Most of us spent the summer getting out more and resuming some of the activities we’d avoided during the previous 18 months of the pandemic, thinking the worst was behind us. And while the high vaccination rates in Princeton should prevent severe illness or death for most, Princeton is starting to see a return of COVID infections. The Delta variant is assumed responsible for 90% of NJ’s COVID-19 infections over the past 3 weeks, a trend that is starting to appear in town as well. Should this become more severe, it could prompt the municipality to enact some changes. For now, mask mandates are only being required at K-12 schools (per the governor), yet the Princeton Health Department is advising people to resume wearing masks when indoors, especially if going home to unvaccinated people.

Beyond COVID concerns, there are several other changes taking place or being discussed around town. In this month’s issue of Princeton Perspectives, Local Changes on the Horizon in Princeton, we are taking a deeper look into a handful of them.

Within our four articles, we only have space to cover a few of today’s main issues. Some of those are top of mind as we asked people around town what issues concern them the most, and some people have others to highlight. Watch our Pulse of Princeton to hear all of their comments.

We do know that 71% of Mercer County voters made a statement by choosing “Yes” on Question 1 in November. That vote was in favor of decriminalizing cannabis in New Jersey. Now, it is time for municipalities to decide whether or not to allow the licensing of cannabis businesses. What are the options? Where are the plans headed? We break it all down for you in Should Princeton Welcome Cannabis Businesses to Town Now That It’s Legal? Read it now to learn where things stand and stay tuned as our municipality makes its plans going forward.

Many groups around town are weighing in about whether or not to follow Summit, Maplewood and Montclair in creating restrictions around gas-powered leaf blowers. There are concerns about the environment and health that are being discussed and one of our guest writers shares those considerations for you in Changing the Landscape Project Encourages Residents to Reimagine Their Lawns.

Princeton taxpayers may soon vote to take on another referendum, in a school year marked with a lot of change. In Leaders and Goals Take Princeton Public Schools in New Directions we share details about this referendum proposal, as well as introducing you to several of Princeton Public Schools’ new leaders.

And you’ve seen the changes in town, spurred by COVID, providing expanded outdoor spaces for eating and more places to walk, bike and enjoy getting around. Our guest writer explains some of the transportation options and the future plans in Transportation Options Make It Easier to Get Around Town.

Perspectives Revisited offers a look back at information we’ve shared in the past and updates it. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of your screen to find out this latest news.

We are grateful to be able to share what matters to Princeton and provide specifics and details about the many local changes on the horizon. As the final weeks of summer are upon us, Health Officer Jeff Grosser says the increase in COVID cases in Princeton are being linked to international and inter-state travel, and indoor gatherings. So, please be safe.

The international nature of Princeton, which perhaps plays a role in all this travelling, is also something that makes this town so special and unique. Next month, Princeton Perspectives will take a look at the many nationalities and cultures living here together.

Please continue to share our magazine with others and click here if you have topic ideas you’d like to see us cover. We wish you a fun and healthy end to summer!

67% of New Jersey voters (and 71% of those in Mercer County) approved it last November and in February, NJ Governor Phil Murphy signed the legalization of cannabis (for those over 21) into law, but does that mean Princeton residents want to invite the cannabis industry to town? There are not yet any cannabis businesses within the boundaries of Princeton, and the town is taking time to do its due diligence before deciding whether to allow any.

“I don’t want the public to think council members have prejudged where we go with cannabis,” stated Councilman Dwaine Williamson at a recent meeting. “We may go one direction we may go in another direction. There seems to be an attitude that there’s a presumption we’re going to opt-in in the future, but we can’t prejudge this. Whatever direction we go in is going to be well thought out and well prepared.”

When the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act was signed in February, it gave municipalities the option to follow regulations the state is creating or to have their own controls over what types of cannabis businesses could take place within their borders, with regards to cultivating, manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, retail and delivery licenses. It also came with an August 21^st deadline or an automatic opt-in would take effect for five years. With an agreement that making the right decisions for Princeton would take some time to determine, the four Council members present at the Monday August 9^th Princeton Council meeting listened to public comment then voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance to opt the municipality out of all licenses, maintaining the ability to opt back in to any and all opportunities once the assessments are complete.

“This is opting out for now” said Councilwoman Leticia Fraga, at the August 9^th Council meeting. “We do want to engage the public at not just one but maybe two community meetings. We’re looking at next September for our first.”

The opt-out buys time for the Cannabis Task Force that Princeton created to fully evaluate and determine what types of cannabis businesses to allow in town, if any, and under what controls.

“If we rushed it, we wouldn’t be able to have community meetings. The Task force is doing a lot of leg work on how this has impacted other towns, in other states, so we can have a real feel for whether to let market forces draw the decisions,” explains Princeton Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, who is also a member of the Cannabis Task Force. “Do we ordinance things like hours and distance to schools and things like that? There’s a lot of detail to work out. We could’ve done it quickly but felt we didn’t want to rush.”

The 23-member Cannabis Task Force comprised of local officials, business members, town residents, representatives from Princeton Public Schools, the police, organizations and more has chosen to first look at retail licensing to determine what, if any, parameters should be created. So far, specific commercial zones have been identified within Princeton’s borders. These include 206 North (the Bottle King area), lower 206 North (corner of Mt. Lucas and Cherry Hill Roads), Witherspoon North (Witherspoon from Green Street to about Leigh Avenue), the Central business district (Palmer Square/downtown area), the Dinky area (where Metro North is), Jugtown Historic District (corner of Harrison and Nassau Streets) and Princeton Shopping Center. The Task Force is still considering if any or all of these zones should allow cannabis dispensaries.

“The business voices and some folks advocating for equity issues tend to argue for more centrally located dispensaries,” Dean Smith shares. Smith is owner of jaZams and a member of the Cannabis Task Force. “It seems that there is some hesitancy from municipal representatives to central business district locations because there is some fear of lines or parking issues. While those concerns cannot be discounted, wherever I have experienced dispensaries in other states (Maine, California & Colorado) I have never encountered long lines or unhappiness on behalf of business owners that are located adjacent to dispensaries.”

Smith says his perception so far is that business owners mostly support cannabis dispensaries in town. He and Pirone Lambros both get a strong sense from townsfolk they’ve spoken to and that have shared at meetings, they are supportive as well for the opening of a few.

“Residents have provided inputs to the Task Force and all citizen concerns have been circulated to all members. Honestly, there have been very few people that have had negative feelings about the possibility of dispensaries in town,” states Smith.

However, a recent poll of nearly 90 Princeton Perspectives readers found that while the majority support the decriminalization of cannabis, that does not equal support for the development of cannabis-related businesses here. Many are concerned about the safety of marijuana, as it pertains to development and overall physical and mental health.

“I’ve worked in the substance abuse prevention field for over two decades. The evidence is mounting on the negative impact of THC and mental health, especially for young people. I support decriminalizing cannabis, but not commercializing it. It’s Big Tobacco 2.0 in the making,” said one respondent.

When it comes to retail, more than 60% of those polled do not want dispensaries in Princeton. There is a great fear of retail exposing it to kids. There is also a bit of “not in my town” mentality with people concerned about ease of access, who it will bring into our community and it being a gateway drug.

“Princeton ought to think long and hard before succumbing to this feel-good wave,” one reader commented. “The reality is that after everybody takes their piece of the action, there’s really not much left for the taxpayers. These businesses too often wind up in the hands of the outside cannabis mafia and we haven’t even mentioned the downside for neighborhoods and the cannabis tourists it will bring to Princeton.”

When asked about cannabis businesses overall, half of the respondents do not appear to want any. Of the other 45 that responded to supporting businesses here, 42% are in favor of all 6 licensing opportunities, 36% are comfortable with retail, 13% support delivery and 9% the local cultivation. Several respondents share support because of cannabis’ medicinal benefits.

“Medical and therapeutic research of cannabis suggests there are benefits for people with chronic pain and illnesses that take the medical drug. And there are studies that suggest cannabis can reduce prescription opioids while offering alternative therapies and medicine,” Samuel Joseph Garcia noted in his response. “The establishment of dispensaries and other auxiliaries would help bring in jobs and money to the town, decreasing unemployment.”

Another person added onto the financial benefits, noting property taxes alone can’t pay for all of Princeton’s needs.

“With 1.5 million visitors to our town, this could be something for us to use to pay for roads, schools, police, etc. Our community will be growing by huge numbers. We need to be thinking creatively of how to raise money to support this growth. Cannabis could be part of that plan,” the survey-taker stated.

This is something being considered. In addition to zoning, the Cannabis Task Force is also discussing how to determine ownership and taxation benefits.

“The other things we want to do is figure out if there is the ability to have a 2% tax on the revenue of dispensaries that would go to the municipality. One of the things we want to do is to discuss what services we could funnel the money to, that would be in keeping with our social justice values,” Pirone Lambros explains.

Social justice was echoed in our Princeton Perspectives poll, too. A strong desire to repair historical racial injustices was a repeated reason people indicated support for expanding this business sector in town.

“I believe the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis are absolutely necessary steps towards abolishing the drug war, which is not, in fact, a war on drugs, but a war on people,” noted one respondent. “The drug war has done irreparable harm to communities, especially poor communities and communities of color. Princeton needs to do legalization right, meaning centering those who have been unjustly affected – making sure that black and brown communities have access to licenses and not just rich white men. Legalization needs to bring money back into communities that have suffered under this racist drug war.”

Dr. Leah M. Rader Bowers shared a similar sentiment in her response, adding “That’s one very important way we start closing the racial and socioeconomic gaps in the town of Princeton.”

Once the Task Force makes its decision about retail, it intends to move ahead with analyzing the other licensing options. Charles Johnson, co-founder and CEO of a cannabis distribution software company seeking to create a facility in Princeton, spoke during the public comment at Monday’s Council meeting to remind residents and officials that not all cannabis businesses make it easily accessible to the town.

“There are other license classes that aren’t necessarily touching the plant and ancillary businesses that could bring in jobs,” Johnson noted. “There are distribution companies that have an interest in setting up in Princeton, it’s not all about dispensaries.”

The Cannabis Task Force allows public input during its Zoom meetings. You can see the calendar of upcoming meetings here should you want to share your perspective.

Because of the potential health hazards of cannabis and marijuana and due to the fact it all remains illegal to those under 21, Princeton’s Cannabis Task Force has created an Education, Outreach and Enforcement subcommittee that plans to meet and create ways to educate and work with the community. Though much of the licensing is still to be determined, by state law, certain possession is no longer criminal. However, driving under the influence is still a crime at any age and those under age 21 will be treated as having committed a petty disorderly offense, like they would if found in possession of alcohol.

“The Princeton Police Department follows the newly enacted laws and rules established by the Attorney General regarding the decriminalization of marijuana,” details Princeton Police Chief Christopher Morgan. “The new laws and rules are very specific with regards to possession, distribution, and even more so for those under 21. Each officer in the department has been issued the new policy and has received internal training on the new laws.”

To get a better understanding of what the new laws decriminalize and what is still not allowed, you can see the NJ Attorney Generals FAQ here.

As far as Princeton is concerned, the Cannabis Task Force is continuing to meet, discuss, listen and learn. There is hope the Task Force’s recommendations on how to proceed will be presented to council in the fall.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” Pirone Lambros shares. “There’s a lot of ideas of possibilities, but we want to find ways this will have a positive impact on the communities.”

With just a few weeks left of summer, it is time to start thinking about heading back to school. Governor Phil Murphy announced last Friday that masks will be mandatory in K-12 school buildings at the start of the school year. While the constant variations of COVID could prompt protocols to change again before or during the start of school, at Princeton Public Schools (PPS) there are also numerous personnel changes and proposals that could affect local students and Princeton taxpayers alike. With a new superintendent, two new principals and a new referendum on the table, the school year is ready to begin.

REFERENDUM ON THE HORIZON

A new Health and Safety Referendum for PPS could be approved as early as January 2022, if that’s what Princeton voters want. At its July 27^th meeting, the Princeton Board of Education (PPS BOE) voted 8-1 to authorize district administration to submit a proposal of facilities projects to the New Jersey Department of Education (Deborah Bronfeld was the dissenting vote, voicing concerns the district may be rushing into things). The hope is that the state will offset approximately 1/3 of the cost, the rest to be covered through a $17.5m referendum for a 20-year bond.

“This proposed referendum is consistent with our commitment to properly steward our physical and financial capital and, most importantly, to ensure that our schools are healthy and safe for all of our students, our teachers and our staff,” states Susan Kanter, Operations Committee Co-Chair, PPS BOE. “These needs have been deemed urgent by the administration and delays can only lead to on-going repairs, building damage and a delay to our desired solar project.”

Through ongoing inventory of all school facilities and systems, PPS administration identified a list of repairs and replacements that are overdue or needed soon. The assessments found roofs at Littlebrook, Community Park and parts of the high school are severely leaking and the remaining three school’s roofs are coming to the end of their useful lives. PPS would like to replace the roofs as soon as possible (starting with the leaky three next summer) and make all six school roof’s solar-ready. Additionally, deteriorating masonry and leaking tourets at Princeton High School (PHS), rotted siding at two elementary schools, old skylights at Johnson Park, many gutters in need of replacing and approximately 27 outdated HVAC units are in the proposal.

Like most school boards, PPS BOE only keeps about $2-4m in capital reserve. The BOE explains projects like this benefit from being funded through referendums to save taxpayers money.

“Doing the work through a referendum qualifies for significant support from the state which makes this the most economical and fiscally responsible way to do work. Because we have past debt maturing this February and the following February, taxpayers will experience no increase in the tax levy associated with debt service,” explains Kanter.

Princeton schools are still undergoing work from the last referendum, which was approved by voters in 2018. Before school begins in September, it is expected that the HVAC installation at Johnson Park, library renovation at Littlebrook and the guidance suite renovation and refurbishment at PHS should be completed. In September, the restrooms by the PHS athletic fields should get finished as well. The larger PHS renovations, including adding a floor and flexible learning spaces, are expected to run through late fall or early winter. This would mean all previous referendum projects should be finished before a new referendum vote is taken on January 25, 2022.

“The ongoing assessment and repair of our facilities is necessary as failing roofs and equipment need to be replaced,” said Matt Bouldin, Business Administrator for Princeton Public Schools. “In order to do work in the summer 2022, it is important to get the referendum passed as soon as possible.  There are long lead times with both NJ DOE approvals and construction bid/awards of work to be performed.”

There is hope the cost of the project may come in even lower than the proposed $17.5m referendum request, with energy savings programs covering some costs at the middle and high schools. Most of the assessments, deemed essential to prevent mold and structural damage at PPS schools, were confirmed by experts as well.

By late October it is expected the approvals will be back from the state, allowing the PPS BOE to vote at its November 16^th meeting to approve the cost letter and authorize the specifics of the bond proposal and a special election. The BOE Operations committee invites community members to attend its meetings (posted on the website calendar) to learn more and ask questions. There are also plans to offer evening or weekend meetings to accommodate taxpayer’s schedules.

NEW SUPERINTENDENT

As of July 1, Dr. Carol Kelley began her tenure as the newly hired Superintendent for the district. Dr. Kelley had departed the Garden State to serve six years as superintendent for a district just outside of Chicago, Illinois, and is excited to be back in New Jersey to help move our children forward.

“It’s been a challenging time for sure because of the pandemic, but honestly for a lot of our students, school has been a challenging time, period,” explains Kelley. “While academics are really important, right now I’m primarily focused on our relationships. I am focused that every student feels known, nurtured and valued. I’m focused on every student feeling they have an adult in their corner and their voices are heard.”

Dr. Kelley is eager not just to go back to how things were, but to analyze everything as a means to learn what works in our district, what doesn’t and how we can do better for each student. She is nearly half-way through her 100 day “Listening Tour,” which she embarked on immediately upon arrival. Meeting with students, parents, staff, local officials and more, she is trying to listen to people’s voices and gather data to try and put successful structures and systems into place.

“Involving them in the process of creating those solutions and getting feedback of how things are going not only helps us to get that buy-in and support, but also will help to sustain whatever the changes may be,” Kelley contends. “And it will make some of the changes necessary for our students more palatable for those who may not feel that change is needed.”

One of the first new things Kelley did was bring PPS into the Better Equitable Learning Environments (BELE) Network, a national educational equity project. Through this, district leaders have been connected to a cohort of other figureheads, and students have been connected as well. Kelley worked to get youth invited to BELE Youth Symposiums this month to help develop ideas they’d like to see within PPS.

Equity, to overcome barriers based on race, socioeconomic background, gender, and learning differences, is a key goal for Kelley. She contends equity not only means providing support to students that need it but also preparing staff to sufficiently provide enrichment to students that know and understand a content area very well.

In addition to the data points and information she collects, Superintendent Kelley is looking to create advisory boards, including those of student voices, to help her along the way. She feels the pandemic gave us a chance to really reflect.

“I definitely want to use what we learned, in terms of making connections, seeing the importance of relationships and social interaction, to help better equip our classrooms and schools to meet the whole child needs of every learner,” adds Kelley.

A focus on equity was started under her fulltime predecessor, Steve Cochrane, who led the district from January 2014 until June of last year. From July 2020 through this past June, Barry Galasso served as the interim, guiding us through the pandemic and while the search for Dr. Kelley was underway.

Though she has been extremely busy learning the lay of the land since arriving, family is everything to Dr. Kelley. If she has any downtime, you may find her reading a romance novel or listening to Earth, Wind & Fire or Stevie Wonder, her favorite musicians. While her father’s hometown in Wilmington, NC, is the best place she’s ever visited, she is very excited to be in Princeton, as downtown Nassau Street ranks a very close 2^nd.

ADDITIONAL SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Beyond physical needs, the district is having school staffing updates as well. There has been a lot of turnover at Princeton High School, but as Dr. Kelley puts it, “a new team means new opportunities.” And the new team is coming together.

PHS Principal Jessica Baxter was in the role for just 18 months when she left in January, and Jared Warren then stepped up from his assistant principal role to finish out the year as acting principal. He has since left the district and PPS’s former Supervisor of Humanities (Gr. 7-12), Stephanie Greenberg, is moving into the assistant principal role he vacated. Leading the high school administration is now Frank Chmiel. A former Montgomery High School teacher, Chmiel spent the past nine years in leadership at nearby Franklin High School in Somerset, as vice principal then principal.

“I feel that I bring positivity, high energy, and humility to leadership. I realize that no matter how much I read and listen, or how many training sessions I participate in and lead, there is always so much to learn,” Chmiel explains.

A Princeton resident, Chmiel is committed to the community here. He knows this past year has been tumultuous for high school staff and students in many ways, and is committed to being approachable, communicating well and re-energizing everyone. Every Sunday in the new school year, upcoming events and PHS highlights will be shared with all PHS families via a phone, email and text blast. He is also planning Princeton Fridays, where everyone will wear their school spirit. Pep rallies and other assemblies hope to additionally bring them all together. Chmiel hopes this helps them develop as a whole but also looks to know everyone as individuals.

“A key thing though for me is visibility. This will also be practiced by the rest of the PHS Administrative Team,” informs Chmiel. “Students will see me in the halls. I get to learn students’ names and then I learn about their interests and hobbies. I will engage students in our Student Advisory Committee, which will be something new for Princeton High School.”

Students from all grades levels and background will be forming the Student Advisory Committee, meeting monthly to provide student perspective and insight on matters. Chmiel is also counting on his staff, including school counselors, the school psychologist and other administrators to ensure the social-emotional wellness of students is constantly in check.

At the end of the last school year Director of Guidance, Health and Wellness Dr. Kristina Donovan informed the district she was leaving and PPS Administration has just completed the process of hiring her replacement. Dana Karas has worked in schools as a teacher and counselor for years, including at Princeton Public Schools as a middle school French teacher and high school counselor. Princeton’s new Director of Student Counseling Services held a guidance supervisory role in both Lawrence Township Public Schools and Franklin Township Public Schools. With this new hire, his other administrators, staff, students and their families, Chmiel promises he is looking to work together.

“Taking the time to get to know people, how they feel, how they think, how they work, and what they are interested in, helps me to make more informed and personalized leadership decisions both on the micro and macro level. More importantly, our learning community members, including our parents/guardians and extended Princeton community, will know that I truly care about them,” Chmiel adds.

Chmiel will not be the only new principal in the district this year, with a vacancy now being filled at Riverside School.

On August 23^rd, Ebony Lattimer will take over as Riverside principal. Mark Shelley and his family made the difficult decision in April to leave the area for Pittsburgh, after serving as the school’s lead administrator since 2018. Like the current turnover at PHS, Riverside has seen its fair share recently. After being led for 30 years by Bill Cirullo, who passed away in February 2016, it has since had three principals. When Cirullo became severely ill, the school was led for a year by Paul Chapin, its longtime music teacher. In summer 2016, Valerie Ulrich was named principal, who was replaced by Shelley in 2018 when she took on an administrative role in the district.

Throughout the summer a committee comprised of Riverside faculty and staff, people from the community and district administrators met and interviewed potential candidates. Earlier this month, Dr. Kelley interviewed the finalists and chose Ms. Lattimer due to “her passion for students, her leadership abilities and her knowledge of curriculum” which she says stood out from the rest. Lattimer comes to Princeton after more than four years as principal at The Titusville Academy, a private special education school for children, and eight years as an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Dr. Kelley is looking forward to working with the new and existing school principals to build a strong district community with common goals. That combined with safe and efficient buildings, facilities and equipment should lead the PPS community to a strong future.