Letters — week of Oct. 28

By:
No record to stand on
To the editor:
   Monroe Township Councilman Irwin Nalitt said that incumbent Councilwoman Joanne Connolly should not be criticized for her performance while in office, but just re-elected because she is such a good person.
   Every elected official must stand before the voters and defend his/her record. Mr. Nalitt knows that Joanne Connolly has no record to stand on. The Monroe Democrats made this perfectly clear at the League of Women Voters-sponsored forum on Oct. 16. The three Democrats (Henry Miller, Ms. Connolly, and Gerald Tamburro) sat in a row like three parrots sitting on a tree limb. They then, as well-trained parrots do, recited a monologue that was written for them by the Middlesex County Democrats.
   Mr. Nalitt seems to be afraid of a dialogue concerning the issues.
   It is time to eliminate two of the parrots and then establish a true dialogue in the Town Hall. Elect Steve Williams and Carlos Lopez on Nov. 8.
Harold V. Kane
Monroe
Candidate thanks Women’s Club
To the editor:
   I want take the opportunity to thank the Women’s Club for putting on a successful candidates night. Both Bobbie Marlow and Kathy Jani did a wonderful job as coordinator and moderator of the event.
   I also want to thank the citizens who came out and participated in the process and for giving me an opportunity to state my experience and to discuss my positions.
   For those who were unable to attend, I will be available Sunday from 1-3 p.m. at the Cranbury Inn to meet with you and to discuss any concerns that you may have.
   Again, thank you for a successful candidates night.
Wayne Wittman
Cranbury
Mr. Wittman is the Republican candidate for Cranbury Township Committee.
Manley Cook right for Cranbury
To the editor:
   Now that the election season is in full swing, we have been inundated with bipartisan politics. Luckily, for the town of Cranbury our issues are not controlled by party lines. We have a unique community with unique issues.
   That is why I am endorsing Angie Manley Cook for Town Council. Angie and her husband, Dave, have lived in Cranbury their entire lives. She understands our past and the importance of preservation.
   She has two young children who attend our school. She understands our present and the need to keep our school standards high and our taxes reasonable.
   Her parents and mother-in-law still live in town. She understands our future and knows what an important asset our seniors are to our community and will work to make sure they can always call Cranbury "home."
   Angie did not wait for the call to run for office. She stepped right up to the challenge. Her level of commitment and her boundless enthusiasm is unmatched. She will do all she can to keep Cranbury the wonderful community it has always been because that is all she has ever known.
Jane Helstrom
Cranbury
Tower proposal bad for downtown
To the editor:
   I would like to thank Jessica Beym for reporting about the alternate site for the cell phone tower.
   The one big thing that the Cranbury Township Committee did not take into consideration is the visual impact on the downtown historic district and what a 150-foot tower will do to the property values of the residences directly around the location.
   These items are supposed to be addressed by the planning or zoning boards when allowing variances for such a tower, according to the zoning regulations.
   I will be visiting some of the residences that will be affected by this tower and showing them a copy of the plans and pictures of the proposed site for the 150-foot tower so they can address any concerns to the appropriate board and the Township Committee. If any resident would like to discuss this with me I would be glad to do so.
Art Hasselbach
Cranbury
Kiwanis pantry a great facility
To the editor:
   I am writing to give recognition to the Rossmoor Kiwanis Club Food Pantry’s new home at the municipal complex in Monroe.
   This is a cooperative effort between the dedicated volunteers who give their time to this very worthwhile effort and the elected officials who provided the necessary space for the expanding program.
   This is truly an endeavor where everyone comes out a winner.
   Our needy residents receive generous food supplies; the senior citizen volunteers give back to their community in the most productive way; and our mayor and council provide the environment that promotes charitable deeds and volunteerism.
   This is a program that makes me proud to be a resident of Monroe. Many thanks to our local officials who helped bring this about.
Ruth Fischer
Monroe
Recreation a great program
To the editor:
   You cannot compliment Monroe’s recreation programs enough. It’s the quality and the quantity, and it’s the fact that programs are targeted for every age group. The recreation programs have been growing and they are always getting better.
   This has been accomplished because of the responsiveness of our mayor and council, particularly Councilwoman Joanne Connolly. She has been the catalyst for creating faculties such as the Danny Ryan Memorial Field, a state-of-the-art field devoted to girls’ softball, a hockey rink and a skate park.
   She not only talks the talk, she walks the walk because she is a presence at many games and sports events. The bottom line: she cares, she listens, she acts and she’s there for the families of Monroe Township.
Chris Pedersen
Monroe
Council offers top emergency services
To the editor:
   The Monroe Township Council has always pledged to provide the very best in emergency services, and it has made good on its pledge. We have highly-trained EMTs and state-of-the-art equipment, and it is a program that can take advantage of medical insurance reimbursements therefore making it cost effective.
   Most importantly, we know we can count on this excellent service when we are faced with health emergencies. This certainly gives us a high level of peace of mind that very few other communities can enjoy.
   I am urging the citizens of Monroe to re-elect Council members Joanne Connolly, Jerry Tamburro and Hank Miller because we can count on them to keep providing first-rate emergency services.
Seymour Kurtz
Monroe
Letter misleads on school budget
To the editor:
   This is in response to Patricia A. Appleby’s letter in The Cranbury Press on Oct. 14.
   I would like to clarify some budget information in her letter that was misleading. She suggests that 80 percent of a school budget should be salaries and benefits. In Monroe Township 82 to 85 percent of the school budget is fixed due to either contractual obligations or state mandates such as salaries, health care, transportation and special education.
   The Monroe school district employs 435 teachers ranging in salary from $40,000 to $70,000, 26 administrators and 250 support staff or "others," which include bus and van drivers, custodial and maintenance personnel, secretaries, paraprofessionals, library coordinators, nurses, etc. I know that many of our "other" staff members would love to be making $95,000 a year as her letter suggested.
   I’m not sure how Ms. Appleby arrived at her figures, but I invite her to visit the Board of Education offices to see exactly how student-centered our budget is. If she did, I’m sure she would agree that it’s "good to be a student in Monroe."
Kathy Kolupanowich
President
Board of Education
Monroe
Oak an appropriate symbol of township
To the editor:
   It is very appropriate that the great oak tree is the municipal symbol for Monroe. For seven years straight, we have been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Commission.
   This kind of designation does not occur by accident. It so happens that we have the kind of leadership in our township that fosters care and concern for the environment, and trees are honored in our town.
   Council President Joanne Connolly has served as the council liaison to the Shade Tree Commission, and she has brought about policies that care for and protect trees, and she represents the kind of leadership that ensures these policies are implemented regularly and cost-effectively.
JoAnn Cardone
Monroe
Save Asia’s Amur leopard
To the editor:
   I think we, as citizens of the world, should help contribute in saving the Amur leopard, a dying subspecies of leopard in Northeastern Asia.
   We should do this because there are only about 35 left in the wild. They are classified under critically endangered. They are also one of the most endangered species in the world.
   We should help these creatures because they are a large and important part of the food chain. They eat the overpopulated deer so the deer won’t starve to death.
   We can help them by donating to the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance. They have been working to stabilize and rebuild the Amur leopard and Siberian tiger. It will benefit the world because it shows people that other people are willing to protect and preserve other living beings and animals that we share on the Earth. It will also help preserve the species, allowing people a greater appreciation of their natural surroundings.
   I really think we should help the Amur leopard.
Ian Pulz
Cranbury
Kids are priority over piece of park
To the editor:
   I have listened to and digested both the point of the proponents and opposition of the proposed land swap. Admittedly, I have some conflicting feelings.
   The park savers say that if the Green Acres Commission approves the swap, it will set a tremendous precedent for the future. This is certainly true. However, what better precedent to set than to make this swap for our children’s future? Why should the children of Monroe have to wait any longer to receive the education they (and all children) deserve, in an environment conducive to learning?
   Our children have sacrificed long enough due to our failure to pass the first referendum. Certainly, we can help our children now by supporting the sacrifice of this parcel of land to provide to our community’s children an improved learning environment.
   Rather than being a divided community fighting for what we all want, let us work together and focus our efforts on finding additional, usable to be considered for open space and recreation.
   When all is said and done, these children are our tomorrow. How can we, the community of Monroe set a precedent by allowing the swap to be defeated thus defeating the importance of our children.
Hope Fisher
Monroe
Democrats keeping taxes, crime rate low
To the editor:
   When looking for a place to buy a home, there are several factors that people look for in a town: low taxes, excellent schools, firs-rate services for children, teens adults and seniors plus a low crime rate. One town in Middlesex County that has all that and more is Monroe. Because Monroe has something to offer everyone, it is no wonder people want to move there, whether to start a family or retire.
   These accomplishments did not happen by mistake. They are the esult of knowledgeable and experienced leadership, espceially that of our esteemed council representative in Ward Three, Joanne Connolly. Because of her dedication to children and families, Monroe is a wonderful town, and re-electing Joanne Connolly in November, Monroe will continue to be the best hometown in Middlesex County.
Susan Cohen
Monroe
Vote Connolly for families
To the editor:
   Monroe Township Council President Joanne Connolly is running for re-election representing Ward Three in our community.
   If there’s one word that describes the third ward, it’s family. And there is no stronger advocate for the families of the third ward than Ms. Connolly. She has been the champion of family values, and she has been the elected official who has brought us the best recreation programs. She is a mother, a retired schoolteacher and the best role model for our children because of her devotion to public service and families.
   She deserves your vote on Nov. 8 because of her track record of accomplishments.
Angela Paoluccio
Monroe
Connolly devoted to rec programs
To the editor:
   As a student who lives in Monroe, I am very proud of my hometown. This is a great place to grow up and one of the reasons for this is a concern for kids and families by our public officials.
   I especially give credit to Council President Joanne Connolly who has made the development of recreation programs her passion. We have a great recreation center with a wide variety of programs for young children, teens, adults and seniors. It is especially noteworthy that the recreatcion center attracts a large numer of teens to its programs.
   Than you Councilwoman Connolly, and I am urging everyone who votes in Monroe to vote for Connolly as well as Jerry Tamburro and Hank Miller.
Grant Herring
Monroe
Preservation a priority
To the editor:
   I want to thank Monroe’s mayor and council for recognizing the importance of acquiring open space and parks and for continuing to keep land preservation a priority.
   With the aid of the county freeholders, we in Monroe have been able to acquire open space that will remain undeveloped forever. In some cases, we have purchased the land with our own open space funds, and in other cases we have partnered with the county in providing the funds. One very notable acquisition was a township/county/state joint purchase.
   Come Election Day, I am going to support the team of Joanne Connolly, Jerry Tamburro and Hank Miller because of their dedication to keeping Monroe’s natural environment intact.
Paul Lubertazzi
Monroe
Connolly shows devotion to kids
To the editor:
   Monroe is a wonderful place for families, and one of the reasons for this is our devoted Councilwoman Joanne Connolly.
   She has faithfully represented the children and families of the third Ward during her terms in office, and she more than deserves to be re-elected to another term.
   Ms. Connolly’s most visible accomplishments are in the area of recreation and sports. Her leadership has produced a first-class recreation center with quality programs.
   We have a hockey and roller rink, a skiate par, and playing fields for various sports.
   Ms. Connolly won a "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend" for being the key person in making a girls’ softball field a reality.
   I am looking forward to more accomplishments like these in the next term of office so that recreation programs for our youth can continue to shine.
John Walsh
Monroe
Democrats are dedicated
To the editor:
   I’m writing this letter to state my support for the re-election of Monroe Township Council members Joanne Connolly, Gerald Tamburro and Hank Miller. During their service, they have provided Monroe’s residents with leadership, trustworthiness and sincere dedication.
   They are public officials who truly care about the people they represent. Monroe has one of the lowest tax rates in the county, as well as one of the lowest crime rates. In addition, the township offers a host of excellent residential services. These are all a direct result of great leadership.
   On Nov. 8, cast your vote for the leaders who have proven they will work for you.
Lorraine Rofsky
Monroe
Council works hard to preserve land
To the editor:
   I applaud the efforts of the mayor and council in Monroe Township for working to preserve open space. Under their leadership, they have implemented a master plan to ensure that 50 percent of the township’s land will remain undeveloped.
   With construction and development projects cropping up all over the state I’m grateful our leaders have recognized the critical need to preserve the township’s land in order to protect our parks, farmland, wildlife, wetlands, and open space.
   We need to take care of our natural resources and we need leaders who will do just that. On Nov. 8, re-elect Council members Joanne Connolly, Jerry Tamburro and Hank Miller.
Morton Panzer
Monroe
Council is efficient
To the editor:
   With so many people criticizing how government operates today, we here in Monroe can be proud of the efficiency with which our elected officials run our municipal government. Our taxes are relatively low; our streets are free of crime; we have the best emergency services and senior programs; and our recreation programs are outstanding.
   I think a number of other towns could take a lesson from Monroe. I applaud our local officials and I strongly support their re-election.
Lee Farber
Monroe
Connolly’s record warrants re-election
To the editor:
   Councilwoman Joanne Connolly’s record of accomplishment in Monroe Township is impressive and she deserves our vote for re-election.
   She has been a leader who has fought for her Ward Three constituents representing their interests for recreation, open space, education, children’s health and the environment.
   To safeguard the family-friendly life that Monroe offers, we must support Joanne Connolly on Nov. 8.
Judi Mirman
Monroe
County successful on open space
To the editor:
   I don’t think may people realize that since 1997 more than 6,000 acres of open space have been preserved in municipalities throughout Middlesex County. Thanks to the leadership of Freeholders Dave Crabiel and Camille Fernicola, open space has been a top priority for our county government. Lands that would have been developed for residential and commercial use are now open space. And the open space fund has also helped refurbish recreation areas in our towns.
   The residents of Middlesex County are grateful for our open space program. And the two freeholders who have championed the cause of open space should be re-elected to office in November.
Eugene Tonkery
Jamesburg