By:
Budget approval the important thing
To the editor:
I read with concern about the disagreement between two passionate people, EWEA President Janet Amenhauser and school board member Bruce Ettman. My concern is with the public’s perception of the issue.
Both have brought great passion to their jobs, Mrs. Amenhauser as district teacher and association president; Mr. Ettman as board member and former board president. They both want to ensure the children of East Windsor and Hightstown receive the best education we taxpayers can provide them. They may differ on method but not the needed result. I respect both and believe the public should too.
As mentioned in board Vice President Laverty’s letter last week, the district has made great strides in meeting the educational needs of the children, with the district’s teachers as the front-line players in that success. Mrs. Amenhauser’s wonderful Hogwarts Math program has given the kids a new interest in the subject, and the board’s emphasis on elementary math improvement has provided the resources.
However, we, as taxpayers, can assist by providing more needed resources, something the Trenton politicians promised but reneged on to the tune of $10 million dollars over the past five years, to speed up the improvement and expand it to all six district schools.
Mr. Ettman was a great board president, leading us during an arduous search for the current superintendent. He gave more of his time than anyone outside of the board can possibly know. The result was we hired, in my opinion, the very best person available, one who has guided the district, with limited resources, to the cusp of being one of the best in the state.
But the board cannot do this alone. They spend many late nights (midnight and beyond) at meetings when they have "regular" jobs too. All who have a concern about our children’s education should be active in getting out the vote on April 18. Many do not realize the board members are not politicians; they are unpaid elected community members with no agenda other than giving 5,000-plus children the best education possible, while ensuring taxpayers are burdened as little as possible.
That $10 million is based on a formula the legislators passed and the governor signed, yet they can claim poverty at budget time. That leaves the local taxpayers to fund the difference. Notice however, nearing Election Day the politicians find the missing money and pat themselves on the back for rebating it. Do they really care about their youngest constituents, who they stiff each spring? Do they care about the school boards and administrators who must spend much time squeezing every last nickel out of their budgets when they could be spending that time on educational matters?
I have more to say but I’m limited to the 500-word maximum imposed by the newspaper. As a former board member for seven years, I trust this board with my tax dollars and the education of the district’s children. Please vote for the district budget on April 18, and for Messrs. Ettman, Hauck and Paul.
Stu Dolgon
East Windsor
District benefits are outrageous
To the editor:
I attended the recent school budget board meeting. During the Q&A period, the cost of health benefits per school district employee was stated as $16,000 per year. I thought I might have been hallucinating the number until it again appeared in an area daily newspaper.
No wonder school taxes are out of control. How could such a ridiculously high figure be negotiated into a benefits package? Check with your employer as to the cost of your own benefit package. The district must buy health care where the Army buys its $500 toilet seats!
Brian Virgil
East Windsor
Thanks go out to Thibault
To the editor:
I recently read in the Windsor-Hights Herald about the trapping situation in Hightstown and Ms. Thibault’s efforts in trying to find homes for stray cats.
I adopted one of her kittens over a year ago and found her to be responsible with regard to the health and well-being of these animals as well as trying to legally and humanely remove strays from her neighborhood by finding homes for them.
I am encouraged borough officials are considering ways to ensure all residents should only trap animals responsibly, humanely and only if absolutely necessary. Inhumane trapping of any animal is a reflection of the people in the community and only invites more animals to move into the area it’s a basic ecological fact and one supported by the information that some residents in the borough have been trapping for years with no reduction in wildlife.
Why not support individuals whose efforts are to legally and humanely solve this conflict rather than support those who are making the conflict a continuous one?
Diane LaBate
Bayville
Mother pushes for autism awareness
To the editor:
April is National Autism Awareness Month.
According to the Autism Society of America, 1.5 million Americans are affected by autism; 50 children are diagnosed with autism every day; autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S.
My name is Kamelia. I live with my husband, two children and two dogs on Stockton Street in Hightstown. My son, Cyrus, is soon to be 15 and has autism.
For those who are not familiar with this disorder, autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurobiological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.
Autism has become an epidemic and a national crisis since thousands of innocent children are being affected and diagnosed with it. Early detection and intervention is most important. Education on biomedical treatments is crucial for families of children with autism. It is also essential for special-education teachers and even our children’s pediatricians/physicians to be well aware of the various researches and findings.
There are many credible sources of information for parents such as Autism Research Institute, which is primarily devoted to conducting research and disseminating the results of research, on the causes of autism and on methods of preventing, diagnosing and treating autism and other severe behavioral disorders of childhood. There is also DAN (Defeat Autism Now), with the mission of educating the parents and the clinicians regarding biomedically-based research, appropriate testing and safe and effective interventions for autism. I attended the last DAN conference, in which I was so moved by the work of so many physicians, researchers, lawyers and even politicians, and so touched by their genuine compassion. I was also surrounded by hundreds of parents who were walking the same walk … heart broken, yet passionate and strong.
As for Cyrus, he has been a student at Eden Institute in Princeton since age 3 and is taught and cared for daily by educated, caring and compassionate teachers at Eden to whom I’m so grateful for. Cyrus is nonverbal, seems happy most of the time and loves life. He’s got the biggest brown eyes and the smile that lights up my life.
I’m sure most of you have seen him on his tandem bike with his stepdad, Dave, cruising the streets of Hightstown. Cyrus has breakfast at Americana Diner on most weekends where he’s served by his favorite waitress, Pat, gets his hair cut in downtown Hightstown, loves the food at Mannino’s (when we let him cheat from his gluten free diet!)
My message to new parents of children with autism is to search for answers and for treatment, fight and never ever give up.
You may email me at [email protected] with any questions or comments.
Kamelia Kameli
Hightstown
Couple supports trapping guidelines
To the editor:
We support the local efforts to enact animal-trapping guidelines in the borough of Hightstown.
Feral cats and wildlife such as raccoons and opossums are living beings deserving of our respect and protection. An ordinance outlining acceptable animal-control procedures is necessary to eliminate any ambiguity and make clear that leaving animals in traps in extreme temperatures, without food or water for extended periods of time, is inexcusable and will not be permitted. These guidelines would prevent needless suffering of animals and also keep local pets, which might accidentally be trapped, safe.
The Animal Welfare Committee and volunteers are doing an excellent job administering the trap-neuter-release program in Hightstown. They are humanely controlling the feral cat population. Residents need information on how to handle animals they believe pose problems in their own yards. Enacting guidelines would further help control the feral cat population without causing harm to the animals.
Susan and Dean Bottino
Hightstown
‘Yes’ vote on budget supports students
To the editor:
The school budget process is always a challenging one for me personally as a school board member. Representing the best interests of our students and the concerns of our taxpayers is a mandate I take quite seriously.
In the past three years, the board has moved toward a leaner, more effective budget, using every possible dollar to benefit all students. We continue to look for cost savings in every area including health benefits and purchasing.
The success of our students at all levels and the noticeable jump in test scores demonstrate the validity of the choices we have made in administration and technology. The commitment of our teachers and support staff has made this "Team Success" possible. We now have become a model for other districts and routinely receive calls asking us for guidance on fostering student achievement.
While our younger students have received the accolades for improved test scores, our high school students have been accepted into the most competitive colleges in the country. We have students pursuing all majors, with many in engineering, business, architecture and six students that I know of, attending medical school from our most recent graduating classes.
We now face a crossroads as we struggle with less state aid than we are due and increasing energy costs. Will we be able to add teachers and programs to continue our vision or be forced to do without them and even to start cutting existing staff and programs?
I hope that the community will support the budget we have been crafting for the past six months. A "yes" vote for the budget supports our students, our administration and staff. A "yes" vote says this community places a high value on education and the quality of our schools. A "yes" vote says "thank you for the job well-done, keep up the good work, we’re behind you!"
Suzann Fallon
Hightstown