In answer to Mr. Jim Manning’s letter dated Feb. 13 in the Independent under "Seniors, center should be able to coexist in harmony," it would be extremely beneficial to the whole town if you would get your facts straight.
We have movable disabled signs because the Cullen Center senior citizen club has two days a month, and the Hazlet senior citizen club has two days a month (not two weeks).
Yes, we have a small shuttle bus to take us from the swim club to the Cullen center; however, the seniors with rheumatoid arthritis cannot step up the high step to get in the shuttle bus.
The Cullen Center senior citizen club has a membership of 218 seniors, and the Hazlet senior citizen club has a membership of 260. Far be it for the seniors to deny the disabled seniors, some of whom are disabled veterans who fought for our country, the right to park at the "disabled" signs that we have.
If you paid attention to what’s going on at the present time, you would know the mayor of the town wants everyone to respect all disabled signs, movable or otherwise, and only disabled people are to park there whether or not they be seniors.
I say "shame on you, Jim Manning" for even questioning the justification of disabled signs.
As far as the school tax is concerned, 70 percent of our property tax is the school tax, and none of the seniors have children going to school. How long have you been paying the taxes here in Hazlet? Our seniors have paid taxes here 50-plus years, so you, Mr. Manning, don’t have to remind us about the school tax.
Yes, the Cullen Center is a community building and it would be very nice if we all worked together.
I would like to know, Jim Manning, since you state you are a recreation commissioner, what has the recreation commission done for the seniors in our town?
Remember, Mr. Manning, "By the grace of God go we"; you may become disabled and then you may say, "Thank you, Grace Scher."
Grace Scher
President, Cullen Center
Senior Citizen Club
Hazlet