What's in a name? Dedication, pride

PRINCETON — — Since joining the Princeton Times team, I’ve spent more time than I ever imagined inside Princeton’s Town Square.

From sponsoring storybook costume parties to judging the Texaco Country Showdown and organizing the weekly Music in the Square concert series each summer, the neatly groomed lawn and accompanying stage have turned into the sunnier side of my office from late May through early September.

Whether the events there feature tiny dancers, local musical legends or up-and-coming stars on the rise, everything that happens inside that square is possible, in large part, to the work of Dick Copeland.

Although I wasn’t around when the Music in the Square committee was conceived, or when the stage was constructed, I know Dick was one of the key players who decided to turn a troublesome “ugly spot” left behind by the ravages of fire into a place of pride for the community.

The effort wasn’t easy. It took weeks, months and even years to get the stage built, wired and painted. The concession stand came later, as did much of the landscaping.

Dick had a hand in it all — guiding much of the layout, planning and implementation with the commitment of a man of service and the management style of a born business leader.

As with any structure and lawn, the maintenance at the Town Square never stops. Grass grows, even if it’s surrounded by concrete, and time takes its toll, even on local landmarks.

The City of Princeton crews take care of mowing the green lawn in the middle of Mercer Street, but Dick handles much of the rest.

When the stage needs painting, he reroutes crews from his Sherwood Apartments downtown, with paint, rollers and brushes in hand. If the concession stand walls need to be sealed, that gets added to his team’s to-do list, and as the trees grow a little unruly, he plans a pruning.

For a while, he even ordered frequent trips to fertilize the lawn, until those aforementioned city crews ask that he scale that effort back a bit.

Now in his 80s and coping with time’s toll on his own hip, back and vision, Dick doesn’t do much of the work himself these days, but you can bet that he’ll be on hand supervising if there’s work to be done in Town Square.

No matter the official name that graces the stage’s brown banner, Town Square has been Dick Copeland Town Square for a long time now, and I thank City Council for taking the steps Monday to make the name change official — even if it did prompt Dick to announce he wasn’t sure whether I deserved a kiss on the cheek or a slap on the wrist for putting the bug in Mayor Pat Wilson’s ear.

The melancholy truth of life is that generations of Princetonians in the future won’t know how much Dick has done to improve the quality of life in our special community. Now, they’ll surely know his name.

•••

Like Dick, Ed Ball is one of my unsung heroes. While Dick might have wondered if he should smack my hand, I feel certain Ed will want to, upon reading this. A talented musician and amazing sound man, Ed owns and operates The Music Exchange.

Each week, every summer, he donates at least half of his Wednesday to making sure the Music in the Square acts I schedule can be heard from the stage. Like everything associated with Music in the Square and many of the other activities that take place in the park, Ed’s services are given for the betterment of the community and the improvement of Princeton.

He likes to joke that he gets paid in hot dogs from the concession stand, but really, I know that’s not true. Sometimes, his only payment is a one-on-one thank you after the show and a pat on the back, after which, he usually tells me to smile.

City Council voted this week to also install a plaque saluting Ed for his service to Princeton, and, while I don’t get a vote on the panel, I’d like to publicly second that motion.

Dick and Ed didn’t turn Town Square from a city’s scar to a pretty park by themselves or overnight, but they were certainly two of the driving forces behind the effort. Without question, they’ve been two of Town Square’s biggest, best, favorite supporters, and they’ve done more than their parts to make Princeton more perfect.

They’ve given their city the most precious gifts any of us possess — their time, their commitment and their hearts. That has made my time there beautiful.

Tammie Toler is editor of the Princeton Times. Contact her at ttoler@ptonline.net.

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What's in a name? Dedication, pride

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