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

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

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

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

By Donald Gilpin

With two new members and a third newly sworn in for a third term, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education is looking to focus on teaching and learning as it addresses the challenges of space limitations and a growing student population.

The public weighed in last Saturday, January 6, at a meeting at the Princeton Middle School (PMS) to discuss expansion plans that are under consideration. Another meeting, which will take place virtually by Zoom, has been rescheduled for this Thursday, January 11, at 7 p.m.  The current plans, which will be reviewed and discussed at Thursday’s meeting, propose expansions at Community Park and Littlebrook schools, a new addition at PMS, additional work at Princeton High School, and demolition of a section of the district’s Valley Road building. A referendum estimated at $85 millions is anticipated in the coming year. more

By Donald Gilpin

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on Monday, January 15, will be celebrated throughout the area as a federal holiday, the only holiday described as a National Day of Service. 

Honoring the life and legacy of the civil rights leader, who was born on January 15, 1929 and was assassinated in1968, MLK Jr. Day has been observed for the past 37 years. This year’s commemorations will include many educational, cultural, and religious events and service opportunities in Princeton and throughout central New Jersey.

“In celebrating Dr. King’s 95th birthday, remember, he didn’t specify when we’d reach the Promised Land,” Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin wrote in an email. “The ongoing struggle for America’s soul echoes from then to now. Black people, integral to America’s foundation, continue fighting for freedom — it’s in our DNA.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Workers at Labyrinth Books on Nassau Street have announced their intention to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), “joining a movement of bookstore workers fighting to improve standards across the industry,” according to a RWDSU post on X (formerly Twitter).

“Unionization and collective bargaining will create a better future for this bookstore,” said Rebecca Ziemann, a Labyrinth employee and a leader of the unionization effort, in a speech delivered on December 21 in the bookstore and posted in a video on X and Facebook. “To make Labyrinth the best that it can be we want to make sure that all of our voices are heard.”

The audience of employees, most wearing red T-shirts bearing the RWDSU logo, listened intently and cheered loudly as she spoke. “We care about the outcomes and decisions made in this store and therefore we the workers want a seat at the table,” she said. “We want decisions that affect all of us to be transparent. We want to ensure that when we bring concerns to management they will be taken seriously and addressed promptly. All of that means unionization.” more

By Donald Gilpin

A learning experience called eSTEAM has been bringing together about 75 Princeton Middle School (PMS) and Princeton High School (PHS) students on Saturday mornings over the past three months to work on science and technology projects.

As an extension of the district’s “Focus Forward” strategic plan, eSTEAM aims to increase STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) engagement for seventh graders in particular, who have been working with helpful mentorship from PHS students. The focus from October to December was on orientation and exploration, according to 6-12 Science Supervisor Joy Barnes-Johnson, and this month the students will be preparing for the Mercer County Science and Engineering Fair (MSEF), which will take place in late March.

Barnes-Johnson noted that the three content areas of the students’ work include an environmental project, a project on the physics of fitness and the science of play, and a third emphasis on challenges in science and technology. more

By Donald Gilpin

Facing the challenges of a growing community and overcrowded schools, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) are planning for major expansion over the next three or four years.

The plans, presented by consultants and the district’s long term facilities planning committee (LTFPC) at a public meeting last week, call for expansion and improvements at Princeton Middle School (PMS) and Community Park and Littlebrook elementary schools; additional work at Princeton High School; and demolition of the older section of the district’s Valley Road building.

Total preliminary costs are estimated at $81 million to $85 million, with a fall 2024 anticipated referendum date. If Princeton voters approve the referendum, September of 2027 should see completion of the projects with “students in seats.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Leading universities have been on the firing line in recent weeks as they try to balance demands for freedom of speech with the need to condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia and to ensure students’ safety. In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, Princeton, along with many universities across the country, has seen demonstrations, protests, forums, vigils, and other reactions, some pro-Israel, some pro-Palestinian.

Hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month led to scathing criticism of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard President Claudine Gay, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth. Magill resigned soon afterward.

Compared to Harvard and Penn and many other universities, Princeton has been relatively quiet, despite outspoken debate with strong feelings on both sides.

At a December 11 meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC), University President Christopher L. Eisgruber commented on the commitment of the University “to act forcefully in response to hypothetical calls for the genocide of Jews.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Council has unanimously approved a resolution denouncing and condemning Islamophobia, following the endorsement of a resolution condemning antisemitism adopted earlier this year.

“We appreciate that both resolutions have been put on Council’s agenda this year,” said Nick DiDomizio, a member of the Princeton Civil Rights Commission (CRC), which drafted the resolutions. “The timing could not have been more critical.”

Speaking at the December 11 Council meeting, DiDomizio emphasized the “overlap with global events” in acknowledging “the grief and trauma in the wake of the [October 7] attack in Gaza.” He went on, “We know there’s high sensitivity with the timing in passing this resolution.” more

By Donald Gilpin

Citing concerns over staffing levels, budgetary constraints, and lack of support from administration, Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) technology workers on Monday, December 11, unanimously submitted a petition to the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to unionize with OPEIU Local 32.

The PPS group of 10 employees, known as the Princeton Public Schools Technology Association (PPSTA), had requested voluntary recognition on October 23, 2023, but in November the PPS Board of Education (BOE) refused to grant voluntary recognition of their union.

“One of the major reasons for this filing has been the repeated calls for adding more technology staff that have gone unanswered by district administration,” a December 11 OPEIU press release stated. “Since the pandemic, when the district was asked to go one-to-one with devices for students, the technology department has been imploring administration to add more support to the staffing levels. With only one technician for Princeton High School, serving around 1,550 students and close to 300 staff members; and Princeton Middle School with one technician for around 830 students and close to 175 staff members, the technology department is unable to meet the needs and expectations of the district administration. The community needs to know that PPS students and staff deserve better.” more

ON SITE AT COP28: Princeton University Visiting Professor Ramon Cruz, left, and part of the University’s delegation of faculty, students, and staff at the annual climate conference bringing some 80,000 participants to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, over the past two weeks. (Photo courtesy of Brent Efron)

By Donald Gilpin

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday, December 12, after two weeks. Negotiations continued into the late night hours, however, and COP28 was preparing to go into overtime on Wednesday, December 13 in order to produce a draft text of a final deal among nearly 200 countries present.

In attendance at the proceedings has been a delegation of Princeton University graduate students, researchers, and faculty.

With much pessimism about the prospects for significant progress in fighting climate change at the convention and little likelihood of a deal that includes the desired “phase-out of fossil fuels,” the Princeton contingent of 16 nonetheless found much of educational value in the “dizzying experience” and “wild whirlwind” of events, as Ned Downie, a second-year Ph.D. student in the science, technology, and environmental policy program at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), described it. more

By Donald Gilpin

On Monday, December 4 at approximately 8:42 p.m. near Dillion Gym on the Princeton University campus, a University student was attacked by a raccoon with suspected rabies, according to Princeton Deputy Administrator/Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser.

The student received post-exposure treatment. The raccoon was exhibiting behaviors commonly associated with rabies, such as chirping noises, unprovoked aggressive behavior, and no fear of humans.

Additionally, on Tuesday, December 5, at around 6 a.m., a resident on Hibben Road reported they were attacked by a raccoon that was sitting on their door mat. That resident was able to escape without injury, but did report behavior associated with rabies in the raccoon they encountered.

The Municipality of Princeton’s Animal Control Officer James Ferry, who is working closely with Princeton University to locate and capture the raccoon, noted, “The behavior described was exactly the same. We’re assuming that it’s the same animal.” more

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS: It’s Winter Festival time all week at Princeton Middle School, with 28 pop-up stores, each one established by a team of seventh grade entrepreneurs, springing up in the Main Commons. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riely) 

By Donald Gilpin

Twenty-eight pop-up shops — each a carefully structured business venture — are filling the main commons at Princeton Middle School (PMS) this week, offering an appealing array of foods, clothing items, crafts, jewelry, origami, holiday ornaments, and much more.

Run by teams of highly motivated seventh graders, these shops are commercial ventures to be sure, but they are also exercises in social activism and hands-on entrepreneurial education.

In just the first day, Monday, of the school’s Winter Festival, the businesses raised more than $700, with all the earnings going to social causes chosen by the students. The event has raised many thousands of dollars in past years, according to “entrepreneurship, career, and readiness” teacher Kelly Riely, who leads the project as part of the PMS extracurricular program. more

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

By Donald Gilpin

With the 2023 election results officially certified on November 22, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) will be welcoming two new members on January 1, 2024, as two incumbents step down.

After a year marked by controversy and turbulence, and with the search for a new superintendent about to begin, disagreements remain, but the district and the BOE seem to be in accord on the importance of prioritizing the needs of the district’s 3,760 students.

“We need to focus now on returning our attention to the students,” said BOE President Dafna Kendal, noting that Acting Superintendent Kathie Foster would provide a stable presence at the helm in the coming year, giving the BOE time to find the best candidate for permanent superintendent. more