net play and solid groundstrokes.

Their title helped PHS take fourth in the team standings at the event won by the Lawrenceville School.

Junior Todorov was proud of the way the pair played in their march through the draw.

“We honestly just did our best, all of the teams were really strong,” said Todorov. “We just tried to keep up the momentum.”

In the final, they lost momentum briefly, losing the first game of the second set but quickly regrouped.

“We struggled at the beginning of the second set but afterwards it went well,” said Todorov.

Bushan, a sophomore, sensed that the pair would close the deal.

“We didn’t want to be overconfident, so we went into the second set and tried to keep going,” said Bushan.

For Todorov, who won the MCT first doubles title last year with Ashley Chen, earning a second straight crown was special.

“It means so much to me because last year it was with Ashley and this year it was with Ashna,” said Todorov. “It is great to be here. I think we were expecting to play

together this year. We are really good friends on and off the court.”

In reflecting on her partnership with Bushan, Todorov believes thevir skills complement each other.

“I feel like playing at the net is my strength and Ashna is pretty solid from the baseline, so I think it is a pretty good combination,” added Todorov.

Bushan, for her part, was thrilled to earn her first county crown. “I was second doubles with Sophie [Miller] and we got third,” said Bushan.

“It is really exciting to play with one of my best friends this year and win my first counties.”

The pair came together quickly when they became a team this summer after their previous partners graduated.

“We were pretty good from the start,” said Bushan. “We are a powerful team, we are good together.”

PHS head coach Sarah Hibbert sensed that the duo of Todorov and Bushan would be formidable.

“I knew they had the potential to be a really strong team,” said Hibbert, noting that PHS has developed a stranglehold on the first doubles flight at the MCT, having won the title at least five years in a row. “Maya won it last year at first doubles and Ashna was good at second doubles; they both had a great season last year with different partners and their partners graduated. It felt like a natural pairing. They are both really strong singles players as well.”

The pair’s strengths match up well. “Maya is a natural volleyer; she has very good hands and the height and you can’t teach that,” said Hibbert. “She has the natural willingness to poach, she knows where she should be and she knows where to

place the ball. Ashna has really solid groundstrokes, so she sets up Maya really well. She has got good serves as well — she has worked really hard on her game this year.”

At second doubles, senior Scarlett Cai and freshman Sophia Bruhn produced a spirited run to the final, edging top-seeded Anusha Kumar and Odette Liu of WW/P-North 7-6, 6-4 in the semis before third-seeded Charlotte Aitken-Davies and Emily Lee of Lawrenceville defeated them 6-1, 6-4 in the final.

“They were a little disappointed with the result in the final but they outperformed anything that was expected of them,” said Hibbert. “They didn’t have a seed because they hadn’t gotten a chance to prove themselves yet. Being a freshman and a senior, it is a new team. They really came together today. They knew they had lost a close one to North on Friday. Scarlett had rolled her ankle in that match and wasn’t able to play at her. It is a new day, a new situation. They started off strong and then dropped a bunch of games in a row. They came back and went to a tiebreak in the third set of semi and win that over the No. 1 seed. That was a huge match for them.”

In the final, Cai and Bruhn battled hard before succumbing to Aitken-Davies and Lee.

“The Lawrenceville team was a very strong team and they had a very powerful game all around,” said Hibbert. “They ran onto a tough team in the final. They took out a seed in the first round and a top seed in the semis. It is really exciting for them, that is a great showing.”

Sophomore Katie Qin had a nice showing at third singles, winning the consolation final.

“Katie had a really tough job, she had to play a lot of tennis,” said Hibbert. “She

DOUBLE PLAY: Princeton High girls’ tennis first doubles player Ashna Bushan makes a volley last week at the Mercer County Tournament as partner Maya-Alexandra Todorov looks on. The pair won the MCT first doubles title, topping Sienna Kulynych and Grace Weekes of the Lawrenceville School 6-0, 6-1 in the final last Wednesday at the Mercer County Park Tennis Facility. Their triumph helped PHS take fourth in the team standings at the event.

had an unseeded player who maybe should have been seeded and fought through that match. She won the consolation backdraw, including five matches in two days. It is a lot of tennis, a mix of best of three sets and pro sets. Unfortunately, the way the seeding worked out, she had a very tough draw but she played well.”

The squad’s other singles players, junior Lada Labas at second and freshman Phoebe Decker at first, gained some valuable experience.

“Lada had to play to a round of 32 match and then she had to play the fifth seed; she played a great

match there and won it in the third set in a tiebreak,” said Hibbert of Labas who fell 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals to third-seeded Vanessa Kudelya of WW/P-South.

“Then she had to go up against the third seed in her third match of the day. She lost a really close one there where she fought very hard. Phoebe had a good first round and the she ran into a tough seeded player. It was competitive.”

Looking ahead, Hibbert believes that fighting hard in the MCT will help her players when they get into the state tourney.

“The girls all fought to the best of their ability, we

had some really competitive matches and played some good tennis,” said Hibbert, whose team advanced to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state final last year. “Hopefully this will help them since it was so early this year. The states are coming up in two weeks. It was a competitive tournament — it was a lot of tennis in two days.”

Todorov, for her part, is primed to keep competing. “We are pretty confident that we make it can far in states,” said Todorov. “We are going to work together and do our best.”

—Bill Alden

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Sparked by Owunna’s Skill, Experience on the Back Line, PDS Girls’ Soccer Battles to 0-0 Draw against Allentown

Tochi Owunna and her teammates on the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team found themselves on their heels in the early going when they hosted Allentown last Friday afternoon in a battle of unbeatens.

“We were definitely a little discombobulated in our warmup,” said senior defender Owunna. “In the first half, we were a little intimidated by them.”

But with Owunna and Ella McLaren working together to stymie Allentown star Bella Conti, the teams were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime.

“It was staying on her, she is technically very advanced and is very fast,” said Owunna of Conti. “Me and my other center back, Ella, were communicating in the back and also making sure that we were on her when she had the ball.”

After halftime, PDS gained some momentum as they got more ball possession.

“In the second half, we came out ready to fight and

ready to try and score,” said Owunna.

While the Panthers didn’t score, they acquitted themselves well in battling to a 0-0 draw with the Redbirds through 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime.

“We were able to come out and play so hard against a team that is technically advanced, athletically advanced and stronger than us,” said Owunna. “I think it was just amazing.”

Owunna’s partnership with sophomore McLaren has helped PDS develop a strong back line this season.

“We have a good dynamic. Last year it was me and Kirsten Ruf; Ella didn’t play center back except for a couple of times,” said Owunna. “This year in preseason, we definitely worked on us as the back two. Doing that in our first four, five games, we have been working on our relationship as the two center backs.” Working on her game, Owunna has made progress individually.

“I switched club teams last year,” said Owunna, who is looking to continue her soccer career at the college level. “I think being on a new team helped me get exposed to a higher level of play, which definitely helped me this year.”

PDS head coach Chris Pettit credited his players with prodding a gritty performance as they battled the high level Allentown squad.

“It was a very informative game — the way that they were organized, the intensity with which they played, and the strength that they have challenged us in ways we haven’t been challenged,” said Pettit. “I thought we hung in there. We really struggled to overcome their numbers in midfield and the speed and physicality with which they play.”

After seeing his team scramble a bit in the first half to keep up with the Redbirds, Pettit had three points of emphasis in his halftime message.

“At halftime there were three things that I wanted to fix, one was being able to match their intensity, which I didn’t think we did,” said

Pettit. “Second was having our formation work — we ended up getting dragged out of position trying to do certain things. It is like we have to go back to our play so that we can possess the ball. I thought as the game went on we grew into that. The third part was once we have the formation around, then we can pass and move. As the game went on, we started to realize we could do that and it worked.”

The Panthers took Pettit’s words to heart. “I said to them at halftime, ‘the good news is that we haven’t played great and they have been the better team, but it is nil-nil so now we get to fix the three things that we control,’” said Pettit. “I thought in the second half it was more even but we were better in extra time. We had a couple of good chances to win it.”

The partnership of Owunna and McLaren at center back helped PDS control play.

“Tochi is tremendous — everybody looks at Tochi as the safety net for her speed and that definitely helps, but she does so much more,” said Pettit. “Her and Ella work so well together because they are aggressive on front foot defending but they cover for each other. Their understanding is so good. Those two really give us the platform to build and I thought the fullbacks, A.J. [Szalabofka] and Emma [Burns], did well and Jen [Lightman] when she went in there.”

The squad’s stingy defense can keep the Panthers competitive even when their offense is misfiring.

“I thought the whole defensive shape bodes well, and when you have a defensive performance like that you can have an off day going forward like we did,” said Pettit. “Our possession wasn’t where it needed to be; some of that was on us and you have to give credit to Allentown. When your defense can keep you in games for 100 minutes without any goals against an offense like that with Bella and what not, you are always in the game.”

With PDS improving to 5-0-1 with a 1-0 win over Princeton High last Saturday, Pettit believes the Panthers are in good shape a month into the season.

“I am generally happy overall, defensively we have been very sound,” said Pettit. “Last year early in we were giving up the first goal every game. This year we have been very solid there. It has been clicking on offense more than it did last year, so that has been pleasing. The real takeaway for me today was that we really hung in and battled against a team who brought it today. They had the intensity and we managed to hang with them. In prior years, I think we would have struggled with that more than we did today.”

In Owunna’s view, PDS will keep bringing it as the fall unfolds.

“I think for us it is finishing in the final third in important games like this one and also keeping our shape on the backline,” said Owunna. “We have been keeping our shape really well and keeping teams offsides a lot.”

While PDS Girls’ Tennis Finished 11th at MCT, Panthers Gained Experience for Upcoming State Events

Finishing 11th of 20 schools in the Mercer County Tournament last week, the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis squad fell well short of contending for a team title.

But PDS head coach Michael Augsberger doesn’t view the team finish as telling the whole story of his team’s performance at the event.

“You can look at the standings board and feel that it is a disappointment,” said Augsberger. “But you have to understand the maturity comes from understanding that it is not as simple as what the results say because so much goes into who do you play, when do you play them. You can go into the tournament feeling we are a strong team, everyone is performing really well, and you can let it be a heartbreaking experience. Or you can say there are all of these reasons why the scoreline looked this way, and we are actually really on a good track. It is matter of maintaining that toughness.”

The team’s second doubles team of freshman Zarna Kalra and junior Kavita Amin showed toughness as they advanced the farthest for the Panthers, making the quarterfi nals in their fl ight.

“They took off with a win against Lawrence, that was our only win in the round of 16,” said Augsberger of the pair which posted a 6-0, 6-1 win over the Lawrence team. “They pretty much had that match under wraps even though the second set was tighter. They had asserted themselves a bit in the fi rst set so they had it under control. Then they played a really tight match against Lawrenceville (Emily Lee and Charlotte AitkenDavies), who won the whole thing. That fi rst set we were up 4-3 and then dropped it at 6-4. Those two games to get to 4-3 were really strong. Lawrenceville was just a little too tough and too consistent and they ended up winning the match 6-4, 6-2.”

Senior Kristina Wang displayed some consistency, making it to the consolation fi nal at second singles.

“Kristina lost to Lawrence 8-4 — we had seen the Lawrence No. 2 (Kerianne

Nweje) in a dual match and she is really tough,” said Augsberger. “She has an incredible amount of power and is frustrating to play. The goal is to make her run and try to hit shots that are out of her comfort zone.”

At first doubles, the pair of seniors Ashlyn Du and Hannah Park matched Wang as they also advanced to the consolation fi nal.

“Their chemistry is getting better and better every match,” said Augsberger. “They got all way to 8-6 in a consolation fi nal against South (Caitlyn Co and Caris Co), which is a really strong team.”

The squad’s two other singles players, junior Arya Kalra at fi rst and freshman Prisha Tiwari at third, gained some valuable experience at the event.

“Arya performed really well in the opening match — she beat Nottingham 8-3,” said Augsberger of Tiwari, who fell 6-0, 6-0 to Rasika Anandakumar of WW/P-South in her next match. “She had to face South in the round of 32; that was a tough task for her with Rasika having so much experience and so much power. Prisha played incredible in her matcha third singles, you look at the score line, she lost 6-2, 6-1 but she came out fi ring against Peddie (Lakhi Raju), who had just defeated the No. 1 seed and ended up winning the tournament.”

With the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) NonPublic state tournament and the Prep B state tourney coming up in the next few weeks, Augsberger believes that competing in the MCT will help his players be battle-tested for those events.

“It is good to be exposed to the level of competition that we have here in the area,” said Augsberger. “It would be nice if we were exposed to it a little deeper in the tournament rather than in the fi rst round. Everyone performed well. I think what got us was the draw, everyone faced really, really strong competition in that fi rst round.”

—Bill Alden

OH YES: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Tochi Owunna marks an opponent in a game earlier this season. Senior star defender Owunna has helped shore up the back line as PDS has gotten off to a 5-0-1 start. The Panthers host the Hun School on September 28 and Notre Dame on October 2.

(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With Freshman Morey Making Immediate Impact, Hun Field Hockey Produces Promising 3-2 Start

Joining the Hun School field hockey program this fall as a freshmen, Piper Morey has faced some major adjustments in making the transition to the high school game.

“Being one of the youngest on the team is the biggest challenge,” said Morey.

“I haven’t played with this level of skill before, going from middle school field hockey to high school is a big challenge.”

Last Wednesday against visiting Pennington, Morey displayed her skill, tallying two goals in a 2:40 span in the first quarter to give Hun a 3-0 lead on the way to a 3-1 victory.

On her first goal which came 3:55 into the game, Morey got open in the circle and showed her nose for the ball.

“We go over it a lot in practice, that third player getting high,” said Morey. “I saw her (Alexa Cavalli) coming down and I knew I had to get down there. The goalie makes a decision to play her or play me. When I saw the goalie make that decision, I knew I had to get my stick down and I just kind of connected.”

Minutes later, Morey struck again with some heads-up stickwork.

“When she (Phoebe Thielmann) hit it, I knew where to be,” recalled Morey. “We practice that a lot too, getting our sticks down and getting those tips. It is not just going to be the straight shot. It is going to be the tips, like the little things that get it in. I just tried to make contact with the ball. It was just a lucky tip — I was just trying to redirect it.”

Things did a get a little dicey for Hun as Pennington scored early in the third quarter to make it a 3-1 game and tightened up its defense. The Raiders, though, kept their heads and held off the Red Hawks.

“After that first goal we knew we had to step it up and build each other up,” said Morey. “It is just one goal and we can get it back. We just knew that we had to keep each other accountable.”

Morey has focused on being accountable to her teammates, citing the influence of her parents. Her father, Sean, was a record-breaking receiver for the Brown football team who played nine

seasons in the NFL while her mother, Cara, was a field hockey and ice hockey star at Brown and is now the head coach of the Princeton University women’s ice hockey team.

“They don’t really talk to me about my skill or anything, that will come,” said Morey. “They really talk to me about my work ethic and how the best thing to be as an athlete is to work hard. I always try to have a strong work ethic through all of the games because coaches will always see how hard you work and how good of a teammate you are. They are always big on teamwork and working together, building each other up, just like coach Arndt (Hun head coach Tracey Arndt) is.”

This fall, Morey is working particularly hard as she is juggling club ice hockey with Hun field hockey.

“Usually I just got straight from this practice to my next practice,” said Morey, who skates for the Junior Flyers.

“I get a lot of my work done in the car. You have to know how to manage your schoolwork, your ice hockey, and field hockey all at the same time. There is a lot of planning with the coaches, like what games you are going to be able to be late to. You have to really manage your time; time management is a really big part that goes into two sports.”

Hun head coach Arndt is having a great time coaching Morey.

“I am pretty lucky that I have gotten to see Piper since she was in sixth grade,” said Arndt. “What I know of her is that she is just a super personable kid. I have always been really excited to get to work with her because every time I have seen her, she gives everything she has. Her finishing today was just a culmination of her athleticism, her coachability, and her effort. She is a gamer.”

The exciting start by the Raiders in the win over Pennington was the product of a shrewd game plan.

“We really tried to work the ball down the sideline as much as we can because their middle is really, really strong,” said Arndt. “We thought if we could work through the outside, we might be able to get it in. We had worked on some really

great passing patterns and they have it. It was so nice for it to all come together and then the next piece of it is just staying poised for the rest of the game.”

Junior midfielder Phoebe Thielmann has been giving the Raiders some very good work, scoring the first goal against the Red Hawks and assisting on Morey’s second goal.

“We adjusted people a little bit and that moved Phoebe up to a little bit of a more center mid role,” said Arndt. “She is able to create nice movement with Maya [Zahlan] and our outside mids, so she is doing what we need her to do which is control the center on both attack and defense. She is a coach’s dream — I am just so excited that I get two more years with her. Maya has also been doing a really good job, she and Phoebe work really well together.”

Sophomore Aspen Swanson has carved out a key role on the Raider back line.

“I have to give a shout out to Aspen, she is our right back and her role is very important,” said Arndt. “She just started playing hockey before preseason. She is athletic, but most importantly she is extremely coachable. We keep saying that we think if you are coachable, if you listen and you do the hard work, we will get you where we need you to be.”

Arndt is thrilled with the work ethic she is seeing across the board from her squad.

“We are only as good as the results that we have when we play the game; my first year here we were 3-13,” said Arndt, whose team moved to 3-2 with a 5-0 loss to the Nichols School (N.Y.) last Friday in the Max Field Hockey National High School Invitational at Conshohocken, Pa.

“By virtue of bringing in hardworking girls and having someone like Piper coming up from the middle school and developing the youth a little bit, we are in a position that we have a really strong core of players who are committed to each other and trust each other. We have a mantra which is “Play with HEART,” which is an acronym for honor, effort, attitude, respect, and trust. We just keep going back to that because

someone is going to make a mistake, someone is going to mess up the play, but we just need to rally around each other. They believe in each other and that part is really fun. It is really early in the season; if we can keep playing with some of that momentum that we have I

am excited to see what happens day by day.”

Morey, for her part, believes that Hun can do some good things this fall.

“We really just have to play together as a team and keep each other lifted up,” said Morey. “We need to

get each other ready before games and make sure that everybody is set. Whatever happens up in school, it all stops when we get down to the turf; when you get down the turf, it is like a new start.”

— Bill Alden

PIPING UP: Hun School field hockey player Piper Morey controls the ball in recent action. Last Wednesday, freshman forward Morey tallied two goals to help Hun defeat Pennington 3-1. The Raiders, now 3-2, play at Stuart County Day School on September 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hun

Football : Sparked by Kamar Archie, Hun defeated the St. Thomas More School (Conn.) 52-6 last Saturday. Archie rushed for 164 yards and four touchdowns as the Raiders improved to 3-0 and posted their 21st straight win. Hun plays at Malvern Prep (Pa.) on September 29.

Boys’ Soccer : Zachary Stark came up big to help Hun defeat the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) 6-2 last Saturday. Stark tallied two goals for the Raiders, now 2-3. Hun hosts Noor-ulIman School on September 28 before playing at Newark Academy on September 30 and at Life Center Academy on October 3.

Girls’ Soccer: Posting its first victory of the season, Hun topped the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) 2-0 last Saturday. The Raiders, now 1-4, play at Princeton Day School on September 28 and at the Westtown School (Pa.) on September 30.

Lawrenceville

Football : Running into a buzz saw, Lawrenceville fell 61-7 at Choate Rosemary Hall (Conn.) last Saturday. The Big Red, now 1-2, host Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) on September 30.

Field Hockey : Lily Chincarini scored the lone goal

for Lawrenceville as it tied Merion Mercy Academy (Pa.)

1-1 last Thursday. Goalie Caroline Lemert also came up big, making 11 saves as the Big Red moved to 0-3-

1. Lawrenceville plays at the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) on September 30 and at Penn Charter (Pa.) on October 2.

Girls’ Tennis : The s econd doubles duo of Charlotte Aitken-Davies and Emily Lee took first in their flight to help Lawrenceville win the team title at the Mercer County Tournament last week at the Mercer County Park Tennis Facility. The Big Red tallied 23 points to edge runner-up Peddie by two points in earning the team crown. In addition to the title won by Aitken-Davies and Lee, Lawrenceville got big performances from Sophie Bilanin, who took second at second singles, with pair of Sienna Kulynych and Grace Weekes placing second at first doubles.

now 0-6, host Moorestown Friends on September 27 before playing at Steinert on October 2.

Local Sports

evaluations for its summer 2024 season on October 1 and October 15 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Smoyer Park in Princeton.

Field Hockey : Remaining undefeated on the season, PDS topped visiting Allentown 3-0 last Friday. The Panthers, who improved to 5-0-1 with the victory, host Lawrence on September 27, WW/P-South on September 30, and Notre Dame on October 2.

Boys’ Soccer : Fighting hard in a clash of crosstown rivals, PDS fell 1-0 in double overtime at Princeton High last Saturday. The Panthers,

Princeton Junior Football Opening Day Results

volleyball player Pearl

action. Last Friday, junior libero Agel contributed nine digs and three assists as PHS defeated Paul VI 2-0 (25-20, 25-4) in improving to 10-0. In upcoming action, the Tigers play at Hopewell Valley on September 27 and then host Princeton Day School on September 29 and Northern Highlands on September 30 before playing at WW/P-North on October 2.

by Frank Wojciechowski)

Football : Getting its offense rolling, Pennington defeated Bristol High (Pa.) 52-28 last Friday. The Red Hawks, now 2-0, host Tower Hill (Del.) on September 29.

Girls’ Soccer : Morgan Kotch and Maya Raghanundanan each scored two goals as Pennington defeated Lawrenceville 7-1 last Wednesday. The Red Hawks, now 7-0, host the Blair Academy on September 27 before playing at the Hill School (Pa.) on September 30 and at the Peddie School on October 3.

PDS Stuart

Girls’ Tennis : Senior Polaris Hayes went out with a blaze of glory as she competed in her final Mercer County Tournament. Top-seeded Hayes won the title at first singles, defeating secondseeded Rasika Anandakumar of WWP-South 6-0, 6-3 in the final last Wednesday at the Mercer County Park Tennis Facility.

Pennington PHS

Football : Carmine Carusone had a big night as PHS defeated Bishop Eustace 24-0 last Friday evening. Sophomore defensive back Carusone had a 70yard interception return for a touchdown and kicked a 25-yard field goal and three extra points for the Tigers, now 3-2. PHS plays at Holy Cross Prep on September 29.

Field Hockey : Sparked by Sarah-Cate Walker, PHS defeated Steinert 7-0 last Friday. Walker scored three goals to help the Tigers improve to 3-0. PHS plays at Hightstown on September 28 and at Hopewell Valley on October 3.

Girls’ Soccer : Coming up short in a fierce battle of local rivals, PHS fell 1-0 to Princeton Day School last Saturday. The Tigers, now 4-4, host Nottingham on September 28 and WW/PSouth on September 30 before playing at Robbinsville on October 3.

In opening day action in the Princeton Junior Football League (PJFL) Seniors division (Grades 7-8) last Sunday, t he Woodwinds Chiefs defeated the TSS Photo Vikings 21-6. Shail Besler ran for one touchdown and threw for two TDs in the win for the Chiefs. Lachlan Arnold was on the receiving end of both of Besler’s TD passes. For the Vikings, Michael Widener threw a touchdown pass to E.J. Edwards. The Christine’s Hope Giants topped the PBA130 Eagles 25-13 as Cooper Casto threw four touchdown passes in the win. Alex Spies hauled in two TD passes with Isaac Stuckey and Jamie Monica adding one TD reception apiece. Matthew Robinson ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Zephania Chambers for the Eagles. The Mercato Broncos beat the Petrone Steelers 2412. Adam Nayden, Grayson Babich, Aibree Green, and PJ Ross scored for the Broncos while Roy Bellace had two rushing touchdowns for the Steelers.

In the Super Juniors division (Grades 5-6), the PBA130 Broncos defeated the Princeton Global Eagles 3320. Christian Barr ran for two touchdowns and threw for another for the Broncos while Hugh Kelly chipped in a running and receiving TD. Ali Redjal, Jackson Szurek, and James Carter each had TD receptions for the Eagles. The Christine’s Hope Giants rallied to defeat the TSS Photo Vikings 34-25. Bryce Davison spurred the comeback win with two interception returns for touchdowns. Myles Eldridge and Oscar Pedersen also scored for the Giants.

Post 218 Legion Baseball Holding Player Evaluations

The Princeton American Legion Post 218 baseball team will be holding player

Players living in the Princeton municipal boundary or who are attending a high school in Princeton are eligible to play, as are residents of Cranbury, and residents of West Windsor. (West Windsor players must live on the Route 1 side of West Windsor Community Park to be eligible.)

The roster size will be 18 to 23 players. There are additional spots available on the team practice roster. The season will run from May 20-July 23. The team will practice and play five days a week with approximately 25 games and 12 team practices.

The team will be primarily composed of varsity high school players, rising varsity players, and college freshmen (college age freshmen born on or before December 31, 2004 are not eligible). The competition is level is high as Post 218 will play each Legion team in Mercer and surrounding counties. Away games are typically within a 30 minute drive of Princeton. Smoyer Park is Post 218’s home field.

Players are expected to adjust their summer work and vacation schedules around the Legion schedule. The cost will be $595 per player. Contact team general manager Jon Durbin with any questions at jonwdurbin@ gmail.com

PHS Athletic Hall of Fame

Holding Banquet Nov. 11

The Princeton High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee has announced its 15th Induction class.

The Class of 2023 includes Carl Lutz ’31, an AllState football and basketball player and captain of the ’31 Class B state title basketball squad; Peter Nichols ’74, a star runner who competed in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and broke eight course re -

cords during his senior cross country season; Allen Bryant ’10, an All-State midfielder in lacrosse who was CVC Player of the Year in ’10 and a starting defender on the Group 3 state title soccer team and earned Group 3 all-state recognition; Michelle Bazile ’14, an All-State performer who is the school record holder in the shot put and discus and the winner of the shot put in 2014 at the Meet of Champions; the 1931 boys’ basketball team, which won the Class B state title; the 2012 boys’ swimming team, which won the Division B state title and was the Star Ledger’s top-ranked team in N.J.; coach Greg Hand, the longtime head coach of girls’ soccer and the boys’ and girls’ swimming teams, who also served as the throws coach for track and field; and contributor Bill Alden, the longtime sports editor of the Town Topics who has been covering PHS athletics for more than two decades.

The Hall of Fame Awards dinner and banquet will take place at Mercer Oaks Country Club in West Windsor on November 11 from 6-10 p.m. Seats for the event are $65 and all proceeds go towards scholarships for current PHS student-athletes. Individuals interested in attending the banquet, placing an ad in the banquet program, or contributing to the scholarship fund can email the Hall of Fame Committee at PrincetonHighHoF@ gmail.com.

The Hall of Fame Committee would like to hear from relatives of the 1931 boys’ basketball team (coach George Tindall and Players: Carl Lutz, Leroy Page, John Tindall, Joseph Richards, Randolph Applegate, William Saunders and Rudolph Ehart) Please contact the Hall of Fame Committee by email at PrincetonHighHof@ gmail.com For more information on the PHS Hall of Fame, visit https://princetonhs.rschoolteams.com/page/3142.

Field Hockey : Alex Mandzij and Najma Tahiry each scored a goal as Stuart edged George School (Pa.)

2-1 last week. Goalie Emily Harlan made nine saves for the Tartans, who moved to 3-1 with the win. Stuart plays at the Hun School on September 27 before hosting the Peddie School on September 29.

Tennis : Juliette Vergara and the doubles pair of Elizabeth Murphy and Sarah Glickson provided highlights as Stuart placed seventh of 20 schools in the team standings at the Mercer County Tournament last week. Vergara advanced to the quarterfinals at second singles while Murphy and Glickson made it to the quarters at first doubles.

SHINING PEARL: Princeton High girls’

Agel blasts a serve in recent

(Photo

SOAKING IT UP: Joseph Clark heads to the finish line in the rain last Saturday morning on the way to finishing first in the Mountain Lakes trail run and walk. Clark posted a time of 21:11 over the 5-kilometer-plus course in the event held by Princeton Athletic Club (PAC). Marie Houdou of New York City was the first woman finisher, taking sixth overall in a time of 28:24 in the race which drew 58 competitors. (Photo by Patrick Budd)

Continued from Preceding Page burial will be on Thursday at Kulpmont, PA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests Mass Cards from St. Alphonsus Church (609)

466-0332 or the Knights of Columbus Hopewell Counsel 7103, PO Box 304, Hopewell, NJ 08525. Condolences are welcome at wilsonapple.com.

Theodore L. Delbo

Theodore L. Delbo, 87, of Skillman passed away September 18 at the University Medical Center at Princeton.

Born in Kulpmont, PA, he retired from the New Jersey State Museum where he was a carpenter for over 30 years. He was a member of St. Alphonsus RC Church in Hopewell where he was an usher, a charter member of the Knights of Columbus Hopewell Counsel 7103, and served in the Air Force.

Son of the late Theodore and Catherine Nemeth Delbo, husband of the late Joyce Delbo, he is survived by his children, Theodore W (Genevieve) Delbo, Anita (Mike) Christiansen, Joseph Delbo, and Lori Polakowski; two sisters, Valerie Slack and Eleanor Stout; grandchildren, Joseph (Ady) Delbo, Jaclyn Christiansen, Michaela Delbo, Rachael Delbo; and great-grandchildren, Holly Pyle and Lilly Pyle.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, September 27, 11 a.m. at St. Alphonsus RC Church, Hopewell. The

John Beidler

John Beidler, 78, died on August 25, 2023, a resident of Chapel Hill, NC. He was born in Biloxi, MS, and was the son of Henry and Pauline (Yerger) Beidler.

Prior to moving to Chapel Hill in 2022, John lived in Princeton for 65 years, attending Princeton Middle School, Princeton High School, and Princeton University, the latter of which he graduated from in 1976. While at Princeton, John was a member of the Ivy Club and a coxswain on the freshman crew team.

Soon after graduation, John enlisted in the Army for three years and rose in rank to First Lieutenant. He spent 12 months in Vietnam during which he was awarded various medals.

Upon leaving the Army, John attended Rutgers Law

School earning his JD degree in 1973. He began his legal career as an associate with Smith Stratton and became a partner in the firm in 1978. While at the firm, John defended Johnson and Johnson on its N.J. products liability cases and in 1983, at the request of the General Counsel of J&J, he joined the legal department, where he was employed until his retirement.

John was a devoted husband to his wife, Marsha Wolf Beidler, whom he married in 1974; father to his two children, Dora and Evan, whom John and Marsha adopted from Bulgaria when the children were ages 5 and 3 respectively; and brother/brother-in-law to his sisters, Mary Hovik (Nils) and Susan Tabler (Brian), and Marsha’s siblings, Andrea Miller (Norm), Agnes Ross (Mike), and George Chillag (Diane). He also enjoyed being with his numerous nieces and nephew, Eliana Perrin, Suzanne Colman, Dana Gaines, Amy Chillag, and Thomas Ross.

John was a voluminous reader, reading mostly novels in his youth and texts on philosophy, religion, and politics in his adult years. He enjoyed gardening and bridge, but mostly he will be best remembered as the funniest person in the room, and we will all miss the laughter he brought to our lives.

John’s ashes will be interred in Princeton Cemetery and in Temple Judea Cemetery in Chapel Hill, NC. A gathering of friends and family will be held in both Princeton and Chapel Hill in the future.

Princeton’s First Tradition Worship Service

Sundays at 11am

Assoc. Rector

Wesley Rowell, Lay Pastoral Associate

33 Mercer St. Princeton 609-924-2277 • www.trinityprinceton.org

Princeton University Chapel

Open to all.

Preaching Sunday, October 1 is Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames , Assoctiate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, Princeton University. Music performed by the Princeton University Chapel Choir with Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music and Chapel Choir, and with Eric Plutz, University Organist.

300 Years of Service to God & Community – 1723 - 2023

September-October 2023

Worship & Celebrations

Friendship Sunday, September 17th — 11:00 am

Join us & celebrate friends who have been KPC members for 50+ years.

Saturday, October 14th — Cemetery Tales

Meet Kingston’s Ancestors on an afternoon stroll through KPC’s PreRevolutionary Era Cemetery.

Sunday, October 15th — 11:00 am Worship at KPC’s first site at the KPC Cemetery.

Saturday, October 28th — Friends for Health in Haiti Luncheon — 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. Food, Shopping, & Dr. Katie’s presentation.

4565 Route 27 • PO Box 148 • Kingston, NJ 08528 609.921.8895

kingstonpresnj@gmail.com

www.kingstonpresbyterian.org

pastorsharyldixon@gmail.com

Alexander Rd, Princeton • 924-2880

Let

4621 Route 27 Kingston, NJ 609-924-0147

riderfurniture.com

Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5

s Talk Real Estate...

Although housing is usually among the sectors most sensitive to interest rates, things have not been quite so straightforward in America. As the Federal Reserve turned hawkish over the past two years, mortgage rates soared, ascending from less than 3% to more than 7%. For the median family buying the median home, mortgage payments doubled from roughly 14% of monthly household income in 2020 to nearly 29% in June.

During this online seminar, we will provide valuable insights into the current market dynamics, share predictions, and discuss the impact of increasing mortgage rates. It's an excellent opportunity to gain a competitive edge in your real estate endeavors.

Visit

Join us on October 14th at 11am

HANDYMAN–CARPENTER: Painting, hang cabinets & paintings, kitchen & bath rehab. Tile work, masonry. Porch & deck, replace rot, from floors to doors to ceilings. Shelving & hook-ups. ELEGANT REMODELING. You name it, indoor, outdoor tasks. Repair holes left by plumbers & electricians for sheetrock repair. RE agents welcome. Sale of home ‘checklist’ specialist. Mercer, Hunterdon, Bucks counties. 1/2 day to 1 month assignments. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED, Covid 19 compliant. Active business since 1998. Videos of past jobs available. Call Roeland, (609) 933-9240.

tf

I BUY ALL KINDS of Old or Pretty

Things: China, glass, silver, pottery, costume jewelry, evening bags, fancy linens, paintings, small furniture, etc. Local woman buyer. (609) 9217469. 10-11

BUYING: Antiques, paintings, Oriental rugs, coins, clocks, furniture, old toys, military, books, cameras, silver, costume & fine jewelry. Guitars & musical instruments. I buy single items to entire estates. Free appraisals. (609) 306-0613. 06-28-24

TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIEDS GET TOP RESULTS!

Whether it’s selling furniture, finding a lost pet, or having a garage sale, TOWN TOPICS is the way to go!

We deliver to ALL of Princeton as well as surrounding areas. (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifieds@towntopics.com tf

ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICE:

call 609 577

to register. We’ll send you the Zoom link upon registration.

I will clean out attics, basements, garages & houses. Single items to entire estates. No job too big or small. In business over 35

Newly Priced: Hodge Road Princeton, NJ | $4,450,000 Princeton Office: 609.921.1050 callawayhenderson.com/id/MEWJ3G

Introducing: Edgerstoune Road

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Lawrence Township, NJ | $789,000

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Library Place

Princeton, NJ | $2,500,000

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Introducing: Linden Lane Hopewell Township, NJ | $1,250,000 Brinton H West: 609.462.0556 callawayhenderson.com/id/JQCJRQ

Introducing: Patton Avenue

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Jennifer E Curtis: 609.610.0809 callawayhenderson.com/id/2S5RG5

Introducing: Foxcroft Drive Lawrence Township, NJ | $950,000

Maura Mills: 609.947.5757 callawayhenderson.com/id/FTSCLM

Commercial: East Broad Street

Hopewell Borough, NJ | $695,000

Kimberly A Rizk, Eleanor Deardorff: 609.203.4807 bit.ly/101ebroad