By Anne Levin

Betty Wold Johnson, who provided major support to many local civic, community, and arts organizations, has died at the age of 99. The Hopewell resident, who formerly lived in Princeton at a house she recently donated to The Hun School, was the mother of New York Jets owners Christopher Johnson and Woody Johnson, who is the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Johnson was married to Robert Wood Johnson III, grandson of the founder of the Johnson & Johnson Company. They had five children before his death in 1970. She married Douglas Bushnell in 1978. He died in 2007.

Though she was quiet about it, Johnson’s generosity to local causes was well known. She recently donated $500,000 in honor of McCarter Theatre’s departing Artistic Director and Resident Playwright Emily Mann. She was a fan of McCarter productions and attended many performances and gala celebrations.

“I loved Betty Wold Johnson. I loved her generosity, her tough mindedness and her wisdom,” said Mann in a statement. “I reveled in her warmth which covered a spine of steel. If she believed in you, she let you know it, and she always set the bar high. Bless you, Betty, for all you asked of us and all you gave us. I am only one of many who will miss you sorely.”

When the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad broke ground for its new home last year, Johnson was on hand for the celebration. “The Johnson family has been engaged with the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad since 1939 when we stocked our first ambulance with medical supplies, many from Johnson & Johnson,” said Mark Freda, president of the squad. “And for many decades, Betty Wold Johnson continued to support us, most recently with a generous gift to our capital campaign for our new building. Something we were surprised to learn about Betty was her keen interest in building design. She clearly enjoyed touring our new building while still under construction last October, asking many detailed construction related questions. We are very pleased that she got to see the building as it came close to being completed.”  more

KEEPING AUDIENCES ENGAGED: When American Repertory Ballet streamed excerpts from its recent production of “Giselle” to patrons, the favorable response encouraged the company to continue presenting online content once it is safe to return to live performances.

By Anne Levin

Last Thursday evening, Princeton University Art Museum Director James Steward delivered a public lecture online. A total of 965 people participated, more than the museum would ever be able to squeeze into its auditorium.

On May 2, McCarter Theatre Center streamed an online tribute to outgoing Artistic Director Emily Mann, with tributes from several well-known actors and theater professionals. More than 3,000 people watched from their homes.

Originally envisioned as a way to keep patrons engaged during the COVID-19 shutdown, the use of online content by arts organizations has turned out to be more than just a stopgap measure. Locally, nationally, and internationally, museums, theater companies, dance troupes, orchestras, and presenting organizations are finding a favorable response to the variety of programs they are making available online — so much so that they are planning to incorporate it into their regular schedules and repertories.

“There is a set of outreach opportunities that is now possible because of the digital efforts we’ve made. Why would we not try to sustain them?” said Steward. “Going forward, it has to be both. Once you open the door and discover that people not just locally, but in geographically remote areas are actually hungry for your content, it presents a wonderful opportunity.” more

By Anne Levin

A presentation by Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Business Administrator Matt Bouldin was among the items at Princeton Council’s May 11 meeting, held virtually via Zoom. Bouldin and PPS Finance Chair Brian McDonald updated the governing body on the budget, which was recently passed by the Board of Education.

Bouldin discussed efforts that have been made since the COVID-19 crisis closed the schools. “The good news is that we should have some net savings for our current budget year, which should allow us to add some fund balance or cash in the bank,” he said. “We don’t know yet how much that will be.”

McDonald added that they have been working hard to identify opportunities to save funds, and have found in the neighborhood of $1 million. “We’re describing this as a budget, but I think of it as a snapshot,” he said. “We think it is highly likely this budget will change. We’ll need to take a second look in late August or early September, when we learn about the aid numbers [from the state of New Jersey] and when we have a better idea on costs related to COVID-19.”

Bouldin said that while remote learning is for the most part working well, there are many students in general and special education who are falling behind. “We have an obligation to keep these kids moving at an acceptable pace,” he said, adding that efforts may be made over the summer to help them catch up which could result in additional costs. more

By Anne Levin

Back before COVID-19, Patricia’s Hair Design washed, cut, colored, and set the hair styles of eight to 10 customers a day, five days a week. Now, the East Nassau Street salon is preparing to cater to half that number.

Pre-coronavirus, The Meetinghouse restaurant on Witherspoon Street was serving up to 180 people at a time, especially on weekends. Now, the owners are contemplating a future of smaller groups of diners, in revamped configurations.

As Princeton’s business community awaits the green light from Gov. Phil Murphy to reopen — not expected anytime soon — preparations are underway for what is sure to be an altered environment. The safety of customers and staff is everyone’s priority. But fewer guests means less revenue. For nonprofits, the challenge is how to accommodate a smaller number of visitors.

“We will have limits on the number of people we can have in the store at one time,” said Andrew Siegel, president of Hamilton Jewelers on Nassau Street. “Believe me, I hope that’s a problem we’re going to have. I hope the town will be busy and bustling. There’s no playbook for this.”

The jewelry store will still be “experience-based,” said Siegel. “Our goal through all of this is that we want people to feel the Hamilton experience, no matter how they choose to shop. It should feel unmistakably like our store, our company, our business. So the curbside pickup program will still be personable and understanding of the customers’ needs.”

The store will have special Hamilton Jewelers masks for customers who arrive without face coverings. Trying on jewelry will be a different experience. “If you want to try something on, every item in the case will have been pre-sanitized. And when we take it out, we’ll hand it to you. If you don’t want it, it will go straight back to one of our sanitizing stations and ready to go back in the case. That goes for our tools, too,” said Siegel. more