Volume LXXVIII, Number 14
Celebrations to Mark Paul Robeson’s 126th Birthday . . . . . . . . . . 5 American Cancer Society Program Partners PU Students with Medical Center . . . . . . 8 Theater Intime Presents Yaga . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 PU Softball Sweeps Penn, Moves Into Tie Atop Ivy League Standings . . . 29 Powered By OneTwo Scoring Punch of Kenah, Beatty, PHS Boys’ Lax Primed for Big Season . . . . . . 31
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Gershkovich Marks Year Since Arrest, Detention In Bleak Russian Prison
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Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Watershed Institute Celebrates a Milestone The year 2024 marks a momentous anniversary for The Watershed Institute. Founded 75 years ago as the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, the Pennington-based nonprofit has been fighting to preserve the environment since long before the cause became so universally embraced. The year-long birthday celebration is ongoing. The seventh annual Watershed Conference, held at The College of New Jersey on February 23, drew state leaders and environmentalists concerned about the issue of catastrophic flooding. On April 12, author and Princeton University graduate Leila Philip will appear at the Institute to discuss her bestseller Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America. And at the organization’s annual meeting on May 13, Tim Palmer will talk about his book Seek Higher Ground: The Natural Solution to Our Urgent Flooding Crisis. “It’s very humbling to have played a role in an organization that has been around for 75 years,” said Executive Director Jim Waltman. “I’m the 11th executive director. And 360 men and women have served on our board. There have been some real highs, and some tough
times. We couldn’t be more grateful to the people who have supported us over the years. They were visionaries.” In preparation for the anniversary year, Waltman read through a lot of meticulously typed meeting minutes, notes, and correspondence in the archives. The organization had been active for almost 25 years before the Clean Water Act was established in 1972. “To imagine a band of mostly volunteers, trying to protect and restore the
environment without the architecture of federal legislation, is pretty amazing,” he said. “When they started out, the concern was that this area was mostly farmland. And most of the farms were experiencing a lot of erosion and sedimentation of the streams. A lot of that landed up in Lake Carnegie. They set out before there was any kind of technology, and estimated there were around 450 individuals and other entities that owned at least five acres of land in the Stonybrook
Friday, March 29, marked a full year since Evan Gershkovich, a 2010 Princeton High School graduate, was detained in Russia while on assignment as a fully accredited reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He was accused of espionage and has been imprisoned at the highsecurity Lefortovo prison in Moscow. The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Continued on Page 12 government, and Gershkovich himself have forcefully denied the charges. On March 26 his detention was extended for three more months. HIs trial date has not been set. Spring has arrived in Princeton, and a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, with President Joe Biden has repeatedly Sustainable Princeton wants the commu- live music, historic garden tours, lots of asserted his commitment to seeking a renity to know that it’s time for a Backyard food, fun activities and games hosted lease or a prisoner exchange for GershChicken Chat, where you can learn how to by the Princeton Public Schools, more kovich, and the Biden administration has raise your very own flock; Foraged Flower chickens, yoga, flowers, and chances to announced that “intensive efforts” are unArt, where you can gather your materials win prizes. derway on Gershkovich’s behalf. and create your own pressed art; Jardin On their sustainableprinceton. “Journalism is not a crime, and Evan de Lluvia 101, a workshop in Spanish for org website, the organization describes went to Russia to do his job as a reportlandscapers; a Gathering for the Bike- EcoExperiences as “unique sustainablyer — risking his safety to shine the light Curious; and much more. themed events with all proceeds from tickof truth on Russia’s brutal aggression These multiple EcoExperiences lead up et purchases going directly to support our against Ukraine,” Biden stated on Friday. (underGreen 4.5’) Fair mission of reducing greenhouse gases, to an Earth Day Community Gershkovich, 32, is the first Ameriat Morven Museum and Garden from 11 Continued on Page 13 can to be imprisoned on espionage charges in Russia since 1986 during the Cold War. The New York Times reported on Friday that in prison Gershkovich has been playing a “slow-running” game of chess by mail with his father, works through book recommendations from his friends, exercises, meditates, reads, writes letters, and keeps track of people’s birthdays and other events. HIs father described the prison cell as “a very small, very isolated place with a small window and very little time outside,” according to the Times. A group of Gershkovich’s friends have set up a website for him at freegershkovich.com, where supporters can send him an email, which will be translated into Russian in accordance with Russian law, or donate to a GoFundMe to help his parents. The Wall Street Journal on Friday printed a wraparound front page with the banner headline: “His Story Should Be Here,” followed by the subhead: “A 415 Nassau Park Blvd. 1378 Route 206 year in Russian prison. A year of stolen stories, stolen joys, stolen NJ memories. The Princeton, 08540 Skillman, NJ 08558 crime: journalism.” —all above a huge FARM FUN: Children enjoy riding trikes at Terhune Orchards’ Bunny Trail Spring Festival on Sunday. The play area (near Sam’s Club) (behind Wells Fargo Bank) blank space covering most ofCan the front You Can Eat Sushi All You Eat Sushi was one of many attractions at All the annual event celebrating spring. Attendees share what they like best about page. spring in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Sarah Teo)
Sustainable Princeton Welcomes Spring With Full Plate of Events, EcoExperiences
All You Can Eat Sushi
Lunch $23.95 • Dinner $28.95• Kids Dinner $15.95 Celebrating Marlon Brando At 100, Seen Here in One-Eyed Jacks . . . . . 17 Art . . . . . . . . . . . .23, 24 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 25 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 36 Education and Recreation . . . . . . .20, 21 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 15 New to Us . . . . . . . . . . 26 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 35 Performing Arts . . .19, 22 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 6 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 36 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
Tel: (609) 520-8883
masa8restaurant.com Lunch $23.95 • Dinner $28.95• Kids Dinner $15.95 Continued on Page 14
(under 4.5’)
Tel: (609) 683-2222 morisushinj.com
Lunch $23.95 • Dinner $28.95• Kids Dinner $15.95 (under 4.5’)
Tel: (609) 520-8883
Tel: (609) 683-2222
Tel: (609) 520-8883
Tel: (609) 683-2222
415 Nassau Park Blvd. Princeton, NJ 08540 (near Sam’s Club)
1378 Route 206 Skillman, NJ 08558 (behind Wells Fargo Bank)
415 Nassau Park Blvd. Princeton, NJ 08540 (near Sam’s Club)
1378 Route 206 Skillman, NJ 08558 (behind Wells Fargo Bank)
masa8restaurant.com
All You Can Eat Sushi
Lunch $23.95 • Dinner $28.95• Kidsmasa8restaurant.com Dinner $15.95 morisushinj.com (under 4.5’)
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