Princeton Township is in yellow. The borough is the rectangle inside it. (from AllPrinceton.com)

Have no idea? Well, here’s a map. Princeton Township and Princeton Borough are one of New Jersey’s many “doughnut and hole” communities, where the smaller town is inside the larger one. It’s a consequence of 19th-century laws that allowed boroughs to incorporate with no more than a majority vote from its citiziens. It’s also one reason, many say, that the state has the nation’s highest property taxes.

Check out this not-so-brief explainer on AllPrinceton.com about why the two municipalities are divided–and what’s being done to bring them back together.

Seriously, I’m at what’s supposed to be the greatest university in the world, and yet there’s not a single McNugget to be had within walking distance?  What’s up with that, Princeton Borough Slash Township?

I mean, I know you think you’re just soo perfect and classy and Pleasantville that you won’t even allow stand-up signs on your sidewalks (stores… trying to sell stuff?  How very tacky of them; how very Plainsboro) — I mean, I’m not surprised or anything.  And maybe I’d have just learned to deal with this sorry state of affairs — accepted the situation for what it was — had it not been for the fact that Princeton’s already invited freakin’ Subway into the cool-kids club while McD’s still stands shivering out in the cold rain.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love Subway — I’d shotgun their Sweet Onion sauce if they’d let me (/ if I fully knew what shotgunning meant?  People talk about it a lot at all the parties I don’t go to but I’m not exactly sure how you do it).

But you can just tell that the zoning board allowed Subway in because they thought to themselves, “Oh, but it’s so much healthier than McDonalds.  So much more in keeping with our small-town values.” You think Subway’s so different, so healthy? Yeah, ok.  Question: You ever eaten a double-meat double-cheese extra-mayo Italian BMT? Yeah, neither have I.  But my friend did once, and then he had a heart attack.  IN THE RESTAURANT.

Or Massimo’s!  Everyone loooves Massimo’s.   But what do you think that sausage-and-cheese pizza is made from, anyways?  Hate to break it to you, Princeton Borough Slash Township, but the answer’s not arugula.  Or even fennel!  Nope, it’s sausage.  And cheese.  And grease.

Or maybe you’re just so high and mighty that you assume the only people who eat at McDonalds are the ones who don’t know any better — the ones who haven’t been exposed to such high-falutin’ culinary delights like hummus and pita and Olives curried chicken salad.  Well, no.  Here’s the deal: people eat at McDonald’s because it’s delicious, because it’s been engineered to be delicious by the best flavorists and food scientists in the world.  Simple as that.

I guess what I’ve been trying to say with all this is that I’ve been going through a lot lately — like, a lot a lot — and a Filet o’ Fish would’ve really helped me keep things in perspective.  Am I asking too much?  I do not think that I am asking too much.

from centraljersey.com

Princeton’s biggest crisis since concrete curbs has hit our dear Nassau Street.

You know that sign in front of Zorba that lists the specials of the day–the one that always seems to include steak for breakfast? Or the really colorful blackboard-y one in front of Twist with the health benefits of yogurt written on it?

Yeah, not allowed.

Last Tuesday, the borough’s zoning officer said at the borough council meeting that these signs are a Serious Problem–and are taking advantage of an ordinance that allows signs only for special circumstances, according to the Princeton Packet.

But these signs have been around forever, you say. I’ve been here for seven semesters and I’ve always seen the psychic sign! Hell, it’s even convinced me to get my palm read a few times!

So what happened? Why now?

Two things:

1. Inter-business bickering. From the Packet:

Borough Attorney Maeve Cannon said the original ordinance allowed for temporary sign placements by businesses advertising a special sale or event, not to exceed 14 days. Mr. Bridger said the ordinance only applied to ground-floor businesses, with upper-story businesses precluded from placing the signs on borough streets.
The actions were triggered when the Princeton zoning department received a complaint from a second-story business that had been denied a street-level A-frame sign, said Princeton Zoning Officer Derek Bridger. The business then informed the zoning department that Salon Pure, a business in similar circumstances, placed such a sign on the street daily, Mr. Bridger said.

This is something you never do. When you get a check on your problem set and your buddy with the same answers gets a check plus? You don’t rat them out.

2. These A-frame signs are just not classy enough for the streets of Princeton. Can you like, maybe get a nice sans-serif font on that sign instead? Embossed, maybe?

Councilman David Goldfarb said such street signage “is not consistent with the image we are trying to promote” downtown… “That is a particularly attractive space, the Mediterra plaza, and I think the sign detracted from it,” Mr. Goldfarb said, noting he had never liked the Salon Vis A Vis sign.

source: unigo.com

460 feet.

That’s the distance the Dinky Station would move toward Princeton Junction if the University has its way.

But ever since the University announced in 2006 its intention to move the Dinky Station to make room for the Arts and Transit Neighborhood, Borough officials and residents have been up in arms about the proposed relocation. Aside from the perennial debate over the University’s tax-exempt status, the Dinky relocation is shaping up to be the major friction point in town-gown relations.

The controversy came up again recently when Borough residents elected Jenny Crumiller and reelected Kevin Wilkes to the Borough Council last week. The two Democrats stated their opposition to the Dinky relocation in the run-up to the election. Despite the opposition, University officials have not signaled any intention to back away from its proposed project.

Watch Pulitzer Prize-winning Professor Paul Muldoon (Chair of the Lewis Center for the Arts) and VP Bob Durkee duke it out with Borough Councilman Andrew Koontz, former Borough Mayor Marvin Reed, and Triangle Repro Center owner Bob Howard.

PART 1:

PART 2:

(image source: subvertednation.net)

Princeton University, like many other major universities, is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. 501(c)(3)s include non-profit organizations that are for “Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, Testing for Public Safety, to Foster National or International Amateur Sports Competition, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animals Organizations.”

In 2007, the university paid more than $10 million in property taxes and fees, and donated more than $1 million to local government, reported the Trenton Times.

If all its properties were taxed, however, the university could be paying $27 million more, the Princeton Community Democratic Organization says. This would reduce the property taxes by 24 percent in the borough and 15 percent in the township.

Local residents worried about the economy want Princeton (with its mighty, mighty endowment) to step in and help them out. Because that’s what a university is for. Especially when they’re planning on cutting $170 million from their budget in the next two years.

From the Trenton Times:

Ms. Artzt said she and her husband, Bruce Lawton, a freelance film historian, are behind on their property taxes, and her business teaching classical guitar to students is dwindling due to the poor economy.

“This is bad. This is not good. This is not how I expected to be spending my 66th year, worrying about losing my house,” Ms. Artzt said. “Princeton University could be helping, and they should be.”

Suggestions for how to really get the most out of your non-profit organizations after the jump.

So how are they going to do it?

Attendees signed petitions calling for the university to pay its “fair share of taxes” and brainstormed about ways to get them to do so, including protesting in front of Nassau Hall, writing university trustees and state legislators, and contacting the Jon Stewart Show.

Oh, that Jon Stewart Show.

We think Princeton Citizens for Tax Fairness isn’t looking at all the options.

Princeton Borough police confiscated the weapon and charged Steven Shonts, 18, of Eden Prairie, MN, with “possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose” and “possession of an imitation firearm on university grounds.” He was released on his own recognizance.

Another student, Erica Greil, said in an e-mail that she had contacted the university’s public safety department at 11:30 p.m. Friday after seeing a male running with a gun near University Place.

Read the full article at the Princeton Packet.

AW and SJP

Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman

Update 3/28: Here is the PAW article on the symposium.

[Full disclosure: This reporter was covering a symposium on the black experience at Princeton a couple weeks ago for the Princeton Alumni Weekly. It only occurred recently to this reporter that Princeton Borough mayor Mildred Trotman's comments may be news.]

Princeton Borough mayor Mildred Trotman, in office since 2005, said she will probably not run for reelection.

Speaking at a panel discussion with former New York City mayor David Dinkins and Trenton mayor Doug Palmer on February 21, Mildred talked about her emphasis on consensus and fairness when governing. She then admitted, “I don’t think I’m going to run again.”

Trotman did not discuss further her comments, though Dinkins responded that one should “never say never.”

“Mayor Trotman, you’re going to run again, I bet you,” Dinkins said.

Dinkins also addressed the upcoming New York City mayoral race and lamented mayor Mike Bloomberg’s decision to run for reelection after overturning term limit laws.

“I like Mike, and I get along fine with him, but I would hope that he would not seek reelection,” Dinkins said.He offered praise for NYC comptroller Bill Thompson, who has said he will run for mayor.

“Billy Thompson is a good friend of mine, and I think he is eminently qualified to be mayor,” Dinkins said.

However, he said it would be challenging for Thompson to run against Bloomberg because of his immense personal wealth.

“It’ll be very difficult for Billy or anybody to defeat [Bloomberg], and I think [Thompson] would have had a battle with [Rep. Anthony] Weiner, but I think he would have beat him,” Dinkins said.

(image source: princetonboro.org)