Volume LXXVIII, Number 22
Agrarian Heritage of West Windsor and Plainsboro is Theme of Festival . . . . 5 Father Center Honors “Platinum Dads” at Annual Celebration . . . 7 PPS Appoints New Johnson Park Principal . . . . . . . . . . 10 Theater Intime, PUP Present Pippin for Reunions Weekend . . 13 Tiger Women’s Hoops Star Chen, Men’s Fencer Szapary Win PU’s Top Senior Sports Awards . . . . . . . . .21 Devlin Comes Through With Clutch Assist in OT As PHS Girls’ Lax Upsets Montgomery in State Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 23
As Bob Dylan Turns 83, A Memorial Day Celebration . . . . . . . . 12 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 29 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 11 New to Us. . . . . . . . . . 19 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 28 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 8 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 29 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6 Welcome Summer . . . 16
www.towntopics.com
Enthusiastic Swimmers Visit Community Pool Over Opening Weekend The official first day of summer isn’t until June 22. But in Princeton, the season unofficially begins each year on Memorial Day weekend with the opening of Community Park Pool. Despite some wet weather on Monday, opening weekend saw healthy crowds. “Saturday and Sunday were terrific,” said Evan Moorhead, the town’s director of recreation. “We had over 1,000 people each day. Memorial Day got off to a nice start, though the rain put a damper on things a little later.” Designed in the 1960s, the pool received a major $6 million overhaul just over a decade ago. Keeping it in top shape “is literally almost a year-round operation,” said Moorhead. “Between the upkeep and the maintenance, there is very little time when we’re not doing something.” It costs $387 for a family residing in Princeton to join the pool, and there are additional options for individuals. Non-residents can also purchase memberships for $678. “We have a healthy number of them,” said Moorhead, who added that rates compare favorably with those of private swim clubs and other public pools. We are always on the low end, if not the lowest, particularly for Princeton residents,” he said. “And with the wading pool and the diving well, we really have three pools in one.” Activities at the pool cover a broad range. The Blue Fish Swim and Dive Team usually attracts a few hundred participants aged 5-18. Competing in the Princeton Area Swim and Dive Association, the team is the largest in the organization and has won titles each year. A deep-water exercise class for adults and senior citizens, swim and dive lessons, and a parent/toddler swim program are among other offerings. Lessons for the public are always popular. They come with a fee, but are not limited to those who cannot pay. “One of the missions of our recreation commission is to make sure that any family that wants swim lessons for their child can have them regardless of financial means,” said Moorhead. “We provide a lot of financial aid. Swimming is such an important life skill. We want kids to learn when they’re young.” Continued on Page 8
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Wednesday, May 29, 2024
PU Graduates Advised to “Lean Into Life” Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber urged the 1,297 undergraduate degree recipients, 206 earning masters’ degrees, and 403 Ph.D, recipients to “lean into life after Princeton … with the same dazzling energy and imagination you showed while you were here,” as thousands of family members, friends, and guests seated in Princeton Stadium at Tuesday morning’s commencement ceremony cheered them on. As the berobed procession of graduates, professors, and other academic officials entered the stadium and took their seats on the stage and across the length of the field, the crowd was in a festive mood, the weather was sunny and breezy, and discord that had troubled the Princeton University campus during the past month was mostly not in evidence. Describing commencement addresses as ”a curious genre of public speaking,” as well as “a vexed genre” in the current polarized political climate, Eisgruber lamented the impossible demands of coming up with an original, profound, wise, and memorable speech. He proceeded to offer the graduates thanks and admiration for what they have done at Princeton and a wish for their lives in the future.
Eisgruber praised the graduates, most of whom had arrived at Princeton in the first year of the pandemic, with helping to revive the University “to restore and improve Princeton’s culture.” “We had to learn anew how to show up for one another and with one another,” he said. “We had to recall, or reinvent, the rituals that knit us together and the practices that enable us to cooperate effectively with one another.” He continued, “You came to Princeton,
and you breathed new life into our community. You leaned into academic projects and extracurricular ones. You reconstructed, refreshed, and revitalized a capella groups, athletic teams, dance troupes, musical ensembles, religious and spiritual groups, debating societies, scientific laboratories, co-ops, eating clubs, entrepreneurial networks, the undergraduate and graduate student governments, the Triangle Show, the Princeton University Band, and countless other organizations.” Continued on Page 8
Princeton Prepares for Pride Month Events: Flag-Raising, Picnic, Dance, and More
Launching its celebration of diversity, inclusion, and community, Princeton will be hosting a flag-raising, a Pride Picnic, and a Pride Dance Party this Friday on the eve of Pride Month. Following the annual Pride flag-raising at noon on May 31 at Monument Hall, the fourth annual Princeton Community Pride Picnic will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hinds Plaza on Witherspoon Street outside the Princeton Public Library (PPL). The picnic promises “a family-friendly event,” with “something for everyone,” and
“an array of entertainment and activities,” featuring performances by the Princeton School of Rock and drag performers Lady Celestina and Victoria Courtez, music with DJ Dana K of WPRB 103.3 FM, an interactive art project led by Liz Massa, giveaways, crafts, games, a Makers and Zine Alley, and more. If it rains, the picnic will move inside the library. Councilwoman Eve Niedergang emphasized the significance of the flagraising as the start of Pride Month. “It’s important to everyone in the governing body to stand for inclusion and equity, Continued on Page 7
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY P-RADE 2024: Point Marshals Rob Wolk ’91, left, and Bruce McBarnette ’80, center, were among the participants in the annual Reunions Weekend event on Saturday afternoon. Attendees share their favorite places to visit when they come back to town in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Steven Wojtowicz)