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(Photo by E.J. Greenblat) ARTS COUNCIL’S NEW FACE: The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will launch the new Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, designed by architect Michael Graves, on Thursday, June 5. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony there will be a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. for “Return: Home,” the inaugural exhibition, which will continue through September 6 in the Peg and Frank Taplin Gallery, located on the first floor of the new Center. Curated by ACP executive director Jeff Nathanson on the occasion of the Arts Council’s return to its home in downtown Princeton after two and a half years in temporary locations, the exhibit features 11 New Jersey-affiliated artists who explore the meaning of home from personal, political and cultural perspectives.

Merwick Rezoning Pushes Senior Housing Debate

Linda Arntzenius

At last week’s meeting of Princeton Borough Council, the revised zoning ordinance for 30 acres of land occupied by Princeton HealthCare System’s Merwick Rehab Hospital and Nursing facility, Princeton University’s Stanworth Apartments, and the YM/YWCA was unanimously approved after discussion by Council members, and comments from the public and representatives of Princeton University.

Trustee’s Traffic Plan Unsettles Residents and Planning Board

Ellen Gilbert

The presentation of a “traffic/circulation plan” by Princeton University Trustees was the main focus of Thursday’s Regional Planning Board meeting.

Greenview Condo Hearing Continues; Hillier’s Witnesses Cross-Examined

Linda Arntzenius

A proposed condominium project by architect J. Robert Hillier along Greenview Avenue in Princeton Borough received heavy scrutiny last Wednesday from the Borough’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.

DVD Review

James Stewart at 100: Moments You Never Forget

Stuart Mitchner

In films, what everyone is striving for is to produce moments,” Princeton graduate James M. Stewart ‘32, born 100 years ago yesterday, told an audience at the British Film Theatre in 1972. “Not a performance, not a characterization, not something where you get into the part — you produce moments.” He recalled shooting a western (The Far Country) on location in British Columbia when a grizzled stranger “came out of the mist…and looked at me and said, ‘Oh, yeah. Yeah. I recognize ya. Well, I heard you was here, and I thought I’d come up and say hello. I’ve seen a lot of your picture shows, but I think the one I liked best — you were in this room. And your girlfriend was in the next room and there were fireflies outside, and you recited a piece of poetry to her.’”

It's New to Us

Dresses for Proms, Parties, Picnics Are Highlighted at Kiki D’s Dresses

Fluted hemlines, bubble bottoms, kerchief hems, long dresses, short dresses — the feminine focus is on display at Kiki D’s Dresses in the Princeton North Shopping Center. Owner Mary Hagemann opened the shop in February, with an emphasis on prom dresses. “I’d been wanting to start my own business for a couple of years,” she explains. “I thought a dress shop focusing on prom dresses was a good idea. Last year, my daughter and I had to go to Pennsylvania to find one.

Sotto Ristorante and Lounge Offers Authentic Italian Cuisine

Sotto Ristorante and Lounge at 128 Nassau Street is unique — an Italian grotto in the heart of downtown Princeton. Customers who descend to this subterranean location will find a romantic, old-world Italian restaurant, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere that invites diners to relax and linger.

“People can look at the entrance upstairs and have no idea of what’s down here. The subterranean setting is very European, very cosmopolitan, and it’s unusual for Princeton,” says owner Rich Carnevale.