Planet Princeton

Governor Chris Christie waves to students on the beach after officially opening the newly rebuilt boardwalk in Belmar today. Senator Robert Menendez also attended the ribbon cutting. Photo: Tim Larsen, the Governor’s Office.

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has been named the state’s top environmental steward as part of a  Department of Environmental Protection program that encourages companies to go above and beyond regulatory requirements to protect New Jersey’s environment.

“The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, long a leader in the area of fusion energy research, is also a leader in the area of being a good steward of the environment,” Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said. “I commend their efforts at making sound environmental practices that benefit their staff, their community and their state an integral part of the facility’s daily operations.”

The national center for fusion energy research has met 20 of the 21 stewardship categories established by the DEP as part of the agency’s environmental stewardship program in the areas of environmental policy, environmental management, green buildings, hazardous materials reduction, environmental purchasing, water use reduction and renewable energy use. Click to continue →

The Valley Road School

The Valley Road School on Witherspoon Street in downtown Princeton has been named to the top 10 list of most endangered historic places in New Jersey for 2013.  Preservation New Jersey is slated to announce the list at a 10 a.m. press conference in Trenton.

Several generations of Princetonians were educated at the Valley Road School, which was the first integrated school in Princeton. The portion of the building facing Witherspoon Street later housed the township municipal offices, but is now used by Princeton Community Television. Corner House recently relocated to the former Borough Hall.

A task force formed by the mayor is exploring tearing down the building to expand the firehouse. A group of residents has proposed preserving the building instead and using it as a community center where nonprofits can rent space at reasonable rates. Click to continue →

A Trenton man was arrested for shoplifting from a store on the 100 block of Nassau Street just before 4 p.m. on May 19. Joseph Rabatie was charged with shoplifting after he fled the store and was located by police. He allegedly stole items from other Nassau Street stores and had a $500 active warrant from the Trenton Municipal Court. The stolen items, valued at $94.50, were recovered, police said.

A motor vehicle stop by police just after 3 a.m. May 18 on North Harrison Street revealed that Nakhil Oak, 27, of St. Charles, Illinois had consumed alcoholic beverages prior to driving his vehicle, police said. Oak was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Police responded to an argument at a home on the first block of Greenland Court just after noon on May 18 and when they arrived, the people who were fighting fled to a wooded area off of Edgerstoune Road. Police searched the area and located Cornelius Toma Jr., 36, of Princeton and Lindsay Mackay, 27, of Trenton. Police said both men were under the influence of drugs. Both were charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Toma, Jr. was additionally charged with possession of a controlled and dangerous substance police said they believe to be heroin. Mackay had $6,500 in active warrants outstanding from the Trenton Municipal Court.

A resident on the 400 block of Riverside Drive reported on the morning of May 18 that several items were missing when they moved into their new home, including an iPad valued at $680 and credit card information that led to the illegal purchase of $3,000 worth of merchandise.

An employee of a store at the Princeton Shopping Center reported just after 7 a.m. May 17 that a window had been broken at the ACE Hardware store in the shopping center. A police investigation determined that someone had entered the store and removed $150 from inside.

A student reported that some time between 1 and 3 p.m. on May 16th, her Macbook Pro was stolen from the coatroom at a campus eating club on the first block of Prospect Avenue. The computer and case are valued at $530.

Police responded to a disturbance at a home on the 100 block of Linden Lane on the afternoon of May 16 and allegedly discovered that Rodrigo Trinta, 34, of North Plainfield, was in possession of a controlled dangerous substance believed to be methamphetamine. Trinta was charged with possession of the drug as well as being under the influence of a controlled and dangerous substance and was taken to the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro for treatment and observation.

Superintendent Judy Wilson will retire at the end of the year.

The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education is hosting two public forums today and tomorrow to gather feedback from residents about the search for a new superintendent of schools.

The first forum will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today. The second forum will be held tomorrow, May 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. Both forums will be held in the school board conference room at the district administration building at 25 Valley Road.

An online survey is also being conducted to gather feedback about what residents think are important skills and characteristics they would like to see in a superintendent. Thursday is the last day to take the online survey.  Click to continue →

Mall representatives finally confirmed on Facebook yesterday afternoon that an Apple retail store is coming to the mall. The Facebook post simply read guess who is coming to the Quaker Bridge Mall? It also included photo of a store front covered with the Apple logo.

The opening date for the store has not been announced, but employees at other are Apple retail stores have said the store will open in June.

The Quaker Bridge Mall renovation project began in the spring of 2012. By the end of this year, the mall will have welcomed more than 50 new retail and dining options including The Cheesecake Factory, bebe, Bachrach, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Michael Kors, and Sur La Table.

A Princeton University student who traveled to his home state Sunday is receiving treatment in a hospital there after he was diagnosed with meningitis Monday morning, school officials announced today. 

Three other cases of meningitis have been associated with the University since March.

The illnesses were caused by meningococcal bacteria known as type B, which has no effective vaccine but can be treated with common antibiotics. Health officials are conducting tests to determine the type of bacteria in the most recent case.

The previous cases include a student who developed symptoms of meningitis when returning to the area and went directly to the hospital in March,  a visitor on campus who was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis after returning to another state in April, and a student who received treatment at a local hospital after developing symptoms on campus May 6.

 Click to continue →

Wohl

Richard Wohl, who has led the expansion of services at Princeton House Behavioral Health during the past two decades, has been named the organization’s first president.

A unit of Princeton HealthCare System, Princeton House is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services. Wohl has managed Princeton House for the past 22 years as a senior vice president for Princeton HealthCare System. He will retain that title in addition to becoming president of Princeton House. Click to continue →

Roman

The Princeton Soccer Association has fired youth soccer coach Jorge Roman, who was charged Thursday with one count of possessing images of child pornography after federal agents searched his home and allegedly found what has been described as compromising, sexual movies of minor boys.

A letter was sent to by soccer association leaders to parents yesterday outlining the group’s policies to protect children and expressing shock about the allegations. The full text of the letter is below.

Roman, 48, is an assistant soccer coach at Rider University and previously was a coach at Princeton University. Click to continue →

Friday, May 17

“Dangerous Blossoms” Art Exhibition at the D&R Greenway Land Trust – Art ranges from images of plants that poison humans to beautiful but fatal flowers increasingly destroying native species in our region. Opening reception, 5:30 p.m.  to 7:30 p.m., free.

Lines of Reason Jazz Quartet – Concert featuring special guest Clifford Adams from Kool and The Gang on trombone and vocals, Joe Ford on alto and soprano saxophones, Alan Nelson on drums, Michael Cochrane on piano, and Nimrod Speaks on Bass is the second installment of the Paul Robeson Tribute Series which explores African American music and its impact on modern music. Arts Council of Princeton, 8 p.m., tickets $15, $10 for Arts council members, seniors and students.

“The Bard!” Presented by Princeton High School’s Spectacle Theatre – Shakespeare comes alive with this approachable introduction to the famous Bard’s life and times as well as abridged scenes from five Shakespeare plays, PRinceton High Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Click to continue →

Firefighters put out a fire in the living room of a Griggs Farm condo Thursday. Photo: Seth Callen.

A fire broke out on the second floor of a condominium at Griggs Farm Thursday night just after 8 p.m. Firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire on the 200 block of William Livingston Court and there were no injuries. The cause of the fire was not immediately known and the fire is still under investigation.

Eighteen handbags valued at more than $45,000 were stolen from a store on the first block of Hulfish Street around 11 a.m. on May 15, police said. The manager of a store told police the thieves fled on foot after threatening to harm the store employees if they did not cooperate. The suspects are described as three black males, all approximately 6-foot tall and 20 to 30 years old. Click to continue →