March 13, 2024

SCIENCE BOWL CHAMPS: The Princeton Charter School team will be going to the National Science Bowl for the sixth time next month, after winning the regional competition. Standing in front of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory model stellarator are, from left, Angelica Feng, Asa Fleischer-Graham, Aaron Wang, Rohan Srivastava, Joshua Huang, and Coach Laura Celik. (Photo by Michael Livingston/PPPL Department of Communications)

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Charter School (PCS), for the sixth time in seven years, has won the regional competition for the National Science Bowl  and will compete in the National Science Bowl National Finals in Washington, D.C., from April 25 to 29.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the National Science Bowl brings together thousands of middle and high school students from across the country to compete in a fast-paced question-and-answer contest where they solve technical problems and answer questions from a range of disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space sciences, physics, and math. more

“TWO CITIES, ONE GARDEN”: Mercer County Community College’s urban gardens display at the Philadelphia Flower Show won a gold medal for the second straight year and the fourth time since 2017. (Photo courtesy of Mercer County Community College)

By Donald Gilpin

Mercer County Community College (MCCC) horticulturalists have brought home a gold medal from the Philadelphia Flower Show for the second year in a row.

Their “Two Cities, One Garden” display of urban gardens at the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 2-10 was inspired by “the vibrant community gardens” of Trenton and Philadelphia, according to project overseer Amy Ricco, professor and coordinator of MCCC’s Horticulture, Plant Science, and Sustainability program. more

March 6, 2024

By Donald Gilpin

As spring and the likely end of the season for high numbers of respiratory diseases approaches, influenza activity locally and throughout the state remains high, but health officials are hopeful that this year’s numbers may have peaked in February.

“The trajectory for influenza has decreased in the past week,” wrote Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center Epidemiologist David J. Herman in a March 5 email. “If this pattern holds, we may have seen the peak of this year’s influenza season.” He noted that flu activity remains high in all New Jersey counties, but he pointed out that a tripledemic — flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — “was not apparent, since all three viruses did not peak at the same time.”

He added, “COVID-19 cases continue in a slow decline both locally and statewide.” more

ITALY-PHS EXCHANGE: Laura Francolino, Princeton High School (PHS) Italian teacher and organizer of the recent PHS exchange visit with 35 students from Carpi, Italy, prepares for last month’s “History of Pizza in New Jersey” event, which took place at PHS for the students and their host families. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)

By Donald Gilpin

Learning another language is a worthy endeavor, but Princeton High School (PHS) students who participated in an Italian exchange program — travel to Italy last fall and hosting a return visit last month by students from Italy and their teachers — were able to add several dimensions to the educational experience.

“I greatly appreciated the opportunity to stay with another family in Italy and to host two of my friends that I made on the trip here in Princeton,” wrote PHS eleventh grader Max Mazo in an email. “Living with an Italian family for a week gave me not only the opportunity to explore and learn the language, but also to temporarily integrate myself into the beautiful daily life and traditions of Carpi.” more

By Donald Gilpin

The photograph on the overhead screen showed a touching image of a loving parent and child, as Dr. Renee D. Boynton-Jarrett, a practicing pediatrician, social epidemiologist, Princeton University graduate, and associate professor at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, asked for responses from the overflow gathering of about 80 in the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) Robertson Hall lecture room on Friday afternoon, March 1.

“It epitomizes a lot of what I’ve focused my career on,” she said. “How can we create a world where all children are safe and loved, with caregivers and families that feel supported by their environment, and their society provides this nurturing with warmth and safety?” more

February 28, 2024

By Donald Gilpin

“Sustainability,” “resiliency,” “stormwater control,” and “flood mitigation” are words appearing with great frequency in current media and engineering studies, and a look at descriptions of infrastructure projects underway in Princeton reveals the predominance of these environmental concerns.

The February 26 Municipality of Princeton newsletter reports on plans to replace six old and out-of-date storm drains (culverts) in town. The project is in the early design stages and may take a year or two before it is completed.  more

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST”: Princeton High School (PHS) students are rehearsing for their upcoming musical production, running March 14 to 16 at the PHS Performing Arts Center. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton High School (PHS) and Princeton Middle School (PMS) are offering a rich assortment of performing arts and cultural enrichment in the coming weeks, starting next weekend with Mary Poppins JR. at PMS March 7 to 10, the 17th Annual Asian Festival at PHS on March 8, and Beauty and the Beast at PHS the following weekend, March 14 to 16.

The Asian Festival, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the PHS New Gym, is a collaboration of the Mandarin and Japanese language classes, the Asian American Club, Chinese Club, Korean Club, Japanese Club, Bollywood Dance Club, and Chai Club. more

By Donald Gilpin

This Friday, March 1, the Princeton Fire Department (PFD) will be adding a valuable piece of equipment to its toolkit of resources used in fighting fires. In a 10:30 a.m. presentation at the Princeton Firehouse on Witherspoon Street across from the Municipal Building, Polestar of Princeton, a Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer, will be donating an electric vehicle fire blanket to the PFD and demonstrating how to use it.

“This looks like an excellent tool to safely extinguish an EV vehicle fire,” said Princeton Department of Emergency and Safety Services Director Michael Yeh. “When an EV vehicle is on fire, firefighters would cover the vehicle with the blanket, effectively covering the vehicle and depriving it of air while smothering the fire.” more

February 21, 2024

SUMMER DAYS AT NASSAU SWIM CLUB: Princeton University has informed the Nassau Swim Club (NSC) that it will be terminating its lease agreement with the club in April. Unhappy to see the closure of their pool in the woods between the Graduate College and the Institute for Advanced Study, NSC members are continuing to challenge the decision. (Photo courtesy of Nassau Swim Club)

By Donald Gilpin

After more than 50 years of welcoming swimmers to its pool in the woods off Springdale Road, the Nassau Swim Club (NSC) has received notice that Princeton University is terminating its lease as of April 23.

Though faced by the challenges of declining membership and a variety of financial setbacks over the past decade, the NSC remains a much loved Princeton institution, and the current members and their families are not going to go away quietly.

“Tell Princeton University that Nassau Swim Club is Worth Saving!” reads a change.org petition, posted by the NSC board, that by the morning of February 20 had gained more than 460 signatures in less than a week. “NSC is a beloved summertime tradition for many people and its loss will be felt deeply, in Princeton and beyond,” the petition states, describing NSC as “an important community asset.” more

TRADITION AND TRANSFORMATION: Kopp’s Cycle, in Princeton since 1891 and on Spring Street since 1989, has been bought by Princeton Property Partners, which is looking for partners and planning to reignite the business while preserving Kopp’s proud tradition.

By Donald Gilpin

Kopp’s Cycle on Spring Street, the oldest continually running bike store in the country, has been bought by Princeton Property Partners (PPP). They are looking forward to a reopening this spring in time for the cycling season.

PPP has purchased the business and the property, and as it looks for possible partners in the enterprise, it will be making a few changes in carrying on the proud Kopp’s tradition that dates back to 1891. more

By Donald Gilpin

James Li, 19, a Princeton University freshman and 2023 Princeton High School (PHS) graduate, died on the afternoon of February 16 after being struck by the Princeton Dinky shuttle train at the Faculty Road crossing.

The train, which left the Princeton University station at 2:14 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Princeton Junction Station at 2:19 p.m., “struck and fatally injured a pedestrian near Faculty Road,” according to NJ Transit Chief Communications Officer Jim Smith.

There were no injuries reported to the approximately 30 passengers on board. Service was temporarily suspended on the Princeton Dinky shuttle but has since resumed, and Faculty Road from Alexander Street to Washington Road was closed throughout the rest of the day on February 16. NJ Transit Police are leading the investigation.

 more

February 14, 2024

By Donald Gilpin

In his eighth annual “State of the University” letter last month, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber described “a challenging political landscape” for universities with “increasingly virulent threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy,” as he highlighted Princeton University’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity, free speech, and academic excellence.

In the wake of campus conflicts across the country, including protests, charges of Islamophobia and antisemitism, and congressional hearings leading to the resignations of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, Eisgruber pointed up a “healthier” campus climate at Princeton. He described that climate as “a credit to faculty, students, and staff who have searched for ways to communicate civilly about sensitive issues, to support one another, and to comply fully with Princeton’s policies that facilitate free speech in ways consistent with the functioning of the University.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Most travelers who have flown out of Trenton-Mercer Airport recently would probably agree that upgraded facilities are needed, but Mercer County’s plans to build a new, larger terminal are meeting resistance and facing environmental, economic, and quality-of-life concerns.

The airport website notes that a new terminal has been a priority of the county in order to accommodate airport users and to meet future demand. Plans call for the 28,000-square-foot terminal, built in the 1970s, to be replaced with a new 125,000-square-foot facility located adjacent to the existing building, which is to be demolished. There is no plan for new or longer runways, and the size of the airport will remain unchanged, the website says. more

INTERNATIONAL MATH CHAMP:Princeton High School Senior Nick Hagedorn, third from right in front row, celebrates his victory in the math competition at the 22nd Annual Taiwan International Science Fair in Taipei. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Public Schools)

By Donald Gilpin

Not a stranger to the worlds of science, math, and high-level competition, Princeton High School (PHS) senior Nick Hagedorn took his knot theory project to the 22nd Annual International Science Fair in Taiwan (TISF) last month and brought back a first place award in mathematics.

During the five-day event, Hagedorn competed with about 630 students from 27 different countries who were presenting their research projects to judges and peers at the National Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei. The TISF is sponsored by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. more

February 7, 2024

By Donald Gilpin

The New Jersey plastic bag ban, enacted in May 2022, is calculated to have resulted in almost nine million single-use plastic bags per year that are not polluting the Princeton environment, according to Environment New Jersey’s Waste Reduction Calculator. Laid side to side, those bags would stretch 1,561 miles, and eliminating those bags has saved 45,318 gallons of oil needed to produce them and has cut single-use plastic bag litter by at least 33 percent each year.

New Jersey’s law, in effect now for almost two years, prevents stores from giving out single-use plastic bags to customers and also restricts most stores from providing single-use paper bags as well as polystyrene foam food takeout containers. Single-use plastic straws may be provided only at a customer’s request. more

WINNING RESEARCH SCIENTISTS: The Princeton High School student research team has been selected as the New Jersey finalist in the national finals of the 2024 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition. (Photo courtesy of Mark Eastburn)

By Donald Gilpin

A Princeton High School (PHS) team of about 15 student researchers under the direction of PHS science teacher Mark Eastburn has advanced to the finals of the 2024 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition, one of 50 state winners selected from 300 state finalist schools that submitted plans delineating how their project will use STEM to address an important community issue.

The PHS team has been creating interactive robots that can speak various languages of the schools’ student population, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, and the Mayan language Mam. The goal is to help preserve Indigenous languages by using a robotic platform powered by artificial intelligence in the form of a stuffed animal “friend” that will speak Mam.  more

January 31, 2024

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University will be contributing more than $50 million over the next five years to the town of Princeton, community organizations, and lower- and middle-income residents, according to a University announcement made on Tuesday, January 30.

The funds will be supporting mutual town-University interests including sustainability and resiliency, socio-economic diversity and equity, safety and emergency services, college access, mass transit, and municipal infrastructure.  more

“BEDROCK OF THE COMMUNITY’S SECURITY”: More than 40 members of the Princeton Fire Department were honored at the January 22 Princeton Council meeting for their many years of service to the community. In the front row, seated, from left, are Anthony Krystaponis, 50 years of service; John Clausen, 60 years; and Robert “Higgie” Higgins, 75 years. (Photo courtesy of Cynthia Clausen)

By Donald Gilpin

More than 40 members of the Princeton Fire Department (PFD) received awards for a total of thousands of years of service to the community In a ceremony at last week’s Princeton Council meeting.

“Celebrating their unwavering commitment and outstanding contributions to community safety,” according to a PFD press release, the ceremony marked a return to tradition after a hiatus and postponement of award presentations since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. more

THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE: Volunteers at the HomeFront Choice Food Pantry prepare food to be delivered to hungry families. HomeFront’s Week of Hope, February 12-17, invites visitors to join in a variety of volunteer opportunities and educational forums and to learn how to make a difference where help is needed in the community. (Photo courtesy of HomeFront)

By Donald Gilpin

Diaper wrapping for families in need, delivering meals and supplies to area motels, an art event in Hopewell, a bus tour to learn about HomeFront’s more than 35 different programs, lunch with HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward —during its Week of Hope, from February 12 to 17, HomeFront is offering an array of volunteer and educational opportunities for everybody to get involved and make a difference in the community.

“I always look forward to the Week of Hope as its brings us together with community members committed to making a difference through service,” wrote HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward in an email. “It’s a time to connect, learn, and address the challenges of poverty and homelessness in a meaningful way. Join us by signing up for opportunities throughout the week. And learn more about how you can make a real, tangible impact in the lives of our neighbors in need.” more

January 24, 2024

SERVING THE COMMUNITY: On Youth Night at the Pennington United Methodist Church (PUMC), children make greeting cards to send to shut-ins. The PUMC is hosting a worship and celebration service this Sunday, January 28, along with six other major events later this year, to celebrate 250 years of Methodism in Pennington. (Photo courtesy of Pennington United Methodist Church)

By Donald Gilpin

The Pennington United Methodist Church (PUMC) will be hosting a series of seven different events this year to celebrate 250 years of Methodism in Pennington. The opening worship and celebration service will take place this Sunday, January 28 at 3 p.m. in the PUMC Sanctuary at 60 South Main Street in Pennington.

Sunday’s gathering will include a performance by the Princeton Symphonic Brass Quintet, along with PUMC organist Kathleen Connolly; lots of singing, “something the Methodists love to do,” according to PUMC member Julie Aberger; and a talk by Methodist Bishop John R. Schol, followed by a reception.  more

By Donald Gilpin

Protesters — two or three each day—have demonstrated outside Princeton Middle School (PMS) during the past two weeks, calling for revisions to the HiTOPS curriculum on diversity and inclusion.

Holding up signs stating “Stop HiTOPS” and protesting the “indoctrinating” of students, the parent demonstrators have stayed for about 30 minutes each morning on the sidewalk in front of the school, not on school grounds. The police have been in attendance, but there has been no disruption or violence.

On January 12, the second day of their demonstrations, the protesters faced a counter-protest of about 10 parents supporting HiTOPS and the need for LGBTQIA and racial literacy education. more

SCIENCE SATURDAYS: The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will host a series of six free presentations on cutting-edge scientific topics presented by world-leading experts starting January 27, as part of the Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday lecture series for the science-curious of all ages. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)

By Donald Gilpin

Want to learn from expert scientists about the issues making headlines around the world including clean energy solutions? AI art? Natural ways to fight viruses? The story of fusion ignition? Creating quantum technologies and diamonds?

Science on Saturday, now in its 39th year, will return on January 27 at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory PPPL), with the first of a series of six free talks, including presentation and Q&A, running from 9:30 to 11 a.m. each Saturday.

The opening session of the Ronald E. Hatcher Science on Saturday lecture series will feature Rutgers University Computer Sciences Professor Ahmed Elgammal on the controversial topic of “Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Elgammal is the founder and director of the Art and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Rutgers. more

January 17, 2024

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

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

January 10, 2024

By Donald Gilpin

The owners of Labyrinth Books have announced that they will recognize their workers’ choice to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), following a December request from the Labyrinth workers that their union be recognized and a January 19 date set for a formal vote on unionization.

“Since they announced just before Christmas that they wanted to unionize, we have been in a process of deep reflection and conversation, especially with our management team,” wrote Labyrinth owners Cliff Simms, Peter Simms, and Dorothea von Moltke in a January 9 press release.

They continued, “The past two weeks have convinced us that the majority of the staff that’s eligible to vote is in favor of unionizing. By voluntarily recognizing the union, we are stating our sincere intention to use this organizing moment as an occasion to listen to everyone, make positive changes, and form a united Labyrinth that can do all the work we do better together.” more