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November 29, 2023

Princeton Should Plan For Far More Price-Controlled Housing

To the Editor:

I suggest that, because of fundamental issues, Princeton residents urge our Planning Board to postpone approval of its draft Master Plan at its November 30 meeting.

The stated vision includes the goal of providing housing “affordable to all income levels,” but the only plan for housing calls for teardowns and new condos (euphemistically called “gentle infill”), presumably to increase affordable options for middle income buyers who, it is thought, will be able to afford smaller homes. At the same time, the draft preserves exclusionary zoning in much of the town outside the center, which already benefits from large swaths of preserved green space and keeps out small lot housing.

By now, everyone has seen the astronomical rents being charged for the new apartment complexes that have been built or are being built. I don’t understand how anyone can believe infill housing will be cheaper. more

November 22, 2023

Obituaries 11/22/2023

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Elias Bloxom Baker

Elias Bloxom Baker

E. Bloxom (Bloxy) Baker IV, formerly of Princeton, NJ, passed away on November 12, 2023, in Salisbury, CT. Born in Philadelphia, PA, on February 18, 1945, he was the son of Elias Bloxom and Marjorie Credo Baker. He grew up in Princeton, NJ, attended Princeton Day School, and later graduated from the St. Georges School in Newport, RI, in 1963. He attended Princeton University, graduated in 1967, and was a member of the Cap and Gown eating club.

After graduation, he enlisted as an officer in the United States Army and later helicopter flight school. He served in the Army’s 3rd Calvary Infantry Division in Vietnam, stationed in Bien Hoa as a Bell Cobra helicopter pilot in the Blue Max Squadron. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service and the Broken Wing Award for safely landing his helicopter when his tail rotor blade was shot off by enemy fire. After his tour of duty, he was stationed in Fort Hood Texas and trained in low level flying with night vision binoculars, followed by an assignment for several months to England in the Salisbury Plains teaching British pilots the same.

After his honorable discharge with the rank of Captain, he worked for Merrill Lynch in Manhattan as a commodities broker. Dissatisfied with corporate life he learned that Grover Lumber Company in Princeton was for sale, where he had worked for many years part time growing up. With the help of family and friends, he and his wife were able to buy the company. He was President of Grover Lumber Co for 20 years until the company was later sold to Princeton University.

A lifelong devotee to the sport of ice hockey, Bloxy was both a coach and the ultimate “hockey dad” to his three sons.

He is survived by his wife Nancy Luria of Salisbury and two step daughters, Cary Ullman of Lakeville, CT, and Samantha Harlow of Middlebury, VT; his three sons, with his former wife Nancy Howell Rogers, Charles of Sarasota, Fl, Henry (his wife Tiffany) of Wilton, CT, and Peter (his wife Wendy) of Montvale, NJ; three grandchildren (Henry, Lily, and Sophie); sisters Gertrude Millar (James) of Marshfield, MA, Leanne Baker of Nantucket, MA; and brother Warren Baker (wife Deborah) of Lakeside, MI.

A memorial service is planned for a later date in Princeton, NJ.

Sidewalks, Walkways on Cherry Hill Road, Great Road Need to Be Part of Master Plan

To the Editor:

In reviewing the Master Plan for Princeton, it does seem to describe the need to extend certain sidewalks and walkways into Princeton. I am writing to urge residents of the neighborhoods off of Cherry Hill and Great Road to show your support for completing sidewalks and walkways on these roads leading into Princeton. Both have sidewalk/walkways partially on them, but both should run the length of these roads.

Every day I see walkers and joggers walking along these very busy roads, putting their lives at risk as neither Cherry Hill Road nor Great Road have completed sidewalks/walkways and residents are forced to walk on the roads themselves, neither of which have a shoulder. The current Master Plan seems to indicate that these roads might have sidewalks/walkways as part of the plan, however, our fear should be whether these will remain in the plan after all of the vetting and financial concerns.

I am urging everyone to advocate for more sidewalks/walkways connecting these major thoroughfares into Princeton, which will be better for our residents, students, and anyone wishing to walk to town vs. driving, which will also help with congestion in downtown Princeton.

JOSEPH RENDA
Montadale Circle

Lawrence Hopewell Trail Shares Thanks for Supporters of Successful Fundraiser

To the Editor:

The Lawrence Hopewell Trail (LHT) thanks the 140 friends who attended our sold-out Founders, Friends & the Future dinner at the Chauncey Conference Center on November 13. We honored Becky Taylor and Eleanor Horne, our visionary founders who created the 22-mile LHT 20 years ago, connecting people and communities in Mercer County.

Proclamations and heartfelt tributes were offered by public officials who have long been supporters of the LHT and admirers of our founders. State Sen. Shirley Turner, Assembly Member Anthony Verrelli, and Mercer County Commissioners Nina Melker and Kristen McLaughlin stepped to the microphone and lavished thanks and praise on Eleanor and Becky. Gov. Phil Murphy, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Congressman Andy Kim offered video tributes. Mercer County Executive-Elect Dan Benson unveiled a sign depicting the historic accomplishments of Becky and Eleanor that will be placed permanently on the LHT.

Questioning Base Assumptions, Fearing Consequences of Plan’s Land Use Goals

To the Editor:

As an architect and longtime resident who cares deeply about the quality of life in Princeton, I have questions concerning some of the underlying assumptions of the Master Plan, and I am deeply worried about the consequences of its adoption.

Its base assumption is the town should grow and densify well beyond the current pace of change that is already rapidly altering its fabric. Land Use Goals 2-5 essentially declare that the goals (implicitly our shared goals) for our town is for substantially higher residential density, greater economic development, and that we all agree and want to streamline the review and approval processes to allow the easier implementation of these changes. Are these base assumptions truly shared by most?

I am pro-change and pro-growth, but not comfortable with these assumptions as declared. Some of us choose to live in our neighborhoods partly because they are not so densely developed.

My greatest issue with the Master Plan is where it veers from providing a “vision plan,” to specifying and overlaying fundamentally new regulations governing land use that will change our town in ways we cannot fully predict. more

Reduce Proposed Plan Density; All Commercial Districts are Not the Same

To the Editor:

I support the concepts and intent of the Master Plan draft, but there should be corrections made before approval. I hope the Planning Board will take the time to listen to public comments and make appropriate adjustments. The Land use consultants Clarke Canton Hintz is the firm that prepared our “Affordable Housing Overlay” zones where Jugtown Historic district was overlooked in the AHO-2. This document was released without public input in the depths of COVID and did not benefit from public scrutiny. Let’s do a better job this time.

My concerns are as follows:

Reduce density in the “Greenway Neighborhood” (p. 41,43) from proposed 1-2 units/acre. This should be adjusted to 1-2 units per lot ,which would increase single family homes by allowing a second residence on each lot. Currently property owners in this neighborhood are limited to adding a modest sized ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit).

Reduce density in the “Neighborhood areas” (p. 41,43) from proposed 2-8 units/acre. This zone often has 1.25 acre lots but varies wildly. Again, one to two dwelling units per lot would be a generous expansion in number of potential houses. Why allow 10 units on some typical 1.25 acre lots on Cleveland and Hodge roads? more

Growth May Be Inevitable, But Should Be Viewed as a Cost, Not Goal, of Plan

To the Editor:

The new Princeton Master Plan has been shared with the public (see princetonnj.gov).

The plan focuses on growth. In fact, it is a core statement in the 1996 plan that continues unchanged in this draft. The plan’s vision is that “Princeton will be a vibrant, growing, and welcoming community.” The very first assumption is that “Princeton will welcome new growth.”

The plan proposes increasing density in several single family residential areas to 2-8 units per acre and in some areas near the central district to 4-20 units per acre. The plan hopes that these changes will make us a better community with more opportunities for diversity in housing.

It is time to think about deleting “growth” as one of our goals. The growth that is envisioned in this new plan is not one that is good for the town. Neighborhoods closest to the center of town will be open to high density development. Traffic; pressure on our infrastructure and schools; increased demands on our police, fire, and social services; and the financial stress on our municipal government can all be anticipated. Growth is not a goal — it is a cost. more

Holiday Style

Hamilton Jewelers on Nassau Street is just one of the many local businesses that are festively decorated and ready for the holiday season. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)

Flu, COVID, and RSV Season Has Arrived

By Donald Gilpin

As the holiday season gears up, along with colder temperatures and an increase in indoor activities, local health authorities are warning that this is the time of year when case numbers of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will probably rise.

“Respiratory virus season is here,” said Kathryn J. Robison, Department of Medicine vice chair at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and president of Penn Medicine Princeton Medicine Physicians. Fortunately, however, there have so far been relatively few predictions, like the ones heard in recent years, of an incipient tripledemic.

“Penn Medicine Princeton Health has seen a slight increase in patients with COVID-19,” Robison added. “Overall in the community there have been no significant cases of influenza or RSV, however there is influenza currently in various regions throughout the United States, so we expect to see more cases of influenza in our community during the holiday season.”

By Anne Levin

During the pandemic, a federal moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent was put into effect. Since the moratorium ended on January 1, 2022, figures on evictions — and subsequently, homelessness — have been climbing.

This is especially troubling to the Eviction Prevention Emergency Rental Assistance Team of Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP), the locally based nonprofit that assists individuals and families confronting housing insecurity.

“We have seen a real uptick in our rental assistance applications,” said Kathy Taylor, who is part of the team. “I was just looking at some research that DCA [the Department of Community Affairs] put out saying that evictions were up five percent from 2021 to 2022, and I’m sure it’s much higher since the moratorium stopped.”

HIP tries to keep renters from being evicted by assisting them with back rent. So far this year, the organization has helped 75 households, up from 40 in 2022. “It’s going to end up being more than double that, and we still only assist 15 percent of everyone who applies,” said HIP volunteer Jill Wolk.

“CULTURE OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING”: The new Frist Health Center at Princeton University, more than twice the size of the University’s current health center, will feature serene spaces, access to nature, an emphasis on mental health facilities, and an attractive setting for a mix of academic, programmatic, and social activities. (Rendering by WRNS Studio)

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University will be replacing its McCosh Health Center with a new facility more than twice as large. The new Frist Health Center, funded by a major gift from Dr. Thomas Frist Jr. and scheduled to open in 2025, will incorporate a renovated Eno Hall with a significant new addition to the south, according to a November 8 University announcement.

“This extraordinary gift from Tommy Frist has enabled us to reimagine the University health facility as a place of welcome that offers a comprehensive approach to student health and well-being,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber, as quoted in a University press release.

He continued, “I am delighted that the Frist family’s legacy in health care innovation will now be reflected in the spectacular Frist Health Center. The University is deeply grateful to Tommy and the Frist family for their visionary partnership on this project and, when considered along with the Frist Campus Center, for their incalculable and enduring impact on our campus community.”

TAKING CARE OF TURTLES: The Kingston Greenways Association focuses on forestry practices that can protect rare turtles at an upcoming program on Zoom. (Photo by Eric Sambol)

On Wednesday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m., Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey biologist Christine Healy will deliver a program via Zoom on protecting native turtles. The program is free.

Turtles are well known for their longevity. The oldest member of this group (a Seychelles giant tortoise named Jonathan) celebrated his 191st birthday earlier this year. While a long lifespan is a credit, it also lends a false sense of security when it comes to the stability of a species. High density does not equal “healthy” if young individuals are not rejuvenating a population.

New Jersey has been proactive in protecting native turtles through state law, but since much of the remaining habitat available for our rarest species occurs on private property, landowner collaboration is essential for their continued survival. During this talk, Healy will introduce participants to three of New Jersey’s local turtles (box, wood, and bog), discuss management strategies that can be employed in forests and wetlands to benefit them, and share resources that provide financial and technical support to turtle champions.

For more information, visit kingstongreenways.org. To reserve a spot, email tari@kingstongreenways.org.

Touring Historic Homes Via Video Allows More Time and More Flexibility

VIRTUAL VISITS: This year’s house tour sponsored by the Historical Society of Princeton includes the circa 1890 Shadowmawr, at left, and a 1954 home on three scenic acres, right.

By Anne Levin

The four properties showcased on the Historical Society of Princeton’s (HSP) 2023 house tour follow the virtual format introduced by the nonprofit during the COVID-19 pandemic. What may have seemed initially jarring to patrons of the annual fundraiser has become a more widely accepted way of letting people in.

Instead of one day of opening, which risks the threat of bad weather, the virtual model keeps professionally produced videos of each property open, online, from November 27 all the way through December 31. The houses — which range in origin from the 1760s to 1954 — were chosen for their representations of history, architecture, and outdoor setting.

By Donald Gilpin

Sam Harshbarger

Sam Harshbarger, a Princeton University senior who grew up in Cranbury and graduated from Princeton High School (PHS), has won a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford next year. He is one of 32 Americans to receive the scholarship and the only Princeton University recipient this year.

Fluent in Spanish and Turkish, with advanced proficiency in Azerbaijani and Russian, Harshbarger is a history major at Princeton with three minors — in history and diplomacy; Near Eastern studies; and Russian, East European and Eurasian studies.

He described some of the early influences — from his parents, his childhood in Cranbury, and PHS — that helped to launch him on his ambitious explorations into the history of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

NO SHUSHING: During one matinee of “A Christmas Carol” at McCarter Theatre, the usual rules of audience etiquette are relaxed so those with autism, ADHD, dementia, and sensory sensitivities can attend with their families and feel comfortable.

By Anne Levin

When the curtain goes up on McCarter Theatre’s December 10, 1 p.m. performance of A Christmas Carol, midway through the December 6-24 run of the show, the audience isn’t likely to quiet down. In fact, talking and other modes of vocalizing are welcome.

This “relaxed” performance of the Charles Dickens classic is tailored to patrons with differences such as autism, Tourette syndrome, and ADHD. The doors of the auditorium remain open. The house lights are kept partially on. Everyone is welcome to leave and come back in. The usual audience rules of etiquette do not apply.

“The intention is to welcome anyone who would benefit from a non-traditional theater experience,” said Brooke Boertzel, McCarter’s director of education. “This includes autism, PTSD, social anxiety, and even parents with very young children or babies, who can’t take them to a traditional show. This is a situation where expectations are relaxed, as long as they’re keeping themselves and others safe.”

By Stuart Mitchner

Cover art for “Murder Most Foul” by Bob Dylan. (Columbia Records)

Today is the 60th anniversary of November 22, 1963, a date Bob Dylan claimed a share of in late March 2020, bringing Shakespeare along for the ride in “Murder Most Foul,” a 16-minute whirlwind pop-culture tour of the Kennedy assassination. Dylan first heard the news with his then-partner Suze Rotolo and others in her sister Carla’s Greenwich Village apartment. According to his friend Bob Fass, Dylan’s response was “What it means is that they are trying to tell you ‘Don’t even hope to change things’.”

So it was already they for Dylan when most of us who were alive on that day were too stunned to think beyond he, him, it. And in MMF it’s they who “blew off his head while he was still in the car.” And it’s they in “Roll On John,” Dylan’s powerfully sung response to the murder of John Lennon (“They shot him in the back and down he went”) which, like “Murder Most Foul,” uses lyrics to carry the message (in this case, Lennon’s “A Day in the Life,” “Come Together,” “Instant Karma”). At the same time, Dylan’s words seem to transcend a single subject. A line like “they’ll trap you in an ambush” could just as easily refer to the slain president. And if you happen to be thinking about Dylan’s controversial identification with the accused assassin who also died violently that weekend in Dallas, Oswald seems a more likely fit for rhetoric like “They tore the heart right out and cut him to the core” and “rags on your back just like any other slave / They tied your hands and they clamped your mouth / Wasn’t no way out of that deep dark cave.”

Lane, Morison to Discuss “Plato’s Ideas of the Political”

Plato famously defends the rule of knowledge, but what is the rule? In her new book, scholar Melissa Lane shows Plato to have been deeply concerned with the roles and relationships between rulers and ruled.

The Princeton professor will present and discuss these theories with her colleague in the University Classics department, Benjamin Morison, on Wednesday, November 29 at 6 p.m. at Labyrinth Books, 122 Nassau Street.

In Of Rule and Office: Plato’s Ideas of the Political (Princeton University Press, $49.95), Lane shows how political office and rule were woven together in Greek vocabulary. Adopting a longstanding Greek expectation that a ruler should serve the good of the ruled, Plato’s major political dialogues — the Republic, the Statesman, and Laws — explore how different kinds of rule might best serve that good.

Thomas Swick

A Princeton Public Library event, “Thomas Swick: Trenton, Warsaw, and the Making of a Travel Writer,” will feature travel writer Thomas Swick on Monday, November 27 at 6 p.m. at the library. Swick will talk about history and self-discovery and sign copies of his new memoir, Falling into Place: A Story of Love, Poland, and the Making of a Travel Writer.

Working as a feature writer in 1976, Swick fell in love with a visiting Polish student and soon moved with her to Warsaw. During the next decade he lived in Poland, Greece, and Philadelphia, and witnessed the changes in Poland, including the imposition of martial law. In 1989, he watched his partner in her country’s first free elections since pre-war independence.

PERFORMANCES ADDED: Due to popular demand, the Philadelphia Ballet has added shows to its run of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” at the city’s historic Academy of Music December 8-30. (Photo by Arian Molina Soca)

Tickets are on sale for Philadelphia Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the historic Academy of Music December 8-30. Demand was so high that the company had to add some extra performances.

HOLIDAY FUN: The touring show “The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays” comes to the State Theatre New Jersey on December 6.

State Theatre New Jersey presents “The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays” on Wednesday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$129.

The show is an all-new installment of the touring magic spectacular “The Illusionists,” from producers Simon Painter, Cirque du Soleil, and MagicSpace Entertainment.

CELEBRATING MOVEMENT: Works by Brian Brooks, Amy Hall Garner, and Bill T. Jones are on the program at the 2023 Princeton Dance Festival. (Photo by Maria Baranova)

The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Princeton University presents the 2023 Princeton Dance Festival at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre, 91 University Place, December 1-3.

Students in the program will perform new and repertory works by Brian Brooks, Amy Hall Garner, and Bill T. Jones, staged by Catherine Cabeen, Ishita Mili, Shamel Pitts, and Donna Uchizono. The works include contemporary ballet, Indian/hip-hop fusion, and contemporary works from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Shows are December 1 at 8 p.m., December 2 at 2 and 8 p.m., and December 3 at 2 p.m. Visit arts.princeton.edu for more information.

Garden State Watercolor Society Hosts Member Exhibit, Art Sale

“GRAND OLD OAK”: This painting by Wayne Skylar won Best in Show in the Garden State Watercolor Society’s “2023 Members Exhibition.” The society is also presenting a Pop-Up Art Sale on Hulfish Street in Palmer Square through December 3.

The Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) has announced its “2023 GSWS Members Exhibition,” viewable on the GSWS YouTube channel (https://tinyurl.com/29whh3am) through January 14. The exhibition was juried for prizes by Janet Campbell, a signature member and the president of the North East Watercolor Society.

Best in Show was awarded to Wayne Skylar for “Grand Old Oak.”

HOLIDAY ART SHOW: Work by award-winning photographer Ann Darlington is featured in the Artists of Bordentown Holiday Art Show, on view December 2 and 3 at Old City Hall in Bordentown.

The Artists of Bordentown Holiday Art Show will highlight seven well-known contemporary Bordentown artists and crafts people and Leaping Dog Art Studios. They will be displaying and offering their work for sale on Saturday and Sunday, December 2 and 3, from 12 to 5 p.m. each day. The show is at the restored Old City Hall, 11 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown. Admission is free.

“BOUQUET”: This acrylic painting by Linda Gilbert is featured in “Trees, Flowers, and Water,” on view December 3 through December 28 at Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury. An opening reception is on Sunday, December 3 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Gourgaud Gallery, located in Cranbury Town Hall, 23A North Main Street, Cranbury, presents its 13th annual open call exhibit, “Trees, Flowers, and Water,” December 3 through December 28. An opening reception is on December 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

CONFIDENT COMMUNICATION: “I am seeing more people who want and need to sharpen their communication skills. Confident communication is not merely about eloquence; it’s the foundation upon which leadership is built,” says Priya Kartik, founder and CEO of Enspire Academy. “The transformative power of effective communication and purpose-driven leadership is not just a belief — it is the cornerstone of our philosophy.”

By Jean Stratton

Expressing oneself clearly, sharing ideas easily, concisely formulating and presenting your thoughts: all of these are important to avoid misinformation and misunderstanding. Valuable both in one’s professional and personal life, they are essential tools to acquire.

Helping people to develop such communication skills is the mission of Enspire Academy. Founded by Priya Kartik 20 years ago, the Academy is located at 4 Market Street in Plainsboro Village Center, Plainsboro.

Inspiring individuals to gain confidence and hone their communication skills has been Kartik’s goal for many years. Growing up in India, she focused on education, initially receiving a degree in mechanical engineering, and in 1997, she began her career in the manufacturing industry.

Her ability to communicate easily inspired her to assist others, she recalls. “I enjoyed helping other people to communicate better. At first, it was a hobby. I could help my colleagues when they had to give a presentation at work, go to an interview, or if they had to speak at a conference.”