March 28, 2018

“Old Havana” Comes to Princeton as Cuba’s National Symphony Orchestra Tours the U.S.

By Nancy Plum

The island of Cuba, 90 miles off the coast of Florida and just about the size of Pennsylvania, packs a wallop in performing arts and culture. Latin America and the Caribbean are known for indigenous dance forms and music full of percussion and brass, but Cuba also has strong roots in the Western European classical tradition. Cuba’s orchestral ancestry dates back to the 18th century, when the country’s major cathedrals paralleled their counterparts in Europe by establishing instrumental ensembles. Cuba joined the evolution of the symphony orchestra in the 19th century, and by the 1930s, Havana boasted two full symphonic ensembles. In 1959, one National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba emerged, and has been well representing the country worldwide since.  more

The Leisure Seeker: Elderly Couple Embarks on Eventful Road Trip in Romantic Movie

By Kam Williams

Ella (Helen Mirren) and John Spencer (Donald Sutherland) have been happily married for more than 50 years, and their love hasn’t diminished one iota in spite of his battle with dementia or by hers with brain cancer. Therefore, the inseparable couple resisted their doctors who wanted them to move into different healthcare facilities.

Instead, the 80+ year-olds decide to share one last vacation in their mothballed RV fondly called “The Leisure Seeker.” They plan to drive from Wellesley down to Key West where John, a retired English professor, hopes to visit the home of Ernest Hemingway. more

Full-Service Quality and Compassionate Care Is Available From Hopewell Memorial Home

COMPASSIONATE CARE: “I feel I am able to be there when people need you the most. It is important for someone to be there for them at this difficult time. A compassionate nature is a must for a funeral director.” Christopher Merlino, funeral director of Hopewell Memorial Home, is shown in the chapel of the newly renovated facility.

By Jean Stratton 

It is no doubt the most difficult time for most people. Making the arrangements for a loved one’s burial or cremation and all the accompanying details is an emotionally stressful experience.

Being able to rely on compassionate support and knowledgeable assistance can help to ease what is often an unbearable situation. more

Fighting Hard in 15-12 Defeat to Dartmouth, PU Women’s Lax Aims for More Consistency

CORE VALUE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Annie Cory heads upfield against Dartmouth last Saturday. Sophomore midfielder Cory tallied a career-high three goals against the Big Green but it wasn’t enough as Princeton lost 15-12. The Tigers, now 4-3 overall and 1-1 Ivy League, host No. 12 Syracuse (6-4) on March 29 before playing at Delaware on March 31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Starting last week with a bang, the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team produced a dramatic comeback at Penn State, rallying from a 9-5 second half deficit to pull out a 13-12 victory.

“That was really a great win from being down and really fighting back” said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, reflecting on the March 19 contest. more

Solidifying Status as Tiger Wrestling Legend, Sophomore Star Kolodzik Takes 3rd at NCAAs

PINNING IT DOWN: Princeton University wrestler Matthew Kolodzik pins Columbia’s Jacob Macalolooy at 149 pounds in a regular season match. Sophomore Kolodzik solidified his status as one of the greatest wrestlers in Princeton history over the last month, winning his second straight EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title and then placing third in 149 pounds at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Matthew Kolodzik enjoyed a landmark debut campaign for the Princeton University wrestling team in 2016-17, going 30-4 and taking seventh at 141 pounds in the NCAA Championships to become the first freshman in program history to earn All-American honors. more

After Saying Goodbye to Stellar Senior Class, PHS Boys’ Lacrosse Featuring a New Look

POLE POSITION: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Ryan Farrell, left, thwarts a foe in a game last season. Senior defender and tri-captain Farrell will be a steadying presence for a PHS squad that is welcoming a lot of new faces to its lineup. The Little Tigers play at Notre Dame on March 28 in their season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Saying goodbye to 14 seniors from a 2017 squad that advanced to the semifinals of the North Jersey Group 3 tournament last year, the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team will have a new look this spring.

“We have holes that a lot of JV kids are going to fill,” said PHS head coach Chip Casto, who guided the Little Tigers to a 10-9 record last year and an appearance in the Mercer County Tournament championship game. “We will see who rises basically. We are basically a senior defense and everything else is underclassmen.” more

Emphasizing Positive Culture, Aggressive Play, Hun Girls’ Lax Aiming to Build on 2017 Success

ZO GOOD: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Zoe Cook heads to goal in a game last year. Junior midfielder Cook figures to be a key offensive threat again this year for Hun after earning All-Prep honors in 2017. The Raiders open their 2018 campaign by playing at Monroe High on March 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team chants “USA, USA” this year, it will be expressing more than just patriotism.

“We have an acronym this year, USA, which has a meaning that is twofold,” said Hun head coach Liz Cook, who guided the Raiders to a 12-4 record and the state Prep A semis last year and is entering her fourth season at the helm of the program. “It means united, strong, and aggressive; that is what we want to be in that order. We also have a lot of patriotic kids.” more

After Dominant Prep A Title Run Last Spring, Hun Softball Knows Encore Won’t Come Easy

POWER SOURCE: Hun School softball player Meghan Donohue takes a swing in a game last season. Junior third baseman Donohue will be counted on to provide punch in the middle of the Hun batting order this spring as the Raiders look to defend their state Prep A title. Hun opens the 2018 season by hosting Penn Charter on March 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Hun School softball team, 2017 turned into a dream season as the Raiders went 14-2 and won the program’s first state Prep A title since 2004.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, longtime Hun head coach Kathy Quirk knows it will be a challenge to produce an encore. more

March 26, 2018

Honoring the History

Photos by Charles R. Plohn
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On Friday evening Hillier Studios on Witherspoon Street was the setting for a community reception and historic program sponsored by the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society and attended by about 100 community members and supporters.  Designs were unveiled for the first four of 26 W-J Community Heritage Trail Plaques.

March 23, 2018

Princeton Residents In March For Our Lives

As part of the national mobilization called March for Our Lives, a Princeton rally initiated by Princeton High School senior Dziyana Zubialevich will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 24 at Hinds Plaza, 55 Witherspoon Street, adjacent to Princeton Public Library.

The Princeton event is one of over 800 across the country being held that day in solidarity with the national march and the high school students from Parkland, Florida, where a mass shooting took place on February 14, killing 17 and wounding 14.  more

March 21, 2018

March Madness

Members of the Princeton University men’s hockey team celebrate after they defeated Clarkson 2-1 in overtime in the ECAC Hockey title game last Saturday in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Tigers, now 19-12-4, are headed to the NCAA tournament where they are the fourth seed in the Midwest Regional and will face top-seeded Ohio State (24-9-5) in a first round contest on March 24 in Allentown, Pa. For more details on the ECACH title run, see page 30. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

Gunman’s Death Ends Standoff With Police

By Donald Gilpin and Anne Levin

A four and a half-hour standoff between police and an armed gunman at Panera Bread on Nassau Street ended shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday when the man was fatally shot by police.

The man entered Panera Bread on Nassau Street with a handgun around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and made threats as customers and employees fled. Police secured the perimeter of the restaurant.  more

Williamson and Niedergang Score Highest on Ballot Placement Vote for Council

By Anne Levin

In Monday night’s ballot placement vote by the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee (PDMC), Dwaine Williamson and Eve Niedergang were the highest ranked candidates for the two open seats on Princeton Council. This means that Scotia MacRae, chairman of the PDMC, will recommend to the chair of the Mercer County Democratic Organization that they be ranked in that order С first and second С on the June 5 primary election ballot. more

Institute for Advanced Study to Donate $500,000 to Princeton Public Schools

By Donald Gilpin

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) has announced that it will donate $500,000 to the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) over the next five years, beginning with the 2018-19 school year.

“The Institute for Advanced Study is proud to be an engaged partner in the Princeton community and greatly values its superb public schools,” said Institute Director Robbert Dijkgraaf. “The Institute and the Princeton Public School District share a common commitment to education and pursuit of knowledge. Our gift will support the Princeton Public Schools as they educate our children to lead lives of joy and purpose in a global society.” more

Affordable Housing Requirement To Be Topic of Closed Council Meeting

HONORED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE: After being named Employee of the Year by the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association at their annual conference, Anthony Simone picked up a second honor at the Princeton Council meeting on March 12 for his work on Princeton’s seasonal maintenance team. Shown here with Mayor Liz Lempert, Simone was given an award of recognition for his work during the past 11 years — helping with snow removal, cutting grass, working in garden plots, and more. Simone grew up in Princeton and graduated from St. Paul’s School. “I love this town,” he said when accepting the award. “I work all summer, and I’m working this summer, too.”

By Anne Levin

At a closed session meeting this Friday morning, Princeton Council is scheduled to discuss the affordable housing requirement that was decided March 8 by Mercer County Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson. Princeton’s requirement was set at 753 units, while West Windsor received a requirement of 1,500. These numbers cover a span from 1999 to 2025. more

Joint Effort Safe Streets March Program Honors Witherspoon-Jackson Community

HONORING THE HISTORY: Shirley Satterfield (at podium), president of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, unveiled the first four Heritage Tour Plaques and recognized the Society’s board of trustees (surrounding her) at a reception Friday afternoon at Studio Hillier on Witherspoon Street. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)

By Donald Gilpin

The Joint Effort Safe Streets Program, which presents an array of Witherspoon-Jackson Community (W-J) activities each August, added a spring celebration this year with three memorable events taking place last week. more

Favorite Art Gallery

The Arts Council of Princeton was named Favorite Art Gallery in the 2018 JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards. Taneshia Nash Laird, executive director of Arts Council of Princeton, center, accepted the award from Allison Tratner, interim executive director of New Jersey State Council of the Arts, and Adam Perle, president and CEO of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, on March 14 at ArtPride New Jersey’s headquarters in the Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington.

Furniture Designer Mira Nakashima at D&R Greenway

D&R Greenway Land Trust presents a special evening with renowned furniture designer Mira Nakashima on Thursday, March 22 (doors open 6:30 p.m., talk begins at 7 p.m.) at the Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton. Admission costs $10 person.

Mira Nakashima, the daughter of legendary furniture sculptor George Nakashima, will tell the story of the family’s woodworking legacy, followed by a signing of her book, Nature, Form, and Spirit: The Life and Legacy of George Nakashima. Nakashima pieces will be displayed and available for purchase, including a three-legged stool, candle holders, pencil holders, and bread boards. more

Celebrating Bach’s Birthday: From Leipzig to Princeton and Back Again

By Stuart Mitchner

To do justice to the music of Bach, you should “listen, play, love, revere, and keep your trap shut.” This in-your-face edict from Albert Einstein was scrawled in the margin of a letter, according to John Eliot Gardiner’s biography Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven (Knopf 2013). Curious to see the German equivalent of “Keep your trap shut,” I checked online and came up with “Halte deine Falle geschlossen,” which seemed unlikely (too wordy) compared to “Halt die Klappe!” or “Halt den Schnabel!”

What ultimately matters is that March 21 is Bach’s birthday and rather than obeying Einstein, I’m plunging ahead in respect of the birthday equation, Einsten 3-14/Bach 3-21. more

Love, Simon: Gay Teen Is Forced Out of the Closet in Dramatic Comedy

By Kam Williams

Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) would tell you that he’s a typical teen, except for the fact that he’s hiding one huge secret. He’s gay, but he hasn’t told his parents (Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner) or any of his friends. He’s even dated a female classmate (Cassady McClincy) at Creekwood High to keep up the charade.

He’s well aware of the merciless teasing waiting for anybody who is brave enough to come out of the closet after witnessing the fate of Ethan (Clark Moore), who was bullied at the school after he revealed his sexual orientation.

Simon keeps his equilibrium by anonymously visiting an LGBTQ-friendly blog where he has found another gay student from Creekwood High. At first, they only support each other, however, over time their friendship blossoms into love. However, since they’re both using pseudonyms Simon has no idea who “Blue” is because both of them are understandably hesitant to reveal their true identities. more

An African American Teenager Finds Her Heritage in “Crowns”; Regina Taylor’s Uplifting Musical Returns to McCarter Theatre

“CROWNS”: Performances are underway for “Crowns.” Directed by playwright Regina Taylor, the musical runs through April 1 at McCarter’s Matthews Theatre. From left: Wanda (Stephanie Pope); Mother Shaw (Shari Addison); Jeanette (Rebecca E. Covington); Velma (Latice Crawford); and Mabel (Danielle K. Thomas) immerse Chicago teenager Yolanda (Gabrielle Beckford) in their community, history, and “hattitude.” (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Yolanda, an edgy Chicago teenager, is grieving over the loss of her brother, who has been shot. She has been sent to South Carolina to live with her grandmother, Mother Shaw, who introduces Yolanda to a group of women at her church. Each of these women has a unique life story — and hat, or “crown.” more

Sizzling PU Men’s Hockey Wins ECACH Title, Will Face Ohio State in NCAA Midwest Regional

CRAZY EIGHTS: Princeton University men’s hockey player Josh Teves controls the puck in ECAC Hockey playoff action. Last weekend at the ECACH Final 4 in Lake Placid, N.Y., junior defenseman Teves starred as seventh-seeded Princeton defeated top-seeded Cornell 4-1 in the semis and then edged third-seeded Clarkson 2-1 in overtime in the title game. It marked the third straight decade that the program won an ECACH title during a year ending in 8 as the 1998 and 2008 squads also accomplished the feat. Princeton, now 19-12-4 overall, is headed to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers will be playing in the Midwest Regional in Allentown, Pa. where they are seeded fourth and will face top-seeded Ohio State on Saturday. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton University men’s hockey team entered the ECAC Hockey Final 4 last weekend at Lake Placid, N.Y. as the lowest remaining seed in the competition, Josh Teves didn’t view the Tigers as underdogs.

“We have obviously been doing well in the playoffs and before that,” said junior defenseman Teves, reflecting on the team’s surge which saw it go 4-0 in the playoffs, outscoring Brown and Union by a total of 23-8 the first two rounds. more

PU Women’s Hoops Falls to Maryland in NCAAs But Experience Should Help Tigers Going Forward

TOUGH FINISH: Princeton University women’s basketball player Abby Meyers drives to the basket in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, freshman Meyers scored a team-high 13 points in a losing cause as 12th-seeded Princeton fell 77-57 to fifth-seeded Maryland in Raleigh, N.C. in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 24-6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the 12th-seeded Princeton University women’s basketball team only trailed fifth-seeded Maryland 31-26 at halftime in a first round NCAA tournament game last Friday in Raleigh, N.C., Courtney Banghart saw red flags on the horizon. more

Despite Superb Effort by Senior Star Thompson, Princeton Men’s Lax Falls to Penn in Ivy Opener

RILED UP: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Riley Thompson unloads the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior midfielder and tri-captain Thompson tallied two goals and two assists in a losing cause as Princeton fell 14-7 to visiting Penn in the Ivy League opener for both teams. Princeton, now 3-3 overall and 0-1 Ivy, plays at No. 6 Yale (5-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy) on March 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In the first few weeks of the 2018 season, the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team has demonstrated a flair for drama, pulling out two nail-biter wins over local rivals.

The Tigers opened the campaign by edging Monmouth 9-8 in double overtime on February 17. Three weeks later, Princeton trailed Rutgers 14-10 early in the fourth quarter and rallied to win 15-14 in the first overtime. more

March 16, 2018

Protesting Gun Violence

About 1000 Princeton High School students participated in Wednesday’s “Enough! National School Walkout” demonstration.  Following the 17 minute event honoring the victims of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, PHS students engaged in a variety of service and care projects, including voter registration, contacting members of Congress, making cards and art for senior care residents, and making packages for Homefront.  (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)

PENNINGTON SCHOOL WALKOUT FOR SCHOOL SAFETY: Hundreds of Pennington School students joined Wednesday’s national school walkout to honor the Parkland, Florida victims.  After listening to speeches by six different students the community walked outside together in silence and listened as a bell in the school’s cupola rang seventeen times.  (Photo courtesy of The Pennington School)