Volume LXXVII, Number 3
Princeton Battlefield Society Event Attracts Many Participants . . . . 5 Heat Pumps Might Be Options For Energy, Air Quality, Health Benefits . . . . . . . . . . 10 Bob Dylan in the Land of Where or When . . . . . 12 PSO Presents Acclaimed Metropolitan Opera Soprano . . . . . . . . . . 13 Freshman St. Rose Comes Up Big to Help PU Women’s Hoops Top Penn . . . . . 20 Silverstein Stars as PHS Boys’ Hockey Gets Back On Winning Track . . . . . . 23
All in a Day’s Work With Luigi Prete of Luigi’s Shoe Repair . . . 8 Art . . . . . . . . . . . .15, 18 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 29 Education & Recreation . . . . . . . 2-3 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 28 Performing Arts . . . . . 14 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 29 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6 Winter Wellness . . . . . 2-3
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Plans for Expansion Of Airport Terminal Proceeding on Schedule To those who use Trenton-Mercer Airport for business or leisure travel, the announcement last spring of a planned expansion and modernization was welcome news. The Ewing Township airport’s 28,000-square-foot terminal, built in the 1970s, is to be replaced with a new 125,000-square-foot terminal built next to the existing facility, with gates to accommodate four aircrafts. A 1,000-space parking garage is also part of the plan. Design of the project is targeted for completion late this year or early in 2024. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave Mercer County the go-ahead in March to proceed with phase 2 of the new terminal’s design. There is continued opposition to the plan by a group called Trenton Threatened Skies, citing noise, traffic, and threats to the environment including chemical contamination flowing into the Delaware River. The FAA’s “Finding of No Significant Impacts and Record of Decision” for the Environmental Assessment says the expansion does not have the potential for significant environmental impacts. Trenton Threatened Skies has challenged that assessment, filing a legal petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Trenton-Mercer Airport was officially opened in 1929, with aviation pioneers Amelia Earhart and James Doolittle in attendance at the ceremony. Currently served by Frontier Airlines, the airport has been used by commercial airlines as well as the aviation departments of several Fortune 100 companies as well as the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, the New Jersey Army National Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, and the Mercer County Community College Flight School, according to information from the county. “Since at least 2015, Mercer County has been looking to design and build a new passenger terminal that would meet our current and future needs,” said County Executive Brian Hughes when the FAA’s approval was announced. “We want to ensure that our airport takes advantage of future opportunities and the economic impact that could result, confident that the return on investment would be very positive.” Continued on Page 10
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Wednesday, January 18, 2023
New Trash Carts to Be Delivered Soon With new 64-gallon carts scheduled to be delivered to Princeton residents over the next few weeks in preparation for the town’s revamped trash collection program, homeowners have the choice of tossing their old containers or holding on to them for other uses. Sustainability advocates and municipal staff are hoping people opt for the latter. Turning the old carts into composters, rain barrels, or containers to store leaves for compost are a few of the suggestions on offer. “We know this is not going to work for every person. But we want to extend the useful life of whatever bins or carts people have,” said Christine Symington, executive director of Sustainable Princeton. “Part of the waste reduction hierarchy is that you want to reuse things. Our team, in coordination with [municipal engineer] Deanna Stockton, has come up with a bunch of different ideas.” The goal was to find creative options that are not overly complicated. “There are several things you can do,” said Symington. “And we’re planning on holding some workshops in the spring, and perhaps later in the year, where folks can bring their old containers in
and we can help facilitate turning them into other uses.” The new trash collection system is scheduled to begin February 1. Bulk waste will no longer be collected with regular trash after that date. Pickup of bulk items will be on Wednesdays, by reservation (email wasteinfo@princeotnnj.gov). Collection of organics is still being explored. The new carts, which save labor by the use of robotic arms, are being assembled
on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary, and will be delivered to residents by the hauler. Each cart is equipped with a chip linking it to a specific address. Residents who feel they need more than one cart can order one, which may require a fee. Those who want a smaller receptacle can request a 32-gallon model, and swaps will be done in March. In addition to the suggestions for converting old carts into composters, rain barrels, and storage containers for leaves, Continued on Page 10
Paul Robeson Tomato is Basis for A Multifaceted Princeton Project
The Paul Robeson Tomato, named after the Princeton-born African American singer, actor, and activist, is an heirloom tomato of the beefsteak variety known for its versatility and its rich, tangy, smoky flavor. If you’re not familiar with the Robeson Tomato, you will be soon if Joy BarnesJohnson, Princeton Public Schools science supervisor and Paul Robeson House of Princeton board member, has anything to say about it.
Barnes-Johnson is leading The Paul Robeson House of Princeton Robeson Freedom Garden Campaign, “a wonderful way for us as a community to honor Robeson, whom we are calling Princeton’s native son,” she said. Robeson, whose birth house on Witherspoon Street is currently under renovation, would have been 125 years old in April 2023. “The Paul Robeson House of Princeton is going to be distributing tomato seeds to students in schools Continued on Page 9
A DAY OF SERVICE IN NATURE: Friends of Princeton Open Space hosted volunteers at the Mountain Lakes Preserve on Monday for nature projects, including removing invasive species, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Participants share why they chose the event as their MLK Day of Service project in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
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