By Stuart Mitchner
The recent media-driven erosion of the warm and fuzzy even saintly image of Princeton’s most famous resident has me thinking how differently we’d feel about Einstein if his public persona was as remote, as unknowable, as alien to most of us as the anatomy of his brain. What if there had been no beloved humanitarian to serve as a foil for stories like “Einstein the Anti-Racist? Not in His Travel Diaries” in the June 14 New York Times? more
“REALISM IN COLOR AND FORM”: The new exhibit at the Pedersen Gallery in Lambertville features paintings by George Stave such as “La Belle Chocolatier,” above, and sculptures by Joe Brown, including “Counter Punch,” below. “Realism in Color and Form” runs July 15 through August 4, with an opening reception on July 14 from 7 to 9 p.m.
The Pedersen Gallery in Lambertville presents ”Realism in Color and Form,” featuring paintings by George Stave and sculpture by Joe Brown. The exhibit runs July 15 through August 4, with an opening reception on July 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. more
Grounds For Sculpture’s summer party AFTERGLOW will return on August 11 from 9 p.m. to midnight. This event is hosted by the Grounds For Sculpture Young Professionals, and presents a night of illumination, one-night-only experiences, and revelry, attracting hundreds of young professionals from the tristate area. Secure your ticket at www.afterglow2018.org.
AFTERGLOW attendees will experience the premiere of Social Sparkles – an interactive installation by multidisciplinary design studio Toer (Netherlands), reminiscent of fireflies on a summer night and filling the air with swarms of light that move overhead as guests walk below. Guests will also be among the first to view a new exhibition by artist James Carl, featuring works Carl has created using a remarkably elaborate and mathematical process of weaving lengths of venetian blinds. Guests will explore the grounds to see newly fabricated 26-foot steel sculpture, Dina Wind: Harp of David #1, as well as indoor and outdoor works by stone sculptor Masayuki Koorida. more
Summer Art Camps are underway at The Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster. Camps are available for children ages 5 through teens. In addition, the center will offer Summer Art Camp for children with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs on Saturdays in July and August. The Center’s Summer Art Camps are designed to stimulate creative expression through projects and activities. New projects are introduced each week, and all sessions are led by professional teaching artists. There will be a supervised lunch for full-day campers. Children interested in only coming for a morning session or afternoon session can register for half-day camps. For more information or to register, visit www.ccabedminster.org or call (908) 234-2345.
By Bill Alden
In 1974, University of Maryland men’s lacrosse star Doug Schreiber helped the U.S. national team win the gold medal at the FIL (Federation of International Lacrosse) Men’s Lacrosse World Championship in Melbourne, Australia. more
By Bill Alden
Surveying his options as he went through the college baseball recruiting process, Paul Franzoni concluded that the New Jersey Institute of Technology offered a range of opportunities that he couldn’t pass up. more
SELECT CLUB: Members of the Princeton Football Club (PFC) Boca 2002B team celebrate after they won the 16U title at the U.S. Club Soccer Mid-Atlantic Regional earlier this month in Somerset. PFC defeated PDA South Suarez 2-0 in the title game to earn a trip to the U.S. Club Soccer Nationals in Aurora, Colo. later this month. The PFC team includes Princeton High students Jared Bell, Brendan Coffee, Rafael Matar Grandi, Dylan Parker, Ethan Parker, Simon Sheppard, Noah LaPoint, and Ian Pompliano, along with Peter Sarsfield of Princeton Day School, Jakob Kunzer of Lawrenceville School, Xavier Guerreiro and Aron Szoke of Council Rock High North (Pa.), Herbert Ramirez and Brendan Sagbo from Hightstown High, Daniel Ingersoll of South Hunterdon, and Connor Staples from WW/P-South.
By Bill Alden
The Princeton Football Club (PFC) Boca 2002B team didn’t have to travel far to compete in the U.S. Club Soccer Mid-Atlantic Regional, as the competition was held in nearby Somerset.
But after surviving a gauntlet of tough foes in games played in a heat wave, the PFC 16U squad earned a trip of around 1,750 miles as it won the regional crown in its division to qualify for the U.S. Club Soccer Nationals in Aurora, Colo. more
BANNER DAY: Members of the Princeton Little League (PLL) squad display the banner they earned for winning the Section 3 Intermediate 50/70 tournament last week. PLL defeated host Middletown 12-6 to clinch the title and advance to the N.J. State tournament which starts this Wednesday in Lacey Township. It marked the second sectional crown for the PLL program. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Danny Harlan, Alex Winters, Nico Vitaro, Remmick Granozio, Jonathan Tao, Rohan Sheth, and Jack Durbin. In the back row, from left, are manager Jon Durbin, A.J. Surace, Ethan Roth, Lucas Pelc, Wes Yonish, Gordon Grandbouche, and coaches Damon Grandbouche, and Jeremy Vitaro.
By Bill Alden
After winning two nail-biters to start play in the Section 3 Intermediate 50/70 tournament, the Princeton Little League (PLL) squad was looking to put the hammer down as it faced host Middletown in its third game. more
By Bill Alden
During his career for the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team, John McArthur’s inside-outside game helped him pass the 1,000-point mark in his career and lead PDS to the state Prep B title in 2015-16.
Last Monday evening, McArthur displayed his versatility, tallying 18 points to help NJ Spiritwear top Majeski Foundation 81-70 in overtime in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. more
By Anne Levin
In an ongoing dispute involving trees at a property on Hawthorne Avenue, a step toward resolution was taken last Friday. RB Homes, which is developing a property at No. 258, next door to Galina Chernaya’s home at No. 260, hired a tree service company to treat the roots of five maple trees made vulnerable by construction.
“I don’t know how much it will help us, but at least it’s something,” said Chernaya, who has been trying since January to ensure that the trees that shade her property are not irreparably damaged by the teardown of the house next door and construction of a new one in its place. She has aired her concerns at meetings of Princeton Council and the town’s Shade Tree Commission, and hired attorney Roger Martindell to assist in her efforts. more
By Anne Levin
A three-alarm fire that broke out early Saturday morning at Markham Square, a group of townhouses on Sergeant Street, caused no injuries to residents or firefighters but caused major damage to three of the eight homes in the development.
“It appears as if it started on the balcony of one of the units,” said Bob Gregory, director of emergency services for the Princeton Fire Department. “They are still trying to figure out what happened. It got up into the eaves under the roof, and it got there pretty quick. Three of the units sustained heavy fire and smoke damage.” more
By Anne Levin
On June 11, Princeton Council voted to introduce a resolution awarding a contract to PassportParking, Inc. for a new app that allows people to pay for parking through their mobile phones. An implementation that will ultimately replace the Smart Card, the program “takes Princeton into the 21st century,” Mayor Liz Lempert said.
One of the key features of the program, recommended by consultants Dixon Resources Unlimited, is that it allows the town to share parking services with the owners of private properties, such as churches and businesses, that might have spaces available during their off hours. more
HISTORIC RESTORATION: “The new cross is an exact duplicate of the old one, except for the use of silicone. We determined that casting the new cross out of silicone bronze was the best approach and would last the longest,” says architect Mark Sullivan AIA, a partner at Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design (JZA+D).
By Jean Stratton
Not only is Princeton’s historic Trinity Church the largest Episcopal Church in New Jersey, it now has a brand new cruciform cross atop the church spire.
The previous cross, after having been badly corroded over time, fell in the strong winds of a severe 2016 storm. The heavy steel also damaged the roof and lower spire cap before tumbling to the ground. more
By Stuart Mitchner
Ten years after signing the Declaration of Independence, two future American presidents made a pilgrimage to the one-time “mother country” Nathaniel Hawthorne called “our old home.” Their goal was Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. When they got there, Thomas Jefferson “fell upon the ground and kissed it,” while John Adams “cut a relic from a chair claimed to have belonged to Shakespeare himself.” The witness was Abigail Adams, quoted in James Shapiro’s collection, Shakespeare in America (Library of America 2013). The two founding fathers eventually become political enemies, then friends once more before sharing their last day on earth, July 4, 1826. Not knowing Jefferson had died five hours before him at Monticello, Adams’s last words were “Jefferson still survives.” more
“GREEN AND RED”: Works by artist Gary David Fournier will be showcased in “An Eclectic Assembly of Work in Oil, Water Colour, and Acrylic” at Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury. The exhibition runs July 8 through July 27, with a reception on Sunday, July 8 from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Gourgaud Gallery, located in Town Hall at 23-A North Main Street in Cranbury, presents works by artist Gary David Fournier in “An Eclectic Assembly of Work in Oil, Water Colour, and Acrylic.” The exhibition runs July 8 through July 27, with a reception on Sunday, July 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. more
“ELIXIR”: The works of artist Spriha Gupta are featured in a solo exhibition in Small World Coffee in Princeton this July. Gupta uses textures and recycled products to create organic forms on canvas.
The art of Skillman area resident Spriha Gupta is the focus of a solo exhibit this July at Small World Coffee in Princeton.
Gupta is a self-taught visual artist who brings new aspects to the medium of art by using textures and recycled products to create organic forms on canvas. more
By Nancy Plum
’Tis the week for 18th-century music in the Princeton area. Princeton Festival has been showcasing its Baroque Festival Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble, and for the first time in its 51-year history, Princeton University Summer Chamber Concerts has presented a Baroque instrumental ensemble. Last Tuesday night’s concert at Richardson Auditorium featured the chamber ensemble REBEL, named after the early French composer Jean-Féry Rebel. REBEL has been performing worldwide for more than 25 years, winning numerous awards while compiling an impressive roster of instrumentalists. Tuesday night’s concert brought two violinists, one violoncello, and a harpsichord to Princeton, performing a potpourri of 17th and 18th-century pieces. It was a unique program of music for three strings, but no viola, and the collection of multi-movement works presented on period instruments showed solid partnership among violinists Jôrg-Michael Schwarz and Karen Marie Marmer, cellist John Moran, and harpsichordist Dongsok Shin. more
By Taylor Smith
This year’s Princeton Student Film Festival will take place July 17-19 at 7 p.m. The showings on July 17 will be held at Princeton Garden Theatre, while the showings on July 18 and 19, will be hosted by the Princeton Public Library.
Created and presented by the Princeton Public Library, the Festival features original short films created by student filmmakers ages 14-25. The films were chosen from local, national, and international entries. Some of the films represent college student thesis projects, while others are from novice high school filmmakers who possess a passion for filmmaking and a desire to see their vision portrayed on the big screen. more
This year, eight Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) students have been selected to participate in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), and two students have been selected to participate in its sister ensemble for younger students: NYO2. The PYO students who have been chosen from Pa. are: Akili Farrow, violin, of Southwest Philadelphia; Johnny May, violin, of Penn Valley; Noah Stein, trombone, of Yardley; Sabine Jung (NYO2), cello, of West Chester; and Gregory Padilla (NYO2), bass, of Northeast Philadelphia. The students from N.J. are: Clara Bouch, viola, of Cherry Hill; Robin Park, cello, of Princeton Junction; and David Stein, tuba, of Morristown. more
By Bill Alden
Obiageri Amaechi focused on sprinting and jumping events when she started her high school track career as a freshman in 2013.
While Amaechi mainly did the 100, 200, 4×100 relay, long jump, and high jump competing for Abraham Lincoln High in San Francisco, she did start dabbling in the discus and shot put. more
By Bill Alden
For Chris Fake, a daily ritual this spring with the Yale University men’s lacrosse team helped mold him into one of the top defenders in the nation.
As the former Hun School standout looked to get up to speed in his freshman campaign for the Bulldogs, he drilled with with Yale senior attacker Ben Reeves everyday after practice. more
By Bill Alden
Marqui McBride wasn’t surprised when the West all-star squad started the 22nd Annual Sunshine Football Classic last Friday by grinding out a 14-play, 74-yard scoring march to jump ahead 7-0 over the East team.
“We established that lineman connection on the first day of practice,” said recently graduated Princeton High star offensive lineman McBride. “Everyone coming up with calls for ourselves and all that stuff.” more
By Bill Alden
As Will Hare headed into this spring for his final season with the Princeton High boys’ track team, he was paying attention to detail.
“It was really a lot about taking care of the little things in the spring,” said Hare. “I wanted to set myself up as best as I could to be running well in late May and early June. Those are really the meets that define the season and, in my case, my career.” more
By Bill Alden
After rolling to the District 12 Intermediate 50/70 title, outscoring Millstone-Roosevelt 26-6 in the two-team tournament, the Princeton Little League (PLL) squad showed a flair for drama as it competed at the Section 3 tourney last weekend in Middletown.
In its opening game at the double-elimination tourney last Friday, Princeton fell behind early to host Middletown, trailing 5-2 going into the sixth inning before exploding for nine runs in the sixth inning on the way to a 12-9 victory. more
