An article in this week’s U.S. 1 Newspaper, by Dan Aubrey, alerts us to a reception at the Princeton Public Library today (Saturday, January 18) from 3 to 6 p.m. it is for “Concentric Circles of Influence: the Queenston Press, The Woman Portfolio,” an exhibition that was inspired by the United Nation designations of 1975 as International Women’s Year.

Aubrey’s cover story, Defending the Arts Amid a Culture of Fear, has a much different tone. It tells about his ‘bridge closing moment,” on March 25, 2011, and if that sounds familiar, yes, it is about his battle with the Christie administration. Writes Aubrey.

While the current revelations about the Christie administration waging retribution on Fort Lee may be an eye opener for some, it is something I have lived through.

His 4,000 word account is an eye opener. Read it in hard copy or read it here.

I’m delighted to say that my Not in Our Town colleague, Larry Spruill, will be honored with Princeton University’s Journey Award on Martin Luther King day, Monday, January 20, at 1:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium. Larry represents Nassau Christian Center on the board of Not in Our Town Princeton.

The program includes music by the Princeton High School Studio Band and a keynote from Omar Wasow. a politics professor at Princeton who founded the social networking site for African Americans (BlackPlanet) and who is known as Oprah Winfrey’s social media tutor. It will be an exciting afternoon and a tribute that Larry richly deserves.

For details, click here.

When I get homesick for Germany (we lived there for three years) there are three places to soak up some echte Deutsche Weihnachten kitsch: Peddler’s Village has a German store (as pictured) year round. Plus I just learned from a Washington Post article, reprinted in the Times of Trenton, that Philadelphia and Baltimore host a Christkindle Mart every year. Gluhwein…. but more about that later.

Zastra is the new store for Aruna Arya. Congratulations, Aruna! Her previous store, Miss Simoni, was on a lower level on Nassau Street. Aruna has been an enthusiastic supporter of UFAR and Women, Cradle of Abundance.
At 28 Palmer Square East, it will be a terrific location for a fine designer and energetic retailer.

From attorney Hanan Isaacs, a review of the Ban the Box proposed law. As you may know, as a supporter of Not in Our Town and The New Jim Crow movement, I am in favor of it. It is called the Opportunity to Compete Act (A3837).

McPhee Shines His Flashligiht: Stephen Ornes quotes the redoubtable John Mcphee in a December 6 blog post about how science writers can fashion their opening sentence. About how in a 2010 interview in the Paris Review McPhee says the right lead shines a flashlight into a dark well etc. etc.

McPhee has been using that metaphor for long time. I quoted him on it at least 20 years ago. It’s still about the best one around.

People with Good Hearts

Business, , , ,

Sword-Rowe1

For today’s cover story of U.S. 1, I talked to Gretchen Sword and Dan Rowe to find out what happened to Wm Sword & Co. after his untimely death. It’s a good story and a cautionary tale for families of small business owners.  As below, or the complete story here. 

Gretchen Sword was caught up in the throes of grief. Rowe was also grieving, and the daughter and de facto son clashed. “Dan had a new vision of where he wanted to take the company,” Sword says. “I didn’t know what I wanted, but I wanted my father back.” She tried to block the  plans that Rowe proposed.

One year later, the firm launched under a new name, Sword, Rowe & Company, a boutique merchant bank focused on offering financial advisory services for private companies
and alternative investment managers….

Daniel Rowe is CEO and managing director, supported wholeheartedly by the Sword family, notably Gretchen Sword. How this happened is a story of knowledge, power, wealth, connections — and people with good hearts.

A separate story on Daniel Rowe tells of his career..and his singer-songwriter wife, Charlotte Kendrick.

photo by Mark Czajkowski

Postscript: due to a glitch in one paragraph it looks like I quoted Martha Sword. The quote is from Gretchen Sword.

She (Martha Sword) was ill equipped to take over the business, but her husband had trusted she would have the good sense to find good help. And she knew enough not to sell it. “Immediately there were poachers looking to take over the firm,” she (Gretchen Sword) recalls. “Now I realize that it would have been easy enough for him to sell the assets when there was a rough month. In a 37-year career, there were a lot of ups and downs. I am sure there were many times he could have given up. For us to get through the first year was pretty amazing.”

Smart bridges? John Romanowich, founder of SightLogix and co-founder of what used to be called the Einstein Alley Entrepreneur Group, had a big win recently, as told by Gabrielle Erhardt of his company:

She shared a security management case study on how the firm’s smart thermal video has improved security, better manages traffic, and reduced operating costs for the New York State Bridge Authority.

“The NYSBA presented SightLogix with a complex security puzzle. The Authority required a solution capable of detecting trespassers, keeping traffic moving smoothly, and maintaining detection accuracy over large open areas and in the water environment of five bridges spanning the Hudson River. Prior approaches using fencing with vibration devices resulted in high costs and excessive alarms.

“Major change was necessary. A consultant recommended a smart thermal video system, and a year and a half later, the Authority relies on that technology 24/7, not only for security on all five bridges but also for traffic monitoring.”
Big win!

2013-12-5 St Johanis church

Christmas in Germany: On Friday, December 6 (it is St. Nikolaus Day) the Princeton German Teacher’s association and infi cafe’ offer an Adventssingen (Christmas caroling) session, with carols in French and Spanish as well as English and German.

If you’d like to recreate some old-world Christmas spirit, RSVP. Come at 6 p.m. and bring a plate of German Platzhen (any kind of cookies, nuts, or clementines) and a bottle of red wine to make Gluhwein (German mulled wine). Bratwurst and Brezeln will be available for purchase, and other drinks besides. But please RSVP to PrincetonGermanTeacher@gmail.com (609-356-2438).

Two years ago my husband and I returned to Nurnberg, where we had lived in the ’60s, and connected with our friends, Elise and Wilhelm. They took us to a village church, St. Johanis, for a carol service (pictured above). It warms my heart to think of it.