LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Jan. 10
By:
Cumulative impacts must be considered
To the editor:
The report, "Potential Impacts to the Natural Environment," recently presented to the Roundtable for the Penns Neck Area EIS, missed an essential point. If an east-side connector road is built through the Sarnoff property, then the Sarnoff Corp. will be able to go ahead with its complete General Development Plan (GDP), as provisionally approved by the West Windsor Planning Board.
The Sarnoff GDP would include many new buildings with parking spaces as well as a conference center and hotel with additional parking spaces, all providing massive impermeable cover on many additional acres. Thus, the consequences of a road through the Sarnoff property would mean a far greater impact to the environment than is noted in the numbers presented for the road alone.
If the connector road is not built (the wording of the Planning Board approval says "the Millstone Bypass or its functional equivalent"), then Sarnoff would be restricted to rebuilding and somewhat expanding only the existing building.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which the Roundtable is following, requires that induced, secondary and cumulative development be examined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. According to the Voorhees Transportation Policy Institute of Rutgers University, the team conducting the Roundtable, this information will be presented to the Roundtable at some future time, when potential cumulative impacts are presented. We are anxious to see these impacts. The wetlands, wildlife habitat, water and air quality of the region hang in the balance.
Richard Barrett
Yvonne Bleiman
Michael Curschmann
Alan Goodheart
Sarah Hollister
Marvin Israel
Anne Waldron Neumann
Candace Preston
Helmut Schwab
Christine Stansell
Robert C. Tucker
Mort Zachter
Princeton
Charlie Ascher
Mary Ascher
Paula McGuire
Martha Redi
Olav Redi
Sandra Shapiro
Charles Wan
Peter R. Weale
West Windsor
Laura Lynch
New Jersey Chapter
Sierra Club
Racism is disease that destroys society
To the editor:
The Baha’is of Mercer County celebrate the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King and call upon all to help bring the dream into reality. Dr. King raised the consciousness of our nation when he helped us find the strength to peacefully battle the evils of prejudice and racism. We pray that America will continue to evolve, as it faces purifying tests and trials, to become a land of spiritual distinction and leadership, a champion of justice and unity among all peoples and nations.
Racism is the most challenging issue confronting America. The oneness of humanity is the pivot of all the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. The oneness of humanity is a statement of principle and an assertion of the ultimate goal of human experience on the planet. More than a century ago Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, wrote: "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established." It is a principle that issues naturally from the origin and purpose of human existence.
As we start this New Year, we should look back to see what progress we have made in our national goal of justice and equality. Speculate on the progress we will achieve in advancing a culture that celebrates the oneness of humankind.
As a nation whose ancestry includes every people on earth, whose ideals of freedom have inspired millions throughout the world, we cannot continue to harbor prejudice or disrespect for any racial or ethnic group without betraying the very soul of our society. Racism is a disease that destroys society. Progress toward racial tolerance and mutual respect has been painfully slow. The resurgence of divisive racial attitudes, increased number of racial incidents, and the despair of minorities and the poor make the need for solutions to the racial and cultural divisions in this nation ever more pressing and urgent.
Humankind has entered the door of the new millennium that holds the hope and promise of world peace. We’ve grown as a civilization through the stages of infancy and turbulent adolescence. Humanity is now approaching maturity, a stage that will witness a new age of unity and cooperation around the globe. However, the key block to peace, prosperity and happiness in American and throughout the world is racism. America is in a position, like no other nation, to make the dream of unity a reality. The United States is a microcosm of the diverse populations of the world. If each individual can acknowledge that racism exists and make it a personal goal to battle the evils of racism, we can all make the dream of Dr. King a reality.
For those who would like to receive a free copy of the Baha’i statement on race unity or join us in a local commemoration to honor the ideals of Dr. King on Jan. 20, please call (609) 888-1554. Additional information can be found on the Internet at http//www.bahai.org or Call 1-800-UNITE for additional information about the Baha’i Faith.
Scott McNear
Goldenrod Court
Hamilton
Pride in town gives way to embarrassment
To the editor:
In a recent editorial, you said that we Princetonians are proud of our lovely town.
In fact, I’d love to be proud but I’m more often embarrassed. There’s never a time I can walk through town without picking up litter. A simple ordinance would relegate merchants’ boxes and garbage to a side street, not Nassau.
I love our tree-lined uptown, but I don’t love the total neglect of tree bases along Nassau and Witherspoon streets. Towns with lower taxes than ours have cleaner streets and more care. I’ve been told we can’t afford a street cleaner. I just don’t believe it.
I suggest a street cleaner (with bag and tongs, not a leaf-blower), a more aware Chamber of Commerce and some tickets issued for littering would help.
Grace Gambino
Harrison Street
Princeton

