December 6, 2023

Time Travel, Love, and Mozart In Novel by Conductor Michael Pratt

By Anne Levin

Michael Pratt

Michael Pratt

Since becoming the conductor of the Princeton University Orchestra in 1977, Michael Pratt has written countless program notes for the concerts the ensemble performs at Richardson Auditorium and on tours throughout the world. But he had never written fiction — more specifically, historical fiction — until the pandemic put a pause to his regular routine.

That’s when he began to imagine a story that would combine the two most important things in his life: music and love. The Copyists, about a 21st century pianist who travels back in time to 1785, where he works for his idol, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, came out this past fall.

Describing the book as “Outlander meets Amadeus,” Pratt said that the book “kind of wrote itself.” The first version was 110,000 words, and he hired someone to get it down to 95,000. more

Array of Historic and Cultural Events On Tap for Trenton’s Patriots Week

PATRIOTS WEEK PAGEANTRY:Redcoat reenactors march toward the Trenton Battle Monument in a past year’s Patriots Week appearance. This year’s celebrations in Trenton, December 26-31, will feature an array of more than 40 exciting historic and cultural events. (Photo courtesy of the Old Barracks Museum)

By Donald Gilpin

The Colonial Ball, the Patriots’ Pub Crawl, battle reenactments, the Assunpink Firewalk, the Hogmanay Scottish New Year celebration, lectures, historical tours, puppet shows and more — Patriots Week in Trenton is back and bigger than ever this year with dozens of events taking place throughout the city from December 26-31, celebrating history and culture, while providing a rich array of entertainments for all ages.

Sponsored by the City of Trenton, Trenton Downtown Association, and the Old Barracks Museum in partnership with many different local groups, the festivities give participants multiple opportunities to engage with the city and its extraordinary role in the American Revolution and the shaping of the nation’s history. more

Let It Roll: The Ballad of George Harrison

By Stuart Mitchner

I love this time of day, 1:30 to 3 a.m., kitchen to myself, cleaning up to music from the Bose Wave. I turn on WWFM in time to hear the first two movements of Haydn’s string quartet No. 23 in F minor, which creates a nice slow weaving motion that goes surprisingly well with sweeping the floor.

According to his biographer Albert Christoph Dies, Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) once claimed that musical ideas were pursuing him: “If it’s an allegro that pursues me, my pulse keeps beating faster, I can get no sleep. If it’s an adagio, then I notice my pulse beating slowly. My imagination plays on me as if I were a clavier…. I am really just a living clavier.”

Basie the Piano

Pondering the idea of a composer or a player becoming the embodiment of their instrument, my thoughts turn first to Red Bank’s favorite son Count Basie. If anyone this side of Glenn Gould or Duke Ellington qualified as “a living piano” it was Basie playing one or two incandescent notes between the heaves of big band storm. Listening to the 1975 RCA session with Basie and tenor man Zoot Sims while sweeping the tile dance floor in my night club kitchen at 3 a.m., the number I keep coming back to is a medium slow blues Basie calls “Captain Bligh.” After much looking online I’ve given up trying to find out why he named a blues after the deposed commander of HMS Bounty. In my search of the Net, however, what I found was a smile: of course, Basie’s big band recorded two albums of Beatles songs in the 1960s, one of them with liner notes by Ringo Starr. more

PU Ensembles Come Together for Joint Concert of Orchestral and Choral Music

By Nancy Plum

The Princeton University Orchestra and Glee Club joined forces this past weekend at Richardson Auditorium to present an unusual gem of a concerto from one of the most creative periods of French musical history. Orchestra conductor Michael Pratt and Glee Club director Gabriel Crouch brought together the two ensembles to perform a concerto for two pianos, multiple saxophones, orchestra and chorus by 20th-century composer Germaine Tailleferre, whose compositional output has remained largely unexplored until recent decades. Combined with the music of Brahms and Mozart, the Tailleferre work created a solid anchor for the Orchestra’s annual tribute to former University faculty member and composer Peter Westergaard.

The University Orchestra opened Friday night’s concert (the performance was repeated Saturday evening) with one of the University music department’s talented students leading the ensemble. Senior Aster Zhang has performed extensively as a cellist both nationally and worldwide and is also trained as a conductor. For her portion of the program, Zhang led the Orchestra in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Overture” to The Magic Flute. Conducting without a baton, Zhang was poised and professional from the outset, leading a stately opening and smooth transition to the quick-moving passages. The string sound was consistently light, and musical punctuation clear. Taking her time in slower sections, Zhang showed Mozart’s drama well, aided by elegant wind solos. more

Clement Moore’s Poem Is Subject of Kelsey Show

SANTA EXPLAINS: The classic poem “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” comes to life on the stage of Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre in West Windsor for five shows December 8-10.

Santa will be arriving a little early this year when the holiday classic ’Twas the Night Before Christmas comes to life on the stage of Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC) Kelsey Theatre on December 8-10.

Show times are Friday, December 8 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, December 9 and 10, at 1 and 4 p.m. Children are invited to have their picture taken with Santa after the show. Kelsey Theatre is located on MCCC’s West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. more

Jeff Warner in Concert Of American Folk Music

FOLK TRADITIONS: The Princeton Folk Music Society will bring folksinger Jeff Warner to Christ Congregational Church for a concert on December 15. (Photo by Ralph Morang)

On Friday, December 15 at 8 p.m., The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Jeff Warner in an evening of traditional American folksong at Christ Congregational Church, 50 Walnut Lane.

Warner is considered to be among the nation’s foremost performer/interpreters of traditional music. His songs connect 21st century audiences with the everyday lives and artistry of 19th century Americans, bringing us “the latest news from the distant past.”  more

“Gaucho: A New Musical” at PU’s Wallace Theater

BREAKING FREE: Sydney Mullin ’24 as Sofia and Aaron Ventresca ’24 as Mateo in rehearsal for “Gaucho: A New Musical.” (Photo by Dylan Tran)

Gaucho: A New Musical is presented December 8-10 at Princeton University’s Wallace Theater in the Lewis Arts complex. Admission is free.

The show, by seniors Aaron and Emma Ventresca, is set in 19th-century Argentina as the gaucho community of San Antonio de Areco faces growing threats to its traditional way of life from large landowners’ newest technology — barbed wire fencing. With horseback riding and storytelling buffeting under the pressure of progress, a young gaucho named Mateo struggles to break free from his family’s dying cowboy way of life to become a writer. But with some unexpected help, Mateo escapes to the alluring promises of Buenos Aires.

The show’s book, music, and lyrics are by Aaron and Emma Ventresca. It is directed by alumnus and Lecturer in Theater Nico Krell, with music direction by guest artist Gia Gan. Admission is free. Shows are at 8 p.m. on December 8 and 9, and 2 p.m. on December 10. Visit arts.princeton.edu for more information.

“The Women of April” At Erdman Art Gallery

“THE TRUCE OF THE MAMMALS”: This work by Lourdes Bernard is featured in “The Women of April and Selected Works,” on view at the Erdman Art Gallery at Princeton Theological Seminary through December 15.

“The Women of April and Selected Works,” a research-based exhibition by Brooklyn artist Lourdes Bernard, is on view at the Erdman Art Gallery at Princeton Theological Seminary through December 15.  Bernard is a visiting scholar and the current artist in residence at the Overseas Ministries Study Center at the Seminary.

According to the artist, the narrative images celebrate and highlight the role of “The Women of April,” untrained civilian resistance fighters who fought against the 42,000 U.S. Marines ordered by President Lyndon B. Johnson to invade the Dominican Republic in April 1965. In 2017, shortly after attending the D.C. Women’s March and as the previous administration rolled out controversial immigration policies, she began to research her family’s migration journey from the Dominican Republic in 1965.  more

Annual Holiday Festivities at Mercer Museum, Fonthill Castle

HOLIDAYS AT FONTHILL CASTLE: Historic Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, Pa., is transformed into a winter wonderland for tours during the holiday season.

The Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle are presenting programs for the holiday season at Fonthill Castle, located at 525 East Court Street in Doylestown, Pa.

Fonthill Castle, the home of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), is a National Historic Landmark operated by the Bucks County Historical Society. Every year, the inside of the castle is transformed into a winter wonderland with all new themes for its 15 festive holiday trees.

On weekdays through December 31, daily one-hour guided tours of  Fonthill Castle showcase Henry Mercer’s home decked for the holidays while sharing the history of Mercer and the construction of this unique property. Fonthill Castle’s interior features Mercer’s renowned, handcrafted ceramic tiles designed at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement, and the castle serves as an early example of reinforced concrete architecture with 44 rooms, 200 windows, and 18 fireplaces.  more

Holiday Open House, Art Sale at D&R Greenway

“ON THE EDGE – POLAR BEAR”: This work by James Fiorentino is featured in a display of his wildlife art in the Marie L. Matthews Gallery at D&R Greenway Land Trust.

The public is invited to a Holiday Open House and Art Sale on Saturday, December 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. at D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Johnson Education Center at One Preservation Place. MUTTS cartoons by Patrick McDonnell, watercolors by James Fiorentino, botanical florals by artist Liz Cutler, and landscape quilts by Deb Brockway will be on display in a new exhibit. Sales benefit the land trust’s work to preserve and care for land, maintain public trails, grow food for the hungry, and inspire a conservation ethic.

Attendees can enjoy cider, hot chocolate, and cookies at the free event.  more

“NEXT: Reimagining the Future Through Art” Exhibit at Ellarslie

“WOW”: This work by Beverly Keese-Kelley is featured in “NEXT: Reimagining the Future Through Art,” on view in the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie and online December 8 through February 11. An opening reception is on December 10 from 4 to 6 p.m.

To close out its year of 50th anniversary programming and celebrations, the Trenton Museum Society looks forward with the juried exhibition “NEXT: Reimagining the Future Through Art.” Featuring 40 pieces by 30 artists, the show will be on view in the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie and online December 8 through February 11.

An opening reception is on Sunday, December 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. more

Visit Hidden Spring Lavender & Alpaca Farm For Lavender Products and Fun with Alpacas

’TIS THE SEASON: Montgomery, the 2 1/2-year-old alpaca, and Marie Voorhees, owner of Hidden Spring Lavender & Alpaca Farm, are all decked out for the holidays. Montgomery was the first baby alpaca born at the farm.

By Jean Stratton

Avisit to Hidden Spring Lavender & Alpaca Farm engages on many levels. It’s a chance to spend time in the relaxing atmosphere of a country setting with fields of fragrant lavender. Opportunities for shopping are abundant in the special Gift Shoppe, and then there are the alpacas!

Twenty-three alpacas live at the Hidden Spring Farm and are a captivating attraction for enthusiastic visitors, who may even schedule a 20-minute walk with one of these appealing animals.

Opened in 2014, and located at 890 County Route 601 in Skillman, it was the dream of Marie Voorhees. After a career in the corporate world, she decided to head in a new direction. She and her husband Steven purchased her parents’ 25-acre farm, and it was the perfect spot for a new adventure.

“When we came to live here, I wanted to have something pretty out front,” she explains. “It had to be animal resistant because of the deer and rabbits, and lavender is resistant.” more

PU Men’s Water Polo Falls to UCLA in NCAA Semis, Making Progress Toward Ultimate Goal of National Title

SEMI-TOUGH: Princeton University men’s water polo player George Caras races up the pool in recent action. Junior Caras starred as fourth-seeded Princeton topped UC Irvine 12-7 in the NCAA quarterfinals last Friday before falling 17-13 to top-seeded UCLA in the semis a day later at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The Tigers finished the season with a 28-6 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Mason Killion’s goal brought the Princeton University men’s water polo team even with top-seeded UCLA in the fourth quarter of the NCAA semifinals Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Tigers stood seven minutes away from reaching the championship game where they could play for the national title goal they had been aiming for all season.

UCLA, though, responded with the next three goals to put the Tigers in a deficit that they couldn’t claw back from in a 17-13 loss in a game played at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Princeton drew as close as 14-12 with 2:52 before UCLA scored twice in the next 24 seconds to end the Tigers year at 28-6 overall after securing their third straight Northeast Water Polo Conference Championship to earn another trip to the NCAAs. more

Enjoying Banner Day as NCAA Sweet 16 Run Celebrated, PU Men’s Hoops Rallies to Edge Furman on Allocco Shot

GOING TO THE MATT: Princeton University men’s basketball player Matt Allocco heads to the hoop in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior guard Allocco drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Princeton a dramatic come-from-behind 70-69 win over Furman. The Tigers, who moved to 8-0 with the victory, were slated to host Drexel on December 5 before playing at Saint Joseph’s on December 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

The cheers started early Saturday afternoon as the Princeton University men’s basketball team hosted Furman.

In a pregame ceremony, Princeton’s magical run to the NCAA Sweet 16 this past March was celebrated and a banner memorializing the achievement was unfurled from the rafters at Jadwin Gym to the applause of the 2,142 on hand for the contest.

About two hours later, the Jadwin crowd erupted in a frenzy with a full-throated roar after the Tigers, displaying the mettle that exemplified their March Madness success, rallied from a 61-50 deficit late in the second half to stun the Paladins 70-69 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by senior star Matt Allocco. more

With Younger Players Breaking Into the Rotation, PHS Boys’ Hockey Aiming to Maintain Winning Ways

ON THE STICK: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Brendan Beatty brings the puck up the ice in action last winter. Junior forward Beatty is the leading returning scorer for PHS, having tallied 33 points on 10 goals and 23 assists last season. The Tigers open their 2023-24 campaign by facing Notre Dame High on December 11 at the Mercer County Skating Center. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In taking the helm of the Princeton High boys’ hockey team last winter, Rik Johnson benefited from a stellar senior group that provided leadership and production.

The team’s Class of 2023, headlined by high-scoring forwards Cooper Zullo and Ethan Garlock, led the way as PHS won the Mercer County Tournament for the first time since 2020 and advanced the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A quarterfinals on the way to a 15-7-1 record.

As PHS head coach Johnson looks ahead to the 2023-24 campaign, he acknowledges that his squad may have to rely on its battle-tested blue line unit to maintain the program’s winning ways. more

Putting an Emphasis on Disciplined Defensive Play, PDS Boys’ Hockey Aiming for Breakthrough Season

SHIN GUARD: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Han Shin controls the puck in a game last winter. Senior defenseman Shin is primed for a big final campaign for the Panthers. PDS opens its 2023-24 season by hosting the Delbarton School on December 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Showing flashes of brilliance, the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team has proven that it can compete with the elite programs in New Jersey as a member of the Gordon Conference.

But PDS has fallen short of breaking into the upper echelon, struggling in the Gordon Cup and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public postseason competition.

“I felt like our first two years in that conference, we hung with teams, we were around in third periods,” said PDS head coach Scott Bertoli, whose team went 7-11-3 last season. “We didn’t have the difference makers that the other teams had, being Delbarton, CBA (Christian Brothers Academy), and Don Bosco. We haven’t gotten over that hurdle since we have been in that conference. We have had tremendous games, we have tied some of those teams, but we haven’t beaten any of those three teams. Ultimately to get where we want to be we have got to figure that out. more

Szeker Taking Helm of Hun Boys’ Hockey, Fired Up to be Coaching at his Alma Mater

OPENING SALVO: Hun School boys’ hockey player Ryan Levesque tracks the puck in a game last winter. On Friday, senior forward Levesque tallied three goals and two assists to help Hun defeat the Haverford School (Pa.) 14-3 in its season opener. In upcoming action, the Raiders face LaSalle College High (Pa.) on December 6 at Hatfield Ice Arena and Notre Dame High on December 8 at Grundy Ice Arena before hosting St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) on December 12 at Ice Land Skating Center. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Eric Szeker, playing for the Hun School boys’ hockey team a decade ago left him with the memories of a lifetime.

“I have played on a lot of great teams, I have played in a lot of awesome places across the country and in the Northeast; honestly looking back, it was some of the best times I ever had in hockey,” said Szeker, a 2013 Hun alum who served as the captain of the Raiders in his senior season. “You get to spend eight hours a day with some of your best friends. You get to wear your school logo. We had that locker room over at Ice Land. It is no NHL locker room, but it is still your place where you get to hang out with friends, have lunch, and do homework.”

After playing juniors for the Cape Cod Islanders, Szeker went on to play four years at Western New England University, a Division III program based in Springfield, Mass. more

With Veterans, Freshmen Getting on Same Page, Stuart Basketball Undergoing Growth Process 

TAYLOR-MADE: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Taylor States heads to the basket in action last winter. Sophomore forward States, who led Stuart in scoring last season with 177 points, figures to be the top offensive threat for the Tartans again this winter. Stuart tips off its 2023-24 campaign by playing at the Peddie School on December 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Stuart Country Day School basketball team featuring a mix of four returners and five newcomers, Tony Bowman has been providing his players with plenty of teachable moments.

“It is a growing process, it is a learning process,” said Stuart head coach Bowman, who guided the Tartans to a 5-6 record last winter as he returned for his second stint with the program after coaching Stuart from 2003-11. “We don’t have a JV so they are going from middle school straight to varsity. It is a big transition, that is where we’re at.” more

Price Tag Seems Too High for Proposed Community Park South Concept Design

To the Editor:

As a resident of Princeton and a dog lover, I have enjoyed the benefits of the new dog park in Community Park, but last week Town Topics reported that “the two existing dog parks would be improved (in the new park design), at a cost of $1,350,000” [“Proposed Concept Design for Community Park South is Presented to Council,” November 29, page 1].

This is an astounding figure — do the improvements include a concierge and a day spa? I’m all for upgrades for the park, my neighbors and I use it every day for exercise and dog walking, but this price tag of $24-28 million seems over the top. I would urge Council to reel this budget back in, keep the park simple (and accessible to the neighborhood), and spend the extra money on local arts and community events and we’ll all be wagging with joy.

Maria Evans
Leigh Avenue

BOE Candidate Tuck-Ponder Thanks Supporters; Hopes Needs of All Learners are Considered

To the Editor:

When asked, my father would always tell me that resilience was the most important characteristic a person could have. What a wise man he was!

While I am disappointed at the outcome of the November Board of Education election, I am neither discouraged, or deterred, from seeking equity and equality, not only in Princeton Public Schools, but throughout our community.

I deeply appreciate the support and confidence that Princeton voters have placed in me during my 30 years in public service and offer my best wishes to the new and reelected School Board members. It is indeed a very tough job that requires significant time, energy, integrity, and courage. I can only hope that the needs of all of our learners are considered in the fulfillment of their duties.

Thanks to all who signed letters, made contributions, generously placed signs on their lawns and otherwise endorsed my candidacy. I am grateful for your friendship and assistance.

Michele Tuck-Ponder
Laurel Circle

Obituaries 12/6/2023

Evan R. Wolarsky M.D.

Evan Wolarsky died Saturday November 25 at home in Pennington, NJ, surrounded by his family.

Born in The Bronx, NY, in 1942, Evan was a graduate of Horace Mann ’59, Harvard College ’63 and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School ’67. He completed a five-year surgical residency at Columbia Presbyterian in New York in June 1974 with a two-year break after his internship year, during which he did research on wound-healing on a NIH grant.

Drafted during the Vietnam War, then deferred until the end of his residency, he served two years accompanied at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, retiring with the rank of full Commander in the USN.

He joined Hunterdon Surgical Associates in Flemington, NJ, in July 1976, where he practiced General Surgery until 1990, after which he assumed the newly created position of Medical Director of Hunterdon Medical Center. While working as Medical Director he joined the Executive MBA program at Wharton (at the time the oldest student Wharton had in the program), graduating in 1997 alongside his daughter Nina obtaining her B.A. from U Penn.

Evan was a gifted photographer. When he was a boy he received a Leica camera from his father, after which he became a serious, dedicated photographer. Many of his photographs hang in the homes of his friends. He was also a terrific home chef and baker, his talents in the kitchen widely enjoyed by his friends and family. He completed the NYC Marathon twice as well as the Boston Marathon.

Evan leaves his wife, Rosalie Siegel Wolarsky of Pennington, NJ; son Eric Wolarsky of Newtown PA, daughter-in-law Julia Nickles; daughter Nina Wolarsky of Los Angeles, son-in-law Hal Pohl; and grandchildren, Marcus and Yael Wolarsky and Lucy Margaret Pohl.

December 1, 2023

Planning Board Approves Controversial Master Plan

By Anne Levin

Having listened to comments from some 80 residents — half at a public hearing on November 9, half at a second hearing on Thursday night — the Princeton Planning Board voted unanimously 9-0 to approve the municipal Master Plan that was first presented to the public last month. Last night’s Zoom meeting, which lasted nearly five and a half hours, was attended by more than 230 people.

While many urged the Planning Board to hold off on voting, some members of the public spoke in favor of approving the plan.

The document has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks. In the past few days, there was a petition signed by nearly 1,000 residents asking the board to hold off on a vote, a FAQ explaining points of the plan written by Planning Board Chairwoman Louise Wilson, an open letter from the Princeton Board of Education (BOE) saying leaders of the School District were not given enough opportunity to provide input, and a letter from Wilson in response.

Board of Education President Dafna Kendal read the BOE’s November 28 letter, which was addressed to Princeton Council and the Planning Board, at the meeting. In addition to stating the BOE was not sufficiently consulted in the crafting of the plan, the letter addresses the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements with developers of three apartment complexes going up in town. The schools do not receive funds from any of these PILOTs. Wilson read the letter that she wrote in response to these concerns.

After the last member of the public delivered a comment last night, members of the board issued comments of their own. Board member and Princeton Councilman David Cohen said “Change is hard, and people would rather pretend that it is possible to keep Princeton just the way it is. Unfortunately, people are also conflating this plan update with large, new multifamily developments currently going up in town. These developments are part of our court-mandated affordable housing settlement and are completely independent of and unaffected by the Master Plan revisions. They should not influence our deliberations.”

Cohen also pointed out that none of the people who urged the board to delay the vote offered alternative solutions. more

November 29, 2023

Kicking Off the Holiday Season

KICKING OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON: The Annual Palmer Square Tree Lighting on Friday evening featured musical entertainment by the Sensational Soul Cruisers, the Flying Ivories, and the Princeton High School Choir, along with a visit from Santa. Attendees share what they are looking forward to this holiday season in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

Debate Continues Over Proposed Master Plan

By Anne Levin

As of Tuesday afternoon, 688 people had signed a petition started by the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development (PCRD) urging the Princeton Planning Board to pause the approval of the Community Master Plan.

The plan, which has not been updated since 1996, was presented by the town’s Planning Board last month, and was the subject of a public hearing on November 9. Because time ran out before all of those signed up had a chance to comment, the Planning Board has continued the hearing to its meeting this Thursday, November 30 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

Municipal staff and consultants have been working on the plan for the past year and a half. Surveys, interviews, open house events, and special listening sessions were included in the process. But the petition calls for more public input.

“As residents of Princeton, New Jersey, we are deeply concerned about the proposed Draft Master Plan, which up-zones many properties to allow for increased density on each lot,” the petition begins. “This proposed plan could have serious unintended consequences due to proposed changes to the land use plans. It appears that there has been a failure to take into account the impact on our environment, existing infrastructure, schools, property taxes, traffic and parking conditions, and even our mature trees. Princeton is known for its beautiful green spaces and historic charm. The current up-zoning proposal threatens the very characteristics that attract residents and visitors to Princeton.”  more

Proposed Concept Design For Community Park South Is Presented to Council

By Anne Levin

During a work session at its meeting Monday evening, Princeton Council heard a report on the proposed renovation of Community Park South, the 26-acre expanse bordered by Route 206, Birch Avenue, Community Park School, and Community Park Pool.

Since last February, a steering committee made up of municipal staff; two members of Council; and representatives from the Princeton Environmental Commission, the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, the public schools, and other stakeholders — along with Suburban Consulting Engineers — have been holding public meetings and soliciting information through public surveys.

Seven possible concept designs were considered before the Princeton Recreation Commission recommended Concept A, “following strong considerations that whenever possible open space for structured and unstructured play should be provided, and that mayor and Council should work to provide additional parking convenient to the site,” according to a letter sent to Mayor Mark Freda and Council last week. more