Town Topics Newspaper September 23, 2015 by Witherspoon Media Group

TOWN TOPICS, PRINCETON, N.J., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEmbER 23, 2015 • 12

Mailbox Petition to Change Date Could Undermine The Spirit and Concept of Communiversity

To the Editor: There is currently a petition circulating in Princeton collecting signatures to present to the mayor and Council. It requests that they vote to deny any future application from the organizers of the annual Communiversity festival to hold the event on Sunday. Some petitioners have been rather aggressive in their quest to gather signatures. I was chastised when I refused to sign. They are also getting signatures from non-Princeton residents. In order for a petition to be considered, the signers must live or work in the town. The petition was started by former Mayor Jim Floyd and an ad-hoc group of residents of the Witherspoon-Jackson community who claim that the decision by the festival organizers to move the event from Saturday to Sunday caused “parking nightmares” and had a “devastating effect” on the African American churches in their community. The festival places a burden on all the churches in the heart of town on that Sunday, but some members of the Witherspoon-Jackson churches are the only ones who have made it an issue. It’s only one Sunday. Two years ago, the festival day was changed to Sunday when the Nassau Street merchants complained that Communiversity had a negative impact on their Saturday sales because people shopped at the festival and not in their stores. The merchants said fewer people shopped on Sunday, so their sales were not as severely impacted. Some Jewish residents said they felt left out because Saturday was their Sabbath and they were not able to participate in the festivities. I am a member of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, one of the churches in the Witherspoon-Jackson

Princeton’s Tony® Award-Winning Theater

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Community. I and members of our Outreach Committee have happily joined the celebration with a booth at Communiversity for the past five years. It is always a fun and exciting experience. I attended a review meeting following the 2014 festival that included Jeff Nathanson, the executive director of the Arts Council of Princeton, which sponsors the Communiversity festival, representatives of the police and fire departments, representatives of the merchants of Princeton, pastors and members of other churches in the Witherspoon-Jackson Community. The discussion revolved around the Saturday vs. Sunday issue. Mr. Nathanson, and the members of the police department, promised to reach out to members of the Witherspoon-Jackson Community to remind them of the changes for that one Sunday. The representatives of the churches said they would notify their members of the changes. It appeared to me the issue was settled. Communiversity was started in 1971 to unite Princeton University and the Princeton communities in a day of celebration and mutual respect. Now, as we all know, it has become a beloved annual regional event that draws almost 45,000 people. The petition could change all that by igniting an ugly and divisive “us vs. them” debate that would undermine the very concept of Communiversity — bringing the communities together. It would be a shame to let that happen. AlyCE BUSh loomis Court

Our District Representatives Get High Marks From the NRA, Vote Against Family Planning

To the Editor: There may be those like the Republican state legislator [Senator Christopher Bateman] who recently asserted that Princeton Democrats should support our Republican state representatives in the upcoming election in a spirit of nonpartisanship [Mailbox, Sept.16]. That argument may fool Donald Trump voters, but the reality is that politics is partisan and that partisan legislative voting is a tangible manifestation of our values. Princetonians should understand that we are currently represented in the assembly by three Republicans who consistently and reliably support Governor Christie’s right-wing agenda. For example, Assemblywoman Donna Simon received an A+ rating from the NRA. She has always voted against funding for family planning, and she was endorsed by the tea party. Jack Ciattarelli is slightly less right-wing, receiving a B+ from the NRA, but he also rejects all funding for family planning. When New Jersey’s governor brags in national debates about how he has advanced his conservative agenda in a Democratic-leaning state, we can thank Princeton’s current assembly representatives. But on Election Day, November 3, we can get ourselves to the polls and vote for new representatives. We have two excellent Democratic candidates: Maureen Vella, a former judge, and Andrew Zwicker, a physicist. I hope you will join me in turning our district in a new direction and support Zwicker and Vella for Assembly. BETh hEAlEy Moore Street

Weddings

Beth Ridley and Rafi Witten

Ridley-Witten: Beth Ridley, daughter of Bill and Brenda Ridley of Oakland, Maine to Rafi Witten, son of Chiara Nappi and Edward Witten of Princeton, New Jersey on August 22 at Clark’s Cove, Walpole, Maine. The bride is a graduate of Stanford University and is currently a Product Operations manager at Zenefits, a benefits-management technology company. The groom also graduated from Stanford University and is currently Chief Technology Officer at MTailor, an online clothing retailer. The couple resides in San Francisco.

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KEN LUDWIG’S Apple Muffins

Sue Dower, Princeton NJ.

DIRECTED BY STEPHEN WADSWORTH

OCTOBER 13 – NOVEMBER 1, 2015 One hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three girlfriends, and a stadium filled with screaming fans. What could possibly go wrong? Comedy mastermind Ken Ludwig (Baskerville) returns to McCarter for the world premiere sequel to his sidesplitting international hit Lend Me a Tenor. A co-production with CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

609-258-2787 | www.mccarter.org McCarter programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar 3 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup Apple Cider 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 cup apples; peeled, cored and diced Baking cups Directions: •Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pan with baking cups. •In a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; combine well. •In a separate bowl, add apple cider, oil and egg and mix well with hand mixer. •Add combined dry ingredients and stir just until moistened; batter will be lumpy. Add apples and stir. •Fill baking cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If serving warm, let cool for a minute or two and then serve.