Talent show
was special
To the editor:
To Dr. (Richard) Weiner, Mary Jane Legere, Pam Bily and also the custodial staff and any others who might have been involved with the success of the second annual talent show, I just had to let you know how much I enjoyed and appreciated your efforts to make such an enjoyable evening happen.
Our children shine, and it is a comforting thought to me as a parent that they are encouraged to show their creativity and let their individual personalities bloom. I thought that every child that was on stage last night (Feb. 12) was exceptional, courteous, talented and showed remarkable bravado for getting up there and "doing their thing!" Cheers to all of them!
The diversity was a positive reflection of the community that we live in. After all, Lambertville is a very special and unique place!
Also I’m sure the encouragement that my daughter, Clover, received from Pam Bily was not exclusive; the children will definitely benefit by her guidance.
Mary Jane Legere did an outstanding job of organizing the talent, moving things along and praising our little "stars."
And lastly, Dr. Weiner’s enthusiasm gave the event a warm and kind energy that shows he really cares about his student body and the people he works with, plus who knew he could rock out on the guitar!
Thanks to any "behind the scenes" people who helped to organize the LPS talent show.
Anybody who wasn’t there; you really missed something special.
Lambertville
South has many
fire code violations
To the editor:
I urge anyone who is undecided on South Hunterdon’s upcoming bond referendum to take the time and tour the building.
The conditions that our kids and teachers have to work with every day are ridiculous.
On a recent brief visit, I was shown a myriad of problems that only skim the surface of what needs to be fixed at that school. I saw closets that doubled as offices and teaching areas, jammed with supplies stacked against the walls and on the floors. I saw decomposing tables in the science lab along with numerous safety violations. I saw cracked ceilings and buckets placed to catch leaks.
I was told that at the last inspection the building was determined to have 68 fire code violations. Sixty-eight! Would you want to be responsible for sending a child there?
The time has arrived to stop quibbling over real or imagined imperfections in the referendum plan. The State of New Jersey Facilities Department has examined the plan and found no "fat" or excess in it. These are the basic upgrades that need to be done for this facility, regardless of enrollment, to bring it in view of current standards.
We have a small window of opportunity to take advantage of over four million dollars in state aid. Our new governor is looking to cut the budget, and this will likely be the last chance at these funds.
If we vote down the referendum and put the school board in the difficult position of possibly overturning the vote, it is my understanding that we will lose those state funds. We must act now.
For the future of the community, for the good of the children, please show up and give your support March 12.
Delaware Township’s referendum in 1999 passed by 19 votes! Don’t let your voice go unheard.
West Amwell
Invest in
our youth
To the editor:
The future of our country will be in the hands of our greatest resource, our youth.
We must invest in their education to ensure that they have the best possible start in life. This will not only benefit them, but all of us. They are the potential contributors and problem-solvers of our nation.
I requested a visit of the South Hunterdon Regional High School facilities and the superintendent, Dr. Cheryl Simone, responded immediately with an invitation to see the school.
What I saw was shocking! I had no idea of the deterioration, the inadequacies and the broken down systems in the building.
Instead of pointing fingers, we must realize that the lack of vision and negligence of previous administrations and school boards must be put behind us.
The time is now.
At this time, the state Department of Education has validated they will pay 35 percent of the total cost of improvements. Interest rates are the lowest that they have been in decades. Construction costs will only rise. Gov. McGreevey has made it clear that in the future, starting today, there will be drastic cuts in all departments. This money will not be available forever.
My taxes will increase between $200 and $300 per year. Although I am a widow on a fixed income, I would not be "putting my money where my mouth is" and would find it difficult to look in the mirror if I did not vote yes on the March 12 referendum.
I must and will support our most important segment of our population, our youth.
West Amwell
Ms. Deal is a former West Amwell Committee member and past mayor.
Residents concerned
about My Ben plan
To the editor:
We are a group of residents of Stockton who are concerned a proposed development within our borough will result in the negative effects of sprawl on our small, older community.
The proposed My Ben development will threaten the viability of the Stockton School, impact the water supply of Stockton and other communities and raise our property taxes.
Adding 42 new households to the school district will raise enrollment. The existing school building is small and near capacity. To accommodate the additional students, the district will either have to add to the existing stricture or close the school.
The tax receipts from the new development will not cover the cost of any addition to the school. Consequently, property taxes will rise. Of course, the school might simply close.
We believe that would be a terrible loss for the community. The Stockton Elementary School provides the children of Stockton with high-quality individualized instruction and a sense of community not available elsewhere.
According to recent studies of five municipalities in New Jersey, for every dollar a municipality collects from a residential unit, between $1.14 and $1.51 is paid out in services (American Farmland trust, 1998, "Cost of Community Services Studies"). This represents a net loss in revenue which must be made up by increases in property taxes.
To the best of our knowledge, a fiscal impact analysis has not been performed for this development. We feel that it is prudent, if not mandatory, such an analysis be conducted and the results be made public.
Although the addition of more than 40 large homes might not be a cause for concern in larger municipalities, this number represents a significant increase (20 percent) in our small borough’s population.
We also feel an undue tax burden will be placed on our senior citizens and others who live on fixed incomes.
The proposed development lies within the borough’s well-head protection area as defined by the Department of Environmental Protection. There are obvious implications of degradation to our water supply from nonpoint sources of pollution such as lawn chemicals, pet feces, automotive fluids and road deicing chemicals and salts.
Also, according to the DEP, the tract of land proposed for development lies within an area with a high ground water recharge rate (13 to 16 inches per year, one of the highest rankings). Obviously, changing the land use from open forested to a developed area will greatly change the groundwater recharge and, possibly, our borough’s water supply.
Therefore, we are not only concerned about the degradation of Stockton’s water quality but also its quantity.
The latest proposal to deal with runoff from the proposed development involves sending it into the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The canal is a major water source for central New Jersey.
A report recently published by the United States Department of Interior, with the assistance of the New Jersey Water Authority, states a major problem associated with the degradation of water quality in the canal is nonpoint source pollution contaminants and sediment. The report also states removing these contaminants and sediments is a major financial burden on communities that use the canal as a water supply.
In light of this, we were very surprised to learn the governing bodies approved the discharge of the stormwater and runoff into the canal. This has implications for all communities that use the canal as a drinking water source. Approving this discharge sets a poor precedent for wise use of our state’s vital water resources.
We request the governing authorities make the results of the requisite Riparian Corridor Analysis available to the public and reconsider the approval of the stormwater discharge.
In conclusion, we urge the Stockton Borough Council, the state and other governing bodies to consider a land use plan based on sound planning information and practice and to work with the Green Acres program, the Hunterdon County Department of Parks and Recreation and private foundations like Delaware and Raritan Greenway to acquire the property as open space. Preserving the property as open space will avert higher taxes, ensure future generations will have the benefit of attending the Stockton School and protect the water supply of Stockton.
Joanne M. Nestor
Dianne McDaniel
Caroline Dougherty
Andrew Dougherty
William H. Lowery
Thomas J. McKenna
Aida McKenna
Chris Ferrara
Nic Messina
Sheryl Sussman
Mark Parker
Monica Parker
Thomas M. Hunt
Katherine M. Hunt
Dawn Winstead
Kristen McCarthey
Dr. Meg Eichman
Maureen Scullion
Kathleen Vandergrift
Leigh Smith
Carolyn McGavin
Stockton