By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
William Rieszer is meticulous about sweeping the sidewalk along Nassau Street with his one good arm, always sure to collect and bag the discarded cigarette butts and other litter.
He does this every day.
Early in the morning, Mr. Rieszer, 64, drives himself in his motorized scooter from his apartment on Redding Circle to what he calls his seven-day-a-week job. Mr. Rieszer, seated on a bench last Wednesday afternoon in front of Starbucks, said cleaning the sidewalks “gives me something to do.”
As the lunch crowd walks past him, Mr. Rieszer explains he has been sweeping the streets and gutters and picking weeds for the past 15 years by his count. Initially, a local businessman paid him $40 a week to do it, but these days, he does it for nothing.
”I can’t stand the filth,” he said in explaining what motivates him to spend up to seven hours a day or more outside. Even on the hottest of days, Mr. Rieszer reports to work “no matter what,” in his words.
His volunteerism has not gone unnoticed. Some people will stop to say thank you, others will buy him lunch.
”He’s a part of the whole picture of what Princeton is,” said borough resident Bob Ciotta, who stops to greet Mr. Rieszer.
”He’s one of the few who wants nothing and wants to give,” said Henry Landau of Landau’s on Nassau Street.Mr. Rieszer can only use his left arm to sweep and bag the trash because he was paralyzed on his right side after being hit by a car when he was 4 years old. The accident occurred on Cherry Valley Road, while he was playing in the yard, he recalled.
Originally from Trenton, he has lived in the township for the past 15 years.
”It’s all right,” he said when asked if he likes the community.
Mr. Rieszer has family, but he lives alone collecting government disability. Cleaning the sidewalks fills out his day.
He usually does the western side of Nassau Street and side streets. Normally, he will collect up to four trash bags of paper, cigarette butts and whatever else happens to be lying at his feet. Asked if there was that much trash, he replies, “You’ve got that right.”
He says he’s never found something unusual or interesting. In the winter, he says he’ll even shovel snow.
On Wednesday, Mr. Rieszer started at Nassau and Witherspoon streets. By around 12:30 p.m., he has filled one trash bag. He says he takes breaks during the day to rest, but then he gets back at it.
He is a one-man crew with a broom, dust pan and trash bags who says he is not looking for anyone to help him. He is proudly particular about the way he goes about his business.
He said neither the town nor the businesses sweep the sidewalks.
”If I didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done,” he said.

