July 22, 2015

shutterstock_283153916The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund is accepting grant applications from local not-for-profit organizations. Established in 2013 with a gift of $500,000 from the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund is an endowed fund dedicated to supporting not-for-profit organizations located in the Chamber’s Central New Jersey five-county footprint.

For the second year, the grant pool will be increased through a contribution from the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation.  The Foundation will provide an additional $5,000 to support the 2015 grant process. more

July 21, 2015

shutterstock_57954124Today, July 21 until 5 p.m., Princeton’s cooling station at Witherspoon Hall’s Community Room will be open for those seeking a safe place to stay cool during the heat wave. Residents, especially senior citizens, are strongly advised to take advantage of these cooling stations if needed. Free water is accessible at the station, which is at 400 Witherspoon Street.

To stay safe and cool during heat advisories and warnings, follow these tips:

Stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun.

Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible. more

October 15, 2014
BOOK NIRVANA: The Library’s Community Room will once again be the place to go for book lovers when the Friends of the Princeton Public Library’s annual event opens with a $10 Preview Sale Friday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. Starting at noon, admission to the event is free for the remainder of the sale. Hours are noon-8:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

BOOK NIRVANA: The Library’s Community Room will once again be the place to go for book lovers when the Friends of the Princeton Public Library’s annual event opens with a $10 Preview Sale Friday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. Starting at noon, admission to the event is free for the remainder of the sale. Hours are noon-8:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The 2014 Friends of the Princeton Public Library Book Sale, which will take place October 17-19 in the library’s Community Room and in a tent on Hinds Plaza, features a substantial donation from the collection of John Wilmerding, former senior curator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and professor emeritus of American Art at Princeton University. Included in this collection are books inscribed to Mr. Wilmerding by photographer Walker Evans as well as other renowned artists and art scholars.

The event features nearly 10,000 books for all ages on a wide variety of topics. Most books are priced between $1 and $3, with art books and special selections priced higher. The sale opens with a preview on Friday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. A ticket for the preview sale is $10, but is free for Friends of the Library. Numbered tickets will be available at the door starting at 8 a.m. Customers enter the sale in numerical order. This year, barcode scanners will be permitted at the tables, but collecting books to scan will not be allowed.

Starting at noon, admission to the book sale is free for the remainder of the sale. Hours are noon-8:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

On Sunday, books will be sold at half price in the Community Room and in the tent on Hinds Plaza. From 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, a Bag Sale will be held in the tent where a standard grocery bag can be filled with books for $5. Bags will be supplied at the sale.

In addition to the Wilmerding donation, the sale includes a large number of art, history, and political science books, and good selections in classics and literature, fiction, children’s and numerous other categories. Buyers will also find many old and unusual books, books in a variety of foreign languages for both adults and children, sheet music, CDs, DVDs (including many popular series), and audiobooks.

Other special items at this year’s sale include: a trove of gardening books donated by a local garden designer; a small collection of inscribed books by Ashley Montagu related to his work, The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity, which inspired the movie and the Tony Award-winning play; books signed or inscribed by Eugene O’Neill, John Dos Passos, Edith Sitwell, Ted Hughes, Leonard Baskin, and Abbie Hoffman; a rare early volume by Patti Smith; the 3rd edition of Thomas Chatterton’s Rowley poems from 1778 in the original boards; fine volumes by collectible illustrators include Kay Nielsen’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses. J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey is one of a number of modern first editions being offered.

For more information, contact Abby McCall, Friends Administrator, (609) 924-9529 ext. 280, or friends@princetonlibrary.org.

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September 10, 2014

A public talk by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, will take place October 28 at 9:30 a.m. at Jadwin Gymnasium on the Princeton University campus. Tickets will be available to students starting September 16, to staff September 18, and to the general public September 23. Members of the public can obtain two tickets per person.

The Dalai Lama’s talk, “Develop the Heart,” is sponsored by The Office of Religious Life at Princeton University and The Kalmyk Three Jewels Foundation. “As a scholar and a monk, the Dalai Lama will highlight the importance of developing compassion and kindness, alongside the intellect, in an academic environment,” according to information from the University’s Office of Communications.

At 1:30 p.m., the spiritual leader will engage “a select group of students and faculty in conversation around Princeton’s informal motto, ‘In the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations,’” according to the University’s website. For further information, email hhdl@princeton.edu.

September 8, 2014
With demolition of the former Princeton Hospital buildings scheduled to start around September 15, residents of the neighborhood surrounding the property gathered  at Witherspoon Hall Wednesday night to ask questions about noise, dust, and possible health hazards. AvalonBay, the developer of the site, held a public meeting at which John Mucha of Yannuzzi Wrecking and Recycling Corporation answered most of the questions.
Mr. Mucha told residents that precautions were being taken against possible health and environmental hazards. The process could take up to six months, he told the crowd of approximately 50 people. Once the buildings are demolished, AvalonBay plans to build a rental complex of 280 housing units, 56 of which have been designated as affordable.
Residents were told that water will be sprayed and misted during demolition, and dust monitors will be in place. “There may be windy days when we need to stop operations because we can’t control the dust,” Mr. Mucha said. “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Noise monitors will also be installed. The developer has hired a noise monitoring company to keep noise levels down, but Mr. Mucha said residents should expect to hear  some sounds of breaking concrete slabs and twisting steel during the process. Several residents aired concerns about contamination from particulates. “With the levels they’re talking about, particulates are not going to make it to your property,” the town’s health officer Jeffrey Grosser told a resident who lives across the street from the site. “But for added protection you can keep your windows closed if you live close by.”
AvalonBay has hired a company to photograph residents’ foundations for documentation in case of damage from construction activity. The developer has also created a website, www.avalonprinceton.com, which is now live. The site will include updates and frequently asked questions, according to Jon Vogel, AvalonBay’s vice president of development.
September 3, 2014
Princeton’s Send Hunger Packing program has challenged celebrity chef Brian Duffy, from the television show “Bar Rescue,”  to use ingredients generally available to low-income families to come up an affordable, easy to prepare, nutritious and tasty meal. Mr. Duffy will take on the challenge Sunday, September 14 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at Community Park School. Admission is free to this event, where Mr. Duffy will also help local children cook a meal of their own as a way of demonstrating the personal connection between cooking and nutrition.
Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) is hosting this family-friendly event to focust on the issue of child hunger in Princeton, and the efforts underway to ensure that school-aged kids have the nutritional resources they need to succeed in school and life. All of the costs have been donated. The event is sponsored by Princeton Human Services, the Princeton Public Schools, and Mercer Street Friends.  Visit shupprinceton.org for more information.
 
August 29, 2014

University Place, which has been closed from College Road to Alexander Street, will reopen to vehicular traffic this morning, Thursday, August 28. The temporary traffic signal at the intersection of College Road and Alexander Street will be in “flash” mode today, August 28 and tomorrow, August 29; it will then be removed. The TigerPaWW bus stop will remain at College Road, across from the entrance to McCarter Theatre Center. Bus schedules will not change. Please follow posted signs when walking, biking and/or driving through the area. Updated maps showing vehicular, pedestrian, and bike detours are available on the Arts and Transit Project website. For more information, call 609-258-8023.

August 27, 2014

The Princeton Pedestrian and Bike Advisory Committee is looking for original art to be on the cover of a new “Biking in Princeton” map that is being developed. Artists or photographers interested in submitting an image that might be appropriate for the map can do so by Wednesday, September 10. The committee would like submissions in a digital file rather than hard copy, sent to pjpbac@gmail.com. Entries will be accepted until midnight. Artists will be donating their images to be shared with the public, but will be credited.

August 26, 2014

HiTops is looking for volunteer traffic cyclists as well as volunteers for other positions in anticipation of the Princeton Half Marathon that is scheduled to take place on November 2 from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For more information, or to register, go to http://princetonhalfmarathon.com/volunteer/.

August 25, 2014

The Arts Council of Princeton’s new website design is interactive, filled with colorful photographs, and reflects a commitment to the organization’s mission of “building community through the arts.” New features include an improved format for events and calendar, more information on how the Arts Council serves the greater Princeton region, and the  “ACP Insider” Blog, which will be updated regularly. Administrative Manager, Julie Sullivan-Crowley, spearheaded the re-design and launch, working closely with Command C, a Brooklyn-based custom web design firm, and with help from the entire ACP staff. Check it out at: www.artscouncilofprinceton.org. Anyone experiencing an issue with the site is asked to contact Alyssa Gillon at (609) 924-8777 x110 or email agillon@artscouncilofprinceton.org.

 
August 22, 2014

AvalonBay, the developer of a planned 280-unit rental complex on the former Princeton Hospital site, is holding a neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, September 3 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 400 Witherspoon Street.

Princeton Council voted August 18 to approve the developer’s agreement, which allows AvalonBay to begin planning demolition of the former hospital buildings. The controversial agreement was the subject of recent legal proceedings over how much environmental testing would be done before the during the demolition. Many neighborhood residents have expressed concerns about potential dangers associated with the process.

All neighborhood residents and members of the public are invited to attend the meeting, which was announced on Friday afternoon.

August 21, 2014

The Princeton University professor charged with stealing 21 signs from in the area of Rosedale and Elm roads is scheduled to appear in pre-trial hearing on September 8. John Mulvey, 67, will appear in Princeton municipal court with his lawyer, Kim Otis.

Mr. Mulvey was videotaped removing the two-by-two-foot signs advertising Princeton Computer Tutor, which is owned by Ted Horodynsky. Mr. Horodynsky has claimed that the signs, which are valued at a total of $471, began to disappear after Mr. Mulvey cut him off in traffic.

Mr. Mulvey teaches operations research and financial engineering. He was charged with theft after the signs started disappearing in June 2013. He has said that he intends to fight the charges, and claims he was picking up debris. The signs were found by police in his garage.

August 20, 2014

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FINAL MOMENTS FOR THE “FLOOD HOUSE”: This rental property at 59 Meadowbrook Drive was demolished Wednesday morning, to the relief of many neighbors who have watched over the years as the low-lying property was repeatedly inundated with stormwater. It wasn’t uncommon to see occupants’ belongings being dried out on the lawn after a heavy rain. Princeton Council approved an ordinance recently to tear down the house, which was built in 1960. The site is to be turned into a pocket park, which must be completed by September 12 under the terms of the FEMA grant that paid for the demolition.

Members of the Princeton community will host a parade and rally to support justice for Mike Brown on Saturday, August 23 from 2-4 p.m., starting at Tiger Park on Nassau Street. “Please join us in solidarity and determination to fight for equality and justice for all — the words we say when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” a notice announcing the rally reads.

Those joining the gathering will march peaceably along Nassau Street to Witherspoon Street and to Hinds Plaza next to the Princeton Public Library, where participants can deliver speeches, songs, poems, and demonstrations of solidarity, with remarks kept to approximately three minutes. Signs should be cardboard or the like, not on poles or sticks. Language should preferably be for justice, healing, and (radical) reform, not against the police.

Volunteers are needed to serve as marshals and help keep the walk in line. Contact Daniel Harris at  www.danielharrispoet.net or (609) 683-0198 to volunteer, or to let organizers know you will be attending.

August 19, 2014
The Princeton University fall sports teams are starting preseason practice later this week. The Town Topics will be running profiles of Tiger football star Anthony Gaffney along with PU field hockey players Maddie Copeland and Sarah Brennan in the August 20 edition to kick off its fall coverage with team preview stories to follow in upcoming issues. The regular season starts September 5 with women’s soccer hosting Rutgers, field hockey playing at Duke, men’s soccer playing at Fairleigh Dickinson, and women’s volleyball taking part in the Temple Invitational in Philadelphia.

August 18, 2014

Princeton University students and staff are being advised to contact university medical personnel if they recently have been in parts of West Africa and have developed a fever, one of the symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone should be avoided. The University said it would not provide financial aid or other support to undergraduate and graduate students traveling to these countries as per its policy regarding countries that are on a government travel advisory or places the school feels are unsafe. Along with Nigeria, the three countries listed are currently dealing with an outbreak of Ebola that has claimed over 1,000 lives so far. The disease is transmitted through contact with an infected person’s blood or other bodily fluid; and spread through contact with infected animals and meat from an infected animal. Symptoms include fever, headache and joint and muscle pain, according to the federal government. The New Jersey Department of Health’s “interim guidance” for colleges and universities that have students coming back from the impacted areas in West Africa states that there is no need to quarantine students who had visited those countries and show no symptoms. Students should monitor themselves for 21 days from the time they were in one of those nations. Ebola-like symptoms should be treated in an emergency department, not a campus health center, according to the state.

August 15, 2014
Phillip Griffiths, Professor Emeritus in the School of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study, has been awarded the Chern Medal by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) at the International Congress of Mathematicians, in Seoul, South Korea. For full story, see this Wednesday’s Town Topics.
The Chern Medal, established in 2010 in honor of mathematician Shiing-Shen Chern (1911–2004), is awarded every four years in recognition of outstanding and sustained achievements in the field. Griffiths, whose work has stimulated a wide range of advances in mathematics over the past 50 years, was cited by the IMU, the global mathematics professional organization, for his “groundbreaking and transformative development of transcendental methods in complex geometry, particularly his seminal work in Hodge theory and periods of algebraic varieties.” Of the $500,000 monetary award, half will be donated to support the African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI), which is a distributed network of mathematics research, training and promotion throughout Africa.

 

August 14, 2014

Manjul Bhargava, the Brandon Fradd Class of 1983 Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, has been awarded the Fields Medal for influential mathematicians under 40. The honor is in recognition of his work in the geometry of numbers.

The International Mathematical Union gives the medal every four years based on the influence of existing work and the promise of future achievement. It is frequently referred to as “the Nobel Prize of mathematics” and is awarded at the IMU International Congress of Mathematicians in Seoul, South Korea. Bhargava is the eighth Fields Medal recipient from Princeton since 1954. He joined the faculty in 2003 after earning his Ph.D. from the University in 2001.

The Princeton High fall sports teams are starting preseason training this week. Squads from the Hun School, Princeton Day School, and Stuart Country Day School will be getting underway during the week of August 18.
The Town Topics will be running a profile of new Hun football head coach Todd Smith in the August 20 edition to kick off its fall coverage with team preview stories to follow in upcoming editions. The first regular season games are slated for September 4.
August 13, 2014

As residents of the Princeton Ridge deal with the planned addition to the Williams/Transco company pipeline, another natural gas pipeline project is being proposed for an area of Hopewell Township. PennEast Pipeline Company LLC has announced plans to run a 30-inch wide line through portions of Mercer and Hunterdon counties if its $1 billion proposal is approved by the federal government.

Natural gas would be carried from a distribution center north of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania through four counties in that state before crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey. It would run parallel to the Williams/Transco pipeline.

The New Jersey branch of the Sierra Club has voiced opposition to the proposal, which they say would promote fracking.

August 12, 2014
Princeton Engineering Department reports that Yannuzzi Corporation’s removal of carpeting, non-asbestos ceiling tiles, lighting fixtures, non-asbestos pipe coverings, copper water piping, electrical wiring and office partitions from the inside of hospital buildings on Witherspoon Street is proceeding slower than anticipated and will continue for the next couple of weeks. To date, 40 dumpsters of 100-cubic-yard capacity containing recyclables have been removed from the site. The removal of additional soil from the location of the 6,000 gallon tank and the installation of the new monitoring well is scheduled to be completed within the next two weeks. Asbestos removal from the interior of the buildings is anticipated to continue through the third week of August. The contractor continues to identify additional areas of asbestos removal. To date 31-40 cubic yard dumpsters of asbestos have been removed from the site. PSE&G cut off the power to hospital buildings on Monday, August 11. A building permit is scheduled to be issued allowing for repairs to be completed to the former Hospital Parking Garage. This work is anticipated to start in late August / early September and take 8 to 9 months to complete. During this time the garage will remain open for limited parking. For more information, call the Engineering Department at (609) 921-7077 or email cceballos@princetonnj.gov.