September 7, 2016

Ready to Read

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Maxine Finger, shown here with Quinton and Ava at Littlebrook School, is one of the more than 100 members of the Princeton Senior Resource Center’s popular GrandPals program, which takes adult volunteers into the Princeton Public Schools to help promote a love of learning. On Wednesday, September 21 at 10:30 a.m. in the Suzanne Patterson Building at 45 Stockton Street, volunteers will gather to learn about the program and sign up to read to children every week. GrandPals, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, encourages intergenerational friendships and pairs volunteers with one to two children for the year. You don’t have to be a grandparent to participate; just 50 or older. To register, call Olivian Boon at (609) 924-7108.

Peter Peng Helps U.S. Team to Gold Medal; PRISMS Student Stars in Hong Kong Olympiad

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NOT RIO, BUT HONG KONG: Junyao (Peter) Peng (right), with his PRISMS math teacher Joseph Li, shows off his gold medal, won as a member of the U.S. team at the 57th International Mathematical Olympiad in Hong Kong this past summer. (Photo Courtesy of PRISMS)

Rio was not the only spot on the globe for Olympian accomplishments and impressive displays of gold medals this past summer.  more

Farm-Friendly

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Weidel Real Estate recently celebrated its 13th annual “Bring the Farm to the People” corn harvest at the Weidel Family Farm in Pennington. Volunteers harvested and delivered corn to local food banks, area shelters, and businesses in the surrounding area including Farmers Against Hunger, Rolling Havest Food Rescue, HomeFront, and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. “For the past 100 years, Weidel has been committed to giving back to continue strengthening our communities,” says Richard Weidel III, Executive Vice President. “Providing fresh corn to people throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania is just one way we can help to make a difference in the areas we proudly serve.”

NJ Heart and Stroke Patients Can Access Support Network

After a heart attack or stroke, following the doctor’s orders is important for physical recovery, but emotional support is just as important for cardiac and stroke survivors.

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association offers an online support network to help heart and stroke patients, as well as their families and caregivers. Like a conventional support group, the support network connects patients who are going through similar journeys. The monitored network also gives individuals access to experts via online chats and webinars, as well as personal insights from fellow survivors and caregivers. more

On Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Shakespeare Has Room for Everyone, Including Gene Wilder

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I’m an actor, not a clown.

— Gene Wilder (1933-2016)

Gene Wilder made his acting debut at 15 with a small role in a high-school staging of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was his teacher again at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1955, and his first professional performance was as the Second Officer in a Cambridge, Mass. production of Twelfth Night. After studying method acting with Lee Strasberg, he changed his birth name to Gene Wilder because, according to a 2005 interview in the Daily Telegraph, “Jerry Silberman in Macbeth did not have the right ring to it.” more

Satterfield, Mandel Honored At PCDO Fall Fundraiser

On Sunday, September 11 from 4 to 6 p.m., the Princeton Community Democratic Organization will honor Shirley Satterfield and Ruth Mandel at its fall fundraiser, at the home of Liz and David Cohen, 135 Terhune Road.

Ms. Satterfield is being recognized for her creative work in promoting understanding of the important historic contributions of Princeton’s African American community. Ms. Mandel will be honored for her role as founder and director of the Eagleton Institute’s Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.  more

Three-Year Traveling Exhibit Premieres at D&R Greenway

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“RED HEADED WOODPECKER”: D&R Greenway Land Trust will host the premiere exhibition of “Conserve Wildlife’s Rare Wildlife Revealed: The James Fiorentino Traveling Art Exhibition,” on view September 12 through October 14. Former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean will be a special guest at the reception. Pictured here is James Florentino’s “Red Headed Woodpecker.” His works depict some of the state’s most endangered and vulnerable species.

D&R Greenway Land Trust will host the premiere exhibition of Conserve Wildlife’s Rare Wildlife Revealed: The James Fiorentino Traveling Art Exhibition, on view September 12 through October 14, with an opening reception Friday, September 30, 5:30–7:30 p.m.  more

Where Art and Nature Intersect

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The Hunterdon Art Museum and Hoffman’s Crossing are partnering to offer a variety of classes and workshops focused largely on the environment and the beautiful space at Hoffman’s Crossing. (Photo Courtesy of Dennis Balodis)

Village Renaissance Faire

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Suspend disbelief this September and be entertained by hundreds of performers at the 17th Annual Village Renaissance Faire at the Middletown Grange Fairgrounds, 576 Penns Park Road in Wrightstown, Pa on September 17 and 18 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors of all ages will enjoy performances of jousting, falconry, fire breathing, human chess, archery, puppetry, juggling, dancing, petting zoo, and more. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Parking is free. 

2016 Seuls en Scène French Theater Festival

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PRINCETON FRENCH THEATER FESTIVAL: Antoine Mathieu and Marie Desgranges in “Ceux qui restent (The Ones Who Remain),” which will be presented on September 30 and October 1 as part of the Princeton French Theater Festival. Most performances will be in French, some with English supertitles, and are free and open to the public. Performances will be held at venues across Princeton University. (Photo Credit: Raynaud de Lage)

Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, Department of French and Italian, and L’Avant-Scène will present the fifth annual Seuls en Scène, French Theater Festival, which will take place from September 22 through October 6 at venues across the University’s campus. Most performances will be in French, some with English supertitles, and are free and open to the public. more

Princeton Grad Performs at One Table Cafe

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Lawrence Township resident and 2015 Princeton University alumna Katie Welsh (Lawrence High School Salutatorian, 2011) will perform at Trinity Church’s One Table Café on Friday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m. Welsh specializes in musical theater and recently made her debut in the New York cabaret scene. One Table Café provides three-course meals and entertainment on a “pay as you can” basis. Dress is casual and reservations are required by calling (609) 216-7770. Proceeds benefit the Trinity Church Hunger Fund. 

August 31, 2016

Bike Culture

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Bicycle awareness is evident all over the Princeton University campus thanks to the expanded bike-share program. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

PHS Athletic Director John Miranda Dies

JohnMirandaOver the last two weeks, Princeton High athletes have been gearing up for the upcoming fall season, undergoing grueling practice sessions from the Valley Road complex to the turf field on campus.

But as last Monday morning dawned sunny and clear, a pall was cast over the school and fields as the news that John Miranda, the district’s popular Athletic Director and Supervisor of Health and Physical Education, had passed away.

In a statement issued Monday on the Princeton Public Schools website, it was revealed that Mr. Miranda, 57, died “suddenly” on August 28. He had taken a leave of absence this past spring due to health issues.

The stocky, silver-haired athletic director was a constant presence on the sidelines of PHS games, chatting affably with players, coaches, and officials alike as he oversaw the action. more

No New Information About Swimmer’s Death At Community Park Pool

Since the August 20 death of 24-year-old Colin Simonelli of Princeton, who was found “unresponsive” at 2 p.m. in the shallow part of the main swimming pool at Community Park, the most pressing question has been how this could have happened on a busy Saturday afternoon with 12 lifeguards on duty, two at the main pool. According to the town’s spokesman, municipal administrator Marc Dashield, the matter is currently under investigation by the Princeton Police Department. more

With School Opening, Superintendent Cochrane Wants Students To See Beyond Sound Bites

Has there ever been a more challenging time to prepare young people to enter and engage with the world they will be living in? That’s the job of the Princeton Public Schools, and Superintendent Steve Cochrane has some ideas about how to do it. more

Community Spirit Over Poverty At Music Camp in Haitian City

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Unlike his students in Princeton and West Windsor, the young string players who studied with Paul Manulik at the CEMUCHCA (Circle of Christian Musicians of Cap-Haitian) Music Camp in Haiti this summer didn’t have video games or other devices to distract them. That made the two weeks that Mr. Manulik and his wife Lindsay Diehl spent volunteering at the camp all the more meaningful.

Mr. Manulik and Ms. Diehl are the directors of the Princeton String Academy, which they founded in 2008. Recently, they were looking for a music-related summer teaching experience in the Caribbean, a region that Ms. Diehl, who grew up in Trinidad, knows well.

“On the internet, we found this place in the colonial city of Cap Haitian that looked really interesting to me at first because of the art from there,” said Ms. Diehl, who majored in art history in college. “And Paul knew someone who ran a school in Haiti. The connections were made and we got to go. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. The kids were so enthusiastic.” more

Princeton Ski Club Votes To Change Its Name

The Board of Directors of the Princeton Ski Club has voted to change the name of the club to The Princeton Ski and Sail Club to connote the broader reach of the club’s activities.

The name Princeton Ski Club has always been a bit of a misnomer for a club that, in addition to downhill and cross country skiing, sponsors summer sailing, barbecues, get-togethers, bike rides, parties, golf, canoe trips, concerts, theater trips, and scavenger hunts. Founded in 1957, the club was initially for skiing only.  more

Hughes Urges Residents To Prepare for Emergencies

National Preparedness Month, and Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes is taking this opportunity to advise county residents and businesses to plan and prepare for hazards, natural or manmade, that could affect them.

“As we move into this year’s storm season, it’s a good time to remind people that we all need to be ready for a severe weather event or other type of large-scale emergency,” Mr. Hughes said. “Don’t put yourself or others at risk by waiting until the last minute to prepare.”  more

Historic Camp Meeting Revival in Skillman

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On Saturday, September 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Skillman Park will be the site of an historic reenactment of a camp meeting revival. Wear your Sunday best and bring friends, family, blanket, chairs, and a picnic lunch. Proceeds will benefit the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum. Speakers include Rev. Michael Diggs, Sr. and Rev. Tom Hills. The Second Calvary Choir of Hopewell and the First Baptist Choir of Pennington will also perform. This event is sponsored by the Stoutsburg Cemetery Association and the Sourland Conservancy.

Allegiant Airline to Serve Florida at Trenton-Mercer Airport

Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes has announced that the low-fare airline Allegiant will offer new nonstop service to three Florida destinations from Trenton-Mercer Airport beginning in early November.

Allegiant will offer nonstop service to Orlando/Sanford, with flights three times a week beginning Nov. 3; Punta Gorda, with twice-weekly flights beginning Nov. 3; and Tampa/St. Pete, with twice-weekly flights beginning Nov. 4. more

There’s More to “Stranger Things” and the Girl Called Eleven Than Are Dreamt of in Our Philosophy

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Responses to Stranger Things, the Netflix summer sensation from Matt and Ross Duffer, have placed the eight-part series in the context of 1980s pop culture, sci-fi/horror flicks, and the novels of Stephen King. There’s more of the same in Monday’s New York Times under a head that refers to how Stranger Things and another show “feed nostalgia with a historical remix.” If that’s so, then the remix goes centuries beyond the 1980s, which means that anyone patronizing the show should heed the message from Hamlet obliquely echoed in its title: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,”

In addition to Shakespeare circa 1603, Stranger Things evokes the 1970s by way of Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the early 1990s through David Lynch’s network television landmark Twin Peaks. more

Getting Buggy

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Saturday, September 10 is the day for the 14th annual Insect Festival sponsored by the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County. From 1-4 p.m. at Mercer Educational Gardens, 431A Federal City Road in Hopewell Township, check out all manner of bugs with games and activities highlighting their importance in our lives. There’s even a Big Bug Band with a sing-along accompanied by “kid-made” instruments. All of this is free and held rain or shine. Visit mgofmc.org for more information.

With 2 Double-Digit Win Seasons Not Ending in NCAAs, Princeton Men’s Soccer Looking to Get Over the Hump

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BOOT CAMP: Princeton University men’s soccer player Greg Seifert boots the ball in action last fall. Senior defender Seifert provides experience and athleticism to the Tiger back line. Princeton opens it 2016 campaign on September 3 when it plays at West Virginia (1-1). (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Even though the Princeton University men’s soccer team has posted double-digit win seasons in the last two years, it has been left with an empty feeling. more

Chambers Join Forces For Global Business Summit

The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Middlesex County Regional Chamber and European American Chamber will hold the inaugural 2016 Global Business Summit, “Engaging Connections and Meaningful Opportunities on a Global Scale.” This tri-Chamber regional Global Business Summit will take place on September 29 at the DoubleTree Princeton from 8-11:30 a.m. more

Apple Season Arrives At Terhune Orchards

Pick-your-own apple season at Terhune Orchards has arrived along with the beginning of the school year. The official kickoff takes place at the Van Kirk Road orchard on Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From Saturday on, the orchard will be open every day for apple picking from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting, through October.  more