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Economy stalls ‘science park’

The Daily Princetonian

Economy stalls ‘science park’

The University has delayed the sale of a tract of land on Route 1 in South Brunswick to a local real estate developer that had planned to build an office park there intended for scientific research.Eastern Properties, a real estate company based in Cranbury, has decided to move forward with the construction of the complex at a slower pace because of difficult economic circumstances, Princeton Forrestal Center director David Knights said.The planned development, called Science Park at Princeton Forrestal, will be located on the west side of Route 1, north of the Forrestal Village shopping and office complex.The souring national economy has played a major role in the delay, Knights explained, adding that the University does not intend to sell the land to Eastern Properties until the company appears ready to develop it.?We never sell any land until the developer has everything lined up,? Knights said.Princeton Forrestal Center, a branch of the University that manages and develops land along a stretch of Route 1 southeast of the main campus, purchased the land that Eastern Properties plans to develop in 1986, Knights said.Eastern Properties president Joseph Stern and his son and partner, Zev Stern, declined to comment, citing a policy of not speaking to the media.South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gamabatese said in an interview with The Newark Star-Ledger that a development plan approved by South Brunswick Township requires the University to begin development of the property by December 2009.Gambatese explained that the proposed development would generate $5 million annually in property taxes for South Brunswick.While Knights expressed confidence that Eastern Properties would eventually follow through on the development, he cited expensive credit and a cautious business atmosphere as reasons for postponing construction.?They?re a father and son team.

NEWS | 11/13/2008

Vanity Fair editor: GOP exploits media

The Daily Princetonian

Vanity Fair editor: GOP exploits media

Even as the field of journalism faces financial difficulty and accusations of bias in its political reporting, Todd Purdum ?82, the national editor and political correspondent of Vanity Fair, argued for its continuing significance Thursday afternoon in a lecture in McCormick Hall.Purdum described his experience as a magazine writer in this election as watching events unfold ?from a middle distance perspective, between ?this just in? and ?this is history.??His position has given Purdum a unique perspective on the campaign, the candidates and the overall role of the media.?I have come to believe that Republicans are just better at exploiting the so-called mainstream media,? Purdum said.

NEWS | 11/13/2008

University Art Museum chooses curator

The Daily Princetonian

University Art Museum chooses curator

Despite his notable contributions to the University Art Museum over the past three years, Bryan Just didn?t expect his recent promotion to the position of curator and lecturer in the art of ancient Americas.?It was a pleasant surprise, actually,? Just said.Rebecca Sender, current acting director of the Art Museum, said in a University statement that she is ?delighted? to announce Just?s appointment.?Bryan?s passion for objects and for teaching is infectious,? Sender said.

NEWS | 11/13/2008

Octogenarian alum gives it all to Grosse

The Daily Princetonian

Octogenarian alum gives it all to Grosse

President-elect Barack Obama?s promises of change may have won him the election over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), but older, experienced conservatives have not lost their foothold everywhere in America.Palmer Heenan ?43, the 86-year-old Republican mayor of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., has served 13 consecutive two-year terms in office and said he plans to keep on going ?as long as the people want me, as long as my health is good and as long as I can recruit people to work.?And it seems like he may do just that.

NEWS | 11/13/2008
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Tiger could be Obama’s chief techology guru

The Daily Princetonian

Tiger could be Obama’s chief techology guru

News outlets and political blogs have placed three Princetonians on the shortlist to be the nation?s first chief technology officer (CTO), a new cabinet-level position to guide federal technology policy and implementation in President-elect Barack Obama?s administration.Amazon.com CEO Jeffrey Bezos ?86, Google CEO Eric Schmidt ?76 and computer science professor Ed Felten have all been floated as possible CTOs for the BlackBerry-carrying Obama, whose campaign?s success was bolstered by online fundraising and social networking and who has been lauded as the most technologically aware president ever elected.Other candidates floated include Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Google Vice President Vint Cerf, Stanford Center for the Internet and Society founder Lawrence Lessig and Obama?s former Harvard Law School classmate and campaign adviser Julius Genachowski.Schmidt, who just finished his tenure as a University trustee this year, is currently serving on Obama?s transition advisory board and has already been in contact with Jason Furman, Obama?s policy director, to petition for the creation of jobs in the alternative energy sector, according to The Wall Street Journal.But Schmidt, who could not been reached for comment for this article, has said numerous times that he is not interested in leaving Silicon Valley for Washington, D.C.?I love working at Google, and I?m happy at Google, so the answer is no,? he said in an interview on CNBC last week when asked whether he would like to become the nation?s first CTO.Bezos could also not be reached for comment.Felten told BusinessWeek last month that Obama?s team had not approached him about potential involvement in the new administration, but he told The Daily Princetonian in an interview this week that he does find the new position appealing.?I think a position like this is hard to say no to on some level,? he said.

NEWS | 11/13/2008

Borough approves contract with NJ Transit

The Daily Princetonian

Borough approves contract with NJ Transit

The Princeton Borough Council approved a contract with New Jersey Transit on Wednesday for the Free B Shuttle service, despite controversy among Borough administrators regarding the project?s implementation.The shuttle service, which provides transportation from locations in the Borough to the Dinky Station, has been in operation since last spring and has been partially funded by the University. With last night?s approval, NJ Transit will donate a shuttle and provide funding for half of the operating expense of the shuttle over three years, up to $60,000.The plan is ?tentatively agreed to? apart from drug and alcohol testing standards for the vehicle?s driver, Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said at the meeting.Though the plan has gone forward for now, councilmen David Goldfarb and Andrew Koontz noted their concern about the cost-effectiveness of the service.?The total cost of the service is roughly the cost of providing everyone who is riding it with a free taxi from their house to the Dinky,? Goldfarb said.Koontz voiced concern over ridership levels, noting that the shuttle currently averages fewer than two people per circuit and that Americans tend to be suspicious of free transportation.Bruschi opposed charging for the shuttle, explaining that if it were not free, it would be required to conform to commercial driving regulations that currently do not apply.Councilwoman Margaret Karcher supported Bruschi, citing successful free shuttle services at Colorado ski resorts.But Goldfarb also faulted the Free B system for what he said was confusing advertising.The advertisements for the shuttle do not note that the vehicle only goes in one direction along its circuit, he said.?It was never clear to me how you were supposed to get from point A to point B,? he noted.Goldfarb also questioned the clarity of published graphics describing the proposal.?The written description that we have written up here in 10 lines is a much better description than any of the graphics we have,? he said.Bruschi disagreed with Goldfarb?s assessment.

NEWS | 11/12/2008

Township mayor to retire after 13 years in office

The Daily Princetonian

Township mayor to retire after 13 years in office

After serving 22 years on the Princeton Township Committee, including 13 years as mayor, Phyllis Marchand is stepping down.?It?s been wonderful, very hectic,? Marchand said, ?and I think now is the time for me to slow down a bit, maybe audit some courses at Princeton University ... it?s time for a younger generation to take over.?During her tenure as mayor, the Township saw significant building changes, including the building of a new hospital for the University Medical Center at Princeton and the construction of more affordable housing units.Marchand also pointed to the new municipal building as a positive development.

NEWS | 11/12/2008

Bowen GS '58 receives education award

The Daily Princetonian

Bowen GS '58 receives education award

Universities should strive to create more diverse student populations, former University President William Bowen GS ?58 said as he accepted the 12th Jose Vasconcelos World Award of Education from the World Cultural Council on Tuesday afternoon in Richardson Auditorium.Bowen, who served as president of the University from 1972 to 1988 and oversaw the beginning of co-education, was the first American to receive the prize.

NEWS | 11/11/2008

Financial aid will increase to meet demand

The Daily Princetonian

Financial aid will increase to meet demand

The University?s Financial Aid Office estimates a $3 to $4 million increase in financial aid requests from students so far this year, but the University will fully meet every student?s needs, according to a University statement released Tuesday.This signifies a 3 to 5 percent increase in financial aid needs from the 2007-08 academic year, when the University awarded $82 million in need-based scholarships.President Tilghman announced at a faculty meeting last Monday that the increase in financial aid demand would be $2.8 million, but Tuesday?s statement indicates that figure has been revised upward.

NEWS | 11/11/2008

Maynard '88: Wilson 1879 battled to get rid of clubs

The Daily Princetonian

Maynard '88: Wilson 1879 battled to get rid of clubs

After failing to permanently shut down the eating clubs, Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, took on the easier task of lobbying for world peace in his journey from Princeton to the presidency.Barksdale Maynard ?88, a visiting lecturer in architecture who wrote a book about Wilson?s time at Princeton, spoke to a group of students in Wilcox dining hall Tuesday night about Wilson?s battle against the eating clubs and how his Princeton experience affected his politics and future presidency.?It?s a 25-year love-hate relationship,? Maynard said of Wilson?s time at Princeton.

NEWS | 11/11/2008

Economic crisis may impact graduate student funding

The Daily Princetonian

Economic crisis may impact graduate student funding

The University may not be able to increase its employee salary pool and funding for graduate students to keep up with rising costs, and it may have to delay construction projects in the wake of the weakened economy, University officials announced at a meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) on Monday.In the meantime, the University is preparing to launch a revamped shuttle system and revise its parking policies, and it will continue to meet increases in undergraduate financial aid requests.?These are hard times, obviously, and in hard times, no institution, including this one, can be entirely insulated,? Provost Christopher Eisgruber ?83 explained, adding that the University faces ?no special exposure? to the economic troubles.Eisgruber said that the effects of the declining economy will be most felt in postponed construction projects and the salary pool, but he acknowledged that other aspects of campus life may be impacted.

NEWS | 11/10/2008

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