New councilwoman set to cultivate new interests

A profile of Princeton Borough Council’s newest member

By: Marjorie Censer
   Now that she’s almost retired and her children are grown, Barbara Trelstad — the newest addition to the Princeton Borough Council — said she is ready to devote her time to the borough.
   "It’s good to contribute to your town," Ms. Trelstad said in an interview Wednesday. "Here I am — I’ve got the time."
   Appointed to council Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by Mayor Mildred Trotman’s recent appointment, Ms. Trelstad will serve until Dec. 31 of this year. Then, the Democratic Municipal Committee will nominate three candidates, and the council will appoint one to serve until the general election in November 2006. Ms. Trelstad said she is interested in serving the unexpired term and running for its remainder in November.
   An alumna of Boston University, where she majored in art history, Ms. Trelstad ran her own craft business in Massachusetts before moving to Princeton in 1981. Her husband was hired by the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School as a professor of pathology.
   The mother of four sons, she became registrar at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in 1984. For 17 years, she kept records of the artworks and maintained information about their locations.
   In 2000, Ms. Trelstad began work as assistant finance director for U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12). She worked for him during three campaigns, retiring from the job in May. She said she is still doing some consulting for Rep. Holt.
   Throughout her time in Princeton, Ms. Trelstad also has worked extensively in municipal government. The same year she was hired as registrar at the art museum, former Princeton Borough Mayor Barbara Boggs Sigmund appointed her to the Shade Tree Commission. She recently left the commission after more than 20 years of service, including five years as chair.
   Ms. Trelstad was appointed to the Site Plan Review Advisory Board of the Regional Planning Board of Princeton in 1999 and most recently joined the Princeton Environmental Commission at the start of this year.
   Her interest in land use extends beyond government — Ms. Trelstad is a Mercer County master gardener. She took an 18-week course and volunteered her time for 60 hours to earn the title in 2003. Since then, she has maintained her post, taking the required 10 hours of continuing education and devoting 30 volunteer hours annually.
   Ms. Trelstad said she has loved gardening since childhood and maintains a garden at her home.
   Though she recognizes that she has "a lot to learn" on council, she said she enjoys understanding how the town operates.
   "I like knowing firsthand about projects coming up around town," she said. "Local government is kind of what’s closest to us."
   Though all four of her adult sons have moved out of Princeton, Ms. Trelstad and her husband remain in the home they’ve enjoyed for nearly 25 years.
   "Princeton is a wonderful town," Ms. Trelstad said. "The university is an enormous resource."