Volume LXXVIII, Number 15
Zoom Tour of Esherick’s Studio Highlights His Artistic Talents . . . . . . . 5 Princeton Named a “Healthy Town” for Second Straight Year . . 7 Hillier is Honoree at Arts Council’s “Art People Party” . . . . . . . 8 From Earthquake to Eclipse with Murakami And Kurosawa . . . . . 14 Ethan Luk’s Flight of a Legless Bird is Presented At McCarter . . . . . . . . 15 Sophomore Goalie Hughes Comes Up Big as PU Women’s Lax Defeats Penn, Columbia . . . . 23 After Taking its Lumps in 2023 with Young Lineup, PDS Baseball Hoping To Grow into Something Special . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Leah Bornstein Sparking the Midfield as PHS Girls’ Lax Produces 2-1 Start . . . 25 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 21 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 33 Luxury Living . . . . . . . . 2 Mailbox . . . . . . . . .11, 12 New to Us . . . . . . . . . . 22 Obituaries . . . . . . .31, 32 Performing Arts . . .16, 17 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 33 Save the Date . . . . .18, 19 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.towntopics.com
Nassau Swim Club Faces April 23 End; Resistance Continues With the April 23 lease termination date set and Princeton University having rejected a number of appeals, it is not clear what possibilities might remain for the future of the Nassau Swim Club (NSC) — but a sizable band of devoted, outspoken NSC supporters is not giving up hope. “It’s not over until it’s over,” reads the headline on the NSC website. “Princeton University said no, but we still have one week left.” The University responded on Monday, April 8 to a Town Topics inquiry as to whether there had been any reconsideration of the decision “in the light of further community support voiced for NSC, a popular online petition against the termination, and additional appeals for a delay and reconsideration of the termination.” “The University has had conversations with the Nassau Swim Club board members in recent weeks and appreciated the dialogue,” wrote University Director of Media Relations Jennifer Morrill. “As we have communicated to those board members, the University is moving forward with the process that was shared with the Club in October 2023.” The University notified the NSC by email on October 23, 2023 that the University would be exercising its right to terminate the 1970 lease agreement with NSC in six months. The email cited significant financial support that the University has had to provide to NSC over the years and ongoing financial challenges. Subsequent dialogue between the NSC board and the University has included the NSC’s request for a delay in the decision in order to give the club time to bolster its finances and “prove its solvency and long-term viability.” The board has done significant planning, budgeting, fundraising, and recruiting of members over the past six months, but there has been no apparent change in the University’s position. “NSC is ready to go,” reads an NSC board statement on their website. “The pool is on the path to having a successful season, if only it is allowed to open. Our intense efforts over the past couple of months show that our team has the dedication and resources to overcome NSC’s remaining challenges. Moreover, Continued on Page 10
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Princeton Declared a Book Sanctuary At its meeting Monday night, Princeton Council passed a resolution declaring the town a book sanctuary. The action takes a stance against the significant increase in the banning of books in libraries and schools in New Jersey and across the country. The governing body also passed an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of a 90-acre property near Herrontown Woods and the Autumn Hill Reservation, bordered by Montgomery Township, Herrontown Road, Herrontown Lane, and Mount Lucas Road. The ordinance preserves the property, which is the second largest tract of undeveloped land in the area, in perpetuity for passive open space. The unanimous vote to make Princeton a book sanctuary comes a few weeks after Princeton Public Library adopted a similar resolution designating the library a book sanctuary. Members of the library’s board and staff were on hand to encourage Council to vote for the resolution, which recognizes National Library Week and Right to Read Day. Also among the speakers was State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, who recently introduced legislation called the Freedom to Read Act. The legislation
supports and protects the rights of people in New Jersey to access materials in libraries and schools, and protects library staff from harassment. “The fact that we have to declare ourselves a book sanctuary still boggles my mind,” said Zwicker. “We are going to protect librarians. No librarian ever signed up for this. The bill is out there, and we’re building political momentum,” he added, urging people to reach out to their local legislators.
Councilwoman Eve Niedergang introduced the resolution. “The freedom to read is a fundamental American right, the First Amendment put into practice,” she said, adding that Hoboken was the first New Jersey municipality to take such a step. Last year, more than 4,000 unique book titles were challenged, a 92 percent increase in such actions over the year before. “We feel compelled to act,” Niedergang concluded. The resolution states “WHEREAS,
A national finalist in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition, Princeton High School’s (PHS) research team of about 15 students under the direction of science teacher Mark Eastburn is heading to Washington, D.C., on April 29 to present their project to a panel of judges. Three schools will be chosen, each of which will receive a $100,000 prize package. As one of the 10 finalists announced by Samsung on March 26 from among this year’s 50 state winners, the PHS team has already won a $50,000 prize package,
including Samsung technology and classroom supplies. In addition, the PHS research team is in competition for Samsung’s Community Choice Award of $10,000. PHS team supporters are asked to click on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website at samsung. com/us/solvefortomorrow, watch the PHS team’s video, and cast their vote. Anyone is allowed one vote per day through April 23. This is the PHS research team’s third year of competing in the Samsung
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PHS Looks to April 29 National STEM Finals; PPS Researchers Win Many Science Awards
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ECLIPSE EXCITEMENT: Hundreds gathered in Palmer Square on Monday afternoon for the Total Solar Eclipse Viewing Experience hosted by the Princeton University Astrophysical Sciences Department, the Council on Science and Technology, and the Office of Science Outreach. Attendees share what the eclipse means to them in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)