War for the Planet of the Apes is the ninth movie in the film series that began almost 50 years ago with Planet of the Apes. The original groundbreaking science-fiction adventure was based on the novel of the same name by Pierre Boulle, who also wrote The Bridge Over the River Kwai.

That book was adapted to the movie by two scriptwriters: Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone) and Oscar-winner Michael Wilson (The Bridge Over the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Place in the Sun). So, it’s no surprise that that movie’s thought-provoking social commentary resonated with critics and audiences.

In that movie, the apes’ masks were so skillfully made that the Motion Picture Academy awarded the movie’s makeup artist, John Chambers, an honorary Oscar. However, it wasn’t until the ’80s that Best Makeup became an official Academy Award category.

War for the Planet of the Apes is the finale in a trilogy that recreated the series in 2011, starting with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and followed a few years later by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Fortunately you don’t need to recall, or even have seen, the earlier pictures to fully appreciate this movie.

Additionally, the use of the latest computer graphic image technology has been so skillfully applied that you never once doubt that you’re watching real apes interacting with humans. The best news is that the movie is a morality play of Shakespearean proportions that explores many universal themes on the way to the showdown that settles the fate of both species once and for all.

The apes are again led by Caesar (Andy Serkis), who matches wits with a ruthless army colonel (Woody Harrelson). Between the sophisticated storytelling and the state-of-the-art special effects, War for the Planet of the Apes is a touching finale for the series.

Excellent (****). Rated PG-13 for action, violence, mature themes, and disturbing images. Running time: 140 minutes. Production Studio: Chernin Entertainment. Distributor: 20th Century Fox.

MORE TO COME: Cara Morey surveys the action during her six-year tenure as assistant coach for the Princeton University women’s hockey team. Morey was recently named as the head coach of the program, succeeding Jeff Kampersal, who left Princeton to guide the Penn State women’s hockey team. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

Cara Morey had never coached at the college level before joining the staff of the Princeton University women’s hockey team in 2011.

Over the last six years, Morey gained a wealth of experience, being involved in every phase of the operation under the tutelage of head coach Jeff Kampersal.

“I have been really lucky because Jeff kept giving me a lot more and more responsibility over the last few years so that I could be prepared if and when a head coaching opportunity ever came up,” said Morey, who was eventually promoted to associate head coach.

“I got to be really involved in practice planning, running drills on the ice, and going through video sessions so I was pretty fortunate that way. I was also the recruiting coordinator.”

When Kampersal recently left Princeton after 21 years to guide the Penn State women’s hockey team, Morey jumped at the opportunity to succeed Kampersal as the head coach of the Tigers.

“I had been considering options for for the last few years, jobs would come up but I really wanted it to be the right fit before I left,” said Morey, 38, a 2001 graduate of Brown where she starred in field hockey and ice hockey.

“I knew I had wanted to be a head coach but it had to be the right fit so when he left, of course, my first thought was to become the head coach at Princeton, just because it was such a natural transition.”

It didn’t take long for Princeton to conclude that Morey was the first choice to succeed Kampersal.

“Basically they gave me a chance to interview for it without a lot of the outside distractions,” said Morey.

“I guess they determined I would be a good fit so it happened pretty quickly, which was awesome for me.”

It was an awesome feeling for Morey to get the nod. “It is incredible, I am so excited,” said Morey. “I feel super grateful because these jobs don’t come up very often. There are only 36 of them in the country so it is a dream come true.”

In a statement issued upon Morey’s hiring, Princeton’s Director of Athletics Mollie Marcoux Samaan, a legendary women’s hockey player during her college career at Princeton, shared that excitement.

“Cara is a superstar in every sense of the word and we are thrilled that she will be our next head coach,” said Marcoux Samaan.

“She has played an enormous role in the many successes of the team over the past six years and I am confident that she will build upon these successes to provide the very best experience for our student-athletes. Not only is Cara one of the best technical coaches I’ve seen, she is a true believer in our motto of Education through Athletics and is 100 percent committed to developing her players on and off the ice.”

True to form, the energetic Morey has hit the ground running in her new role.

“It just keeps rolling; I need to find a good assistant to join Ashley [Kilstein] and I on our staff, that has been a priority, finding somebody who has the right priorities,” said Morey, who added former University of Vermont assistant coach Kelly Nash to her staff this week.

“Then it is recruiting as usual; it is that time where we are trying to find the next Tigers that come in.”

The current Tiger players along with others in the Princeton community have given Morey a vote of confidence as she takes the helm.

“As soon as it was announced that Jeff had taken the job, I reached out to all of our current players and all of our recruits,” said Morey.

“Once I was announced as head coach, I started reaching out again, letting them know that. The support that I got was so overwhelmingly positive. I was really humbled at how many current players, former players, alumni, professors, and everybody just reaching out in support of me.”

Morey isn’t planning to make drastic changes as she succeeds Kampersal.

“I think there is going to be a level of comfort for them, where it is not going to be too drastically different,” said Morey, who helped lead Princeton to the 2016 Ivy League championship and to the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals five times and most recently the ECACH semifinals this past season, when Princeton went 20-10-3.

“Our preparation and method will probably stay similar but we are going to tweak some stuff a little bit more to fit my personality.”

In Morey’s view, the winning personality exuded by her returning players is a major asset.

“We have established such a great culture of excellence right now at Princeton,” said Morey.

“I am lucky as a new head coach that I get to step into a culture that is so well established and so familiar to me and the players are familiar with my style. We lost a monstrous senior class but we have some awesome freshmen coming in who are going to add the depth that we need and we are looking for.”

With a core of returning stars featuring skilled forwards Karlie Lund and Carly Bullock, along with star goalie Steph Neatby and standout defenseman Stephanie Sucharda, the Tigers appear poised to maintain that level of excellence under their new head coach.

“I am excited about the future,” said Morey. “I am pretty process-oriented so I try not to focus on the outcome. The expectations are that we are giving everything we have every single time we touch the ice. I think good things will happen.”

TURNING THE CORNER: Dana Smith races upfield this spring in her junior season with the Lafayette College women’s lacrosse team. Smith, a former Princeton High girls’ soccer and lacrosse standout, helped Lafayette go 10-8 in 2017 and make the Patriot League postseason tournament for the first time since 2013. It was the program’s best record since 2002, when it went 13-7. Defender Smith was twice named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week this season. (Photo Provided by Lafayette Sports Information)

Even though her Lafayette College women’s lacrosse team posted a 6-11 record in 2016, Dana Smith believed the squad was on the verge of turning the corner.

“There was kind of a feeling that we didn’t reach our potential,” said 5’1 defender Smith, a former Princeton High girls’ soccer and field hockey standout

“We knew that going into this next year, we had a lot to offer and we didn’t want to see it go in the same way at the end of the season. We wanted to feel like we had done our job at the end.”

This spring, Smith and the Leopards realized that potential, going 10-8 overall and 5-4 Patriot League, making the league postseason tournament for the first time since 2013 and posting its best overall record since 2002 when it went 13-7.

“I think we have always felt that we had so much potential and we really could compete in the league,” said Smith, reflecting on her junior campaign.

“We never quite got there and a lot of other teams took us for granted and looked down on us. This year, we proved that we belong and that we can compete.”

Getting off to a 2-0 start with an 18-3 win over Longwood and 17-14 victory over Binghamton portended things to come for the Leopards.

“My sophomore season was the first time we had ever won our first game,” said Smith.

“Then this season, we had the most successful start either in Lafayette’s history or in a very long time for the program.

Smith, for her part, was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against Longwood which saw her cause three turnovers and pick up four ground balls.

“It was so surprising and it was really reassuring that all my hard work had paid off,” said Smith, reflecting on the honor.

“I was doing what I hoped to be doing when I was an upperclassman. We are used to getting attacking player awards but we hadn’t had a defensive player of the week in a couple of seasons so that was good for the team.”

The Leopards got off to a very good start in Patriot League, going 4-0 with wins over Army (15-11), Colgate (14-13), Bucknell (14-13), and American (20-9).

“That was big for us, going into the season we were looking at, these are the wins we could get and Colgate was one,” said Smith.

“It would be really nice to beat Colgate but we are not going to count on it. We won by one and scored with 14 seconds left to go ahead. It was just really exciting and that set a really good pace for the rest of the season.”

For Smith, big efforts in the victories over Bucknell and American helped her earn a second Defensive Player of the Week honor as she led the defense by totaling nine ground balls and four caused turnovers in the two triumphs.

The Leopards ended up finishing fifth in the Patriot League to earn a spot in the conference quarterfinals, the program’s first postseason appearance since 2013.

While Lafayette ended up falling 14-7 at Boston University in the playoff contest, it was a memorable experience for Smith and her teammates.

“No one on the team this year had been there before so that was definitely cool for everyone in the program, it was all our first times in the tournament,” said Smith.

“It was just an entirely different atmosphere. You had to have a badge to walk on the field; they announce everyone on the team. Going to Boston, it is a six hour drive. You have to go to class and get on a bus. It is not easy to do but that is exactly what we have been practicing to do since we had started in September. It was really great to get there.”

Benefitting from the team’s overall improvement, Smith showed great progress this spring, picking up 42 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers after producing a total of 32 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers combined in her first two seasons.

“It was definitely how the team played; we played better team defense than ever before,” said Smith.

“The whole game we were doing better so that led to more opportunities for me to finish the play which is what I always try to do. When one of my teammates causes a broken play or the goalie makes a save and there is a rebound, I made sure that their play counted.”

Over the summer, Smith will be concentrating on cardio training to help her be an even better playmaker.

“I mostly work on my speed and endurance fitness,” said Smith, who is playing pickup games with former PHS teammates to help hone her skills.

“As a defender, I spend a lot of time on the field and then have to have one moment where I need to sprint to get out of the zone so I work on my speed. The big difference between my sophomore year and my junior year was definitely my fitness.”

Smith and her classmates are looking to make a difference heading into their senior campaign.

“Now that we have had that success and that feeling of having a good record, we don’t want to let that go,” said Smith, an international affairs and mathematics-economics major and Academic All-Patriot League selection who will be applying to PhD programs in economics.

“We are really committed to keeping that up and my senior class, there are five of us, we are really unified. We have visions for what our senior season is going to be and how we are going to be really competitive and serious about what we are doing.”

When Thomas Walker took up rowing in 2012 at the Princeton National Rowing Association’s Mercer Rowing Club (PNRA/Mercer), he was quickly inspired to someday make an impact in the sport on a national level.

“We shared that boathouse with the women’s national team and it was pretty awesome to look at the best people in the world,” said Walker, who was a junior at Princeton High when he joined PNRA/Mercer. “I always had that goal to be able to race for the U.S.A. in some capacity.”

Walker, who went on from PNRA/Mercer to row for the University of Wisconsin men’s crew program, achieved that goal last month as he and Luke Sendelbach of Cornell placed first in the Lightweight Men’s Pair in the U.S. trial on Mercer Lake to earn a spot in the upcoming 2017 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

As he looks ahead to the competition in Bulgaria, which is slated for July 19-23, Walker acknowledges that it is a dream come true.

“It is really, really awesome that it has finally come to fruition,” said Walker, who will be joined at the competition by fellow PHS alum, PNRA/ Mercer and Wisconsin teammate Kyle James, a member of the U.S. Lightweight Men’s 4.

“It was really special to win trials on the same lake that I first started rowing and being from the area, my parents were able to watch.”

In reflecting on his meteoric rise in the rowing world, Walker said there was nothing complicated about his ascension.

“It has been quite a journey,” said Walker. “It is a sport that rewards hard work, the two go hand in hand.”

It didn’t take long for Walker to see the rewards of rowing. “I was playing basketball and golf before but I never really had a fall sport so I just tried it out for the fall,” said Walker, recalling his debut with PNRA/Mercer.

“It was mostly as a way to stay in shape for basketball in the winter but then I took a liking to it and stuck with it from there.”

By the end of his first year at PNRA/Mercer, Walker was contacting college coaches, looking to compete at the next level. He chose Wisconsin over Cornell and Dartmouth but acknowledges that it wasn’t easy sticking things out in the early stages of his college career.

“It was a tough transition being surrounded by such big kids, we had at least five or six guys over 6’6, the tallest guy topped out at 6’11,” said Walker, noting that he is 6’1, 160 pounds.

“Height is not everything in the sport but it is definitely a pretty big thing.”

After rowing in the fourth varsity 8 and the lightweight varsity 4 over his first two years with the Badgers, Walker was determined to make a breakthrough coming into his junior season this spring.

“At the end of the sophomore year, it is like a turning point in college careers, for better or worse,” said Walker.

“I was really focused last summer on making sure that was a turning point for the better. This past year I was in the second 4 on the fall, the 9 through 12 guys. There were big, big improvements for me this winter. I finally cracked through our coaches. They set certain benchmarks and once you prove you have a certain level of strength, it opens a lot more doors. You get a lot more opportunities to prove yourself on the water.”

This spring, Walker seized  the opportunity, starting in the second varsity 8 before moving up to the varsity 8 for the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship regatta.

For Walker, competing at the IRA regatta was an eye-opening experience.

“It was a little intimidating for that first race,” said Walker, who helped the top boat take 11th, the program’s best finish since 2013.

“The first time you line up out there, the coaches tell you it is just a bunch of other guys out there, don’t let them intimidate you. There are guys out there who you are lined up next to who were competing at the 2016 games.”

Days after the end of the IRAs, Walker headed home to take part in a training camp on Mercer Lake organized by Hobart assistant coach Skip Kielt to form crews to race in the U.S. U23 trials in late June.

“It was part selection, part training; he wanted to select a four and a pair to race at trials,” said Walker.

“He created a really good team atmosphere where everyone is working to that goal, not so much doing whatever they could to help themselves. I refocused after the national championships. I was thinking that my one goal for the summer was to make it to the world championships.”

Walker and Sendelbach, a rising Cornell junior, emerged as the top pair in the group.

“We had four great guys who worked really well together and then me and my pair partner, Luke, became our best matchup,” said Walker.

“We had been working really well together and our coach had a lot of confidence that we could keep going there. We made some pretty big strides in the next two weeks after that. We got some racing experience at a regatta in Philadelphia and worked the kinks out. Everything just kind of came together for us at trials, we put down three really good races.”

Noting that the goal is to reach the ‘A’ final, or top six, at the U23 worlds, Walker believes that the pair has the capacity to race even better on the world stage.

“We feel like we are in a pretty good position,” said Walker. “We have put in the work and made a lot of progress. I think we saw a lot more progress over the last week and a half. We feel confident; it is not going to take some heroic effort. It is go out there and really stick to it. We know what we have and what is takes to do it. We have just got to go out there and do it now.”

After putting in his best effort in Bulgaria, Walker will turn his focus to helping Wisconsin position itself for more success in his senior campaign.

“Seven of the eight guys in our varsity 8 are coming back, we are really looking forward to that,” said Walker.

“Of those seven guys, five of us qualified for the U.S. with different spots in the U23. The rest of our team is in Madison right now training hard. I am really excited to to get back to that.”

To the Editor:

Ninety percent of all flowering plants in our gardens and farms are dependent on pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies. Unfortunately, recent years have seen a 60 percent global decline of our bumblebees and 80 percent of migratory monarch butterflies. Thousands of gardens have been planted around the country to support our bee and butterfly populations in observance of this dangerous phenomenon. Without bees and other pollinating insects, entire ecosystems are imperiled.

The Princeton Battlefield Monument at Monument Hall is part of the global pollinator project, a nationwide initiative to combat the enigmatic disappearance of critical insects from our fields and gardens. At the Monument, volunteers from Friends of Princeton Open Space, the Contemporary Garden Club of Princeton, Isles, Inc., Corner House, Princeton Public Works and Morven Museum and Gardens have planted and watered pollinator plants donated from the Contemporary Garden Club of Princeton, Princeton Day School, D & R Greenway, Littlebrook School, and Morven Museum and Gardens.

We would like to thank Mayor Lempert for supporting the Monument project and we encourage you, like so many have done, to use your gardens to save the bees so that the bees can save us. For more information go to AdkAction.org/pollinators, monarchlab.org and bees-decline.org.

Jody Erdman

Mountain Avenue 

To the Editor:

AARP New Jersey calls on U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez to maintain their strong and public opposition to the Senate’s health care legislation. It provides tens of billions in tax breaks for drug and insurance companies, while dramatically increasing costs and reducing coverage for Americans age 50-plus.

Specifically, the legislation:

• Would allow insurance companies to charge older people an age tax or five times — or even more — than everyone else. On top of that, it reduces tax credits. Together, these changes could cost you tens of thousands of dollars more a year.

• Would strip away Medicaid coverage from more than half a million New Jerseyans and leave our seniors at risk of not getting the care they need.

• Would let states waive protections for those with a pre-existing condition like cancer, diabetes or asthma.

• Would cut funding for Medicare — leaving the door open to benefit cuts and Medicare vouchers.

AARP will hold all 100 United States Senators accountable to our members. In New Jersey, we urge Senators Menendez and Booker to continue to oppose the Senate bill and stand with Garden State residents.

Stephanie Hunsinger

State Director AARP New Jersey

From Routine Screening to Advanced Diagnostic and Treatment Procedures

sponsored content:

University Medical Center of Princeton (UMCP) has opened the Center for Digestive Health, giving patients streamlined access to high-quality, coordinated care that encompasses everything from general gastroenterology services to specialized diagnostic and treatment procedures.

Board certified gastroenterologists Anish A. Sheth, MD, and Eric H. Shen, MD, are Co-Medical Directors of the Center for Digestive Health, which opened this month in the Medical Arts Pavilion, a medical office building attached to UMCP.

The new center is temporarily located in Suite 260 of the Medical Arts Pavilion. A permanent home is under renovation in Suite 300 of the same building within the offices of Princeton Medicine, the primary and specialty care physician network of Princeton HealthCare System (PHCS).

Dr. Sheth and Dr. Shen recently joined Princeton Medicine. Additional board certified gastroenterologists with Princeton Medicine—including Stanley C. Hsu, MD, Kevin S. Skole, MD, and Deborah K. Sokol, MD—will be integrated into the new center as well.

“Our goal is to provide high-quality care and to give our patients an efficient way to access it,” said Barry S. Rabner, President and CEO of Princeton HealthCare System, which includes both Princeton Medicine and UMCP. “The Center for Digestive Health offers a complete range of gastroenterology services and a nurse navigator who works with each patient to coordinate care with other departments throughout UMCP and PHCS.”

Patients are often referred to the center by their primary care physicians for consultation with a specialist and diagnosis and treatment of ongoing gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Others contact the center directly to schedule procedures such as colonoscopies, which are performed to screen for early signs of colorectal cancer or to evaluate a patient experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea or constipation.

Individuals experiencing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, swallowing difficulties and abdominal or chest pain are evaluated via upper endoscopy procedures.

Additional minimally invasive procedures accessible through the new center include endoscopic ultrasound, which is used to diagnose and treat GI conditions including some types of cancer, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), a procedure used to diagnose and treat conditions related to the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas.

Dr. Sheth noted that UMCP’s Esophageal Program is part of the new center, giving patients the benefit of advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques such as:

Wireless esophageal pH monitoring and impedance pH testing, which measure the reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD).

High-resolution esophageal manometry, a test that measures the function of the lower esophageal sphincter and muscles of the esophagus.

Stretta therapy, a minimally invasive procedure that provides long-term relief from GERD.

Radiofrequency ablation, a procedure to remove diseased, precancerous cells from the esophagus.

“Diagnosing and treating conditions at an early stage significantly improves a patient’s prognosis,” Dr. Sheth said. “In the Center for Digestive Health, our physicians are equipped with the best diagnostic tools available and have access to a full range of treatment options.”

Most endoscopic procedures arranged through the Center for Digestive Health are performed in the Stephen & Roxanne Distler Center for Ambulatory Surgery, also located in the Medical Arts Pavilion. Endoscopic procedures are also performed at:

UMCP Center for Ambulatory Surgery, 8 Centre Drive, Monroe

Princeton Endoscopy Center, 731 Alexander Road, Suite 104, Princeton

For an appointment, please call 609-853-7272. 

Photo Credit: @anthropologie

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DOING WELL: Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball player Zach Dudeck takes a cut in recent action. Last Wednesday, center fielder and lead-off batter Dudeck contributed a double and a walk in a losing cause as Post 218 fell 19-2 to South Brunswick. The defeat left Princeton with a final record of 2-20 this summer. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

For Zach Dudeck, changing his priorities helped him enjoy a breakout year this spring in his senior campaign for the Princeton Day School baseball team.

The center fielder starred as PDS posted a 10-10 record, hitting .322 with 16 runs and 17 RBIs.

“I started focusing mainly on baseball; before I was trying to do soccer and baseball,” said Dudeck, reflecting on his final high school campaign.

“Once I kind of fell off for soccer, I started focusing on that less and more on baseball. With that one track mind, it helped me a lot.”

This summer, Dudeck joined the Princeton Post 218 American Legion team, looking to build on his senior season and help prepare him for a shot at playing for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute baseball program.

“It was a good bridge, I wanted at-bats and a little more fielding experience,” said Dudeck. “That is something I can’t get if I don’t play any games.”

While the Princeton squad struggled this summer, Dudeck tried to be a positive force.

“I tried to keep fighting and tried to keep the spirit up with everyone,” said Dudeck, who contributed a double and a walk in a losing cause as Post 218 fell 19-2 to South Brunswick last Wednesday to end the summer with a 2-20 record.

“I try to talk as much as I can, trying to keep everyone into the game as much as we can. It is all you can really do.”

Starting this fall, Dudeck will be trying to make the RPI baseball team.

“I was mainly focusing on architecture,” said Dudeck in reflecting on his college selection process.

“Baseball is a side thing that I knew I wanted to do. I am trying to be a walk-on. I have talked to the coach and my coaches have talked to the coach a little bit. I know they are losing some of their outfielders, which is really nice for me.”

Although Post 218 endured a steady diet of losing, assistant coach Paul Sumners liked the focus displayed by his players.

“We may be short on talent compared to the other teams, but these guys always fight,” said Sumners.

“I would say over the last couple of years, I enjoyed this team the most. They never quit. We have gotten beaten bad before and you could see guys hang their heads, give up, and not come, all of that kind of stuff. These guys gave the best that they had.”

Sumners credited his son Chris, a recently graduated Hun School standout, and Dudeck with setting the right tone.

“They are not the most vocal guys,” said Sumners. “They are the guys that came on time and when they come to practice, they come to work. The guys can feed off of that. They don’t have an attitude or anything. After the game you will see them  carrying equipment and working on the field. A lot of times with the older kids, they are gone.”

The squad’s younger kids gained valuable experience this season. “If you are in 9th or 10th grade and you don’t get much varsity time, here you get to play baseball,” added Sumners.

“You get a chance to get a lot of playing time, which can benefit you greatly next year when you are playing at the varsity level. You are not as intimidated. Some of it is physical but the mental aspect is so much of it, the feeling that I belong and the feeling that I can compete at this level.”

In his post-game message last Wednesday, Post 218 manager Tommy Parker beseeched his players to keep competing.

“It was learn the game, love the game, and be about excellence,” said Parker.

“The awe factor for these guys is gone. Next spring when high school baseball season starts, they will be ready to play at a varsity level with their experience here.”

Looking ahead, Parker is confident that Post 218 can experience greater success if its youthful core keeps improving.

“We have a great foundation for next summer,” said Parker. “We go to league meetings and these guys like to be boastful. The thing I can smile at is yeah, but we will see you down the road. You are going to have to deal with these kids for another three years if all of them stay together.”

Dudeck, for his part, believes that things can come together for Princeton.

“I feel like it has gotten better,” said Dudeck. “They grew as the season went on.”

In a letter to the Rider University community this week, Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo said “great progress” is being made in efforts to sell Westminster Choir College in Princeton, which Rider has owned since 1991 and announced this past spring that it was putting it up for sale. Rider’s campus is located in Lawrenceville.

Rider’s Board of Trustees and PricewaterhouseCoopers Corporate Finance have communicated with some 280 possible purchasers, and have received “multiple proposals” from buyers who would either purchase the property and Choir College and keep it in Princeton, acquire the property and relocate the Westminster programs to another location, or simply buy the property.

The first possibility is the only one that is acceptable to The Coalition to Save Westminster Choir College in Princeton, a group of alumni, faculty, and students who have organized in an effort to keep the college in place. The Coalition filed a lawsuit last month saying that based on the merger agreement between the two schools in 1991, Rider has no legal right to sell the Westminster campus.

Mr. Dell’Omo’s letter reads, “A careful and detailed review of all initial proposals has been completed and select parties have been asked to refine their proposals as we move into the next phase of the process. To allow sufficient time for the Board to fully consider each of these amended proposals, it is likely that a final partner or partners will not ultimately be selected to move forward until the fall.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Dell’Omo wrote, recruitment will begin soon for Westminster’s Class of 2022. “We’ve been extremely encouraged by the tremendous interest we have received and are confident that we will find a partner to take over this world-renowned program,” he continued. “Additionally, we have committed to each potential partner that we will work hand-in-hand with them to ensure a successful transition.”

Bruce Afran, the attorney representing the Coalition, said most of the 280 entities contacted by Rider have not expressed interest in acquiring Westminster. “My understanding is that there is a small number that are interested, and that Rider is attempting to focus on those that have an interest in keeping Westminster where it is, which would be something to explore.”

Mr. Dell’Omo’s letter concludes, “This is an important process and I appreciate the interest that our entire University community has in the future of the Choir College. As I have said before, I will continue to share important updates with you as this process continues.”

“I think they’re trying to reach out,” Mr. Afran said. “I think they’re hoping there can be a solution to this, and we do too. But if not, we are resolute. If they seek to close the campus and transfer its programs or sell the property to a developer, that would be something that would absolutely force us to litigate. We hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The Joint Effort Safe Streets Program has announced honorees to be recognized during its 10-day celebration of the Witherspoon-Jackson (W-J) Community of Princeton beginning next week.  Honoring the historic role of the black church will be the focus of this year’s event-filled festival, which is titled “Looking Back & Moving Forward.”

“All of this year’s award recipients have made significant contributions to the Witherspoon-Jackson and Princeton community and are more than worthy of this recognition,” said Princeton Councilman Lance Liverman.  “The recognition of the historic role of the black church in Princeton is amazing and long overdue.  The history of these four black churches are stories of faith, leadership, and community service and need to be told to current and future generations.  The individuals and organizations being recognized give continuously to Princeton through their service and contributions to the community.”

Robert Rivers and Mildred Trotman will receive the Paul Robeson Spirit Award.  The Witherspoon-Jackson Citizens of the Year will include Lance Liverman in the field of government; Yina Moore and Leighton Newlin in community service; Shirley Satterfield, Larry and Fern Spruill, and Tommy and Joanne Parker in education; Frances Broadway Craig and John Broadway in business; Alvin McGowen and Dosier Hammond in housing; and Gail Everett and Darius Young in sports and wellness.

In addition, Mr. Rivers and Linda McDermott will receive the Jim Floyd Lifetime Achievement Award; McCaffrey Foods, Mr. Hammond, and the Unity Choir of the First Baptist Church of Princeton will receive Mildred Trotman Community Service Awards; and Elizabeth Kim and Kathryn Watterson will be honored with community service thank-yous.

“The African American Church has played such an important role in the social, economical, and emotional development of the community,” said the Rev. Gregory Smith, whose father was pastor of the Mount Pisgah African Methodist Church on Witherspoon Street from 1971 to 1981.

Mr. Smith, currently pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Willingboro, continued, “The churches were the focal point for community life, the first place where people of color had leadership roles.  That was where families came together to celebrate events, and there were political and economic meetings too.  This history plays a significant role in who we are.”

Noting the many challenges currently faced by the church, Mr. Smith added, “The world has changed, but the foundation of people coming together to share their faith continues.  The church has a responsibility to find a place in all these changes.”

As part of the Joint Effort celebrations, an ecumenical service in the Miller Chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 6 will recognize the four black churches of Princeton and their oldest members. The churches include Mount Pisgah, founded in 1832; Witherspoon Street Presbyterian, founded in 1840 as The First Presbyterian Church of Colour; First Baptist Church of Princeton, founded in 1885 as Bright Hope Baptist Church; and Morning Star Church of God in Christ, founded in 1941.

The event will focus on the African American community, but Mr. Smith emphasized, “This is something we all can celebrate.  The church and how it has enhanced people’s lives is indicative of what we all have experienced through faith.”

In addition to the individual honors, on Friday, August 11 at the First Baptist Church there will be a “Special Salute to Black Seniors and Every Member of a Princeton Black Church.”  John Bailey, lead organizer and co-founder of Joint Effort Safe Streets, will speak that evening on ”What Does It Mean To Be Black in America Today: A Message from our Ancestors to My Community.”

A Time Capsule Ceremony on Saturday, August 12 at 9:30 a.m.at the Waxwood Apartments on Quarry Street, formerly a segregated African American school, will be another highlight of the 10-day celebration.  The capsule, a metal box containing pictures, letters, and other memorabilia from black churches and families, will be buried and remain for 50 years, to be opened in 2067 by residents and future generations of Princeton and the W-J community.

Ms. Satterfield, co-founder and president of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, noted the importance of keeping alive the history, particularly the contributions of African Americans, of the Princeton community.  “When the time capsule is opened in 2067, the people will see what has been accomplished in the 50 years prior.  We want people to know the rich history of the community.  Our families were servants who sustained Princeton.  They were domestic people and also professionals, lawyers, teachers.  When the capsule is opened people will see what has gone on and how important it is that we’re here.”

Following the Time Capsule Ceremony, Ms. Satterfield will lead her renowned Witherspoon-Jackson Community Walking Tour, highlighting the African American experience in Princeton.

At its meeting Monday evening, July 24, Princeton Council approved a resolution to authorize the Princeton Police Department’s appointment of five probationary police officers. With three retirements possible by the end of the year and 11 officers eligible for retirement through 2020, it is important to be proactive, Chief Nick Sutter told Council.

“My vision is that we anticipate these retirements because there is a lag time between when we hire someone and when they get fully certified,” he said. At a press conference earlier in the day, Mr. Sutter said this completes the most recent recruiting list, which he called “particularly robust.”

“It went beyond our expectations in terms of diversity and caliber of officers,” he said. “We really look for individuals committed to policing in Princeton. They don’t just meet the minimum requirements. They meet Princeton requirements.”

The five new recruits will be sworn in at a future Council meeting.

Council also held a work session on proposed route changes to the FreeB bus service. Fay Reiter, chair of the town’s Public Transit Advisory Committee, detailed recommendations to merge the existing two services into one because ridership on the early morning route to the Dinky train station has been so low.

The plan, which Ms. Reiter called a work in progress, suggests that daytime service would be merged with commuter service and run until about 7:30 or 8 p.m. Service on the daytime route currently ends about 3:30 p.m.

Council President Jenny Crumiller said the greatest market for the FreeB service is affordable housing communities where people may not own cars. Ms. Reiter noted that many people are not aware of the service. “There is a lot of confusion in the community about the two types of service,” she said. “We’re proposing one that would merge the two routes.”

Princeton resident Kip Cherry commented that the town should be promoting the service with its current schedule rather than cutting service. “Very few commuters know about the FreeB, or that there is a brand new bus,” she said. “We are looking at taking a big step backwards. We should be promoting it with fanfare, especially as the Lewis Center for the Arts is about to open. Promote it and educate the community about the existing service.”

Municipal engineer Deanna Stockton updated Council on the renovation of the Mary Moss Playground at the corner of John and Lytle streets. The work was originally supposed to be completed in time for this summer, with a water play area for children, trees, and landscaping. But the project has been delayed and is now targeted for next summer.

Built in the 1940s, the playground and small wading pool were for many years the only places that children in Princeton’s black community were permitted to swim.

Ms. Stockton said the town only received final plans from the consultant it hired at the end of May. “One of the reasons for the delay is the availability of contractors to put together a responsive bid,” she said. “We were concerned that in the summer when they’re so busy, they would not sharpen their pencils and give us their best price for the project.”

A contract should be awarded by November. Depending on winter weather, work could start after the first of the year and be finished by the beginning of next June.

The annual Princeton Community Night Out, sponsored by the Princeton Police Department, PBA Local 130, and the Princeton Recreation Department, will take place on August 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Community Park Pool. Activities will include Zumba dancing, free use of the pool, and a rock-climbing wall. There will also be hot dogs, ice cream, souvenir giveaways, and police and emergency tools and equipment on display. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton Recreation Department)

Believe it or not, over a dozen different attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler (Udo Schenk) were made until he took his own life in April of 1945. In 1944, Hitler only suffered minor injuries in the bombing that was the focus of Valkyrie (2008), a documentary drama that stars Tom Cruise.

Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), 13 Minutes describes this first attempt to assassinate Hitler just after he had taken control of Germany. The incident occurred in Munich on November 8, 1939 in a hall where the Führer was scheduled to deliver an address.

Unfortunately, Georg Elser’s (Christian Friedel) homemade time bomb went off too late, because Hitler had already completed his remarks and left the building 13 minutes earlier accompanied by the Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels (Ulrich Matthes), Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess, and the architect of the Holocaust, Heinrich Himmler (Ulrich Noethen).

Later that same day, Georg was apprehended when he was trying to cross into Switzerland. Border guards took him into custody after they discovered him with incriminating evidence that led them to believe that he was connected to the explosion.

He was taken to Germany’s Chief of Police Arthur Nebe (Burghart Klauszner) and Gestapo Chief Heinrich Muller (Johann von Bulow) for interrogation, but Georg refused to answer any questions until they threatened to arrest his girlfriend Elsa (Katharina Schuttler). Georg then confessed to protect her, but they still didn’t believe that a simple carpenter could have possibly acted alone to produce a powerful explosive device that claimed eight lives and wounded 62.

So, they resorted to torture to extract the identities of his suspected accomplices who only existed in their imaginations. But Georg had nothing further to share, other than an explanation of how he’d secretly amassed enough gunpowder to construct the bomb.

13 Minutes has an unorthodox story structure, because it opens with the failed assassination attempt, and is followed by a series of Georg’s flashbacks. While behind bars, he reminisces about everything from his disgust with the Nazis to his relationship with Elsa.

Excellent (****). Rated R for sexuality and disturbing violence. In German with subtitles. Running time: 114 minutes. Production Studio: Lucky Bird Pictures. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics.

Richard Saltonstall Kinsey

Richard Saltonstall Kinsey died peacefully at home on July 23, 2017, at the age of 94. He lived at the Acorn Glen assisted living residence in Princeton, New Jersey.

Kinsey was born in New York City on May 10, 1923, the younger son of Edwin Marshall Kinsey and Wilhelmina Patton Kinsey, and was raised in Riverton and Cinnaminson, New Jersey.  He lived in Princeton, N.J. (1946–1948); Moorestown, N.J.  (1948–1971); several towns in South Jersey and Oklahoma (1972-1978); Floyd, Va. (1979–1981); and Haddon Township, N.J. (1981–2011), before returning to Princeton in 2011.

Valedictorian of his class at Moorestown High School, Kinsey received an A.B. in philosophy, Phi Beta Kappa, from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1944 and pursued graduate studies in philosophy at Princeton University from 1946 to 1948.  During World War II he was a Lieutenant junior grade in the United States Naval Reserve and served on a patrol class escort (PCE) in the North Pacific.

After graduate school Kinsey worked at the family farm in Moorestown for a year and then followed his father into the stock brokerage business.  He worked for firms in Philadelphia and then in the early 1960s opened the first stock brokerage office in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He enjoyed raising his family on the family peony nursery and Christmas tree farm in Moorestown, where one year he raised two cattle named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  Kinsey then quit a conventional career and marched to the beat of his own drum for the rest of his life.  He summited Mount Rainier in Washington State in 1973 and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 1974, having climbed Mauna Loa in Hawaii during the war in 1945 and many mountains and trails in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine since childhood.

Kinsey was a man of wide-ranging intellectual and artistic interests.  Admiring especially Bertrand Russell and Alfred North Whitehead, Kinsey studied analytical philosophy and its history throughout his life. A self-taught calligrapher and book maker, Kinsey was particularly proud of a solo exhibit of his art at the then Roanoke (Va.) Museum of Art in 1981; his inclusion in an exhibit on book production in the Rosenbach rare book library in Philadelphia in 1980; and an alphabet he lettered in burnished gold and blue lapis lazuli on vellum for the Graphic Arts Collection of the Princeton University Library. Other passions included poetry, the transcendentalists, genealogy, history, anthropology, rare books, photography, and the furniture of George Nakashima. He was a prodigious correspondent who wrote letters with his distinctive, beautiful script, and he was known for his wit and sense of humor.

Survived by his son David North Kinsey of Princeton, New Jersey; two grandsons, Rafe Hand Kinsey of New York City and Alex Hand Kinsey of Atlanta; daughter-in-law Susanne Hand of Princeton; and ten nieces and nephews, Kinsey was predeceased by his son Martin Townsend Kinsey in 2008 and his ex-wife Janet Elizabeth Townsend Roberts (Kinsey) in 2007.

Kinsey donated his body to Temple University Medical School through the Human Gifts Registry of Philadelphia.  The family will be holding a private service of remembrance.

———

Barbara Ann Long Carnevale

Barbara Ann Long Carnevale, of Princeton, N.J., passed away on July 17, 2017 at Merwick Rehabilitation Center, Plainsboro, N.J., due to complications from a fall.

Born in Glen Lyon, Pa., on January 6, 1932, she graduated from Nanticoke (Pa.) High School, class of 1949 and from the Western Union Business School.

Following employment by American Airlines at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Barbara arrived in Princeton in 1956 and was employed by Western Union at the busy Princeton location.  After raising her three children, she worked as a real estate agent and as the office manager of the Aquinas Institute of Princeton University.  Barbara later co-founded and operated the Princeton Consignment Boutique.

Barbara was an active participant and member of the Princeton Public School Parent Teacher Association for many years, served on the board of the Princeton Borough’s Senior Citizen Committee and as Cub and Brownie Scout Den Mother.

Barbara was an avid reader and history buff; quilting was a passion and Barbara was an active member of the Quilting Club.  One of her best quilts was dedicated at a 9/11 memorial event in New York City and placed on display as a tribute to the fallen police and firefighters and in particular to a very close family friend, Fred Morrone, Director of the Port Authority Police, who was lost on that day.

Barbara was predeceased by her parents Leonard Long and Emily Lewis Long Azack, her step-father, Fred Azack, and her sisters Marilyn Long and Janice Wortmann.

She is survived by her husband, of 60 years, Michael, the retired Princeton Police Chief, and by sons Michael II and wife Marianne, Yale and wife Olga, all of Princeton; daughter Lynn O’Rourke; grandchildren Elizabeth, Michael III, Devin, Caroline and Luke; and many nieces and nephews.

A private service and interment will be conducted at the family grave site in Princeton Cemetery.

Contributions, in her memory, to Special Olympics of New Jersey, 1 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Way, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 are appreciated.

Extend condolences and share remembrances at TheKimbleFuneralHome.com.

———

Reuben Cohen

Reuben Cohen, 95, passed away peacefully at his home on Meadowbrook Drive on July 23, 2017. A longtime Princeton resident, Reuben was a founder and former president of the research firm Response Analysis Corporation, a past president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, and a past president of the Jewish Center of Princeton. A private man, known for his integrity and keen intellect, Reuben cared deeply about social justice and donated generously to progressive causes.

Reuben was born on November 26, 1921, in Washington, D.C., where one of his first jobs was as a paperboy hawking newspapers at FDR’s inauguration. He received his BS and MA from American University. His studies were interrupted while serving in the US Army in World War II, followed by a civilian post at the Pentagon. In 1956, Reuben moved to Princeton to accept a position at Opinion Research Corporation. He later co-founded Response Analysis Corporation.

Under contract to CBS in 1964, Reuben headed the groundbreaking team that ushered in the now standard practice of using exit polling to project the outcome of presidential elections during election night TV coverage. Well-recognized in his field, Reuben was called to testify before Congress as an expert in statistical sampling techniques.

After retiring in 1986, Reuben spent time traveling, creating a Japanese garden, and cheering for the Washington Redskins.

Reuben is survived by his wife of 41 years, Dawn Day; sons Steven (Pamela Blake) of Lumberville, Pa., Alan (Susan) of Princeton Junction, and Michael (Jutta Joesch) of Seattle; grandchildren Sara and Isaac Cohen and Lena Joesch-Cohen; brother Morris Cohen (Robin Fogel) of Titusville; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brothers Sol, Ike, and Harry, and his first wife, Mamie Eisenberg Cohen.

Funeral arrangements by Star of David Memorial Chapel of Princeton are private, with burial at Princeton Cemetery.

———

Warren Harry Anderson

Warren Harry Anderson, 89, known to his friends as “Andy,” passed away after a long illness at his home in Princeton, on August 24, 2016.

 Born in Ironton, Minnesota on September 17, 1927, Andy received a federal appointment to Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy and subsequently graduated from the University of Minnesota, later earning an M.S. in Engineering from Stanford University.

Andy served in the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps with tours including commanding officer of Mobile Construction Battalion 71 (Seabees) during the Vietnam War and overseas postings to the Philippines and Thailand.  He was awarded the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star with Combat “V” among other military honors and retired after 24 years with the rank of Captain.

He embarked on a second career as a partner at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, a geotechnical engineering firm in New York City where he worked for 20 years.

Andy was an enthusiastic and prodigious gardener of vegetables and flowers. Many friends and neighbors were grateful recipients of his bounty. When he wasn’t toiling in his garden, Andy could be found on the golf course at Bedens Brook Country Club.

A devoted member of the Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church for nearly 40 years, he served as both a Trustee and Deacon.

Andy is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Jacqueline, his brothers Carleton and John David, his son Warren, his daughter Eleanor and three grandsons.

He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on August 18 at 2:15 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association (www.lung.org) or the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (www.trentonsoupkitchen.org).

EAGLE EYE: Jake Alu takes a swing in action this spring during his sophomore season for the Boston College baseball team. Former Princeton Day School standout Alu enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2017, leading the Eagles with a .331 batting average, producing 55 hits, a double, 23 RBIs, 15 walks, and 12 stolen bases. Alu earned third-team New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) All-New England honors.  (Photo provided by Boston College Athletics/John Quackenbos)

Jake Alu was a star from day one of his baseball career at Princeton Day School.

Alu started at shortstop as a freshman in the spring of 2012, hitting at the top of the order for PDS. He was a fixture in that spot all four years, exceeding the 100-hit mark in his career, becoming the program’s all-time hits leader. Along the way, Alu earned All-Prep B accolades each season of his career, included first-team honors as a senior.

After graduating from PDS, Alu headed to Boston College and joined its baseball program.

In his freshman season, though, Alu got a rude awakening as he rode the bench for much of his debut campaign.

“Freshman year was a huge struggle,” said Alu, who got into 10 games with two hits in four at-bats.

 “Your whole life you are used to being one of the better guys, you are so used to being run out there and playing every game. When I didn’t play, it was mentally and physically hard on me.”

This spring, Alu emerged as one of BC’s better players, leading the Eagles with a .331 batting average with 55 hits, a double, 23 RBIs, 15 walks and 12 stolen bases.

“Just because the name on the front of the jersey is a big name in the ACC, you can’t look at it that way, said the 5’10, 177-pound Alu, who earned third-team New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) All-New England honors for his exploits.

 “You are just playing baseball, the game I was playing since I was seven years old. It is just play, that was my biggest transformation in my sophomore year started getting comfortable. I stayed within myself. I don’t try to get too big, I am not a power guy. The coach just wanted me to have a good, quality at-bat every time I went up. If I struck out and it was an eight-pitch at bat, I let the other guys see the pitches. My approach was the same, let them give the power and just find the barrel and hit it somewhere.

In addition to his big year with the bat, Alu displayed his versatility, playing in the infield and the outfield as well as handling relief pitching duties.

“We had an injury-filled year, poor second baseman got hurt and for 10 or 12 games, I played second base,” recalled Alu.

“I started at third for a little while and then I was back in left field for a little bit. Everyone thinks that would be hard on me mentally but the way I see it, I just want to be one of the nine guys on the field. I just want to play baseball.”

For Alu, getting the chance to pitch helped sharpen his focus as the plate.

“He knew that I had pitched a little bit on my travel team so he tried to work me in just to get me in the game,” said Alu, who made nine appearances on the mound with eight strikeouts and five walks in 8 2/3 innings.

“It was definitely a good time. It was a little different, you can’t just blow it by them. You learn the ins and outs of pitching. I think that was good for me because looking at the way you have to pitch some hitters helps me see how pitchers are going to try to pitch me.”

Earning All-New England honors gave Alu a coveted spot in program tradition.

“Seeing all the older guys my freshman year and all the people in the past they have on the wall in the locker room winning awards, it instills that in your brain,” said Alu.

“Every day when you walk in the locker room, you see all those names and to be part of that is something very special. Everyone is trying to work for their opportunity to get to that point. You want to keep moving forward and maybe make first team next year and do even better.”

With Boston College slipping to 25-28 record this spring after going 35-22 and advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2016, Alu believes the team will do much better in his junior campaign.

“Our whole team, me included, has our sights set on Omaha and being in line for a national championship next year,” said Alu, who started the summer in the storied Cape Cod Baseball League, playing eight games for the Bourne Braves, collecting five hits, four runs, four walks, an RBI, and two stolen bases before getting sidelined by injury.

“We are returning a lot of great guys and I think it will be something special next year. We are going to be really, really good. We were playing a lot of young guys this year and we thought we were losing two or three guys to the Major League Baseball draft and they are all coming back so that was good.”

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Teddy Durbin delivers a pitch for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Babe Ruth 15-year-old All Stars last week in the Southern New Jersey state tournament. Last Friday, rising Princeton High junior Durbin got the win on the mound as West Windsor-Plainsboro defeat Hamilton-Northern Burlington 7-4 to win the crown. West Windsor will now compete in the Babe Ruth Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament in Naskayunk, N.Y. with that tourney wrapping up this weekend.

Teddy Durbin celebrated his 16th birthday last Sunday but he already received a special gift two days earlier.

Pitching for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Babe Ruth 15-year-old All Stars, rising Princeton High junior Durbin helped the squad defeat Hamilton-Northern Burlington 7-4 as the program captured its first ever Southern New Jersey state title.

West Windsor will now compete in the Babe Ruth Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament in Naskayunk, N.Y. with that tourney wrapping up this weekend.

In Durbin’s view, a special team chemistry helped fuel the run to the state crown.

“I think just from last year where we had started actually combining the Plainsboro, West Windsor and Princeton kids, we weren’t totally bonding with each other as much,” said Durbin, who was joined by fellow Princeton resident Judd Petrone on the team that includes West Windsor, Princeton, Plainsboro, and Cranbury players as the Princeton Babe Ruth merged its charter with West Windsor Plainsboro Babe Ruth about five years ago.

“Going into this year, we knew each other better and we were more comfortable and that made it easier to win.”

For Durbin, playing for the PHS varsity baseball program this spring gave him an extra comfort level when he hit the field for the Babe Ruth season.

“That was really good, it gave me a lot of experience that I didn’t really have before,” said Durbin, who pitched and played first base for PHS, earning the program’s top varsity pitcher award from the coaching staff.

“There were a lot of upperclassmen who really helped me develop throughout the year so that was a really good experience. I see pitching as my most important thing but I think this year I improved a lot on hitting just because of being able to play on the varsity team this year. That was pretty good.”

Durbin has seen a lot of action on the diamond this summer, playing for the Princeton Post 218 American Legion team and travel ball in addition to competing for West Windsor Babe Ruth.

“My travel team was really good this year because it is based in West Windsor and they made their schedule work around Babe Ruth,” said Durbin.

“I could only play legion ball during down times with Babe Ruth and travel; I tried to make as many games as I could. It is nonstop but it is the sport I love so it was a lot of fun.”

After placing third in the District One Tournament to earn the last spot in the state tourney, West Windsor gained momentum by defeating defending champion Millville 8-3 in its state opener.

“I could tell that the team wasn’t nervous and that we were ready to battle with a really good team,” said Durbin, who pitched five innings to get the win on the mound, giving up two hits and recording seven strikeouts with no earned runs.

“We showed up ready to play and it looked like we wanted it a little bit more than them. That was really important. Winning that first game against the defending champs gives everyone a confidence boost.”

The team posted a 7-2 win over Jersey Shore and a 3-1 victory over Hamilton-Northern Burlington to advance to the championship round of the double-elimination competition.

Taking the mound on Friday for the rematch against Hamilton-Northern Burlington, Durbin was looking to keep things simple.

“They felt more pressure since we beat them in the previous game,” said Durbin, who 5 2/3rd innings to get the victory,  giving up one earned run and striking out two.

“I was pitching to contact and letting my defense do the work and it paid off.”

After putting in so much hard work over the years, Durbin savored the title.

“It feels really good, it is great,” said Durbin, who had come close to winning state title with the Princeton Little League program as it placed third in the 2015 New Jersey Intermediate 50/70 tournament.

“Doing it with Judd especially was really good too because we had been together with Princeton before that since we were six or seven. The West Windsor guys were great too. We bonded really well together.”

Durbin feels the West Windsor squad is peaking at the right time. “For the past two years I have been on the team, this is the best we have played,” said Durbin.

“There have been a lot of clutch hits, the defense has picked up and our pitching has been really good this year.”

Coming into the regional, which features pool play followed by a playoff round, Durbin and his teammates believe they can be a title contender.

“We are definitely going in there trying to win and we think that the way the tournament is set up, we have a good shot to win,” said Durbin.

“Every team makes the playoff. We are going to try to not burn as many pitchers and save our arms. The quarterfinals are on Friday and then the semis and the finals are on Saturday. If we get in a good enough spot going into Friday and Saturday, we would be in really good shape.”

Looking ahead, Durbin is hoping to help PHS experience some playoff success next spring.

“Our whole starting rotation is returning; it is very possible that we can win double digit games this year,” said Durbin. “I think we can win our division too; it could be a big year for us.”

To the Editor:

I attended both the W. Windsor meeting and the Princeton Town Council meeting that dealt with Rt. 1 construction. No one at either meeting said anything about Alexander Road. The recent Town Topics [“Council Casts Votes In Favor of Measures on Group Home and More,” pg. one, July 12) reports “… and the extension of the queue before entering the jughandle turn at Alexander Road.”  The jughandle on Alexander is at Canal Point Blvd. The circumference of the jughandle appears to be adequate to me at the present time. Why does more land have to be purchased, at taxpayer expense, to do something that appears to be unnecessary? If Canal Point Blvd. were to be extended, that is an entirely different question.

There is a jughandle by the turn to the Hyatt but that seems to be for Black Rock, etc. traffic only.

I believe what Anne Levin meant to say was that the jughandle at Rt. 1 and Fisher Place is proposed to be extended.

I do not feel the Town Council is aware of what they have approved, by approving the resolution on July 10. They have approved a “cross-over jughandle” from Harrison St. to Rt. 1 North. This will create more congestion because vehicles will have to stop twice, not once! Once to cross Rt. 1 and then, again, to cross Harrison St. At the WW Town Council meeting it was incorrectly stated that this new jughandle would be like the one at Menlo Park.  That jughandle is tilted to the left (northward), so there is no recrossing involved.  This jughandle would be tilted to the right (southward).

Furthermore, cars exiting going south would be directed to Fairview Rd. and Washington Rd.

Vehicles going north on Rt. 1 who want to use the Sunoco station or make a U Turn would have to go to Scudders Mill Rd. to make a U Turn. Didn’t the DOT try eliminating left turns before and the results were negative? Is that what DOT wants to experience this time, also?

I have received assurance from Heather Howard that she would look into this problem and report back to me.

I am sorry that I did not receive any notice about any public hearing in Princeton about the Rt. 1 proposal and am grateful that the West Windsor Bicycle  & Pedestrian Alliance notified me.  I came to the  Princeton Town Council meeting to hear and discuss the elimination of the contract with ARC for maintenance services and Anne Levin didn’t even report on that part of the meeting, despite the fact the meeting ended extremely early!

Dan Rappoport

Copperwood

Editor’s Note: The part of the meeting referred to in the last sentence can be found on the Town Topics website www.towntopics.com.

Photo Credit: @verabradley

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