Volume LXXIX, Number 10
Pages 17-23 Princeton Nursery School Celebrates 96 Years . . . 5 Microforest at Quarry Park Will Aid Town’s Biodiversity . . . . 8 Lives of Enslaved at Morven Featured in Updated Exhibit . . . . . 11 Between the Oscars and Bryn Mawr: Casting a Book Sale Treasure . . 13 PU Presents Annual Competition Winners Concert . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Theatre Intime, PU Players Stage Carrie . . . . . . . 15 Winters Stars as PHS Girls’ Hoops Wins State Opener, Postseason Run Ends With Loss to Franklin in Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . 29 With Senior Captain Bruno Sparking Defense, PDS Girls’ Hockey Rolls Into State Semifinals . . 31
Haven Dora Matches Assist Record as PU Women’s Lax Tops Hofstra . . . . . . . . 27 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 25
Local Officials Seek Increased Participation Of Princeton Voters Voter turnout in Princeton was lower than many expected in the 2024 November election, and most New Jerseyans would agree that more people should participate in the democratic process by casting their ballots, but why numbers are down and what to do about it is a subject of widespread disagreement. The question of voter turnout becomes particularly important in the context of New Jersey’s current campaign for a new governor, with 10 confirmed candidates, endorsements flowing in, primaries in June, and the General Election in November. Mercer County Democratic Committee Chair Janice Mironov, who is also the mayor of East Windsor, declined to single out any particular town or county, but cited a number of factors that diminished participation in the 2024 election. “Voter turnout does appear to have been down in many towns in Mercer County, and seemingly even more so in other counties across the state,” she said. “This was a complicated election year for many folks, and there were a variety of economic, national, and international matters on their minds and impacting their vote or non-vote, as the case may be.“ Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee (PDMC) Chair Felicia Spitz pointed out that Princeton has more registered voters now than it had at the time of the 2016 election (22,407 v. 20,216), but that more ballots were cast in 2016 (13,189 v. 12,920). Princeton’s voter turnout percentage in 2024 was 57.66 percent, second lowest among 12 Mercer County municipalities. Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 37 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 34 Obituaries . . . . . . . 35, 36 Performing Arts . . . . . . . .16 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 37 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Bird Flu Outbreak Prompts Health Department Guidance Avian influenza, better known as bird flu, has shown up in Princeton. The positive test of a deceased bald eagle, found near Prospect Avenue and Lake Carnegie in December 2024, was announced by the municipality on February 28. According to the press release issued that day, there are no known exposures to humans or pets in Princeton. But the situation is being monitored. “The Princeton Health Department is urging residents and poultry owners to take precautions following a recent outbreak of H5N1, or avian influenza,” reads the release. “H5N1 is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among birds through nasal and eye secretions, and manure. The New Jersey Department of Health continues to respond to the ongoing outbreak of the virus across the state.” New Jersey cases reported in recent weeks include a feral cat in an unspecified location in Hunterdon County, Canada geese in Burlington and Monmouth counties, and dead geese found at the millpond and surrounding parks in Allentown borough. The parks are closed until further notice. The bald eagle in Princeton had been
submitted for testing and was later identified as a presumptive positive case by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The eagle is undergoing confirmatory testing at a federal infectious disease surveillance laboratory. Ducks, chickens, and turkey are the species most frequently affected by avian influenza, along with some wild birds such as geese, shorebirds, ducks, and raptors. Dogs and cats who encounter the affected birds can also be susceptible.
While the transmission risk to humans is relatively low, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there have been several recent human cases among U.S dairy and poultry workers. The total number of confirmed cases in humans is 70. The Princeton Health Department is asking residents to report deaths of wild or domestic birds, especially large groups of them, to the NJDEP hotline at (877) 927-6337. Continued on Page 7
Social Activist Tommy Parker to Be Honored by Princeton Council In an effort led by Princeton Councilman Leighton Newlin, the governing body is planning to pay tribute to Thomas Alfred “Tommy” Parker with a proclamation at its meeting on March 10. Also planned in honor of the longtime Princeton resident is the declaration of March 19 — Parker’s 73rd birthday — as Tommy Parker Day. Known for his work on civil rights, his management and mentoring of Princeton’s American Legion Post 218 baseball team, his leadership of the Princeton Democratic Municipal Committee and
the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, and his years as president of Princeton’s Service Employees International Union Local 175 while employed by Princeton University, among other distinctions, Parker has been devoted to community service throughout his life. In recent years, Parker has suffered two strokes and the loss of his oldest son, Tuumaa. He lives on Leigh Avenue, in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood where he grew up, with his wife, Joanne. Continued on Page 7
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Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 26
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Daylight Saving Time starts this Sunday at 2 a.m. Turn clocks ahead one hour.
LOOKING SHARP: The Princeton Barber Shop was busy last Thursday as several customers stopped in for a haircut on a rainy day. (Photo by Thomas Hedges)
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