Town Topics | Princeton's Weekly Community Newspaper Since 1946

November 30, 2022

Results Are Official, Winners Look Ahead

By Donald Gilpin

Election 2022 local results are official, following Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri’s investigation into an Election Day scanner failure and County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello’s certification of the vote tally ahead of the state’s November 26 deadline.

Onofri announced last week that his investigation determined that there was no criminal intent or vote tampering during the election. The problem, the investigation concluded, was a human error made in the programming of the voting machines by an employee of Dominion Voting Systems. The error prevented the machines from scanning.

By Anne Levin

Princeton’s sidewalks were the focus of two ordinances given public hearings at a meeting of Princeton Council Monday night, November 28. One ordinance extends outdoor dining for two more years, and the other amends the rules banning bicycles, roller skates, and skateboards from certain downtown sidewalks. Both were voted in unanimously.

Council also heard progress reports on the Princeton Business Partnership (PBP), an open house for the town’s Master Plan, and the Climate Action Plan that was adopted in 2019.

Before passing the outdoor dining ordinance, there was some discussion about whether some of the restaurants that began serving diners along sidewalks during the pandemic are encroaching too far into the public walkways. The ordinance requires “no less than five feet” of space for pedestrians to pass. Municipal attorney Trishka Cecil said that the five-foot measurement could be seen as a minimum, but additional space can be required. Mayor Mark Freda stressed that the rule needs to be enforced.

By Donald Gilpin

For six days, from Monday, December 5 through Saturday, December, 10, New Jersey, for the first time since 2020, will allow hunters to shoot bears on private and state-owned land in northwestern parts of the state — unless the Animal Protection League of New Jersey (APLNJ) and other opposition groups have their way.

On November 15, 2022, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council voted unanimously to approve emergency regulations amending the Game Code and adopting a new comprehensive black bear management plan “to control the black bear population and reduce the threat of dangerous encounters between bears and humans through regulated hunting and non-lethal management measures.”

RIVER TALES: A view of the Delaware River from Goat Hill Overlook in Lambertville, part of the mobile and virtual tour of sites along the waterway, currently available from D&R Greenway Land Trust.

By Anne Levin

Linda Mead drives over the Scudder Falls Bridge between Pennsylvania and New Jersey nearly every day. But until “Seldom Told Stories of the Delaware River,” a mobile tour currently available from D&R Greenway Land Trust — of which Mead is president and CEO — she had never heard of its namesake.

“That was just one of the things I learned from working on this project,” said Mead, who directed and edited the self-guided 40-mile driving tour. Richard Betts Scudder was an early settler who purchased a parcel of land along the Delaware. In 1776, his grandson, Amos Scudder, helped guide General Washington’s troops to Trenton after crossing the river.

By Donald Gilpin

Breaking the cycle of poverty and eradicating homelessness in Mercer County will be on the agenda on Thursday, December 1 at 6 p.m. at Labyrinth Books on Nassau Street, with a panel of HomeFront experts leading the discussion.

“Our panel discussion will share important background on what poverty and homelessness look like right now right here in Mercer County and give insight on HomeFront’s innovative, family-by-family approach to breaking the cycle of poverty,” said HomeFront CEO Sarah Steward, who will be moderating the event. “The HomeFront team will share why we do the work we do, the impact it has, and what we, as a community and as individuals, can do to support our neighbors.”

MARKING A DANCE MILESTONE: Former ballerina and Princeton Ballet School faculty member Kathleen Moore starred in Agnes de Mille’s groundbreaking “Rodeo,” and worked with the choreographer, when it was revived in 1989. (Photo by Stephen Dolan)

By Anne Levin

On October 16, 1942, the European touring company Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo premiered Rodeo at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House. With its evocative score by Aaron Copland, realistic setting at an American ranch by Oliver Smith, and groundbreaking choreography incorporating American tap and folk dance steps by Agnes de Mille — who also danced the lead role — the ballet took a giant step away from Ballet Russe’s repertory of traditional, Russian classics. It left an indelible mark on dance and musical theater.

By Stuart Mitchner

… a damp, drizzly November in my soul ….
—Herman Melville

In the opening paragraph of Moby Dick, Ishmael makes cheerful poetry of the perennial November gloom, which is spelled out in scary-shaky black letters atop Roz Chast’s cartoon in the November 21 New Yorker. The three Chastesquely despairing characters are a frizzy-haired woman bundled up in a coat (“It’s only 4:15 but it’s PITCH DARK!”), a shivering young man rubbing his hands together (“Something is seriously amiss.), and under the last word-balloon a hair-tearing embodiment of horror (“It’s the end of the world.”).

For the purposes of this end-of-the-month column, I’m replacing the three Chastettes with two writers of note and a movie star. Mark Twain arrived in Florida, Missouri, on the last day of November 1830, along with Hailey’s Comet, which reappeared in time for his exit in 1910. Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis 100 years ago on November 11, 1922, three days before Veronica Lake appeared in Brooklyn under her birth name, Constance Frances Marie Ockelman. Thirty-two years later, November 26, 1954, Roz Chast herself was born — in Brooklyn. Although I stopped watching quiz and game shows long ago, it seemed there was always a contestant from Brooklyn who would inevitably be greeted with a level of enthusiasm (wild applause, shrill whistlings, cheers) afforded no other earthly locality.

INTERACTIVE DANCE: Jackson Jules of Trenton rehearses for “Us vs. Them, an Interactive Dance Theatre Collage,” December 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the MCCC Studio Theatre, CM 122, next to Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor.

Peter Brooks and Brigid Doherty Discuss “Use and Abuse of Narrative”

Peter Brooks and Brigid Doherty will talk about Brooks’ new book Seduced by Story: On the Use and Abuse of Narrative (New York Review of Books) on Wednesday, December 7 at 6 p.m. The event can be attended in person at Labyrinth Books or via livestream; to register, visit labyrinthbooks.com.

It’s almost Christmas in 1815, and studious Lord Arthur de Bourgh (Tyler Eisenacher) meets bookish Mary Bennet (Charlotte Kirkby) in the library at Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy’s estate in ActorsNET’s production of “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.” The family-friendly holiday comedy, written in 2016 by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, picks up two years after Jane Austen’s classic novel “Pride and Prejudice” left off. Performances are December 2-18 at the Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue, Morrisville. For tickets or additional information, visit actorsnetbucks.org.

Diverse Program of Works at Princeton Dance Festival

TAP AND MORE: Princeton University students rehearse for a new rhythm tap dance work by Michael J. Love, to be featured at the 2022 Princeton Dance Festival. (Photo by Codey Babineaux)

New and repertory works are on the program of the 2022 Princeton Dance Festival, presented by Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at the Berlind Theatre of McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, December 2-4.

More than 50 students are performing in works by choreographers Ronald K. Brown, Davalois Fearon, Sun Kim, Michael J. Love, Susan Marshall, Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, and Caili Quan, spanning tap, ballet, dance theater, West African/modern, and post-modern genres.

Shows are December 2 at 8 p.m., December 3 at 2 and 8 p.m., and December 4 at 2 p.m. The December 4 show is a relaxed performance. Tickets are $10-$17. Visit McCarter.org.

“PANDEMICA” Exhibit at Trenton Free Public Library

“CAREFREE BIKE RIDE”: This work by Addison Vincent is featured “PANDEMICA: Images of a Potential Future,” on view at the Trenton Free Public Library December 7 through January 28. An opening reception is on Thursday, December 8 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Trenton Artists Workshop Association (TAWA) and the Trenton Free Public Library will present the exhibition “PANDEMICA: Images of a Potential Future” at the Trenton Free Public Library December 7 through January 28. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, December 8 from 5 to 7 p.m.

This work by Catherine Suttle is part of “Intersection: Four Voices in Abstraction,” on view through January 27 at The Gallery at Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach, 253 Nassau Street. An artists’ reception will be held on Sunday, December 4 from 2-5 p.m.

Gallery 14 in Hopewell Hosts Holiday Art Exhibit, Boutique

“LOCK HOUSE”: Martin Schwartz is one of the member artists exhibiting work at the Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography “Members Holiday Exhibit and Boutique,” on view December 3 through December 18. An artist meet and greet is on December 4 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography Gallery in Hopewell continues it season of exhibits with a special “Members Holiday Exhibit and Boutique” December 3 through December 18. The opening on Saturday, December 3 will be at noon. There will also be an artist meet and greet on Sunday, December 4 from 1 to 3 p.m..

“POINT BREEZE APPLE ORCHARD”: This work by Nancy Long is featured in “Land, Light, Spirit,” on view December 4 through March 10 at the Marie L. Matthews Gallery at D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Johnson Education Center. A holiday art reception is on December 4 from 2 to 4 p.m.

D&R Greenway Land Trust’s exhibition “Land, Light, Spirit” features artwork that illuminates the connection between person and place, a bond with landscape that is both individual and spiritual: It might be a quality of light, a time of day or season — reasons extend through time, borne out through experience.

“SOMATIC PAUSE”: The Arts Council of Princeton adds to their public art presence in Princeton with a new mural on the corner of Spring and Witherspoon streets. Designed and installed by ACP’s current artist-in-residence Dave DiMarchi, it is a large-scale adaptation of DiMarchi’s exploration in collage-style printmaking, painting, and digital techniques.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) unveiled a new community mural recently in downtown Princeton titled Somatic Pause. Designed and installed by artist Dave DiMarchi, this immersive, multimedia public art piece can be found on the side of Village Silver on Spring Street.

On Sunday, December 4 from 9-11 a.m., children can paint a special cookie plate for Santa at Color Me Mine, located at the Princeton Shopping Center. Santa will make the rounds to help young painters, pose for pictures, and sing seasonal favorites. Registration is required at princeton.colormemine.com or call (609) 581-9500.

Array of Handcrafted Items and Art-Related Gifts Offered at Princeton University Art Museum Store

CREATIVE CHOICES: “We are set apart by the fact that we are the Princeton University Art Museum Store, and by our focus on regional artists and their handcrafted items. We are also a point of reference for information about the museum.” Allie P. Wolf, left, the store’s manager of wholesale and retail operations, is shown with staff members, from left, Hatice Cam, Michael T. Banks, Regina Massaro, and Stephanie Ronquillo.

By Jean Stratton

Discover art in all its beauty, diversity, and myriad forms at the Princeton University Art Museum Store.

This small shop at 56 Nassau Street is a treasure trove — a cornucopia of gifts. It offers the original creations of regional artists and artisans, as well as art-related gifts of all kinds.

Opened at its current site on Nassau Street and Palmer Square in 2019, it was previously located on campus in the Princeton University Art Museum. Now closed, the museum is being totally rebuilt, with plans to reopen in 2024.

“The focus of the store is on supporting regional artists, featuring their work in glass, ceramic, wood, metal, textiles, and jewelry,” explains Allie P. Wolf, the store’s buyer and manager of wholesale and retail operations. “In addition, we have Princeton University Museum-related items, including museum catalogs and books.”

METROPOLIS MAGIC: “We are always elevating our services for the benefit of our customers. They know they can count on us to offer quality services in a special environment,” says Theresa Carr, owner of Metropolis Salon Spa, who is looking forward to the Metropolis “Sip & Shop” holiday open house on Monday, December 5. Shown is the front area of the salon, and in the background the newly expanded retail section.

By Jean Stratton

Metropolis Spa Salon is a success story!

When so many businesses come and go these days, seemingly in a flash, Metropolis has a special story to tell. Opened in the Princeton Shopping Center in 1993, it has evolved from a small, fledging operation into a flourishing spa and salon, where clients can choose one service or have a total hair and body experience.

Fifty-two employees — including hairstylists, estheticians, massage therapists, and makeup artists — are on hand to ensure each client’s best look and complete satisfaction.

Owner Theresa Carr provides a thorough training program for all the staff as well as a continuing education program with workshops and seminars on the latest techniques and treatments.

“We have continuing training for our staff in all areas,” she points out.

MAKING A SPLASH: Princeton University men’s water polo player Roko Pozaric fires the ball last Saturday as Princeton hosted Fordham in an NCAA tournament opening round contest. Sophomore star Pozaric tallied the winning goal in the second overtime as Princeton prevailed 11-10. The Tigers, now 27-5, will face third-ranked Southern California (18-6) in the next round of the NCAA tournament on December 1 in Berkeley, Calif. The victor of that matchup will face UCLA in a semifinal contest on December 3 at Berkeley. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Roko Pozaric has scored a few big goals in his young water polo career, but his latest one came in a big moment on a huge stage.

The Princeton University men’s water polo sophomore star scored the game-winner to help the Tigers edge then-No. 3 Stanford 11-10 in a regular season contest on October 23. Pozaric had a big goal in his native Croatia’s junior national championships a year before he came to Princeton. And Saturday, he scored the game-winner with three seconds left in the second overtime to lift Princeton to an 11-10 win over Fordham in the NCAA tournament opener at DeNunzio Pool.

“This,” said Pozaric, “is definitely the most important game so far that I scored the deciding goal in.”

The victory sends Princeton up against third-ranked Southern California (18-6) in the next round of the NCAA tournament on December 1 at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, Calif. The Tigers are 27-5 and carry confidence into the matchup even though they will be underdogs to everyone outside of the program’s minds. The victor of that matchup will face UCLA in a semifinal contest on December 3 at the Spieker pool.

LAST SHOT AT GLORY: Princeton University wrestler Patrick Glory, top, controls a foe in a bout last season. Senior star Glory, who advanced to the NCAA final at 125 pounds last March, is primed to produce a big final campaign for the Tigers. Glory, who won the title at 125 in the Princeton Open earlier this month, is slated to be back on the mat this Sunday as the Tigers have duals against Michigan State and Wisconsin at the Prudential Center in Newark. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Patrick Glory was miserable as he took in the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships from his living room.

“Sitting and watching the NCAA tournament on the couch in the middle of the COVID in that 2021 year was really hard,” said Princeton University wrestling star Glory, who had competed in the 2019 NCAA Championships as freshman, taking sixth at 125 pounds.

“I had a lot of really long conversations with the coaches and just being like hey man, this is awful, this is really hard to watch. Your prime kind of going by and there is nothing really to do about it.”

AHEAD OF THE PACK: Princeton Day School girls’ cross country runner Emily McCann displays her form in a race this fall. Junior star McCann had a breakthrough season for PDS, placing first in both the XC Fall Classic at Thompson Park and the Jerry Hart Cross Country Invitational, third in the Mercer County Championships, fourth at the New Balance Shore Coaches Invitational, and 13th in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A group meet. She capped her stellar campaign by taking second in the Prep B state championship meet, pacing the PDS girls’ program to its first-ever Prep team title. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Emily McCann hit the road this summer as she looked to take things to a higher level this season for the Princeton Day School girls’ cross country team.

Junior McCann ramped up her weekly running mileage like never before in her preseason training.

“This summer, I put in a lot of miles,” said McCann, who also stars in ice hockey for the Panthers. “Last year I didn’t have a training plan. This summer, I had a specific training plan and basically I crossed off mileage every day and got up to 50 miles per week and an 11-mile long run, which was the longest. It wasn’t a lot of workouts, it was just building base mileage, and I think that’s really where I changed this year versus last.”

GETTING UP TO SPEED: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Ryan Vandal races up the ice in action last season. Senior forward Vandal figures to be a key offensive contributor for the Panthers this winter. PDS opens its 2022-23 campaign by playing at Bergen Catholic on December 8 and then hosting Christian Brothers Academy on December 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Joining the high-powered Gordon Conference last winter and making its debut in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public state tournament, the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team took its lumps.

PDS went 6-7-6 overall, falling 3-2 to St. John Vianney in the first round of the Non-Public state tourney to end the season on a down note.

As the Panthers have hit the ice to prepare for the 2022-23 campaign, they are showing a hunger to excel.

ON THE MARK: Hun School boys’ hockey player Mark Gall, right, goes after the puck in a game last season. Senior co-captain Gall has moved to defenseman this winter and has been a spark on the blue line for the Raiders. Hun, now 2-3, hosts Devon Prep (Pa.) on November 30 and the Haverford School (Pa.) on December 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Hun School boys’ hockey team headed into the Shady Side Academy (Pa.) Thanksgiving Classic last weekend, Ian McNally feared that his squad might not be up to speed.

“When people asked me in the fall, ‘how is the team going to be?’ I said I genuinely didn’t know. I am not sure, we will see,” said Hun head coach McNally. “There have been years where I know we are going to stink or we are going to be very good. This is one I wasn’t sure. I was a little worried about this week.”

DAN THE MAN: Hun School boys’ basketball player Dan Vessey goes up for a shot in game last season. Post-graduate guard Vessey figures to trigger the offense for Hun this winter in his final campaign with the program. The Raiders were slated to start the 2022-23 season by playing at St. Benedict’s on November 29 before hosting the Haverford School (Pa.) on December 1 and then competing in the Coaches vs. Cancer event at the Blair Academy on December 3 and 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although the Hun School boys’ basketball team has only been practicing for a few weeks, Jon Stone is already feeling good about his squad.

“It has been great, we are probably further along than we normally are on chemistry,” said Hun head coach Stone, who guided the Raiders to a 14-10 record last winter as it reached the semifinals of both the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and Prep A state tournaments. “It is just a good group of guys, it has been fun.”