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 21st 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 9th 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 9th 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.”
Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!
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 27th meeting, the 
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 
“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 
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.
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 
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.
On August 23rd, Ebony Lattimer will take over as 
Princeton is a unique town in many ways. Built more like a small city, it has culture, shopping, restaurants, multiple world-renowned educational institutions and such a vast historic landscape. On nearly every corner you can find something to learn about Princeton’s past.
The week of July 4th, firework displays in Lawrenceville, Hamilton, and Mercer County Park entertained us locally. Chances are as you drove to your destination, you passed obelisks and monuments on the sides of the road that you’ve passed a thousand times, but never really took time to discover what historic events they commemorate. And as the fireworks burst in celebration of the independence of our United States, you were likely more focused on who you were with and who brought the desserts than on what took place in history to allow you to gather together at all.
“Many towns and locations find an immense amount of pride in detailing the historic events which occurred in their town, county, etc. These can range from events of some historic importance (i.e., skirmishes, meetings, etc.) to the mundane (Washington’s spring outside of the battlefield – Washington’s troops stopped to drink here). These markers commemorate historic moments no matter how small,” explains Will Krakower, Resource Interpretive Specialist for The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry. “The ground we walk every day, every walk in the park, every stroll down Nassau, every drive to work, rests on ground which our ancestors walked, and in some cases fought and died, for their right to live a good life – a free life.”
To mark this freedom and the 18-mile route the troops took to the Princeton Battlefield from Trenton, obelisks were placed in 1914 by the Sons of the Revolution. They used a collection of diaries, including that of Anderson’s, to map out the approximate route.
In fact, Williams contends the obelisk at Quakerbridge Road and Nassau Park Boulevard was placed on the median rather than in the middle of what was then an adjacent farm field, where the troops actually marched, to ensure people would see it.
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The Princeton area is also home to many other markers and monuments to the Revolutionary War, including as the site of the first of 13 markers to the battle march that Russell previously mentioned from Princeton to higher ground in Morristown. In front of Aaron Burr Hall at Nassau Street and Washington Road you can find the first, from which the troops continued north into Kingston, marked at the 
Mercer County is actually ranked as 11th of the top 15 counties in America with the most historic markers. If you want to find out where they all are, you can look online at sites like 
If you leave that area and continue towards what is today the former Princeton Boro municipal building, it’s hard to miss the large Princeton Battle Monument depicting Washington leading his troops that was put there in 1922. Several yards away are also several smaller markers commemorating the revolution, and people like Colonel John Haslet, a commander from Delaware that was killed at the Battle of Princeton.
The Revolutionary War lasted until 1783, and Princeton would continue to be a thoroughfare for passage, as a major hospital area and with many supplies manufactured nearby in Trenton. In fact, Washington’s travels back south in 1781 are commemorated with a marker placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1981 as part of the Washington-Rochambeau Trail.
In Princeton, we are lucky to be able to stand in front of the home where 
“COVID really provided us the push we needed to dive in,” shares Izzy Kasdin, Executive Director of HSP, whose organization this year compiled its virtual history-related information and activities into what it called ‘
“As we look forward to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, we know the eyes of the country will be looking for rich and interesting content and as a home of a signer, the only one open to the public in New Jersey, we will be ready to serve,” explains Jill Barry, Morven Museum & Garden Executive Director.
“Historians have a special expertise, a special knowledge about our past and there are a lot of mistruths being spun about that both on the popular media and in social media, and we have a duty to step in and correct things,” said 
A perfect example of this is Bernie Sanders in his mittens at the Biden inauguration in January. It became a viral meme and will forever be remembered as part of that event. Is there a detail like that you can recall from any past inauguration, and would it have become such a moment had it not been recorded and shared on social media?
One year ago, I wrote in my Editor’s Note about the great outdoors and how stepping outside can help us get clarity of our current situation. Last June, deep in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, we were at a very different place than we are today. Yet, I think the same advice holds true – if we can step outside (ourselves, rather than just outdoors) and take a look back at our pandemic year, through the hardships came some rays of light.
At a time when we were forced to stay home more, forced to spend more time with our nuclear families and forced to figure out how we could make ourselves happy without a lot of outside influence, the past 15 months of the pandemic helped many come to the realization that it was primetime to bring home a pet. The unconditional love and companionship of pets brought happiness and positivity into an otherwise difficult year. And pets, too, benefitted from loving homes and opportunities they might have waited much longer for.
“In mid-March [2020], as soon as the Governor of New Jersey put the stay-at-home order in place, which was supposed to be two weeks, we started to see this uptick. When it was extended past the two weeks, it completely was doubling, tripling, quadrupling our applications,” recalls Heather Achenbach, Executive Director of 
Loki, a tuxedo kitten named for their favorite Marvel character, was adopted from SAVE and became an instant part of the family. And it’s been easy, as currently there is always someone at home to provide care and attention. This timing also created an unintended consequence as Loki became largely unaccustomed to strangers.
“We were fortunate that someone on the waitlist backed out and we got their slot, we only waited 8 weeks. We would have had to wait at least 6 months otherwise,” states Dana Levine, who lives in Princeton with her husband and two children.
And stress isn’t just something that humans can feel. As our world opens back up and people begin to spend less time at home, it is important to adjust your pets to their new reality and keep them from feeling overwhelmed.
If you haven’t yet brought home your pandemic pet, it’s important to consider the reasons you want one– are they fleeting or permanent? Our experts have some advice to guide you towards the right pet.
The stores where you may get supplies and food, they are short staffed, too. And busy as ever – only more people are coming on site rather than requesting deliveries.
Volunteers are always an essential part of our society, providing their time, money or abilities to help others. When COVID-19 hit our area in March 2020 and life essentially shut down, existing needs became even more apparent and new ones emerged. The virus was scary and brought with it countless unknowns. Many retreated to the safety of their homes, while some put aside their own fears and came forward in unprecedented ways.
“What we would do is pack grocery bags full of food every Wednesday and then take them, in our cars, to people in and around Princeton who needed help the most,” explains Sheth. “As the summer went on, more and more people started helping out and the whole process was just accelerated and became more efficient. While I only helped out on certain days, there was also so much work happening behind the scenes that I got to see happen through my mom.”
Ryan was turning 11 when he asked for gently used toys for his birthday rather than new gifts. Noticing a shortage of good toys and activities for indoor recess at his school, 
“We are working with a new organization and our goal is to recycle 200+ items a month for kids who would really like new things to play with,” shares Ryan. “Plus, it helps to keep stuff out of the landfill.”
Since 2012, 
“Whether Samuel is helping with a neighborhood cleanup, giving a presentation about the health impacts of climate change, or helping sign up Princeton residents for an emergency notification program, he does it with quiet humility and genuine care about his community,” shares Christine Symington, Sustainable Princeton Program Director.
Also working with our local Hispanic community as a bilingual speaker of English and Spanish, Guillermo Herrera Nimmagadda was finishing his first semester as a graduate student at Princeton University this past December when he jumped right into a volunteer role with 
“I knew the pandemic had led to a severe housing crisis. Because I was frequently in contact with Spanish-speaking residents, it also meant I could serve my Latinx community, which had been disproportionately hurting from COVID-19,” says Herrera Nimmagadda.
Simon began volunteering with HIP in December as well, and along with Herrera Nimmagadda helps the organization sort through applications to grant assistance. At 34-years old, Simon is slightly older than some of our other Rock Star Volunteers, but his joint efforts with Herrera Nimmagadda warrant a mention. Simon is not a native Spanish speaker but learned the language through courses at his public schools and in his years at the University of Michigan. After teaching amongst immigrant communities for several years, Simon decided to go back for a degree as an immigration lawyer (he has one more year of school to go) and now advocates for opportunities.
Simon also gives his time to 
In conjunction with other local organizations, 29-year old Nymisha sought out to form an action group which protested with 200 community members and submitted a petition of nearly 900 signatures to encourage 
Like Nymisha, Shuk Ying Chan felt her status as a Princeton University graduate student was providing her a safety net that others in the greater Princeton community were not privy to.
“Through my work with PMA, I came into contact with contract workers at PU who had been furloughed without pay, and who had basically been abandoned by the university as soon as their labor was no longer needed, at a time of unprecedented crisis. We were outraged by this, and as a student at the university I felt an extra moral obligation to stand in solidarity with the workers whose labor makes the university and its activities possible,” Chan recalls. She then worked with a team of people to pressure the University to change its ways. “We mobilized students and PMA members to speak out at university townhalls, organized a petition of solidarity, helped the student newspaper with their investigative report on the issue, worked with union organizers.”
Helping others by empowering them to help themselves, 
“When you get to see the same people each and every week, you get to really know them, and a simple food drop off can often turn into a 15-minute conversation,” says Erman.
Lucian first learned to volunteer by raising and training puppies with his family at the age of ten. He also gained insight about giving back to the community in high school through a teen philanthropy program he took part in called 
To be out in the world during the pandemic, one needed a mask…and that is what led 
“The Arts Council’s Sew Many Masks project gave our troop a chance to use the sewing skills we learned in Girl Scouts during middle school and helped many people in our community,” recalls 16-year old Bhavana Thelakkat. “We sewed masks, made t-shirts masks and t-shirt yarn at home. I also enjoyed creating videos for Sew Many Masks to help others learn how to contribute as well. Overall, this project was a great experience as it helped to make a positive impact on so many people!”