Has it been a bit challenging lately to find your calm? Chances are high you could name five people you know who have had COVID in the past month. It sometimes feels like it’s spreading like wildfire. Despite the most careful following of safety protocols by some, they are getting it, too. Similarly, if you have money invested in the stock market, it can be harrowing to watch it hit new lows day after day, even if you take great care to invest responsibly.

These and many other things in life we simply can’t control, no matter how careful we are. Yet, if you can’t simply throw up your hands and throw caution to the wind, there are some things you can manage more than others. That’s what this month’s Princeton Perspectives is all about. In Finding Comfort and Healing in the Things You Can Control, we share multiple ways to find happiness, calm, better health and positive summer days with local perspectives on how to achieve them all!

What do your neighbors, schoolmates, friends and other locals do when they need a moment of calm? Watch this month’s Pulse of Princeton to get tabs on the ways those around you are finding comfort and healing.

Did you know that music is scientifically known to release endorphins in the brain, which bring about a feeling of excitement? To help control your mood a little better, read Finding Joy and Comfort in Local Musical Opportunities and make plans to listen to some rock, jazz or classical performers soon.

If you are a planner, you might find solace in figuring out what to put into your body to help you feel your best. How to Nourish Your Immune System with Real Food provides some simple choices you can make. Whether you start with just one or do them all, every little bit can help.

Having friends nearby or being part of a local community helps to give one a sense of purpose, it reduces stress and makes one happier. Take Control of Your Life by Surrounding Yourself with Good People shares many ways in our area to meet others, whether you’re still searching for your community or you’re looking for something more. The more opportunities you give yourself, the more likely you’ll find your people.

Often times, lifelong friends come from an immersive time in your life, like college or summer camp. It’s a time to just be you, and to relax and have fun with others. Choosing Summer Camp for Kids Can Create Beneficial, Meaningful Experiences details some of the many ways summer programs bring comfort to kids. Whether you opt for a sleepaway experience or a local recreational program, the opportunities are there.

Lastly, in this month’s Perspectives Revisited we provide you timely updates on some stories we covered in the past. We’ll share some new information about a bill in the NJ Senate to ensure technology keeps people well informed and not ill-informed and a new tool created by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to help track pollution locally.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. If you have thoughts about something we’ve covered or you’d like to see us cover, please email us here. And, if you want to expand on those thoughts with a Letter to the Editor that we can post for all readers, you can submit that here.

Schools are ending, and that “Summer is Here!” feeling is starting to spread! Despite COVID and the stock market, there things you can control. Take advantage of the many ways to enjoy yourself. We hope this issue helps you to move forward in a more optimistic way.

Lisa Jacknow

Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!

Music is known to have many benefits. It can reduce stress, enhance your mood, increase your adrenaline and more. And the best news is that you can often access music at your leisure to reap such rewards. Listening to your procured playlist is one option, but in the Princeton area, there are a myriad of ways to listen to, perform or be entertained with live music. As summer 2022 kicks off, take some control of your desires and engage in music through one of many local offerings.

THE PRINCETON FESTIVAL

This 16-day extravaganza of performing arts is now underway. If you like exceptional performances and prefer not to travel far, you can join approximately 8,000 others who stop by through the line-up of the Princeton Festival. Last weekend, the 18^th season opened with performances under the 10,000 sq. foot performance tent at the festival’s new home base.

“In previous years, the Princeton Festival’s performance offerings were spread throughout the Princeton area at multiple indoor venues,” explains Carolyn Dwyer, manager of marketing and communications for the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO). “This season, following the merger of the Princeton Festival and the PSO last summer, the PSO has created its own outdoor, tented venue to showcase the majority of the Princeton Festival’s performances on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden. Only the Baroque performances, which feature sensitive period instruments, are indoors at Trinity Church.”

The new open tent can be reconfigured to meet the festival’s various needs, from a grand opera hall to an intimate club space. This allows the summer performing arts festival to accommodate its calendar of events, lined up through June 25^th. Performances range from jazz to cabaret, chamber to baroque, Broadway to opera and there are adult and family-friendly both paid and free options nearly every day.

“Storm Large and Sierra Boggess both have great stage presence and are spectacular performers, and the Princeton Festival has always been known for its opera. This year’s productions are all very funny and sung in English, making them perfect for anyone new to the genre,” Dwyer adds.

Whether or not you plan to attend one of the ticketed concerts, you can show up and learn from a variety of talks, such as John Burkhalter’s Contrast & Brilliance in Baroque Music or Timothy Urban’s Under the Hood of Albert Herring. Poetry events next weekend, though offered at no cost, do require an RSVP. On June 24^th and 25^th the Princeton Festival will close with Broadway and family-friendly POPS! Concerts. Music-making activities, free to the public, will be available for families that come early on the 25^th to picnic and enjoy the venue. You can get concert tickets and see the full calendar of events here.

ON THE GREEN AT PALMER SQUARE

The 2022 Music Series continues this Saturday on the green at Palmer Square with free music from Ess Gees on June 18^th from 12-2pm. It then continues with Dave Vargo on June 25^th and Big Valley Bluegrass on July 2^nd.

Additionally, Dueling Pianos are back! Thursdays, from July 14^th through August 11^th The Flying Ivories will be leading the popular sing-a-long, all request fun in the square. Just bring your lawn chair or blanket and show up for the fun – no tickets required!

SOURLAND MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL

If you’re up for some blues-infused rock-n-roll, festival jazz, pop/Americana and more, plan to spend the day at the Sourland Mountain Festival on July 23^rd. The day of music, local food and drink and outdoor, family fun is hosted by the Sourland Conservancy.

“The Sourland Music Festival (as it used to be called) was started circa 2003 by Tom Kilbourne, Sourland Conservancy member, and held at Hillbilly Hall on the Sourland Mountain outside of Hopewell,”recalls Suzanne Parsons, festival Chair. “It soon outgrew this location then moved to its new home on the Polo Field at Hillsborough Golf & Country Club, where it was held through 2019 with the largest attendance ever of 2,300 people! Unionville Vineyards is our new but smaller location this year and our presenting sponsor.”

This year’s venue limits the space to 1,000 guests, with tickets sold online and at the door (if available) and children under 12 are free. From 3pm-8:30pm, guests are welcome to sit on a blanket or lawn chair or get up and dance while enjoying the line-up of four tri-state area bands.

The festival also provides an opportunity for people to get to know the Sourland Mountain area, with historians and geologists on site as well as a “Cool Critters” area to get to learn about the animals of the Sourlands.

“The Festival is the Sourland Conservancy’s biggest fundraising event of each year. It draws a large crowd of affluent music lovers who are engaged in their community, their environment and who enjoy the amenities of the Sourland Mountain,” Parsons explains.

FEDERATION OF THE ART SONG

If you are a performer searching for an outlet or a music-lover with a deep appreciation of music and world-wide cultures, you may want to take note of a new organization founded last year. Federation of the Art Song (FAS) aims to help singers and pianists develop while simultaneously educating the public on expanding repertoires.

“Art Song is a twofold art form which combines music and poetry,” shares Martin Néron, Vice President of FAS. “One of the emphasis of FAS is to explore, present, and perform repertoire that includes culture and folklore from all diasporas. One of our programs, Songs from Outside the Box, focuses on identifying and developing a community of songs composed and derived from under-represented cultures worldwide, sung in the classical style.”

Last month, baritone Jean Bernard Cerin and Néron (pianist) entertained supporters in a private Princeton home to celebrate the organization’s founding. A Celebration of the Art Song from Haiti shared the talents of Cerin and Néron while tracing the flow of Haitian music through various times and places. This was the third FAS event in the Princeton area. A benefit concert featuring tenor Paul Appleby, soprano Bridgette Gan, and baritones Elem Eley and Scott Johnson was held Labor Day weekend 2021, and the first Songs from Outside the Box concert was performed October in collaboration with Westminster Choir College. It was a faculty recital at the Lawrenceville Rider campus which featured composers from the African diaspora, Mediterranean region and Latin America. On Saturday, September 3^rd FAS will be presenting its 2^nd annual Labor Day weekend concert at a home in Princeton. The program has not yet been announced but you can stay informed through the website’s event page.

“FAS is about collaborations, and associations. We wish to work together with other organizations in order to further our mission: to educate the public on the expanding catalogue of song repertoire from a multitude of sources and communities, thus benefiting audiences and artists alike,” Néron adds.

Founded by Néron, a celebrated Canadian pianist acclaimed for his art song repertoire, and longtime Princeton resident, performing soprano and vocal teacher, Alta Malberg, FAS aims to award an annual fellowship as well as offer concerts of art song tradition throughout the year. The first fellowship competition is currently underway, and details can be found here.

PRINCETON GIRLCHOIR AND BOYCHOIR

Budding artists, who may someday find themselves on the stage at one of the above festivals, are honing their skills now as part of Princeton Girlchoir and Princeton Boychoir. The area’s premier choirs provide music education and performance opportunities under the umbrella of Westrick Music Academy and delight local audiences with their work.

“Following 2 years of largely virtual rehearsals and performances, we have been thrilled to return to singing in-person this spring,” shares Carolyn Sienicki, Westrick Music Academy Development and Communications Director. “We regularly perform at venues throughout the Princeton region and beyond. Recently, the Girlchoir and Boychoir have performed at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, Voorhees Chapel & Kirkpatrick Chapel at Rutgers University, and in various church venues in the Princeton area.”

While the community reaps the benefits of these beautiful performances, children in grades 3-12 build confidence in their voices through regular rehearsals and by performing on grand stages as well. For example, the Girlchoir sang at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii last year and have performed in the North American premiere of Tan Dun’s Symphony with Yo-Yo Ma at Lincoln Center. They are headed to Quebec, Canada this summer.

“In addition, Princeton Boychoir has appeared on NBC with Michael Bublé in his 2021 Christmas in the City special, at the Baltimore Boychoir Festival, the International Boy’s and Men’s Choral Festival in Arizona, and will make their international debut in Prague and Vienna in 2022,” notes Sienicki.

If you have a child that loves to sing, Westrick Music Academy is offering a summer camp in August for all 3^rd-12^th graders interested in developing their vocal and musical techniques while having fun. No audition is necessary. To take part in the year-round choirs, an audition is required, and anyone interested in joining for the 2022-2023 school year can sign up for an audition here. 1^st and 2^nd graders with a love for singing can join the Poco Voce classes as well.

So, get out and enjoy some music. Or be a part of it. No matter your age or musical desires, grant yourself the gift of something classical, jazz, rock or whatever gets you going this summer.

Lisa Jacknow

Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!

“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats

No matter what one is going through, friendship and connections help you through it. For some, meeting people is easy – talking to the person that sits near you at the office, striking up a conversation at a social gathering or meeting other parents at school pick-up. If that is not a natural comfort zone for you, or if you delight in being exposed to and meeting lots of new people, Princeton is the type of community that offers many ways to feel connected. There are public opportunities and private clubs, to meet the varying needs and desires of all. Learning something new, taking part in an activity you already love or exposing yourself to things you’d never considered can create connections to help you enjoy each day and give you something to look forward to. And, when you choose to become part of a community, you have taken a step to move forward in a new way.

SOCIAL AND INTEREST CLUBS

If you are good with technology, Meetup, a social networking group, is an easy way to connect with others in the area. Whether you’re looking to make new friends or simply find some people to hang with and discover new interest together, there are a variety of opportunities.

Just entering “08540” in the search brought up a community dragon boat paddle, a pickup soccer game, a get-together for wine and music at a local winery and a potluck dinner gathering with a plant-based eating group. There are groups for singles 50+, board game lovers, outdoor bootcamps and more. And there’s no membership fee to use Meetup, just a desire to connect. If you don’t see something appealing, you can even start your own meetup event for others to join you at a place or activity.

If you’re comfortable with joining a club to open some new doors, there are many connections that can be made. Back in 1898, a group of Princeton-area women that wanted to come together to engage in cultural and intellectual activities with like-minded people founded The Present Day Club. Membership is open to all women, but those who retire or are new to the area are the most common new members and weekly lectures/luncheons are the most popular gatherings, hosted from September through June.

“We have had talks ranging from how climate change is affecting the ocean currents to a virtual tour via Zoom of the French architectural masterpiece Vaux-le-Vicomte. Many of our members come every week because they don’t want to miss a topic and have noted that they are particularly appreciative of the exposure to subjects that are foreign to their own expertise,” notes Cecilia Tazelaar, President of the Present Day Club. “The emphasis on the members’ enjoyment has created a unique social space where women can take a break from their many roles and responsibilities and do something just for themselves.”

Beyond the lectures, the club has expanded to form interest groups like bridge, current events, photography and more. Day trips to the theater or guided tours at museums are also a regular occurrence. And of course, there are celebratory parties at their clubhouse. You may have driven by it often and not realized, but the home at 72 Stockton Street was purchased in 1930 and has since been The Present Day Club’s permanent space.

“When I moved to my new house nearby, I stumbled on the club and was flabbergasted at the fact there were over 100 women meeting for lunch every Wednesday and I had no idea it was happening,” new member Jessica Vieira excitedly shares. “The quality of the speakers and the dynamic of super, intelligent, amazing women getting together who are an incredibly welcoming group – it’s really special.”

The YWCA felt there was a further need to help women new to Princeton and in 1959 created YWCA Newcomers Club to introduce them to each other and inform them about the area. There were no barriers of age, race, economic status or education, and it welcomed people that had come from as far as Australia and India. There was one hard rule, one had to live in the area for less than two years to attend. In 2012 the name changed to Princeton Area Newcomers & Friends (NC&F) and now, more than 60 years later, the group is made up of almost 200 women who are interested in meeting new people and exploring their interests.

“The main change to the founding ‘rules’ is that there is no longer a two-year maximum time of joining. In fact, we have members who have belonged for over a decade and some who left the area only to come back at a future date and join again,” explains Cathylee Healy, NC&F Marketing VP. “We invite women to ‘check us out’ prior to joining. They are welcome to come to a Social Coffee event, a Friday with Friend event and to try one Interest group gathering.”

NC &F organizes dozens of activities ranging from purely social, to experiential, learning, volunteering and assisting each other – all in the name of making new relationships. Many members have shared that through joining, they have met amazing women, learned and laughed, became engaged and felt less alone.

“During the year of the pandemic, 1/3 of the membership volunteered to lead others in the organization’s and the YWCA’s endeavors. We shared programs on Historic Princeton, The Female Supreme Court Justices, and the differences between stereotypes and useful generalizations. We led hikes, walks, bike rides and virtual explorations of towns and cities. We played bridge, mahjong, pickleball, golf and solved mind benders and puzzles. We read a wide variety of authors, watched and discussed films of cultural diversity and studied some the most challenging of current affairs,” shares member Donna W. “I am grateful for the growth this organization has generated in me and the beloved and trusted lifelong friends I have found here.”

For men and women looking for community, both can find it in a downtown location that just opened last month. Inside Nelson Glass House on Spring Street, At Earth’s End has Caffe by illy coffee bar and The Parlour, a curated cigar tasting room, open to the public, and The House, a private club reserved for members. Neighbors looking for a local spot to experience silky Italian coffee can stop into Caffe by illy, and those wanting to relax in the cigar lounge can do that too, but it is in The House that locals plan to nurture their spirit and meet with others in a place hoping to feel like a second home.

“When we move to the suburbs, our friends become our immediate work environment, our immediate neighbors and the parents of our kid’s friends. Yet, there’s a much bigger world out there within that suburb of interesting people we just don’t have the opportunity to meet,” details Sid Yu, Co-Managing Partner of At Earth’s End. “You can go to a country club to play golf or other clubs for food, but sometimes you just want to go to an intimate, private place like you’d build in your house. This is where you can go from morning until night, and the functionality changes. You can go at 7:30am for coffee, read the paper, have a conversation with a friend. Have a meeting mid-morning and do some work. Then late afternoon, pre- and post-dinner and in late evening, it becomes more social.”

Members can take advantage of the coffee and enjoy the cigars from a private humidor inside the club, but it also has a bar for camaraderie, a den and library for like-minded people to find each other and relax, think and enjoy civility. Lastly, The House is a place for adventurers, where guests can plan for a motorcycle ride, Iron Chef dinners or a master class.

“We have a full bar with everything but the alcohol, members store their own alcohol in their private lockers. But they treat it like their place, where they host themselves and their guests. It’s like an extended social room, extended bar, extended office,” Yu shares. “You have an electronic pass key and open the membership house on your own. Sometimes it might be you and a couple of other people, other times there’s 20 others.”

People that likely wouldn’t meet otherwise end up with chance encounters which can lead to many things. For example, the managing partner of a consulting firm sits at the bar next to the President of a large company. They may first talk about work and hobbies, but soon the conversation leads to family and friendships form.

SPORTS CLUBS

Sports can also be a great way to have camaraderie and become a part of something. Basketball meet-ups on the neighborhood court, running through town with your bestie and taking long walks through Mountain Lakes with your dog are all great ways to interact with others while being physically active. But sometimes you don’t have someone to run with or you want to try your hand at something new, and local sports clubs offer a great opportunity to gain the drive to get active, push you to achieve your best and do it all while meeting new people.

In 2015, David Wu had been living in Princeton for nearly 13 years and he decided to challenge himself by running the Princeton Half Marathon. A Chinese immigrant, he was wowed by the inspirational messages in his WeChat group as they all cheered him on. Little did he know, his encouragement for them to meet him out on a Saturday and try running along the canal would turn into the Princeton Running Team with 80 regulars participating.

“I was the first person in the Chinese community to run the half marathon. Then in 2016 there were a few people that finished. Now, from that group, there are already 3 Ironman completers,” says Wu. “It’s a little to my surprise, I didn’t expect a lot of people to be persistent with it. This is now the 7^th year. We started with around 10 people, then the word spread attracting runners and walkers who usually go out on Saturday and Sunday morning to run or walk along the canal.”

Princeton Running Team is not a formal organization, yet it has connected people through running, walking, talking, joking and having fun. Wu noted culture and language barriers often unintentionally make members of the local Chinese community feel like outsiders, so Princeton Running Team has become a safe space.

“In general, whether you’re born here or come here, you need a sense of belonging. You can’t have the feeling of belonging if you’re just sitting at your home alone. You have to make a connection with people,” Wu acknowledges. “There are a lot of running teams in Princeton, so you find your common interest or common passion to connect with others. Then you start to have the sense of belonging to a group or community. This group, because all of us come from China or Chinese-speaking countries, for us there is a second perspective. We’re all first-generation immigrants trying to find our role, our existence in this big community.”

From arranging regular meetups through WeChat, the group easily began sharing pictures of their runs and lives. They began talking about their families and gathering for parties throughout the years as well. And, as members of the local Chinese community, started discussing ways to better integrate with the rest of Princeton. This past Memorial Day weekend, Princeton Running Team held its first formal event, the AAPI 5k. Through the marvels of their social media group the race came together in just weeks, with one person handling permits, another doing fundraising, a website designer and more. It went far beyond running and the power of community was felt.

“There’s one person on this running team, she never in her wildest dream thought about finishing a half marathon. She started to walk with us, and slowly to run. And now she has completed 3 or 4 half marathons. She started her 1^st half marathon because of me, but she finished it on her 40^th birthday! Because of those things, she’s now a very active team member and she helped do fundraising for the 5k,” recalls Wu.

Beyond Princeton Running Team, there are many other local group opportunities for all sorts of runners including but not limited to Princeton Running Club, Princeton Athletic Club and Mercer Bucks Running Club.

If running doesn’t suit you, the fastest growing sport for the past two years, according to the USA Pickleball and the Sports & Fitness Industry Association is pickleball. It’s been in existence since the 60’s but its ease of play helped it to gain in popularity during the pandemic. It is now often played in our area by locals wishing to get physical and get together with others.

“Pickleball is the only sport we know that does not discriminate against gender, body size/type or age. It is a cross between tennis, badminton and ping pong,” details Sharon Voelzke, co-owner of Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club, which came to be thanks to its attraction during the pandemic. “Everyone we spoke to was playing Pickleball in their communities on makeshift converted tennis courts or in their driveways with taped courts or at other coveted locations. We also joined the craze and striped a court in our cul-de-sac to enjoy the game as much as possible. We found it a great way to get to know each other and our neighbors and enjoy a safe social way to exercise in restricted times.”

Sharon, her husband, Bob, and friends Becky and Frank Gabriele grew passionate about playing, but couldn’t find an indoor court once the weather turned. They surveyed their networks of friends and acquaintances and discovered there was a huge interest in indoor play. This past February, they opened Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club, a social and fitness community for the area and already have more than 900 members.

“People who previously lacked confidence in their athletic abilities blossom while playing pickleball with every clinic they take, social event they partake in, and point they earn or defend,” Voelzke notes. And even without joining a club, she adds there are multiple opportunities to get in the game. “Meet-up groups for Pickleball playing in our area have multiplied in the past couple of years. Technology like Team Reach and Meetup apps, enable players to sign-up to play alone and rotate into games with three others they do not know for games to 11. Facebook pages for specific towns, communities and courts are used to inform people about upcoming gatherings and tournaments.”

When people connect to play pickleball, Voelzke says they may arrive as strangers but often leave exchanging numbers to plan their next game. Whether you are new to the area, visiting temporarily or completely new to the sport, one can learn the basic skills of the game within 15 minutes, and leave the court with hours of fun ahead of them. And you never know how rosy that future could be.

“A member asked us to make sure she played at least one game in her Social Play with the “cute guy in blue.” Low and behold, we have spotted them renting a private court together several times since they were “randomly” paired together with our assistance,” Voelzke shares.

If you haven’t found a match through one of the social or sports clubs, keep optimistic. If art is your thing, check out local places like The Arts Council or Color Me Mine and make a plan to attend one of their adult education or open classes. Or volunteer. With hundreds of local organizations looking for help, finding something that connects with you personally or which could benefit from a skill you have could be everlasting. That connection to a new community could keep you going for years to come.

Lisa Jacknow

Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!