June 18, 2025
By Donald Gilpin
The weather report was ominous and the rains came, but on Saturday, June 14, thousands of people poured into Princeton to make their voices heard — on Witherspoon Street marching up to the YMCA field for the Pride Parade and Afterparty in the morning, and in Monument Park and Stockton Street for a No Kings Day and Day of Defiance rally in the afternoon.
“‘Nothing is going to dampen our joy’ was the slogan I heard most doing the day,” said Sara Wasserman, queer educator and local community organizer at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ), which was the lead organizer of the Pride events. “We had quite a huge crowd of folks who didn’t care about the rain.”
The No Kings rally, one of hundreds of similar events Saturday throughout the country with more than five million total participants, was a protest against authoritarianism, corruption, and billionaire-first politics. The Princeton Battle Monument with its representation of George Washington towering over a massive crowd was a particularly appropriate reminder of the nation’s founding on the principle that the president is not a king. more
By Anne Levin
While the future management of Westminster Conservatory of Music has yet to be decided, Rider University has agreed to continue running the community music school through the 2025 fall semester. The plan was confirmed on Tuesday by Kristine Brown, Rider’s vice president of external affairs.
The Conservatory will remain on the Walnut Avenue campus of Westminster Choir College of Rider University through the fall term. Rider, which merged with Westminster in 1991, moved the Choir College to its Lawrence Township location in 2020 after unsuccessfully attempting to sell the 23-acre Princeton campus. The Conservatory has continued to operate from the Princeton campus.
The Municipality of Princeton acquired the site for $42 million via eminent domain this past April. Work has been underway “to reimagine this historic site to meet urgent public facility needs, while honoring the cultural significance of its past and leaving a legacy for future generations,” Princeton Council President Mia Sacks said at the time, adding that community engagement would be part of the process. more
By Donald Gilpin
Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill and Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli are off and running in what’s been described by nj.com as a “bruising” race for governor of New Jersey, following last week’s primary election in which both candidates registered impressive victories over challenging fields of party rivals.
In Princeton and throughout the state, Democratic and Republican parties are gearing up for the general election, with Sherrill and Ciattarelli vying to take over for current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who is not eligible for another term. A number of state legislature and local offices are also on the ballot.
New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states with gubernatorial elections this November, with those contests being closely watched as an indicator of voter attitudes towards President Trump in his first year back in office. more
ALMOST GONE: The Yardley-Wilburtha Bridge, still spanning the Delaware River in this shot, was among the casualties of the deadly flood of 1955. Mary Shafer, author of a book on the subject, delivers a talk about the epic event on June 26. (Photo from the Trentoniana Collection)
By Anne Levin
Communities close to the Delaware River have seen their share of dangerous tropical storms and hurricanes in recent years — think Sandy, Irene, and Katrina. But none rival the devastation of August 1955, when the double whammy of Hurricanes Connie and Diane struck the area within a week of one another.
The Delaware River watershed’s most catastrophic natural disaster is the topic of an online presentation by Mary Shafer, author of the book Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955, on Thursday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. A 45-minute slide show accompanies Shafer’s talk, which is sponsored by the Delaware River Greenway Partnership. Visit shorturl.at/7416V to register for the free event. more
By Anne Levin
The June 10 death of former Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes at the age of 68 has inspired numerous recollections and tributes from fellow politicians and colleagues. Hughes is remembered for his commitment to land use, preservation of open space and historical structures, and his devotion to public service.
“Much like his father, former Gov. Richard Hughes, Brian devoted his entire life to serving the people of New Jersey,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “During his time as Mercer County Executive, he pioneered a model of leadership that directly improved the lives of our state’s families and workers. From preserving thousands of acres of open space to investing in infrastructure and social services, he was a steadfast champion for all who have the privilege of calling the Garden State home.”
Dan Benson, who succeeded Hughes as Mercer County Executive last year, described him as “a devoted public servant, and a truly decent man.” more
By Donald Gilpin
The Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood Association (WJNA) will be holding a public meeting open to the whole Princeton community at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 28 at the Arts Council of Princeton. A number of hot issues are on the agenda.
Among the WJ-related topics up for discussion are engineering and infrastructure, the tree canopy, ongoing renovations at the Paul Robeson House, the work of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society (WJHCS), a new project to construct a WJ laundromat, and a review of plans for this summer’s Joint Effort Safe Streets program.
The agenda item of greatest interest, however, according to WJNA co-chair Leighton Newlin, who is also a member of Princeton Council, is a report from the Witherspoon-Jackson Development Corporation (WJDC), whose mission is “to preserve, restore, and sustain the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood’s historic character, diversity, and quality of life.” more
By Stuart Mitchner
Writing about Brian Wilson (1942-2025) on Father’s Day is a complicated proposition. In Catch A Wave: The Rise, Fall & Redemption of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (Rodale 2006), Peter Ames Carlin ponders the possibility that Brian blames his father Murry Wilson (1917-1973) for delivering the blow “that destroyed almost all of the hearing in his right ear.” The tangled back story of the “crushing blow” to a musician “who would spend his life manipulating sound textures but could never hear music in stereo” takes a more suggestive turn when Brian admits “I was so afraid of my dad and the way he talked to me that something got inside of me and I just started making great records.”
Still leaving a lot unsaid, Wilson offers a cautiously worded account of his father’s treatment of him and his Beach Boy brothers Dennis and Carl in a 2004 interview: “He was the one who got us going. He didn’t make us better artists or musicians, but he gave us ambition. I’m pleased he pushed us, because it was such a relief to know there was someone as strong as my dad to keep things going. He used to spank us, and it hurt too, but I loved him because he was a great musician.” more
By Nancy Plum
The Princeton Festival showed off its mainstage production this past weekend with a presentation of Giacomo Puccini’s timeless opera Tosca. Conducted by Rossen Milanov, Friday night’s performance (with repeats on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday night) at Morven Museum & Garden kept listeners captivated with high-quality character portrayals, Puccini’s unforgettable arias and a libretto of plot twists, all leading to a disastrous end. Performed in Italian with English titles, Tosca was surely a challenge for the Festival, but the audience reaction made it clear that reaching to new heights can often strengthen a performing organization’s standing in the community.
Set in early 19th-century Rome, Tosca contains a career-defining role for sopranos in the character of “prima donna” singer Floria Tosca. Princeton Festival soprano Toni Marie Palmertree was no stranger to the part, with past performances of this character under her belt. Palmertree immediately began with a clear and appealing sound, portraying the diva as young and demure, but with the potential to do what it takes to get what she wants. With a background including the Metropolitan Opera, Palmertree showed herself well capable of commanding the stage. She sang Tosca’s signature aria “Vissi d’arte” with poignant resignation to her fate, then instantaneously turned the tables on her foe. Palmertree altered her vocal quality and timbre in this second act aria to indicate her submission to Scarpia, a sharp contrast to her soaring passages of defiance or when proclaiming her love for the painter Cavaradossi. more
“THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY”: Performances are underway for Princeton Summer Theater’s production of “The Bridges of Madison County.” Directed by Eliyana Abraham, the musical runs through June 28 at Princeton University’s Hamilton Murray Theater. Above, from left: National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Cory Garcia Jr.) visits a small Iowa town on assignment, and enters into a love affair with Italian-born housewife Francesca (Allison Silldorff). (Photo by Eliyana Abraham)
By Donald H. Sanborn III
Princeton Summer Theater is opening its season with The Bridges of Madison County. The romantic musical portrays an affair between an Italian-born Iowa housewife and a visiting photographer for National Geographic. Depicting this brief relationship invites us to consider the fragility of fleeting moments — and, consequently, the human instinct to try to preserve their memory in a tangible form.
The Bridges of Madison County is adapted from Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel of the same title (which also is the basis of the 1995 film). The musical’s book is by playwright and librettist Marsha Norman. The eclectic but sufficiently unified music (which borrows from folk and opera, along with other influences), and the lyrics are by Jason Robert Brown, whose The Last Five Years was presented by PST last year. more
COMEDY OF MANNERS: Ryan Holcombe, left, and Maggie Gronenthal star in the Oscar Wilde play “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Kelsey Theatre through June 29.
Oscar Wilde’s farcical tale depicting the tangled affairs of two men-about-town leading double lives comes to the stage of Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre when Shakespeare ‘70 presents The Importance of Being Earnest June 20-29.
Wilde’s “trivial comedy for serious people,” now celebrating its 130th anniversary, remains as timely today as when it was first produced in 1895. The story involves two rakish young men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who opt to navigate Victorian-era expectations of courtship simply by evading them. But when their personas and egos begin to collide, the pair get caught up in a wit-fueled whirlwind of mistaken identities and romantic snafus. In the end, the story reveals the absurd lengths that humans will go to in pursuit of acceptance, love, and truth.
Tickets are $20 and $22. For show times, visit kelseytheatre.org.
Kelli O’Hara was the featured performer at a June 7 fundraiser held at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick. The “Night in Lights” benefit gala raised more than $313,000 to support arts education programs, affordable ticketing initiatives, and community outreach efforts to ensure that the performing arts remain affordable and accessible for all. (Photo by Jeff Auger)
At the Princeton Festival last weekend, American Repertory Ballet dancers Lily Krisko and Aldeir Monteiro performed George Balanchine’s “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux,” under the tent at on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden. Puccini’s opera “Tosca” and other musical events were also presented. Performances continue through Saturday, June 21. Visit princetonsymphony.org/festival for tickets.
Creative visionary/interdisciplinary artist Tammy Sands and songwriter/composer Jimmy Waltman will perform Layers of Obscurity’s 11 +1 on Saturday, June 21 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Studio 17 in Hopewell Borough. This free event invites the community to engage in an artistic exploration of the links between human health and planetary well-being.
The performance will feature six of the 12 symbolic systems that make up 11 +1, each composed of three interpretive layers. The creative project challenges audiences to move beyond societal and emotional “obscurities” and reawaken a sense of interconnectedness with Earth’s fragile natural systems.
“The health of Mother Earth and her inhabitants is at a turning point,” said Sands. “Through this work, we’re inviting people to feel, remember, and reimagine their interconnectedness and interdependence with natural systems, cycles, and rhythms to evolve in healthier relationships with our world and each other.” more
HONORING ROMUS BROADWAY: A teen photography camp has been created in honor of the late photographer Romus Broadway, who for decades documented life in Princeton’s Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. (Broadway at ACP in 2015)
Now in its fourth year, a teen photography camp honoring the late photographer Romus Broadway — who documented life in Princeton’s Witherspoon-Jackson (W-J) neighborhood for decades — continues to inspire the next generation of storytellers. The camp offers photography instruction, lessons in local history, and digital cameras to 10 selected student applicants.
Broadway captured daily life in the W-J neighborhood through thousands of images from the late 1950s through the early 2000s. He passed away in the summer of 2020, leaving behind a profound legacy as the unofficial photographic historian of a tight-knit community. His photo collages have been displayed at events, church services, schools, and community programs — including at the Arts Council of Princeton for many years. more
“MY LOVELY FRIEND”: This photograph by Jill Mudge is featured in “Narratives in Nature,” on view June 21 through July 20 at Gallery 14 Fine art Photography in Hopewell.
Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell will present “Scott Hoerl: Still Life Photos +,”
“Jill Mudge: Narratives in Nature,” and “Barbara Warren: Imaginary Landscapes” June 21 through July 20.
Warren said, “Some of my favorite subjects to photograph are landscapes, abstracts, patterns and textures. Due to COVID and personal injuries, my ability to pursue landscape photography has been limited in the last few years. So I’ve turned to creating my own imaginary landscapes. These landscapes are created by combining photography with traditional collage techniques. I create the collage elements using my own painted papers and my own printed photographs of abstracts and yes, landscapes. more
ART ALL NIGHT: The annual event returns to the Trenton War Memorial June 28-29 for a full 24 hours starting on Saturday, June 28 at 3 p.m.
Back for its annual return on June 28–29, Art All Night-Trenton is the primary fundraiser for Artworks Trenton, the capital city’s nonprofit visual arts center. By bringing the community together through creativity, it supports free classes, exhibitions, and outreach programs all year long.
The event will once again run a full 24 hours, offering an immersive celebration of creativity from 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon to 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon — with new experiences for artists, families, night owls, and everyone in between. more
The New Jersey State Museum in Trenton now presents “Recent Acquisitions: Fine Art.” The new exhibition presents some of the latest accessions to the Fine Art collection, many of which are on view to the public for the first time, including works by artists Robert Smithson, Cindy Sherman, Willie Cole, Melvin Edwards, Nancy Cohen, and Purvis Young. The exhibition is on view on the museum’s second floor Riverside gallery.
Since the establishment of the Fine Art bureau in 1964, the collection has grown to over 12,000 artworks that represent the museum’s commitment to broadening exploration of new narratives in American art history, while also highlighting New Jersey’s role in the context of a global art world. more
GOLF GUIDANCE: “Back Nine is the new indoor golf simulator facility that offers guests the opportunity to work on their golf game in a variety of ways.” Geoff and Sheyda Spies, owners of Back Nine (and both Princeton High School graduates), look forward to welcoming golfers to their new facility.
By Jean Stratton
Golfers take note! An intriguing new opportunity is available at the Princeton Shopping Center.
Back Nine celebrated its Grand Opening May 30, and is now ready to help golfers of all levels of ability hone their skills.
A franchise owned by Geoff and Sheyda Spies, it is an indoor golf simulator facility that offers a variety of opportunities, including technological feedback, to improve one’s golfing abilities.
A Princeton native, Geoff Spies had a successful corporate career in New York City, but was looking for a change. “I really wanted to have my own business,” he explains, “and I was interested in something with sports. I looked into franchises, and found Back Nine. It took about a year to accomplish it, and open as an independently owed franchise.” more
MARTY PARTY: Marty Crotty enjoys the action from the shore during his tenure as the head coach of the Princeton University men’s lightweight rowing program. Earlier this month, Crotty stepped down from the program after guiding it since 2009. Crotty, a 1998 Princeton alum who starred as a men’s heavyweight rower during his college days, guided the Tiger men’s lightweights to a 105-33-1 overall record and the varsity eight to Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships in 2010 and 2023. (Photo by Row2K, provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)
By Bill Alden
For Marty Crotty, being around the Princeton University boathouse since the 1990s has been a life-changing experience.
Crotty, a 1998 Princeton alum, starred as a rower during his college days, helping the Tiger men’s heavyweights to national titles in 1996 and 1998. In 2006, Crotty came home to the boathouse to serve as the freshman coach for the Tiger men’s heavyweight team. He went on to become the head coach of the men’s lightweight program in 2009. more
THE RIGHT STUFF: Princeton High baseball player Chase Hamerschlag fires a pitch in a game this spring. Junior Hamerschlag starred with his arm and bat for PHS this season, notching a team-high 58 strikeouts on the mound and batting .397 as the Tigers went 9-12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
It was a roller-coaster ride this spring for the Princeton High baseball team.
After getting off to a 6-3 start, PHS lost eight straight games. The Tigers rebounded by winning their last three regular season contests as they earned a spot in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 tournament. more
FINAL SET: Princeton Day School boys’ tennis player Jaylen Peng prepares to hit a forehand in a match this spring. Senior Peng starred at third singles in his final campaign as the Panthers went 9-6 and reached the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
While the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team lost to Morristown Friends in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public tournament to end its season, it went out with a bang.
Playing at the second-seeded Foxes, the seventh-seeded Panthers put up quite a fight as they fell 3-2 with two of those defeats on the day coming in 10-point match tiebreaks after the first two sets were split. more
SISTER ACT: Stuart Country Day School lacrosse player Lauren Lee heads upfield in recent action. Sophomore Lee had a superb season this spring, tallying 21 goals and 12 assists. Lee’s older sister, senior standout Allison, a Williams College commit, led the Tartans with 89 points on 81 goals and 8 assists as the Tartans posted a final record of 6-10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Saving its best for last, the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team finished the 2025 season by winning its final three games.
Stuart head coach Paige Meszaros was proud of the way her squad kept improving as the spring unfolded as it defeated Immaculate 13-12, Lawrence 12-11, and Wilberforce School 10-7 in its last three contests of the campaign. more
June 11, 2025
Kid-friendly activities, including an instrument petting zoo, were featured Sunday at the Princeton Festival’s Community Day event at Morven Museum & Garden. Attendees share their favorite instruments in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)
By Anne Levin
Princeton Council voted unanimously at a meeting on Monday, June 9 to approve the annual assessment for the Special Improvement District (SID), known as Experience Princeton. The vote was taken following a public hearing on the measure.
A physician whose private practice is located at 357 Nassau Street commented that because she is located outside the central business district, she doesn’t benefit from the enhancements that Experience Princeton provides. She asked that Council re-evaluate the proposed assessment.
“My concern, that I know is shared by other business owners who are being asked to pay taxes that are intended for revitalization and improvement of downtown Princeton, is that because we are not within that immediate downtown vicinity, we’re really seeing no direct benefit from these initiatives,” she said, adding that things like seasonal decorations and plantings are not extended outside the central downtown. “Despite this, we are asked to shoulder the same financial benefit as those who do benefit.” more