Volume LXXIX, Number 12
Summer Programs Pages 17-20 Exhibit Celebrates History of Schools That Became PDS . . . . . . . 5 YWCA Princeton Tribute to Women on March 27 . . . . . . . . . . 7 NJ Bike & Walk Summit Welcomes Transportation, Policy Leaders . . . . . . . 8 After the Book Sale: Mapping Franz Kafka, Finding Weldon Kees 13 NJ Symphony Combines Music in Princeton Performance . . . . . . . 14 Tiger Men’s Hoops Battles to Final Buzzer But Falls 59-57 to Yale in Ivy Madness Semis . . . . . 24 After Being Sidelined by Injury to Begin the Winter, Knox Starred as PDS Girls’ Hockey Won State Title . . . . . . . . . 26
Ashley Chea and PU Women’s Hoops Heading To NCAA Tourney . . . 23 Art . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 21 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 22 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 32 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Obituaries . . . . . . .30, 31 Performing Arts . . . . . 15 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 10 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6 Welcome Spring . . . . . . 3
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Sourland Conservancy Urges the Public to Lobby State Planners When the New Jersey State Planning Commission came out with its preliminary draft to update the State Development and Redevelopment Plan this past December, the Sourland Mountain Region was not among the areas identified as an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC). This omission came as a disappointment to those at the Sourland Conservancy. The nonprofit exists to preserve and protect the 90-square-mile area, the largest contiguous forest in Central New Jersey. Between the recent ravages of the emerald ash borer insect, which has killed more than a million trees; the over-population in the area of white-tailed deer; and nearby development, the ecologically and culturally rich region could use the protection and support for conservation efforts that the designation would provide. “This is a really unique and precious place, and we are at a crossroads,” said Laurie Cleveland, executive director of the Sourland Conservancy. “The next generation of trees isn’t here. When they die, there won’t be others to take their place. We have to act now to protect what is left for future generations.” According to sourland.org, the Sourland Mountain Region provides critical drinking water to more than 800,000 residents of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is one of the most important carbon sinks in New Jersey, helping to combat climate change. The Sourlands are one of 113 designated Continental Important Bird Areas (IBA), home to 57 threatened and endangered species. “Keep in mind that even before the emerald ash borer, the region was already suffering from the over-population of white-tailed deer, invasive plants, and pathogens,” Cleveland said. “The forest was already in peril. There is a lack of understory. Biodiversity is suffering, and that’s important to all of us. We depend on a healthy ecosystem for our own health and well-being.” The updating of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan is the first in two decades. The release of the preliminary plan was the first step of the process. Through April 9, public hearings are being held in each New Jersey county (Mercer and Hunterdon have already taken place), Continued on Page 9
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Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Princeton Named a “Healthy Town” for 2024 For the third year in a row Princeton has been named a Mayors Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town” winner by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. Local health officials are not resting on their laurels, however, with many health and federal program funding challenges on the horizon. The “Healthy Town” designation highlighted 32 towns in New Jersey that “go above and beyond to improve health and wellness in their communities through innovative programs in areas such as exercise, healthy eating, and mental health education and awareness,” according to a press release from the Municipality. Princeton Mayor Mark Freda emphasized the town’s “commitment to harm reduction” and its “ongoing efforts to prioritize public health and safety through compassionate, evidence-based approaches.” He noted, “Over the past year, our
harm reduction campaign has included community-wide Narcan training sessions, equipping residents with the tools to prevent overdose deaths, as well as educational book talks that have fostered important conversations about substance use, stigma, and recovery.” The press release goes on to state that Princeton, and other communities in the Mayors Wellness Campaign, complete a comprehensive Healthy Town application, reporting on the research they’ve done to identify their community health needs and explaining how they have organized their local Mayors Wellness Campaign committee. The application “highlights the actions the towns have taken to make their communities healthier places to live, work, age, and play.” In a follow-up email, Princeton Deputy Administrator/Director of Health Jeff Grosser discussed some of the work that lies ahead for the Princeton Health
Department with the recent suspension of federal funding, as well as the threats of bird flu and measles, and the need to prepare for whatever emergency might next arise. “The suspension of all federal grants is expected to have a significant impact on our department in the coming year,” said Grosser. “Currently we have two active grants that serve as a continuation of COVID-19 funding. Additionally, reductions in research funding at agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) may delay the dissemination of critical information that our office relies on to inform and support the community.” He added, “The overall uncertainty surrounding federal program funding has prompted local officials to proactively explore alternative solutions to mitigate potential budget shortfalls.” Grosser went on to point out that the Continued on Page 9
“Gatsby at 100” Events Celebrate Anniversary Of Great American Novel
CELEBRATING EINSTEIN’S BIRTHDAY: Seven-year-old Aradhya was the winner of the Einstein Look-Alike Contest held Saturday at the Princeton Public Library. Aradhya also recited 140 digits of pi. The event was one of many Pi Day Princeton events presented by the Princeton Tour Company in honor of Albert Einstein’s birthday, March 14 (3.14) — the numeric equivalent of pi. (Photo by Jeff Bross).
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published by Scribner’s in April 1925, and the Princeton University Library will be celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout the coming month with readings, book talks, performances, and more. The University library, which received Fitzgerald’s papers in 1950 as a gift from his daughter, currently has 89 boxes plus 11 large cannisters of related materials in its collections, including the original manuscript of The Great Gatsby. It will be offering exhibitions and programming in collaboration with the Princeton Public Library (PPL), Lewis Center for the Arts, Cotsen Children’s Library, Friends of Princeton University Library, Princeton Garden Theatre, and the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP). Though considered by many to be the Great American Novel, The Great Gatsby was not a commercial success at first, receiving mixed reviews from the critics and selling fewer than 20,000 copies in the first six months after publication. It was seemingly forgotten by the time of the author’s death in 1940, but during World War II, an Armed Services edition of the novel brought new readers, re-readers, and enthusiastic critics. It has been a bestseller ever since, inspiring multiple Continued on Page 10