Volume LXXVII, Number 28
Appellate Court Decision Renews Possibility of Westminster Returning to Princeton . . . . . . . . . . 5 PU Grad Student Elizabeth Tsurkov Kidnapped in Iraq . . . . 8 Architect of PU Art Museum Won’t Be Removed From Project . . . . . . . . .9 Princeton Summer Theater Presents Ghost Quartet . . . . . 15 Former PU Men’s Soccer Star Pinto Making Impact For FC Cincinnati . . . 20 PHS Sprinter Della Rocca, PDS Girls’ Lax Star Caputo Get the Nod as Top Spring Performers . . . . 22-23
Reading John McPhee’s New Book on Thoreau’s Birthday . . 13 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 28 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 12 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 19 Obituaries . . . . . . . 26-27 Performing Arts . . . . . 16 Real Estate. . . . . . . . . 28 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Luxury Living . . . . . . . . 2 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Rules for Outdoor Dining Discussed at Meeting Of Princeton Council A work session on a proposed ordinance for outdoor dining dominated a meeting of Princeton Council Monday night, July 10. While no action was taken on how to regulate the tables and chairs, pedestrian passageways, licensing, and other aspects of the practice, which became especially popular on Witherspoon Street during the pandemic, Mayor Mark Freda and Council members heard a report from Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell, and offered suggestions on how to proceed. “We have a need in the business community to expand the dining footprint, increase foot traffic, and create a vibrant streetscape and lively sidewalk space,” Purcell said. “The challenges are that one size does not fit all. We have wide sidewalks and narrow sidewalks. Pedestrians, motorists, and the businesses themselves all have different needs.” The town’s current ordinance is labeled “sidewalk café,” and requires that a pedestrian passageway be at least six feet wide, a measurement that all agreed is too narrow. The current ordinance provides for an annual license allowing restaurants to offer outdoor services from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., one row of tables and chairs no wider than six feet, commercial grade wood or metal furniture, litter control, and sidewalk washing “as required.” “We’re proposing some changes to these,” said Purcell. “We have a mix of uses on the street that pedestrians can’t always find their way around. We want to make it much more uniform and easy to handle.” Councilman Leighton Newlin commented that when crafting the ordinance, staff should keep in mind that not all businesses in the downtown are related to food. Councilman David Cohen said the ordinance should be labeled “outdoor commerce” instead of “outdoor dining.” The meeting also included a report by Purcell on repairs that are underway at the Spring Street Garage. The contractor is currently working on the upper level and will close 100 spaces at a time — 50 on the level where construction is taking place, and 50 on the level beneath it in case any concrete falls from the ceiling. Purcell added that at the end of this month, the current 60 minutes of free Continued on Page 11
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Wednesday, July 12, 2023
PPS Seeks New PHS Principal by Aug. 31 Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has embarked on an accelerated search for a permanent principal for Princeton High School (PHS), “in an effort to move forward and provide stability for the high school community,” according to a July 7 press release. Eager to put the Frank Chmiel controversy behind them, PPS is focusing on a comprehensive search process with the hope of hiring a new principal by the end of August. Kathie Foster, who has been serving as interim principal at PHS since April, shortly after Chmiel’s dismissal from the position, will remain in the interim role through August 31. Chmiel was placed on administrative leave on March 17. Amidst much dispute, with hundreds of parents and students calling for his reinstatement, Chmiel and his lawyers appealed the superintendent’s decision to terminate him. After a five-hour public hearing in May the PPS Board of Education (BOE) voted 8-2 to uphold the superintendent’s decision not to renew Chmiel’s contract for 2023-24. Last month Chmiel and his lawyers registered an appeal with the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, and they have put the district on notice of their intention to sue.
In an initial step in the search process, the school district has issued a poll, asking for the community’s input on characteristics that are most critical in the next PHS principal. “The district will utilize the survey responses during the search process to screen and interview candidates,” the press release states. The survey presents 11 characteristics — including collaborative, community-focused, compassionate, innovative, trustworthy, and
more — that respondents are asked to rank from 0 to 10, from not important to extremely important. There is also a section to provide additional feedback and commentary. As of July 10 nearly 450 people had responded to the survey, with about 75 percent of the responses coming from current parents and PHS students. The survey was sent to all parents, all district employees, current students, and graduates from the classes of 2023, 2022, and 2021. Continued on Page 11
With Affirmative Action Gone, University Ponders Other Means to Promote Diversity
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court, in two historic decisions, ruled against affirmative action, prohibiting colleges and universities from taking race into account in the admissions process. Proponents of affirmative action have vowed to find and pursue other means to promote diversity and equity on college campuses, but the impact of the June 29 decisions will be significant, on higher education and the society as a whole. “While today’s decision will make our work more difficult, we will work vigorously to preserve —and, indeed, grow — the
diversity of our community while fully respecting the law as announced today,” Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in an email to the University community just hours after the decisions were announced. Claiming that the Supreme Court had “backed away from more than 50 years of established case law allowing colleges and universities to take race into account as one factor among many in a holistic admission process,” Eisgruber emphasized “principles and commitments fundamental to this University’s mission.” Continued on Page 10
POOL TIME: Community Park Pool was busy on Saturday as poolgoers enjoyed some summer fun. The pool is open seven days a week through September 4. Residents and visitors share what they do to beat the heat in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Weronika A. Plohn)
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