January 17, 2024

Rev. George Rambow Begins his Ministry At Princeton’s All Saints’ Episcopal Church

By Donald Gilpin

The Rev. George F. Rambow

The Rev. George F. Rambow is the new rector of the All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Princeton. A native of Houston, Texas, Rambow replaces the Rev. Hugh E. Brown, who retired last year after 15 years as All Saints’ rector.

Rambow, who arrived in early December from Mississippi with his wife Emily and two daughters, is not a stranger to Princeton or to All Saints’. He received his M.Div. (2014) and Ph.D. (2019) degrees at Princeton Theological Seminary, and he and his family were previously members of the All Saints’ parish from 2015-19. In Mississippi Rambow served as assistant priest at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville and as lecturer at Mississippi State University.

He explained what brought him back to All Saints’. “It’s very simple,” he said in a phone conversation earlier this month. “It’s the wonderful people of All Saints’. It’s a wonderful church, a wonderful community, with warm and welcoming people, thoughtful people, curious people, joyful people. It’s the people who brought us back. It feels like I’ve come home.” more

Princeton Ski and Sail Offers Camaraderie and a Vast Assortment of Trips and Events

SKIING AND SOCIALIZING: Princeton Ski and Sail Club (PSSC) members enjoyed a sunny day on the slopes of Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in Italy. The more than 300 members of PSSC participate in skiing, sailing, biking, hiking, and a range of social activities all year long. (Photo by Dmitri Rizer)

By Donald Gilpin

To say that Princeton Ski and Sail Club (PSSC) is about more than skiing and sailing would be an extreme understatement.

It all began at the Peacock Inn in 1957 when the owner of the Inn at the time, legendary New Jersey land baron Bryce Thompson, presented the idea for a ski club to a group of friends. “A bunch of people got together at the Peacock Inn and passed the hat around for money to start the club, and off it went,” said longtime club member David Corbishley, who heard the story directly from Thompson a few years ago before Thompson’s death in 2019.  more

School Matters 1/17/2024

Princeton Academy Will Remain Open

Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, an independent K-8 school for boys on Great Road, has announced that it will not close after all at the end of this school year, but has been saved by “remarkable community support” and will continue into the future with “a conservative financial plan providing stability without compromising the school’s mission or programmatic offerings.”

In October 2023, the school, which was founded in 1999 in seeking to meet the need for a “values-based” private school for boys in grades K-8, announced that due to financial challenges it would be closing in June 2024.

Last week’s press release from Princeton Academy states that the October announcement “was met with unwavering support of devoted parents, heartfelt dedication of faculty and staff, steadfast commitment of the community, and the generosity of donors.” more

Photographer of New Jersey Life is Focus of State Museum Exhibition

“DINAH”: Among the photographs on display at the “Discovering Grant Castner” exhibit at the New Jersey State Museum February 3 through September 15 is this 1898 portrait of Dinah Hartman of Milford, mending a garment.

By Anne Levin

As a major repository for items related to fine art, culture, archaeology, and natural history, the New Jersey State Museum is often contacted by people interested in donating items they think curators might find of interest. Many of those queries are respectfully considered and politely refused.

But a phone call in July 2019 was a different matter. It was about a collection of 1,200 glass plate negatives by Grant Castner, a long-forgotten amateur photographer who lived and worked in Trenton. The call has led to the exhibit “Discovering Grant Castner: The Lost Archives of a New Jersey Photographer,” opening February 3 and running through September 15 at the museum on Trenton’s West State Street. more

“Literature Is My Mistress” — Trains, Women, and Weather On Chekhov’s Birthday

By Stuart Mitchner

January is the birth month of two ageless poets of the snow, Anton Chekhov, born on the Feast Day of St. Anthony the Great, January 17, 1860, and Franz Schubert, born on January 31, 1797.

Chekhov’s 1886 story “Misery” has a wintry atmosphere like that of “The Hurdy-Gurdy Man,” the last song in Winterreise (1828), Schubert’s song cycle about a man whose snowy wanderings end with an old organ-grinder playing “with numb fingers as best he can,” holding his little plate, “with no reward to show,” for “no one wants to listen.” Chekhov’s epigraph for “Misery,” which I first read as “Heartache” in Avrahm Yarmolinksy’s edition of The Portable Chekhov, is “To whom shall I tell my sorrows,” a reference to the plight of a bereft St. Petersburg cabby, who sits unmoving in the snow, waiting for a fare.  more

Princeton Symphony Orchestra Presents Concert of Princeton Connections

By Nancy Plum

Princeton Symphony Orchestra continued this season’s focus on composers and musicians associated with Princeton this past weekend with performances of works by Princeton-educated composers, one sung by a University graduate now an opera superstar. On Saturday night and Sunday afternoon in Richardson Auditorium, Princeton Symphony Music Director Rossen Milanov led the musicians in an imaginative program of music ranging from the 18th century to current times. 

Princeton University’s compositional Ph.D. program has launched some of the most innovative creators of new music working today. Nina Shekhar, currently a Ph.D. candidate in music composition at the University, has already achieved acclaim and awards for her work. The one-movement orchestral Lumina, performed by Princeton Symphony in this weekend’s concerts, well demonstrated Shekhar’s inventive approach to instrumental music. Beginning with long notes from bowed xylophone and glockenspiel, followed by periods of silence in which the residual sound echoed through the hall, Lumina was full of suspense and contrasts between light and dark. Shekhar used the full orchestra in the instrumentation, with solos from clarinetist Pascal Archer and flutist Scott Kemsley emerging from the orchestral palette. Shekhar’s piece possessed a pulsating feel, both from natural acoustics and musical effects, and was rich in majestic symphonic sound.  more

Freestyle Flashback In New Brunswick

THE EIGHTIES RETURN: Freestyle artists from a few decades back, including TKA, shown here, come to State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on January 27.

State Theatre New Jersey and Fever Records present Freestyle Flashback, featuring freestyle artists from the ’80s and ’90s on Saturday, January 27 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$99. more

Prehistoric Creatures

At State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on Saturday, January 20 at 1 and 5 p.m., an interactive show follows an intrepid explorer across uncharted territories to discover a world of dinosaurs. Imaginative puppetry brings a giant Tyrannosaurus rex, Giraffatitan, Microraptor, Segnosaurus, and Triceratops to life. A special meet and greet after the show allows audience members to make friends with the dinosaurs. The theater is at 15 Livingston Avenue. Tickets are $19-$49. Visit Stnj.org.

Feszer Band Performs At Princeton Makes

HUNGARIAN TRADITIONS: Folk music from Hungary is on the program at Princeton Makes’ Java Jam on Sunday, January 21.

Princeton Makes, the artist cooperative in Princeton Shopping Center, will feature the Fészer Band at its monthly Java Jam on Sunday, January 21 at 4 p.m.

The Fészer band – Emma Turkanu, Hunor Kosbor, Bence Kalán, and László Gáspár – plays authentic Hungarian folk music at Hungarian events and festivals, dance houses and other private events. Their goal is to cultivate and pass on the musical traditions of Hungarian folk culture by preserving the original sound. The cohesive force of the band is friendship and a common need for musical development. Fészer treats its audiences to a high-energy, entertaining tour of Hungary’s folk music, song, and dance culture.  more

Cinderella and More In Sondheim Show

STORYBOOK FAVORITES: Beloved characters come to life for Off-Centre Stages’ production of “Into the Woods” at Mercer County Community College January 19-21.

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take characters known and loved and bring them together in the musical Into the Woods, being presented January 19-21 at the Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor.

The story follows a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. more

Morven Hosts Programs for “Striking Beauty” Exhibition

CLOSING SOON: Morven Museum & Garden is presenting several programs prior to the February 18 closing ofits “Striking Beauty: New Jersey Tall Case Clocks, 1730-1830” exhibition. (Photo by Sebastian Bach)

Morven Museum & Garden’s latest exhibition, “Striking Beauty: New Jersey Tall Case Clocks, 1730-1830” closes on Sunday, February 18. The first exhibition of its kind, it features more than 50 tall case clocks, representing almost as many different clockmakers, from both private and public collections. The freestanding pendulum clocks are as functional as they are beautiful, with faces made of intricate brass work or painted designs of objects like ships, suns, and moons.

The five-gallery exhibition features clocks from towns including Elizabeth, Newark, Burlington, Flemington, Salem, and more.  more

FFAM Hosts Talk with Photographer Sauer

“PHOTOGRAPHING THE ABBOTT MARSHLANDS”: Photographer Frank Sauer will give a free talk at the at Tulpehaking Nature Center in Hamilton on Sunday, January 21 at 2 p.m.

The Friends for the Abbott Marshlands (FFAM) will host Photographing the Abbott Marshlands with Frank Sauer, “Voices for the Marsh 2024,” on January 21 at 2 p.m. at Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Avenue, Hamilton. The event is free. RSVP is required at tinyurl.com/3wnanuav.

Sauer has visited the Abbott Marshlands with his camera hundreds of times in the last five years, sometimes filming with his drone in aerial shots, sometimes shooting the beautiful vistas seen there along with closeups of the native flora. The nonprofit will facilitate talks and walking tours in advance of their biennial photography exhibit this fall. Sauer will serve as the juror of entry and of prizes for the “Voices for the Marsh 2024” photo exhibition.  more

Senior Star Allocco Leads the Way with Career Game As Princeton Men’s Hoops Tops Dartmouth, Now 14-1

LOCKED IN: Princeton University men’s basketball player Matt Allocco puts up a shot past Monday as Princeton hosted Dartmouth. Senior guard Allocco tallied a career-high and game-high 25 points to help the Tigers defat the Big Green 76-58. Princeton, now 14-1 overall and 2-0 Ivy League, plays at Columbia on January 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Over the last few weeks, Matt Allocco has been a little banged up and not quite at 100 percent for the Princeton University men’s basketball team.

Last Monday as Princeton hosted Dartmouth, senior guard Allocco was back at full throttle, draining three 3-pointers in the first half as Princeton jumped out to a 43-30 lead at intermission. Allocco kept firing away, tallying a career-high 25 points as Princeton pulled away to a 76-58 win over the Big Green before a crowd of 3,872 at Jadwin Gym. more

PU Wrestling Alum Monday Juggling Coaching, Competition, Looking to Add to Family Tradition of Olympic Success

RIDING HIGH: Quincy Monday, top, dominates a foe in a bout last winter in his senior season for the Princeton University wrestling team. Monday has stayed at Princeton as an assistant coach for the Tiger wrestling program while continuing his competitive career. Monday won the 74-kilogram freestyle title at the Senior National Championships in mid-December, qualifying him for the Olympic Trials taking place from April 18-19 at Penn State University. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

For the first time in Quincy Monday’s life, his dad was not rooting for him.

Monday, a two-time top-three NCAA Wrestling Championships finisher in 2022 and 2023 for Princeton University, is now an assistant coach for the Tigers, who hosted Morgan State coached by his father, Kenny Monday, a 1988 Olympic gold medalist wrestler and 1984 NCAA champion, last Saturday.

“It was amazing to have them be able to come to Princeton and wrestle against us after I wrestled at Princeton for so many years and my parents have supported me there,” said the younger Monday, a 2023 Princeton grad. “It was a full circle where he’s gone on to lead this next generation of wrestlers at Morgan State. It was really great to have them in and have both of us be honored.” more

PU Men’s Hockey Displays Resolve, Resilience, Battling Hard in 3-1 Defeat to No. 5 Quinnipiac

NO TURNING BACK: Princeton University men’s hockey player Noah de la Durantaye controls the puck in action last winter. Last Saturday, junior defenseman de la Durantaye tallied a goal as Princeton fell 3-1 to No. 5 Quinnipiac. The Tigers, now 6-9-2 overall and 5-5-1 ECAC Hockey, play at Cornell on January 19 and at Colgate on January 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Playing at No. 5 Quinnipiac last Friday evening, the Princeton University men’s hockey team dug an early hole, falling behind 6-1 in the first period on the way to a disappointing 9-2 defeat to the Bobcats.

With Princeton hosting Quinnipiac a night later in the home-and-home set, Noah de la Durantaye and his Tiger teammates were primed to bounce back.

“Listen, I think it is no secret that we were all a little embarrassed by our performance last night but you know what, it is a new day, that is the mentality,” said junior defenseman de la Durantaye, a 6’1, 205-pound native of Montreal, Quebec. “It is chalk it up to experience, move on. I think the guys did a really good job of compartmentalizing that and just pushing forward.” more

With Bess Emerging as Key Weapon Off the Bench, PHS Boys’ Basketball Showing Promise at 5-5

DOING HIS BESS: Princeton High boys’ basketball player Michael Bess Jr. controls the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, sophomore guard Bess scored a team-high 12 points in a losing cause as PHS fell 53-46 to visiting Nottingham. The Tigers, who lost 66-49 at the Pingry School last Saturday to move to 5-5, host Allentown on January 19 and Florence on January 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

The first quarter was painful for Michael Bess Jr. and the Princeton High boys’ basketball team as the Tigers hosted Nottingham last Friday.

PHS ended the quarter trailing 8-4, mustering just two buckets on nearly 20 shots while sophomore guard Bess took a knock.

“We just started off slow, that is how we have been in a couple of games,” said Bess. “I cut my hand in the first.” more

With Captain Hagt Providing Leadership, Production, PHS Girls’ Hockey Earns Breakthrough Victory

TAKING HER SHOT: Princeton High girls’ hockey Maya Hagt, right, fires a shot in a game last winter. Last Friday, junior forward/defender and team captain Hagt scored a goal PHS fell 8-3 to Cranford. The Tigers, now 1-6, play the Lawrenceville JV on January 18 at Hobey Baker Rink. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Maya Hagt and the Princeton High girls’ hockey team started 2024 with a bang.

With junior forward/defender and team captain Hagt chipping in a goal, PHS defeated Newark East Side 4-1 last Wednesday in its initial action of the new year as the program posted its first win since 2022. more

Sophomore Star States Taking Leading Role As Stuart Hoops Focusing on the Basics

STATING HER CASE: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Taylor States heads to the hoop in recent action. Last Thursday, forward States posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in a 72-41 loss to Morristown-Beard. The Tartans, who moved to 2-3 with the defeat, play at the College Achieve Central Charter on January 17 before hosting the Pennington School on January 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Taylor States has set the bar high for herself this winter in her sophomore season for the Stuart Country Day School basketball team.

Last Thursday, forward States posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in a 72-41 loss to Morristown-Beard, but she was not satisfied by her performance. more

D’Agostino Making Impact for Hun Girls’ Hoops, Coming Up Big as Raiders Top Pennington in 2OT

GIFT OF GAB: Hun School girls’ basketball player Gabby D’Agostino goes in for a layup in recent action. Last Wednesday, sophomore guard D’Agostino scored 28 points to help Hun defeat Pennington 58-53 in double overtime. The Raiders, who moved to 7-10 with a 46-34 loss to Christian Academy Blue (Md.) last Saturday in the Rose Classic Super Jam in Brooklyn, N.Y., play at the Peddie School on January 17 and at the Blair Academy on January 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Gabby D’Agostino was looking to be a crowd-pleaser for the Hun School girls’ basketball team as it hosted the Pennington School last Wednesday.

“We only have five home games,” said sophomore guard D’Agostino, who transferred to Hun this year from New Hope-Solebury (Pa.). “So being able to have them show out, we really just want to win for them because we don’t get a lot of these.” more

Council Liaison Explains Proposal to Create New Consolidated Committee

To the Editor:

Since 2018, I have served as Council liaison to both the Civil Rights Commission (CRC) and the Human Services Commission (HSC). I would like to explain the proposal to combine these committees with Affordable Housing to create a new consolidated committee. 

Before being elected to Council, and while serving on the HSC, I was instrumental in creating the CRC as, what we hoped, would be a vehicle for social justice and racial equity. We faced persistent challenges in housing, employment, and quality of life that disproportionately affected our communities of color and threatened the diversity of our town. I believed that a CRC could help to address these issues. After more than three years working collaboratively with others, the ordinance establishing the CRC was adopted on October 24, 2016. I was proud and honored to serve as the Commission’s first chair beginning in January of 2017. more

Concretely Championing Civil Rights Means Keeping CRC Independent

To the Editor:

As someone with experience working with the Municipality of Princeton’s Civil Rights Commission, both in the capacity of formerly chairing the municipal Youth Advisory Committee and serving as a board member for Not in Our Town Princeton, I understand the importance of the Civil Rights Commission’s contributions to local justice-oriented efforts. On January 8, the municipality introduced Ordinance #2024-01, which seeks to consolidate the Civil Rights Commission, the Human Services Commission, and the Affordable Housing Board into a Community Services Advisory Committee.  more

NIOT Board Urges Council to Keep Civil Rights Commission Independent

To the Editor:

The board of Not in Our Town Princeton (NIOT) strongly opposes Council’s proposed ordinance to merge the Civil Rights Commission (CRC) with the Affordable Housing Board and the Human Services Commission. We urge Council to withdraw this proposal, or at minimum, postpone the vote in order to allow for discussion with the three bodies and input from the public. 

NIOT is a multi-racial, multi-faith group of individuals who stand together for racial justice and inclusive communities. Our focus is to identify and expose the political, economic, and cultural systems that have enabled white supremacy to flourish, and to create new structures and policies which will ensure equity and inclusion for all.   more

PCH Thanks McCarter, Princeton Symphony For Their Generosity, Longstanding Partnership

To the Editor:

On behalf of Princeton Community Housing (PCH), we are writing to express our gratitude to our partners and friends at McCarter Theatre and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra who donated tickets to their wonderful holiday performances last month so our residents could participate in these favorite traditions.

Fortunately for us and the larger Princeton region, we not only benefit from the cultural contributions of top-notch arts organizations, we, as mission-driven nonprofits, share a mutual commitment to inclusion and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive in a diverse and welcoming community. Connecting our residents to the many resources available in Princeton is what we call the “PCH Difference,” and this collaboration is just one of the many ways we strive to weave our community together. more

Council Decision to Condense Board, Commissions Into One Entity is Mistake

To the Editor:

Serving on Princeton Council as an elected official is not easy. Many times, you are asked to make decisions that personally affect your constituents. In this latest Council decision to eliminate the Human Services Commission, Affordable Housing Board, and the Civil Rights Commission, it appears this Council does not want to listen to their constituents.

I served for 15 years as a Councilperson in the town of Princeton. I have served many years on the Human Services Commission, Affordable Housing Board, and Civil Rights Commission. These boards serve and protect the residents that are the most vulnerable in our town. The decision to eliminate them and condense them into a single Community Services Advisory Committee is a true mistake. Just the elimination of the names will decrease residents’ awareness of where to go when confronted with any of these issues. more

BOE Member Brian McDonald to Run for Seat on Princeton Council

To the Editor:

I write to share that I will seek election to Princeton Council. I decided to run after Eve Niedergang announced that she will be completing her elected service this year. I wish to thank Eve for her decades of community engagement and leadership as an advocate for our environment and sustainability, and as a dedicated member of Council. 

Princeton is a special town where my family has lived for the past 29 years. I have been honored to serve our community in a variety of roles — as a Little League coach; as a member of nonprofit Boards, including The Watershed Institute, Sustainable Princeton, and McCarter Theatre Center; and as a member of the town’s Citizen’s Finance Advisory Committee. I am currently finishing my second term as a member of the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education. It would be a privilege to continue serving our community as a member of Council. more