YMCA plan makes sense
To the editor:
As a neighbor of the current senior center on Reading Street, I fail to see how we can afford the operating expense of a $2 million building when we can’t take care of the currently underutilized and much more modest facility.
For almost four years, much-needed building maintenance on the Reading Street Senior Center has been deferred. For that time, it has only rarely been available for use by community groups, when it was once active many nights of the week and often on weekends.
It’s anything but smart growth to build single-purpose public facilities and the parking lots to support them and then use them for just a few hours a day, or to site them where no one can walk to them. It’s anything but smart financial management to fail to perform basic maintenance or plan for the inevitable larger expenses. Grants may pay for construction, but we need be certain we can afford the carrying costs of a larger facility including furnishings, utilities, staffing and regular and deferred maintenance. Current experience suggests we can’t.
The YMCA proposal for a multi-purpose community center that would serve Valley residents of all ages deserves careful consideration.
Karen Anderson, Pennington
‘Peter Pan’ outstanding
To the editor:
Last weekend my family and I had the opportunity to witness the Timberlane Middle School presentation of "Peter Pan." The show was first rate. The singing and dancing were just terrific and you could just sense the students really enjoyed performing. In a time in which having a "balanced" approach to education is important to the development of our children, the students clearly demonstrated that learning and having fun outside of the normal classroom environment plays a vital role in their lives.
While there are many people to thank for this performance, we wanted to point out Ken Elpus (director), Rebecca Elpus (musical supervision), and Nicole Frangione (choreographer), for their extraordinary efforts in working with our students and taking them to the next level in their performing career. Their patience and direction in working with the students was well done and was clearly demonstrated by the children’s performance on stage.
To the Timberlane teachers, administrators, and students, a special thank-you for providing us with a night of outstanding entertainment.
Michael Bruno, Hopewell Township
Sheridan, the star!
To the editor:
This letter is written with a deep and sincere sense of sympathy for all those who did not attend the May 6 and 7 performances, at the Performing Arts Center of Hopewell Valley Regional High School, of "Peter Pan," which was produced by the staff and students at Timberlane Middle School and which featured Sheridan Gates, the real subject of this letter. You people missed a truly outstanding performance!
My wife and I had seen Sheridan perform at the McCarter Theater in Princeton over the past Christmas holidays as "Martha," one of Bob Cratchet’s daughters in Charles Dickens’s "A Christmas Carol." It was a minor part, and thus we had no idea what a truly gifted little girl she is. In the Timberlane production, which included flying through the air attached to an invisible cable, Sheridan was absolutely incredible as Peter Pan! She has a lovely singing voice for one still in her tender years; she has a definite flair for acting in general; and she is graceful beyond belief. All this talent, and she’s only 13 years of age!
Every player was courageous enough to participate in front of an audience of hundreds; the sets were excellent; and the choreography was remarkable. Without taking anything away from the other performers, who, we thought, were a step above what one might normally expect from children in middle school, Sheridan was the star of the show!
After the performance had ended, we both still were almost stunned by her marvelous interpretation of Peter Pan. This may sound far out to some but my wife and I both agreed that it would not surprise us in the least if, someday in the future, Sheridan Gates is starring on Broadway!
Craig T. Bell, Hopewell Township
It’s up to us!
To the editor:
Is the State of New Jersey setting a poor example for us "country folk" in Hopewell Valley or providing us some cautionary warnings for the future?
Last week’s corporate-welfare news: the communications giant Verizon will receive upwards of $80 million in various state tax breaks.
The alleged "sweetener" was more jobs for New Jersey. Facts not mentioned, however, included that Verizon’s workforce is smaller today than a few years ago and recent layoffs have occurred. Even with adding some new jobs, it doesn’t bring the firm’s New Jersey employment total to what it used to be.
That news evoked some corporate-welfare memories of our neighbor Merrill Lynch. Verizon received an exemption from paying sales tax on equipment, furniture, building materials and anything else it buys in connection with a move to its to-be-renovated facility in Basking Ridge.
Valley residents may remember the state and Mercer County originally enticed Merrill Lynch with breaks and services. The state even sold bonds to buy computers to lease to Merrill Lynch to save the company the sales tax.
But what really hit me was that Verizon’s CEO received $11.9 million last year in salary, bonus, and stock options. That he is a resident of New York brought to mind all those Merrill Lynch employees who daily travel back to Pennsylvania and don’t contribute a dime in state taxes.
We can all hope the west side of Scotch Road ends up with "clean ratables" not impacting our municipal and school costs. The same also can be said for any future developments along Route 31.
So let’s keep in mind that the state and county far removed from accountability tend to give away the store. It’s up to us "country folk" in Hopewell Valley to hold the line on any local tax breaks or corporate-written building impact specifications.
Norm Goldman, Hopewell Township
FAIR rebate applications
To the editor:
My district office will be available to help seniors and disabled residents who are required to file applications in order to receive the FAIR property tax rebate this year.
Seniors and disabled individuals eligible to receive a property tax rebate under the new FAIR program should watch their mail for the rebate application. In order to receive the rebate, those who qualify must apply to the Department of Treasury, whether by mail, over the phone, or through the Internet. I encourage those with any questions about the application to contact my staff, who will be available to provide assistance in filing for the rebate. We want to help those on fixed incomes get the property tax relief they rely on each year.
Applications for the FAIR rebate, a new state program offered in lieu of the NJ SAVER and Homestead property tax rebates, were mailed out between April 26 and May 3 by the Department of Treasury, and are due back by June 1, 2005. According to the Treasury Department, the checks will arrive in the mail in early to mid-August, the same time the Homestead rebate checks would have traditionally been sent out to property taxpayers.
Due to the merging of the two property tax relief programs, seniors and disabled residents must file an application to be eligible for relief this year, and given the fact that these residents did not have to file applications for eligibility in the Homestead rebate program in previous years, there may be confusion among residents as to the application process.
To be eligible for the FAIR rebate, seniors and disabled New Jerseyans must have occupied a home in New Jersey as their primary residence since Oct. 1, 2004. They must also have a gross income under the threshold of $200,000 and their home must be subject to local property taxes. Homeowners will be eligible for a rebate of up to $800 while tenants will receive up to $775.
Applications can be filed online at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation, or by phone at (877) 658-2972. State residents can call (888) 238-1233 to ask questions of the state Department of Treasury, or if they would like assistance from my district office, they can call (609) 530-3277. The office is located at 1440 Pennington Road in Ewing.
Shirley Turner, NJ Senator (15th District)
Finkles is not closing
To the editor:
There seems to be a rumor going around Hopewell that the 88-year-old Lambertville industrial supply house, Jos. Finkle & Son, Inc. is going out of business. To set the record straight, the company is doing well and has no plans to close its doors!
For months, I and my employees have been baffled by questions coming from our customers who ask if we are closing. Over time, we have found that almost all of the customers are from Hopewell. I am not sure how this rumor started, but I am relieved to say that the now, almost cliche closing of independently owned hardware stores does not apply to Finkles.
I represent the third generation of my family to own and run "the world’s must unusual ‘hardware’ store." I am proud to say that we have many loyal contractors and retail customers who want to support a local, independently owned business that has a unique character and history that belongs to the community as much as it does to the store itself. We also owe our success to our staff of 20 employees. Half of our staff has been with us for over 10 years, and at least a few for close to 25 years and more. This contributes to the unique character of the store and the vast knowledge and personalized service that we offer.
With the continued support of area residents, we hope to continue selling our product mix of electrical, lighting, plumbing, heating, hardware, steel and more. Thanks to all of our concerned Hopewell customers, we hope to serve your needs for another 88 years!
Rachel Finkle, president, Joseph Finkle & Son, Inc.

