Just too much!
To the editor:
Too much homework and backpacks that are too heavy!
From what I have seen of the homework from Timberlane Middle School over the last two years, projects are asinine and a waste of time. To expect a child to spend the entire day in school and than work hours in the evening on homework, not to mention weekends and holiday vacations, is insane.
Homework should be reinforcement to concepts that are taught and assigned only if necessary. There shouldn’t be a need for much homework and lugging around a lot of books. Lack of sleep and heavy backpacks are health concerns that need to be addressed for the sake of children.
Cathy Williamson, Hopewell Borough
Invest funds judiciously
To the editor:
"Why are you spending so much money on football for only 40 children?"
"Teachers before bleachers!"
"We voted football down and you started that program anyway!"
"Looking to next year, reduce the size of Back Timberlane fields and apply the remainder of the proceeds of the sale of Princeton Farms towards educational costs."
These were some of the issues raised during the school budget review on March 22. By the end of the evening, the board restored some funds to partially reduce the layoffs, bringing the budget up to cap. Why didn’t they set the budget to cap in the first place? One wonders why funding of those teachers and other proposed reductions weren’t in the base budget and some of the sports or other programs placed as a second question to let the community decide what our priorities are. This is the procedure followed in the past when spending above the cap was advisable.
In recent weeks much time has been spent on criticizing S-1701, the newly enacted funding law. Even with these new restrictions of S-1701, our school district was able to approve a budget increase of 6.36 percent while limited to a cap increase of 3.01 percent. Similarly, Princeton approved an increase of 7.7 percent using the same criteria.
Based on estimates from the school board’s consultant, the annual cost of maintaining the Back Timberlane fields calculates to be over $140,000, in 2001 dollars, and considerably more than any savings of transportation to other fields. The bleachers at Timberlane will be built in the most expensive way, by lease buy-back.
The petitioners against football had it right when they reasoned the football program would drain funds away from educational or cocurricular programs.
Expenditures for sports programs are highly predictable. A recent revision to the current budget shows they are planning to overspend the sports budget by $68,296 this year over what was budgeted for this year. I suspect that this additional money will be spent forward on items that normally would be spent in the coming year or in other accounts. Better to find a way to fund another teacher or return the surplus to the taxpayers as S-1701 provides. Comparing the original 2004-05 adopted budget to the proposed 2005-06 budget, Instruction-Co-curricular has been reduced 11.7 percent while Instruction-Athletics are reduced only 1.7 percent, representative of the district’s continual emphasis on sports. The school board has stated that sports occupy students’ attention after school and teaches them things they cannot learn in the classroom. About 50 percent of students at the high school participate in sports. What about the remainder? Normally they would take part in clubs like Model UN, Robotics, or be members of the Mock Trial Lawyer, debate teams and music programs, etc. Not all students are interested in sports. Aren’t those individuals just as important as athletes? The proposed ratio of expenditures of sports to other activities is approximately 3.4 to 1 compared to 3.0 to 1 last year. Let’s invest our funds judiciously.
Anthony P. Arnone, Hopewell Township
Township should study continuous inspection, annual reassessment
The following was sent to the Hopewell Township Committee and submitted to the HVN for publication:
Hopewell Township has been ordered to revaluate property values by the Mercer County Board of Taxation. The reason for this order is to correct the inequitable taxes being paid as a result of changes in real estate values over the last four or five years. Some sections of the township have experienced a disproportionate increase in market value compared to their assessed value.
The county uses two measurements to determine when a municipality is no longer distributing the property tax burden fairly. The first is the equalization ratio and that is a comparison of the assessed value to the market value. For example, if a property is assessed at $150,000 and sells for $300,000 the equalization ratio would be $150,000/$300,000 or 50 percent. If the property sells at $350,000 the ratio would be 42.86 percent. The second measurement is the coefficient of deviation and that measures the dispersion of the equalization ratio.
Reevaluations are ordered when the total equalization ratio falls below 70 percent or the coefficient of deviation is greater than 15 percent. Hopewell Township’s current equalization ratio is 67.45 percent and the coefficient of deviation is between 13 percent and 14 percent. Between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004 there were 288 residences sold in Hopewell Township. The equalization ratios for the individual properties ranged between 42.72 percent and 103.20 percent.
In Hopewell Township, fairness is evaluated by comparing equalization ratios between neighborhoods, which is the sum of the assessed values of sold properties divided by the sum of the sales prices in a neighborhood (value control sector). Based upon the Hopewell Township Sales Ratio Study By Neighborhood from Oct. 1, 2003 to Dec. 30, 2004 there were 55 neighborhoods with greater than one sale. By way of example, the highest weighted equalization ratio was 74.85 percent with an average assessed value of $185,250 and an average sales price of $270,500 (Neighborhood 049). The lowest weighed equalization ratio was 44.93 percent with an average assesses value of $164,000 and average sales price of $365,000 (Neighborhood 004). Based upon this data, Neighborhood 049 has helped to subsidize the costs of township services for Neighborhood 004.
Once the revaluation process is complete and all properties are evaluated at market value there is every reason to believe that the pattern of disproportional market forces will resurface and the cycle of unfair taxes will start over again. Some taxpayers will benefit with a windfall and others will pay an unfair amount for services. To remedy this kind of a situation, 13 municipalities in Somerset County and six in Hunterdon County employ a method called "Continuous Inspection and Annual Reassessment."
A short description of this approach is that one quarter of all properties are inspected each year and all properties are reassessed every year. The purpose of the partial inspection is to insure that the assessor’s records are correct (no cheaters); the purpose of the reassessment is to bring all properties to market value every year. The reassessment is done for all properties every year using two years of sales history in the value control sector (neighborhood of similar properties). This is done with the aid of an existing computer program. Any improvements as a result of construction permits are added to the value of the properties. In addition, any improvements without permits identified during inspection are added to the value of the properties.
The general tax rate would be adjusted to reflect the change in the reassessment just like changes as a result of the revaluation. If the annual reassessment went up for the taxable value of the township and the budget remained the same the general tax rate would go down. If the annual reassessment went down (very unlikely) and the budget remained the same, the general tax rate would go up. The important thing is that it would affect all properties the same regardless of the neighborhood.
The cost of instituting a continuous inspection and annual reassessment program should be studied. For example, Hopewell Township using a revaluation method has three full-time employees: an assessor, assessor’s aid, and a secretary. In addition, it has contracted the 2005 revaluation to outside contractors at $573,900. As a comparison, Montgomery Township uses a continuous inspection and annual reassessment program and has three full- time employees: assessor, assistant assessor, and secretary as well as one part time secretary.
Hunterdon County administrator, Somerset County administrator, and the Montgomery assessor have mentioned the following advantages of a continuous inspection and annual reassessment program: dollar savings, fix problems faster, less administration such as education and startup, less appeals, and fairness.
According to the Mercer County administrator, the most important factor in initiating a continuous inspection and annual reassessment is for the municipal government to support the process. This is why I recommend a Township Committee subcommittee supported by township professionals be appointed to investigate the potential savings and fairness issues.
Dietrich Wahlers, Hopewell Township
Time to downsize Back Timberlane
To the editor:
In last week’s Hopewell Valley News the township engineer recommended that the area near the high school and middle school remain on individual septic systems. This same area has been identified as a distressed area for failing septic systems and failing well systems.
How does this affect the residents that live in this area? It means we are facing costs of $30,000-$40,000 to replace our septic systems with the ugly mound systems. The township does not have the money and does not want to raise taxes to provide public sewers and water. Septic systems will not work without adequate and dependable water, especially during droughts. The cost to repair or drill wells to a deeper level can cost $2,000-$12,000. How many families can handle costs like this without major disruption to their budgets?
Back Timberlane is in a distressed area for failing septic and well systems. The sports interests of our community want to ignore these important issues and they do not have any fair or reasonable solutions to these problems. These issues have been debated in the Hopewell Valley News for over four years and our community has voted three times not to support ballfields on Back Timberlane. Isn’t it time Back Timberlane is downsized and we receive the benefit of the democratic voting process?
Gene Ramsey, Hopewell Township
Students to vote on April 19
To the editor:
Teaching children the roles of citizenship in a democracy is an important goal of all parents and educational institutions. Hopewell Valley continues to accomplish this goal with its program, Project Democracy. This is the third year for Project Democracy and the level of students participating has been increasing with each election.
However, many young Americans still see voting as a choice, not a civic responsibility and they do not make a connection between their everyday concerns and the results of their voting. Hopewell Valley’s Project Democracy was designed to bring voting into our students’ world. By creating a question specific to their schools, students are able to vote on an issue that directly affects their environment. April’s election will allow students to do just that.
On April 19 each Hopewell Valley school will have a question that is specific to its student population. Student voting will be available at all voting locations throughout Hopewell Valley between the hours of 3 and 8 p.m. There will also be a community question available for students who attend private schools. If you would like to be involved with Project Democracy, please contact me at 737-0918. You can also visit Project Democracy’s Web site www.hvrsd.k12.nj.us/district/projectdem for additional information and a list of each school’s question.
Children learn best from their parents and by observing parents’ actions. Hopewell Valley parents have been instrumental in teaching our young the importance of voting and how it is a responsibility of every citizen in a democracy. We encourage parents to continue the tradition of taking your child to the voting polls with you.
Kim Bruno, co-chairwoman, Project Democracy
The Martin Tract
The following was sent to the Hopewell Township Committee and submitted to the HVN for publication:
I am following up to a letter which I e-mailed to you in early October and sent again via U.S. mail on Nov. 5.
I’m delighted that you have spared the Martin Tract bordering Bayberry Road from developers, at least for the time being. However, it is naive to assume that merely purchasing the property is synonymous with preserving it. The property will need to be managed. It is my understanding that you have not formulated a plan yet for the future of the property. In the meantime, considerable unauthorized abuse and property damage is taking place. There has been more unsightly off-road vehicle damage to the fields in the last month than in the last 40 years combined. Several folks have also found the pull-off on the northern parcel to be a convenient dumping area. I also have heard rumors that the hunting club has every intention of spring turkey hunting, because no one has told them that they couldn’t.
I, as well as my neighbors, would appreciate your concern to this matter. A response may even be a reasonable expectation.
The following is the letter I sent on Nov. 5:
As a bordering neighbor of the Martin Tract, I am concerned about its present status. I read in the Sept. 30, 2004 edition of the Hopewell Valley News that closing on the property had taken place. I assume, then, that the township is now the sole proprietor of the property. Please consider the following and let me know your thoughts at your earliest convenience:
What is the status of the hunting clubs, which are currently leasing the property? It is my opinion that some percentage of their fees should be refunded, and they be told that their leasing of the property will no longer be possible. Not only is there a liability concern with the hunters themselves, but any incident between hunters and non-hunters could potentially be a major problem.
What is the status where other public use is concerned? Often, there are walkers, birders, and skiers on the property. A more pressing concern is motor vehicles. ATVs and 4x4s are a common site on the property. When I have been awakened at all hours of the night by partiers, churning up the fields with several SUVs at a time, I have called the township police. Their response has been that they cannot react without a complaint from the owner of the property. Since technically, Georgetown University has been the owner since Ed Martin’s death, it was difficult to have "the owner" register a complaint in the middle of the night. I suggest that a statement be immediately issued that prohibits recreational vehicle use on the Martin Tract. A request to the township police to add it to their regular patrol would also be wise.
I understand these are some things you have barely had time to consider. But the past two years the time of which township ownership has been under consideration has seen a severe increase of the Martin property abuse. I have lived next to the Martin property for most of 48 years. I am excited that Hopewell Township realizes the beauty of the property and has made the commitment to preserve it. Please appoint someone to be responsible for halting its current abuse.
Kirk C. Silvester, Hopewell Township
Egg hunt a success
To the editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who assisted in March 26’s Easter Egg Hunt. This highly successful affair, sponsored by the Pennington Parks and Recreation Commission, was attended by approximately 350 children and their parents.
Special thanks go to the Easter bunny, Ed Gola of Janns’ Sweet Shoppe, Tom Blackwell, Pat Pappenberg, Kurt Pederson and the young men from DeMolay, Leaders of New Jersey. Additionally, the Pennington Public Works Department did an outstanding job of preparing Kunkel Park for this event. I would also like to thank Mayor Jim Loper for his assistance at this special family event.
Susan DiMarcello, Pennington Parks and Recreation Commission

