Volume LXXIX, Number 21
Local Couple Steps in to Purchase Home of Elaborate Model Railroad . . . . . . . . 5 Council Supports NJ Climate Superfund Act. . 7 Har Sinai Temple Closing its Doors After 168 Years. . . 11 Herman Melville, D.H. Lawrence, and the Etna Woman . . . . . . . 15 Princeton Pro Musica Closes Season with Musical Depiction of Historical Figure . . . . 16 PU Men’s Heavyweights Excel at Eastern Sprints, Now Aiming to be in Title Mix at IRA Regatta . . . . 25 Sparked by Donahue’s Versatility, Leadership, Hun Boys’ Lax Caps Late Surge with Prep Title. . . 28
Chad Palumbo Stars in A Losing Cause as PU Men’s Lax Falls in NCAA Quarters . . . . . . 24 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . 33 Mailbox. . . . . . . . . . . . 12 New To Us . . . . . . . . . . 23 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . 32 Performing Arts. . . . . . . . 17 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . . 11 Princeton University Reunions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Real Estate . . . . . . . . . 33 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Topics of the Town . . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Earning and Learning, Local Students Work in Youth Employment Program Forty-four Princeton teenagers are getting ready to embark on a host of summer jobs, from child care at Princeton Nursery School (PNS) to clerical and administrative positions at area community organizations to a variety of jobs with local government and nonprofits — all under the auspices of the Princeton Human Services Department’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The Human Services Department pairs these students, from age 14 to 18, with local organizations, Princeton University, and others, and the employers sign up to accept the youths for eight weeks, from July 7 to August 29. The employers provide their young recruits with work experience, and coach them through the process, ensuring that they understand and meet all work expectations, explained Human Services Director Rhodalynn Jones. “The program has been tremendously successful,” she said, with 70 applications received and a record number of students hired this year. “The Summer Youth Employment Program is a powerful example of what happens when a community invests in its young people,” said Jones. “Local employers open their doors, and in doing so, help shape the next generation of workers and leaders. It’s a win for our youth and a win for Princeton.” PNS Executive Director Leanna Jahnke emphasized the value of this program to the student participants and to the organizations where they work. “For us at Princeton Nursery School, SYEP is often a full-circle moment, as several of our SYEP high school employees are former Princeton Nursery School alumni,” she wrote in an email. “SYEP is an opportunity to uplift our alumni and local PHS students by giving real resume-building work experience in addition to mentorship from our teachers and staff.” She continued, “As a year-round program, it is a win-win experience. Our SYEP interns support the summer experience for students by Continued on Page 8
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Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Rail Service Resumes as NJ Transit Strike Ceases As of Tuesday morning, May 20, the three-day strike by NJ Transit engineers had been settled, restoring service to commuters and travelers from Princeton Junction and elsewhere into New York City’s Penn Station. But the agreement reached Sunday between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and NJ Transit is labeled “tentative.” Terms will be sent to the union’s 450 members for their consideration, according to BLET. Contract language and dollar figures are to be announced to the public after the members have a chance to review. The agreement also requires a vote by the NJ Transit Board at their next regularly scheduled meeting, which is June 11. “While I won’t get into the exact details of the deal reached, I will say that the only real issue was wages and we were able to reach an agreement that boosts hourly pay beyond the proposal rejected by our members last month and beyond where we were when NJ Transit’s manager walked away from the table Thursday evening,” said Tom Haas, BLET’s general chairman at NJ Transit, in a statement on
BLET’s website. “We were also able to show management ways to boost engineers’ wages that will help NJT with retention and recruitment, without causing any significant budget issue or requiring a fare increase.” Since train service has been restored, the supplemental bus service that was operating from Hamilton train station and other locations has been discontinued. The Northeast Corridor line that serves Princeton Junction runs between Trenton
and New York City. NJ Transit is the nation’s third largest commuter railroad. The strike was the first in more than four decades. Seeking higher wages, the membership of BLET had recently voted down a tentative agreement reached between NJ Transit and the union’s leadership. The two sides met with federal mediators from the National Mediation Board on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, before reaching a deal on Sunday night. Continued on Page 10
Three Veteran NJ Journalists Reflect on The Decline of Traditional News Media
The times have changed. The internet has usurped the dominance of traditional “legacy” media. The public’s trust in media has declined. The current administration has been attacking the press, targeting reporters, co-opting and suing major news organizations, distorting daily press briefings, threatening PBS and NPR. But “our mission hasn’t changed,” said John Mooney, founding editor of NJ Spotlight News, who was one of three veteran
journalists leading a May 19 forum on the erosion of traditional media, hosted by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO). “The way we do our jobs, the way we get information, report on a story, write the story including both sides of the story — all of those basic tools — haven’t changed at all,” said Nancy Solomon, senior reporter for WNYC and founding managing editor of New Jersey Public Radio. Continued on Page 9
THE WAY IT WAS: Visitors enjoyed an array of activities at the Corn Planting and Gardening event at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township on Saturday. Attendees share what they learned in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)