December 11, 2024

With Junior Star D’Agostino Focusing on Playmaking, Hun Girls’ Hoops Looking Formidable as it Starts 7-1

DRIVE TIME: Hun School girls’ basketball player Gabby D’Agostino heads to the hoop in a game last winter. Last Wednesday, junior guard D’Agostino tallied 12 points to help Hun defeat the Academy of New Church (Pa.) 67-31. The Raiders, who defeated the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) 75-58 last Sunday in the Hill School (Pa.) Girls’ Basketball Tournament to improve to 7-1, play at the Perkiomen School (Pa.) on December 11 before competing in the She Got Game Classic at The St. James in Springfield, Va., from December 13-15 and then hosting Tower Hill (Del.) on December 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Gabby D’Agostino carried the scoring load for the Hun School girls’ basketball team last winter as a sophomore.

The sharpshooting guard tallied 370 points in 15 games during her debut campaign with the program, more than the team’s next two top scorers combined. more

December 4, 2024

Princeton Holiday Tradition Continues

The Annual Palmer Square Tree Lighting festivities on Friday evening included musical entertainment on the patio of the Nassau Inn. Attendees share what they are looking forward to this holiday season in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)

Council Approves Resolution for Firehouse Renovation

By Anne Levin

A resolution to pay for a study of the Princeton Fire Department’s headquarters at 363 Witherspoon Street was approved by Princeton Council at its meeting on November 25. Baltimore-based architectural firm Manns Woodward Studios Inc. (MW), a specialist in firehouses, will receive up to $58,800 to come up with a conceptual design for renovating and possibly enlarging the building.

Among the items on the list are future space needs; environmental issues; HVAC and ADA-compliance issues; and accommodations for staff, vehicles, and memorabilia.

“A couple of things have happened since that firehouse was built in 1992,” said Mayor Mark Freda, after Councilman David Cohen noted that the list was extensive. “One thing is that the roof continues to leak, no matter what we’ve done to it. We’re hoping to find someone that can actually solve that problem.” more

Municipal Aid Grant Awarded to Municipality For Harrison Street Plan

By Anne Levin

Princeton has received $818,256 from the State of New Jersey for pedestrian safety between Nassau Street and Franklin Avenue, part of the North Harrison Street Improvements Project.

On November 14, Gov. Phil Murphy announced $150 million in fiscal year 2025 Municipal Aid grants. Princeton is one of 540 cities and towns across the state to be granted funds for advancing road, bridge, safety, and quality-of-life improvements.

Though the grants are competitive, every municipality that applied for funding received one, according to Murphy’s office. A total of 595 applications requested $375 million in aid. more

Rustin Center Expands Programming, Support In Wake of Post-Election Needs and Concerns

FESTIVE AND FABULOUS: Miss Cissy Walken is the host of the Holiday Drag Show on Saturday, December 7 at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, where holiday events continue throughout the month. (Photo courtesy of BRCSJ)

By Donald Gilpin

In the face of widespread anxiety over increasing anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and action following the November election, the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice (BRCSJ) will be hosting major holiday events on upcoming weekends: a Holiday Drag Show featuring Cissy Walken, Miss Stonewall Inn, on Saturday, December 7 at 7 p.m. and “Handmade for the Holidays Crafternoon” with Kyle the Craftivist on December 14 at 1 p.m.

Also, on Friday, December 6, there will be a Welcoming the Community Breakfast from 8-10 a.m. and in the evening at 7 p.m. a post-Thanksgiving folk concert featuring David Brahinsky and friends — all at the BRCSJ headquarters, 12 Stockton Street.

The BRCSJ, a dedicated queer safe space, offers many programs and events in person and online throughout the year, serving more than 10,000 area residents according to a recent BRCSJ email. On Christmas Day it will also be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or later, welcoming anybody who “needs or wants a safe space to hang with friends and chosen fam.” more

Friends of Princeton Open Space Hosts Mountain Lakes Photo Exhibition and Holiday Open Houses

“DEER BIND WEED”: This photo, taken by Sydney Vine in the Mountain Lakes Preserve, is one of the contest photos that will be on display at the Friday, December 6 opening reception and December 7 and 8 Holiday Open Houses for the annual “Perspectives on Preservation Photography Exhibition” sponsored by Friends of Princeton Open Space.

By Donald Gilpin

A “Perspectives on Preservation Photography Exhibition,” featuring photos of the Mountain Lakes area selected from the annual Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) Photo Contest, as well as a collection of photographs titled “Geese and Goslings” by Frank Sauer, will be on display this weekend at the Mountain Lakes House, 57 Mountain Avenue.

The opening reception for the exhibition on Friday, December 6 from 6 to 8 p.m., where the contest winners will be announced, is booked up with a waiting list available, but visitors can also see the exhibition at a Holiday Open House on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, from 12 to 4 p.m. In addition, FOPOS is hosting a December Nature Walk, starting at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on December 7. more

Center for Modern Aging Awarded Two Grants to Strengthen Mission

By Anne Levin

The Center for Modern Aging Princeton (CMAP) has announced the receipt of two grants from the Princeton Area Community Foundation. The grants go toward supporting the organization’s mission to foster a more inclusive, age-friendly community, and strengthen its organizational capacity to deliver impactful programs and services.

A $38,200 Community Impact Grant goes toward the organization’s Community Outreach: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives, and combatting ageism through intergenerational programming. This funding will enable CMAP to expand its outreach to underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minority seniors, LGBTQ+ seniors, and those facing social and economic barriers.

The grant is designed to expand on CMAP’s programs that bridge gaps between generations, and to enhance public education to challenge stereotypes about aging. The goal is to celebrate contributions of older adults to society. more

University Ramps Up Indigenous Studies with New Programs and New Professor

By Donald Gilpin

Princeton University has recently undertaken a number of initiatives to expand its influence in the field of Native American and Indigenous studies, with J. Kehaulani Kauanui coming on board as the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Professor of Indigenous Studies to help lead the effort.

In a November 14 press release, the University reported that it had expanded academic centers, programs, and scholarly resources to strengthen institutional relationships with Native American and Indigenous communities, as well as seeking to enhance research and scholarship in the field and to recognize and support Native and Indigenous students and scholars. more

Centenary Musings On Franz Kafka (1924-2024)

By Stuart Mitchner

While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any[one] endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?

—Henry David Thoreau,
from Walden (1854)

The epigraph comes by way of the first Arts page in Monday’s New York Times. At least once or twice every year, the Newspaper of Record throws out a line that hooks me. Picture a Dr. Seuss-style fisherman, perhaps the Cat in the Hat, dandling a brain-rot lure as a Dr. Seuss fish leaps out of the water, grinning idiotically while I’m thinking “This is not how I meant to begin a December 4 column on Franz Kafka; no, this is not what I meant to do, not at all, not at all.”

Probably Kafka would love it. As would Frank Zappa, who died on December 4, 1993, having accomplished among many more notable wonders a track called “The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny” on the Mothers of Invention’s third album, We’re Only In It for the Money (a travesty of Sgt. Pepper that memorably pictured four grossly alluring “Mothers” instead of John, Paul, George, and Ringo). In his liner notes, Zappa claims that “The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny,” with its electronic crackling and screeching, is intended to give “a musical approximation” of Kafka’s “In The Penal Colony.” more

ActorsNET’s Holiday Play Is Tribute to Jane Austen

LAST OF A TRILOGY: Brittany Fauzer as Georgiana Darcy and Liz Minder as Kitty Bennet in “Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley,” on stage in Morrisville, Pa., December 6-22.

ActorsNET is visiting the famous Pemberley estate for the third time with Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon’s Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, the final play in the Pemberley trilogy. Jane Austen’s characters take the Heritage Center stage once again from December 6-22.

Director Erin Leder returns to put a finishing touch on her extensive work with Gunderson and Melcon’s holiday pieces. She has taken on the first of Christmas at Pemberley plays back in 2022 and has since directed Miss Bennet, then The Wickhams in 2023, and now Georgiana and Kitty.  more

Westminster Community Orchestra Presents Annual Concert/Sing-along

Danielle Sinclair

The Westminster Community Orchestra, conducted by Ruth Ochs, will present their annual family holiday concert “Holiday Favorites and Sing-along” on Wednesday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Hillman Hall, at the Cullen Center, on the Westminster Choir College campus, Walnut Lane.

While the performance is free, the orchestra will continue its long-standing tradition of accepting freewill cash donations at the door to benefit and be distributed to area food pantries and service organizations. Audience members requiring seating assistance should arrive at 7:15 p.m.

The performance will feature Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Dance of the Tumblers” from The Snow Maiden, Frederick Delius’s “Sleigh Ride,” Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s Christmas Overture, “Festive Sounds of Hanukkah” (arranged by Bill Holcombe), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Westminster Conservatory faculty member Danielle Sinclair will join the orchestra for two traditional carols, “Or vous Tremoussez Pasteurs de Judee” (Make Merry, Shepherds of Judea) and “El Noi de la Mare” (The Child of the Mother), with former Westminster Honors Program student Julianna Wong, mezzo-soprano. The concert will also include other Christmas favorites, and the audience is invited to lend their voices in John Finnegan’s popular Christmas Sing-along. more

Chevy Chase to Appear at State Theatre NJ

State Theatre New Jersey and NJPAC Productions present “An Evening with Chevy Chase & National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” on Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. This show celebrates the classic film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, with a special 35th Anniversary screening of the film followed by a live conversation and Q&A with Chase and his wife Jayni.

A limited number of VIP tickets are available, including a personal post-show photo opportunity with Chase.

Chevy and Jayni Chase will share their behind-the-scenes stories and personal anecdotes about the making of this movie that has become a Christmas tradition. During the conversation, audience members can ask questions and hear firsthand from Chevy about his career including Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack, and more. more

“Nutcracker” in New Brunswick

American Repertory Ballet brings its production of the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” to State Theatre New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue on December 20, 21 and 22, complete with live orchestra conducted by Kenneth Bean and singers from the Princeton Girlchoir. Shows are December 20 at 7:30 p.m.; December 21 at 2 and 7 p.m.; and December 22 at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets are $29-$69. Visit Stnj.org. (Photo by Megan Teat)

Cirque Musica Presents “Holiday Wonderland”

State Theatre New Jersey presents Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland on Saturday, December 14 at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets range from $39-$99.

Featuring acrobatics, gravity-defying aerial feats, and musicians and singers, the performance takes audiences on a journey into a world of music, cirque, and more. With new costumes, music, and storylines, the all-new show blends the grace and daredevil athleticism of circus performers with a musical mix of seasonal favorites. more

Princeton Makes Talks Series Features Winn

ARTIST TALK: Painter Claude Winn will discuss her work at the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” event on Saturday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center.

On Saturday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m., painter Claude Winn will be the featured speaker for the “Inside the Artist’s Studio” series at Princeton Makes in the Princeton Shopping Center. Winn, a Princeton Makes cooperative member, creates abstract paintings that she calls “meditations,” reflecting her interdisciplinary background.

During the event, Winn will discuss her work and the influences of her art heroes, including William de Kooning, Wassily Kandinsky, and Helen Frankenthaler. A visual and theatre artist, Winn’s interest in art began in childhood when she spent hours in museums studying the works of great artists. more

Sean Mount Exhibition Opening at SFA Gallery

“DRINKING SONG”: This oil on linen work is featured in “Sean Mount / New Paintings,” on view December 7 through February 2 at SFA Gallery In Frenchtown. An opening night reception is on Saturday, December 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Following up on his successful show in 2023, Lambertville artist Sean Mount returns to SFA Gallery in Frenchtown with “Sean Mount / New Paintings,” on view December 7 through February 2. An opening night celebration is on Saturday, December 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.

A self-taught oil and watercolor artist, Mount is also a keen naturalist, mushroom forager, and bird-watcher. Known for his paintings of fog-shrouded woods and sun-dappled creeks, his work is recognized as fortifying the rich legacy of New Hope School Impressionism.

This exhibit comes on the heels of a major achievement in Mount’s career, the purchase of a very large oil painting, Querencia/Altar, by the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa., where it is currently on view. more

Johnson Park Student Art Show at Arts Council

The Olivia & Leslie Foundation + Johnson Park Student Art Show, to he held on Saturday December 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arts Council of Princeton, will showcase the artistic accomplishments of students from the Olivia & Leslie Foundation Art + Math program.

This special event provides an opportunity to see their creativity come to life and celebrate their efforts as a community. There will also be an arts supplies giveaway and refreshments.

The Arts Council of Princeton is located at 102 Witherspoon Street.

“Freedom of Expression” Exhibit at Dupree Gallery

“FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION”: More than 150 works by 70 artists will be on view at Dupree Gallery Lambertville December 7 through January 24. An opening reception is on Saturday, December 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. (Photo by Sierra Humes)

Dupree Gallery Lambertville will present “Freedom of Expression” December 7 through January 24, 2025. An opening reception is on Saturday, December 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. This open call exhibition features over 150 eclectic works of art by 70 artists from around the country.

The exhibition is curated by artist and gallery owner James E. Dupree and draws from his extensive professional network of established artists, along with submissions from independent artists who responded to the open call. “Freedom of Expression” showcases a wide variety of mediums — including painting, drawing, prints, fiber art, wood carving, photography, collage, and more — offering an impressive range of styles and techniques. Artwork is priced from $125 to $4,800. more

Lucy’s Kitchen & Market, a Popular Mainstay, Offers Variety of Pasta Specialties and More

PLEASING THE PALATE: “We have a wonderful staff,” says Caron Wendell, co-owner of Lucy’s Kitchen & Market. “We are very proud of them. Many have been with us for over 10 years, and some for as many as 20 years or more.” Shown are staff members who are ready to help customers select choices from the display case filled with a variety of tempting treats.

By Jean Stratton

Step inside Lucy’s Kitchen & Market at 830 State Road, and you are immediately glad you came. Just entering this cheerful market, where nearly all the food is prepared on site from scratch, will tempt the taste buds.

Lucy’s success story has been going on for a long time. At the current location since 1996, owners Caron Wendell and Joe McLaughlin had initially set up shop in Trenton in 1991, specializing in ravioli. more

Sparked by Goalie Kovács’s Energy, Competitive Fire, PU Men’s Water Polo Primed for NCAA Tourney Run

MAKING A SPLASH: Princeton University men’s water polo goalie Kristóf Kovács unloads the ball in action earlier this season. Sophomore Kovács has made 316 saves this season in helping Princeton win the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) tournament. The Tigers, now 23-8, are heading into the NCAA tournament where they are seeded fifth and will face fourth-seeded and host Stanford in the quarterfinal round on December 6 at the Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford, Calif. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

It took a little convincing, but Kristóf Kovács has found just what he was looking for in Princeton University.

Growing up in Hódmezovásárhely, Hungary, Kovács knew that Princeton was a great academic school. When he started to follow the Tigers men’s water polo team, he saw a program ready to reach a new standard. more

Goalie Smith Comes Up Big with 2 Stellar Efforts, Helping PU Men’s Hockey Sweep No. 12 Ohio State

BUCKING UP: Princeton University men’s hockey goalie Arthur Smith makes a save against Ohio State last weekend. Sophomore Smith starred as Princeton swept the Buckeyes in a two-game set, recording 29 saves as the Tigers posted a 3-1 win on Friday before making a career-high 37 stops in a 3-1 win on Saturday. Smith’s heroics got him named as the ECAC Goaltender of the Week. Princeton, now 3-4-1 overall, hosts Union on December 6 and RPI on December 7. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Arthur Smith could have been rusty as he started at goalie for the Princeton University men’s hockey team last Friday night as it hosted No. 12 Ohio State.

But sophomore Smith, who hadn’t played since November 9 when he took the loss as the Tigers fell 5-1 to Dartmouth, was primed to make the most of his opportunity. more

With Freshman Happy Emerging as a Key Performer, PU Men’s Hoops Tops Nazareth in Improving to 6-3

HAPPY TO HELP: Princeton University men’s basketball player CJ Happy displays his intensity at the defensive end in a game earlier this season. Last Wednesday, freshman forward Happy scored a game-high and career-high 18 points to help Princeton defeat Division III Nazareth 99-63. The Tigers, who improved to 6-3 with the win, were slated to play at Saint Joseph’s on December 3 before playing at Furman on December 7 and hosting Monmouth on December 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

CJ Happy provided the Princeton University men’s basketball team with a major highlight as it wrapped up play at the Myrtle Beach Invitational.

After Princeton lost its first two games at the event in Conway, S.C., falling 80-62 to Wright State and 83-80 to Texas State, freshman forward Happy erupted for a game-high 16 points to help the Tigers defeat Portland 94-67 on November 24 to end the weekend on a high note. more

Looking to Rebound from 5-13 Campaign, PHS Boys’ Hockey Ramping Up the Intensity

HEADS UP: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Anders Hedin heads up the ice in a game last winter. Junior forward Hedin figures to be a key performer for the Tigers this winter. PHS opens its 2024-25 campaign by facing Notre Dame on December 6 at the Mercer County Skating Center. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton High boys’ hockey team coming off a disappointing 5-13 campaign last winter, Rik Johnson is looking for his squad to display more intensity this season.

“It is still early going, we have had two on-ice practices and then one dry land on Tuesday,” said PHS head coach Johnson, whose team opens its 2024-25 campaign by facing Notre Dame on December 6 at the Mercer County Skating Center. “The vibes are positive, they are high. We definitely seem to be more focused going into the season. I am hoping to improve on last year.” more

PDS Boys’ Hockey To Use a Grind-It-Out Approach As it Strives to Build on Last Winter’s Improvement

GOING AT IT: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Wyatt Ewanchyna brings the puck up the ice in a game last season. Senior forward Ewanchyna, who led PDS in assists last year with 20, will be counted on to be an offensive catalyst for the team again this winter. The Panthers will be opening their 2024-25 season by playing Delbarton on December 12 at SportsCare Arena in Randolph. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

While the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team has utilized a freewheeling, end-to-end style over the years, Scott Bertoli realizes that isn’t always the best fit for his squad.

As PDS head coach Bertoli looks ahead to the upcoming season, he will be instilling a more grind-it-out approach. more

Stuart Volleyball Produced Historic Season As Young Squad Made Memorable Playoff Run

STATE OF JOY: Members of the Stuart Country Day School volleyball team are all smiles as they pose for a photo this season. The Tartans made history this fall, going 11-8 on the way to making the semis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B state sectional in their first appearance in the tourney. (Photo provided courtesy of Anna Kachmarski)

By Bill Alden

Having been the head coach of the Stuart Country Day School volleyball program since it started varsity play in 2017, Anna Kachmarski has guided the Tartans through some ups and downs.

“Having a smaller school can always be challenging going up against some competing public schools who have hundreds in their classes,” said Kachmarski, the STEM curriculum coordinator at the school, who played volleyball in high school and college. “We have been through a few rebuilding years starting the program and getting it off the ground because when we started the program we actually had a high number of students who were seniors and left after the first year.” more