Letters-April 14, 2005

Malcontents

will go away
To the editor:
   Harry Truman used to say about Harvard graduates, "You can tell ’em, but you can’t tell ’em much!"
   That pretty much summarizes certain political malcontents in Delaware Township. Don’t confuse them with facts. It’s a waste of time.
   Just let them vent until after election time. They go away until early spring when they start all over again.
   We got a glimpse of what’s to come recently with a Delaware Township woman’s frenetic public accusations the local Township Committee was guilty of just about every high crime and misdemeanor imaginable from the Spanish Inquisition to the invasion of Iraq to over-development.
   The woman, a member of a certain political party not in power, seems convinced members of the Township Committee would rather build a Wal-Mart over their grandmother’s grave than not. Not nice!
   It’s difficult to take her seriously as it’s the kind of shrill diatribe to which most people in Delaware Township turn a deaf ear. What is clear is she doesn’t know much about how building permits are approved. If she is looking to get one approved, she should go to the township Planning Board, not the Township Committee.
   Judging from the tenor of her letter, she’s convinced the Township Committee is alpha and omega.
   What we should be having in this year’s municipal election is a civil discussion as to how Delaware Township must deal with the pressures of development that have descended on us. Pointing fingers and engaging in disingenuous accusations will only serve to divide the community when we need to build consensus as to how to proceed.
   Members of the Delaware Township Committee may be a lot of things, but they’re not pro-development. And, they’ve shown every indication they’re eager to preserve our rural way of life by limiting development as much as possible.
   Let’s hope they succeed.

Brett C. Hall
Delaware Township

School being

misrepresented
To the editor:
   This is an open letter to the New Hope-Solebury community.
   As president of the New Hope-Solebury School Board, I am greatly concerned with the recent misrepresentations being made regarding the performance and operation of our school district and the educational experience offered to our community’s children.
   Please understand I am not up for-re-election this term, and I do not write this as a candidate for the upcoming school board elections. I feel compelled by my obligation to the community I serve that accurate, fact-based information about our school is communicated to our community stakeholders.
   Our school district has risen to the top tier of K-12 schools within Pennsylvania. This status wasn’t always the case.
   Only eight years ago, our school district functioned as a public school that offered our children a good education without distinction. In 1998, less than one year after Dr. Barbara Burke-Stevenson joined NH-S as superintendent, our administrative leadership team put forth a multi-year, multi-faceted plan to significantly improve the quality of education for our children.
   In this same timeframe, our school district also began to experience unprecedented growth in our student enrollment.
   Over the past few years, the NH-S school district has achieved a level of performance in educational excellence that is admired and recognized as one of the leading school districts in Pennsylvania.
   The inaccuracies being stated by election candidates must be corrected. The following are only several of the key misrepresentations that I have observed or read:
   • Administrative personnel cost — In 1995-96, we had 13 school administrators.
   Upon the hiring of Dr. Stevenson, the school district reduced this number to 12 and has stayed at 12 until last year’s opening of the new upper elementary school and the hiring of a principal.
   More recently, we approved the plan to hire a director of human resources to ensure the school properly navigates the increasingly complicated state mandates, teacher certifications and the extremely rigid process and procedures associated with supporting an organization with over 200 employees.
   We do not have assistant principals as often stated by people unfamiliar with our school operations.
   • Long-term planning — It was represented recently the current administration and school board does not have a long term plan or vision.
   As mentioned before, our administration team with support by the school board developed a comprehensive six-year strategic plan, which gets updated and reviewed each year. We refer to this plan throughout the year and hold all staff accountable for achieving the stated goals within the plan.
   This strategic plan is always available for review by the public in the business office. In addition to our strategic planning efforts, our operational planning is also long-term.
   For instance, the first public meeting to address the potential building renovations and additions started February 2001. Since that time, dozens of advertised facility meetings in addition to the scheduled board meetings and all the state required public forum meetings have been held to openly discuss and debate each aspect as well as the merits of our infrastructure plan.
   • Escalating construction costs — It is easy to understand how projected costs have increased since we began discussing these facilities improvement plans.
   In fact, within the last year alone, the cost of steel has risen over 40 percent not to mention the costs of concrete and other building materials and labor.
   The construction bids for the lower elementary school renovation project should be received within the upcoming month. Please join us to participate in that discussion.
   • Escalating operating costs — Yes, over the past 10 years, our school budget and school taxes have increased significantly.
   However, as mentioned before, eight years ago, our district made a concerted effort to improve the quality of education for our students. This curriculum overhaul designed by our administration and executed by our faculty and staff resulted in a significant improvement in our average SAT test scores. We now hold the highest average SAT scores in the county.
   In addition, our PASS test scores for the fifth, eighth and 11th grades rank in the top 2 percent for all schools in Pennsylvania.
   While our scores were not at a desired level for our third-grade test results, this issue was openly addressed, and plans were developed and shared to ensure our educational programs support the best possible achievement for our children.
   In addition to significant educational program improvement costs, during this same eight-year timeframe, our district’s enrollment has increased more than 45 percent. This unprecedented growth rate more than doubles the percent growth rate for every other school district in the county.
   Yes, our costs to achieve and sustain excellence in educational programming and performance for our children have increased. But the programs put in place are working, and these decisions are being made with the fiscal responsibility we owe to all of our community stakeholders. In fact, we still enjoy one of the lowest tax rates in the county.
   With all this being said, do we have room for improvement? The answer is yes.
   Our school will continue to plan, execute and monitor improvement strategies for our children’s education while we strive for ways to cut costs and improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of our current programs.
   Public education is a partnership between the board, administration, faculty, staff, parents, students and community. We strive to achieve a culture of collaboration and respect across all of these stakeholders.
   As we enter into this current school board election process, I respectfully request all candidates represent accurate, fact-based information about our school district.
   Degrading our school, our faculty and, most importantly, our students for political gain is beneath the standards of our community.

Stephen Fiala
president
New Hope-Solebury School
Board of Directors

Support your

local businesses
To the editor:
   So many folks have called and asked how they can help, and for us at John & Peter’s, as many other businesses hit hard by the flood, there is not much that can be done right now.
   Everyone is working hard to clean up and hopefully open soon.
   Our staff has been amazing showing up before the water was even receding to roll up their sleeves. Neighbors helping neighbors; amazing support from all the fire companies and borough officials. Once again, our community has demonstrated what it means to be a real community.
   But I was thinking about how generous the businesses and restaurants of New Hope and Lambertville have been to so many fund-raisers and arts projects that I have worked on over the years. And I thought that I would like to appeal to residents on dryer ground and to members of organizations that have benefited from their repeated generosity — in good times and bad — that this might be a great time to shop locally.
   Whenever I create a program for an event, I always include an appeal to support the businesses that support your organization or your cause and to let them know when you visit their restaurants or shops that you appreciate their support.
   In the next few weeks, I’m certain they would really love hearing those words and greatly appreciate your patronage.
   So if you can, when you see the reopened for business signs going up, think of having dinner out or buying your mom a Mother’s Day gift from one of the local shops. It will make a difference!

Robin Larsen
New Hope

Candidates

have a plan
To the editor:
   I am proud to support Susan Lockwood and Kristin McCarthy as the Democratic candidates for the 2005 Delaware Township Committee nomination.
   Both Susan and Kristin have a long history of service to the township and have a plan to fight the continuing increase in our property taxes and the continuing sprawl in our township.
   Sue joined the township’s Environmental Commission in 1986 and served until 2004. She is a founding member of the Open Space Committee, has also served on the Planning Board for 15 years, the COAH committee for four years and has been a recycling and March on Litter volunteer for 11 years.
   Sue also served on the Township Committee from 1997 to 2003 and during her tenure as mayor in 2003, 644 of acres of farmland and 156 acres of other open space was preserved.
   After a year and a half where we have seen hundreds of acres thrown into the process of development, it’s time we put Sue back on Township Committee!
   Kristin served on Delaware Township’s Environmental Commission from 2000 to 2004.
   She is a member of the Concerned Neighbors of Trap Rock Committee, has been involved in fund-raising for Delaware Township School and is a Delaware Township Athletic Association basketball coach.
   Her goals include returning the Township Committee to an approachable and responsive government, preserving open space and farmland and stabilizing our taxes.
   This is truly a great team that can unify our township. Please support them in the Democratic primary June 7.

Sam Thompson
Delaware Township

South Union

Blues back
To the editor:
   South Union blues are back again.
   We knew they would be come, but we didn’t know when.
   The plumbers, adjusters, dumpsters and pumps.
   It’s all so familiar as we take our lumps.
   The sad part is, in our neighborhood,
   On flood recovery, we’re getting’ good!
   We jump into action, make the calls.
   It’s easy, the folders still sit in our halls.
   Phone numbers, addresses, procedure the same.
   The building inspector even knows my name!
   They ask us, was the flooding dire?
   . . . same as Ivan, only 4 feet higher.
   Don your boots, avoid the hoses.
   Forget about stopping to smell the roses.
   Don’t try to plan your next vacation.
   It’s time to continue your flood education!
   Not stuff that you want to know . . .
   Priming the pump so the water will flow.
   Filling the dumpster to the tippy top.
   Wielding the broom so the water won’t slop.
   Finally, the question on everyone’s mind,
   Is this a trend, or one-of-a-kind?
   We want to stay, we really do.
   So Mother Nature, it’s up to you.

Barbara Fordyce
Lambertville

Know candidates

before you vote
To the editor:
   Several weeks ago, a question in an article caught my attention.
   It asked, "Has the city gone to far in its efforts to clean up Connaught Hill?"
   Interesting question but more pertinent is, if so, how?
   The citizens of Lambertville elect the individuals that hold the offices that govern the city and have high expectations for those put in office. Unfortunately, the fact is expectations and realities are often found on opposite ends of the spectrum.
   There is no easy quick fix for this but there are a couple of things that citizens can do to try and rectify the situation. Before you vote, know your candidate. Don’t depend on a postcard sent in the mail, a telephone call, public appearance or a couple of good deeds.
   Instead, look at a candidate’s history. Did the candidates hold a prior office and if so what kind of job was done? What referendums and issues did they support? Did they uphold the standards and values you expected when you voted for them? Were they willing to go against the popular vote of their constituents or were they "yes" people?
   At council meetings, when asked questions or disagreed with, did they act mature, thoughtful and willing to listen to both sides or did they get angry, become sarcastic, laugh and shrug you off?
   Did they respond to the problems and concerns of the citizens? Did they show respect?
   This is only a small example of important questions one can examine prior to voting for a candidate.
   When did you last attend a City Council meeting?
   I know my own attendance is nothing to be proud of, but when I did go, public attendance was scarce. This is a problem that leads to questions like the one in the article.
   If no checks and balances by the public being served take place, there is a danger and opportunity for self-serving power and decisions that are good for some but necessarily in the best interest of all. Decisions can be made and action taken quickly without significant input.
   Take an interest in how things are being run in your town and go to the council meetings. Question how and why things are being done. Check out the procedures utilized, make sure requirements needed for steps taken by council are done correctly in good order and fair.
   Question the need and reason for decisions made. Ask yourself, do "around and about" politics exist — around you and about themselves?
   If individuals are appointed to more than one committee, does a conflict or interest between the two appointments held exist?
   Go to the meetings, question, speak up and demand accountability; you have that right. Don’t just vote candidates in and not give them or how they’re running things a second thought.
   If you find what they do and how they do it — not in the best interest of all and your expectations are not met — don’t vote hastily; vote smart.
   Remember, you vote them in, and you can vote them out.

Terri Marriott
Lambertville