Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison

1931 – 2019

"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives."

Photo: John Mathew Smith

How Was Your Weekend?

I spent part of mine removing standing water from the shrub bed at the front of our house. Despite repeated requests to our management company, FirstService Residential, nothing has been done to solve this problem. It's clearly our Association's responsibility, but that doesn't seem to make any difference. So Saturday morning, after a week of heavy rain, I got out the wet vac to get the water out of the bed and give it a chance to dry out a little over the nice sunny weekend that was forecast. With more showers coming in the week ahead, it was a temporary solution at best, but I hope it's enough to help the shrubs survive for now. There's a big rhododendron at the corner of the house that is struggling and probably has root rot caused by the bad drainage. The rhododendron that was next to it had to be removed. Both were already large, mature plants when we bought the house 18 years ago. It's a shame to see beautiful, long-established landscaping ruined by poor maintenance. As I noted in my previous post, one of our property managers, Anna DeSimone, finally came and looked at the problem in mid-April (although I raised it with FirstService months before that). She brought a representative of our Association's landscape contractor, BrightView. Since then nothing has been done and it seems nothing will be done. So much for carefree condo living.

FirstService . . . or NoService?

After waiting over eight months for help—any kind of help—with a drainage problem, we had received no assistance. We had hoped a visit in mid-April by Anna DeSimone, one of the managers from FirstService Residential, and a BrightView representative would finally bring some action. But we heard nothing further after that. Then, in a chance encounter a few days ago outside our home, the same property manager finally admitted (two months after she was here) that no action would be taken. It seems like our Association has no intention of even trying to alleviate the water problem, and Ms. DeSimone wasn't even going to give us the courtesy of saying so.

Then to make matters worse, our landscape contractor BrightView just mowed our very wet, poorly drained lawn after a week of heavy rain. These pictures show the results. 

How much do we have to pay in monthly maintenance fees before we get the service we're paying for?

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

KHS Spring Program: New World Dutch Barns

On Thursday, June 6, 2019, the Kingston Historical Society will hold its spring program on New World Dutch barns. The program will take place in the barn at Rockingham State Historic Site at 84 Laurel Avenue in Kingston. Admission is free.

The program will begin at 7:00 pm with Victory Chase's video on the Rockingham Barn Raising, and refreshments will be served. At 7:45 pm, Elric Endersby will deliver an illustrated talk, "Arcades and Anchorbents: The Origins and Characteristics of New World Dutch Barns."

Elric Endersby is a founding partner of The New Jersey Barn Company, which disassembled the ruinous late 18th century Nevius Barn from the Middlebush area of central Franklin Township in 1999, and raised it at Rockingham in 2013. Victory Chase recorded this work on video over five weeks, from October 21 to November 25, 2013.

Photo of Rockingham Barn, Rockingham Historic Site, Kingston, courtesy of Elric Endersby

FirstService Residential Drops the Ball

We're having a lot of rain this spring. What may be good for plants and reservoirs is not necessarily good if you're dealing with drainage issues around your home. Despite repeated requests over many months to FirstService Residential, our management company is not offering any solutions to a serious and persistent water problem. When it rains, water collects at the foundation of our home and in the adjacent planting bed. Two foundation plantings, one a large well-established rhododendron, have already been removed due to root rot. Another, the last remaining foundation planting, is showing signs that it will also need to be removed. After many requests, a FirstService Residential property manager came to see it with a manager from our landscape contractor BrightView. Since then we've heard nothing. Water problems around a home should be taken seriously. Maintenance fees for the last few months have included dues, association insurance fees and an assessment, which totaled $960 a month. How much money is enough to expect service from FirstService Residential?

Doris Day

Doris Day

1922 – 2019

Spring Walk in the Mapleton Preserve

Join Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for a Spring Celebration Walk in the Mapleton Preserve on Saturday, May 11, 2019. The walk through the former Princeton Nurseries Kingston site will be led by Rick Henkel (photo above), who was the Sales Manager for Princeton Nurseries for 32 years. Rick has an extraordinary knowledge of trees and knows the Kingston site and its trees extremely well. The walk begins at 2 pm. Meet at the Main Office for the D&R Canal State Park at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston for this leisurely two-hour afternoon walk. The event is free and open to the public.

Photo of Rick Henkel by Jonathan Michalik

Kingston Fire Co Donates Truck to Puerto Rico

On Friday, April 19, 2019, Agostino Racanati of the Kingston Volunteer Company (KVFC) and South Brunswick Fire District #3 handed over the title for their superbly maintained 1988 Spartan 3D Engine to Chief Eulando Piñero of the Metro Emergency Response Team of Bayamon City, Puerto Rico. Bayamon is Puerto Rico's second-largest municipality and is part of the metropolitan area centered on San Juan.

Following a blessing by Rev. Sharyl Dixon of the Kingston Presbyterian Church, KVFC Chief George Luck, Jr., gave a brief talk about what led to this event. Last year Fire Chief Piñero contacted the Bridgewater Board of Fire Commissioners District #4 for help in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The plea for equipment and supplies was quickly answered by central New Jersey's local fire departments. The truck, which had served the Monmouth Junction Fire Department for 28 years, was being replaced. Instead it will be fully stocked with supplies and equipment donated by other local fire departments and shipped to Puerto Rico.

Chief Piñero expressed gratitude for the many firefighters who participated in this project. One of the key partners, Captain Borke of the New Brunswick Fire Department, said the brotherhood/sisterhood of firefighters, "is so strong that it almost brings tears to my eyes." Officer Fedor Salvador of the North Brunswick Police Department also praised the network that came together to provide support for their colleagues in Puerto Rico.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

She Walketh Veiled and Sleeping
by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

She walketh veiled and sleeping,
For she knoweth not her power;
She obeyeth but the pleading
Of her heart, and the high leading
Of her soul, unto this hour.
Slow advancing, halting, creeping,
Comes the Woman to the Hour!—
She walketh veiled and sleeping,
For she knoweth not her power.

                                              Painting: Odilon Redon

National Poetry Month

Poetry

I, too, dislike it.

Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers in

it, after all, a place for the genuine.

— Marianne Moore

For the first time, the 2019 official National Poetry Month poster features  artwork by a high school student: tenth grader Julia Wang from San Jose, California, who has won the inaugural National Poetry Month Poster Contest. Wang's artwork was selected from among more than 450 student submissions. It incorporates lines from the poem "An Old Story" by current U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith.

W.S. Merwin

W.S. Merwin

1927 – 2019

Every year without knowing it I have passed the day

When the last fires will wave to me

And the silence will set out

Tireless traveler

Like the beam of a lightless star

from W.S. Merwin's poem "For the Anniversary of My Death" from The Second Four Books of Poems (Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press, 1993).

Photograph: Nancy Crampton for The Paris Review

Spring Ahead

Remember to move your clocks ahead one hour tonight. Daylight saving time begins at 2:00 am on Sunday, March 10.

Barking Up the Right Tree

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands will host a workshop on how to identify trees in winter on Sunday, March 10, 2019, from 1 to 4 pm. Even without their leaves, clues can be found in buds, fruits, leaf scars, branching patterns and bark. Dress for the weather for this walk in the Mapleton Preserve. Bring binoculars and a hand lens if you have them. This is an intensive workshop and is limited to 10 people. Cost is $20 per person for materials. Preregistration is required at 609-608-6455. Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park is located at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston.

Photo: Gingko buds by Tari Pantaleo

MLK Day of Service Rescheduled

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands has rescheduled its National Day of Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for Monday, February 18, 2019, from noon to 3 pm. For details, see our post below.

MLK Day of Service Postponed

Due to the bitter cold and serious icing in Monday's weather forecast, the MLK Day of Service in the Mapleton Preserve has been postponed until Presidents' Day, Monday, February 18, 2019.  Check FPNL for further updates as the date gets closer.

MLK Day of Service in the Mapleton Preserve

Join Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands on Monday, January 21, 2019, for a cleanup in the Mapleton Preserve on the National Day of Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From noon to 3 pm volunteers will be clearing small trees, brush, vines and trash in the historic Mapleton Preserve. You are asked to bring any tools you may have, such as saws, clippers, loppers and rakes. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather—work gloves, sturdy shoes, warm clothing and hats are a must. For more information, or if you would like to involve a group to help, call 609-683-0483 or visit the FPNL website. Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park is located at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston. (If using a GPS, use 145 Mapleton Road, Princeton 08540 as the address.)

First Day Hike in the Mapleton Preserve

Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands invites everyone to a First Day Hike in the Mapleton Preserve on Tuesday, January 1, 2018, from noon until 2 pm. For anyone who made a resolution to walk more, this is a great opportunity to start the new year off on the right foot with an easy 1.5 mile loop hike through the Mapleton Preserve.

The walk will begin and end at the Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston. Cocoa and cider will be served afterward. Dress for the weather, whatever it may be. The walk is free and all are welcome.  For more information, visit FPNL or call 609-683-0483.

Photo: Winter Teasel by Tari Pantaleo

Christmas Postcard

Christmas Bird Count With Kingston Greenways

Kingston Greenways Association will host the Kingston segment of this year's Audubon Christmas Bird Count this Sunday, December 16, 2018. The count begins at 7:30 am at the Kingston Locktender's House and goes until noon. After a break for lunch at Palace of Asia in Kingston, the count continues in the afternoon until 5 pm. Join KGA for morning, afternoon or both. Experienced birders and novices are equally welcome to participate. Dress warmly and bring binoculars if you have them. To register, call Karen Linder at 609-683-0483 or email her at karen.e.linder@gmail.com. For more information about the history of the Christmas Bird Count, visit KGA.

Photo: Savannah Sparrow by Tam Stuart 

President George H. W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush

1924 – 2018

(click to enlarge)

Photo: George Bush Presidential Library

Letter via Jon Davidson

Thanksgiving Day Walk in the Mapleton Preserve

Join Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for a walk in the woods on Thanksgiving morning. FPNL's annual Thanksgiving Day morning exploration of the Mapleton Preserve takes place on Thursday, November 22, 2018, at 10 am. The program will begin at the main office for the D&R Canal State Park, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston. Come work up a Thanksgiving appetite while searching for signs of what our local wildlife is having for dinner. Look for natural things that make us all grateful and enjoy the abundance and subtle beauty of late fall.

This walk is free and all are welcome, but preregistration is requested. Please call 609-683-0483 to reserve a spot. Dress for the weather—it will be a brisk morning. For more information, visit the FPNL website.

Photo: Pokeweed in the Mapleton Preserve by Karen Linder

NJ Blue Wave 2018

Before the 2016 election, the New Jersey Congressional delegation included 6 Democrats and 6 Republicans. After the midterm elections last week, in the new Congress New Jersey will have 11 Democrats and only 1 Republican. That's a remarkable accomplishment for the Resistance.

Credit: Chris Baxter, Carla Astudillo, Yan Wu/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Armistice Day

On the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I, we are remembering my great uncle Theodore Slamski who served our country during the war.

Nobody Is Above the Law Rally

Nobody, including Donald Trump, is above the law. By appointing Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, he has crossed a red line, violating the independence of the investigation pursuing criminal charges in the Trump-Russia scandal and cover-up. Grassroots activists are mobilizing all around the country planning events today at 5 pm (local time) to encourage Congress to demand accountability.

A rally is being held in Princeton at 5 pm in Hinds Plaza. This event is wheelchair accessible. Click here  for more information.

President Obama on the Midterms

Former President Barack Obama released the following statement on yesterday's midterm elections.

"I congratulate everybody who showed up and participated in our democracy yesterday. Obviously, the Democrats' success in flipping the House of Representatives, several governorships, and state legislatures will get the most attention. But even more important than what we won is how we won: by competing in places we haven't been competitive in a long time, and by electing record numbers of women and young veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, a surge of minority candidates, and a host of outstanding young leaders. The more Americans who vote, the more our elected leaders look like America.

On a personal note, Michelle and I couldn't be prouder of the alumni of my administration who took the baton and won their races last night. Even the young candidates across the country who fell short have infused new energy and new blood into our democratic process, and America will be better off for it for a long time to come.

I also want to congratulate voters across the country for turning out in record numbers, and for voting for several ballot initiatives that will improve the lives of the American people – like raising the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid, and strengthening voting rights.

Our work goes on. The change we need won't come from one election alone – but it is a start. Last night, voters across the country started it. And I'm hopeful that going forward, we'll begin a return to the values we expect in our public life – honesty, decency, compromise, and standing up for one another as Americans, not separated by our differences, but bound together by one common creed."

VOTE

"Let us march on ballot boxes."

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fall Back

Remember to move your clocks back one hour tonight. Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 4.

VOTE

Photo: AP/Matt Rourke

#BlueWave #Vote

The #BlueWave Trailer by Eleven Films

ATTN: VOTE

President Barack Obama responds to the 7 weakest excuses for not voting.

VOTE