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Author: Lisa Jacknow

The Pulse of Princeton: What are your favorite local outdoor sites?

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Editor’s Note

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Amidst all you are enduring right now, we are thankful that you have chosen to take a moment to explore our third issue of Princeton Perspectives. Our goal is to always take a closer look at what matters to Princeton, and today we believe it is the connections that are guiding us through each day.

When we were discussing topic ideas for this May issue about six weeks ago, I was very optimistic. We were just weeks into isolation and I thought for sure that by mid-May we’d be in a different place. While Princeton, NJ now allows golfing and use of state parks, we unfortunately haven’t yet come out the other side and we’re not sure when we will. Though it remains a difficult time for many, we’re hoping this issue of Princeton Perspectives can provide some morsels of hope.

One of the most enlightening videos I’ve seen over the past two months was of a former Soviet Union citizen who was imprisoned in isolation for over 400 days. He shares his tips for quarantine, which he utilized to endure his own ordeal. He reminds us that right now we individually have little control about what the future holds. So instead of waiting for those plans to unfurl, we should fill each day with a plan that we can control. Read a book, clean a closet and enjoy our hobbies. He urges us to find reasons to laugh, as often as possible. Look for humor in the little things or find jokes online. And overall, he encourages everyone to feel your connection – remember you are not alone! In order for us each to endure today’s pandemic, mentally or physically, we must join with a bigger community to help us through. It’s this last bit of advice we’re exploring in this issue, Connections – What’s Gotten us Through and What Keeps us Going! There are different connections one can experience and a lot they can offer us. Princeton Perspectives is always here to try and keep you connected to our community!

Connecting the Best Parts of Princeton shows how with each other’s support, we will endure. Amazingly, our community has so many groups working together to help each other that we can’t mention them all. But it’s the connectedness of their goals that make it all possible and are making Princeton a better place right now.

Some are propelled to a better place through religious or spiritual practice. In Perspectives from the Pulpit we share the guidance and insights of local leaders as they navigate these unchartered times with their communities and congregations.

For most of us, our daily community these days is our immediate family. Family Connections: Weathering the Pandemic (for Parents, Older Teens and Young Adults) helps those whose household dynamic has shifted recently. If you have older children who had been off at college or living elsewhere and you have suddenly been propelled together again it can be exciting yet complex. Our expert’s column can shed some light.

And while we love our immediate family, there are often others our in our lives that help us feel whole. Those social meetings were suddenly cut off when we were told to stay home. But if you’re reading this magazine online, that means you have access to the internet via a phone, tablet or a computer. Take advantage of what those have to offer. I’ll admit, I’d never heard of Google Hangouts or Zoom before COVID-19, but they have become great everyday tools to help keep up with various networks of people. In The Power of Connecting in a Technological Time we share with you a glimpse of different local communities and how technology platforms are keeping them in touch.

Lastly, we bring you this month’s Pulse of Princeton. It’s a challenge to get a sense of how everyone is feeling when we can’t get close. But we appreciate those we could reach who shared their selfies with us. Check out this video to see how some in our area are staying connected during Spring 2020.

We know these times are tough, but we hope this issue reminds you to take hold of the little things and embrace your connections. Please stay safe, stay healthy and get excited for spring to turn to summer and the great outdoors to become even more accessible. We look forward to sharing ways to experience our beautiful Princeton community’s Natural Wonders in our June issue.

Connecting the Best Parts of Princeton

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Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell once crooned, “go round and round and round in the circle game.” Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s the interconnectedness of people, groups and businesses that’s keeping things going round and round in Princeton.

In a strong market economy, a typical circular flow model demonstrates the movement of money between the household sector and the business sector. It is fueled as money and goods are exchanged when locals enjoy a meal at neighborhood restaurants or customers shop at their favorite stores. Instead of focusing on a flourishing economy, however, today’s circular flow model demonstrates individuals financially supporting businesses to cover the cost of a meal or goods for others, not for themselves. The business sector, instead of focusing on making a profit, is focusing on making ends meet and trying to keep its staff employed. And the workers are doing all they can to keep our society going by saving lives in hospitals, stocking shelves in supermarkets and providing services, food and products people need. It’s a stripped-down circular model and demonstrating the best society has to offer.

Some models are simply paying it forward (purely donations and volunteerism) while others are buy-one, give-one (paying it forward and getting something for yourself as well). Some support small businesses and others communities-at-large. But all are sustaining each other, connecting together.

Penn Medicine Princeton Health doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, medical technicians and other employees have been working tirelessly to help patients afflicted with COVID-19. Earlier this month our local citizens, the hospital and nearby restaurants came full circle to help the hospital workers, through the Healthcare Heroes Fund. Recognizing the need to sustain their staff and assist them once they leave the medical sites, Princeton Health connected with restaurants to create meals for two, to go, enabling every employee to go home with dinner at the end of their shift. Launched in mid-April, the fund sought donations with a goal of raising $150,000. Through the generosity of our community, that goal was recently surpassed. The circle goes round and round…donations come in, restaurant workers get to keep their jobs and create meals and the dinners sustain the healthcare workers (and give them a break) so they can come back to the hospital and save more lives. Since Healthcare for Heroes began handing out meals on May 2nd, more than 2,900 have been taken home.

Lunch bags have also been going to frontline workers at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Police, Fire and Rescue in Princeton and S. Brunswick,  Princeton Care Center and to help Homefront. The food and delivery from downtown’s Princeton Soup and Sandwich is supported by a GoFundMe campaign set up by owner Lisa Ruddy and her daughter, Alex. It started with their landlord, Palmer Square Management, wanting to send food to the hospital. But Ruddy sensed the community might want to continue the meals.

“We said, let’s just put it out there and see. We posted it and the generosity of people was just overwhelming. Within the first week there were $10,000 in donations,” shared Ruddy. To date, the campaign has raised over $15,000, though it needs more to continue.

“We would like to keep it going. People want a quick easy way they can help and for us it’s keeping the lights on and keeping us going, so it’s a win-win.”

In addition to the more than 1500 lunches Ruddy and her staff have bagged, they’re now also one of several Princeton establishments to join the Mr. Rogers’ Neighbors Kindness Project, a movement launched by Blair Miller amid COVID-19.

Through donations and a “buy one for you, buy one for your neighbor” model, the circle keeps going round as shoppers at McCaffreys and 14 other Princeton establishments can purchase their groceries, restaurant meal or goods and pay for more to be donated to the Mr. Rogers’ Neighbors Kindness Project. The meals and goods are collected and made available to local residents at Studio Hillier on Witherspoon Street three times a week.

Restaurants connecting to their community to help those less fortunate has also become possible through Share My Meals. The not-for-profit organization launched in January as a means to fight food insecurity in our area and prevent food waste. It brought excess food from Princeton University Eating Clubs and local companies to those in need. Just as they were getting off the ground, their partner sites closed, and they quickly shifted gears. Princeton establishments La Mezzaluna and The Meeting House approached Share My Meals looking for a way to keep some staff working, use up their perishable food inventory and help the nearby community in need.

Together they started preparing and delivering trays to their food insecure neighbors. And thanks to early financial support from generous donors, Share My Meals has continued the circular flow, covering the food and basic staff costs. The organization has quickly grown to 25 volunteers who hand-deliver 75 food trays daily to the doorsteps of families. Stanislas Berteloot, a member of the Share My Meals Board of Trustees, says he and many of the volunteers never knew they had so many neighbors struggling to put food on the table.

“Share my Meals, by bringing more privileged people together with less privileged, starts to build a bridge between those communities,” explains Berteloot. “It’s exceptional to have the opportunity to bring about change, to help people communicate with each other.”

Many who once were financially secure are now finding themselves struggling. To meet the demand for meals, Share My Meals is seeking additional funding and had to partner with another restaurant. Trattoria Procaccini is now on board, and each restaurant is preparing 100 meals a day.

The benefits of partnering with the organization came full circle because Get Forky, the restaurant group that owns Trattoria Procaccini, was able to rehire some of its serving staff to help with deliveries and phone orders and maintain most of the kitchen staff on a rotating basis.

“This program can feed my guys,” states co-owner John Procaccini. “Not only are we feeding the needy but by keeping them on staff, I’m feeding my employees who I hope to retain on the other side of this thing.”

The circles around Princeton are also inter-connected beyond food. jaZams book and toy store has had many customers helping it fund and support causes around town.

“It’s always been part of our mission at jaZams to think about not only our business and employees but the community that provides us with support,” says jaZams Co-owner Dean Smith.

In the past two weeks, its customers have taken advantage of the buy-one-give-one opportunity to get books for their home and purchase another for the Mr. Rogers’ Neighbors Kindness Project. More than 50 books have been donated so far. The store itself, thanks to kick-off funding from a donor, has also provided all children on the Free & Reduced Lunch Program at Johnson Park Elementary and some at Community Park Elementary (CP) with books hand-picked by their school librarians. More than 100 children have benefitted so far, and this week jaZams is making plans to deliver books to the remaining population at CP. It’s also partnered with Labyrinth Books. Together, and with continued donations, they plan to provide a book to all qualifying students at John Witherspoon Middle School. At a time when library books are not easily accessible, their goal is to complete the other Princeton Public School elementary schools and the high school as well.

“There are people really suffering from the disease, but also suffering profoundly economically, psychologically, and socially. We’re just trying to figure out ways of connecting with those people in a way that we can’t without our doors open,” shares Smith.

The store and its customers are additionally circling round to benefit neighbors through the “5for5” program. A spin on the “buy one for you and another for a neighbor” approach, this option at checkout allows a customer to get some relief with a 5% discount off their order which jaZams then matches with a 5% donation to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). As of May 5th, over $600 has been raised for TASK.

The amazing thing about this circular flow model, is that in times like these we’re also seeing people entrenched in struggling communities circling around to help their own. Princeton High School graduate and Witherspoon/Jackson resident, known as K.P., is grateful for the numerous organizations working to help provide food and tend to the basic needs of many of her neighbors. She wanted to do what she could to also ensure their safety and has been sewing morning until night creating masks. She’s sewn 100s so far! Her masks, as well as those created through drives like The Arts Council of Princeton’s Sew Many Masks are helping. To assist in distributing them, she turns to Lilliana Morenilla, a tireless advocate as a leader with Share My Meals and the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry who works as Princeton Public Schools Community Outreach K-12. She checks in virtually every day to ensure her students have practiced trumpet, gone to their art class and completed their daily remote schooling. Then she ensures what many take for granted, that they and their families are protected from COVID-19.

“After I know they have food and schooling, I make sure they are safe. I touch base and ensure they have a mask or have gloves,” shares Morenilla.

When everyone has a desire to give and help, it’s easy for the circle to keep rotating. If you want to offer support, click on one of the links above or go to Princetoncovid.org for a more complete list of ways to help. It takes a lot of effort – mental, financial and physical – but in a community like Princeton, there is a natural flow that keeps us going round and round.

The Power of Connecting in a Technological Time

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My son goes to sleepaway camp. This summer would be his sixth. For months we have been unsure whether camp would occur, whether it would be safe to send him or if we would even want to. With all the unknowns, his camp community has been there for us over the past two months. The camp staff knew everyone was at home and in need of human connectivity. Through weekly Friday night Instagram Live get-togethers, bi-weekly Zoom workouts or the Xbox NBA2k tournament for his age group, my son has been staying connected to Camp Bauercrest and his friends. And he’ll need it, as they just canceled the summer session.

The technological opportunities at our disposal have made this unique situation somewhat bearable. Like my son, other children are using it to be a part of their school, sports or religious groups and for adults, perhaps it’s allowed for local neighborhood camaraderie, keeping up with your morning workout group or enabling family reunions. The methods have changed from in-person to virtual, but over the past couple of months many have found these communal connections are what’s kept them going.

Staying connected is so important that in mid-April the state issued an Executive Order prohibiting all internet and phone carriers from terminating services for non-payment until the public health emergency has cleared. Whether one is going online and reading the most updated news sites, texting with friends and family on a phone or tablet or going “old school” by making a telephone call, these utilities have become the be-all, end-all of communicating during isolation. Those at home during the pandemic have also witnessed an amazing virtual journey connecting through video conferencing and meet-up platforms.

One never would have imagined Saturday nights, when most looked forward to a night out with others, could be fulfilled in cyberspace. Since isolation began, the opportunity to play cards online has become something Jessica Rubinstein and her husband look forward to. Hearts is a card game they have enjoyed playing with friends for years. They’d get together with their friends periodically, but the Trickster Cards app has changed all that.

“We actually play more often now that we’re in this quarantine than we do normally because it’s easier than finding time to get together,” shares Rubinstein. “We’re just not having dinner together like we used to.”

The app offers an opportunity to video conference while playing and also allows you to create your own private playing room. While the in-person interactions are missed, Rubinstein says it’s created a very genuine, fun experience and allows them to still have a fun night “out.”

For the school-age child, apps like House Party allow them to chat with friends or play virtual versions of traditional board games like Pictionary and Apples to Apples. Their schools are also working hard to create social contact. Dr. Patty Fagin, Head of School at Stuart Country Day, has been working with her staff to keep their school community connected while they teach and learn from home. Luckily, she says, they have always been a 1 to 1 Ipad and laptop school, so the children were already set up not just for academic learning but also to sustain social interactions.

“Today, if you look into any class and see the faces of 10 to 15 kids on Google Meet, seeing each other and talking to a faculty member, it makes a huge difference,” says Fagin.

In fact, today’s media platforms are allowing the show to go on, even if the curtain can’t go up. Google Meet recently provided an opportunity for Stuart students to host an evening instrumentalist performance and some Upper School students competed in a lip sync battle through a live Instagram takeover. For other interaction, some children have been working to rebuild the school on Minecraft so they can virtually hang out there. It’s a balancing act, doing so much via screens, but Fagin recognizes it is the main way for them to communicate with each other.

“The problem with this generation is if they’re not in a structured activity they’ll be on screens anyways doing something else that may not be as positive or safe,” she notes.

Across town, Littlebrook Elementary School is also trying to utilize technological advantages in a positive way for its students. Principal Luis Ramirez misses the days when he could see everyone around the building and physically going into classrooms to say hello. Instead, he pops into their classes on Zoom.

“The looks on their faces are priceless, I really miss them,” sighs Ramirez.

Traditions are a big part of his school community, so Littlebrook is working hard to maintain some. Though students can’t bring their parents to school to show off their artwork this spring, Ramirez insisted on a proper Art Show. The students have each created artistic replicas, interpretations with rainbows and other pieces throughout remote schooling with guidance from their art teacher, Mrs. Dell. This week, they were tasked with curating an art show from home. Students were asked to handmake an invitation, design a floor plan of their work and to display it throughout the house. The Art Show is now being shared for all Littlebrook families to enjoy via the Parent Teacher Organization’s Konstella App.

Later in the school year, Ramirez is hoping to virtually create another favorite elementary custom, field day.  It’s not the same as watching the children compete on fields together, but if they can coordinate a plan, he is thankful telecommunications advances like Zoom will allow them to stay connected through this experience.

If there’s one new word that will be coined from the technology that saved the day during the pandemic it will be “Zoom.” It’s become an acceptable verb, as people say “Let’s Zoom later!” the way “Google it” was coined as a research term years ago. And it’s no wonder, as the video-conferencing platform is said to have seen usage increase from 10 million to more than 300 million in the past three months. Though it was a reality for those that lived during the Spanish Flu, it’s nearly impossible for most of us to imagine getting through these times without having a smartphone, tablet or computer to connect us. Weekly friend Happy Hours, large birthday “gatherings” and more intimate catch-ups have all been made possible thanks to Zoom, Facetime and other applications like Microsoft Teams.

Rachel Lesser has a great reputation amongst friends for baking delicious homemade treats. She always shared her creations but had never thought to use video conferencing to teach others how to bake themselves. Home isolation changed that.

“A friend’s daughter wanted to learn how to make my chocolate chip cookies in quarantine. I taught her one day on Zoom and then it grew from there,” explains Lesser. “It’s fun to share my favorite sweet recipes with friends and their kids from all over.”

A week in advance she emails the necessary ingredients for all to add to their shopping lists but saves the step-by-step directions for the Saturday afternoon Zoom. One friend may overbake her cookies, another will learn her bundt pan isn’t actually non-stick, nonetheless friends from Princeton to Newtown, Westchester to Puerto Rico are baking together.

“It’s also nice to see everyone even if it is virtually. We talk, they ask questions and we all have sweet treats to share with our families,” Lesser adds.

Beyond the intimate moments, technology is allowing our hometown community to benefit via the internet, email and video opportunities keeping locals connected to others with similar interests, to what’s open around town, and to the latest news and information regarding COVID-19. One neighbor recently mentioned (from a social distance) that she had discovered a Drop-in and Knit group on Princetoncovid.org. So instead of knitting a scarf home alone, she joined a virtual social hour of knitting and sharing through the library.

Princetoncovid.org, a collaboration of Princeton Public Library, the Municipality of Princeton and Princeton Public Schools was conceptualized in just two days and launched on March 17, 2020 to keep everyone abreast. It’s been updated nearly every day since. Putting all of the resources and needed links in one place makes it easy for the public to learn about the myriad of local virtual activities and offerings, to reach out for help and stay on top of the most current rules and recommendations.

“We wanted to be as open and transparent as possible about sharing the data we are tracking about the number of positive cases and tests within Princeton and to explain why the restrictions that have been put in place are necessary,” shares Mayor Lempert. “Part of the challenge is keeping up with all the new information each day, and we wanted to make that easier for residents.”

Our local government has also been increasing its use of social media. Its accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pre-date the COVID-19 outbreak, but they have been important resources lately to update with COVID-related information, safety-tips and restrictions. The most current state and local information can also arrive each day to your inbox through Princeton’s Daily COVID-19 Update email created with Lempert and other municipal staff.

So much of our society has been physically shut down, but if you look for it, a lot remains virtually accessible. Whomever it is you seek to connect with, there’s probably a way to do it. So I challenge you to go online (when you’re done reading this issue!) and Google your favorite gym, you might be able to Zoom a class later today! Text your aunt and ask if she’s around to Facetime so you can see her smile. Create a Google Hangout with your college friends to share favorite Netflix shows and plan to watch that night, together (yes, you can do that, too!). We may be separated by space, but thankfully we have a means to stay connected.

The Pulse of Princeton: What Connections are Helping Our Community Survive the Pandemic?

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Are you doing it right? Recycling 101

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As everyone considers what they touch amid COVID-19, some are questioning the safety of leaving out used materials for recycling. Despite the concerns, recyclables continue to be collected in Princeton because the pick-up is considered an essential service. The recycling crews are protecting themselves wearing gloves and masks, but you could help them by recycling correctly and minimizing their need to sift through your bins. Crews have been instructed to leave contaminated materials and those that don’t qualify for our county recycling.

Turns out, many locals still don’t know the rules. Can’t all papers, plastics and glass get recycled? The answer is no!

RECYCLING REJECTION NOTICE! Have you recently seen this red tag attached to your recycling bin or to that of your neighbor? The Mercer County Improvement Authority (MCIA), who handles the curb-side recycling pick-up for Princeton, found too many people were putting the wrong items in their bins so it has started focusing efforts on educating and re-educating the public on what can be recycled. If your bins contain items that are noticeably forbidden, when you go to bring them inside at the end of the day you will likely find they are still full and have been tagged.

“Until a few weeks ago, I thought everything that has a recycling symbol could go into recycling,” states local resident Edye Kamenir. “Why put a recycling symbol on something that can’t be recycled?”

Seems like a valid question. The answer lies in the fact that one town may accept certain items while another town may not. Though New Jersey has had a recycling law since 1987, it allows counties and towns to choose their methods and types of recycling based on a variety of factors. Is it a county-wide pick-up or run by the municipality? Do they require you to separate certain products (dual stream) or recycle them all together (single stream)? Where do the recycled products end up? Towns are also allowed to add detail through local recycling ordinances.

Our curb-side recycling in Princeton (along with Hopewell Borough and Township, Pennington, Lawrence, Ewing and Hamilton) is handled by a county authority (as opposed to East Windsor, Hightstown & Robbinsville which are operated by their municipality) and has chosen to follow the single stream method which allows bottles, cans, certain containers and paper grades to all be collected together.

As the costs for recycling collection have increased, the MCIA launched this new campaign because they feel the only way to get people to pay attention is to refuse their bins.

“We wanted residents to know that placing recycling in plastic bags or placing pizza boxes in your curbside bucket was no longer acceptable and going forward would not be collected,” confirms Dan Napoleon, MCIA Director of Environmental Programs. “We conducted an extensive public awareness campaign including, but not limited to, social and print media, public access TV, websites, radio, and community newspapers. I also met with various community groups and environmental commissions.”

Some, like Kelly Harrison, have paid attention. “#1 and #2 plastics can be recycled in Princeton! Therefore, yogurt cups are out,” she notes. “Anything with grease (pizza boxes, to-go salad containers) are out. Tin foil – nope.”

Others are eager to do their part to help our environment but are unclear of the specifics and haven’t seen the public awareness campaign.

“I am sure we are probably not following the rules as we should. We fill almost 3 recycling bins a week but worry that we are not fully understanding what should be going in the bins,” says Riverside resident Leslie Schwartz.

To understand what is collected here, consider two things. First, is it desirable? If there’s not a major market for it in the recycling world, it’s likely not collected curb-side. Additionally, it boils down to what is “clean” versus what is “dirty.” If the item is made of pure materials or able to be wiped clean, it is likely picked up in our curb-side collection.

When it comes to glass, remember this – all colors of glass food and beverage jars/bottles can go in your bin, but drinking glasses or broken glass must stay out. The broken glass is dangerous to the collectors. Additionally, the chemical make-up of drinking glasses and mirrors, for example, contaminates the recycling process and could damage the equipment.

If you have used tissues, paper towels, paper plates or napkins, throw them in your trash. The oils and other residues left on them render them unusable for recycling. Other papers, like those you print or write on as well as envelopes (even those with windows) can go in your bin. Hard and soft-cover books can also be included.

When it comes to metals, if they are pure or didn’t touch hazardous materials, recycle them. You drank from aluminum beverage containers/cans and fed your pet from a food can, so rinse those and put them in the bin. But the aerosol cans or motor oil and anti-freeze containers you emptied contained poisons, so don’t attempt to recycle through our curb-side program (they may be dropped at scrap metal locations). Our program does not accept Aluminum foil/baking pans either.

The most successful Princeton recyclers tell Princeton Perspectives they have stayed on top of the rules by printing out the recycling information notices, which are posted on both the MCIANJ.org and Princeton.gov websites (and at the end of this article!). They post them in the kitchen or by their recycle bins as a reminder. There’s also an app! RecycleCoach can be uploaded and at your fingertips on any smartphone.

“The App allows for reminders of recycling collection days and special events such as our Household Hazardous / E-Waste Collection days or Document Shredding events,” adds Napoleon. ”Additionally, if a resident is unsure about whether a material is recyclable or not, there is a section What Goes Where that helps answer that question.”
All curb-side recycling must be placed in the official bins (either green or yellow) to be picked up. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the recent Household Hazardous Waste/Electronic Waste collection that was scheduled for March 28, 2020 was canceled. The next event will be June 20th.
There are many questions surrounding what and how to recycle. So here are some other FAQ we encountered. We hope these clarifications can help you recycle more completely:

Q: What happens to plastics #3-7? Can they be recycled anywhere?
A: Recycling is driven by the market. #5s can be dropped at Whole Foods, as there is a small desire for them. There is no market for #3, 4, 6 and 7 plastics so they are not being recycled (municipalities that collect them likely separate and discard them).

Q: I got a red tag on my bin but nothing was checked off. How do I know what I did wrong?
A: In those cases where a tag is left unchecked, residents can contact the MCIA office either via phone or through the website and they will aim to explain the problem.

Q: Why can’t I put recyclables in a plastic bag or include single-use plastic bags in my bin?
A: Plastic bags jam the equipment at recycling plants. They can be recycled but must be done in a different way and not through Princeton’s curbside pick-up. Instead, you can drop them around town at stores like McCaffrey’s, Whole Earth Center and Craft Cleaners.

Q: Can we leave caps on or must they be taken off bottles?
A: Whether the cap is left on or removed does not affect its ability to be recycled in our program. The real issue is that leaving caps on can be a safety hazard. When bottles are crushed in the trucks, caps can shoot off with force.

Q: Pizza boxes are made of corrugated cardboard, so why are they not accepted?
A: The boxes get contaminated with oil or various toppings. It is very difficult to get the aroma of garlic, for example, or other toppings out of the cardboard when it’s recycled.

To Go Reusable or Use Plastic Bags? That is Again the Question

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“It is very important to me to eliminate plastic waste…with Covid-19 you recognize even more how much plastic we have for everything as we wipe our empty plastic bags and everything else immediately before we bring it into the house.” – Sanne Karner, Princeton resident.

Eliminating plastic waste has been a long-time goal for many residents and activists. In New Jersey, the push to encourage reusable bags instead of one-time use bags took a possible step forward just as COVID-19 was making its way state-side. On March 5, 2020 the State Senate voted 22-14 for a state-wide ban on single-use plastic carryout bags, single-use paper carryout bags, take-out foam food service products, and single-use plastic straws (though straws would still be available by request). Now, not only have efforts been halted, they’ve temporarily seen a reversal in attitudes no one could ever have predicted.

Within weeks of this vote, people were told we need to contain germs. Don’t touch things when you go out and use caution bringing outside items into your home. This brought into question whether it might in fact spread germs if people bring reusable items from their homes into public places. There is no scientific confirmation the virus lives on reusable shopping bags though it has been found on certain surfaces days after exposure.

Princeton Health Officer, Jeff Grosser, confirmed the municipal health department has asked local retailers to temporarily promote shopping with single-use bags instead. “It presents that extra exposure point with regards to shopping. Right now people are already on high alert about who they’re coming into contact with and who they’re being exposed to. We’re trying to limit exposure wherever we can.”

McCaffrey’s in Princeton is suggesting customers not bring in reusable bags and those that do enter with them must bag themselves from within their cart and are not allowed to put them on the cashier’s belt or register area. Nearby, Shoprite locations in both Skillman and Lawrenceville are still allowing reusable bags but customers must bag themselves. And down the road at Wegmans they were allowing and bagging reusables for their consumers, however they just changed their policy and now also request customers with reusables bag themselves.

By mid to late March the governors in Massachusetts and New Hampshire ordered temporary state-wide bans on the use of reusable bags in supermarkets. And in Connecticut, the $0.10 bag tax that had been instated to encourage people to bring their own bags to markets was temporarily halted to instead encourage use of single-use plastic that wouldn’t be brought back into a store. The step forward for health took a step backwards on the environment.

Princeton Perspectives polled fifty local residents aged 40-50, raising families in town. Despite the recent turn of events, only one-third of respondents were concerned with bringing reusable bags back and forth to stores. Yet, outside of COVID-19, nearly all respondents support the need to do their part to eliminate plastic waste.

“Before this month, I had been making a real effort to bring my bags to the grocery store. I was successful about 50-60% of the time. I hope to get back to this practice after this crisis has ended,” shared resident Judy Kutin.

There’s also hope from many local activists that after the health crisis we’ll be headed towards a local ban. Upon returning from spring break, Princeton University students from the Princeton Student Climate Initiative in partnership with Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) were planning to get an online residential survey out to the community to help build support and consensus to pass an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags throughout Princeton. The survey never went out as those students never returned from break, forced instead into remote learning and social distancing by COVID-19. PEC and PU students had also planned to work on buy-in from the local business community.

“We were planning to launch the business survey at a meeting of the Princeton Merchants Association [the week of March 16th] planned by Councilwoman Pirone Lambros and to follow that up with students visiting local businesses to get their input via the survey,” said PEC Chair Sophie Glovier. “Once we had the survey input, we planned to move on to consider various model ordinances that have been developed and implemented by other towns.”

Hopewell Borough, in fact, used a similar model and approved a ban in January. After spending months educating their community and reaching out to local businesses, fifth-graders from Hopewell Elementary School and The Watershed Institute were able to encourage a unanimous vote by the Hopewell Borough Council to prevent local businesses from distributing single-use plastic bags. To assist in the transition, The Watershed has distributed more than 650 reusable bags locally and plans to offer more. The current pandemic is now affecting the start date, which was supposed to be next week on April 22nd (Earth Day!). “Due to the health emergency and the obvious shifting of priorities stemming from the COVID-19 virus, the Borough will suspend the implementation of the single-use plastic bag ban,” confirmed Hopewell Borough Administrator Michele Hovan. “While the ban is important from an environmental standpoint, this is not the time to add regulations and pressures onto to our business community.” At the next regularly scheduled meeting on May 7, 2020 the Borough Council will formally suspend the ban and discuss a new date.

In the meantime, the educational aspect remains important to get buy-in from the public. In passing their bill, the NJ Senate hopes to let New Jersey residents know that in our state alone we go through 4.4 BILLION plastic bags each year. While several retailers collect plastic bags for recycling, most residents erroneously place them in their curb-side bins where they clog the recycling machines. In addition, the legislature and other activists want the public to know that most plastics in general don’t biodegrade but just break down into smaller parts that end up littering our environment. For a state with a robust shoreline, it’s important to understand that scientists have estimated by 2050 there will be a larger mass of plastics in the ocean than fish.

Some in Princeton have been trying for nearly a decade to share statistics like these and enact a change in culture surrounding the use of single-use plastic bags. In 2011, locals partnered with Sustainable Princeton to start the BYOBag Campaign. And while it started conversations and the initiative is still promoted by the Princeton Merchants Association and several local retailers, it is now April 2020 and there remains no formal policy in town. The State Senate made a step forward, but the State Assembly still needs to vote, and Governor Phil Murphy would still need to sign. A bill similar to this one was rejected by the Assembly in January.

Another local attempt was made in 2014. Mercer County tried to move the issue forward with County Executive Brian Hughes and his Freeholders supporting Ballot Question #3, which would have created a $0.05 fee for each single-use plastic bag used by consumers. The question was intended to see how the residents felt about this issue and would have been non-binding, yet it failed. Princeton residents had voted in favor, but overall, the other Mercer County residents did not.

The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) has spent this past year trying to regain momentum for this cause. This non-profit works with local and state agencies to try and promote sustainable communities and believes that if enough municipalities pass bans on single-use bags, the state will ultimately create a ban. Members of Princeton Environmental Commission attended an ANJEC training session last summer to learn best practices from other municipalities. They then passed a resolution in late 2019 to support a statewide approach but made a goal of developing an ordinance in Princeton if that didn’t happen soon.

Those Princetonians that responded to our survey seem ready for change. 66% keep a reusable bag in their car at all times.

“Eliminating plastic waste is an aspirational goal and I would go to very extensive lengths to get there,” says local Jim Davidge. “The challenge obviously is that it takes more than 30-40% of the population to elicit this type of change. The entire wholesale and retail supply chains would need to be completely revamped.”

As proven in our poll: while nearly 80% of respondents are inclined to bring a reusable bag with them to the supermarket, 66% of them do not usually bring one into stores like WalMart or Target and only 21% bring them along when shopping for clothing. One respondent suggests more stores should remove packaging options all together, like Costco does and another advises a plastic bag ban like New York state or a surcharge for using plastic bags could better curb the behavior.

“I think I would be better at it if I had no options,” agrees resident Lauren Raivetz. “For example, when we lived abroad, we had to bring our own bags to the store or else we were paying almost $1 for a grocery bag. I think other countries do it better than we do.”

Here at home, the state legislation underway would go further than any state in the union by banning both plastic and paper. It notes that single-use paper carryout bags use as much or more energy and resources to manufacture and transport than single-use plastic carryout bags and contribute to harmful air emissions. It’s important to note that the plastic ban they approved is for bags you would get at the checkout counter and does not include some used for sanitary reasons such as the plastic sliced-deli is put into, those used for loose items like fruit and vegetables and those provided at a dry cleaner to protect your clothes.

The inclusion of the paper bag ban kept a similar bill from moving through the Assembly earlier this year, so it is unclear whether this new bill will move forward. If approved then signed by Governor Murphy, it will take 18 months to go into law. NJ would then join California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont with a state-wide law.

COVID-19 is still here and minimizing the risk of spreading germs remains top priority. If swapping your reusable bag for a plastic one is weighing on you, there is still something you can do to help our environment.

Princeton McCaffrey’s Store Manager Anthony Sanfilippo says they’re still accepting single-use plastics there for recycling. “The bags go in a bin and aren’t touching anything or returned to the shelf or sales floor for consumption. So we’ll still collect them. The maintenance guy takes them away in a sanitary way.”

As soon as the local infrastructure makes it possible again, PEC and other local activists intend to continue their mission to reduce plastic waste and make it the rule of law.

“Princeton residents have been concerned about the pollution caused by single-use plastics for many years,” confirms Glovier. “I do continue to believe that the well documented negative environmental impacts of single-use plastics make it very important that we find a way to do without them.”

Editor’s Note

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Welcome back to Princeton Perspectives!

A lot has happened in the month since we launched. COVID-19 is no longer something happening there, it’s happening here and everywhere. We wish you all good health and are eternally grateful to our essential workers, saving lives in hospitals, selling us groceries, teaching our children, collecting our trash and so much more. The rest of us are staying home doing our part to try and flatten the curve. But did you know some scientists speculate that over time climate change will kill more people than COVID-19? What will it take for people to start making changes to help flatten that curve?

In this April issue, One Person, One Family, One Town – Our Role in Sustainability we take a look at different ways you can contribute, explore how one family has changed to do more and take a deep look at what is happening in and around Princeton to save our planet. We planned this issue back in January, anticipating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, before we had any inclination that COVID-19 would hit us like this. It is amazing to see how it’s infiltrated so many parts of our lives, even living a sustainable one.

In To Go Reusable or Use Plastic Bags? That is Again the Question I had intended to share the changes that have been made or are underway in town to eliminate plastics. As I started to research my story, I found that not only had COVID-19 derailed some of the plans, it has made some people temporary rethink their reusables. Read on to find out how the story unfolds.

Some things, so far, do remain unchanged and that includes the ability to ride bikes. The author of My Biking Life takes us on her two-wheel journey around Princeton. Her story and interactions mostly took place before our days of isolation, but they offer great insight into how one person and one family can make a difference for themselves and the rest of us.

We also each play a major role in climate change. With everyone staying home and cars remaining in driveways, it’s been amazing to see evidence on recent maps of China detailing lower levels of pollution in the sky. Here in Princeton, you’d be surprised to learn how many ways you can do your part. Bending the Climate Curve shows us what roles we’ve played to get us where we are today and what we can do going forward.

Little by little, we all can help clean up our environment and make it a better place for future generations. It was amazing to find that even the best intentioned are a bit confused when it comes to recycling, so I’m hoping to clarify it all for you in Are You Doing it Right – Recycling 101. Curb-side pick-up continues, and you can help make it the most efficient by reading what goes in, what does not and why!

The Pulse of Princeton is a poll this month and we want your perspective!  Take the poll to tell us how much (or how little) environmentalism weighs on your travel decisions.

We are excited that more than 2500 of you checked out our inaugural issue, School 101- Education in Princeton Today! If you missed it, it’s available under archives.

We wish you continued good health and hope you enjoy this issue. We look forward to sharing more with you next month as Princeton Perspectives delves into Connections – What’s Gotten us Through and What Keeps us Going!

The Pulse of Princeton: What Parents are Saying about their School Choice

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The Changing Landscape of Princeton Preschools

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“I have my fingers crossed, all of my fingers and toes. And my husband, too, everyone is crossing their fingers,” shares Begoña Mendiguren, as she waits to find out if her daughter will get a Princeton Public Schools Pre-kindergarten spot for the 2020-2021 school year. Mendiguren shares a sentiment commonly heard around town lately, as parents await an April 17th lottery for enrollment into Princeton’s free and newly expanded public offerings in early childhood education. But how will this option affect the greater community? Several private preschools have already seen the cost of shrinking enrollment numbers due to the changing needs of parents. In June, another traditional nursery school will close, the third to do so in the past five years.

University League Nursery School (ULNS), founded by a group of Princeton University families in 1949, announced last fall it’s done at the end of this school year. ULNS had taken over the home of The Jewish Center Preschool (The Joan Levin School of Early Childhood Education) when it shut its doors in 2016. And further down Nassau Street, in the Nassau Presbyterian Church, Dietrich Johnson is no longer. That cooperative nursery school shuttered in 2015.

While the traditional morning nursery school landscape within Princeton proper is shrinking, public offerings are expanding. Princeton Public Schools, which has been operating a 30-student public-funded, full-day general education Pre-kindergarten program since 2004, opened a dual-language PreK and a classroom for 3-year olds this past fall. A limited number of spots used to be available, at a cost, to community members that didn’t qualify with a financial or special need. Now all spots are free and the program is set to expand further with an additional 3-year old classroom for the 2020-2021 school year, aiming to offer preschool to 75 Princeton children.

The catch is, not every child that wants to, can get into Princeton Public School’s program. All general population families wishing to enroll their child have an opportunity to do so until April 2nd, but they’re not all guaranteed a spot. First, they must be a Princeton resident. Then, there is still priority registration. By law, space is guaranteed for students eligible for special services as well as those who are economically disadvantaged (qualifying for the Federal Meals Benefit Program).  Veronica Ulrich, Grant Writer and Coordinator of Special Projects for PPS helped the district secure the additional state aid in 2019 that made the expansion possible. “Our growth is dictated by the needs of the community and we will continue to do our best in response to that need,” says Urlich. If you don’t meet one of those qualifications, you could be entered into a lottery to fill the remaining spots. “Availability is determined after current students are placed in the next level and we have completed thorough outreach to the economically disadvantaged families in our community.” For the 2019-2020 school year, 50% of the spots were given to students qualifying for the Federal Meals Benefit Program, and the school is currently full with a waitlist of approximately 10 students.

In Princeton, all of the existing preschools do offer some level of scholarship in an attempt to help those with financial need, but one was created specifically with those families in mind. Since 1929, the philosophy at Princeton Nursery School (PNS) has been “to help families improve their lives and help by providing peace of mind of a preschool education,” says PNS Executive Director Rosanda Wong. To enroll your child at PNS you must be working parents, parents going to college, or a combination. Included in its tuition, which is often at least partly paid for by state subsidies and scholarships (only two current families pay full monthly tuition) PNS offers 12-month schooling, including before and after care, meals and supports for the whole family. Means beyond those a public school can offer. While it has a natural concern the public program could pull from its population of potential families, it is not planning to change to compete. “Some families who are Princeton residents who would qualify for PPS have remained at PNS because a free program is free only to a certain extent,” says Wong. “If you need before and after care or coverage on days the public school district is closed, you have to pay for it.” Notably, only 50% of Princeton Nursery School families reside in Princeton, so half its population isn’t even eligible for the PPS program.

The rise in dual-working families helped shutter Dietrich Johnson and The Jewish Center (TJC) Preschool. Susan Kanter was Vice President of Education at TJC when it made the decision to close. She told Princeton Perspectives, “the availability of early drop-off, late pick-up, and a full program that ran 52-weeks a year were some of the factors that led TJC to end the program.”

ULNS, had attempted to keep up with those needs. Though it’s continued to offer a morning-only program, a full-day option was added in the 1990s. The nursery school had approximately 112 children for years, including when it moved from its Princeton University location to its Jewish Center home. It now has 66. That number is still higher than most but doesn’t afford them the opportunity to stay true to their core mission and compete with the expanded PPS program. So they, too, made the decision to close.  We “would have had to pare down to such a smaller school which would affect the tradition of high-quality nursery education. We were seeing the picture down the road.” said school Director Cindy Schenthal.

Free preschool, a haven for families with financial insecurity, is also a helpful option for those who have a tight budget or would like to use that money elsewhere. Lindsay Weiss saw people choose it in the fall when the PPS program expanded and ULNS announced its plans to close. “One family was signed up to go to ULNS but switched to public and has been very happy,” says Weiss. Her middle child is graduating from ULNS, and she has a younger one who is ready to begin. She’s opting to put her youngest in another private school but adds, that’s not everyone’s plan. “I think a lot of people are going to be leaving private to get free preschool.”

It’s that concern that may be creating a new enrollment trend. With the desire to attract ULNS families to their nursery programs, and in an effort to deter the possibility of current families leaving for the free public option, some enrollment obligations shifted this year. One Nassau Nursery School parent witnessed her school working to lock families in this past December, earlier than the usual commitment time of February.   Cherry Hill Nursery School was another. Enrollment there normally begins in January or February. “We’re seeing a pull from PPS,” said school director Shreya Dasgupta. “Even some folks that toured the school were candid in that they’d rather wait to commit until they heard from the free preschool.” But, there is risk involved by waiting, as you may end up without a spot. The phone started ringing at Cherry Hill when ULNS announced it was closing and this year 2 of their 4 classrooms were already full by late January. “Since there’s so much interest, the deadline for contracts was moved sooner,” added Dasgupta, noting their smaller size is a factor, too. Cherry Hill has just one class for each age, from 2 to 5-years old.

Most of the preschools in Princeton proper have their niche. Nassau Nursery and Cherry Hill are cooperatives and for parents that don’t want a full day. Some are affiliated with other institutions, like University NOW, a daycare catering to mostly Princeton University families. Administrative Director Anja Zimmermann at Crossroads Nursery School, on the campus of The Institute for Advanced Studies, says though nearly 70% of its preschool age population tends to come from the greater community, they can’t adapt their enrollment schedule to compete. “We can’t do early enrollment,“ states Zimmermann. “We have to wait until Institute members get their letters of admittance, to know which families we’ll have.” Crossroads plans to keep a waitlist until it opens admissions to the community in mid-March and will then see if the ULNS closure and PPS expansion affect it. However, Zimmermann says “at this point, it’s same as usual in hearing from members of the community.”

Making small changes and staying in their lane seem to be trends for attempted sustainability. Independent schools like Princeton Montessori, which offers early childhood education that continues into grade school, is doing just that. At Montessori, they’re counting on the fact that their 150-year old methodology will keep parents from leaving for the free public option. “We have a completely different product,” says Michelle Morrison, Head of School. “Our teachers become experts on child development over 3 years, not three days, and we’re meeting a progressive vision of what education should be that public schools are trying to catch up on.” She cautions parents to pick the school that’s best for their child. “I understand that for many dual-working families, free sounds good, but they have to look deeper and take a look at what the experience really feels like for their child.”

Despite other options, with an 18-month old at home, Begoña Mendiguren hopes her PreK daughter can attend Johnson Park with her two older children. She and many others anxiously await what the options dictate after 2pm on April 17th, when Princeton Public Schools holds its lottery for any remaining preschool spots. For those that don’t get in or choose private, there are still great preschool options in Princeton proper, and many more beyond its borders.