March 5, 2025

By Anne Levin

In an effort led by Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin, the governing body is planning to pay tribute to Thomas Alfred “Tommy” Parker with a proclamation at its meeting on March 10. Also planned in honor of the longtime Princeton resident is the declaration of March 19 — Parker’s 73rd birthday — as Tommy Parker Day.

Known for his work on civil rights, his management and mentoring of Princeton’s American Legion Post 218 baseball team, his leadership of the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee and the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, and his years as president of Princeton’s Service Employees International Union Local 175 while employed by Princeton University, among other distinctions, Parker has been devoted to community service throughout his life.

In recent years, Parker has suffered two strokes and the loss of his oldest son, Tuumaa. He lives on Leigh Avenue, in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood where he grew up, with his wife, Joanne.  more

PREPARING FOR A PARTY: Princeton Nursery School (PNS) on Leigh Avenue is getting ready to celebrate its 96th anniversary on Friday, along with the birthdays of its oldest two alumnae, Marilyn Yates, who will be 94, and Barbara Banks, who will be 95. Pictured above are PNS teachers and students with community partner Shirley Satterfield (seated) and PNS Executive Director K. Leanna Jahnke (standing center). (Photo courtesy of Princeton Nursery School)

By Donald Gilpin

With a parade through the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood on Friday, March 7, carrying balloons and decorated signs, the 48 students of Princeton Nursery School (PNS) and their teachers will be celebrating the birthdays of PNS’ oldest living alumnae, along with the 96th anniversary of the founding of the school.

First stop for the parade will be the home of Barbara Banks, who lives right behind the Leigh Avenue school, then the parade participants will continue down John Street to the home of Marilyn Yates.  more

By Anne Levin

A traditional forest can take up to 100 years to mature. But a microforest — a diverse set of native plants and trees on a small plot of land, usually in an urban setting — can take as little as 15 years to reach full growth.

With that in mind, Princeton Council passed a resolution at its February 24 meeting authorizing submission of an application for a Sustainable Jersey grant of $10,000, to cover costs related to the town’s first such project. The 5,000-square-foot site is on an underutilized area of grass and invasive plants at Quarry Park, next to Princeton Housing Authority’s Lloyd Terrace at Spruce Circle affordable housing complex.

Partners in the project include the Princeton Recreation Commission, the Princeton Shade Tree Commission, the Princeton Environmental Commission, Sustainable Princeton, and the Princeton Housing Authority. more

LIVES OF THE ENSLAVED: Morven Museum and Garden recently reopened its exhibition “Historic Morven: A Window Into America’s Past,” which has been updated with new information about individuals enslaved by the Stockton family. Research and archival consultant Sharece Blakney is shown leading a tour of the exhibition. (Photo courtesy of Morven Museum and Garden)

By Donald Gilpin

Morven, built in the 1750s, has been the home of many of New Jersey’s most prominent citizens, starting with Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, followed by four more generations of Stocktons, Robert Wood Johnson Jr., and then five New Jersey governors as the state’s first Governor’s Mansion before becoming a museum in 2004.

But Morven has also been home to many people who are much less well known, who were enslaved by the Stockton family.

With the recent reopening of its permanent history exhibition,” Historic Morven: A Window Into America’s Past,” Morven Museum and Garden, located at 55 Stockton Street, has provided extensive research updates in three of the museum’s first-floor galleries, and the lives of the enslaved residents of Morven are portrayed in much greater depth and detail. Morven’s “Window Into America’s Past” reveals a much more expansive and complex landscape than has been seen in the past. more

By Stuart Mitchner

Now what is love, I pray thee tell?
It is that fountain and that well
Where pleasure and repentance dwell.

—Sir Walter Raleigh

(may i touch said he how much said she a lot said he)

—e.e. cummings

Raleigh’s poem “A Description of Love” begins and ends Pleasure and Repentance (Pergamon 1976), the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Lighthearted Look at Love” created and compiled by former RSC Director Terry Hands. The subject of acting and actors, love and lovers brings to mind Sunday night’s Academy Awards, where Morgan Freeman delivered a memorial tribute to Gene Hackman (“Our community lost a giant, I lost a dear friend”) and four Oscars went to Sean Baker’s Anora, a zany throwback to the screwball comedy romances of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

My favorite Hackman film is Arthur Penn’s extraordinary neo-noir Night Moves (1975), which features one of his strongest performances as the driven, benighted, very human private eye Harry Moseley. At the moment, however, I’m remembering him as Harry Caul sitting alone in the wreckage of his room playing tenor sax at the end of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974). more

“CARRIE”: Theatre Intime and the Princeton University Players have staged “Carrie.” Directed by Chloe Webster; and music directed by Jenia Marquez, the musical was presented February 27-March 1 at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Above: Carrie (Christie Davis, center right), who is used to being an outsider, enjoys attending her prom with Tommy (David Getz, center left) — unaware that she is about to be the victim of a cruel prank (as evidenced by the bucket above her head) and humiliated in front of her onlooking classmates. (Photo by Elena Milliken)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Stephen King’s novel Carrie (1974) portrays Carrie White, a bullied high school senior who is secluded and abused by her religiously overzealous, puritanical mother. Carrie discovers that she has telekinetic powers, with which she exacts vengeance on her classmates (and others) when she is humiliated by a cruel prank at her prom.

The plot is a dark and bitter inversion of the Cinderella story, with the archetypes easy to spot. Carrie obviously is a variation on Cinderella. Margaret, her mother, becomes the wicked stepmother, and the taunting classmates are the stepsisters. A sympathetic gym teacher becomes the fairy godmother, while another student, Tommy, reluctantly fills the role of the prince (despite being in love with Sue, another classmate).

Carrie was adapted into a 1976 film, with a screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen. Subsequently the novel and film were adapted into a musical, for which Cohen wrote the libretto. Dean Pitchford (the screenwriter of Footloose, and the co-writer of several songs for Fame) wrote the lyrics, with Michael Gore (Pitchford’s Fame collaborator) composing the music.

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By Nancy Plum

The stage at Richardson Auditorium looked a bit like an instrument warehouse last Friday night, jam-packed with chairs, percussion, two harps, and several keyboard instruments in anticipation of Princeton University Orchestra’s winter concert. With all these possible players, there might have been a potential for sound cacophony, but the University Orchestra performed its annual “Concerto Concert” with clarity and melodic refinement while showing off the immense talents of two students. Conducted by Michael Pratt, Friday night’s performance (which was repeated Saturday night) showed freshman violist Jisang Kymm and sophomore pianist Sarah Yuan to be experienced well beyond their years in the Orchestra’s presentation of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor.

Schnittke’s 1985 three-movement Concerto for Viola and Orchestra diverged from the traditional concerto structure of alternating fast-slow-fast sections and reversed this order, with outer “Largo” movements bracketing a central “Allegro.” Like many of his Soviet contemporaries, Schnittke collaborated with the finest performers of his day, and the virtuosity and intensity of the Concerto reflected its tribute to a leading violist of the time. Viola soloist Jisang Kymm opened Schnittke’s work with introspection and attention to detail. Taking his time in the reflective texture, Kymm effortlessly executed the numerous double stops and insisted on the score’s dissonance against an unsettled orchestral accompaniment.  more

ELMO AND FRIENDS: “Sesame Street Live! Say Hello” comes to State Theatre New Jersey on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m.

State Theatre New Jersey presents “Sesame Street Live! Say Hello” on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. The live show will bring the beloved characters from the show Sesame Street to life in a brand-new interactive production.

Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and their friends sing, dance, and play alongside furry friends, all while the audience follows Elmo’s puppy, Tango, in a game of hide and seek.

“We are overjoyed and honored to be collaborating with Sesame Workshop to bring a brand-new tour of ‘Sesame Street Live’ to stages across the U.S. and Canada,” said Round Room Live Founder and Co-President Stephen Shaw. “Round Room Live has a long history of exciting, innovative, and engaging productions, and we’re thrilled to combine our dedication to premium, unforgettable entertainment with the beloved characters of Sesame Street in an interactive musical adventure that will create memorable experiences for families of all ages.” more

PHILLY AND IRISH: Poor Man’s Gambit is all about the traditional Irish culture of the Philadelphia area. The group comes to Christ Congregation Church on March 21.

On Friday, March 21 at 8 p.m., the Princeton Folk Music Society brings Poor Man’s Gambit, a Philadelphia-based Irish music band, to Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane.

The multi-instrumentalist group includes Deirdre Lockman (fiddle and vocals), Corey Purcell (button accordion, cittern, bodhran, vocals, and dance), and Joseph Carmichael (guitar, whistle, flute, and vocals).

Lockman and Purcell are steeped in the traditional Irish culture of the Philadelphia area. Both started as step dancers in childhood. Lockman studied at the DeNogla Academy of Irish Dance in New Jersey, and both went on to dance competitively at national and international levels. In time, however, they found their true calling in Irish music. more

DIRECT FROM BELFAST: The Shamrock Tenors Come to State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick on March 15.

On Saturday, March 15 at 8 p.m., State Theatre New Jersey presents Shamrock Tenors as part of the group’s North American tour. Tickets range from $39-$99.

Based in Belfast, Shamrock Tenors features performers from both sides of the community across Northern Ireland, with vocalists and multi-instrumentalists from London’s West End and beyond. The show features some of Ireland’s most beloved classic songs in five-part harmony, including “Danny Boy,” “Whiskey in the Jar,” “The Parting Glass,” and “Wild Rover.” more

Matt Lopes

State Theatre New Jersey and Stress Factory Comedy Club present “Comedy Night Live!” on Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$35.

Performers include Matt Lopes, Brian Scolaro, Patty Rosborough, and Vinnie Brand.

Lopes is the house comedian at the Stress Factory Comedy Club in Bridgeport, Conn., and the co-host of the “You Should Be Worried” podcast. He’s worked in stages at New York Comedy Club, Stress Factory NJ, Funny Bone Comedy Club, and has amassed over 25,000 followers across his social media.

Brian Scolaro

Scolaro has appeared on Shameless, Abbott Elementary, Night Court, Dexter, Mad Men, Law And Order: SVU, Bones, Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, The Middle, Men Of A Certain Age, and Girl Meets World, and has also had recurring roles as Brian on A Million Little Things, Uncle Bill on Ten Year Old Tom, Doug on Sullivan and Son, Sergio on Kroll Show, Goblin on Wizards Of Waverly Place, and many roles on Life and Times of Tim. He is known as Stuart, a regular cast member, on FOX’s Stacked, and Gordon on NBC’s Three Sisters.

Rosborough got her start in New York City appearing with the improv troupe Future Schlock, and in the Off-Broadway production of Gay Dracula. Her first stint on television was with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s Short Attention Span Theatre. She has been seen on Showtime, Comedy Central, and on BBC’s The World Stands Up.

Brand is the host of the evening and owner of The Stress Factory Comedy Clubs located in New Brunswick, and Fairfield County, Conn.

State Theatre New Jersey is at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Visit stnj.org for tickets.

“JOHN WILLIAM HUNT, 1946”: This portrait by John Folinsbee is part of “Janet Marsh Hunt’s Creative Family Tree,” on view at the New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts in New Hope, Pa., March 8 through April 13.

Janet Marsh Hunt, a painter and gifted printmaker, was a beloved gallerist and friend to artists for decades before her passing in 2023. As the managing partner at the Coryell Gallery in Lambertville, she mentored hundreds of artists. She was also descended from generations of prominent poets, painters, printmakers, and influential teachers at celebrated art schools.

The New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts opens the exhibition “Janet Marsh Hunt’s Creative Family Tree,” on Saturday, March 8, from 1to 4 p.m., at 2594 River Road, New Hope, Pa. The exhibition can be seen on Saturdays and Sundays, from 1 to 4 p.m., through April 13. more

“GALVANIZE”: This photograph by Danielle Austen is part of a new exhibit on view at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell March 8 through March 30. A reception is on March 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell has works by guest exhibitors Danielle Austen and Richard Armington, along with Gallery 14 members, March 8 through March 30. A Meet the Artists reception is on Sunday, March 9 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Austen is an award-winning professional fine art photographer specializing in creating intimate portraits of the environment, with a particular emphasis on abstracts found within the landscape. She holds a BFA in fine arts from Cornell University and an MS in communication photography from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Her artistic endeavors include being chosen for seven artist-in-residency programs, six within the National Parks. Over her 25-year career, she has earned numerous awards in local, national, and international competitions. Her work has also been showcased in over four dozen national and international juried exhibitions and numerous group and solo exhibitions, notably at the Monmouth Museum. As an educator, Austen offers classes, workshops, and private consultations and presents on various topics to photographic societies throughout the region. more

Watercolor paintings by Indrani Choudhury are featured in a solo exhibition on view through April 1 at Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street. An art reception with refreshments is on Friday, March 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.

“BEST FRIENDS”: This painting by Richard Worzel is part of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association’s Second Annual Mill Members Art Show and Sale, on view March 8, 9, 15, and 16 from 12 to 4 p.m. at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa.

Members of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association in New Hope, Pa., will be in the spotlight at the Second Annual Mill Members Art Show and Sale. The exhibition will be open for two consecutive weekends, March 8 and 9, and March 15 and 16, from 12 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

The show will feature more than 500 works of art by over 170 artists, all members of Phillips’ Mill Community Association. An array of fine art and crafts will be represented in the non-juried show including paintings and sculpture, jewelry and textiles, mixed media, ceramics, photography, and works on paper.  more

SEVEN UP: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Haven Dora, left, looks to unload the ball against Hofstra last Saturday. Junior attacker Dora dished out a program-record seven assists for a second straight game as the Tigers rolled to a 20-4 win over the Pride. No. 13 Princeton, now 3-1, hosts Penn State on March 5 and Harvard on March 8 in its Ivy League opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Haven Dora wears No. 7 for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team and last week that number took on an added significance for the junior attacker.

On Wednesday, Dora tallied a program single-game record seven assists to help Princeton edge Delaware 15-14. Three days later, Dora matched that feat, getting seven assists as the Tigers rolled to a 20-4 victory over Hofstra in improving to 3-1.

“I am really proud of that,” said Dora, reflecting on the record.“Every single game, I am trying to come out with a team win and if that is what it takes, I am going to keep assisting my teammate. Hopefully at some point. I can break it and get eight. I am looking forward to the rest of the season.” more

DRIVING FORCE: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Anna Winters drives to the hoop last Thursday as fourth-seeded PHS defeated 13th-seeded Trenton Central 61-54 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 tournament. Junior guard Winters scored a game-high 25 points in the win. The Tigers went on to lose 65-34 to fifth-seeded Franklin last Monday in the quarterfinal round of the tourney to end the winter with a 19-10 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Anna Winters went scoreless in the first quarter as the Princeton High girls’ basketball team fell behind 10-7 to Trenton Central last Thursday in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 tournament.

In the second quarter, junior guard Winters and fourth-seeded PHS got into a groove, outscoring the 13th-seeded Tornadoes 22-3 to seize control of the contest. more

ON THE STICK: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Brendan Beatty, left, goes after the puck in recent action. Last week, senior star and captain Beatty scored two goals as 16th-seeded PHS fell 9-3 to top-seeded Bridgewater-Raritan first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Public sectional tournament. The loss left the Tigers with a final record of 7-12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Knotted in a 2-2 stalemate with the West Windsor-Plainsboro hockey co-op after two periods in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament quarterfinal round, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team raised its game.

Outscoring West Windsor 4-0 in the third period, PHS prevailed 6-2 in the February 5 contest to book a spot in the CVC semis. more

RARE AIR: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Aerin Bruno surveys the action in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, senior defender and team captain Bruno helped spark a superb defensive effort as top-seeded PDS defeated eight-seeded Summit 5-0 in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Ice Hockey State Tournament. The Panthers, now 12-2-1, will face fourth-seeded Morristown-Beard in the state semis on March 5 at the Codey Arena in West Orange with the victor to advance to the state final on March 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Aerin Bruno’s right shoulder was heavily taped but she smiled through the pain after helping the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team defeat Summit 5-0 last Friday in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Ice Hockey State Tournament.

With PDS having been seeded No. 1 in the tourney and getting a first-round bye, Bruno and her teammates were chomping at the bit to finally get going in the competition. more

STATE OF PLAY: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Lia States, center, heads to the basket in recent action. Last Friday, freshman guard States scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help 11th-seeded Stuart upset sixth-seeded Calvary Christian 50-33 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament. On Monday, Stuart fell 78-43 to third-seeded Wildwood Catholic in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. The Tartans ended the winter with a 6-15 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Stuart Country Day School basketball team geared up to make its debut in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament, Tony Bowman was encouraged by the way his squad was coming together down the stretch.

Playing at Kent Place in its regular season finale on February 25, Stuart rolled to a 54-30 win.

“I think that is the best they have played all year,” said Stuart head coach Bowman. “They listened very well, that was probably our best defensive game.” more

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CLIMBING HIGH: “We believe that new heights can always be reached not only on our walls, but in all parts of life. The best way to achieve these heights is to be together.” This mission statement of The Gravity Vault Princeton emphasizes its focus on meeting challenges vigorously, with skill and dedication, thus accomplishing a rewarding and meaningful result. Shown is the indoor rope climbing wall at the company’s Plainsboro Plaza location.

By Jean Stratton

“It’s a chance to flirt with adventure; an opportunity to break from the ordinary; a really meaningful alternative to a tired fitness format.”

Sound intriguing?

Not to keep you in suspense: it is rock climbing!

Michael Morand, co-owner of The Gravity Vault Princeton, is an enthusiastic advocate of this challenging and exciting activity, and wants to share its benefits and advantages with everyone.

Just opened last December in the Plainsboro Plaza at 10 Schalks Crossing Road in Plainsboro, the 17,500-square-foot facility offers a complete range of indoor climbing opportunities, as well as yoga classes and a fully-equipped gym. more

February 26, 2025

The D&R Canal in Princeton showed signs of thawing on Sunday as warmer temperatures finally prevailed. Residents and visitors share what they like to do on winter weekends in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)

By Donald Gilpin

In a statement from the Princeton Mayor and Council issued last Friday, February 21, the town of Princeton has reaffirmed its support for its immigrant residents.

Princeton’s commitment to recognize, support, and serve its immigrant community “remains as strong as ever today,” the posting in English and Spanish on the municipal government website states.

Amidst an onslaught of stringent new federal policies, threats of mass deportations, and stepped up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in New Jersey and throughout the country, immigrant communities have felt the pressure and anxiety, with some individuals fearful about going out to work or sending their children to school. “The ripple effects of these policies are real and deeply felt in our community,” one Princeton resident wrote in an email to the Council president.

“The new federal administration’s policies on immigration enforcement do not change the work we do for our community,” the statement from Mayor and Council asserts. “Princeton continues to follow the guidance outlined in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Directive 2018-6, which strengthens trust between local law enforcement and immigrant communities. We want to assure all our residents that you are, first and foremost, members of our community, and we remain steadfast in our mission to serve and support you.” more

By Anne Levin

Matthew Hertgen, the 31-year-old man arrested last weekend for the murder of his brother Joseph Hertgen, 26, at Michelle Mews Apartments, made his first appearance in court on Monday, February 24. He is due back for a detention hearing on Friday, February 27, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

At about 11:16 p.m. on Saturday night, February 22, Princeton Police responded to a 911 call reporting that there was a fire and a dead body in one of the residences at the luxury complex that is part of The Residences at Palmer Square. Police found Matthew Hertgen, who was determined to be the 911 caller, in the apartment along with the body of the victim “which exhibited various injuries including signs of blunt force trauma and lacerations,” the release from Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey reads. “Joseph was pronounced dead at the scene.”

The investigation into the murder, by the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the State Police Crime Scene Unit, led to Matthew Hertgen being charged with first-degree murder along with various third- and fourth-degree offenses related to possession of a knife and a golf club. Hertgen is also charged with one count of third-degree animal cruelty in the death of a cat that was located within the residence. more

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton has again been designated a Silver-Level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

Princeton is one of four bike friendly municipalities in the state and the only Silver-Level award-winner. West Windsor, Lambertville, and New Brunswick received Bronze-Level recognition. There were 460 communities across the country that were recognized as Bicycle Friendly by the LAB.

“Princeton remains committed to reimagining its roadways beyond a car-centric model, fostering diverse transportation options that promote healthier, more sustainable lifestyles in the community,” said Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, liaison to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee. “We are proud to be a Bicycle Friendly Community for the 12th year in a row.”  more