Design Awards Exhibition Marks NJ Architecture Week 5
Walk the Walk with Princeton Future 9
Kim Seeks Release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, PU Scholar Abducted In Iraq 11
Kafka at the Morgan — A Homebound Celebration 14
Mitsuko Uchida and Mahler Chamber Orchestra Mesmerize Audience 15
Junior Wright Thriving in Move to Starting Rotation As PU Softball Takes Over 1st Place in Ivy Standings 24
Princeton’s Food Scraps Drop-Off Program is growing fast, with dozens of new participants, three new drop-off sites added last month, and increasing opportunities for residents to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint.
Assistant Municipal Engineer James Purcell reported to Princeton Council last week that new collection bins were installed on March 5 at Riverside Drive adjacent to Riverside Elementary School, at Magnolia Lane adjacent to Littlebrook Elementary School, and on General Johnson Road adjacent to the sanitary sewer pump station and Johnson Park Elementary School.
As of Friday March 28, Purcell stated, an additional 36 people had signed up for the program, which now serves 321 Princeton residents at the three new sites along with the original locations at the Municipal Building on Witherspoon Street and at Monument Hall on Monument
With Young Players Poised to Seize Opportunity, Hun Continued on Page 10
“We have received very positive feedback about the new collection bins and look forward to greater participation and expansion of the program to the full buildout of 12 sites in the coming months,”
He noted that one of the locations for future bins will be convenient to the tree streets, whose residents now are using the bin at the Municipal Building.
The program is currently diverting more than two tons of food waste from the landfill per month, delivering it instead to Trenton Renewables, where it is converted into biogas for energy production and a soil amendment for farming.
Purcell pointed out that in addition to avoiding the methane gas that is 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide and is created when food scraps decompose in a landfill, the municipality saves about $70 per ton in costs. The program is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Greenhouse gas reduction is the main reason we’re doing this,” said Purcell, who pointed out that Princeton is the only town in Mercer County with a food scraps drop-off program, but there are other programs in other parts of the state.
Sustainable Princeton Program Manager Jenny Ludmer, who works with the municipality on this program, discussed
The Municipality of Princeton announced Tuesday that it has officially acquired the 23-acre former campus of Westminster Choir College (WCC) from Rider University.
“While the property has been the subject of lawsuits regarding its legal ownership, the Municipality’s acquisition through condemnation is absolute, and eliminates any and all claims, restrictions, or encroachments by any other party over the property,” reads a press release from the town.
Attorney Bruce Afran, who has been representing the Westminster Foundation, a group of WCC alumni, faculty, and donors in a lawsuit against Rider for attempting to sell the Princeton property, said they will be reviewing their legal options.
“We are disappointed that the town took this step before the case is resolved by the courts,” he said in an email. “Nevertheless, the towns’ attorney in the eminent domain case has said that the town would be willing to speak with the Foundation about the potential for joint use of the property after the town completes the acquisition. So there is hope for some continued use of the property for choral and music training going forward.”
According to the release, efforts are underway to allow the Westminster Conservatory of Music, the community music school that has continued to operate at the site since the Choir College was relocated to Rider’s Lawrence Township campus in 2020, to remain. As well, the licenses of the three nonprofits currently operating in buildings at the site — Music Together, Princeton Pro Musica, and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra — have been transferred to Princeton.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Municipality has been successful in securing this property for the residents of Princeton,” said Council President Mia Sacks, in the release. “The acquisition process has been a smooth one, and now the hard work begins: to reimagine this historic site to meet urgent public facility needs, while honoring the cultural significance of its past and leaving a legacy for future generations. We look forward to engaging the community over the next
It’s official. The Princeton University Art Museum will open its newly redesigned, reconstructed, and enlarged building with a free, 24-hour open house on October 31.
Closed just before the COVID-19 pandemic for the construction project, which doubles space for the exhibition, conservation, study, and interpretation of the museum’s collections, the threestory building was designed by Adjaye Associates in cooperation with Cooper Robertson. It includes social gathering spaces, a restaurant, outdoor terraces, and areas for performances and events
that can accommodate between 200 and 2,000 people, according to the museum’s website.
All of this is welcome news to James Steward, the museum’s director.
“After five years without a proper museum and without our collections, I could not be more excited to be on the cusp of inviting all of our communities to discover this remarkable building and how it will allow the collections to sing,” he wrote in an email on Monday.
Construction on the new museum, which shares space with the University’s
Princeton’s Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946
DONALD C. STUART, 1946-1981 DAN D. COYLE, 1946-1973
BUNNY EVERY SATURDAY & SUNDAY APRIL 5 – 19, 1PM-3PM
WITH THE ARTS COUNCIL OF PRINCETON (TOWN-WIDE EVENT) APRIL 26TH, 12PM-6PM PALMER SQUARE PORCH 3:30PM-4:15PM 4:30PM-5:15PM 5:30PM- 6:15PM
Open House for Public At Lock-Tender’s House
On Saturday, April 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., an open house will be held at the Kingston LockTender’s House on the D&R Canal just off Route 27 in Kingston. Admission is free.
The event celebrates the seasonal opening of the Lock-tender’s House on weekends from April through November. The public is invited to chat and enjoy refreshments with members of the Kingston Historical Society (KHS), ask questions about Kingston, the D&R Canal, and the KHS, and to share thoughts and stories about Kingston and its history. Models of the Kingston
Lock and former A-Frame bridge will also be available for demonstration.
The 1834 Lock-tender’s House is open to the public on weekends and major holidays from April through October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in November to 4 p.m. Exhibits on the Canal and Kingston are on display, and brochures and maps are available. The KHS was formed in 1997 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization to preserve, enhance, and promote the history of the village of Kingston, New Jersey. KHS has its headquarters in the building, which it helps to maintain and open to the public.
Kingston served as a local port on the Delaware and
Raritan Canal. The canal and its feeder opened in 1834 connecting Pennsylvania coal fields with New York markets; coal was the principal cargo. The canal also provided passage for local commercial goods and, particularly in its last years, pleasure craft. Fifty years ago, in 1974, legislation was passed creating the D&R Canal State Park and the D&R Canal Commission. Thus, the historic canal and its corridor have been preserved and a State Park created for future generations. The Kingston Lock area is one of its most popular access points in the State Park.
Visit khsnj.org for more information.
S.H.R.E.D. Fest Needs Volunteers: On April 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Westminster Choir College parking lot. Visit sustainableprinceton.org to sign up.
Leighton Listens: Councilman Leighton Newlin holds one-on-one conversations about issues impacting Princeton from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on April 2 at the Carnevale kiosk, 255 Nassau Street; April 9 at Chapin Guatemalan and Mexican restaurant, 146 Witherspoon Street; April 16 at DeAngelo’s Market, 35 Spring Street; April 23 at the Palmer Square benches across from Rojo’s Roasters; and April 30 at Tipple and Rose, 210 Nassau Street.
Food Pantry: Arm in Arm’s mobile food pantry is at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike, on Monday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. Fresh produce, eggs, milk, frozen proteins, and quality baked goods as well as canned and boxed items and personal care items are available for those in need, and different social services agencies are on site. Mcl.org.
Sustainable Princeton “Lending Library” : Sustainable Princeton offers residents and nonprofits in Princeton the opportunity to borrow sustainable home items such as electric landscape equipment, induction cooktops, and repair tools, for free, for up to two weeks. Visit sustainableprinceton.org for more information.
Election Board Workers Needed : The Mercer County Board of Elections is recruiting new workers, who must be registered Mercer County voters or students 1617 years old. Bilingual residents are especially needed. The pay is $300. Apply at mercercounty.org.
Summer Registration for Community Pool and More : To sign up for pool membership, camp offerings, and summer programs, visit register.communitypass. net/Princeton.
Local Poets Sought : For Mercer County Library System’s 4th Annual “A Poetry Happening: Mercer Poets Read,” a live virtual event. Submit poems by April 21 to hopeprogs@mcl.org. The live and virtual reading is April 28 at 7 p.m.
The work of several local architecture firms will be on display from April 6-12, designated as New Jersey Architecture Week, at the Arts Council of Princeton.
The special exhibition is presented by AIA CNJ [American Institute of Architects Central New Jersey] and showcases submissions from
its 2024 Design Awards program.
A reception, open to the public, will be held on Tuesday, April 8 from 6-8 p.m.
The Arts Council is located at 102 Witherspoon Street.
The show highlights the work of AIA CNJ architect members, featuring all architectural project submissions from the organization’s inaugural awards program. Among the categories represented are Social Impact, Historic Preservation, Open, Residential, Sustainability, and Interior Architecture.
Firms whose work is on display include Landau | Zinder Architecture, Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design, Designs for Life, Mills + Schnoering Architects, DRG Architects, and Clarke Caton Hintz.
In the Preservation category, Michael Hanrahan of Clarke Caton Hintz was honored for the Charles J. Muth Museum of Hinchcliffe Stadium project in Paterson. Hanrahan was also elevated to the College of Fellows, which is considered AIA’s highest membership honor.
The Trenton-based firm was also honored in the Residential category for the Net Zero House in the Finger Lakes, designed by John D. S. Hatch.
“We are thrilled to be honored by AIA CNJ for this house, which is designed to fit into its rolling, rural landscape; to acknowledge the historic context of the region; and to be net zero and well more than carbon neutral,” wrote Hatch in an email. “The team also worked closely with the builder to include as many local and regional materials and products as possible.”
In the Open category, Princeton-based architect Joshua Zinder of Landau | Zinder Architecture won an award for the Yakov & Hava Telyas Chabad Jewish Center in Clinton. Zinder’s firm JZA + D won in the Small Projects category for the Sukkah Village he designed at The Jewish Center of Princeton.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy proclaimed New Jersey Architecture Week in honor of the AIA New
Jersey chapters’ 125th anniversary this year. Several public events are being held across the state including open houses, educational initiatives, films, and tours (visit aia-nj.org).
The exhibition marks the second time that the Arts Council of Princeton is partnering with the AIA CNJ.
“The Arts Council is thrilled to once again partner with AIA Central New Jersey,” said Adam Welch, executive director. “After the success of our ‘Art of Architecture’ film series in 2024, we knew we had to collaborate again — this time to host the Design Awards Exhibition. This exciting event will bring together
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architects from across Central New Jersey to celebrate and showcase innovative projects in architecture and design. We look forward to fostering meaningful discussions, highlighting the incredible architectural talent in our region, and, of course, sharing our beloved Michael Graves/Kenneth Kassler building with fellow design enthusiasts.”
For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.
—Anne Levin
Ira Helfand to Speak At Peace Coalition Event
The Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) is having its Annual Membership Renewal and New Member Welcome Gathering on Sunday, April 6 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road.
A forum for the expression of opinions about local and national issues.
“What are you looking forward to this spring?”
(Asked Saturday in Marquand Park)
(Photos by Thomas Hedges)
The program will be from 3-4:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Ira Helfand, former president of International Physicians to Prevent Nuclear War, which was awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. Currently, Helfand is a board member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which received the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. A question/ answer period will follow his presentation, “The Myth of Nuclear Deterrence.”
The program will be preceded by a free light lunch from 2-3 p.m. for those who have contributed a 2025 CFPA Membership. RSVPs are requested for the free lunch. Any who haven’t yet contributed a 2025 membership can visit peacecoalition.org and click on this event link at the top of Upcoming Events and follow the directions to join/renew and RSVP.
“We are pleased to present an outstanding Nobel Peace Laureate dedicated to preventing nuclear war, said the Rev. Robert Moore, CFPA executive director. “ We need all of the insight and guidance we can muster to rapidly reverse a new nuclear arms race that is emerging. The US, Russia, China, and North Korea are all undertaking major increases in their nuclear arsenals; potential new nuclear powers like Iran are getting closer; and many countries are considering getting their own nuclear weapons in light of weakened US commitment to sharing its nuclear umbrella.”
well loved and well read since 1946
The March 23 passing of Dorothea von Moltke, co-founder of Princeton’s Labyrinth Books on Nassau Street, has inspired tributes from people who worked with her on a range of community-oriented initiatives, literary and otherwise.
“This week we have said farewell to our dear store founder, Dorothea von Moltke. She was a great force for good in the world, and we know that all of you share our sense of profound loss at this sad news,” reads a statement from the store. A memorial service for von Moltke will be announced in coming weeks, the statement continues.
The range of postings and messages reveal von Moltke’s influence not just as a bookseller, local business owner, and proponent of social justice, but as a friend as well.
“Over the years, Dorothea and I became very dear and close friends,” wrote Janie Hermann, public programming librarian at Princeton Public Library, in an email. The library frequently collaborated with Labyrinth on literary events.
“The conversation always revolved around books and authors, but also grew to include talking about our children, upcoming vacations, our health … you name it, we talked about it,” Hermann continued.
“Her drive, ambition, intellect, passion, and idealism were inspirational. I cannot even express how much I am going to miss her.”
A posting from Anthropology at Princeton [University] reads, “The extraordinary and much-loved Dorothea von Moltke, co-owner of Princeton’s unique Labyrinth Books, passed away too soon on March 23, leaving family, friends, and our community in deep mourning. Dorothea was a treasured friend to many in Anthropology, and her combined love of books, big ideas, and unwavering commitment to social justice was simply unparalleled. She will be deeply missed.”
According to a 2023 article in Princeton Magazine about Labyrinth Books, von Moltke was born in Buffalo in 1968. She grew up in Hamburg and Bonn, Germany, and moved to Vermont for her last year of high school. She graduated from Yale University, moved to East Berlin when the wall came down, and worked for a roundtable against xenophobia before starting graduate school. With her husband Cliff Simms and his brother Peter, von Moltke opened Labyrinth in 2007.
“As many of you will know, we have lost our beautiful friend Dorothea von Moltke, after a brave battle with a devastating disease,” wrote Princeton University Art Museum Director James Steward in a Facebook posting last week. “Everything about this is unjust, in the way that life can be unjust and cruel. She was a true light in this community — passionate about ideas, authors, books, and indeed this place and its people. I count myself
blessed to have had her these 16 years as a friend, a collaborator, a local business leader, someone I could count on to buck me up and help me have the strength to carry on the good work. Way too young and way too early. No platitudes, please. This one is hard.”
There have been numerous Facebook postings about von Moltke. Artist and Arts Council of Princeton faculty member Veronica Olivares-Weber wrote, “Our community has suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Dorothea. She had a big heart and a deep commitment to helping others. I will always remember when Anne D. Reeves and I reached out to her for children’s books for the The Red Umbrella Princeton, she never hesitated to donate. She generously provided boxes full of amazing books for both young and older students, knowing they would go to children who couldn’t afford them and would help nurture their love for reading. Her kindness and generosity touched so many lives, and she will be deeply missed.”
A posting from The Whole Earth Center called von Moltke’s death “a huge and heartbreaking loss for our community.”
The proprietors of Tipple & Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary, just down the street from Labyrinth Books, recalled von Moltke’s advice during a difficult time, when they asked a few local business owners for insight on the local market.
“Dorothea heeded the call and sat with us for nearly three hours detailing her
experience, offering advice, and just … listening,” the posting reads, “which we sorely needed.”
Jon Lambert, owner of Princeton Record Exchange, recalled working with von Moltke on several music-related projects. “And we bonded during COVID, helping each other navigate those challenging times,” he wrote. “It was a real comfort having a friend to count on right around the corner. Condolences to her family and friends.”
Hermann recalled von Moltke as game for just about anything when they discussed joint programs between Princeton Public
Library and Labyrinth Books.
“No idea was out of bounds when we collaborated,” Hermann wrote. “She even agreed to host a disco dance party in the basement of Labyrinth Books Princeton one year when music was the theme of summer reading.
Dreaming and scheming with Dorothea during our early morning coffee meetings at Small World Coffee was a highlight of my month.”
In lieu of flowers, von Moltke’s family suggests donations to Medecins Sans Frontieres/MSF and Resistancia en Accion NJ.
—Anne Levin
“Women in the Workforce” Is Topic of Chamber Event
The Princeton Mercer Chamber’s Women in Business Alliance presents “Women in the Workforce: Own Your Color” with keynote speaker Shikha Bajaj, senior executive and author of Own Your Color, on Thursday, May 1 from 8-10:30 a.m. at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton.
Bajaja provides an empowering blueprint for women’s leadership, confidencebuilding, work-life balance, and personal growth. She will take attendees through three pillars of the Own Your Color framework, and explore ways to help live a better life.
A panel discussion with local female leaders will follow. Panelists are Chinsu Shajan, an attorney with Stark & Stark; Karen Andrade-Mims, CEO emerita with the Father Center of New Jersey; and Maria Imbalzano, family law attorney and author.
Tickets are $55 for members and $70 for others. Visit princetonmercer.org.
Get the scoop from
Housing Initiatives of Princeton, which helps Mercer County families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity build a sustainable future - via stable housing, better employment, and a comprehensive network of support services. HIP’s transitional housing program, eviction prevention services, and pro-housing advocacy creates a bridge from homelessness to hope.
18 months in a multi-faceted planning exercise with robust public engagement and maximum stakeholder input.”
WCC was located on the Princeton campus on Walnut Lane from 1935, when the land was granted by Princeton Theological Seminary, until it was moved to Rider in 2020. Rider had acquired the title of the Princeton property in a 1992 merger deal.
In a controversial move eight years ago, Rider University announced it was putting the WCC campus up for sale. Efforts to sell the prime property to a Chinese company were not successful, and what was left of WCC’s programs was transferred to the Rider campus.
On January 14 of this year, the Municipality of Princeton filed an Eminent Domain Action in the Superior Court of New Jersey to acquire the property.
“Rider University and Princeton Theological Seminary were both named as defendants due to unresolved issues surrounding title to the property,” reads the release. “The defendants filed non-contesting answers, thereby acknowledging Princeton’s right to take title to the property. On March 3, all parties entered into a stipulation wherein
Princeton’s appraised value of the property, $42 million, was accepted as the true value of the property.
On March 5th, Judge [Robert] Lougy entered an order approving Princeton’s acquisition of the property for $42 million. Subsequent to depositing the funds with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Princeton recorded a Declaration of Taking on Tuesday, April 1, with the Mercer County Clerk.”
Princeton’s Deputy Administrator Deanna Stockton said the municipality has been working with Rider in recent weeks to transfer management of the property.
“We have worked closely with Rider facilities personnel on operational transfer, including security, waste management, utilities, IT, fire and alarm systems, landscaping, and a host of other matters,” she said. “Our work with Rider to ensure a seamless transition has been positive and productive.”
The town recently hired the planning firm Topology to help form a vision for the site.
“We are pleased that the legal hurdles involving the acquisition of this property have finally been resolved,” said Mayor Mark Freda. “We are eager to move forward together with the community to come up with the best plan for this site and our residents.”
—Anne Levin
A step forward in regional environmental stewardship has been taken as Hopewell Township joins Lawrence, Pennington, and Princeton in a commitment to develop a regional watershed plan for Stony Brook.
The Stony Brook starts in the Amwells, in Hunterdon County, and flows through the four partner municipalities in Mercer County. Portions of these towns drain into Stony Brook, carrying with them increased stormwater runoff that causes flooding and water pollution. This collaborative effort, facilitated by The Watershed Institute since 2022, represents a significant commitment to safeguarding water quality, reducing flooding, enhancing resilience to climate change, and setting a precedent for watershed management across New Jersey.
“With the leadership and commitment of Hopewell, Lawrence, Pennington, and Princeton, we are setting a new standard for watershed protection in New Jersey,” said Jim Waltman, executive director of The Watershed Institute, which has been convening meetings with the towns. “Water pollution and flooding issues are most effectively addressed through regional collaboration across municipal boundaries, and we congratulate these towns for agreeing to work together on these challenges.”
The Stony Brook regional meetings have fostered dialogue and cooperation among municipalities, laying the groundwork for this
initiative. The Watershed Institute hosted a statewide Watershed Conference in 2024 focused on facilitating regional solutions such as green infrastructure, stream buffer restoration, floodplain reconnection, rain gardens, trees, and other runoff-capturing interventions across the Garden State. Hopewell, Lawrence, and Princeton are participating in additional regional meetings with the goal of developing watershed-based plans for the Assunpink and Millstone Rivers, demonstrating their dedication to sustainable water resource management.
“Planning for water quality improvements at the scale of the watershed is a complete no-brainer,” said Princeton Councilman David Cohen. “Imagine trying to get fit only by exercising your left arm — it just can’t be done. Princeton is delighted, with the heroic assistance of The Watershed Institute, to be one of the towns leading the way statewide in meeting DEP’s new MS4 permit requirements for the Stony Brook watershed improvement plan by entering into a shared service agreement to address this important goal in the only way that makes sense — at the scale of the watershed.”
“Lawrence Township was proud to be the first community to support the efforts of the institute, and we will continue to do so because its core mission aligns with our community’s values to promote and protect our natural resources in meaningful ways,” said Lawrence Township Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer.
“One Water Consulting is thrilled to be working with Hopewell, Princeton, Lawrence, and Pennington on this Regional Watershed Management Plan,” said James Cosgrove P.E., president of One Water Consulting. “It will allow each municipality to better understand water quality and flooding issues in their municipality, identify and prioritize improvement projects, and comply with their NJDEP stormwater permit requirements. By doing this work on the regional level, the cost is lower, and benefit is greater.”
The newly approved contract with One Water Consulting will support the development of a comprehensive watershed plan designed to improve water quality, manage stormwater, reduce flooding, and enhance the ecological health of Stony Brook. By pooling resources and expertise, the participating municipalities aim to create a replicable framework for regional environmental cooperation. The watershed plan helps the municipalities not only comply with, but exceed state requirements, and does so in a way that is more efficient, more effective, and will lead to better outcomes. By engaging the Watershed, the hope is that opportunities to restore floodplains and buffers will lead to enhanced reductions for the watershed over what
Jammin’ Crepes Orders Benefit Housing Nonprofit For the month of April, 25 percent of purchases between 4 and 6 p.m. at Jammin’ Crepes, 20 Nassau Street, will be donated to Housing Initiatives of Princeton.
The nonprofit helps Mercer County families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity build a sustainable future via stable housing, better employment, and a network of support services. HIP’s transitional housing program, eviction prevention services, and pro-housing advocacy creates a bridge from homelessness to hope. Online orders placed for pickup qualify for the initiative. For more information, visit housinginitiatives ofprinceton.org.
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we also rescreen screensregular & pawproof.”
Princeton’s small public spaces — how do they work, and how can they be valuable? That’s the focus of a Princeton Future event on Saturday, April 5: a public walk-through beginning at Hinds Plaza at 10:30 a.m., moving on to 25 Spring Street and the plaza behind Angelo Italian Market, then proceeding to 185 Nassau Street adjacent to the Thomas Sweet ice cream shop.
Those small areas where people come together in the heart of town, “places where people can take a break, or engage in a conversation with a neighbor have always been important in Princeton,” states a press release from Princeton Future, an independent nonprofit that encourages community participation in planning issues.
“For people moving into apartments, these informal gathering spots become even more important. The public space becomes another form of the backyard fence or the corner store — where people can formally and spontaneously engage with a neighbor without a formal invitation,” the press release continues.
Princeton Future is inviting area residents to evaluate three downtown public spaces, within a short walk of each other, with expert volunteers Anton “Tony Nelessen, author of Community Visioning for Place Making and urban planning professor emeritus at Rutgers University, and Richard K. Rein, author of American Urbanist, the definitive biography of William H. Whyte, taking the lead.
At 185 Nassau, the final stop, the participants will share their evaluations with the group, comparing the three spaces in terms of the various criteria presented.
“These observations will give participants a better understanding of how public spaces work and why they are important to our town,”
said Princeton Future Executive Director Sheldon Sturges. “We hope the April 5 event participants will help shape the design of new public spaces or old ones as they are renovated.”
Rein cited Whyte’s observation that people are capable of turning some unlikely places into useful public spaces. “We should encourage that,” said Rein. “We’re not trying to develop a grading system for public spaces. And we’re not trying to rank order these three spaces. We are trying to make people aware of how public spaces work and how they can be valuable.”
Rein went on to compare the town’s approach to preservation of spaces on the edge of town to its frequent lack of attention to smaller spaces close to the center of town, where development is focused.
“People living in apartments will appreciate a small park or play area,” Rein wrote in an email. “So will people who live in small single-family houses with virtually no yards. I’m one of them — when my kids were small I took them up to 185 Nassau to kick a football around.”
In the spirit of Whyte, the urban design pioneer and the subject of Rein’s acclaimed 2022 biography, who urged planners to get beyond their offices — “You have to get out and walk” — Rein is eager to share with participants a firsthand exploration of the three public spaces on the April 5 itinerary.
“By walking the walk, you see things and experience the process in a way you can’t from reading about it in an article or a book. And on Saturday you will be doing it along with a nationally known urban planner, Tony Nelessen,” said Rein. “It’s rare when you get to see a guy like Nelessen in action and you usually see something in a way you haven’t seen it before.”
Noting that he has been thinking and writing about public places for the past seven or eight years, Rein pointed out that public spaces can be the embodiment of DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) without the need to mention it, and he recalled how much everyone appreciated local public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This town expends a lot of energy debating the design, the location, the size, and bulk of every new building that comes along,” he said. “Then we noodle about how much parking they should have and whether the residents are going to send kids to the schools. We spend almost no time thinking about the spaces between the buildings or the public places that are included with the buildings.”
He concluded, “The hope is that people will walk away on Saturday with a better appreciation for these spaces and their potential.”
The April 5 walk is free and open to the public, and will take place rain or shine.
In more Princeton Future news, one other prominent Princeton public space, smaller than the three spaces noted above and not on the April 5 itinerary, is Dohm Alley, just off Nassau Street across from the Princeton University campus. An exhibition recently installed there, sponsored by Princeton Future and featuring “Townscape Sketches” by Nelessen, provides multiple visions of the town’s future in four large panels and an assortment of drawings and photos.
THURSDAY, APRIL
Nelessen’s text describes the exhibition as “a series of rough unfinished humandrawn sketches of concept ideas or visions for the future of Princeton, N.J., to allow more people to afford to live, shop, and work here, while making it more fulfilling for everyone who currently lives and visits here.”
—Donald Gilpin
33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554 Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm
10 AM - 7 PM 301 N HARRISON ST. PRINCETON
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Food Scraps Program
continued from page one
the value of the program and some of the types of composting that residents are using to divert their food scraps from the landfill and to avoid the damages of methane.
“A much more environmental option is to compost them in your backyard, feed them to backyard chickens, use a vermicomposting system [with worms], mix them bokashi [a food waste conversion process], or pay for a curbside pick-up from several different vendors, but those options aren’t available to everyone,” she said.
Citing the growing participation in the program, she continued, “What’s unique about Princeton’s new food scrap drop program is that every Princeton resident can participate for free, whether they rent or own a home. The five drop sites currently available offer many residents convenient locations to participate in this program and do their part to reduce their carbon footprint.”
The municipality’s evaluation indicates that diverting food scraps from landfills can reduce Princeton’s carbon emissions by 8.4 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per food scrap drop site each year.
To sign up, residents should go to princetonnj.gov/1425/ Food-Scrap-Drop-Off-Program and follow the link to register and complete a short quiz to make sure that the rules and regulations are understood. Approval from the municipality is necessary in order to use the drop-off bins, as the town wants to make sure the bins are being used properly and that there is no contamination.
“Trenton Renewables, where we take the food scraps, has never detected any contamination from Princeton,” said Purcell. “We’re very specific about what you can
and cannot put into the bin.”
The Welcome Packet for drop-off program participants advises that only food scraps are accepted through this program — no bags, no garden clippings, no pet waste or litter, no pizza boxes, no paper cups or plates, no compostable cutlery or serviceware.
The program overseers recommend that participants use an old tin or plastic container to collect and store food scraps at home, keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent smells or attracting pests.
Each week municipal staff transports carts from the drop-off sites to Trenton Renewables, a food waste recycling and renewable energy company which uses anaerobic digestion to create energy from food scraps, as well as a digestate that can be used as a soil amendment in agriculture.
From 2010 to 2019 Princeton did offer a subscription curbside organics collection program to a number of residential households, but the program was concluded due to rising collection costs and insufficient compost facilities in close proximity.
With the development of nearby facilities, Princeton solicited bids in 2022 for curbside food scraps collection, but the only bid received would have doubled the rising cost of solid waste disposal and was rejected by Princeton Council.
A municipal waste team, including municipal staff, Sustainable Princeton, and a citizen member of the Princeton Environmental Commission has met regularly to consider options for Princeton and to learn from other municipalities.
Questions about the food scraps program can be directed to the Princeton Waste Team at wasteinfo@princetonnj.gov.
—Donald Gilpin
PLANT SALE: A Monarch caterpillar feasting on swamp milkweed, among the varieties available at the annual D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Native Plant Sales.
At D&R Greenway
D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Native Plant Sales will be held Thursday, April 10 from 12 to 4 p.m.; Friday, April 11 from 12 to 3 p.m.; and Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Native Plant Nursery, adjacent to the Johnson Education Center at 1 Preservation Place.
Eco-conscious gardeners know that planting native plant species provides essential food for local wildlife, in migration and in breeding seasons. Along with native wildflowers such as cardinal flower, milkweed, wild geranium, rattlesnake master, wild blue indigo, nodding onion, foam flower, and native ferns, the nursery offers native shrubs, trees, and grasses.
Native shrubs include buttonbush, native viburnums, elderberry, winterberry, blueberry, and more. Among the native trees on offer are
serviceberry, pawpaw, magnolia, and oak. D&R Greenway Land Trust’s plants are grown from locally sourced seeds or starter plants and are free of harmful nicotinoid insecticides. A full catalog is available at drgreenway.org.
Linda Mead, D&R Greenway’s president and CEO, said, “Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions and steer you to the best choices for your yard. By planting natives, you are taking action against climate change and protecting the species of birds, butterflies, and pollinators that need these plants for survival.”
Home native habitats contribute to a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem. Of prime importance is the relationship of native pollinators with New Jersey’s native plants. Nectar from native milkweed provides the right energy source to adult butterflies, and, importantly, the milkweed’s leaves also provide
the right food for caterpillars to grow. This special relationship makes native milkweed a host plant for our monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies could not thrive without milkweed. Turning the home garden into natural habitat fosters these crucial partnerships, such as monarch and milkweed. Native plants also require less in terms of irrigation and do not require fertilizer.
D&R Greenway Land Trust has preserved more than 20,000 acres of land in central New Jersey, fulfilling its mission to preserve a network of natural lands and open space accessible to the public. The land trust is committed to inspiring a conservation ethic through all its programs, including increasing awareness of the benefits of native species. Habitat restoration projects began on D&R Greenway lands. Native plants’ usefulness extends even beyond home gardens to local schools, municipalities and other nonprofits.
Montgomery Receives Healthy Town Designation
Through collaborative efforts with nonprofit and local business partners, Montgomery has achieved “Healthy Town” status from the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. The award recognizes wellness-focused activities throughout 2024 that engaged and empowered residents to put their health at the forefront of daily life.
“We are so proud that Montgomery has earned the distinguished ‘Healthy Town’ designation for 2024, after becoming a ‘Healthy Town to Watch’ in 2023,” said Mayor Neena Singh. “Joining the Mayors Wellness Campaign has helped us to study our town’s needs and then start up or improve initiatives that support our community’s physical, mental, social, and emotional wellness.”
said Mike Cerra, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. “From small towns to big cities, these leaders are showing up for their residents and building healthier, more vibrant communities.”
Mercer County to Host Women of Achievement
The Mercer County Commission on the Status of Women will host its annual Woman of Achievement and Young Woman of Achievement Awards event on Wednesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. at Mercer Oaks Clubhouse in West Windsor. The Woman of Achievement Award was established by the Commission to honor women in Mercer who volunteer their time to make Mercer County a better place to live, work, and raise a family. The Young Woman of Achievement Award honors Mercer County high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to volunteer work within the county.
“This year’s honorees come from every walk of life, but they’re united by their dedication to our community and their commitment to helping others,” said County Executive Dan Benson. “I look forward to joining with leaders and residents from throughout Mercer to celebrate their generosity of spirit.”
Working with the health department, municipal alliance, parks and recreation department, and more, the municipality has offered programming each month that equips residents with tools to live a stronger, healthier life. Planning is underway to continue events throughout the year, as the work is far from over in creating an even healthier community.
“It’s incredible to see the Mayors Wellness Campaign Healthy Town designations keep growing year after year. It’s proof that New Jersey’s community leaders aren’t just talking about health and wellness; they’re making it,”
This year, the Commission will present Woman of Achievement Awards to Krystal DeLeon of Trenton, Tricia Nielsen of East Windsor, and Phyllis Oliver of Ewing. Young Woman of Achievement Awards will be presented to Zurisadai Argueta-Rivera of Trenton, Rithika Bodicherla of Robbinsville, and Bethany Marusky of Hamilton. The reception will also honor Younity (formerly Womanspace) for its long-running commitment to serving women and all Mercer County residents impacted by domestic abuse.
“When you volunteer, you make a real difference,” said Taraun Tice McKnight, deputy county administrator and director of community services. “Your willingness to extend kindness, care, and dedication truly touches the lives of all you serve, and that is invaluable.”
The deadline to register is Friday, April 4. Tickets, which are $55, and include hors d’oeuvres, light fare, and dessert; can be purchased at 2025Commission.eventbrite. com. For more information, email womenscommission@ mercercounty.org.
Princeton University graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped by a Shi’a militia group in Iraq two years ago on March 21, and government officials and her family have recently renewed efforts to secure her release.
Last week New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim and Tsurkov’s sister, Emma Tsurkov, held a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, calling on the Trump administration and the Iraqi government to work quickly to bring about Tsurkov’s immediate and safe return home.
A doctoral candidate in the Princeton University Department of Politics specializing in Syria and the Middle East, Tsurkov, 38, was kidnapped by the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah, a group considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. She was in Bagdad at the time conducting academic research for her dissertation. Tsurkov holds both Russian and Israeli passports, but had lived in the U.S. since 2017 and has been enrolled at Princeton University since 2019.
At last week’s press conference, Kim stated, “I wanted to make sure I stood alongside this family to highlight to the American people and to the people in Iraq and around the world why it is we need to pay attention to what happened to Elizabeth Tsurkov. What I also know by having worked on issues related to Iraq for so long is that the Iraqi government can and should be doing more right now to be able to get Elizabeth freed. That is something that our government and our administration needs to hold up as an important priority in our bilateral engagements with the government of Iraq.”
Emma Tsurkov emphasized, “Elizabeth is not just a headline, or a diplomatic challenge, she is our sister. To the Iraqi government and to Prime Minister Sudani, I must speak plainly, your failure to secure my sister’s release is unacceptable. Your promises of action have yielded nothing. You have a fundamental responsibility to protect those within your borders, including academics conducting legitimate research.”
Kim also teamed up with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker last week to send a letter to President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, urging them to continue to pursue negotiations for Tsurkov’s release. In addition, Kim joined Booker, Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, and California Sen. Adam Schiff in issuing a statement calling for Tsurkov’s release and describing her as “a vocal and principled expert, journalist, and political scientist who traveled to Iraq to conduct fieldwork for her doctoral dissertation on strategies to reduce conflict and foster peace in the Middle East.”
The statement stressed, “There is no justification
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for hostage taking, and it is horrifically egregious to kidnap a brave advocate for peace and coexistence in the region.”
Princeton University also weighed in last week, in an email from Assistant Vice President for Communications Michael Hotchkiss.
“On this second anniversary of the kidnapping of our graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov, Princeton University remains gravely concerned about her continued captivity,” he wrote.
”The University is grateful for the Administration’s focus on securing her release, and we appreciate that top State Department and White House officials have been directly involved. We fervently hope that these efforts will lead to Elizabeth’s return to Princeton in the very near future.”
In a March 25 article, The New Arab (newarab. com), an English language news and current events website, reported that earlier in the month the U.S. had refused a prisoner exchange deal that would have freed Tsurkov, because the deal would have released prisoners linked to Iran and could also have financed Iran-backed activities in the region.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz on March 24 reported that an Iraqi official had told Asharq al-Awsat, an Arab international newspaper headquartered in London, that the Iraqi government is working to win Tsurkov’s release through negotiations “with ‘friendly mediators’ and in accordance with the law.”
Haaretz noted that since January Israel has ramped up diplomatic efforts to secure Tsurkov’s release, following a November 2024 airing of a video on Iraq’s Al Rabiaa TV. In the video Tsurkov is seen calling for action to secure her release and for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Tsurkov, who in addition to her graduate studies is also a researcher for the Forum for Regional Thinking in Israel and the Newline Institute in Washington, wrote on her website before her abduction: “My research is informed by the desire to understand and convey the points of view and experiences of people in the Middle East, and highlight abuses by powerful actors, whether they are dictatorial regimes, armed groups, or foreign countries intervening in the region.”
She continued, “I have over a decade of experience in volunteering and working for human rights organizations in the Middle East, fighting for the rights of Palestinians, refugees, and migrants, torture survivors, human trafficking victims, and ethnic and religious minorities.”
—Donald Gilpin
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Department of Art & Archaeology and Marquand Library, began in the summer of 2021. Nine interconnected pavilions make up the building, which includes two “artwalks” that bring visitors through the facility at ground level and connect with major campus walkways.
According to the website, the new design increases education space by 76 percent, exhibition areas by 38 percent, and visitor amenities by 80 percent. Public and education programs and the Museum Store will be located on the ground floor, while collections and display galleries, as well as conservation studios, are on the second level. The staff’s offices and the public restaurant are on the third floor.
Two special exhibitions honoring recent donors will inaugurate the space: “Princeton Collects,” which highlights paintings by artists including Mark Rothko, Joan Mitchell, and Gerhard Richter; and “Toshiko Takaezu: Dialogues in Clay.”
Also on the schedule are “Willem de Kooning: The Breakthrough Years, 194550,” and “Photography as a Way of Life.” An exhibition of the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat is planned for fall 2026.
Artist conversations, panel discussions, film screenings, performances, and art-making for all ages and abilities are also planned.
“The exhibitions we’ve chosen to inaugurate our new building celebrate collecting, legacy, and the future, and speak to our commitment to reimagine how we curate and present art in this new space,” Steward is quoted on the website. “Or course, Willem de Kooning was an enormously influential artist, but this exhibition, which pivots around his first solo exhibition in 1948, illuminates the artist’s process of inquiry as formative within the long arc of his career. It’s a show I’ve wanted the Museum to present since I arrived in 2009.
“Toshiko Takaezu played an integral role in elevating ceramics in the eyes of the art world, and was a beloved professor at Princeton for nearly 30 years; our goal is to present her as one of the greatest abstract artists of her time. As a teaching museum, we have a responsibility to not merely present works by monumental artists of our age or of any age, but to go deeper and grapple with how they arrived at the legacies for which we know them today.”
For more information, visit artmuseum.princeton.edu.
—Anne Levin
Marshlands’ Trails Repaired and Refurbished
The nonprofit Friends for the Abbott Marshlands (FFAM) has announced trail improvement projects at its John A. Roebling Memorial Park location in Hamilton Township. Determined to repair and refurbish the trails, FFAM hopes to improve the overall experience and safety for its visitors.
trail crew, led by Stewardship Chair Deb Brockway, completed several projects.
TRAIL TREATMENT: Volunteers have been hard at work making the boardwalk through Abbott Brook Trail in Watson Woods in Hamilton Township safer and more inviting. and vegetation from the existing supports. They secured fresh planks of lumber (which were cut on site to follow the trail’s curve through Watson Woods) to the shorter sections first to create a more level walking surface. This new boardwalk allows for a safer, more inviting walkway and improved access to the Abbott Brook Trail in Watson Woods. For those interested in volunteer opportunities, visit abbottmarshlands.org/ volunteer-opportunities.
Regular visitors who have walked at the Abbott Marshlands – John A. Roebling Memorial Park in the last several months may have noticed much-improved trails. Friends for the Abbott Marshlands’ all-volunteer
In September 2024, they improved a low-lying section of the Island Trail beyond the bridge near Spring Lake by putting in a short section of boardwalk. During October and into November, they took on the complex repair of replacing an old stump crossing on the Abbott Brook Trail.
A dedicated crew of eight volunteers worked more than 80 hours with boots in mud at low tide in the marshy area and while standing in water in the brook. The volunteers first removed the decaying planks, shingles,
“Where
Elaine Pagels, a National Book Award–winning scholar, has written an account of the life of Jesus that explores the mystery of how a poor young man inspired a religion that reshaped the world. Pagels will discuss the book, Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus, at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street, on Tuesday, April 8
In Miracles and Wonder she sets out to discover how a poor young Jewish man inspired a religion that shaped the world.
The book (Random House, $30 hardcover) reads like a historical mystery, with each chapter addressing a question and answering it based on the gospels Jesus’ followers left behind: Why is Jesus said to have had a vir -
with clarity and curiosity,” said Library Journal.
Pagels is the Harrington Spear Paine Foundation Professor of Religion at Princeton University. She is the author of several books, including Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity, the New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas ; and The Gnostic Gospels , winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award.
Griswold, a poet, a translator, and a contributing writer covering religion, politics, and the environment, has been writing for The New Yorker since 2003. Her books include Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America , which won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in gener al nonfiction. She is a Ferris Professor at Princeton Uni versity, where she directs the Program in Journalism.
science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for adults and children. Among her many works are the Bintitrilogy, and the Akata Witch books.
George R.R. Martin calls Death of the Author “her best work yet ... about fame, culture, the power of story, the writer’s life ... and robots.” She is the author of Black Panther: Long Live the King and she authored the spinoff graphic novel, Wakanda Forever, which became a Hollywood blockbuster. Okorafor is the winner of the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, and Lodestar awards. She holds a Ph.D. in literature, and master’s degrees in both journalism and literature.
Novelist Nnedi Okorafor On “Death of the Author” Award-winning novelist Nnedi Okorafor engages in conversation about her new novel, Death of the Author, with Princeton University’s Chika Okeke-Agulu as part of the “Humanities for AI” series. A book sale and singing is to follow the event on Thursday, April 3 from 5 to 6 p.m. at 50 McCosh Hall at Princeton University. Registration is requested at princetonlibrary.libnet.info/ event/12941487.
In the book, (William Morrow, $30) a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful sci-fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative in a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. Is the future of storytelling here?
Okorafor, a global leader of Africanfuturism, is an award-winning novelist of
Okeke-Agulu is Robert Schirmer professor of Art and Archaeology and African American Studies; director, Africa World Initiative.
“Humanities for AI” is a series of projects, initiatives, and conversations that centers humanities values and approaches in the development, use, and interpretation of the field broadly known as AI. ‘Humanities for AI” seeks to equalize our understanding of technology with an extensive, and user-friendly, understanding of traditional humanities research topics.
The event is supported by the Belknap Fund of the Humanities Council at Princeton University and co-sponsored by Princeton University’s Center for Digital Humanities, Africa World Initiative, the Program in African Studies, and presented with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A Meet and Greet with Dave Eggers offers a signed paperback copy of Newbery Medal winner The Eyes & The Impossible on Saturday, April 5, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street. Books for signing will be available for purchase from Labyrinth. There is no speaking engagement.
The Eyes & The Impossible (Knopf Books for Young Readers, $19.99) has been called an enthralling novel for all ages by award-winning author Eggers, told from the perspective of one uniquely endearing dog — featuring beautiful artwork from Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris. Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes — to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park’s elders, three ancient Bison.
His friends — a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican — work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance. But changes are afoot. More humans arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats — an actual boatload of goats — who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes’s view of the world.
Eggers is the author of many books, among them The Circle , The Monk of Mokha, Heroes of the Frontier, A Hologram for the King, and What Is the What He is the founder of McSweeney’s, an independent publishing company, and co-founder of 826 Valencia, a youth writing center that has inspired over 70 similar organizations worldwide. Eggers is winner of the American Book Award, the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education, the Dayton
Literary Peace Prize, the TED Prize, and has been a finalist for the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is the 2024 John Newbery Medalist, for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature, for The Eyes and the Impossible. Eggers is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Princeton Public Library Celebrates Library Week
Princeton Public Library will kick off its celebration of National Library Week with a community read-aloud of The Great Gatsby on April 7 at 11 a.m. near the fireplace on the first floor of the Sands Library Building. Members of the community are invited to join library staff, local book clubs, and municipal dignitaries in reading from the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic. Members of the public can reserve a 10-minute slot for the read-aloud by visiting princetonlibrary. org or simply drop in during the day to listen. For more information on “Gatsby at 100,” visit library.princeton. edu/gatsby100.
The Wednesday of National Library Week, April 9, is Library Outreach Day and PPL staff will extend their usual outreach in the community with special events. Executive Director Jennifer Podolsky will be leading a special storytime at Labyrinth Books on Nassau Street. The popular Mo Willems character Zoom Squirrel will be popping up all over town between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. And the library will be staffing an outreach table at the Princeton University Farmers Market.
Founded in 1958 by the American Library Association, National Library Week is a celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities nationwide.
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We are currently accepting applications for 2025-2026
Over the past decades, Princeton University Concerts has developed enduring relationships with performers worldwide, always expanding the PUC artist family. The Mahler Chamber Orchestra has long been one of these partners, returning to Princeton several times to showcase the excellence of its international roster. Founded in 1997 as an artistic “global collective,” the Orchestra is comprised of musicians from 25 countries who come together for each tour or project, exploring instrumental dialogue and the “sound of listening” though a wide range of repertoire.
The Mahler Chamber Orchestra revisited Richardson Auditorium last Thursday night under the leadership of pianist/conductor Mitsuko Uchida, who is particularly well known for her interpretation of the works of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Uchida’s performances of the piano concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are considered a gold standard, and it was two of these concertos which she and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra brought to the Princeton stage.
Mozart composed more than 25 concertos for piano and orchestra, many of which were vehicles for his own performance as soloist. Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat Major, dating from 1784, was one of six written that year alone, part of a constant demand for new works from the prodigious composer. These works may have originally involved a great deal of improvisation from the soloist, and as pianist, Uchida highlighted the imaginative aspects of the music and its inherent virtuosity.
Conducting from the keyboard, Uchida led with small but effective gestures in the opening movement, eliciting a refined sound with a Viennese lilt. She directs with a great deal of joy, and her hands transitioned effortlessly from conductor to pianist, with crisp left-hand octaves and right-hand passages that never stopped. A dark second movement was marked by expressive solos from flutist Chiara Tonelli and oboist Mizuho Yoshii. Oboes and solo bassoonist Mathis Stier played graceful thirds while Uchida built drama well from the keyboard. As soloist, Uchida held the audience in suspense throughout the closing “Allegro,” playing delicate scales and figures accompanied by precise winds. Her final cadenza, displaying cascading scales, closed the Concerto with stylish elegance.
A work by early 20th-century Czech composer Leoš Janácek might seem to have little connection to Mozart, but Janácek long acknowledged the Vien -
nese composer’s influence on his music, also writing extensively on Mozart compositional theory. Janácek described his 1924 Mládí for wind sextet as “a kind of memory of youth” recalling his childhood years in the Moravian region of Brno. Scored for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and bass clarinet, this piece reflects on the composer’s past in a four-movement suite, beginning with an oboe theme paying tribute to “youth, golden youth.”
The six Mahler Chamber Orchestra players — flutist Tonelli, oboist Yoshii, clarinetist Vicente Alberola, bassoonist Stier, hornist José Vicente Castelló, and bass clarinetist Renaud Guy-Rousseau — began Janácek’s work cleanly and energetically, bringing out the quirkiness of the opening “Allegro.” Stier and GuyRousseau set a pensive tone for the second movement, with a light instrumental color provided by flutist Tonelli. Yoshii played a subsequent pastoral melody as if she had all the time in the world, contrasted by the charm of Tonelli’s piccolo lines and a duet between Yoshii and clarinetist Alberola. Janácek’s tribute to youth alternated between calm and swirling passages to bring the piece to an animated close.
Uchida returned to the keyboard for another work ingrained in her repertory. Mozart’s 1785 Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major is most known for its second movement “Elvira Madigan” theme, used in film and television. Uchida led the Orchestra through an opening conversation between piano and ensemble, leaning into the 18th-century harmonic suspensions and creating dynamic contrasts by using pairs of strings at a time, rather than the whole section. The orchestral palette of this Concerto was colored by the valveless natural trumpets, played by Christopher Dicken and Florian Kirner.
The familiar “Elvira Madigan” music was presented delicately by the strings at first, and languidly by Uchida’s piano solo, complemented by an almost imperceptible oboe melody. The final movement was marked by particularly supple playing from all, conveying a humorous character later seen in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. In the closing cadenza, Uchida easily captured the virtuosity and versatility that Mozart would have shown in his own performance, ending the Concerto with grace and joy. Uchida took one more turn at delighting the listeners before the end of the evening with a sensitive and lyrical encore of Bach.
—Nancy Plum
Princeton University Concerts has announced its 2025-26 season, which will feature a wide range of performances from internationally renowned artists and ensembles. Information can be found at concerts.princeton.edu
JAZZ AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESENTS
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SMALL GROUP A with WARREN WOLF vibraphone
SMALL GROUP I with MATT STEVENS guitar
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY FACULTY SEPTET
TICKETED HEADLINER CONCERT CREATIVE LARGE ENSEMBLE with ETIENNE CHARLES trumpet
DETAILS & TICKETS
DARK COMEDY: Hester Young as Myra Bruhl and Ed Forsthoffer as Sidney Bruhl in the upcoming production of the comedy-thriller “Deathtrap,” April 4-13 at the
“Deathtrap” is On Stage
At MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre
A washed-up Broadway playwright has a plan to revive his career: a plan that involves theft, betrayal, and murder in the dark comedy-thriller Deathtrap, presented by Maurer Productions OnStage at the Kelsey Theatre, April 4-13, on Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor Campus.
Deathtrap is the story of world-famous playwright Sidney Bruhl, who is suffering from a chronic case of writer’s block. But inspiration strikes when one of his former students shows him what might be the next Broadway hit, motivating Sidney and his wife to concoct a deadly plan to make the manuscript their own. Throw in an eccentric psychic and stuffy lawyer, and “Deathtrap” is as funny as it is serious.
Written by Ira Levin in
1978, Deathtrap holds the record for the longestrunning comedy-thriller on Broadway. It was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play, and was adapted into a film starring Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve and Dyan Cannon in 1982.
Shows are April 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.; April 12 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and April 6 and 13 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $22. Visit Kelseytheatre.org.
Princeton University Concerts Announces 2025-2026 Season
From September 2025 through April 2026, Princeton University Concerts (PUC) will offer 23 performances spanning diverse artists, repertoire, and formats in which to experience chamber music.
Curated series include Concert Classics, Music & Healing, and Performances Up Close. Special events and programming for children,
Do-Re-Meet social events, documentary screenings at the Garden Theatre, and free programs and book discussions are also scheduled.
Artists include choreographer Mark Morris, director Peter Sellars, violinist Lisa Batiashvili, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, mezzosoprano Joyce DiDonato, and pianist Paul Lewis. The Belcea String Quartet, the Ebene Quartet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Marmen String Quartet, and the Richardson Chamber Players are also on the schedule.
“When Philena Fobes Fine founded the Ladies Musical Committee in 1894 — the seed that blossomed into today’s Princeton University Concerts—they exclusively presented string quartets,” said PUC Director Marna Seltzer. “Our programming celebrates these beginnings by presenting the world’s greatest string quartets and
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star string soloists at the lowest prices in the region. That said, there is something for everyone, including fans of great pianists and opera singers. All the artists are bringing exceptionally thoughtful programs, and many are making rare recital appearances.”
For a full schedule and more information, visit puc. princeton.edu or call (609) 258-2800.
George Lopez to Perform At State Theatre New Jersey State Theatre New Jersey presents George Lopez on Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $46-$140.
Lopez’s multi-faceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night television. Lopez has broken ground for Latino comics by embracing his ethnicity, confronting racial stereotypes, and fighting for his community on and off the stage.
Lopez stars in his multicamera comedy series for NBC, Lopez vs Lopez, with his real-life daughter, Mayan Lopez. The family sitcom, which has been renewed for its second season, follows George and Mayan in a fictionalized version of their real-life father-daughter relationship, exploring dysfunction, reconnection, and all the pain and joy in between.
Lopez can be seen in Snoop Dogg’s Amazon MGM sports comedy, The Underdoggs , and in the independent holiday comedy How the Gringo Stole Christmas, directed by Angel Gracia. Lopez joined the DC Extended Universe last summer, starring in the Warner Bros. Latin superhero film, Blue Beetle Directed by Angel Manuel Soto and featuring a predominantly Latino cast, the film follows its first-ever Mexican American teenager turned superhero.
Lopez has four HBO specials. On television, he produced and starred in Lopez, a semi-autobiographical single-camera sitcom for two seasons on TV Land. In 2014, Lopez co-created and starred in the multi-camera ensemble comedy Saint George for FX. He hosted TBS’ inaugural late-night talk show, Lopez Tonight, for two seasons. His sitcom George Lopez ran for six seasons on ABC.
Lopez is the author of Why You Crying? and I’m Not Gonna Lie And Other Lies You Tell When You Turn 50
State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit Stnj.org.
Garden Theatre to Host Filmmaker Whit Stillman
The Garden Theatre will be welcoming back to Princeton filmmaker/writer/ producer/director Whit Stillman on April 21 at 7 p.m.
Following a screening of his 2011 comedy, Damsels in Distress , which is free for members of the nonprofit cinema, there will be a conversation with Stillman. This will be his third trip to the Garden, having first visited in 2016 to promote his Jane Austen adaptation, Love & Friendship, and in 2022 for a discussion around his 1990 debut feature, Metropolitan Damsels in Distress is a farce focused on a charismatic trio of female coeds who welcome a transfer student into their group, which seeks to help severely depressed students with a program of good hygiene and musical dance numbers. The girls become romantically entangled with a series of men who threaten the girls’ friendship and sanity. Greta Gerwig takes the lead role. Tickets are available at the box office or online. Visit princetongardentheatre.org.
Reimagining “Macbeth”
At the Berlind Theatre
Macbeth in Stride, by Obie Award-winning theater artist Whitney White, employs the musical styles of rock, pop, gospel, and R&B to investigate some of the most familiar narratives of Shakespeare’s “Scottish play.” The show is presented by Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts
April 4-12 at McCarter Theatre’s Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place.
The show asks: What does it mean to be a woman? A Black woman? And what happens when the one thing we think she desires is power? At times inhabiting Lady MacB’s perspective, Woman interrogates love, ambition, and power in a an interactive concertstyle performance. Joined by the Witches as singing collaborators, the work explores what it means to try to change a story whose end is already predetermined and has been lived a thousand times before. The director is Princeton senior Layla Williams. Performances are April 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 ($10 for students). Visit Mccarter.org.
Princeton Porchfest 2025 Scheduled for April 26
The fourth annual Princeton Porchfest will take place Saturday, April 26 from 12-6 p.m. at front porches and other DIY concert venues across Princeton. Performers will play 45-minute sets at this walkable event. Fifteen porches will feature live performances at porches on Witherspoon Street, Birch Avenue, Moore Street, Jefferson Road, Chestnut Street, Linden Lane, Queenston Place, Nassau Street, Markham Road, and Murray Place. Maclean House on the Princeton University campus, Hinds Plaza, and the Palmer Square Green are additional venues.
An after-party in Palmer Square will offer lawn games, bubbles, beer, wine, and snacks from Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar at 6:15 p.m. For a full schedule and more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.
PU Dance Program Holds Spring Dance Festival
Spring Dance Festival:
Threshold, the annual dance concert presented by seniors in Princeton University’s Program in Dance, premieres five works on Friday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 5 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Hearst Dance Theater in the Lewis Arts complex on the campus.
Included are a group piece fusing different dance styles by senior Kate Stewart and a new solo contemporary work by senior Adam Littman Davis; a new solo work choreographed by guest artist Tamisha A. Guy performed by senior Madison Qualls; a new solo work by faculty member Davalois Fearon performed by senior Moses Abrahamson; and a new contemporary
ballet duet choreographed by guest artist Matthew Neenan performed by seniors Ethan Arrington and Paige Sherman. The Program in Dance, now in its 54th year, has grown to include five fulltime and nine adjunct faculty and offers 23 different courses serving more than 400 students each year with a curriculum that includes introductory courses, courses suited for dancers at the pre-professional level, as well as courses in dance studies and interdisciplinary contemporary practices. Admission is free. Tickets are available at arts. princeton.edu.
Lenape Chamber Ensemble Marks Fiftieth Season
The Lenape Chamber Ensemble continues its 50th anniversary season of chamber music concerts on Friday
and Sunday, April 4 and 6, in Bucks County, Pa.
The concerts will highlight works by Mozart and Debussy featuring clarinet, and a symphonic quintet by American composer Arthur Foote. Performances are on Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. in the historic Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church in Upper Black Eddy, and on
Sunday, April 6 at 3 p.m. in Delaware Valley University’s Life Sciences Auditorium in Doylestown.
First on the program will be Mozart’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings K., with soloist Alan R Kay, who is co-principal clarinetist and former artistic director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and who also performs with New York’s Riverside Symphony, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Kay is joined by violinist Katie Hyun, who founded the Quodlibet Ensemble and has performed as soloist with the Houston Symphony, Columbia Festival Orchestra, and the Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea; and violinist Cyrus Beroukhim, concertmaster of the American Symphony Orchestra and associate principal violist of the New York City Ballet Orchestra, and who has performed internationally with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. The quintet is completed by violist Ramón Carrero-Martinez, a member of Ensemble Connect at Carnegie Hall and performer with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York City Ballet; and cellist Peter Sanders, a longtime member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and the Riverside Symphony.
In Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Piano, Kay will be joined by Marcantonio Barone, pianist and Steinway artist, who has performed with major orchestras on four continents and as recitalist in London, St. Petersburg, New York
City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. For the finale, Lenape’s string musicians Cyrus Beroukhim, Katie Hyun, Ramón Carrero-Martinez, and Peter Sanders join Barone in Foote’s Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 38 . Foote was an American Romantic composer of the late 19th and early 20th century.
Included with the concerts, audience members
may enjoy refreshments and meet and chat with the musicians. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $5 for students and children. Visit Lenape ChamberEnsemble.org for tickets and directions.
Tell them you saw their ad in
Jess Gillam Saxophone
Thomas Weaver Piano
Thu, April 10, 2025 | 7:30PM
Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall
Stay after the concert for a free community Dance Jam with live music!
puc.princeton.edu
609-258-9220
$30-$50 General $10 Students
WORKS BY BENJAMIN BRITTEN, JOHN DOWLAND, GEORGE GERSHWIN, AND MORE
Thursday 4/3 at 12:30PM
Princeton University Chapel
After Noon Concert
Performing today is Mina Choi, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ.
Friday 4/4 at 7:30PM
Princeton University Chapel
Jan Kraybill In Concert
GRAMMY-nominated organist Dr. Jan Kraybill brings a thrilling program to the Chapel’s Skinner/Mander organ.
Sunday 4/6 at 11AM
Princeton University Chapel
Sunday Worship Service
Preaching today is Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, Princeton University.
Wednesday 4/9 at 8PM
Princeton University Chapel
Jazz Vespers
An inclusive experience of poetry, music, and quiet centering, featuring jazz saxophonist Audrey Welber, pianist Adam Faulk, and members of the Chapel Choir.
Thursday 4/10 at 12:30PM
Princeton University Chapel
After Noon Concert
Performing today is Margaret Harper, Trinity Episcopal Church, Princeton, NJ.
Sunday 4/13 at 11AM
Princeton University Chapel
Sunday Worship Service
Preaching today is Rev. Dr. Brittany Longsdorf, Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, Princeton University.
Thursday 4/17 at 8PM
Chancellor Green Rotunda
Maundy Thursday Service
Enter Chancellor Green through East Pyne located diagonal from the Chapel entrance.
Friday 4/18 at 8PM
Princeton University Chapel
Good Friday
Tenebrae Service
Candlelight service of readings and devotional music.
Sunday 4/20 at 11AM
Princeton University Chapel
Sunday Worship Service
Easter Festival Service with Holy Communion
Preaching today is Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, Princeton University.
Thursday 4/24 at 12:30PM
Princeton University Chapel After Noon Concert
Performing today is Bruce Barber, Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington, DE.
Sunday 4/27 at 11AM
Princeton University Chapel
Sunday Worship Service
Preaching today is Rev. Dr. Ben Boswell, Public theologian & Author.
DJ
COMPOSTING
SUNDAY | MAY 18, 2025 | 4:00
Five At 4pm: Roman Holiday Monday, April 21 • 4-6 PM • Tickets: $29
The Italian wine region surrounding Rome is Lazio, known for its white wines, particularly those made from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. Frascati is the most popular of these wines but many other examples exist. Among the red wines, Cesanese is an indigenous grape that produces fruity, well structured wines. Join us on this “holiday” as we explore the wines of Lazio. Snacks and assaggini will be served. For tickets: teresacaffe.com/store/events 23 Palmer Square East, Princeton
Please meet us at Hinds Plaza 10:30 a.m. to Noon, Saturday, April 5
Please
10:30
Princeton Future Hosts a Coffee Walk
Please meet us at Hinds Plaza 10:30 a.m. to Noon, Saturday, April 5
Please meet us at Hinds Plaza 10:30 a.m. to Noon, Saturday, April 5
Princeton Future Hosts a Coffee Walk
Princeton Future Hosts a Coffee Walk
Princeton Future Hosts a Coffee Walk
What works, what doesn’t, and why.
Offering the finest quality of locally grown SHADE TREES & FLOWERING TREES
the finest quality of locally grown SHADE
quality of locally grown SHADE TREES & FLOWERING TREES
From
From
From our farm to your yard
What works, what doesn’t, and why.
Hinds Plaza, Witherspoon Street
What works, what doesn’t, and why.
What works, what doesn’t, and why.
25 Spring Street, the rear plaza
Hinds Plaza, Witherspoon Street
Hinds Plaza, Witherspoon Street
185 Nassau Street & Thomas Sweet
Hinds Plaza, Witherspoon Street
25 Spring Street, the rear plaza
25 Spring Street, the rear plaza
25 Spring Street, the rear plaza
Participants will spend 15 to 20 minutes at each space, (all located within a short walk of each other).
185 Nassau Street & Thomas Sweet
185 Nassau Street & Thomas Sweet
185 Nassau Street & Thomas Sweet
Participants will spend 15 to 20 minutes at each space, (all located within a short walk of each other)
And, then, each will be invited to grade the space based on criteria inspired by William H. Whyte’s book, “The Social Life of Small Urban Places.”
Participants will spend 15 to 20 minutes at each space, (all located within a short walk of each other).
Participants will spend 15 to 20 minutes at each space, (all located within a short walk of each other)
And, then, each will be invited to grade the space based on criteria inspired by William H. Whyte’s book, “The Social Life of Small Urban Places.”
And, then, each will be invited to grade the space based on criteria inspired by William H. Whyte’s book, “The Social Life of Small Urban Places.”
Discussion leaders: Anton Nelessen & Richard K. Rein
And, then, each will be invited to grade the space based on criteria inspired by William H. Whyte’s book, “The Social Life of Small Urban Places.”
Discussion leaders: Anton Nelessen & Richard K. Rein
Tony Nelessen is the author of Community Visioning for Place Making and Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning at Rutgers University
Discussion leaders: Anton Nelessen & Richard K. Rein
Rich Rein is the author of American Urbanist, the biography of William H. Whyte, and editor of TAPinto Princeton Community News.
Discussion leaders: Anton Nelessen & Richard K. Rein
Tony Nelessen is the author of Community Visioning for Place Making and Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning at Rutgers University
Tony Nelessen is the author of Community Visioning for Place Making and Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning at Rutgers University
Tony Nelessen is the author of Community Visioning for Place Making and Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning at Rutgers University
Rich Rein is the author of American Urbanist, the biography of William H. Whyte, and editor of TAPinto Princeton Community News.
Rich Rein is the author of American Urbanist, the biography of William H. Whyte, and editor of TAPinto Princeton Community News.
Rich Rein is the author of American Urbanist, the biography of William H. Whyte, and editor of TAPinto Princeton Community News.
Questions? Please e-mail Princeton.Future.2035@gmail.com WWW.PRINCETONFUTURE.NET
We
Same soil, same climate
Same
From our farm to your yard
13 acres of fine quality specimen plant material
13 acres of fine quality specimen plant material
Same soil, same climate
Currently
Currently offering 23 varieties of unique Redbuds & 23 varieties of Dogwoods
13 acres of fine quality specimen plant material
Currently offering 23 varieties of unique Redbuds & 23 varieties of Dogwoods
Currently offering 23 varieties of unique Redbuds & 23 varieties of Dogwoods
Introducing
Introducing
We grow unique and hard to find trees & shrubs
Introducing the
We grow unique and hard to find trees & shrubs
We grow unique and hard to find trees & shrubs
Introducing the newest varieties available in the industry
Thursday, April 24 | 6-8 PM | Tickets $59
Podere La Villa is situated in a gorgeous Tuscan valley where the contrasting lush and rugged landscape brings to mind rural Renaissance paintings by masters such as Leonardo da Vinci or Benozzo Gozzoli. This tiny estate is family run by Ilaria Tachis, daughter of Giacomo Tachis, Italy’s most recognized winemaker. Giacomo’s resume includes Sassicaia, Tignanello, and Turriga to name a few.
Please note that seating for our Pasta Pairings events is communal, and we are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions. If there are any guests you would like to sit next to, please include their names at checkout. All ticket sales are final and non-refundable.
April 2025 or Annual Wine Club Member Rate: $49 per member. Please contact our team directly to purchase.
For tickets: enoterra.com/events/ 4484 NJ-27, Kingston
PASTA ALL NORMA penne, fried eggplant, tomato sauce, ricotta, basil Chianti Classico Pargolo
SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA rigatoni, broccoli rabe, Parmigiano Reggiano, olive oil
Super Tuscan-Giacomo ‘20
MUSHROOM RAGÚ creste di gallo, pancetta, mushroom, sofrito, sage Super Tuscan-Giacomo ‘19
Recent works by award-winning artist David
are featured in a solo exhibit on view April 5 through May 4 at the Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art in Holicong, Pa.
“David Stier: Refuge” Exhibit Opening at Silverman Gallery Award-winning Carversville artist David Stier will be presenting a collection of his most recent paintings and drawings in a solo exhibit,
“David Stier: Refuge,” at the Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art.
Opening receptions with the artist are on Saturday, April 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 6 from 1 to 4
p.m. The exhibition continues through May 4.
Three standout paintings — Refuge III, Haven, and Approaching Light — embody feelings of quiet and peaceful spaces, urging
viewers to stop and reflect. Stier said, “To be the silent witness to our minds and our sensory experience is a refuge. It’s the place where imagination and observation intersect. Where compulsions and judgement surrender and a wordless perspective arises to celebrate life.”
The paintings on exhibit portray a wide selection of subjects, carefully curated and individually framed by the artist in his home workshop. Stier’s Porch Light takes you down a quiet Lambertville neighborhood. His Hill Top and Detour invite the viewer into a magical, mysterious world — part landscape, part dreamscape.
Stier said, “This body of work feels personal. It tips the balance from the direct observation of plein air and still life painting into a language that relies on imagination, memory, emotion, and intuition. Refuge is dedicated to everyone. It’s the need for shelter, a safe place amidst chaos and division. It’s what unifies us. Refuge is rediscovering life and therefore, compassion.”
A collector of Stier’s work from Dublin, Pa., agrees. “ Life hangs in the balance, part of us is broken, part is downcast, yet David’s paintings lead to self-reflection and its gift: inner strength to face the world.”
Stier is also a skilled instructor and loves teaching, urging people to try different things and unlock who they are as an artist. Jeanette H.,
one of his students says, “I study oil painting and drawing with David. I appreciate his focus on classical technique, while inspiring me to embrace my own process.”
Born and raised in Princeton, Stier worked with the Lewis School there for many years. In the Spring of 2024, his oil paintings and charcoal drawings were featured in the New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts premier exhibition. Stier’s work has garnered numerous awards and accolades at venues such as Moravian University’s Payne Gallery in Bethlehem, Pa., Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa., and the National Arts Club in New York City. Stier gives credit to the experience of studying with a broad range of painting instructors while attending the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
The Silverman Gallery is located in the Buckingham Green Shopping Center, 4920 York Road (Rt. 202) in Holicong, Pa., just north of PA 413. For more information, visit silvermangallery. com or call (215) 794-4300.
Works by Prajakta Joshi At Green Building Center
“Awakenings,” featuring works by Prajakta Joshi, will be on view at the Green Building Center, 67 Bridge Street, Lambertville, April 12 through June 30. An opening reception is on Saturday, April 12 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Joshi is an emerging artist residing near Princeton.
After earning a BFA in design and visual communication, she established herself as a successful design entrepreneur in Mumbai, Dubai, New York, and New Jersey. Joshi’s art journey is deeply intertwined with her passion for color, nature, and movement. She believes that subtleties speak volumes and reveal a hidden meaning of connection. Nature, in all its forms, is her biggest inspiration and how her canvases capture the dance of the elements: earth, water, space, air and fire and earth. This connection is further enriched by her practice of yoga, breathwork, and meditation, creating a synergetic bond that inspires her artistic vision. Her art explores the complexity of life, distilling it into simple movements and forms. Through her work, Joshi hopes to offer a space where the viewer can connect with nature in a surreal dimension.
Joshi currently shows at galleries in Princeton and Manasquan. In January she showed at the AGI Fine Art Gallery in New York. She has also been selected to showcase her work at Art Expo New York, taking place April 3-6.
“There’s a deeper pattern in nature, a pulse that connects everything around us,” said Joshi. “When I move, I sense that same energy within me, and it finds expression in my art.” For more information, visit greenbuildingcenter.com.
An
“SUPER/NATURAL”: Judith Schaechter’s eight-foot-tall stained-glass dome, representing a “three-tiered cosmos,” is on view at the Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pa., April 12 through September 14.
“Super/Natural” Exhibit
At Michener Art Museum
On view April 12 through September 14 at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., “Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural” is the first exhibition to feature the internationally known glass artist’s newest work, an eight-foot-tall stained-glass dome designed for a single viewer.
The immersive stainedglass environment represents a “three-tiered cosmos” that explores the idea of biophilia, the human tendency to connect with nature.
Schaechter, who lives and works in Philadelphia, produced “Super/Natural” in a year and a half as artist-inresidence at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. While creating this multi-tiered masterpiece of glass craft, she attended lab meetings with a pioneering team of researchers and scientists who study the neural and biological basis of aesthetic experiences. Their research, and Schaechter’s recent work, explores relationships between art, beauty, morality, and the brain.
The “Super/Natural” dome’s 65 panels are filled with a riot of imagined insects, flora, plants, and birds, encouraging visitors to imagine themselves subsumed in the natural world, with all its beauty, violence, decay, and growth. The central stained-glass structure, reminiscent of a church, creates a sublime sanctuary space for the secular.
“My goal is to invite viewers into a deeply personal, immersive experience that explores the connections between self, nature, and imagination,” said Schaechter. “We are ultimately connected to, not just observing, nature.”
Curated by Laura Turner Igoe, Ph.D., the Michener Art Museum’s Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Chief Curator, “Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural” will feature nine additional stainedglass pieces by Schaechter to complement the dome and provide a context for the debut of her new work. These pieces similarly examine the cultural construction of nature and are presented along with a series of drawings and sketches related to the ”Super/Natural” dome.
“It was thrilling to work with Judith on this exhibition and see the “Super/ Natural” dome evolve over the past couple of years,” Igoe said. “Through the dome and other pieces on view in “Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural,” Judith em braces awe and wonder in order to encourage viewers to consider their own rela tionship with the natural world.”
Schaechter’s work is col lected internationally and in cluded in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Smithsonian, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Hermitage in Russia, along with numerous others. Among other honors, Schaechter was inducted into the American Craft Council of College Fellows in 2013, received a lifetime achievement award from the Glass Art Society in 2022, and was the recipient of the Smithsonian Visionary Award in 2024.
emerging artists, the Ellarslie Open has developed into one of the area’s premier annual juried exhibitions since its beginnings in the early 1980s. In 2024, out of 555 entries, the juror selected 110 diverse pieces by artists from across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and beyond. The 2025 show will open with an Artists’ and Members’ Reception Saturday, June 21, and will remain on view through September 7.
Juror Fisher discovered her passion for contemporary art while earning a degree in art history and business at New York University. She also holds a certificate in Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Arts from NYU and the Appraisers Association of America. Her extensive gallery background has positioned her as a key bridge between artists and collectors. She thrives on discovering new talents and trends in the art world, and is dedicated to supporting innovative voices and bringing exciting artwork to the forefront of contemporary art.
Art@Bainbridge, 158 Nassau Street, has “Roberto Lugo: Orange and Black” through July 6. Artmuseum. princeton.edu.
Artists’ Gallery, 18 Bridge Street, Lambertville, has “Gallery Group Show” through April 6 and “Imagine-Observe” April 10 through May 4. An opening reception is on April 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lambertvillearts.com.
Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, has “Metamorphosis,” “Precious Virtues,” and “Now and Then: Amazigh Resurgence” April 5 through May 3. A gallery opening is on April 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. Artscouncilofprinceton.org.
Schaechter: Super/Natural” April 12 through September 14. Michenerartmuseum.org
Milberg Gallery at Firestone Library, Princeton University, has “The Most Formidable Weapon Against Errors: The Sid Lapidus ’59 Collection & the Age of Reason” through June 8. Library.princeton.edu/ lapidus2025.
Morven Museum & Garden, 55 Stockton Street, has “Historic Morven: A Window Into America’s Past” (ongoing). Morven.org.
The Nassau Club, 6 Mercer Street, has “Held Together” through June 5. Catherinejmartzloff.com. Phillips’ Mill, 2619 River Road, New Hope, Pa., has “Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition” through April 18. Phillipsmill.org.
and complex imagery — it is truly awe-inspiring.”
The Michener Art Museum is at 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown, Pa. Hours for interior view ing of the dome are 11 a.m.– 3 p.m., Wednesday through Sun day during museum hours. For more information, visit michenermuseum.org
Online Call for Art:
Annual “Ellarslie Open”
The “Ellarslie Open,” Tren ton City Museum’s annual juried art show, invites artists to enter artwork from April 6 through May 16 via its online call for art. Sheryl Liebman Fisher, associate director of Gallery Henoch in New York City, will jury the 2025 show.
The Trenton City Museum is housed in Ellarslie Mansion, an 1848 Italianate Villa designed by John Notman. It is in the heart of Trenton’s historic Cadwalader Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The building is owned by the City of Trenton and operated by the nonprofit Trenton Museum Society, founded in 1973. Hours for the museum and its gift shop are Thursdays through Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. There is no admission fee to view the museum’s art and history offerings, but donations are welcomed. Learn more at ellarslie.org or call (609) 989-1191.
Historical Society of Princeton, Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road, has “Princeton Reflected: Stories from HSP’s Collection” and “Einstein Salon and Innovator’s Gallery.” Museum hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. Princetonhistory.org
Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution” through December 31, 2026. Mercermuseum.org.
Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., has “Mark Sfirri: The Flower Show” through May 5, “Yesterday’s Dreams Are Real” through July 27, and “Judith
Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, has paintings by Rooma Sehar through May 6. Paintings by Alessandra Morabito are at the 254 Nassau Street location through May 6. Smallworldcoffee.com.
Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, 299 Parkside Avenue, Trenton, has “Cultural Connections: Eastern European Artists from the Greater Trenton Area” April 5 through June 8. An opening reception is on April 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. Ellarslie.org.
West Windsor Arts, 952 Alexander Road, West Windsor, has “GR8 Works Art Show” through April 5. Westwindsorarts.org.
IS ON
Sheryl Liebman Fisher
“The Michener is honored to be the first institution to exhibit Judith Schaechter’s ‘Super/Natural,’” said Michener Art Museum Executive Director Anne Corso. “Schaechter’s work honors the tradition of stained glass and yet pushes the boundaries of the medium with her intricate process
Artists may submit from anywhere and may enter up to four works. Complete instructions and timeline are found at ellarslie.org/eo42. The link to the call for art will activate Sunday, April 6. The show’s five categories are: Paintings, Works on Paper, Sculpture; Photography, and Digital Art. The top award, Best in Show Overall, carries a prize of $1,000. Five category awards and sponsored awards also carry cash prizes.
Showcasing contemporary creations by established and
April 8, 2025
5:00 to 6:15 p.m., McCosh 50
Copies of Think Again will be handed out to the first 200 in-person attendees.
Wednesday, April 2
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Leighton Listens. Councilmember Leighton Newlin is available to discuss issues impacting Princeton with members of the public at the Carnevale Kiosk, 255 Nassau Street.
11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Opening of the Princeton University Farmers’ Market , Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza. Fresh produce and other goods from area farmers and businesses. Pumarket@princeton.edu
7 p.m.: “Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology,” at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, and online. Panel discussion. Registration requested. Princetonlibrary.org.
7:30 p.m.: Clarinetist Martin Fröst, violist Antoine Tamestit and pianist Shai Wosner perform works by Dvorak, Brahms, Bach/Gounod, Wosner, Bartok, and Lutoslawski at Richardson Auditorium. $30-$50 ($10 students). Puc.princeton.edu.
7 p.m.: “Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology,” at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, and online. Panel discussion. Registration requested. Princetonlibrary.org.
Thursday, April 3
2-5 p.m.: Library of Things Pop-Up with Sustainable Princeton, in the lobby of Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Sustainable home items on display. Princetonlibrary.org.
5 p.m.: Theatrical adaptation of The Great Gatsby by Kelvin Grullon, at the Drapkin Studio, Lewis Arts complex, Princeton University. Arts.princeton.edu.
6:30-8 p.m.: Poetry Reading and Open Mic at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of Mercer County Library System, 2751 Brunswick Pike. Maxine Susman and Ilene Millman will read. Registration at mcl.org.
7 p.m.: Brandon Terry with Eddie S. Glaude Jr in conversation at the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture. Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Registration required. Princetonlibrary.org.
Friday, April 4
5:30-8:30 p.m.: “One Voice, Many Sounds” gala fundraiser for Capital Harmony Works at Trenton Country Club, Sullivan Way, Ewing. Cocktails and dinner followed by performance by the Trenton Children’s Chorus and Trenton Music Makers. Capitalharmony.works.
5:30 p.m.: The animated film Flow is screened as part of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.
7:30 p.m.: Spring Dance Festival by students in Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Hearst Dance Theater on the campus. Free. Arts.princeton.edu.
8 p.m.: Lenape Chamber Ensemble performs works by Mozart, Debussy, and Arthur Foote. Guest clarinet soloist is Alan R. Kay. At Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church, Upper Black Eddy, Pa. Lenape chamberensemble.org.
Saturday, April 5
10 a.m.-2 p.m.: S.H.R.E.D. Fest at Westminster Choir College parking lot. Rain or shine. Small
5-10 p.m.: Princeton Jazz Festival at Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, Walnut Lane. Bands from area middle schools and the PHS Studio Band with guest artist Charlie Rosen from the 8-Bit Big Band. $15 ($10 students and seniors). Proceeds benefit the PHS Band program. Princetonjazzfest.org.
batteries, reusable shopping bags, cellphones, tablets and accessories, Styrofoam blocks, printer ink cartridges are accepted. Visit princetonnj.gov for more information.
10 a.m.: Lambing Day at Howell Living History Farm, 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township. See new lambs and meet expectant ewes, and learn about the farm’s flock of period Romney-Suffolk sheep. Howellfarm.org.
10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Kingston Historical Society Open House at the Kingston Lock-Tender’s House, 39 Old Lincoln Highway (Route 27). Free. Khsnj.org.
10:30 a.m.: Daffodil Days in Allentown, with free walking tours starting at Allentown Public Library, 16 South Main Street. Historic Architecture, Allentown and the Underground Railroad, and Historic Cemeteries are the topics. Register at Allentownvinj.org.
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Princeton Future explores downtown public spaces, starting at Hinds Plaza and ending at 185 Nassau Street. Discussion is led by Tony Nelessen and Rich Rein. Free; walk is held rain or shine. Email Princeton. future.2035@gmail.com for information.
12-1:30 p.m.: Hands Off! Rally held by the Coalition for Peace Action at Hinds Plaza. Participants will call on President Trump and Elon Musk to take their hands off of programs that the middle class and working families rely on. Peacecoalitioin.org.
12-5 p.m.: Spring Artisan Market at Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes. Local artisans sell handmade goods. Unionvillevineyards.com .
12-5 p.m.: Spring Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 1-4 by Brian Bortnick. Terhuneorchards.com.
1 p.m.: “The Three Little Pigs” shadow puppet show with live music is presented at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. Part of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival. Princetonlibrary.org.
1 p.m.: Princeton University Wind Ensemble performs its inaugural chamber music concert at Frist Campus Center. Brass ensembles, saxophone quartets, percussion ensembles, and more. $10 ($7 students) Tickets.princeton.edu.
2 and 7:30 p.m.: Spring Dance Festival by students in Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Hearst Dance Theater on the campus. Free. Arts. princeton.edu.
3 p.m.: The film Seaweed Stories is screened as part of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org.
3 p.m.: “Learn to Pray and Heal (A Spiritual Adventure), at Tenacre Community Center, 884 Great Road. Nate Frederick, Christian Science practitioner and lecturer, will speak. Free. No registration required. Email clerk@csprinceton.org for more information
5 p.m.: Birdsafe is screened as part of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, and online. Followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Jared Flesher. At 5:30 p.m ., the film Birdsong is screened. Princetonlibrary.org.
5 p.m.: Choral Evening Service at Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street. “The World Beloved, A Bluegrass Musical” by Carol Barnett. With the church’s adult choir and the Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective. Free will offering will be collected for the Society of St. Andrew. Also livestreamed. Nassauchurch.org.
5-10 p.m.: Princeton Jazz Festival at Princeton High School Performing Arts Center, Walnut Lane. Bands from area middle schools and the PHS Studio Band with guest artist Charlie Rosen from the 8-Bit Big Band. $15 ($10 students and seniors). Proceeds benefit the PHS Band program. Princetonjazzfest.org.
5 p.m.: Chamber music concert at Princeton United Methodist Church, 7 Vandeventer Avenue. Music of Mozart, Debussy and Bernstein. Free but donations welcome. (609) 924-2613.
7 p.m.: Staged reading of original one-act plays by Lawrenceville resident George Point and four New Jersey playwrights at the People Care Center, 120 Finderne
Avenue, Bridgewater. Free (donations welcome). Opendoorartscenter.org.
Sunday, April 6
12-5 p.m.: Spring Artisan Market at Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Road, Ringoes. Local artisans sell handmade goods. Unionvillevineyards.com
12-5 p.m.: Spring Winery Weekend Music Series at Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. Music from 1-4 by Sarah Teti. Terhuneorchards.com.
1 p.m.: The film Chasing Time is screened as part of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival at Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. A Q&A with filmmaker Sarah Keo follows. At 4 p.m ., Unearth is screened. Director Hunter Nolan introduces the film and leads a post-screening Q&A. At Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street. Princetonlibrary.org. 2 p.m.: People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos April “Try It” at Morven Museum, 55 Stockton Street. A story and poem are read aloud and then discussed. RSVP to Morven.org.
2-4:30 p.m.: Annual membership renewal gathering of the Coalition for Peace Action at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 50 Cherry Hill Road. Free light lunch followed by a talk by Ira Helfand, former president of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Peacecoalition.org.
2:30-5:30 p.m.: Blue Jersey Band plays European Swing at Hopewell Valley Vineyard, 46 Yard Road, Pennington. Guitars, mandolin, upright bass. Music and style of Django Reinhardt. Bluejerseyband.com.
3 p.m.: “A Tonal Oasis,” concert of music for piano, flute and voice at Allentown Methodist Church, 23 Church Street. Part of Allentown Daffodil Days. Allentownvinj.org.
3 p.m.: Lenape Chamber Ensemble performs works by Mozart, Debussy, and Arthur Foote with clarinet soloist Alan R. Kay, at Delaware Valley University’s Life Sciences Auditorium, New Britain Road, Doylestown, Pa. Lenapechamberensemble.org.
4 p.m.: Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs holds a choral reading of Mendelssohn’s Elijah conducted by Christopher Loeffler at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, 50 Cherry Hill Road. Vocal scores provided. $10 for singers; free for students and non-singing guests. Musical.amateurs@ gmail.com.
Kevin Casey wants to give your kitchen a new look!
The most popular gathering place in the house, the kitchen is often called the heart of the home. Not just the domain of the cook, it is a high traffic area not only for family but for friends who visit and so often head for the kitchen.
Eye appeal can add so much to the overall ambiance and comfort level of this companionable place, especially considering the many hours spent within its confines.
This is where Kevin Casey, founder and owner of Cabinet Painting Guru, can bring his and his team’s expertise to give your kitchen a bright new glow.
His specialty is both painting kitchen cabinets and replacing cabinet doors, drawers, and shelving. “This is an excellent way not only to change the look, but it is very cost effective,” he points out. “We can provide customers with the biggest return on investment of time and money.”
Opening his business in 2012 was the start of a success story. It was immediately popular and continued to add increasing numbers of customers. During COVID-19, it was especially appreciated when people were spending much more time at home and in their kitchen.
“People wanted their house and kitchen to look nice,” explains Casey. “Our staff has the experience and professional skill to give the kitchen an outstanding new look, so time spent there will be a pleasure.
“Painting can offer a great turnaround,” he continues. “We are known for fine finishing, and we use Milesi, an excellent paint from Italy. It is an industrial coating, known for durability, available in any color, and very good for high traffic areas like kitchens.”
There is no question that Casey knows all about paint, but he also knows so much more. His previous experience in different careers enables him to bring an unusual level of expertise to his customers.
Even as a boy, he showed the beginnings of a talented entrepreneur. Growing up on Long Island, N.Y., he started a house painting business when he was in high school, and continued during college, adding friends to his workforce each summer. And, as he notes, “I actually built the largest house painting business on all of Long Island!” Software Company
Majoring in math at the College of the Holy Cross, he went on to earn a master’s degree in business management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This was accomplished while he was a captain in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a navigator in B-52 bombers. His career then expanded to various
sales leadership roles, building markets for new cancer screening tests, including the PSA test for prostate cancer.
In 1999, Casey was the first entrepreneur to bring photo sharing to the internet. His venture-funded software company was very successful. As he says, “If you get a link to images from a wedding or event that you attended, chances are you are enjoying the technology platform that my team and I pioneered.”
When he sold the software company in 2012, he headed in a new direction. It all began with a new coat of paint for his own kitchen cabinets.
“I always like to have a purpose, to be involved in constructive activities, and I like to pay attention to detail,” he reports. “I decided to redo the kitchen, and I thought I’d like to turn my golden oak cabinets into a more modern shade of white.”
Everyone was so pleased with the results, that one thing led to another, and soon another new flourishing business was on tap for Casey.
“The Bones”
In addition to painting the cabinets, Casey has expanded the business to include cabinet door, drawer, and shelving replacement. This has become an important addition to the company’s operation.
As he explains, “Many people don’t realize that they have this option. Cabinet refacing delivers a complete style transformation at a fraction of the cost versus all new cabinetry. This affordable service allows you to upgrade your kitchen by replacing only the doors and drawer fronts, keeping the existing cabinet structure intact. This approach provides a fresh modern look without the cost and time commitment of full cabinet replacement. We can accomplish the same task for less than $15,000 and can do it in about a week.
“In 99 percent of the kitchens, the structure, often referred to as ‘the bones,’ is in good shape, and the style and look of the kitchen can be completely renewed by our replacement service.”
The solid wood panels are sourced from a manufacturer in the Amish area
of Pennsylvania, he adds, “They have been custom crafting solid maple panels and drawer fronts for more than 50 years. You can choose from a variety of materials, styles, colors, and finishes to create a customized, revitalized look.”
Simple and straightforward is the favored choice today, Casey reports. “People don’t want anything too elaborate or with excessive decoration. They want a nice simple look, and white or light gray are the preferred colors.”
Cabinet Painting Guru’s customers are from all over the Princeton area and beyond, including central New Jersey and Bucks County, Pa. Many new clients are referred by former customers, and there is excellent word-of-mouth.
Residential work is the main focus, but the company also has commercial projects, including a recent renovation of The Inn at Bowman Hill Bed & Breakfast in New Hope, Pa.
Satisfied Clients
“We work with builders for renovations, and also with realtors, especially regarding remodels for sales purposes,” points out Casey. Satisfied clients often share their pleasure on social media or special thankyous to Casey, which is very gratifying to him. “It means so much to know we have helped our customers and added to the enjoyment of their home. Also, they know they can depend on us not only for quality work, but for courtesy and professional attention.”
Prospective clients can check out Painting Cabinet Guru’s projects with before and after views on the company’s website, and when Casey goes to see a kitchen, he brings additional photos of his work.
He is very proud of his five-member team, several of whom have been with the company for many years. As he points out, “Our team brings the following five core ‘READY’ values to our projects every day: Respect — we respect you, your time, and your kitchen refinishing project; Experience — our team has decades of experience doing detailed painting and refacing; Affordable — Cabinet Painting Guru will save you up to 75 percent over cabinet replacement.
Less money, less dust, and no waiting weeks or months for new cabinets to arrive; Dependable — we know the importance of delivery on time, on target, and on budget. You can depend on us to get your kitchen cabinet refinishing project right; and You — Your project. Your home. Your budget. Your timeline. This project is about you.”
Keeping up with the increasing demand for the work is the ongoing challenge, but of course, Casey welcomes the opportunity to help as many customers as possible.
“We have projects in all sizes and styles of houses and kitchens,” he reports, “and we believe we are set apart by the quality of our work and our attention to detail. We use the best materials, best tools, and our staff is the best! In addition, we are part of the community. We want to give back. This is important to us. We offer special payment and pricing arrangements for seniors, members of the military, and first responders.”
On a personal note, Casey is a member of the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, a national fraternal and charitable organization. He currently serves as Deputy Grand Knight.
When he does have some spare time from his busy schedule, Casey enjoys his longtime hobby of painting watercolors. Having taken art classes since the age of 12, he developed not only a liking for art, but a real talent for painting. His painting of The Breakers Hotel in
NEW LOOK: “We look forward to offering more customers the opportunity to give their kitchen a new look, either with painted cabinets or replacement cabinet doors, drawers, and shelving. It’s a great way to add new interest to the kitchen Our talented staff can provide customers with the best quality work at very affordable prices.” Kevin Casey, second from right, owner of Cabinet Painting Guru in Pennington, is shown with his expert team and popular pooch “Mason,” the team mascot.
Palm Beach, Fla., is a case in point. It has been greatly admired by the owners of the hotel, and having taken him 100 hours to complete, it is a tribute to his talent and to his attention to detail.
After experiencing a career with so many facets, Casey believes he has found the right place with Cabinet Painting Guru. It makes him and his customers happy.
As he observes, “It is so special when I can help customers enjoy the new look in their kitchen, and know that they will have many more hours of pleasure with their family and friends as they spend time together in this favorite place.”
For further information, call (215) 982-0131. Visit the website at cabinetpaintingguru.com. —Jean Stratton
TOWN TOPICS is printed entirely on recycled paper.
After excelling in a re -
lief pitching role last spring for the Princeton University softball team, Brielle Wright had to shift gears this season as she was moved into the starting rotation.
“It was definitely a transition at first; last year I was typically coming into the end of the game for two innings, maybe three every weekend,” said junior lefty Wright, a 5’8 native of Rocklin, Calif.
“I didn’t get my first start last year until the very last game of the season. So going this year starting most games, it was a mental switch. I had to flip, going the distance versus a closer that has to go in and shut things down.”
Last weekend, Wright showed how well that transition is going, starring as Princeton swept a threegame series from Yale. On Friday, she hurled six shutout innings as Princeton topped the Bulldogs 6-0. After Princeton started a Saturday doubleheader by beating Yale 9-0 in five innings, Wright was sharp again, going the distance for a shutout as the Tigers posted a 2-0 win in game two. For allowing no runs and striking out 13 batters in 13 innings in going 2-0 over the weekend, Wright was later named as the Ivy League Pitcher of the Week.
In her outing on Saturday, Wright struck out 10 and allowed just two hits as she took a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
“Today I was really utilizing my rise ball more that I was yesterday,” said Wright. “It was just switching its up; giving the hitters a little bit of a different look but ultimately still using my defense. They were chasing a bit so I was expanding the zone with my pitches and trusting my defense.”
Wright did have to work out of jams in the fifth and sixth innings to preserve her shutout as the Tigers improved to 11-12 overall and 6-0 Ivy and are now in first place in the league standings, two games ahead of Dartmouth (4-2) and Columbia (4-2).
“I would say there was some pressure on with runners in scoring position,” said Wright. “I think people can feel that. At the end of the day, I knew we were going to pull out the win either way so I am not stressed if there are runners in scoring position. It might be a pressure situation on book but in reality we know we can get it done.”
The Tigers are feeling at home in their sparkling new Cynthia Lynn Paul ’94 Field in Princeton’s Meadows Neighborhood as they are now 6-0 in the venue after opening it with a three-
game sweep of Harvard from March 22-23.
“It is so special, the donation from Cynthia Paul means a lot to our program and going forward I think it is going to contribute to a lot of new Ivy League championships,” said Wright. “I would say our team as a whole is getting into a groove. We are really connecting in a cohesive unit. If someone doesn’t have a good day in a game, someone or the whole team has their back. We just talked about it in our postgame talk, everyone has each other’s back. Different people are stepping up in different games so I think that is making us more comfortable.”
Wright’s comfort level in the circle has been enhanced by the camaraderie in the squad’s pitching corps which also includes sophomore Cassidy Shaw, freshman Keala Hollenkamp, and senior Meghan Harrington.
“Our bullpen as a unit is amazing, I don’t think there is any bullpen in the country that matches how cohesive and how friendly we are to each other,” said Wright, who is now 4-4 on the season with a 4.38 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 60.2 innings. “I think that is where it starts. Personally if the bullpen isn’t getting along, that can create many, many issues with games and playing time. We are all friends outside of the game. I think that is where
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The Tigers topped Yale 6-0 on Friday and
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in games
in 13 innings. She was later named as the Ivy League Pitcher of
overall and 6-0 Ivy, host Lehigh on April 2 and then head to
a doubleheader on April 5 and a
it starts and we are showing up for our team.”
Princeton head coach Lisa Van Ackeren credits Wright with making a smooth transition to the starting role.
“Brielle is tough as nails, that mentality shift is more significant than people realize,” said Van Ackeren, a former star pitcher in her college career at Lehigh.
“She got really good at the reliever role and has had to grind through our preseason to learn how to be a starter. How she attacks hitters is very different. You can be really free as a closer. You have to be a little more locked as a starter. She was great today at making counter adjustments when their hitters adjusted. She did a great job.”
With Princeton having posted five shutouts in its six Ivy wins, Van Ackeren is getting good pitching across the board.
“Our staff is really strong one through four and they have done really well for us so far,” said Van Ackeren. “You need a deep bullpen in this league, playing teams for three games. They work really well together and they have each other’s backs. I think they feed off of one another’s success. They are linked up.”
Princeton’s success over the last two weekends has helped the squad develop a comfort level in its new home.
“It has been really good,” said Van Ackeren. “We always have a great parent group that travels well but the community members are showing up in bigger numbers over here. It just feels like a professional setting that we have wanted for a long time. The turf and the lights are a huge competitive advantage for us. The great part is now it feels like home. In the first weekend, it was not our home yet. We had practiced on it for a couple of weeks but now we have two weekends where there are some really good memories already.”
Senior catcher Lauren Pappert made some good memories in game two on Saturday, going a careerbest 3 for 3 with a two-run
single that provided the margin of victory.
“Lauren had such an amazing day, she has grown so much mentally, just to be in those positions and handle them,” said Van Ackeren. “Emma Taylor threw a great game for Yale, she had our number today and we didn’t adjust. Pappy stepped in and she just had a great day.”
The Tigers have been getting great production inhale middle of the order from sophomore Karis Ford (.415 batting average with 5 homers, 19 RBIs) and senior Allie Ha (.372, 3 homers, 20 RBIs).
“The fact that they are walking Karis with runners on is such a testament to how dangerous she is,” said Van Ackeren. “Allie has made them pay the last couple of weekends. She has done a great job protecting her. I am happy for them, they set a really good tone.”
Having gone 5-12 in a challenging non-conference slate, the Tigers were steeled for Ivy play.
“With the preseason schedule that we had I tested them even much more than normal,” said Van Ackeren. “We had to do it with the trust that there is still belief that we are going to do really well and this is preparing you well for the league.
and
So now having this, it is evidence for the team to see this is why we do what we do. This is why we prepared you. You have to learn quick and you have to adjust. I think they have learned how to do that really well.”
In the wake of breaking through with a win in the NCAA tournament last year, its first in the tourney since 2005, Princeton is looking to an even greater impact on the national scene this spring.
“We wanted to continue to take a step forward and a lot of that has to do with belief,” added Van Ackeren. “Everybody down talks mid-majors but you have to play in those kind of environments, you have to have consistent success and you can’t take an off day so we are building toward that.”
While Wright believes the Tigers can do some special things this spring, their focus right now is on taking care of business over the rest of their Ivy campaign.
“Yale didn’t even see our best this weekend,” said Wright. “I think this team has a lot of special things in store, especially in the postseason. But right now we have got five more series ahead of us so that is where our heads are at.”
—Bill Alden
Jake Koonin is not the first guy in his family to lead off for the Princeton University baseball team.
Koonin’s dad, Jason, hit atop the lineup for the Tigers before graduating in 1999.
The similarities don’t end there. Both have been strong, fast players for Princeton head coach Scott Bradley, who is now in his 28th season guiding the Tiger program. He took over in the elder Koonin’s final year.
“The dad was a good player,” said Bradley.
Jason Koonin was an outfielder who was a terror on the bases. His 36 career steals were tied for sixth in the Princeton record books when he graduated. He also hit .287 for his career and had 100 hits along with 70 runs. He ended up raising a family in North Carolina and he’d take his three boys to games when Princeton played in that area.
“I watched Jake and his brothers running around on the warning track, throwing stones at each other from the time they were probably 6, 7, or 8 years old,” said Bradley. “They came up to our camp and did stuff like that and it’s worked out.”
The younger Koonin was hoping he could play at Princeton and it became a reality two years ago. The junior infielder is making history as the first son of a Princeton player that Bradley coached to also play for him.
“I can vividly remember watching them when I was like 10,” said Jake Koonin. a 6’0, 195-pound native of Winston Salem, N.C. “And then now it’s come full circle to where Bradley knew me from my dad, now he knows me from playing here, so that was definitely is cool and definitely played a role in why I came here.”
Koonin also came with the idea that he’d do something that his dad never could. Koonin is hoping to lead Princeton to an Ivy League championship. The Tigers won four straight following his father’s graduation as
Bradley built up the program. The Tigers are looking for their first Ivy crown since 2016.
“My dad had a lot of success here, but he never won the Ivy League championship,” said Jake. “I think he came in second three straight years, so that was one thing — I want to win a championship because my dad didn’t.”
Princeton sits in a threeway tie for second place in the Ivy League at 4-2. They swept Dartmouth to open conference play and then this past weekend took a dramatic 3-2 win over Columbia on a two-run homer in the eighth inning by Caden Shapiro, to salvage one game of the three-game series with the current Ivy leading-Lions (5-1 Ivy).
“I think if you told us that would be our record after two weeks in conference play, especially against Columbia who we think is right up there with us being at the top, being 4-2 I think that’s a great start,” said Koonin. “Especially because we’ve had some injuries. I think our starting rotation has definitely been our strongest part, being 4-2 with our starters leading the way and honestly our bats not being where we would like them to be is a great indicator that we’ve got a lot left in the tank.”
Princeton will head on the road this week with a midweek non-conference game at Seton Hall on April 2 before starting a three-game series at Penn with a doubleheader on April 5 and a single game a day later. The Quakers are also 4-2 Ivy.
“The goal is just to play a complete weekend,” said Koonin. “I think getting the bats started in game one would be huge. They’ve lost a lot, but they’re still, in our eyes, the team that’s eliminated us the last two years. So we definitely have different feelings going into the weekend against Penn, especially at their place. We’re looking to take the series and hopefully even sweep.”
Getting the bats going starts with Koonin. He’s been giving the offense a
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lift over his two and a half seasons while starting at second base. He started as a freshman before an injury cost him time. He returned last year to enjoy a stellar year at the plate. He led the Tigers with a .319 batting average. He also posted team-highs of 41 runs bat ted in, 86 total bases, a .528 slugging percentage and 11 stolen bases.
“He’s talented,” said Brad ley. “He’s strong, he can run, and he loves baseball. That’s probably the biggest thing. When you spend time around Jake, what you re alize more than anything is he loves the game, loves be ing around it, loves to play, loves to compete.”
Koonin hit fifth or sixth last year for the Tigers, but Bradley moved him up to the leadoff spot this season.
“We have to try to bunch our better guys up to try to manipulate some runs,” said Bradley. “We figured Jake runs well, move him to the top and see how it goes. And plus you get more at bats. So we want the top three guys to be getting the ma jority of the at bats.”
Koonin picked up where he left off — literally. He finished last year on a 20game hitting streak, tied for the program record.
“I honestly did not know I had it until I was going into the Ivy League tournament,” said Koonin. “I want to say it got to like 17 games before I realized it. I obviously was seeing the ball well and I felt like I was swinging well, but I had no idea that it had been 17 games, which feels like about half the season.”
His hot hitting didn’t end there. He broke the Princeton mark at the start of this year when he got a hit in each of the first two games of the season.
“It’s a cool statistic because it’s one that is only helping the team,” said Koonin. “It’s not like I’m trying to, go out of my way to increase a personal accolade to help only myself.”
Koonin continues to lead Princeton in hitting. He’s batting .274 with four doubles, three triples and four
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• Natural approach
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Princeton University baseball player Jake
infield in recent action. Junior infielder and leadoff hitter
to a solid 4-2 start in Ivy League action. Princeton, now
on April 2 before heading to Penn for a three-game series with a doubleheader on April 5 and a single game on April 6.
home runs. He’s batted in 11 runs while adjusting to hitting leadoff, which he last did regularly in high school. His maturity has helped him handle the process of developing as a consistent hitter even as teams give him fewer fastballs overall and fewer good pitches to hit in big spots.
“It’s been good, both physically and on a different type of way,” said Koonin. “Whether it’s being a leader on the field or a hitter, I think the best way to get better is just through experience and the way that I approach the game from a physical and mental aspect is just at such a higher level than my freshman year, just because I’ve played all of last year and this summer in
between my freshman and sophomore year and then this past summer.”
Koonin wants to remain around the game beyond Princeton. He will be draft eligible this year, and would love a shot at playing professional baseball. Even if that doesn’t happen, though he has a plan.
“I want to be in baseball, no matter what,” said Koonin. “So if I’m not playing, then I want to work up to be a general manager or something on the analytical side. So baseball definitely is what I want my future to be wrapped around.”
His personal goal, though, has always been to get a chance as a player first.
“The best case scenario
is we win the Ivy League tournament and regular season and I have a good year,” said Koonin. “And then I could see my name get drafted. But I mean right now the goal is just to do whatever I can to help the team and hopefully in that it helps my stock.”
He’s continuing to ensure that the Koonin name will be remembered long after he graduates. He’s done so by bringing to the current Princeton team some of the same attributes that his father did more than a quarter-century ago for Bradley and the Tigers.
“It’s a great, great, great family,” said Bradley. “And Jake’s a very good player.”
—Justin Feil
Tiger Men’s Hoops
In the wake of a disappointing season which saw it finish fourth in the Ivy League standings, the Princeton University men’s basketball team has made some changes to its coaching staff.
According to a report in the Daily Princetonian that ran on March 25, the contracts of Princeton associate head coach/recruiting coordinator Brett MacConnell and assistant coach Lawrence Rowley will not be renewed.
The Tigers went 19-11 overall and 8-6 Ivy this season, struggling down the stretch as they lost four of their last seven regular season games. including lopsided losses to Cornell, Yale, and Dartmouth. Head coach Mitch Henderson’s squad ended the winter by losing 59-57 to Yale in the semifinals of the Ivy Madness postseason tournament. Princeton had been picked to finish first by the Ivy media preseason poll.
PU Women’s Lax
With Haven Dora triggering the offense, the No. 9 Princeton University women’s lacrosse team defeated No. 12 Yale 13-11 last Saturday.
Senior attacker Dora tallied four goals and four assists as the Tigers earned their eighth straight win,
improving to 8-1 overall and 2-0 Ivy League. Dora was later named as the Ivy Offensive Player of the Week. Princeton, now ranked 7th nationally, plays at Cornell on April 5.
Tiger Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Sacred Heart
Nyherowo Omene starred as the No. 19 Princeton University men’s volleyball team defeated Sacred Heart 3-0 last Saturday to compete a weekend sweep of the Pioneers.
Senior Omene recoded 12 kills to help Princeton prevail 25-16, 25-17, 25-15. A day earlier, Omene contributed 14 kills and 14 digs as the Tigers posted a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 2523) over Sacred Heart.
Princeton, now 9-9 overall and 5-1 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), hosts George Mason for a two-game set on April 4 and 5.
PU Women’s Water Polo Defeats Mercyhurst
Kayla Yelensky came up big on her Senior Day as the No. 14 Princeton University women’s water polo team defeated Mercyhurst 16-7 last Sunday.
Yelensky, who was honored along with classmates Rachael Carver, Kate Mallery and Grace Houlahan, scored four goals to help Princeton unproved to 15-6 overall and 6-2 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).
In upcoming action, the Tigers head to Ann Arbor Michigan where they will face Mercyhurst and Michigan on April 5 and Saint Francis on April 6.
Princeton Men’s Tennis Edges Penn in Ivy Opener
Opening its Ivy League campaign by pulling out a nail-biter, the Princeton University men’s tennis team edged Penn 4-3 last Saturday.
Fnu Nidunjianza and Paul Inchauspe posted straightset wins at first and second singles, respectively, for the Tigers and also helped Princeton earn the doubles point.
The Tigers, now 17-6 overall and 1-0 Ivy, host Harvard on April 5 and Dartmouth on April 6.
PU Women’s Tennis Loses to Penn
Bella Chhiv, Eva Elbaz, and Anna Nguyen earned singles wins but it wasn’t enough as the Princeton University women’s tennis team fell 4-3 to Penn last Sunday in its Ivy League opener.
Chhiv posted a straight-set win at first singles as did Elbaz at second and Nguyen at third.
Princeton, now 7-8 overall and 0-1 Ivy has matches at Harvard on April 5 and Dartmouth on April 6.
PU Men’s Lightweights Defeat Columbia
Producing a superb performance, the No. 2 Princeton university men’s light varsity 8 defeated 10th-ranked Columbia last Saturday to retain the Campbell Cup.
The Tigers posted a winning time of 5:49.0 over the 2,000-meter course on Lake Carnegie with Columbia coming in at 6:01.6.
A day later, Princeton’s top boat battled No. 5 Dartmouth to a dead heat to
Mackesy moved past Chris Massey into second place all-time at Princeton in career goals with 148, 15 away from Jesse Hubbard’s career record, and fourth all-time in points with 219, 13 away from Ryan Boyle for third. The
improved to 6-2 overall and 2-1
retain the Diamond Challenge Trophy. The boats each clocked a time of 5:50.9 over the Lake Carnegie course. A Big Green victory was required for Dartmouth to win back the Diamond Challenge Trophy.
In upcoming action, Princeton will face Cornell on April 12 in Ithaca, N.Y. as the top boats race for the Platt and Harriott Trophy.
Tiger Open Rowing Tops Brown in Opener
Getting its spring campaign off to a good start, the No. 4 Princeton University women’s open rowing varsity 8 defeated Brown at Lake Carnegie last Saturday to retain the Class of 1987 Trophy.
Princeton posted a winning time of 6:12.1 over the 2,000-meter course with Brown finishing in 6:15.7.
The Tigers return to action when they face Cornell and Harvard on April 12 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. with the Class of 1975 Cup on the line.
PU Men’s Hockey Players
Sign Professional Contracts
Two Princeton University men’s hockey senior stars, Noah de la Durantaye and Ethan Pearson, have entered into deals with professional teams.
Senior defenseman de la Durantaye has signed with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL) while goalie Pearson
will begin his professional career with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL.
A captain of the 2024-25 Tigers, de la Durantaye appeared in 117 games over his Princeton career and tallied 55 total points with 14 goals and 41 assists. He graduates No. 10 all-time in points and assists by a Princeton defenseman and No. 13 in goals by a Tiger blue-liner.
Pearson, for his part, was an honorable mention AllIvy selection this past season as he went 7-8-2 with a 2.33 goals against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage. He played in 58 games over his Princeton career, finishing with a 20-274 record, 3.05 GAA and a .891 save percentage with five career shutouts.
Former PU Coach Gadowsky Guides Penn State to Frozen 4
Former Princeton University men’s hockey coach Guy Gadowsky, who led the Tigers to two NCAA appearances in his seven-year tenure from 2004-11, has guided Penn State to the NCAA Frozen 4 for the first time in program history.
The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions punched their ticket to the NCAA semis by edging second-seeded Connecticut 3-2 in overtime last Sunday in the final of the Allentown (Pa.) Regional at the PPL Center. Penn State, which
got off to a 4-7 start this winter, improved to 22-134 with the win.
The Nittany Lions will face Boston University in the second national semifinal on April 10 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Gadowsky, who led Penn State’s transition from a club to varsity program, now has a 218–185–32 record guiding the Nittany Lions.
PU Hoops Alumna Chen Helps UConn Make Women’s Final 4 Enjoying a superb campaign as a grad transfer for the powerhouse UConn women’s hoops team, former Princeton University standout guard Kaitlyn Chen starred as the second-seeded Huskies defeated topseeded USC 78-64 in the Spokane 4 Regional Final last Monday night to earn a spot in the NCAA Final 4. Chen tallied 15 points with two assists to help the Huskies pull away from the Trojans and improve to 353. UConn will face UCLA in a national semifinal on April 4 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
After compiling 1,276 points, 313 rebounds, and 359 assists during her career at Princeton and getting named as the 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year, Chen is averaging 7.1 points and 1.8 rebounds a game with 126 assists so far this winter for the Huskies.
by
’25 April 2025 4, 5, 10, 11 + 12 8 PM
After enduring a disappointing 7-12 campaign in 2023, the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team produced a reversal of fortune last spring, going 12-9 and advancing to the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey Group 3 sectional.
As PHS looks ahead to the upcoming season, Tiger head coach Katie Federico believes that run will serve as motivation for this year’s squad.
“It gives them a little bit more hunger because they felt it a bit last year,” said Federico, whose team opens its 2025 season by hosting Hopewell Valley on April 2. “They want to return and do better this year which would be fun.”
While PHS lost a stellar group of seniors to graduation, Federico believes her core of juniors can pick up where Class of ’24 left off.
“It is definitely different but I have to say that we have a gritty strong junior class this year,” said Federico. “Quinn [Gallagher], Nicki [Lee], Leah [Bornstein], Zoie [Reynolds], and Gracie [DePrince] have all been playing together for a long time. It has been nice to see them step up and take over that leadership role.”
Two of those juniors, Gallagher (49 goals and 22 assists in 2024) and Bornstein (56 goals, 22 assists), figure to be offensive catalysts in the midfield this spring for the Tigers.
“Towards the end of last season we started utilizing Quinn a little bit more within the attack and looking for her to give the feeds, I am looking for her to do that this year,” said Federico. “She is excited to do it. Having her be a lefty and losing Sarah [Henderson] who was a lefty, I am able to move her into that spot. She really sees the cuts nicely and has the height on her. She is also not afraid to take it herself and shoot. She is connecting nicely with Leah.”
The scrappy Bornstein brings energy and skill to the midfield.
“I think Leah has gotten even faster, her shot has gotten much better,” said Federico. “She just keeps going and going. There is a huge level of confidence really with a lot of the juniors which has been nice to see as well.”
Gallagher and Bornstein will be joined in the midfield by promising sophomore Emerson Barker.
“Emme is a strong player,” said Federico. “She is fast, has a great shot and a great lax IQ. She really sees the field nicely.”
On attack, the quintet of sophomore Claire Barlag (1 goal), senior Lily vonRoemer (3 goals), senior Aniya Zahid (19 goals, 4 assists) Lee (1 goal) and DePrince (16 goals, 2 assists) will lead the way.
“Claire is going to be on attack, she was injured a lot of last season so it will be nice having her there and
again,” said Federico. “She really sees the field as well. Gracie is very excited, she had a great season last year. Aniya is a quiet weapon, she has got a nice, quick shot. Nikki will be playing attack as well, we moved her from the midfield. Lily is back as well, having a little more confidence with a year of varsity under her belt.”
The trio of sophomore Lila Casto (1 goal, 1 assist, 20 grand balls), senior Ellie Nagar (1 goal), and Reynolds (34 ground balls) will be spearheading the defensive backfield.
“Lila is going to be playing defense but she could play in the midfield if we need her to but primarily, I see her more on defense,” said Federico. “She is such a strong voice and a big presence there. Zoie is so great, she is a very calm leader. She has been really helping because we lost a big chunk of our defense. Ellie is going to be a pretty solid defender as well.”
In goal, sophomore Paige Menapace (16 saves) and senior Olivia Deluca are both in the mix.
“Paige is back,” said Federico. ‘Olivia is back and she is looking really good in goal. She has quick hands, she is tracking the ball really nicely. I think it might be a combination thing with the two of them, I want to see how it plays out. They are working very nicely together.”
Looking forward, Federico believes that the Tigers can build on last year’s progress by taking care of the basics, bonding on the field, and being patient with the ball.
“Being very sharp with the fundamentals is a huge piece of the game - accurate throwing and catching,” said Federico. “I think just jelling together because it is a new corps of defenders. You don’t have Joci [Lee] there or Theona [Hsu] who helped push that a bit last year but they will get there. I have already seen huge improvement since the beginning of the season. It is also just playing our game and not forcing things, just keeping it at a pace that we need. That is a discipline that we have to learn and own because when we do slow it down, we see the openings and often we capitalize on it.”
—Bill Alden
this spring. PHS opens its 2025 season by hosting
Family owned and operated over 35 years Just 3 miles from downtown Princeton Outstanding boarding facilities
Sam Kosoff fell in love with lacrosse as a youngster.
“I grew up in upstate New York outside of Syracuse and I started playing at a very young age before it was popular to start playing at a young age,” said Kosoff. “I used to go to Syracuse games as a little guy. I just grew up around the sport.”
Kosoff’s affection for the game led him to come south to play lax at the Lawrenceville School before heading back to New York to compete on the next level at Hamilton College.
Getting into coaching after graduating from Hamilton in 1992, he returned to Lawrenceville where he was an assistant coach for football, ice hockey, and lacrosse. He also had a stint coaching at the McDonough School (Md.) from 2003-06 before returning to Lawrenceville.
This spring, Kosoff will be bringing his passion for the game to the Princeton Day School where he is taking the helm of its boys’ lacrosse program.
In guiding the Panthers, Kosoff will be instilling a run-and-gun approach employed by the Syracuse teams he followed as a youth.
“My general philosophy and style of play is to get up and down the field and have fun,” said Kosoff, 54, the successor to Nick Taylor who guided the Panthers to a 7-12 record in 2024. “It is playing lacrosse the old fashioned way, if you want to call it that. I love to play fast and have unsettled situations.”
With PDS coming off a disappointing campaign last spring, Kosoff is looking to set a positive tone.
“Part of my mission would be to invigorate the base and light the fire again,” said Kosoff, whose team was slated to start its 2025 campaign by hosting the Blair Academy on April 1, Notre Dame on April 3,
and Hopewell Valley on April 8. “Right now we are still in assessment mode, figuring out what are our puzzle pieces.”
As Kosoff figures that out, he is encouraged by the fire he has seen from his new charges.
“They have responded great, it has been really positive,” said Kosoff. “They are working hard, they are getting used to a new coach. It has been really good.
The parents have been super supportive, the school has been very supportive. There is good energy, I like it. I think there is an understanding that we are not world beaters yet. We are humble and the kids seem willing to put in the work.”
Kosoff is expecting some good work at attack from sophomore Krystian Rzeczycki (9 goals and 8 assists in 2024), senior Noah Siegel (2 goals), and sophomore Landon Lewis (4 goals).
“Krystian has got good legs and he is just consistent,” said Kosoff. “He is just a hardworking kid and will help us. He is a yessir kind of kid. Noah is back at attack. Landon has showed some flash and some promise.”
In the offensive midfield, senior Hart Nowakoski (12 goals, 25 assists), sophomore Tucker Seamens (11 goals, 3 assists), senior Asher Lewis (5 goals, 5 assists), and senior Colton Simonds (11 goals, 9 assists) will be leading the way.
“Hart is very strong,” said Kosoff. “Tucker is good, he is a lefty and we are going to rely on him for sure. Asher is another midfield guy, he will be doing face-offs. Colton will help us, he works hard.”
Junior Ethan Mack (1 goal) and junior Nick Stivala (1 goal) will be spearheading the defensive midfield.
“Ethan is a shortstick dmiddie and he epitomizes the role,” said Kosoff. “Him and Nick are both in that role right now.”
The Panther defensive unit will feature a quartet of seniors in Wyatt Ewanchyna (3 goals, 2 assists), Reilly Gilligan, Griffin Carmody (1 assist), and Todd Devin. “Ewanchyna will end up being close defense for us,” said Kosoff. “Reilly will be helpful for us on defense, he has a great attitude, Griffin is a lacrosse-first kind of guy, he will help us too. Todd is a soccer player who is out for lacrosse. If he dials in his skills a little bit, he will be a very effective player. He is fast.”
Junior Jake Harrison (95 saves in 2024), junior Charlie West (23 saves) and sophomore Marshall Matyszczak (40 saves) will be vying for time at goalie.
“We have three goalies and they are all different and they are all pretty good,” said Kosoff. “Marshall is a really good ball stopper and Charlie can distribute. Jake has got good hands and has good positioning. He is an athlete.”
As PDS heads into the season, Kosoff is looking for his veteran players to lead on and off the field.
“I am excited to see their commitment to getting better and their commitment to each other,” said Kosoff. “This year we have a handful of seniors with guys like Wyatt, Colton, Hart, and Reilly and they are really excited to be out there. We are going to lean on those guys to be leaders by example.”
—Bill Alden
33 Princeton-Hightstown Rd Ellsworth’s Center (Near Train Station) 799-8554
Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-3:30pm
Sparked by a group of blue chip seniors, the Hun School baseball team produced a historic campaign last spring, achieving a title triple of winning the Mercer County Tournament, the Prep A tourney, and the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) championship.
While losing such stars as Charlie Batista, Sam Wright, Michael Olender, Ryan Greenstein, and E.J. Balewitz to graduation could result in a rebuilding season, Hun head coach Tom Monfiletto believes that this year’s group has the chance to make some history of its own.
“We graduated a lot and that is something that we have kind of set out there as opportunities for the young guys to take advantage of,” said Monfiletto, whose team went 20-5 in 2024. “We have been talking about it since the beginning of the school year and just emphasizing this is the production the senior class last year provided. These are the opportunities that everybody else has to either do the same or surpass it.”
Monfiletto acknowledged that seizing opportunity will be done more by committee this spring as opposed to the past.
“It will be different, last year we had some pretty incredible individual performances in certain games,” said Monfiletto. “I think this year is going to be much more of a group effort. We do have some Division
I players who can do a lot of damage. I think there are people who have gotten a lot better.”
Hun boasts a solid group of pitchers led by junior and North Carolina commit Kerrick Shannon, who was sidelined by injury last year, alibi with junior and Boston College commit Asher DeLue (1.75 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 2024).
“It is eight guys, Kerrick and Asher will start at the front of the rotation and then we will see how things go,” said Monfiletto, whose team prepped for the season with its annual preseason trip to Florida.
“Kerrick wasn’t going full tilt in Florida. When he was out there, he looks very sharp. He looks healthy and he looks great.
“We are going to ask a lot of Asher this year. He had a great end of the summer/ fall. He has been working really hard and I think it is going to show.”
Others who should get innings for the Raiders this spring include junior Aidan Heaphy (1.27 ERA, 9 strikeouts), senior Yanni Moraitis (9.19 ERA, 8 strikeouts), sophomore Will Sassman, junior Sam Amodio, junior Ben Herriott, and junior Zain Majeed.
“Aidan pitched like an ace down in Florida,” said Monfiletto. “Yanni pitched like an ace down in Florida. Will threw extremely well, he also pitched like a front of the line guy.”
The middle infield duo of senior second baseman and LaSalle University commit Nico Amecangelo (.406 batting average with 28 hits in 2024) and senior shortstop and Pepperdine University commit Will Kraemer (.216, 16 hits) will spark the Raiders at the bat and in the field.
“Will was batting second and Nico was batting fourth in Florida,” said Monfiletto. “Nico will be in the middle of the order and Will will be somewhere around the middle or the top. Will has added a little bit of power. He has better range than any shortstop I can remember. He covers more ground at short than a lot of people at that position and we have had some good ones. His first step is outstanding. Nico has gotten a lot stronger. He has always been a very consistent hitter and has only gotten better. The two of them up the middle is something that is going to be very nice to have.”
The Raiders have displayed some good hitting punch as they started the 2025 season by topping Georgetown Prep (Md.) 8-4 last Thursday and then defeating Lawrenceville 11-4 on Saturday.
Monfiletto believes that senior Antonio Destribats, junior John Rossman, junior T.J. Francis, sophomore Jackson Staples, sophomore T.J. Tiff Jr., junior Gaines Newsome, and Majeed can make an impact offensively.
“We have some players
that contributed for us a little bit last year and more in the Mercer County Tournament; people like Antonio (.231, 3 hits), John (.200, 5 hits), and T.J. (.111, 1 hit) will have really big roles for us,” said Monfiletto.
“Jackson (1.000, 1 hit) will play a major role for us, he is a very high level hitter. He did really well down here against some really good pitching. T.J. Tiff Jr. will play a big role for us. Gaines is also somebody we are excited about along with Zane.”
Starting with Amecangelo and Kraemer up the middle, Monfiletto is excited about the Hun infield which will include Jacob Lilienthal and Zach Eisenberg at catcher,
Majeed, Newsome and Staples at first base and Rossman at third. Across the outfield, Monfiletto is looking at Destribats in left, Francis in center, and Staples at right.
Sassman, Tiff, and senior Grant Gastaldello should also see time in the outfield.
While Hun will have a new look this spring, Monfiletto believes the Raiders can continue to excel.
“We have to produce runs consistently; I think there were 12 home runs in that senior class last year, I don’t know if we are going to hit
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that many this year,” said Monfiletto, whose team will look to keep on the winning track as it hosts Gloucester Catholic on April 3, plays at Peddie on April 5 and then hosts the Hill School (Pa.) on April 8.
“We will have to be a little creative in how we score. We know that we will be able run, we have a pretty fast group overall so that is exciting. I think our pitchers need to throw strikes. As long as we throw strikes, I am pretty confident in defense.” —Bill Alden
As the Hun School softball team headed into the spring, it was facing a major challenge as it looked to fill the void left by the graduation of stars and program stalwarts Lexi Kobryn and Jamie Staub.
Kobryn, who is now playing at Villanova, produced a record-breaking career for the Raiders as a pitcher and a hitter with 638 strikeouts and a 0.41 ERA and a batting average of .537 with 123 hits ands 119 RBIs while Staub, now competing for Brandeis, also starred in the circle and at the bat as she had 134 strikeouts and a 0.40 ERA and batted .427 with 88 hits and 61 RBIs.
Longtime Hun School head coach Kathy Quirk, who guided the Raiders to an 18-3 record and the Prep A state final in 2024, is looking for senior and Haverford College commit Anna Murphy to excel in the circle.
“Anna will be our No.1 pitcher, she has been working hard,” said Quirk, who will also be giving innings to senior Kailey Jacobs and freshman Payton Poandl. “We are looking forward for her to step it up. She has good movement on the ball and her speed is pretty good.”
As for the Hun batting attack, Quirk saw some good
things on team’s recent trip to Florida over spring break.
“We hit the ball well in Florida which was surprising,” said Quirk, whose team opened its 2025 season by edging Lawrenceville 7-6 last Thursday. “We didn’t know how we were going to do. I am very pleased with our batting.”
Junior star and Sacred Heart University commit Sam Jolly (.524 batting average with 33 hits in 2024) will be the table setter for the Hun batting attack.
“She will lead off like she did last year,” said Quirk of Jolly who went 3 for 3 with one run and one RBI in the win over Lawrenceville.
“She is a hardworking young lady and does a nice job for us at second base. We count on her.”
The Raiders should get some hitting punch from junior Rowan Lacy (.433, 26 hits), senior Emma Eisenberg (.306, 19 hits), and Murphy (.298, 19 hits).
“Rowan will probably bat second for us like she did last year,” said Quirk. “Down in Florida, Eisenberg batted third and Murphy batted fourth. We are looking for some big things from the two of them.”
Quirk believes that freshmen Poandl and Quinn Schweer can also contribute
“Payton has got a pretty strong bat,” said Quirk. “Quinn has been doing a nice job, she is very patient with the bat.”
The Raiders feature a battle-tested infield with Eisenberg back at catcher, Jolly at second base, Jacobs at shortstop, and slick fielding senior Brianna Riviello at third.
“I feel pretty confident with my infield,” said Quirk, who is moving Lacy to first base from the outfield.
The Raider outfield is a work in progress. “In the outfield, we are still trying to figure out our starters,” said Quirk, who is looking at senior Sophia Troiano and junior Natalia Landamia in the outfield along with a quartet of freshmen in Claudia Price, Ema Vorilova, Karis Nicolas, and Schweer.
In order to maintain the program’s winning ways, Hun will need to be fundamentally sound.
“We need to play solid defense, our defense is going to see the ball a lot more than they have the past couple of years,” said Quirk, whose team hosts the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (Pa.) on April 3 and the Pingry School on April 4 before playing at South Hunterdon in April 5 and at Villa Joseph Marie High (Pa.) on April 7. “We need to keep our bats alive.”
—Bill Alden
As Paige Meszaros took the helm of the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team last spring, she worked a number of freshmen into the rotation over the course of the season.
While Stuart took its lumps early on with many of the freshmen being new to the game, the Tartans showed growth, going 3-2 in their final five games.
Heading into the 2025 season, Stuart head coach Meszaros believes that youth movement will pay dividends.
“Last year, about half of our roster was freshmen who had never played lacrosse before and they ended up being our starters,” said Meszaros, who guided the Tartans to a 6-12 record last spring. “It was really hard to have to navigate the different levels. Coming in now, we don’t have as many girls who have never played The Tartans will be getting high level play in the midfield from prolific senior Allison Lee (88 goals and 10 assists in 2024) and her younger sister, sophomore Lauren (21 goals, 10 assists).
“I expect Allison to keep up exactly how it went last year; she is even stronger this year and has improved since last season,” said Meszaros of Lee, who has tallied 254 goals and 43 assists in her Stuart career and has committed to attend to Williams College and play for its women’s lax program. “Allison is fun to watch, her shot placement has gotten even better. She is more powerful and she puts it exactly where she wants it to go.”
It has been fun for Meszaros to see the way the Lee sisters connect in the field.
“Just watching, it looks like Lauren has gotten shiftier when she is out there, she looks quicker even than last year,” said Meszaros, whose team opens its 2025 season by hosting WW/P-North on April 2. “They work really well together. Lauren is really good with giving the team instructions and Allison is really good helping out Lauren when they are working together coming down the field.”
Junior Abby Chirik (11 goals, 3 assists) will help the Lees in the midfield.
“The three of them work really well together,” said Meszaros. “Abby is a great athlete. She has good ball sense, she knows where to be. It is good.”
On attack, senior Emily Harlan (6 goals, 13 assists) and sophomore Betsy Murphy (7 goals, 4 assists) will be leading the way.
“On attack we have Emily and Betsy,” said Meszaros.. “They are coming back, they are strong low attackers.”
Meszaros believes that defense will be a strength of the squad with the infusion of senior Annarose Bourgoin, sophomore Mayah Chennault, and the LopezSpencer sisters, senior Lola and freshman Aurelia along with the return of junior Najima Tahiry.
“We have got a few new players that are coming back like Annarose and Mayah, they had played basketball and they are going to be a
really huge help on defense as well as Lola and Aurelia,” said Meszaros. “Najima is on defense as well. She is one of those players wherever you need her, she can fit in and be there.
That unit excelled in the team’s two preseason scrimmages.
“I would say our defense with those new girls on the field really stood out,” said Meszaros. “They have ball sense, they know where to be. We are still working on our communication. But even without the communication, they have done a good job switching when they need to on ball, off ball.”
Freshman Georgia SpirkoNoto has been doing a good job of learning the goalie position.
“Her attitude is great, if somebody scores, she is ‘I will get the next one’; she is so easy going,” said Meszaros. “She is a volleyball player, she just started lacrosse this year. She is really athletic and has good size. She has quick hands and is not afraid which is so important.”
In the view of Meszaros, there is a good vibe around the team as it looks to build on last year’s progress.
“It has been easier with all of the returners, they are just the best kids,” said Meszaros. “They have all been really helpful with some of the new girls. We have been doing well with being competitive and more intense at practice. Those new girls like Mayah, Annarose, Aurelia, and Lola bring it to practice every day, making everybody else step up and making everybody else better.”
—Bill Alden
Boys’ Lacrosse : Unable to get its offense going, Hun fell 11-3 to Gill St. Bernard’s last Saturday in its season opener and first game under new head coach Joe Donnelly. In upcoming action, the Raiders play at Academy of New Church (Pa.) on April 4 and at Chatham on April 5.
Girls’ Lacrosse : Running into a buzz saw, Hun fell 15-1 to the Lawrenceville School last Monday. The Raiders, now 0-2, host Peddie on April 3 before playing at Hillsborough on April 5.
Baseball : Chris Trucano starred in a losing cause as Lawrenceville fell 11-4 to Hun last Saturday. Trucano went 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI as the Big Red moved to 1-1. Lawrenceville hosts Pennington on April 3, plays at the Hill School (Pa.) on April 5, and then hosts Peddie on April 8.
Girls’ Lacrosse : Bouncing back from a 10-5 loss to Allentown last Saturday, Lawrenceville rolled to a 15-1 win over Hun on Monday. The Big Red, now 3-1, play at Rumson Fair Haven on April 3, host the Hill Academy (Canada) on April 5 and play at the Academy of Notre Dame (Pa.) on April 8.
Girls’ Golf : Jacqueline Zang and Alice Ye led the way as PHS defeated WW/ P-North 176-213 last Monday. Zang and Ye carded 6-over scores of 42 for the Tigers in the nine-hole match, now 4-0. PHS will be competing in a tournament at Copper Hill Country Club in Ringoes on April 7.
The program is open to all interested high school players from Princeton High, Princeton Day School, Hun School, WW/P-South High, WW/P-North High, and Notre Dame High, or any players who live in the towns of Princeton and Cranbury to attend these two sessions. In addition, college aged freshman born in 2006 are also eligible to play.
travel play, individualized instruction, skills development, and fundamentals as well as league play. BBA is led by former Princeton Day School girls’ hoops coach and Philadelphia 76ers camp director and clinician Kamau Bailey.
velopment sessions for boys and girls will be held from on Mondays and Wednesdays with grades 3-6 going from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. and grades 7-8 going from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.
Boys’ Lacrosse : Running into a buzz saw, PHS fell 15-3 to powerhouse Summit last Saturday in its season opener. Senior midfielder and University of Vermont commit Brendan Beatty tallied one goal and one assist in a losing cause for the Tigers. PHS plays at Eastern on April 3 before hosting Pennsbury (Pa.) on April 5 and WW/P-South on April 8.
Boys’ Golf : Walter Gumbinger starred as PHS defeated WW/P-North 155166 last Friday. Gumbinger fired a one-under 34 for the nine-hole match as the Tigers improved to 3-0. PHS has a match against Steiner on April 2 and Hopewell
OFF AND RUNNING: Princeton High baseball player Nathan Nydick heads to first base in recent action. Last Saturday, senior Nydick went 3 for 4 with one run and one RBI as PHS defeated Notre Dame 10-1. The Tigers, who lost 9-4 to Steinert last Monday to move to 1-2, play at Princeton Day School on April 3 and at Hopewell Valley on April 5 before hosting Lawrence High on April 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Baseball: AJ Doran starred in a losing cause as PDS fell 4-2 to Lawrence High last Saturday. Doran scored one run and knocked in two for the Panthers, now 0-3. PDS hosts Princeton High on April 3 and South Hunterdon on April 8.
The Mercer County American Legion League (MCALL) season runs from late May through mid-July and involves playing approximately 20 games with teams from around the Greater Mercer County Area. The competition level is high and all players will receive adequate playing time to develop their game.
The summer fee is $645. Scholarships are available. For more information on the program and to RSVP for the tryouts, contact Jon Durbin at jonwdurbin@ gmail.com.
The BBA spring program will include boys’ travel teams (3rd-8th grades), weekly practices, and the Shot King Shooting Program and Player Development Skill Sessions for elementary and middle school players (boys and girls). BBA will also be offering a new program for kindergarten-2nd grade boys and girls, called “First Hoops FUNdamentals are Fun.”
BBA programs stress fundamentals and team play with emphasis on ball handling, shooting, passing, footwork, speed, agility, movement with and without the ball, one-on-one moves, defense, and other hoops skills.
The spring season skill de -
The BBA boys’ travel team practices will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays with grades 3-6 going from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. and grades 7-8 going from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. BBA teams will play league games on weekends at the Monroe Sports Complex
The First Hoops program will have sessions April 5 and 12 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Littlebrook Elementary School.
The BBA travel team practices and player development skill sessions will be held at the Community Park School and/or the Princeton Middle School.
For more information and to register, contact Kamau Bailey at (917) 626-5785 or kamau.bailey @gmail.com.
Baseball : Getting its Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) campaign off to a flying start, Pennington swept a doubleheader from the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) last Saturday, posting a pair of 17-0 wins. Joe Lifsted hit two homers and had eight RBIs on the day as the Red Hawks improved to 5-0. Pennington plays at Lawrenceville on April 3 before hosting Lawrence High on April 5 and Hightstown on April 8.
Princeton Post 218 Baseball Holding Player Evaluations
The Princeton American Legion Post 218 baseball team is holding player evaluations/workouts on April 13 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Smoyer Field and on April 27 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Smoyer Park.
The Princeton Athletic Club (PAC) will be holding a 6,000-meter cross country run at the Institute Woods on April 5.
The 6,000-meter run starts at 10 a.m. from the Princeton Friends School and is limited to 200 participants. The event is chip timed. All abilities are invited, including those who prefer to walk the course.
Online registration and full event details are available at princetonac.org.
The PAC is a nonprofit running club for the community. The club, an allvolunteer organization, promotes running for the fun and health of it and stages several running events each year.
Bailey Basketball Academy Offering Spring Programs
The Bailey Basketball Academy (BBA) has announced the schedule for its upcoming spring hoops programs.
Participants will have an opportunity for competitive
Princeto
Princeton Prospect Foundation is pleased to announce free public access to Princeton University’s iconic eating clubs where generations of students have taken meals and socialized in historic and architecturally significant clubhouses that date as
Upcoming open houses will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following
Princeton Prospect Foundation is pleased to announce free public access to Princeton University’s iconic eating clubs where generations of students have taken meals and socialized in historic and architecturally significant clubhouses that date as far back as 1895. Upcoming open houses will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates (no reservations are required):
Established in 1947
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(no reservations are required):
rinceton University’s iconic eating clubs where generations of students have taken meals and socialized in historic and architecturally significant clubhouses that date as far back as 1895. Upcoming open houses will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following dates (no reservations are required):
Sun., Oct. 6th: Cannon Club, Colonial Club, Cottage Club, Quadrangle Club, Terrace Club, Tower Club
Sun., Oct. 6th: Cannon Club, Colonial Club, Cottage Club, Quadrangle Club, Terrace Club, Tower Club
Sun., Mar. 30th: Cannon Club, Cap & Gown Club, Colonial Club, Ivy Club, Terrace Club, Tower Club
Sun., Oct. 20th: Cap & Gown Club, Charter Club, Cloister Inn, Ivy Club, Tiger Inn
Sun., Oct. 20th: Cap & Gown Club, Charter Club, Cloister Inn, Ivy Club, Tiger Inn
Sun., Apr. 6th: Charter Club, Cloister Inn, Cottage Club, Quadrangle Club, Tiger Inn
The fascinating origins and evolution of the clubs, along with many archival images and spectacular photos, are presented in The Princeton Eating Clubs, written by awardwinning author Clifford W. Zink in 2017. This beautiful book is available at Labyrinth Books and the Princeton University Store, and on Amazon.
The fascinating origins and evolution of the clubs, along with many archival images and spectacular photos, are presented in The Princeton Eating Clubs, written by awardwinning author Clifford W. Zink in 2017. This beautiful book is available at Labyrinth Books and the Princeton University Store, and on Amazon.
The fascinating origins and evolution of the clubs, along with many archival images and spectacular photos, are presented in The Princeton Eating Clubs, written by award-winning author Clifford W. Zink in 2017. This beautiful book is available at Labyrinth Books and the Princeton University Store, and on Amazon.
For more information, go to: http://princetonprospectfoundation.org
For more information, go to: http://princetonprospectfoundation.org
For more information, go to: http://princetonprospectfoundation.org
pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
Theological Seminary Presents MLK Jr. Lecture
The Princeton Theological Seminary presents The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture 2025 on Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m., at the Princeton Public Library, 65 Witherspoon Street, with Professor Brandon Terry, the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University. The event will also be streamed on YouTube.
RSVP to attend in person or online at ptsem. formstack.com/forms/ mlk_2025.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
This event will also include a public conversation between Terry and Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, professor at Princeton University.
Movement . He is currently at work on a book on the political thought and judgment of Malcolm X, tentatively titled Home to Roost: Malcolm X Between Prophecy and Peril. He has published work in many journals.
Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. He chaired Princeton’s Center for African American Studies, 2009–2015 and continued in the position 2015–2023 as it expanded to its current form, the Department of African American Studies. He has written five books and edited two more, and is a contributor to MSNBC.
This event is presented in partnership with the Princeton Theological Seminary and the Princeton Public Library and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
music with the spirit and energy of bluegrass. Written in 2006, it includes 12 movements with ballads and one instrumental movement, interspersed between the traditional major sections Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Benediction. Text by Marisha Chamberlain.
A free-will offering will be collected for the Society of St. Andrew (endhunger. org). The Society of St. Andrew brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
available to you
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
Sutphen Memorials Inc. has been helping families design and creates fine granite and bronze memorials for five generations in the Greater Princeton Area. We pride ourselves on being a small boutique-type, personal and service-oriented business. A.L. Duryee Monuments has been in Hightstown, NJ since 1909 and is located next to Cedar Hill Cemetery. Full monument display and storefront to help guide you throughout the selection process. Family owned and operated by Doug Sutphen Sr. and son Doug Sutphen Jr., who have both been raised in the cemetery business and understand the fine details of a delicate time.
Nassau Presbyterian Church is presenting a Choral Evening Service on Saturday, April 5, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the church, 61 Nassau Street. The concert will be will be livestreamed at nassauchurch.org.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you. ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection. We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you.
We pride ourselves on being a small, personal, and service oriented family business. With five generations of experience, we are here to help guide you through the difficult process of monument selection.
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
We encourage you to make an appointment, with no obligation, to discuss the many options available to you
ITS
EASIER THAN
YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE
ITS EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO MAKE THE PERFECT MEMORIAL
Terry is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and the co-director of the Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. An award-winning scholar of African American political thought, political theory, and the politics of race and inequality, Terry is the editor, with Tommie Shelby, of To Shape a New World: Essays on the Political Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. a nd the editor of Fifty Years Since MLK. His forthcoming book is Shattered Dreams, Infinite Hope: A Tragic Vision of the Civil Rights
The free program will be performed by the church’s Adult Choir, and the Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective, presenting The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass by Carol Barnett (composer). The Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective instrumentation includes the fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, and acoustic bass.
The piece combines the sacred traditions of choral
Christ Congregation Offers Music Fellowship Christ Congregation, 50 Walnut Lane, presents Church Music Fellowship on Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m., featuring area pianist Sam Waltemyer. Enjoy, meditate, and sing during a relaxing evening blending favorite hymn music with gospel and contemporary Christian influences. The event is free. With a diverse performance history across various regions, Waltemyer has established himself as a versatile and engaging musician whose repertoire blends traditional hymn music with southern gospel and contemporary Christian influences, according to his website. For more information, visit ccprinceton.org.
Tell them you saw their ad in
8:00 am: Holy Communion Rite I 10:30 am: Holy Communion Rite II 5:00 pm: Choral Evensong or Choral Compline
Rev. Paul Jeanes III, Rector The Rev. Canon Dr. Kara Slade, Assoc. Rector
Mercer St. Princeton • 609-924-2277 www.trinityprinceton.org
Vespers 5pm • Sunday Divine Liturgy Pescantified Liturgy Wednesdays during Lent 6pm 930am • www.mogoca.org
YARD SALE + TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIED = GREAT WEEKEND!
Put an ad in the TOWN TOPICS to let everyone know! Call (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifieds@towntopics.com
DEADLINE: Tues before 12 noon tf
HOUSECLEANING: Experienced, English-speaking, great references, reliable with own transportation. Weekly & bi-weekly cleaning. Green cleaning available. Call Susan at (732) 873-3168.
05-28
HOME HEALTH AIDE: 25 years of experience. Available mornings to take care of your loved one, transport to appointments, run errands. I am well known in Princeton. Top care, excellent references. The best! Call (609) 356-2951 or (609) 751-1396. tf
LOLIO’S WINDOW WASHING & POWER WASHING: Free estimate. Next day service. Fully insured. Gutter cleaning available. References available upon request. 30 years experience. (609) 271-8860. tf JOE’S LANDSCAPING INC. OF PRINCETON Property Maintenance and Specialty Jobs Commercial/Residential Over 45 Years of Experience • Fully Insured • Free Consultations Email: joeslandscapingprinceton@ gmail.com Text
E-Z LAWN CARE AND DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS
Low impact • septic repairs free estimates (908) 399-6770 04-02
DOWNTOWN PRINCETON
APARTMENTS FOR RENT
1 and 3 bedrooms ranging from $2,250 to $3,790, parking included. Wooden floors and abundant light. (609) 613-0769. 04-02
SOLANOS LANDSCAPING: SERVICES FOR LAWN CARE, LANDSCAPING AND MORE (732) 619-0597
Will work in Princeton and surrounding areas. Call for an estimate or appointment. 04-02
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. tf
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
ESTATE LIQUIDATION SERVICE:
I will clean out attics, basements, garages & houses. Single items to entire estates. No job too big or small. In business over 35 years, serving all of Mercer County. Call (609) 306-0613. tf
WE BUY CARS
Belle Mead Garage (908) 359-8131 Ask for Chris
WHAT’S A GREAT GIFT FOR A FORMER PRINCETONIAN?
A Gift Subscription!
Call (609) 924-2200, ext 10 circulation@towntopics.com tf
YARD SALE + TOWN TOPICS CLASSIFIED = GREAT WEEKEND!
Put an ad in the TOWN TOPICS to let everyone know! Call (609) 924-2200 ext. 10; classifieds@towntopics.com
DEADLINE: Tues before 12 noon tf
HOUSECLEANING: Experienced, English-speaking, great references, reliable with own transportation. Weekly & bi-weekly cleaning. Green cleaning available. Call Susan at (732) 873-3168.
05-28
HOME HEALTH AIDE: 25 years of experience. Available mornings to take care of your loved one, transport to appointments, run errands. I am well known in Princeton. Top care, excellent references. The best! Call (609) 356-2951 or (609) 751-1396. tf
LOLIO’S WINDOW WASHING & POWER WASHING: Free estimate. Next day service. Fully insured. Gutter cleaning available. References available upon request. 30 years experience. (609) 271-8860.
tf
JOE’S LANDSCAPING INC. OF PRINCETON
Property Maintenance and Specialty Jobs
Commercial/Residential
Over 45 Years of Experience • Fully Insured • Free Consultations Email: joeslandscapingprinceton@ gmail.com
Text (only): (609) 356-9201 Office: (609) 216-7936
Princeton References
• Green Company HIC #13VH07549500 tf
HOME REPAIR SPECIALIST:
Interior/exterior repairs, carpentry, trim, rotted wood, power washing, painting, deck work, sheet rock/ spackle, gutter & roofing repairs. Punch list is my specialty. 40 years experience. Licensed & insured. Call Creative Woodcraft (609) 586-2130
tf
24/7 PROFESSIONAL NURSES AND AIDES
Personal care, nutrition, social activities, support, respite care & family relief. Live-in and live-out in the greater Princeton and other NJ areas.
Personal Home Care of Hillsborough (609) 216-5000 or (908) 306-0985 tf
TK PAINTING: Interior, exterior. Power-washing, wallpaper removal, plaster repair, deck staining. Renovation of kitchen cabinets. Front door & window refinishing. Excellent references. Free estimates. Call (609) 947-3917.
07-30
E-Z LAWN CARE AND DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS
Low impact • septic repairs free estimates (908) 399-6770 04-02
Pricing a home correctly is both an art and a science. But what if your listing isn ’t generating offers? Knowing when to adjust the price is key to keeping your home competitive.
A general rule of thumb: If your home has been on the market for two weeks with no offers, it might be overpriced. Serious buyers often act fast when they see a good deal. If it’s been three weeks with no more showings , interest may have waned, signaling the need for an adjustment.
Another crucial factor is new competing inventory . If similar homes are hitting the market at lower prices, your home may no longer be the best value. Monitor market conditions, listen to feedback from showings, and adjust proactively rather than reactively.
Price reductions should be strategic not just dropping the price, but repositioning it to attract buyers while staying competitive in the market.
130 Library Place Princeton, NJ | $3,950,000
Barbara Blackwell: 609.915.5000 callawayhenderson.com/id/NTV4WN
Introducing: 60 Philip Drive Princeton, NJ | $3,295,000 Princeton Office: 609.921.1050 callawayhenderson.com/id/HS9PXE
Introducing: 99 South Main Street Lambertville, NJ | $1,350,000
Cynthia Shoemaker-Zerrer: 609.915.8399 callawayhenderson.com/id/9LDBDC
Introducing: 7 Green Avenue
Montgomery Township, NJ | $775,000
Clare Mackness: 609.454.1436 callawayhenderson.com/id/X8ZGC2
Introducing: 721 Avery Lane Princeton, NJ | $3,399,000 Princeton Office: 609.921.1050 callawayhenderson.com/id/L2TLVX
Introducing: 63 Greenhouse Drive Princeton, NJ | $2,895,000 Maura Mills: 609.947.5757 callawayhenderson.com/id/2JLMF8
Introducing: 35 Hardy Drive Princeton, NJ | $1,295,000 Sylmarie (“Syl”) Trowbridge: 917.386.5880 callawayhenderson.com/id/L32H9N
Introducing: 108 Grand View Avenue Hopewell Township, NJ | $695,000
Deborah T. Carter: 908.303.4320 callawayhenderson.com/id/JYTHJW
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Owned
Introducing: 429 Wendover Drive Princeton, NJ | $2,875,000 Maura Mills: 609.947.5757 callawayhenderson.com/id/VP82MF
Introducing: 23 Wyckoff Drive Hopewell Township, NJ | $899,000
Amy Granato: 917.848.8345 callawayhenderson.com/id/EXV43B
Introducing: 111 Biscayne Court, Unit 8 West Windsor Township, NJ | $425,000
Sarah Strong Drake: 908.229.4260 callawayhenderson.com/id/JWN9ER