HAMMING IT UP: Greg Mauro, president of the Delaware Valley Radio Association, examines a newly built antenna at the club’s radio station in West Trenton, where he and other ham radio operators will gather this weekend for the annual national Field Day of the ARRL (American Radio Relay League), making contact with operators from all over the world over 24 hours.

By Anne Levin

Before social media, there was ham radio. As far back as the late 19th century, amateur radio operators from different parts of the world were chatting with each other — by voice. In more recent years, they have built their own networks with radio technology.

This weekend, some 40,000 “hams” from all over the U.S. will test their skills at the annual AARL (American Radio Relay League) Field Day. Among them are the Delaware Valley Radio Association, which is based in West Trenton and counts several Princeton residents among its 120-member ranks.

From 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 to 12 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at their clubhouse adjacent to Trenton-Mercer Airport, these amateur radio operators will be setting up portable radio stations on emergency power, and trying to have as many conversations as possible with others around the country. The public is invited.

“We encourage the public to come and take part,” said Greg Mauro, an electrical engineer who serves as president of the club. “It’s a great hobby. We’re hoping to attract more young people, and all are welcome.”

Field Day dates from 1933. The annual gathering has become one of amateur radio’s most popular organizational events. Participants cart their gear outside to see how well they can communicate with each other in the elements, and in less-than-ideal conditions. more

By Anne Levin

Jazz is the focus this weekend at McCarter Theatre, where Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap perform on Friday, June 24, and the Tyshawn Sorey Sextet is on stage Saturday, June 25. Both concerts, which wrap up the “Jazz in June” series, are at 8 p.m.

Bill Lockwood

The weekend also marks a major transition at McCarter. The jazz series is the final one planned by longtime Special Programming Director William W. (Bill) Lockwood, who is retiring after nearly 60 years at the theater. Last week, McCarter announced Paula Abreu as his replacement. Lockwood, who programmed classical music, dance, spoken word, and other events as well as jazz, will continue as a consultant. Abreu starts in the fall.

“It is reassuring to know that the performers who consider McCarter home will be in expert hands with Paula Abreu — she is an inspired choice,” Lockwood said in a press release. “It is wonderful to think about the new talent and energy she will bring to our stages, cultivating the next generation of artists and audiences.”

Abreu, who is originally from Rio de Janeiro, has been curating live events in New York for the past decade. She has worked with such institutions as Lincoln Center, Red Hot Organization, and the SummerStage and Charlie Parker jazz festivals. “Among her most proud achievements are presenting the late Brazilian samba legend Elza Soares following a 30-year U.S. performance hiatus; curating a community concert with the French Chilean rapper/activist Ana Tijoux; a debut collaboration between Afrobeat icon Seun Kuti and jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers; and the birth of her daughter Julia, who joined the Abreu family in 2020,” reads the McCarter release.

Paula Abreu

“I’m thrilled to add my voice to McCarter, to be a part of an organization that has had an incontestable impact on the cultural fabric of New Jersey, and that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to equal opportunity in the arts,” she said. “I am looking forward to getting to know the surrounding communities, and to exploring collaborative opportunities with the Princeton University campus, area universities, and beyond. After 12 years in New York City’s presenting arts field, I’m thrilled to build upon McCarter’s incredible legacy and forge new connections regionally, nationally, and globally.”  more

By Anne Levin

Rider University’s announcement last week that 25 academic programs will be eliminated or “archived,” and an undisclosed number of faculty members will be laid off — an effort to address its $20 million deficit — is the latest blow for Westminster Choir College, which has been affiliated with Rider since 1992.

Among the undergraduate programs on the list are Theory/Composition, Organ Performance, and Sacred Music; graduate programs include American and Public Musicology, Piano Pedagogy and Performance, Piano Performance, and Organ Performance. “All that remains of WCC is really Voice Performance and Music Education,” wrote one alumnus on Facebook. “Rider really destroyed our school.”

Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo emailed the university community June 7 the plan, which affects 25 academic programs. Along with the courses at Westminster, which was moved from its longtime Princeton campus to Rider’s Lawrence Township location in 2020, the list includes undergraduate majors in Economics, Global Studies, and Health Care Policy. Graduate programs include Homeland Security and Business Communication. The email also said Rider will be increasing its investment in seven programs in an effort to help them grow. All current students whose programs are being eliminated or archived “will have a path toward graduation,” the email said.

The cost savings will ease the deficit and position Rider so it can “begin to consistently generate annual net revenue reserves that can be invested back into the university’s future,” Dell’Omo said.

Members of Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) were quick to condemn the administration’s announcement, issuing a statement saying the mention of layoffs violates the existing labor contract, and the unilateral restructuring “violates Rider’s system of shared governance and replaces it with top-down decision making.” The AAUP renewed its call to remove Dell’Omo “for his financial mismanagement of the university.” more

By Anne Levin

Impressed with a suggested compromise crafted by residents of the neighborhood where the Hun School is requesting a rezoning of two sites, Princeton Council on Monday night voted to approve an ordinance allowing for the change.

“I want to acknowledge both Hun and the neighborhood, who saw the benefit of we, we, we versus me, me, me,” said Councilman Leighton Newlin. “It’s an attitude we could use more of in Princeton.” Other members of the governing body agreed with him.

Earlier this month, the town’s Planning Board endorsed the request, which would rezone the school’s Mall and the Mason House lot from R-2 (residential) to E-4 (educational). The request was originally endorsed by the Planning Board last year, and referred to Council. But a tie vote defeated the ordinance at that time. It was brought back last month.

The Mall is an open green space. The Mason House, formerly the headmaster’s home, was most recently used for academic support in order to increase space for the campus infirmary during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rezoning allows a greater floor area ratio (FAR), giving the school more space to meet local regulations for additions or improvements. Hun wants to build a visual arts center on the lot.

Over the past few years, residents of the Edgerstoune neighborhood had expressed concerns about traffic, noise, and future building projects on the campus should the rezoning be approved.

The recently created compromise requires that the school replace the Mason House with its new building on as much of the original footprint as possible, as close to the corner of Edgerstoune and Winant roads as zoning regulations allow. In exchange, the neighbors will not oppose a slightly larger structure on the lot, raising the maximum square footage from 9,000 to 10,000 square feet. Also, the school will agree to a deed restriction guaranteeing that nothing further be built on the lot, and that the remainder be preserved as open green space. more

SUMMER MUSIC: Maestro Rossen Milanov and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra acknowledged the applause after a recent performance at the Princeton Festival.

By Anne Levin

The Princeton Festival’s ambitious 2022 season, most of which is taking place under a 10,000-square-foot  tent on the grounds of Morven, is midway through its run of classical music, jazz, opera, and more. So far, so good, said Marc Uys, the executive director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO), which merged with the Princeton Festival earlier this year.

“It was a lot of work to get ready, and we did it with minutes to spare on opening night,” Uys said this week. “We had perfect weather and an extraordinary performance by Storm Large. It was so amazing to see so many happy faces, and that has been the pattern since then. The atmosphere is incredibly relaxed, which is exactly what we wanted.”

In previous years, the festival presented events at multiple venues throughout town. Consolidating most of the performances in the tent, under one “roof,” (a few Baroque concerts are across the road at Trinity Episcopal Church) is a good thing, said Uys. But the variety of offerings means the seating configurations have to be frequently changed. Opera needs one setup, chamber music needs another. The PSO, cabaret, and jazz nights require still other settings.

“It’s a lot, but we have a terrific team of ushers and crew,” said Uys. “We have hired them for the season, from all over. A number of them are members of the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey (YOCJ), and they will be on stage for the final concert.” more