Letters to the Editor, April 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, April 5

Continue schools’ tradition of excellence
To the editor:
   
On April 19, voters in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township will have the opportunity to vote on the budget for their schools. The Princeton Regional Board of Education is asking for your support of its 2005-2006 budget. Our school community is proud of the depth and quality of the instructional opportunities provided for all of our students. This budget is one that struggles to continue our excellent programs, to maintain our newly expanded and renovated facilities and to address areas of critical need.
   This year’s budget is broken into a base budget and a second question. Each will be voted on separately. Our base budget is increasing by 4.5 percent. These include salaries/benefits (5.2 percent), special education (2.6 percent), instruction (4 percent), charter school (7.6 percent), maintenance/ facilities (26.9 percent) and transportation (16.9 percent). In order to meet these increases, the board has made cuts in other areas funded in earlier years. This includes reduced staffing due to attrition or enrollment, no direct funding to community nonprofit agencies and the use of federal and state grant funds to offset salaries and benefits.
   The second question covers three very specific areas on our educational mission — academic intervention, enrichment and safety/school climate — and requests $1.9 million. These areas are a direct response to significant issues that limit our ability to maximize the success and potential of all of our students.
   I urge all Princetonians to learn more about their school budget. To help with this, a newsletter is being sent to every household in Princeton describing the budget and the second question. A detailed budget presentation was presented at our March 29 board meeting and is being televised over the next month on Channel 25. Additionally, residents can go to the district Web site, www2.prs.k12.nj.us, and bring up the newsletter and second-question proposal.
   This is a budget that deserves your support. We have looked at each component carefully, we have made some tough decisions and we have crafted a budget that will directly impact every child in an individual manner. Please go to the polls on April 19 from 2 to 9 p.m. and vote to continue Princeton’s tradition of excellence.
Anne B. Burns
President
Princeton Regional
Board of Education
Baldwin Lane
Princeton
Rename park in memory of neighbor
To the editor:
   
All who knew the late Dr. David Bradford, Woodrow Wilson School economist, mourn his untimely death in February of this year. His neighbors on Pine Street miss him and feel his absence acutely as we walk up and down our street knowing that we will no longer encounter his friendly and enthusiastic greeting. He was an especially helpful presence at our annual Pine Street Block Party, which he and his wife, Gundel, were central in organizing for most of its 27 years.
   In recognition of his devoted and longstanding role in making Pine Street the delightful, quintessential Princeton neighborhood that it is, we would like our little borough park to be officially renamed "The David Bradford Park" in his memory. We encourage the Borough Council to pass a resolution to that effect at its next meeting, and to explore further ways in which those of us who loved David Bradford might enhance his favorite little park for future Princetonians to enjoy.
Peter and Barbara Westergaard
Pine Street
Todd Reichert and Bonnie Bassler
Pine Street
Ann and Mitsuru Yasuhara
Pine Street
Elena Shevliokova
Pine Street
Helene Schlachter
Pine Street
Bill Flemer IV
Hibben Road
Princeton
Princeton Cares is great success
To the editor:
   
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful volunteers and chaperones who helped to make the first Princeton Cares day such a great success.
   Princeton Cares was conceived as a community-wide, one-day volunteer effort utilizing high school-age volunteers at a variety of sites. On the afternoon of Sunday, April 3, over 80 people donated a total of 231 man-hours to help make Princeton a better place.
   Special thanks to Mayor Phyllis Marchand and Mayor Joseph O’Neill for their enthusiastic support, Sue Repko (Princeton Day School) and Rachel Cantlay (The Lawrenceville School), Linda Meisel, Nancy Lewis, Linda Grenis and Laurie Londoner, Betsy Rosen, Merrye Hudis, Mike Haggerty, Jack Roberts, Katie Herlihy, Steve at TV30, Candace Braun and Michael Redmond, Cathy Straus, Sheryl Punia and Susan Conlon, Elanor Panelli, Emma Caban, Beth Nagle, Helen Dao and Lisette Siegel. Also especially thank you to my ever-patient parents, Ricky and A.J. Shechtel.
   This day would not have been possible without the hard work of the student "captains" at each school: Ben Siegel and Charlie Punia at Hun, Andrew Siegel at Lawrenceville, Julie Straus at Pennington, Michelle Soffen and Ricky Grenis at PHS, Margaret Henry and Nina Szemis at Stuart and Zack Shechtel, Justin Shechtel and Ellen Cook at PDS.
   I am so grateful to my generous sponsors, Hamilton Jewelers, McCaffrey’s and Target. Special thanks to Andy Hamlin at PDS and the Susan G. Moll Memorial Fund.
   The biggest thank you, of course, goes to all the terrific volunteers for coming out on a rainy Sunday to give back to Princeton.
   See you next year.
Lexi Shechtel
PDS Class of ’06
Founder
Princeton Cares
Drakes Corner Road
Princeton
Youth orchestra appreciates exposure
To the editor:
   
On behalf of the entire Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra organization, thank you for the fabulous article (The Packet, March 18) covering our special Holy Week concert at St. Charles Borromeo the next evening. The performance was a great success. We had a large attendance, in no small part due to your coverage of the event.
   Many families saw the write-up and were able to alert other family and friends about the concert.
   St. Charles staff and parishioners were proud to see their congregation being praised for the excellence of their music program, under Tim Keyes’ directorship, as well as their ongoing support and collaboration with GPYO. We had many new audience members who had a first exposure to GPYO after finding out about the event in The Packet. And I hope you realize how a picture and article of such significance are true morale boosters for all involved in the production, especially the students.
   Once again, The Packet has proven to be a marvelous means of communicating the mission of our youth orchestra to offer high-quality classical music in our community. On a personal note, I am most grateful to you in assigning GPYO the Lifestyle section space, the ease with which I could communicate with you and the accuracy and completeness of the reporting.
Margaret P. Borah
Executive Director
Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra
Wilshire Drive
Montgomery
Kaye backed for school board
To the editor:
   
In my mind, there is one truly outstanding candidate in the upcoming West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education election.
   Richard Kaye’s long career as educator, principal, educational consultant and recipient of many awards makes his experience invaluable to our school district. As a resident of West Windsor, he has aided our district as a member of the Core Team in crafting of the Strategic Planning Document. Richard Kaye has also developed and implemented many building and district budgets.
   In addition to his many accomplishments in the field of education, Richard Kaye has proven himself to be fair-minded and caring to the individual, be it student, parent or fellow resident of West Windsor-Plainsboro.
   Let us all get out there and vote on April 19 for quality leadership for our school district. Let’s vote for Richard Kaye.
Rona Altman
Grande Boulevard
West Windsor
Kaye knows value of strong system
To the editor:
   
I was delighted to learn that Richard Kaye, a gentleman with an outstanding educational background, is a candidate for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education.
   As a gifted teacher, former principal and educational consultant, Mr. Kaye will bring extraordinary experience to this position.
   Because of his prior involvement as co-chairperson of the New Jersey State Department of Education Study of Adolescent Education and a member of the New Jersey State Department of Education Board of Examiners, Mr. Kaye is familiar with state education policy and protocol.
   Richard Kaye’s extensive educational experience will serve our community well as West Windsor-Plainsboro continues to provide the highest quality public education in the area.
   I have come to know Richard as an active participant and leader in our community. He continually demonstrates the ability to be fair-minded and open to compromise. He is able to identify a need and assess a solution as he supports new endeavors. Perhaps his greatest strength is his gift for bringing people together.
   Although Richard does not have a child in the West Windsor-Plainsboro schools, he is a New Jersey parent whose child was educated in the public school sector. He knows firsthand the value of a strong educational system.
   On behalf of Richard Kaye and those of us who know him, I urge the people of West Windsor to elect him to our school board.
Denise Canner
Grande Boulevard
West Windsor