Volume LXXVII, Number 24
Composer Reworks I Am Harvey Milk for Princeton Festival Performances . . 5 Romus Broadway Is Inspiration for Photography Camp . . . 10 Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Mercer County Seeks Youth Mentors . . . . 11 GPYO Shows Off Its Ensembles in Season Finale . . . . 15 Former PU Football Star Iosivas Looking to Earn Spot with Cincinnati Bengals . . . . . . . . . 21 PHS Boys’ Track Star Della Rocca Makes Meet of Champions in 100, 200 . . . . . . . . . 23
Streaming Picasso (1881-1973) 50 Years After His Death . . . 14 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 20 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 28 Luxury Living . . . . . . 2, 3 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 27 Performing Arts . . . . . 18 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 28 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Four Possible Plans For Community Park Unveiled to Public Four possible concept plans for improvements to Community Park South, the area bordered by Route 206 and Birch Avenue, were presented at a public engagement meeting last Thursday, June 8, at the municipal building. The meeting was the second public event to be held on the master plan for the park. Citizen feedback about the design proposals is encouraged, through a survey, in English and Spanish, available through June 19 at 9 a.m. on the website princeton.civilspace.io/en/projects/ community-park-south-master-plan. Originally, three options were planned for the park. But a fourth was added after consultants gathered input from the public, a steering committee, and municipal staff over the last few months. A survey that was posted following the first public engagement meeting in March received more than 450 responses, according to representatives of Suburban Consulting Engineers (SCE). Some of the things people wanted to see improved were the walking path, the multi-purpose athletic field, tennis courts, picnic pavilion, and platform tennis. New features requested included rest rooms, benches, sports lighting, and outdoor fitness facilities. “The challenge was to take all of the feedback and collaborate with [departments of] recreation and engineering,” said SCE’s Joseph Perello. “The good news is that, out of all four plans, all the main items asked for can fit on the site. We can accommodate all the items that were requested, and the appropriate spaces behind them.” Each of the proposals includes the perimeter walking path, open space, athletic fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, a hitting wall, platform tennis, rest room buildings, additional picnic areas, a family zone (playground), fenced dog parks, and an exercise area. All have accessibility and detailed landscape plans with native plant materials, and green infrastructure such as rain gardens or water infiltration. The first option retains a lot of what already exists at the site. The perimeter path would be widened, and the parking lot would remain where it is. The existing, fenced dog parks would be slightly smaller “but still accommodate a number of dogs,” Perello said. Continued on Page 11
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Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Council Approves 2023 Capital Budget Some much-needed infrastructure improvements are included in Princeton’s 2023 capital budget, which Princeton Council voted to approve at a meeting on Monday night, June 12. Previously deferred projects funded by the budget include the replacement of eight sanitary sewer pumps, improvements to the sewer system’s pipes, six storm sewer culvert replacements, open space improvements, streetscape projects, and safety and traffic calming projects. Chief Finance Officer Sandy Webb told Council that an initial request of $47 million, “a huge number,” was reduced to about $35 million following extensive meetings with various municipal departments. The restructuring of some departments included the consolidation of engineering and infrastructure operations. The normal capital budget is around $20 million. Councilmembers praised the municipal staff, particularly Webb, for their work on managing the budget. Council President Mia Sacks, who chairs the Infrastructure and Operations Committee, said the consolidation of the two departments was “a critical step to more effectively channel the efforts of our highly
skilled workforce in addressing the backlog of infrastructure improvements.” Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros said the budget addresses decades of deferred maintenance. “At the same time, we are acknowledging the impact of climate change on our town,” she said. “And we’re really taking action to counter it. These are all critical investments we need to do now. We can’t kick the can down the road any longer. So I’m really grateful to this team for being able to
move this forward. It’s tremendous, and it’s historic.” A statement detailing the infrastructure improvements provided some specifics. Many of the sanitary sewer pumps to be replaced are in flood-prone areas and have exceeded their useful life. The replacements will reduce disruptions during extreme weather events. The six storm sewer culvert replacements address increasing rainfall and runoff, helping to reduce over-topping and property damage. Continued on Page 11
Area Air Quality Improves, But Residents Should Be Aware as Fire Season Continues
Last week’s poor air quality because of billowing and blowing smoke from wildfires in Canada hit Central New Jersey and Princeton hard. And it may not be the last time, as weather experts say a warm and dry season can cause more fires. But for now, there is good news: the air quality has improved and Monday’s soaking rain has lowered the danger of area brush fires. On Tuesday, Jeffrey Grosser, Princeton’s deputy administrator for health and community services, said, “Mercer County/ Princeton is back into good/green
air quality based upon the Air Quality Index (AQI).” Grosser suggested that “residents should continue to monitor wildfires in our area due to the abnormally dry season we are having.” The weekend saw assorted fires, now controlled or out, in parts of New Jersey such as Browns Mills, Evesham Township, and Lakehurst. Princeton’s Director of Emergency and Safety Services Michael Yeh said that because of rain this week, the area is in a better position than it was previously, when the New Jersey Forest Fire Service Continued on Page 8
STITCHING TOGETHER: Knitting and crochet enthusiasts gathered at the Princeton Shopping Center on Saturday afternoon to celebrate Worldwide Knit in Public Day. The event was presented by the Princeton Public Library in partnership with Princeton Makes. Participants discuss their projects in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)
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