Hopewell Cares group makes a pitch
By Aleen Crispino
A representative from Hopewell Cares, a group of parents of Hopewell Valley teens, presented a proposal for a teen recreation center possibly in the freight shed at the Hopewell Railroad Station to Hopewell Borough Council Monday.
Hopewell Cares has a mailing list of 30 parents, approximately 12 to 15 of whom have been meeting every two weeks for the past two months, said Phil Ludeke of Lambertville-Hopewell Road in Hopewell Township. The purpose of the meetings, said Mr. Ludeke, has been to discuss "what we can do for our teens and those of the surrounding township."
The teen center would be open after school and on Friday and Saturday evenings, said Mr. Ludeke. With the goal of providing an environment that is "positive, fun and safe," the center would be "completely under adult supervision," he said.
While the group considered sites other than the freight shed, "there was a strong consensus that that’s the place to start," said Mr. Ludeke. If the center, which would be equipped with a pool table, couch and chairs, proved to be popular among teens, then a larger building could be sought, he added.
The group invited interested teenagers to its April 4 meeting to hear parents’ ideas and give their own input on what types of activities they would come out for, said Mr. Ludeke.
Councilman Robert Lewis, a member of the Hopewell Valley Recreation Commission, has attended some of the group’s meetings.
"What we want to be is facilitators so that the children propose an agenda. What we have to do is make sure they are safe and don’t break the law," said Mr. Lewis.
The freight shed is a one-room building, said Councilman David Knights. It lacks a bathroom, said Mr. Lewis, which would require that teens use the bathrooms in the train station. Mr. Knights said that in light of the need to share the train station bathrooms, events would have to be scheduled so there was not a formal party in the train station and a teen event in the freight shed at the same time.
Another possibility being considered is to use the freight shed for senior high students and another location for teens in junior high, said Mr. Ludeke. The group has been talking to representatives of Hopewell Presbyterian Church regarding property the church owns on Louellen Street, he said.
"I think the freight shed is a great place to start," said Councilman Mark Samse. "The problem to me with so many children is that the parents don’t show that they care." He said there have been problems with teen vandalism in the borough in the past for which parents have not taken responsibility.
"I’m very protective of that property," said Mr. Samse. "We have a lot of blood, sweat and tears there."
Mr. Ludeke said the parents in his group feel the same way about the property and the need for adult supervision.
Hopewell Cares, which is in the process of becoming a nonprofit corporation, has been raising money through private donations but "will form a committee to look for grants," said Mr. Ludeke. He inquired as to the availability of funds from the Recreation Commission.
"We’re going to be faced with a lot of challenges this year in terms of dollars," said Mr. Samse.
Mr. Ludeke asked council if he could tell his fellow members of Hopewell Cares that governing body members are in favor of the idea of a teen recreation center and that the group could come back before council at a later date with a plan.
"I think that’s fair," said Mayor David Nettles.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, Hopewell Township Administrator Bruce Hilling and township resident Sevy DiCocco described plans by the Hopewell Valley Veterans Memorial Committee to construct a memorial park and monument on a wooded tract of township-owned land off the northern side of Route 546 near the Hopewell Township Public Works Building.
Mr. DiCocco of Poor Farm Road, who is a retired chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, displayed plans for the park drawn up by township Engineer Paul Pogorzelski. The park would include an arbor seating area surrounding one or more flagpoles and a wooded walkway for meditation.
Mr. Hilling said the committee would seek private donations to pay for the park and monument through a fundraising campaign. The goal would be to raise "upward of half a million dollars," he said.
A groundbreaking ceremony and memorial service are planned for 2:30 p.m. on Memorial Day, with a reception following in the Public Works Building. All Hopewell Valley veterans are especially invited to attend, said Mr. DiCocco. The committee hopes to dedicate the park in November, he said.
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Dave Misiolek, director of the borough’s Department of Water and Sewers, said the interconnection between the borough’s water supply and New Jersey American Water Company has been completed and "is up and running" as of March 23.
"It’s going well and I’m really pleased with it," said Mr. Misiolek.
Councilman David Mackie, who has been working with Mr. Misiolek on the interconnection, also reported that Burton Avenue wells No. 2 and No. 5 were offline. "We’re going to think about what to do with wells No. 2 and No. 5 and we’ll let you know," said Mr. Mackie.
The two borough wells had registered levels of radionuclides above the federal drinking water standard in tests received by the Water Department in May 2005. A letter sent by the department to borough residents in September 2005 stated: "NJDEP has advised us that this is not an immediate health risk."
The borough planned to remove the contaminated wells from service once the interconnection project was completed and the water supply could be replaced, said Mr. Misiolek. The project was originally scheduled for completion in January.
The Burton Avenue wells also have been found to contain unacceptable levels of arsenic. Mr. Mackie said the borough was talking to other municipalities such as Frenchtown and Cranbury regarding similar experiences with removing arsenic and radionuclides, respectively. "We’ll look at current technology," he said.
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By unanimous vote, council passed Ordinance No. 656, setting aside $190,000 for "streetscape improvements to the intersection of Broad Street and Greenwood Avenue," including a down payment of $2,000 and the issuance of $188,000 in negotiable bonds. The ordinance states the borough expects to be partially reimbursed by a $150,000 state Transportation Enhancement Program Grant.
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Mayor Nettles reported that he has been "investigating other options for interlocal services," specifically "police and animal control."
The mayor said he had not received the report of the state consultant, Jersey Professional Management, which is looking into the matter of how much Hopewell should be paying Hopewell Township for police services. "I’m just covering all bases," he said.
Hopewell Township officials recently accepted a $6,600 state grant that will help pay the consultant to study the interlocal agreement. The consultant will be paid a total of $9,900 for the study. The two municipalities will pay the $3,300 balance not covered by the state grant.
A settlement agreement in a tax lawsuit involving both Hopewell and Pennington boroughs and Hopewell Township awarded the township a 10 percent increase in its 2006 fee charged to the borough for police services and stipulated that the borough finalize negotiations on a multiyear agreement for police services within 60 days of its receipt of the consultant’s report, which is expected in mid-summer.