By Donald Gilpin
With over 20 percent of its students absent last Thursday and Friday and almost as many on Monday, John Witherspoon Middle School (JWMS) has been hit especially hard by what the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is reporting as widespread influenza (flu) or “influenza-like illnesses” in all regions of the state.
Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Steve Cochrane said that PPS has implemented “a disinfection protocol” at JWMS that began last Friday and will continue throughout this week.
“Our number of students reported absent is down today at JW Middle School,” Cochrane stated in an email Monday, “and although the percentage is still close to 20 percent, we are moving in a positive direction.” He urged parents to make sure that children who had the flu were fever-free for at least 24 hours before sending them back to school. So far, other Princeton schools have not reported high rates of illness or absenteeism. more
By Anne Levin
In his annual visit with Princeton Council on Monday night, February 11, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber cited the recent announcement that Google has established an office in downtown Princeton, part of a collaboration with the University, as an example of a “win-win” relationship between the school and the town.
Eisgruber described the Google deal, which facilitates work the company is doing with University faculty and students on artificial intelligence, as “a win-win for the town as well as a win for the University,” he said. “These kinds of joint ventures really matter to our students.” He added that he hoped to see more such collaborations in the future.
Asked by Mayor Liz Lempert what such companies are looking for, Eisgruber said that “flexibility and nimbleness” are key. “Companies, as they come in, want to be as proximate to the town as they can be.” Council President Jenny Crumiller thanked Eisgruber for opening up the free Tiger Transit bus to the community, and asked whether the University is considering the possibility of autonomous vehicles as a way to facilitate transit. Shared vehicles would likely be a better solution to transit problems, he replied. more
By Anne Levin
Commuters angered by the ongoing suspension of the Dinky Line and the looming shutdown of Alexander Road in advance of bridge repairs have gotten a reprieve of sorts. Riders of the NJ Transit bus that has temporarily replaced the Dinky will be given a 25 percent discount until the train line is restored. And the Alexander Road closure for utility work is now going to take place on weekends instead of during the week.
Assemblyman Roy Freiman announced the Dinky discount in a press release on Tuesday. “I would like to applaud NJ Transit’s decision to extend a 25 percent ticket discount to riders of the Princeton Dinky Line who have been inconvenienced as the line remains suspended,” he said. “While there is still work to be done, this discount will give a sense of relief to those who have had to go out of their way to find a different route to get to work.”
Freiman continued, “I would like to thank Assemblyman Dan Benson for making my constituents a priority and spearheading the efforts to address their concerns with NJ Transit. I also would like to thank Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert for being a strong advocate for her residents. I look forward to continuing to work together to get full restoration of the Dinky Line as soon as possible.” more
SURVIVING AND THRIVING: Temple Micah celebrates its 50th anniversary on March 23. Cantorial Soloist Adrienne Rubin, left, and current Rabbi Elisa Goldberg are among those who have been actively involved in the congregation over the decades.
By Anne Levin
Five decades ago, a group of 30 area Jews organized High Holidays services in the historic Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville. None knew if their dream of a liberal-minded congregation would become a permanent reality.
But Temple Micah, named after the prophet who preached simple kindness and humility, has not only survived, it has thrived. Still operating out of the church on Lawrenceville’s Main Street, the congregation attracts some 200 worshippers on the High Holidays and 50 or 60 on a Friday night.
“Temple Micah was founded by a bunch of liberal Jews,” said Bob Pollack, who was not among the founders, but was president of the congregation for more than two decades. “It has survived, though it had every reason not to. I used to say that if we didn’t exist, someone would invent us.” more
By Donald Gilpin
The Bank of Princeton announced last week that it will buy five Beneficial Bank branches in Bordentown, Browns Mills, Chesterfield, Deptford, and Sicklerville, New Jersey.
According to the purchase and assumption agreement between the two banks, The Bank of Princeton will receive $190 million in deposits, the land and buildings associated with four Beneficial Bank branches (the fifth is a lease), and other assets, in exchange for $2.66 million, the net book value of such other assets, and a deposit premium equal to 7.37 percent of the average daily deposits for 30 days ending on the third business day preceding closing.
In commenting on the purchase, Bank of Princeton Executive Vice President and CFO George S. Rapp said, “The new branches will generate additional earnings, making us a stronger institution. They will also create a larger service area for our customers.”
Three of the branches to be acquired are in Burlington County. Two are further south, Sicklerville in Camden County and Deptford in Gloucester County. more
By Donald Gilpin
Mia Sacks
Mia Sacks, vice chair of the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee, active in numerous local organizations, and a third generation Princetonian, has announced her candidacy for Princeton Council.
She will join Michelle Pirone Lambros, Adam Bierman, and incumbent Tim Quinn in vying for the Democratic nomination for two available spots on Council. Council President Jenny Crumiller will be stepping down from Council at the end of her term in December.
The Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) will vote to endorse two candidates at its March 17 meeting, with primaries for both parties taking place in June and the general election scheduled for November 5. There are no declared Republican candidates so far. more
#LEADLIKEAGIRL Conference at Stuart
Registration is open for Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart’s 2019 #LEADLIKEAGIRL: A Conference for Risk-Takers and Changemakers, which will take place at Stuart’s National Center for Girls’ Leadership on April 5 and 6.
A free conference designed to showcase and inspire girls’ confidence and creativity in STEM, entrepreneurism, and leadership, 2019 #LEADLIKEAGIRL will feature keynote speakers Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code; and Aprille Ericsson, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Center.
The conference will also include a business fair and expo, STEM talks, workshops, and expert panel discussions.
For registration and more information, visit www.stuartschool.org/leadlikeagirl. Girls in grades K-four can attend on Friday, April 5, and girls in grades five-12 can attend on Saturday, April 6. more
By Stuart Mitchner
I was the first so-called black hippie.
—Love’s Arthur Lee
On Valentine’s Day 1969, 50 years ago tomorrow, John and Yoko and Paul and Linda were heading for March marriages and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) was still on the Billboard album chart, where it remained until March 1 after 88 consecutive weeks.
Forever Changes (1967), the third album by the L.A. group Love dropped off the Top 200 after 10 weeks, having peaked at No. 154. It did better in the UK at No. 24 and returned to the chart in 2001, a year before admirers in the British Parliament passed a “light-hearted” motion declaring it “the greatest album of all time.” In 2008 Forever Changes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The title comes from a break-up story recalled by Arthur Lee in which the girl says, “You said you would love me forever,” and is told, “Well, forever changes.” Lee figured that since his band’s name was Love, the album’s title was actually Love Forever Changes. more
By Nancy Plum
Continuing Princeton University Concerts’ 125th Anniversary season, Richardson Chamber Players presented an afternoon of mixed chamber works composed during the inaugural season of the Concerts series. In a Sunday concert at Richardson Auditorium entitled Then and Now, six musicians of the Richardson Chamber Players juxtaposed works composed in 1894 and 1895 with music of today, demonstrating connections among pieces written more than 100 years ago. Most of the works on Sunday afternoon’s program paid tribute to the University Concerts’ inaugural year, with the Eric Nathan’s very contemporary Threads for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano making the compositional leap into the 21st century.
The Chamber Players began their journey into Then and Now with a work for solo piano as pianist Geoffrey Burleson performed a paraphrase for solo piano of 19th-century French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Paraphrases were virtuosic solo instrumental works based on popular melodies of the time, in the case of Saint-Saëns’ La mort de Thaïs, music from Jules Massenet’s opera Thaïs. Saint-Saëns set the opera’s “Vision” tableau of Act III, as well as the more well-known “Meditation,” and Burleson began the work with clarity in opening octaves punctuated by rolling arpeggios. Burleson played percussively, creating tension which moved the music along. This paraphrase was more driven than dreamy, although Burleson was effective in stretching the lines in a more pensive second section. Burleson finished the Saint-Saëns piece in majestic style, with virtuosic flourishes from the keyboard.
German composer Richard Strauss composed a generation later than Saint-Saëns, which can be heard in his boundary-pushing harmonics and emotional setting of text. Strauss composed more than 200 songs, and soprano Rochelle Ellis, accompanied by Burleson, presented four of them in thoughtful and unhurried fashion. The four songs performed by Ellis set poetry of varied text and mood, and Ellis well demonstrated Strauss’ picturesque writing with solid control of the vocal lines and animated storytelling. The third song in particular, “Heimliche Aufforderung,” showed an especially free-flowing accompaniment from Burleson and a sensitive ending to the text from Ellis. more
State Theatre New Jersey will present star soprano Renée Fleming on Wednesday, February 27, at 8 p.m. The theater is at 15 Livingston Avenue. The preceding day, Fleming will appear at Mason Gross School of the Arts for “Music and the Mind: A Conversation with Renee Fleming,” at 7 p.m. in Rutgers University’s Nicholas Music Center, 85 George Street, New Brunswick.
Tickets are $49-$99 for the State Theatre event. Admission to the lecture is free, but advance registration is required.
“Renée Fleming is one of the most extraordinary singers of our time and we are proud to bring her to New Brunswick for her State Theatre debut,” said Sarah K. Chaplin, State Theatre New Jersey president and CEO. “We are especially proud to partner with the Mason Gross School to present Ms. Fleming in the free lecture, Music and the Mind.” more
The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Princeton University will present real lies, an original production choreographed and directed by Princeton seniors James Jared and William Keiser that explores a multitude of dichotomies — discipline/pleasure, internal/external, and performer/audience, among others — through dance.
Uniting the story of Pinocchio with a study of artistry and performance, two casts and two choreographers share one stage. Shows are February 21 at 8:30 p.m., February 22 at 9:30 p.m., and February 23 at 2 and 8:30 p.m. at the Hearst Dance Theater at the Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. The performances are free and open to the public, however advance tickets reservations are encouraged. more
“THE ART OF SEATING”: This 19th century centripetal spring arm chair designed by Thomas E. Warren is part of “The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design,” an exhibition showcasing a private collection of iconic and historic chairs reaching from the 1800s to the present. It is on view at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., through May 5.
The James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., now presents “The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design,” an exhibition showcasing a comprehensive private collection of iconic and historic chairs reaching from the 1800s to today’s Studio Movement. Developed by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and organized for tour by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C, these works of art have stories to tell about our national history, the evolution of American design, and artistry and craftsmanship. The exhibition will be on view through May 5. more
“WOMAN IN MEADOW GRASSES”: This photo by Laura Hawkins is featured in “Healing Trails,” on view through April 5 at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center. The exhibit is in partnership with the Princeton Photography Club. An opening reception is Friday, February 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
It’s a walk. It’s an app. It’s an art exhibit. “Healing Trails,” introduced by D&R Greenway Land Trust, is all of the above. The exhibit, in partnership with the Princeton Photography Club, is on view through April 5 at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton. Both the Healing Trails app and an upcoming walk will be unveiled at the “Healing Trails” opening reception on Friday, February 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. RSVP by calling (609) 924-4646 or go to www.rsvp@drgreenway.org. more
“THIS IS NOT A POSTER, AND THAT’S NOT A BOOK”: An exhibition of “handmade” poster designs and artists’ books by seniors and juniors in Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Visual Arts is on view in the Hurley Gallery at Lewis Arts complex through February 21. The exhibition is free and open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Photo by MT Simao)
The Lewis Center for the Arts Program in Visual Arts now presents “This is not a poster, and that’s not a book,” an exhibition of “handmade” poster designs and artists’ books by seniors and juniors in the Program in Visual Arts. It is on view in the Hurley Gallery at the Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus through February 21. The exhibition is free and open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The senior posters are a response to a project for the students in the Exhibition Issues and Methods Seminar to make a “handmade” poster while considering their upcoming spring thesis shows. The students determined what “handmade” could mean to them at this point in digital culture and gave them a chance to contemplate the history of artists producing their own visual aids in regards to their exhibitions. This class is taught by faculty member Pam Lins. more
I’LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS: A grieving father (Liam Neeson, right) is determined to find out why his son, who had no history of drug use, died of a heroin overdose. His search leads him to a powerful kingpin known as Viking (Tom Bateman, left) in the vigilante thriller “Cold Pursuit.” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment)
By Kam Williams
Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) is Kehoe, Colorado’s most reliable snowplow driver. He was recently named the popular ski resort area’s Citizen of the Year for keeping its treacherous mountain roads clear during the blizzards which routinely threaten to disrupt the town’s tourist season.
Not used to making public appearances before an audience, the shy civil servant needs some help from his wife (Laura Dern) dressing and preparing an acceptance speech. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes the night of the awards dinner when their son (Micheál Richardson) dies of a drug overdose in nearby Denver. more
BEACHFRONT LUXURY: “Asbury Park Ocean Club is the first product of its kind in this market — not only in Asbury Park, but all of the Jersey coast,” says Jodi Stasse, Corcoran Sunshine senior managing director, who is leading sales for the new Asbury Ocean Club. Shown is one of the spacious light-filled living rooms at this new club, which features unobstructed ocean views.
By Jean Stratton
An exciting new beachfront opportunity for luxurious living will open in Asbury Park in June. Asbury Ocean Club is a collection of residential homes, a beach club, a boutique hotel, and a wide-ranging selection of amenities, all located at 1101 Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park.
The property, developed by iStar and designed by Handel Architects and Anda Andrei Design, rises 17 stories above the ocean, offering an uninterrupted sweep of ocean views. more
BY GEORGE: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Elizabeth George heads to goal in a 2018 game. Senior star attacker George, who tallied 43 goals last spring, will be a key performer for the Tigers this season. Princeton, ranked 8th in this week’s Inside Lacrosse national poll, gets its 2019 season underway by hosting Temple on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Having won the Ivy League title in each of their first three seasons and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals along the way, the seniors on the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team are determined to go out with a bang this spring.
“The seniors have been a part of Ivy League championship teams their entire career so they don’t want that streak to end; they really want to get further,” said Princeton head coach Chris Sailer, whose team went 13-6 overall and 6-1 Ivy League last spring, winning the league’s postseason tournament and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tourney. more
By Bill Alden
TOWERING PRESENCE: Princeton University women’s basketball player Bella Alarie puts up a shot in recent action. Last weekend, junior forward Alarie scored 38 points in 96-86 overtime loss to Yale on Friday, passing the 1,000-point mark in her career, and then chipped in 20 points and 16 rebounds as the Tigers topped Brown 93-74 on Saturday. Later, the 6’4 Alarie was named the Ivy League Player for the Week for the second straight week. The Tigers, now 11-9 overall and 3-2 Ivy, play at Harvard on February 15 and at Dartmouth on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Bella Alarie produced another milestone moment in her career for the Princeton University women’s basketball team last Friday evening as the Tigers hosted Yale in Jadwin Gym.
After setting an Ivy League single-game record by scoring 45 points in a win over Columbia on February 1, junior forward Alarie notched the 1,000th point of her college career late in the third quarter against the Bulldogs.
“I was really excited to get it on our home floor in front of my family members,” said the 6’4 Alarie, a native of Bethesda, Md.
“It is really cool. It means a lot as a player that my teammates trust me enough to shoot the ball. I have been getting better every year.”
It ended up not being one of the better nights for the Tigers as they trailed for most of the contest with Yale leading 42-39 at half and 62-57 entering the fourth quarter. With 3:44 remaining in regulation, the Tigers were down 72-65 but not out as they went on 14-7 run to force overtime. In the extra session, though, Princeton faltered as the Bulldogs pulled away to a 96-86 win. more
CREASE CONTROL: Princeton University men’s hockey goalie Austin Shaw thwarts a Yale player last Saturday. Making just his second career start, senior Shaw made 23 saves to help Princeton prevail 4-1. The Tigers, now 7-14-2 overall and 5-10-1 ECAC Hockey, play at Rensselaer on February 15 and at Union on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Having gone 1-6 in its first seven games of 2019, the Princeton University men’s hockey team turned to an unlikely hero and one of its stalwarts to break that skid when it hosted Yale last Saturday evening.
Senior goalie Austin Shaw, who started for the second time in his career and for the first time in an ECAC Hockey contest, stood tall with 23 saves against the Bulldogs.
On offense, the program’s all-time goal scorer Ryan Kuffner added two more tallies to his total to give him 70 in his career.
The excellence of Shaw and Kuffner at opposite ends of the ice translated into a 4-1 win over the Bulldogs before a standing room only crowd of 2,300 packing Hobey Baker Rink. more
ON TARGET: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Philip Robertson unloads the ball in a game last spring. Junior attackman Robertson, who scored 33 goals in 2018 and led Division I with .635 shooting percentage, figures to be a key offensive weapon for the Tigers this season. Princeton, ranked 17th by the Inside Lacrosse preseason poll, opens its 2019 season by playing at Monmouth on February 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
While the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team is bringing a nation’s best five-game winning streak into the 2019 season, Matt Madalon is putting that late season surge in the rear view mirror.
“It was nice to end the season like that, but win streaks are never really our goal,” said Princeton head coach Madalon, whose team went 8-5 overall and 3-3 Ivy League last spring but just missed qualifying for the Ivy postseason tourney.
“We are just trying to make sure our systems are buttoned up. It has been a quick preseason. We have some guys in different spots. We are tweaking our systems a little bit.” more
DAN THE MAN: Princeton High school wrestler Daniel Monahan, top, dominates a foe in bout earlier this season. Senior star Monahan, who wrestles at 126 pounds, will be competing at the District 17 tournament this weekend, looking to add another title after winning his weight class at the Mercer County Tournament in late January. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Justin Feil
Daniel Monahan has so many wins that he doesn’t know exactly how many there are now, but he remembers exactly his losses.
The Princeton High senior wrestler says he’s lost 15 matches in his career, a number dwarfed by his more than 110 wins.
“Losses come by virtue of making mistakes,” said Monahan. “It’s the way you look at the match. You can look at a match and let it defeat you, or look at the match and fix what cost you. The one thing that makes losses better than wins is that they give you a lot of incentive and help you improve.”
Monahan has been driven this season by the way that last year ended – a loss in the first round of the District 19 tournament a year after he’d placed third and advanced to the Region 5 tournament, one step short of the state finals in Atlantic City. It marred an otherwise an incredible junior season in which he went 30-2 and won his first Mercer County Tournament title at 126 pounds. more
FINAL PUSH: Princeton High girls’ hockey player Olivia Corrodi controls the puck in a game earlier this season. Last week, senior defenseman and team captain Corrodi tallied a goal and an assist as PHS fell 6-4 to Randolph High at Hobey Baker Rink as the Tigers held their annual Senior Night ceremony. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Olivia Corrodi didn’t waste any time making an impact last week as she hit the ice for the Princeton High girls’ hockey team on her Senior Night at Hobey Baker Rink.
As PHS hosted Randolph in the February 5 contest, senior defenseman and team captain Corrodi took control of the puck and sent it up the ice to Victoria Zammit, who banged it home to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead just 2:34 into the contest.
“I saw Victoria cross up the middle so I just tried to get her the puck,” said Corrodi. “I knew she could finish it off.”
The Tigers outshot Randolph 16-8 on the first period but found themselves trailing 3-2 heading the second. PHS kept firing away over the rest of the evening, knotting the game at 3-3 in the second period before eventually falling 6-4. more
By Bill Alden
For Kevin Flahive, earning a spot on the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey squad took hard work and patience.
After paying his dues by competing for the JV team in his first two years at PDS, Flahive made the jump to varsity last winter as a junior.
“It was exciting. It is a totally different experience for me from any other sport I have ever played,” said Flahive. “PDS ice hockey is a big commitment. It is a lot of fun and it is a great time.”
Last Thursday as PDS hosted LaSalle College High (Pa.), Flahive’s commitment was recognized during the program’s annual Senior Night ceremony.
“It was a big game obviously,” said Flahive. “It is an honor to play for PDS and put on this jersey.”
It turned out to be a tough game for PDS as it fell 2-0. “We have been getting off to a slow start in a lot of the games this year,” said Flahive. “We were never really able to get it going today and get the puck in the net.”
With a year of varsity play under his belt, Flahive has put more pucks in the net this season. more
HEART OF A CHAMPION: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Jaylin Champion flies to the hoop last Sunday against Pennington in the state Prep B semifinals. Junior forward Champion scored 15 points but it wasn’t enough as the top-seeded Panthers fell 66-63 to the fifth-seeded Red Raiders. PDS, now 12-11, will be wrapping up the season by competing in the Mercer County Tournament, where it is seeded 10th and slated to play at seventh-seeded WW/P-North on February 14 in an opening round contest. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
It was round four this winter as the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team hosted archival Pennington in the state Prep B semifinals last Sunday.
Top-seeded PDS appeared to have the upper hand in the playoff meeting, having won all three previous contests this winter (65-59 on November 30, 61-50 on December 19, 67-60 on January 27) against the fifth-seeded Red Raiders.
But hungry to not suffer a fourth straight defeat to the Panthers, Pennington came out firing, jumping out to a 35-30 halftime lead.
PDS head coach Doug Davis sensed that Pennington brought extra motivation into the contest. more