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Author: Lisa Jacknow

Working to Ensure Roadways are Safe for All Who Use Them

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As a child, we’re all taught to look left-right-left before crossing the street. Crosswalks were created to give pedestrians a place where they have the right of way and signals have been installed to inform pedestrians when it’s their turn to safely walk. Yet, despite all of these safety measures, there were 22 accidents in Princeton last year that involved cars hitting pedestrians, with victims ranging in age from 5 to 85.

The New Jersey State Police recently released statistics on motor vehicle fatalities from 2021, and it turns out it was the deadliest year on the road, up 22% statewide for people walking or biking. While it wasn’t Princeton’s deadliest year, August’s tragic fatality on Rosedale Road is one too many.

12 of the 2021 vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents took place when the vehicle was making a left turn. In 11 of the accidents, the pedestrians were legally walking, using guidance of a pedestrian walking signal and 15 of the 22 accidents took place at a crosswalk.

“Crosswalks invite pedestrians to walk there, that’s why most accidents happen there. Pedestrians are too quick to assume a crosswalk will protect them and while legally a car must stop, the motorist has to see there’s a pedestrian first,” explains Sergeant Thomas Murray, Princeton Police Department Traffic Safety Bureau Supervisor. “Our main adversary is growing volume and a trend of growing volume includes distracted drivers.”

When COVID hit in 2020, the roadways became virtually empty. For months and months, people schooled from home, worked from home, and intentionally didn’t go out. This also became a time when people, desperate for something to do, took up more walking and biking around town. With fewer cars travelling, 2020 saw nearly 1/3 fewer pedestrians get hit than we’ve since seen in 2021.

Yet the quiet roadways of 2020 meant a lone car on the road could travel at faster speeds and with less police enforcement reminding them to slow down. A need to keep the police force healthy and safe from COVID meant maximizing social distancing and fewer traffic stops. Attitudes about speed limits and safe driving were affected.

Another thing that 2020 brought with it was a change in attitude towards the police. Whereas in 2016 the Street Smart campaign had police interacting with 100s of locals to educate them about roadway safety, the Limit It campaign intended to educate drivers about obeying the speed limit, staying off cell phones and staying attentive was attempted from May-August 2021 and couldn’t gather the same engagement. Many had no interest in speaking to or hearing from the police, and therefore important traffic safety information was not well disseminated.

2021 saw more drivers eager to get back on the roads. That increased traffic at a time when there was already limited traffic safety education and cars were driving faster. In addition, frustration with the increased wait times at lights, an overreliance on car safety features (leading to drivers being less alert of their surroundings) and an increase of driver cell phone distractions led 2021 to be a dangerous year for pedestrians.

PRINCETON ACCIDENTS LEAD TO CHANGE

Throughout 2021 the Princeton Police Department reports there were 599 motor vehicle accidents. This is approximately 40% fewer accidents than recorded in 2016 and 2017, but still many are working from home and it puts things back on an upward trend. During this past year, 5% of the accidents involved pedestrians/bicyclists, the most pedestrian hits reported since the 2013 consolidation (with the exception of 2017, an unseasonable mild year that had people outdoors far later into the year than normal). All but one pedestrian hit in 2021 required medical attention. And in one instance, a man was killed.

There’s a crosswalk on Rosedale Road connecting Greenway Meadows and the drive to Johnson Park Elementary School. Advocates have long argued for the need of a crossing signal, to alert traffic to pedestrians. Increased crosswalk signage had just been put up and user-initiated flashing lights had recently been installed when an 82-year-old man triggered the alerts to cross the street. Yet he was hit and killed while crossing.

This adds to the three fatalities suffered on Princeton’s streets from 2015-2019. One of them was four years ago, when a woman walking across Washington Road was struck and killed by a truck turning left from Nassau Street onto Washington. It is believed the proper pedestrian cycle was observed and the driver may not have seen her from his vantage point in his cement truck.

An immediate push was made to create a safer intersection and a few years later, after Princeton approached the state, providing research and going through a thorough review, an All Pedestrian Phase adjustment was made at this busy Nassau/Washington intersection. This means that cars at all four intersecting roadways stop at the same time, allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions simultaneously without the possibility of oncoming traffic.

It appears this change is here to stay, but it doesn’t come without its flaws. The time allotted for pedestrians has already been adjusted twice, as attempts are made to find the right balance for motorists and walkers. Cars also now sit longer at the light, so drivers’ frustration has increased. Some get tired of waiting and turn right during a red signal from Vandeventer onto Nassau, despite the “No Turn on Red” sign hanging there. Traffic has also increased on side roads, such as from Moore onto Nassau as people try to find an alternate route.

“I have to try, along with the county and state entities, to move traffic as efficiently as possible. To set realistic speed limits, and not inconvenience people unnecessarily,” shares Sgt. Murray.

Despite the delicate balance between vehicle and pedestrian needs, accidents happen. Murray logs each detail and works very closely with the municipal engineering department assessing those details, looking for trends, determining if temporary speed controls should be installed, if greenery needs to be trimmed or if bigger structural or interventional changes are needed. And in February 2021, Princeton Council agreed to assist these efforts and work towards a Vision Zero Policy, allowing for a team of community members, including the Traffic Safety Bureau, Engineering and Planning departments, to create a plan to make Princeton a safer place to walk, bike and drive.

VISION ZERO

In addition to the members of those departments of the municipality, representatives from around town including Princeton Public Schools, Board of Health, Human Services, Princeton University, Princeton Senior Resource Center and resident volunteers are being led by elected officials to create safer roadways through the Vision Zero Task Force. A concept that initiated in Europe and has been utilized in the United States for more than 20 years, Vision Zero works to analyze crash data and determine where most crashes are taking place to then create a plan of action with achievable goals aimed at reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries to zero.

“Vision Zero begins with the premise that traffic deaths and serious injuries are preventable, and our existing techniques can be used to design for better outcomes. The US DOT’s Federal Highway Administration supports Vision Zero as part of its commitment to safety,” details Lisa Serieyssol, a member of the task force and past chair of the Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee who helped to bring Vision Zero into Princeton.

According to Serieyssol, Princeton is just the third community in New Jersey to work on a Vision Zero policy. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman is aligned with this vision, co-sponsoring a resolution in the House that aims to reduce traffic fatalities to zero by 2050 and there is a similar resolution sponsored in the Senate.

“The safety improvements may be in the areas of roadway design, policy changes, and enforcement practices,” notes Councilman David Cohen, chair of the task force. “The idea of using data to reach these decisions is that, rather than deciding to prioritize changes based on a few individuals’ theories of what will help, and where to prioritize action, we will base the recommendations on published research regarding best practices and prioritize improvements for those locations in town with demonstrated high-risk according to crash reports.”

Courtesy: Princeton Vision Zero Task Force, Princeton NJ High Injury Network

Princeton Police Department has worked with Engineering to identify problem areas and improve several roadway intersections in the past. These include adding reflective glass beading to crosswalks to help them stand out to drivers, installing pedestrian light signals, adding a sensor to traffic lights so they time properly with moving traffic and moving back curbsides to create better vision. Vision Zero may choose to utilize more of these or incorporate any number of the Federal Highway Administration’s Proven Safety Countermeasures. Since so many of the recent accidents involve people making left turns, they might find it best to redesign them as Reduced Left-Turn Conflict Intersections or they may seek to reduce crosswalk accidents through other advanced Crosswalk Visibility Enhancements.

As 2022 is the year Princeton is fully evaluating its master plan, the Vision Zero Task Force sees this as the perfect time to identify traffic safety needs, set the goals and start looking at how to implement them.

“Even after the Task Force completes its work and issues an Action Plan, it will take years to implement – capital projects are notoriously slow and constrained by limited financial and staff resources – and real progress is also dependent on a culture shift, prioritizing safety over speed and convenience, which can be even more difficult to accomplish,” Cohen notes. “Concerned members of the public need to understand that there is only so much government can do to achieve the goal of Vision Zero, and we all really need to take to heart the importance of putting aside that cell phone, or lifting our foot off the accelerator, not just when it is easy, but also when we are running late and in a hurry to get somewhere.”

Roadway safety is a combined effort. Not only between the entities responsible for educating, enforcing and developing safe driving opportunities but for pedestrians to pay attention before walking into a road and for drivers to eliminate distractions and remember they are responsible for being alert and driving with care.

A Rise in School Incidents Prompts Parent Inquiries and Administrative Action

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COVID-19. Delta. Omicron. The virus that just goes on and on and on has taken its toll on our community in so many ways. In an attempt to stop the spread back in March 2020, we all recall when Princeton Public Schools (PPS) and others went fully remote for the remainder of the school year. The next fall PPS remained remote until an every-other-week schedule began in-person at Princeton Middle School (PMS) in October. Some students stayed home through the end of the 2020-2021 school year due to compromised health, fear and other anxieties. Warnings were made about the effects this isolation and separation would have on children.

So, when the 2021-2022 school year started, remote school was not an option. Experts felt there were parameters in place to safely learn in-person. This brought more than 800 children plus teachers and staff together at the PMS building, after an academic and social experiment that was bound to start showing its fallout. And in short time it did.

BEHAVIORAL EVIDENCE

“It’s not necessarily that we’re seeing different behaviors, but we’re seeing an increase perhaps in some behaviors because students haven’t had the opportunity to shake hands and gather together, so a lot of the feelings and excitement has been contained and they’re in a space they feel comfortable expressing themselves,” stated Dr. Edwina Hawes, PMS psychologist, at a virtual parents meeting on December 9, 2021 called to address a rise in behavioral incidents at the school.

Excited interactions, some leading to injury, were the most common but there were also more serious reports of harassing behaviors, taunting and more.

“Many of the things surrounding horseplay, that’s normal middle school behavior,” explained PMS Principal Jason Burr at the same meeting. “Our students don’t always know how to say I like you, so, they slug you in the arm.”

From October through December 2021, PMS reported 10 investigations, comprised of 4 Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying (HIB) incidents and 6 other alleged offenses that didn’t fall under HIB. HIB is the policy used to cover more targeted and intentional incidents, not necessarily inclusive of a slug in the arm or some other inappropriate behaviors. As explained on the district website, HIB ensures incidents get a thorough investigation, and as the BOE policy states is “perceived as being motivated by either any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic.”

For comparison, there have been only 1 HIB incident and 5 other offenses reported this school year amongst all five other PPS schools combined. And, if we go back to the last full “normal” year of school from 2018-2019, there were a total of 15 incidents reported the entire year at PMS (6 HIB, 9 other offenses).

It makes sense to see problem behaviors occurring more in the middle school compared to others since the pre-teen to young teen years are ripe with hormonal and physical changes, and a normal age for social experimenting. Combined with the strains of the pandemic, schools nationwide have been seeing this trend.

“The kid doing bullying is bigger, stronger, or more socially powerful, or it’s a group of kids picking on one kid. That power difference, that’s what makes it difficult or impossible for the kid being targeted to protect or defend themselves. For actual bullying, we need adults to step in and say that’s crossing the line. A lot of times, kids do bad behavior and it’s not bullying, it’s a clumsy effort to handle conflict or its poor emotion regulation skills, and that’s very different,” shares Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Princeton psychologist and author of Growing Friendships, a Kids Guide to Making and Keeping Friends. “We can certainly all see a big drop in civility of the adults, so it’s not surprising that when we adults are behaving with less than kindness that there’s less kindness among kids as well. The isolation of COVID has been very difficult on everyone.”

THE BACKSTORY

Many PMS parents were first informed about an incident at school on November 18th when Principal Burr emailed them informing that a student had been injured in the hallway. He stated that while they assessed the situation, a Shelter-in-Place had been called (this keeps learning continuous, but students are held in their same classroom or area for an extended period of time and do not enter the hallways). The school had multiple evacuations the previous week, so it wasn’t out of place to send an email explaining the Shelter-in-Place. What was different was the email included a message about the importance of being safe in the hallways and mentioned the need for students to refrain from sharing unverified information about the incident. That different verbiage sparked intrigue.

A week later, on November 23rd, Rocio Titiunik, parent of a current PMS 7th grader, sent an email to many PMS parents requesting signatures for a petition urging better intervention at PMS citing, “Many children at PMS have been victims of harassment, intimidation, bullying, violence, retaliation, and emotional distress” and claiming the November 18th incident was another in this series of events. A follow-up email from Titiunik explained she was reacting to the handling of an incident involving her daughter and a separate incident with her daughter’s friend. Parents started to talk and wonder.

What enhanced the situation further was a follow-up email sent by Principal Burr later that same day which stated, “I want to be very clear and direct: Last week’s incident was not the result of a fight, assault, or any form of violence whatsoever.”

Burr explained to Princeton Perspectives why the situation warranted multiple emails, “On the 18th, I knew what we’d concluded, but I wasn’t ready to share more details because we hadn’t at that point touched base with all the families involved.” He went on to add, “On the 18th, I wasn’t prepared in my message to discuss what I eventually discussed on the 23rd when I specifically called it an accident.”

Just after Thanksgiving, Princeton Middle School sent a survey to parents, trying to get a gauge of each student’s current experience at the school, including a question about whether their child felt safe. The circumstances of the incidents combined with the emails and survey prompted some to start wondering if things might be problematic, as Titiunik described.

“Certainly, given the news you read nationwide about how difficult it is for students to readjust to a full day of school and how they’re doing in the way they are making friends, keeping friends, all of those things, we thought it was a good time to try and get a measure of how people were feeling,” noted Burr, to explain the survey. “You want every child to feel safe at school. I think we can directly tie when a student feels safe at school, they’re more likely to do better. Safe means a lot of things, safety related to not just physical wellbeing but mental wellbeing.”

So, was the mental and social fallout of the pandemic leading to behavioral problems at PMS or was it a series of robust physical interactions gone awry? To respond to parental concern the previously referenced December 9th meeting was called with parents, to discuss the school environment, what was going on and what is being done.

At the meeting, Principal Burr noted that due to the current mental health crisis and pressure on kids to resume their lives and schooling, there have been several incidents. And yes, some had crossed the line, violating the HIB policy.

“These are challenging times. The way students emote may be a little different, the way they react may be different. The behaviors we see sometimes violate our code of conduct. And we have to deal with that accordingly but also with the understanding of all they’re experiencing,” Burr explained to parents at the meeting. He further shared with Princeton Perspectives, “We have discipline in this building, and we have rules. We need to do a better job of talking about restorative practices. We need to better relay consequences.”

What are the consequences? What should they be?

“Practically, if your kid has done something less than kind, it is important to be thinking about how to get that kid back on track with being kind. They need to recognize the impact of their actions and, if possible, make amends and certainly make a plan for what they can do differently moving forward,” explains Dr. Kennedy-Moore.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSE

The district says it is being intentional in dealing with each individual situation. Some, like Titiunik, weren’t feeling enough was being done in response to her daughter’s situation and her petition led to a meeting with PPS Superintendent Dr. Carole Kelley and Principal Burr. She pushed for changes including a request for schools to be more transparent and communicative in detailing events or incidents and feels she’s already seen improvements in the emails. But Titiunik also feels the specifics of incidents can affect the outcomes.

“A written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication that results in harm, but is not motivated by a distinguishing characteristic, falls outside of the definition of HIB and is therefore not covered by the HIB policy. Of course, a non-HIB offense can still be addressed by the school as a violation of the school code of conduct, but how the school addresses it is not as tightly regulated,” expresses Titiunik. “This leaves a lot of children who are victims of non-HIB offenses unprotected, in the sense that they do not have a clear protocol that the school must follow to protect them, and they often see no resolution and no accountability.”

PMS is working to move forward in constructive ways to prevent future incidents, HIB or otherwise.

“All threats of harm to self are taken seriously and are addressed by employing district-wide procedures to ensure that students receive immediate attention and care,” shares PPS Superintendent Dr. Carole Kelley. “Meanwhile, initiatives are in place to proactively work with all students on self-awareness and self-management through lessons and school-wide initiatives.”

Both Kennedy-Moore and PPS suggest the greatest opportunity to do so is through empowering the child by building connections and community.

Some ways the middle school historically built community have been disturbed by the pandemic. For example, last school year started with no extra-curricular activities. Then they evolved and now most sports teams and after-school clubs are available. But even when offered, masks and social distancing may alter the engagement and connections. Community period is another mechanism once used that PMS hopes to revive 2nd semester.

“It’s mostly a way students connect to adults and others in the building in a non-academic way. Trying to get students to meet someone they feel connected with,” details Burr. “I have felt strongly to begin every community period with a greeting which involves a handshake. It’s thought if you have to shake someone’s hand you are less likely to take their French fries and throw them across a room or something.” Yet even a handshake is a no-no during COVID.

What is happening is that in good weather, PMS has a longer lunch block that allows the student to be outside with time to eat (safely and without a mask) and interact socially. When the weather is unfavorable, lunch block is indoors, rotating students between 3 areas. One is Social Emotional Learning (SEL). For approximately 15 minutes, teachers lead discussions on mindfulness or meditative practices, or engage the students in activities to learn healthy ways to identify and manage emotions, engage with others and make decisions.

“Spending 2 years alone in their bedrooms, staring at themselves on Zoom is not good for kids. It heightens their social anxiety, makes them more self-focused and self-judging. Exactly the opposite of what is needed for friendship, which is to be able to focus outward on ‘what can I give’. That generous outward focus and to be able to imagine other peoples’ perspectives,” explains Dr. Kennedy-Moore.

A mentorship program, linking students that are exhibiting social, emotional or academic concerns with staff members aims to use one-to-one connections to support the child. A new counseling group has also been established led by PMS school counselors to address pandemic-related stress.

Additionally, Health/Physical Education have become one of the primary core classes now offered four times weekly. This is being enhanced with the building of a new Yoga Studio for students to learn more about meditation and mindfulness, both to create openness and to ward off incidents but also as a space to think and learn about something one may have done.

PPS also wants to work collaboratively with parents to get through this transition. The December survey invited parents to become part of a Parent Focus Group. Run by PMS Asst. Principal Stephanie DiCarlo, it first met last week to identify parents’ areas of concern and will meet two more times to create an action plan of what can be done to reduce issues of concern and increase areas of positivity. In May, the group will assess how things are going and what can be done moving forward.

PPS has also put together a speaker series to provide insight and education to parents. To date, the schedule for Zoom speakers remains as follows:

Additionally, Understanding Brain Development and Mental Health: How Parents Can Build Resiliency and Healthy Coping Skills in Children and Adolescents led by child and adolescent psychiatrist Gal Shoval is to be held in-person on May 17th.

“I have enthusiastically supported Mr. Burr and his team in developing and expanding these programs. The middle school team works hard to integrate supports into all aspects of the middle school experience,” states Dr. Kelley.

Titiunik and other parents are appreciative of the support and that PMS has and will continue to implement ways to address the cause and effect of the incidents and to help the students through this unprecedented time.

With the rise of Omicron, some parents have requested the district return to remote learning, to keep kids safe. But as Burr pointed our earlier, safety is not just physical, it is also mental. December showed signs of students adjusting to a routine and each other. In compliance with recommendations from state and federal authorities and to continue to move forward, PPS aims to remain open, in-person to best meet the mental, educational and social needs of all students.

Editor’s Note

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Somehow, it’s December! I wake up every morning and still can’t believe it’s almost the end of 2021. When the pandemic hit, we all just stopped doing everything. Then, little by little, life has tried to get back to normal. But, if you’re at all like me, there’s still a lot more home time than existed pre-COVID. It makes it a lot harder to account for all the time that has passed this year.

On a positive note, the year is not over! There are almost three weeks left to Make it a Meaningful Countdown to the New Year. If you need a little inspiration or guidance about how to do that, read on. This month’s issue of Princeton Perspectives aims to help you.

One of the amazing things about Princeton is the positivity of the people that live here. Walking around town, I was amazed to hear that due to the pandemic or in spite of it, there are many things locals are looking forward to before year-end or at the start of 2022. They shared their plans with me for this month’s Pulse of Princeton. You can feed off their energy through the video below!

So, how do you prepare for the new year? If you’re a traditionalist, you likely write down your resolutions just before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. Are they meaningful? Impactful? Do they last? It’s possible that with all the time spent at home this past year, you’ve already cleaned out your closets. So, what goals do you plan to make? We can help with A Local Look at Resolutions to Inspire Your New Year.

Though it is wonderful to help out the community year-round, November and December are very popular times to do so. Did you know that when you volunteer, it does more than just provide for a need? Volunteering This Holiday Season Can Have Positive Impacts on Recipients and Volunteers takes a look at the psychological benefits it can have as well.

If you don’t have a ton of time to give, donations can also be a great help to others. And, they might help you when tax time rolls around as well. Year-End Tax Tips to Benefit You and the Local Community is a worthwhile read so you have time to make any necessary moves before December 31st.

These last few weeks and the early days of 2022 also offer some great opportunities to get out of your house! If you are out of ideas on what to do with your family or out-of-town guests this season, read As the Year Winds Down, Activities are Abound in Princeton and Beyond to get some new ones.

Then scroll to the bottom of the homepage to read this month’s Perspectives Revisited which shares some important local information about the housing market and a new schools referendum.

Everyone is wishing for a better 2022. But, at Princeton Perspectives, it’s been a pretty awesome 2021 as we shared important and interesting local information with all of you and gained so many new readers. So, thank you for that! Please continue to helps us grow and forward this to friends, neighbors and family. We’d love to share our stories with even more of the community.

And now, raise your glass and let’s all give a toast to the year that is ending and to a meaningful 2022! Happy New Year to you all.

Pulse of Princeton: How are you making it a meaningful new year?

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A Local Look at Resolutions to Inspire Your New Year

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“This year, I resolve to…” New Year’s Resolutions for some are a means to help people fill out their lives in positive ways. For others, resolutions can be like a weight on your shoulders. A reminder of what you didn’t follow through with or still need to achieve.

Depending on how you frame your resolution and set up your goals can have a major impact on how you respond to them. Princeton Perspectives sought to find out what kinds of things locals are resolving to do in the New Year, speaking with people at Princeton Shopping Center, Marketfair Mall and downtown Princeton. Some, like Lucy Chase Tattoli of Plainsboro, are looking out for others.

“My resolution is for everyone to be kinder to each other,” she shared.

Nuyen Lee Foon of Trenton is also looking beyond himself. He makes annual resolutions but says he’s really making them for his wife and to teach his children about having goals.

“I always try to do something different in the new year, but it doesn’t happen right away,” Foon explains. “Something like cleaning out the garage. It’s just not a priority, so I end up putting it off.”

For most, however, the resolutions people make are personal goals. Nathan Quinn of West Windsor says, “My resolution is for this year to be a better me” and William M. Pierson of Trenton admits, “I’m 51 and I still have a problem with my temper. I need to better control it.”

Tania Lambrozo, the Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Psychology at Princeton University, has written a lot about resolutions – how to make them and how to keep them. For resolutions regarding self-improvement, she explains in the blog 13.7 that focusing only on what you can change about yourself is not always the right perspective to promote follow-through.

“One of the most effective ways to change behavior is to focus, instead, on how you can change your social and physical environment to help bring about the change you want to see in yourself. The ultimate goal is still about you and your behavior, but the target of immediate intervention becomes your environment instead.”

That is good advice for Plainsboro resident Sue Tattoli who said, “Every year I try to be healthier, to get more exercise in.” It’s suggested that if Sue commutes to work, perhaps she can find a gym that is on her route home instead of past her house, as she is more likely to exercise if she makes it convenient to do so.

And here are some other tips. The American Psychological Association, in Making your New Year’s Resolution stick, has suggested there are 5 things to consider:

  • Start Small – don’t try to jump all in at once. Taking bite-sized steps to reach a goal makes it more likely you’ll get there
  • Change one behavior at a time – You may have more than one resolution in mind but focus on one at a time. Trying to tackle too much at once can be overwhelming.
  • Talk about it – if you share your efforts with others, such as teaming up or going through the steps together, there’s a greater chance of success.
  • Don’t beat yourself up – you may have a misstep along the way, but you don’t have to scratch your goal because of it. Just get back on course and keep moving forward.
  • Ask for support – if it all starts to feel like too much, you can always seek professional help to get you through and find attainable ways to reach your resolution.

The goals people set are sometimes short term, like that of Omar Gibbs who lives in Lawrenceville. “My resolution is to do better in life,” he stated. “Hopefully I graduate this year from my university and I can find a job in my field, accounting.”

A suggestion by Professor Lambrozo in a 2017 MPR News article still holds true today, that while goals to be accomplished in the coming year can be great, perhaps there are grander things to consider as well.

“New Year’s resolutions are often focused on the self — with dieting and exercise topping many people’s lists. But looking a century into the future can change that focus from the self to future generations. For me, that highlights climate change and inequality as deadly problems of today, and science and education as crucial long-term investments.”

Recently, East Windsor resident Ron Frank walked by a piece of artwork he made that’s sitting in the window at Whole World Arts. He pointed at Molly, the robot-looking piece he made out of spare electrical and plumbing parts. “It makes people smile,” Frank said. But when it comes to resolutions, this artwork is only the beginning of a long-term goal he has.

“I’d like to make people more aware of art.”

And so, his piece in the window of the store at Marketfair is helping to achieve that goal. Perhaps, Jessica Cavanaugh of Hamilton will help him reach it, too. She recently started a portrait business and is hoping to turn it into a full-time career. In addition, she resolves to “be more involved in the arts community here.”

If art isn’t your thing, perhaps there are other ways the Princeton-area can help you start the new year right. “I just found my new favorite space, Tipple & Rose,” recalls Sue Tattoli. “I walked in needing self-care and now I plan to go whenever I need a little.”

Others we spoke to are also hoping to take better advantage of what Princeton offers. Getting downtown more to eat out, volunteering more by helping with community clean-ups and getting a well-paying job in town were a few localized resolutions people shared. Princeton resident Roma Johnson wants to hear more of the local music scene.

“I love the music in Princeton! The Christmas concerts are fabulous, whether at All Saints’ Church, Small World Coffee, Princeton University. Anywhere,” she exclaimed.

For Scott Pearce, who is from the west coast but has lived here temporarily, the new year isn’t giving him more time to experience Princeton, but maybe the future will.

“I’ve been at the Institute for Advanced Studies for a few months. I’m headed up to New York now, but I’d love to come back!” he notes.

As we approach the final weeks until the ball drops for 2022, which resolutions have had the most meaning and impact on you? Email us your Princeton-related resolutions and we’ll include them in Perspectives Revisited next month. Hopefully seeing them published will give you greater momentum to follow through!

As the Year Winds Down, Activities are Abound in Princeton and Beyond

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The colder temperatures are upon us, which means you can begin your hibernation at home, or you can get excited for the coming new year while taking part in fun activities. Princeton is a town with so many great things to do in winter, and if it isn’t happening here, it’s happening somewhere nearby.

HISTORY BUFFS, GET READY

Over the course of the next month, the greater-Princeton area is the best place to be if you have an interest in history. It was at this time of year that Washington and his troops passed through during the Revolutionary War, a momentous time that is reenacted year after year for all to see.

The 69th Annual Christmas Day Crossing Reenactment starts things off at Washington Crossing Historic Park (at the intersection of Routes 532 & 32 River Road) in Washington Crossing, PA. Join others along the banks of the Delaware River as a General Washington reenactor inspires hundreds of others dressed in military garb to cross the river, like was accomplished on Christmas night in 1776.

If the river conditions aren’t safe, the replica Durham boats will not go into the water, but the ceremonial and commemorative events will still take place. The event is on December 25th from noon-3pm.

Throughout the following week, from December 26th-31st, Patriots Week will be celebrated in Trenton. Concerns over the current state of COVID will halt the Battle of Trenton reenactment for this year, but the city will still be home to many events and activities that celebrate its role in American history. The Old Barracks Museum will host tours and there will be musket demos, a puppet show, pub crawl, walking tours and more!

As the revolutionaries traveled from Trenton onto Princeton, so do the historic activities! On January 2nd, the Battle of Princeton will be reenacted. Head over to experience its 245th anniversary on Princeton Battlefield off Mercer Street. At 8:30am, historian Larry Kidder will describe the 10 Crucial Days that led up to this battle. He’ll then narrate the reenactment between the British and American troops as that takes place on the field at 10am, followed by a wreath laying ceremony at 11:30am at the Colonnade & Gravesite. Tours of the Thomas Clarke House will begin at 12:30pm, and the reenactors will be around to talk with visitors and share stories of the battle, while you stay warm with coffee and hot chocolate.

Beyond the Revolutionary War, Princeton is home to other great moments and places of historical significance, and you can learn more about them through tours.

For a small fee, you can sign up to join Historical Society of Princeton on a Princeton History Walking Tour several Sundays (the next one is December 19th) to learn about sites including Bainbridge House, Nassau Hall, the University Chapel and Palmer Square. The 90-minute tour begins at 2pm.

Additionally, Princeton Tour Company offers a Self-Guided Einstein Walk with a map of 12 local stops to teach you all about Albert Einstein. For $3.14 (because Einstein was born on March 14th and, um, Pi!) you can get a map and check out the Einstein monument, his homes and even some of his favorite hangouts.

HEAD OUTDOORS WHERE THE EXCITEMENT WILL KEEP YOU WARM

There are also a variety of other excursions offered by Princeton Tour Company, including its annual Princeton Holiday Trolley Tours, running until December 26th. You’ll actually travel inside a heated trolley to get into the holiday spirit as you ride through neighborhoods and past Palmer Square’s decorated Christmas tree, while learning about Princetonians who have made an important mark on this town and country.

Photo Credit – Lakota Wolf Preserve

If you prefer heading out into the wild, you can see animals in nature up close at the Lakota Wolf Preserve, open year-round. You must book a reservation in advance online, then drive to near the Delaware River in northern NJ for the opportunity to observe four different packs of wolves. Two tours per day are offered by the owners of the preserve, and you may also see the foxes, bobcat and lynx that live there.

If you head due east from the preserve, you can enjoy a unique evening at the Bergen County Zoo in Paramus. Let it Glow, a Holiday Lantern Spectacular takes you into the zoo to see animals of a different kind. More than 30 scenes with larger-than-life animal lanterns are lit up for a show that takes place throughout. You can even ride the train, lighted by lanterns. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Eventbrite, and visits are offered every Thursday-Sunday from 4pm-9pm until January 30th.

Photo Credit – Grounds for Sculpture

Closer to home, Grounds for Sculpture is lighting things up with a new way to experience its sculpture park as part of Night Forms: dreamloop by Klip Collective. Enter between 5pm-9:30pm any Thursday through Sunday until February 27th to see and hear this multi-sensory blend of video production, light and sound creating an immersive event throughout the grounds.

FUN IN THE SNOW

If outdoor fun for you means something a little more athletic, you can travel just an hour or two for some winter sports.

Two hours north takes you to one of the highest points in New Jersey and to the aptly named High Point Cross Country Ski Center. There you can rent cross country skis or snowshoes to enjoy on your own or in group or private lessons. They also have a monthly youth program called Youth Ski League, aimed at introducing cross country skiing through games, activities and outdoor adventures to those in 1st-8th grades.

If downhill skiing is more your speed, Campgaw Mountain or Mountain Creek Ski Resort offer opportunities on the slopes in-state. You can also head west to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania for skiing at Camelback, Blue or Shawnee Mountains. And skiing isn’t the only fun, these mountains are also home to snow tubing courses you can enjoy day and night. Here are the details so you can decide which best meet your needs:

Campgaw Mountain Tubing  is just 1.5 hours away and offers runs with a variety of levels of rollers and pitch. 6 days before you want to ride, reserve a spot online and then dress for some outdoor fun! Two-hour tubing sessions are available at night, with hours varying throughout the week and holidays.

Just 15 minutes further is Mountain Creek with a snow tubing park covering more than five acres. You can buy tickets online to race your friends during daytime hours weekdays or until close on holiday weeks and weekends.

Galactic Snow Tubing at Camelback, less than two hours from Princeton, has 40 lanes (lit up at night) to tube down and a magic carpet to bring you back up. Two-hour sessions are available from 9am until 10pm!

Blue Mountain Snow Tubing Park you can get to in under two hours, where you can have fun for even longer. They have 46 lanes measuring over 1,000 feet long, and each session there is good for three hours! Thursdays from 5pm-9pm and Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the course is open from 9am-9pm.

Shawnee Mountain snow tubing offers an hour and a half of fun, in adult and child tandem tubes, just one hour and 45 minutes away. Two surface lifts bring you to the top for your next run. Hours vary by the day but start as early as 9:30am and can run as late as 5:30pm.

TAKING THE ACTION INDOORS

Since 2019, NJ has offered a way for you to enjoy winter skiing, indoors! Though the experience is currently closed due to fire damage sustained in September, there is hope Big SNOW will reopen at American Dream in 2022. There you can purchase tickets online and show up fully suited to ski or if it’s your first time, you can rent everything from outerwear to boots, skis and more. If you have a younger child that has the skills and equipment, kids 6 and under ski free with an adult (their rental options are best for kids over 7).

Off the slopes, you can also spend your days at The Rink, Nickelodeon Universe, Dreamworks Waterpark or playing mini golf at American Dream.

You can get more indoor action without any of the chill at Jumpin’ Gellyball, an indoor arena at the Oxford Valley Mall across the river in Pennsylvania. Anyone ages 5 and up can take part in this low impact fun. Gellyball Blasters use a soft gel ball which is painless when struck, as they bounce right off. And the blasters can shoot off 750 shots without reloading. Private and non-private play is available Thursdays – Sundays.

TRY A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE

Photo Credit – Polar Bear Plunge at Wildwood

If you want to do something historic and think warm thoughts while engaging in a cold-weather outdoor activity, take part in the 2022 Polar Bear Plunge! At beaches along the Jersey Shore brave jumpers will dive into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean. It’s not all crazy, though, as every jumper is raising money for a good cause. Atlantic City Polar Bear Plungers will be diving in on New Year’s Day for the 30th year to benefit Cancer Support Community New Jersey at Gilda’s Club. That same day Brigantine’s 20th annual plunge will take place, benefitting Fisher House, which helps wounded veterans and their families with housing and transportation. You can choose to bare the cold or plunge virtually from home as part of Wildwood (January 15th) and Seaside Heights (February 26th) Polar Bear Plunges, both of which benefit Special Olympic athletes through programming and events. All of the above ocean experiences are open to the public. Though plungers of all ages are welcome, anyone under 18 requires parental consent.

Whether or not you choose to take part in all of the fun activities happening this winter or you prefer to stand back and watch the experiences of others, there’s definitely plenty to keep you busy as you finish up 2021 and enter into the new year. We hope it’s a great one!

Editors Note

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It’s sometimes easy, especially during pandemic times, to live in a bubble – unaware of what is truly going on right around you. And while it’s easy to turn on the news and get an overall understanding of things, it’s sometimes harder to know what they are really like in your neck of the woods. That’s the purpose of Princeton Perspectives, to localize stories and share information that matters to you.

So, it’s only fitting that our November issue focuses on just that. In Where Does Princeton Stand? A Local Perspective on National Issues, we take a local look at some of the major stories covering the headlines and provide a deeper look at what they’re like in and around Princeton.

For starters, community events are starting to pick up everywhere. Sick of cancellations and with evidence that outdoor events are safe, major running events are on thing making a big comeback. Though there were some COVID-safety changes, the Boston Marathon ran in October and the New York marathon ran earlier this month. Both built up great excitement for the HiTops Princeton Half Marathon that ran on Sunday. Princeton Perspectives was there to meet the community and cheer on the runners, so we’re dedicating this month’s Pulse of Princeton to those excited to experience a great community event! Check out the compilation of photos in our video below.

Another big event that brought people out of their bubbles was the general elections earlier this month, the results of which led to major headlines about Democrats vs. Republicans and the ideologies of voters. Do Princeton Locals Lean Liberal or Conservative? It’s Not So Cut and Dry takes a closer look at Princeton-area voters and what they feel about some of the hot button issues facing our nation today. You may be a bit surprised what we found.

The delta variant threw our country for a loop in late summer and early fall, but are things getting better locally? Princeton Health Officer: The Current State of COVID Here provides the latest information on what our schools and community are facing. As 5 to 11-year olds began getting vaccinated last week, this information could see changes in the coming weeks.

This time of year is also when many businesses gear up for the holidays. National stories talk about labor shortages and supply delays, but what is it like in this area? In The Perfect Storm of Problems Creates Hurdles for Local Businesses and Consumers you’ll hear personal accounts from local business owners and workers, shedding light on what your friends and neighbors are experiencing.

I spoke earlier about the increased desire to have community events. Well, that interest is certainly apparent as it pertains to the arts. Princeton’s Appetite for Visual and Performing Arts is Strong explains the transformation area artists have gone through since the start of the pandemic, and what art enthusiasts want now. There certainly is a lot of art to be seen and heard!

And don’t forget to scroll down and check out this month’s Perspectives Revisited! Our story updates are timely and enlightening.

It was fun to be a part of the HiTops Princeton Half Marathon and introduce our magazine to many new readers. Honest, investigative and focused coverage of what matters to Princeton is what we post on Princeton Perspectives, and we hope you’ll help us spread word to the community as well. Anyone that doesn’t currently receive Princeton Perspectives in your inbox can click here to join our mailing list!

And stay tuned…next month we’re going to share stories that will help you have a meaningful countdown to the new year. Another year is almost gone, but it’s not over yet! Look forward to sharing with you on December 15th!

Pulse of Princeton: Did you come out to visit us at the HiTops Princeton Half Marathon? We had fun with the runners and spectators!

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Do Princeton Locals Lean Liberal or Conservative? It’s Not So Cut and Dry

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On Friday, Jack Ciattarelli conceded in a very close race, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy eked out an official win over the Republican candidate. Similarly, the morning after election day, the Republicans in Princeton’s District 16 Senator and Assembly races had the lead, yet in the end, the winners were all Democrats. Though only 20% of Princeton’s registered voters went to the polls (plus 3,605 mail-ins), in all of these races Princeton overwhelmingly voted Democratic, helping Murphy, Zwicker, Frieman and Jaffer take office.

Most Princeton Districts, like 9 (in the former borough between 206 and Witherspoon) and 13 (in the Littlebrook neighborhood behind and next to the shopping center), voted strongly for Murphy, yet in Districts 1 (on the western side, off of the Great Road) and 4 (off Mercer Street and around the Institute area), Ciattarelli received 40- 50% of the votes. If you look at the voting statistics, 27% of Princeton votes went to Ciattarelli compared to the 18% of Princetonians that voted Republican Kim Guadagno for Governor in 2017. And that increase is from a Princeton voting base for this general election where only 9.5% of voters were registered Republicans. Does that mean a growing contingent of residents are now challenging the Democratic ideals?

Let’s break it down even further to better understand how party affiliation aligns with political ideologies in Princeton. The famous college town has a reputation as being liberal, but Princeton Perspectives recently surveyed a diverse group of local residents about today’s hot button issues, and the results from more than 100 respondents show the locals don’t always lean left. In fact, sometimes they lean more to the right.

LOCAL POLITICS

Starting with local politics, there has not been a Republican on the municipal ballot in the last two general elections. Yet when people were asked how they feel about Princeton’s Mayor and Council (all of whom are Democrats), the response was far from supportive. 33% of respondents claim the municipal representatives need Republicans amongst their ranks, so they can see things from multiple vantage points and 25% note the leaders pretend to listen to the community but end up doing what they want. Only 13% feel the local officials really listen to the community and utilize the feedback to affect their decisions. And a mere 5% think they are doing great.

When it comes to the local educational district, the feelings are a bit more mixed. 29% of those surveyed feel that Princeton Public School’s Board of Education (PPS BOE)/Superintendent should reassess their focus, that they are not meeting their family’s needs.

One stated, “the BOE and school administrations don’t reflect the student demographics at all” while another noted “there is so little viewpoint diversity now–everyone has to be a liberal of some stripe or you are a bigot.” There is also concern “the amount expended is outrageous and neighboring districts are rated just as highly without the high expenses per pupil.”

25% of respondents do support the issues PPS BOE and Superintendent are focused on but feel they should be prioritized differently.

“They are doing some things right, some things badly,” noted one.

Meanwhile, 23% that feel the priorities are right in line with their family’s needs.

COVID PROTOCOLS

When it comes to our schools, 43% of those surveyed favor school mask mandates as well as mandates in some other indoor areas, which tends to be a more liberal-leaning perspective. While 25% share that masks should be worn but never mandated.

“Mask-wearing should depend on the circumstances. In some circumstances it would be foolish to not wear a mask. In others it would be foolish to wear a mask. Educate people and let them decide,” one respondent anonymously states.

In a related issue, nearly half of those surveyed support vaccine mandates – a more democratic ideal – with 25% citing it should be up to the individual.

“I am pro vaccine, and whether they should be mandated depends upon the situation. I do not care to shame people who refuse to get vaccinated,” Kurt Tazelaar shared in his survey.

RACE AND SOCIOECONOMICS

Vaccinations aside, healthcare disparities became apparent when the pandemic struck. It was particularly noted that Black Americans were hit hard. Some feel strongly that is tied back to systemic racism while others feel there are other factors at play. And how does this translate beyond healthcare and with regards to other aspects of race in our society?

32% of those we surveyed feel racism is still systemic in the US and needs to be addressed and 23% feel racism has been improving over time but is still a major concern. Meanwhile, a comparable 28% feel racism has been exacerbated due to the current anti-racism agendas.

“All three: still systemic and needs to be addressed, but it has been improving over time, although it is exacerbated due to the current anti-racism agendas,” noted one person.

When it comes to deciding how to address racism towards Black and Brown communities more than one-quarter of those surveyed believe schools should teach empathy/upstanding but not focus on just race while 13% think the classes should focus on racial literacy. To affect those beyond high school, approximately 15% want diversity training in the workplace and to continue affirmative action – while a close 11% think affirmative action should stop, with a stronger focus on merit.

It appears only 5% of those surveyed feel that to address racism, our country needs to make reparations to Black descendants of slaves and a similar 5% want to eliminate all attributions to figures that owned slaves or were involved in Confederate causes.

The past year and a half of the pandemic has also highlighted that there are strong socioeconomic differences across America. When asked how to address the gap in this country, there were a variety of thoughts. More than 40% believe the gap can shrink if the US better monitors public/social services to help direct change and ensure they’re not abused, provide better job training for those on public support and increase the minimum wage. About one-quarter feel offering Medicare health coverage to all that want it and providing free college tuition/loan reimbursement will help those with tight or low incomes.

While some blame the top earners and think the US needs to “close the loopholes used by the top wealthiest” others think it also comes from those getting aid, stating “we need to make sure people stop abusing the system.” So, how does that happen?

“Universal healthcare, universal childcare and some combination of higher taxes on the wealthy to be dedicated to education and job training along with an increase in the minimum wage,” shares one anonymous respondent. Another notes we need to “improve education from Kindergarten on up for everyone. Charter schools can help. Improve family structure. Talk realistically and honestly about the gap. Live within our means, including Federal, state and local governments.”

And one survey respondent believes there will always be an economic divide.

“Realize that the freest, most prosperous societies always have gaps.”

As long as gaps remain, 56% of those we surveyed feel people with higher incomes should be taxed at a higher rate, which is a more liberal school of thought. 29%, though, feel they should be taxed at the same rate as others. Many offer that it’s not so much a change in tax rate, but the US needs a better way to get people to actually pay and contribute more stateside.

“I don’t believe we should disincentivize people from making more money. Since the middle-ages, governments have wrestled with how to get people to pay their taxes while people try to avoid paying them. We should have incentives to keep the money in the US economy and keep contributing to charity, etc,” someone shared anonymously.

IMMIGRATION

What about using American tax money to support those who enter the country without legal documentation? Do they deserve to stay here?  The local residents we surveyed are more conservative when it comes to immigration. Only 2% feel everyone who comes to the US border should be let in and allowed to stay, regardless of legal status. 45% believe we can’t just let everyone in but do need a system that allows some that cross over illegally to stay, while a close 40% state they are firm about tightening the borders and no one should be let in unless they come in through legal means.

So how should we handle immigration? There are some who think it goes beyond immigration policy, as one anonymous respondent explains.

“We need better foreign policy to stabilize the world and help those fleeing violence, starvation, poverty and threat of death to remain in their countries safely.”

If an adult or child without legal papers has crossed the border and is living in the US about 1/3 third of people want the US to support them and offer a pathway to citizenship. Additionally, for children, 36% say that they should be allowed to stay in the US if they have a US relative or sponsor to support them. However, 28% feel adults should immediately be sent back at their own or their government’s expense and 18% feel that children found here without legal status should also be sent back.

“The children are a hard one. We can’t just send them across the border with no one to accept them on the other side. But they still need to be sent back,” someone shared in our survey. Another added, children should be “returned to their home country after their safety is ensured.”

For adults, however, many stated there should also be some provisions. For example, one anonymous respondent added adults should “be thoroughly vetted by the government, assisted on a short time limited basis” while another share they should “be detained until their noncriminal status is confirmed (ignoring that entering illegally is criminal) and there is a compelling reason to allow them to stay, e.g., targeted persecution, not simply, ‘I don’t feel safe’.”

CLIMATE CHANGE

Another national issue that many feel strongly about is climate change. While President Biden was recently meeting with world leaders to discuss the government’s role, the majority of those surveyed here in Princeton told Princeton Perspectives they believe climate change is destroying our world and needs to be addressed immediately. Developing more alternative sources of energy, gradually cutting back on our reliance on fossil fuels to become more reliant on other means of power and offering tax credits to those that cut their carbon footprint were the predominant ways people think things can improve.

“Government should become more involved in incentives to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy. There is no one solution, and we will need fossil fuels for the foreseeable future,” explains Dennis Scheil, who answered the survey. “But we need to set aggressive targets and do what we can to meet them. This is a global issue requiring global commitments. We know there will be other nations that ignore the climate issue, and we should use whatever means necessary to sanction these nations.”

China and India were mentioned in several responses as countries that need to be part of the global solution to affect change, yet even with their cooperation, a handful of respondents don’t believe the solutions on the table are very constructive.

MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS

Speaking of countries in the eastern hemisphere, Israel is one that is largely supported by those we surveyed. Since the recent conflict between Israel and the Palestinians this past May, the region has received renewed attention. Yet, when asked how they feel with regards to Israel, an overwhelming majority of people still feel the country is an ally that should have our support. 41% stand by Israel but have concern about the government and how it treats Palestinians while 36% stand by Israel always.

“It is our only Democratic ally in the region and should be treated like all of our Democratic allies in other regions, i.e., express our concerns, if any, and allow Israel to determine its policies,” an anonymous respondent expresses. “I believe that this question itself exposes the antisemitic underlying attitude in this, and other “liberal” towns. Will I be asked about France and their treatment of Moslems, Australia and the treatment of aborigines, need I go on?”

Only 5% of respondents have a more progressive viewpoint, feeling Israel is mistreating Palestinians and must be stopped at all costs. That coincides with 6% who support BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) to pressure Israel to compromise and resolve things with the Palestinians and 8% who want the US to stop funding Israel’s defense/military systems. In the end, 41% feel the US needs to continue supporting Israel while pushing for a two-state solution.

While far-left liberals in Congress have pushed to pull support from Israel, it is clear from our results that the representative voices in our survey don’t agree. The responses to some of the hot button issues we asked about share more liberal perspectives, yet there are a lot of moderate and even conservative-leaning viewpoints as well.

As an ivy-league town, many Americans may consider Princeton liberal. And though the voters tend to lean heavily Democrat (58% of current voters are registered Democrats), we now know there is a lot of individuality here when it comes to ideology and the issues.

The Perfect Storm of Problems Creates Hurdles for Local Businesses and Consumers

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It’s no secret, businesses of all kinds are struggling with new realities. Office workers have gotten comfortable at home and don’t want to resume a commute back to the workplace. Small businesses can’t afford to pay hourly staff the rates they demand. Retailers are not only having troubling finding and keeping staff but are also encountering hurdles to get the inventory they need and want to sell. And restaurants are raising prices to cover the cost increases they incur purchasing food. Price increases, according to the US Department of Labor, are up 6.2% from one year ago.

Some of these problems existed before the pandemic, but most have been created by or exacerbated from it. These are issues you see all over the news as affecting businesses nationwide, and Princeton is not immune. Your local friends and neighbors are working to survive the current times.

LABOR SHORTAGES

When it comes to staffing, there seems to be a combination of fewer people applying, those applying not having the right qualifications for the job and a demand for higher pay.

You may recall Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), established in March 2020 to provide those on unemployment with an additional weekly stipend. Its goal was to help people recover more of their lost wages. Those boosts, which paid entry-level workers what amounted to $20-$25 per hour, has become a complication for hiring managers today. Though the boost ended in September, the lifestyle changes and desire to earn more didn’t end with it. Now, local businesses are finding it very difficult to attract talent and compensate them at a rate they are willing to accept.

“These are the people that were getting paid $15, 16, 18/hr. Maybe as a society we’d been taking them for granted, but it was so fundamental for our economy and in sustaining our ability to operate,” explains Esther Tanez, President and Owner of E.S.T.I.R. Inc insurance agency.

When you add in benefits such as insurance, unemployment and days off, Tanez told Princeton Perspectives it is really hard to increase the hourly rate for entry-level employees and still make a profit. Also, many of those that are applying for the jobs are coming in with little-to-no experience while asking for more money.

“I think the workers are going to end up getting paid closer to $20, because eventually if they don’t budge, I’m going to have to figure it out,” Tanez acknowledges. “I’ll have less of a profit margin, which means that I, as a business owner, will not be buying, remodeling, etc. as much…it’s going to be a new norm.”

Another new norm is, without the workers, businesses are forced to adjust to operating with a slimmer staff.

“We’re down about 20% in staff,” shares McCaffrey’s Food Markets Store Manager Anthony Sanfilippo. “We went periods of weeks without even seeing applications. Then you get some applications, but they can’t fulfill what you need.”

McCaffrey’s has managed to get by thanks to their heavier reliance on fulltime employees. Most of their competitors lean more on hourly associates, and therefore the lack of people seeking out those roles is causing many to struggle.

“The largest percentage of the workforce are Baby Boomers (58-63). The way the stock market went up and with the virus, they’re likely stopping,” adds Sanfilippo. “I think you add everything together, people are looking for better work life balance and you have the perfect storm.”

SUPPLY VS. DEMAND

McCaffery’s is also experiencing difficulties stocking everyone’s favorite groceries. As a smaller supermarket group, they have been able to reach out to a variety of suppliers to try and stock the shelves, but there are still several products that aren’t available at all. That hasn’t stopped customers from wanting them. And supply vs. demand is causing prices to go up, especially with commodity-based products.

“The stuff you can get is expensive,” explains Sanfilippo. “Meat is going through the roof. And we aren’t raising our retails as much as our costs are going up, you just can’t.”

So, again, the profit margin gets tighter, and the business adjusts to a new norm.

Delay and delivery issues are also haunting many retail stores, most commonly when the products come from overseas. US-made products are proving to have fewer to no issues.

Photo Courtesy Statements Boutique

“For the most part, everything I ordered for my new store is US-based, so I haven’t had any delays,” shares Brooke Ciali, who recently opened Statements Boutique on Nassau Street. Many of her products come from South Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, and California. “If something is coming from China, it’s not shipping from there. The fashion houses are shipping from CA or NY, even if it’s made in China.”

Local shops who are part of larger chains are also faring better, because their parent offices order larger quantities, farther in advance and products are often stored for them in warehouses. On the other hand, manufacturers in countries like Vietnam and Indonesia experienced considerable factory shutdowns due to the delta variant. Their output got pushed behind, then things were further complicated by shipping delays, and some goods simply aren’t arriving.

“Anything coming through import – any kind of fur, certain types of exotic leathers – there’s such shortages for them to be shipping out, so they’re sitting there,” notes Lisa Brock, owner of Palmer Square’s ZOË. “I had a Golden Goose box sitting there for 2 months. A Nanushka box is now sitting there for a month, and it’s paid for. The cashflow is being disrupted and it’s now a shorter selling period for us. This perfect storm of everything that keeps evolving.”

Photo Courtesy ZOË

When Brock noticed some of the issues brewing last winter/spring, she tried something new (and risky) and bought more than usual for her fall inventory – much more than she normally would. To her surprise and delight, the demand is there. Though the things she is able to stock are literally selling off the shelves.

“We used to be able to reorder things and companies had ATS (available-to-sell). They don’t have that anymore. In turn, that has helped my business because consumers are aware of it,” Brock explains. “A guy bought a Chloe bag for his wife recently but was contemplating the purchase. I said, you can wait, it could be here, but it could not, and I can’t get anymore. I think that’s why people have been more instinctive and jumping on them.”

For winter, Brock also ordered ahead, though there are still styles and items she won’t have because production was cut back at many places. It’s the shortages, in addition to delivery and production delays, that may affect a lot of seasonal holiday business.

One retailer, who asked not to be named, shared that all of her seasonal merchandise is lacking in quantities. For example, she normally purchases one item that arrives in lots of 500, yet when it arrived there was a package of 20, 10 of another and one had only 5. If you’re interested in purchasing holiday items, retailers say go get them now. One was told in October that her next shipment of Christmas/winter stuff won’t be arriving until February. To counter this, many stores are ordering non-seasonal things such as organic scarves, purses and jewelry – items that are more timeless.

Cars also have a timeless appeal, but it’s been hard to get your hands on one lately. Several people have shared they are on a waitlist for at least 6-10 weeks for a new car to arrive. This is happening with economy car companies on up to luxury vehicles.

Photo Courtesy Mercedes-Benz of Princeton

“Like most global automobile manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz USA is experiencing challenges with the availability of semiconductor components due to the worldwide shortage. This circumstance has temporarily decreased the supply of all new vehicle brands in inventory for immediate delivery,” shares Robert Greces, owner of Mercedes-Benz of Princeton. But it appears things are starting to improve. “Our Dealership will deliver almost twice the number of new Mercedes-Benz this month as in September. We believe Mercedes-Benz is taking effective measures to normalize availability in the coming months.”

LAYERS OF ISSUES

In businesses like home improvement, all of the above issues are at play as one layers onto another and so on, creating a multitude of problems. Labor shortages, supply delays, computer chip availability and more all come together in this industry.

In the early days of the pandemic, people were spending more time in their homes than ever before. “Pop-up” home offices had to emerge and spaces like kitchens and bathrooms were increasingly used. Enlightened to the flaws and improvements needed, homeowners started to have visions of change. But most people lived with those thoughts for several months, until they felt safe bringing designers, contractors and other home improvement professionals into their homes.

“It created this pent-up demand for all things related to home improvement. When we started to climb out of this, there was an unbelievable backlog of interest in kitchens, bathrooms, home offices, etc.” notes Lisa Tobias owner of Tobias Design.

Photo Courtesy Tobias Design, Photo Credit Tom Grimes

Unless you were first on the list, your project quickly came to cost 25% more and take twice as long. If you were able to hire a designer and a contractor, businesses which have been stretched thin and are often also struggling with the labor shortages, you were one of the lucky ones. Then comes ordering your supplies. Cabinet makers, for example, have encountered multiple hurdles.

“The lumber industry just wasn’t producing. They weren’t cutting at the rate they used to. It started to create lumber supply issues. The market reacted and lumber went up 400% at one point,” details Tobias. “Then there were labor shortages on even transporting what lumber there was from the west coast to the rest of the country. So, there’s transport issues, there’s basic supply issues because you didn’t have people in the field cutting, you didn’t have people in the factories producing, and that’s just as it relates to lumber.”

Steel production had halted, appliances currently are taking 6-12 months to arrive, and the cost to ship containers has quadrupled. Then you hope there are enough people at the port to unload and process the containers, another shortage adding to the delays.

As a design company that works with a project from start to end, Tobias Design is finding the delays and shortages are really impeding project management and expectations. Once again, profit margins shrink because a design firm or contractor has agreed to a client’s timeline and price at the start of a project, and in the midst of the process, costs change. That again is something the businesses have to absorb.

HOW TO HELP BUSINESSES GET THROUGH

It can be incredibly frustrating as a consumer to not find what you need on the market shelf or to put another 10,000 miles on your old car because you can’t get your hands on a new one. Business owners want you to know, they feel your pain. They feel it in their pocketbooks as well as in the wrath from customers.

While most clients are trying to be understanding, some want what they want when they want it. And others still have their limits. To the best of their abilities, businesses are trying to have staff available to help you when needed and are thinking outside of the box to have products available to sell.

Interestingly, with a desire to sell whatever products they do have to offer, many Princeton stores have reported that they aren’t getting the same number of shoppers they used to. To that end, property owners and community leaders have tried to help.

“Through almost two years of compromised social interaction, EDENS leveraged the municipality’s long-standing and deep connection with Princeton Shopping Center through a steady cadence of on-site events and experiences to keep this location active and help drive foot traffic to our retail partners,” explains a spokesperson for EDENS, which owns and operates Princeton Shopping Center. “We partner with embedded organizations like Arts Council of Princeton, McCarter Theatre Center and Princeton Public Library to bring meaningful art, music and cultural programming to the Center’s courtyard—free and accessible—for the community to enjoy.”

The Princeton Merchants Association (PMA) is also gearing up for the 2021 Princeton Holiday Market Days, which aim to entice shoppers into local businesses for the chance to win great prizes. From Wednesday December 1st through Sunday December 5th shoppers can get their passport cards stamped at participating retailers while shopping amongst the winter chalet shops and town-wide storefronts. Completed passports are entered into a lottery to win baskets of prizes made up of local goods (which last year valued up to $750).

“Princeton has become a destination to walk around and eat, not walk around, shop and eat,” notes Tanez, who in addition to running her business is on the Board of PMA and organizes this seasonal event. “The retail stores really are at the mercy that hopefully someone will come in and shop. The goal for this event is to get people to walk into the stores and see the merchandise.”

Hopefully, when you do walk in, you will find what you’re looking for and it is not still in a container on a cargo ship out at sea. If that is the case, or if the store you enter has limited staff, requiring you to wait a bit longer for assistance, try to find patience. And when paying, if you find the prices at your favorite shops and restaurants are higher than you’d expected, make a mental note that the owner likely paid a premium for those goods and may hardly be making a profit at all. In the end, remember the pandemic we’ve been enduring and the efforts everyone is making to get through.