By:
Thanks for support of board candidacy
To the editor:
I would like to thank my family and friends, who have tirelessly put so much time and energy into supporting me for my run for Board of Education.
Even though I did not get onto the board, I just wanted to thank each of you for your help and hard work. I also wanted to thank my community of Millstone, to those who supported me and voted for me, for that I’m very appreciative. I’ll still work hard on the sidelines to help our children get the education they deserve in our public schools. I would like to see more community members and parents come to the Board of Education meetings and stand up for all of the children and show the support for all of them that they deserve.
It’s a very important time for our district and we as a community need to show a force of support for our children, the teachers and the taxpayers. The budget may have been defeated and restructured to be more favorable to the taxpayers, but we need to make sure that our children are truly getting the education they so deserve they are our future. So let’s be supportive of them and make sure that the board stays focused on what’s important: our children and our future citizens.
Please try to get more involved. One person can make a world of difference in a community of our size, but a community working together can make an even bigger difference. Again, thank you for all of your support.
Debbie Novellino
Millstone
Thanks for supporting alliance fundraiser
To the editor:
On April 8, the Upper Freehold/Allentown Municipal Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse brought the Harlem Wizards to Allentown High School for a night of family entertainment to the entire community.
The Harlem Wizards, a professional entertainment basketball team that has toured the world for over 40 years, faced the Community April Fools. While the Wizards featured players with illustrious college and professional basketball backgrounds, and skills that include trickery and theatrical type humor, the April Fools held their own. The game mixed periods of some competitive fast-paced action and other parts that were geared more toward humor and shtick.
The Wizards have a tremendous reputation for the way they relate to the children, the fans, and their opposition. Besides the playing and performing during the game, the Wizards did a halftime crowd participation show. They also signed autographs at the end of the show.
As alliance coordinator for both Upper Freehold and Allentown, I personally would like to thank the alliance, New Jersey State Police, our sponsor, Allentown High School for allowing us to use its facilities, the Life Savers, the April Fools and all other volunteers who either helped or made donations to make this night a success.
The alliance receives funds each year from Monmouth County. We need to raise money each year in order to keep the grant we have. This is called a "cash match." The success of this event allowed us to do two things. The first is that money raised for this event will be applied to this cash match. The other is that we are going to send two members of Life Savers, a drug-free student group, to summer camp for a week. At this one-week camp, they learn team building, drug prevention and life skills.
This was one of many different events that the Upper Freehold/Allentown Municipal Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is going to sponsor this year. On May 5 we will be having our annual Daddy Daughter Dance to help Fathers/Caregivers and Daughters to keep an open line of communication, so they can talk about the dangers of underage drinking and drug abuse at the right time. Please come out and support our cause. If you have any questions, you can contact me at (609) 259-6019.
Jason Victor
Coordinator
Upper Freehold/Allentown Municipal Alliance
to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Puns provide needed comic relief
To the editor:
I read with great interest Scott Morgan’s "Random Notes" column regarding his total disdain for the pun. While I share Mr. Morgan’s passion and respect for the written word, I have to disagree with his assault on what some people consider skillful manipulation of the English language. I think "un-bearable" koala stories are cute. Further, I consider myself a very intelligent reader and do not object to an occasional groan from corny "purr-fect" kitten stories. On the contrary, journalism is chock full of depressing, violent, spirit-sucking news stories. Puns, even bad ones, offer comic relief to the weary reader.
Legendary writers such as Shakespeare and Mark Twain relied heavily on puns. Let’s face it, they were very punny guys. Puns received a great endorsement from Ben Franklin, whose wit and literary expertise inspired a revolution. Perhaps his advice to Mr. Morgan might be to "go fly a trite." I think Mr. Morgan’s attack on the unsuspecting writer who reviewed "Fiddler on the Roof" was unwarranted. Apparently Mr. Morgan took offense to a Gloucester County journalist calling the play at a Catholic school "unorthodox … but kosher." I thought it was clever. Granted I rolled my eyes but I did get a chuckle out of it. My yarmulke is off to any journalist who can incorporate some humor into an otherwise mundane story.
After I read Mr. Morgan’s scathing commentary, I had visions of like-thinking writers banding together in protest. Maybe they could even get the state to pass a no-joking law. This way, punsters would be banned from displaying a flair for the English language within 25 feet of the paper. On second thought, I don’t think a riotous group of literary snobs would be too successful. After all, the pun is mightier than the horde.
Linda McCarthy
Robbinsville
Let’s work together for a strong community
To the editor:
I would like to congratulate the winners of the Board of Education election in Upper Freehold Township. I am pleased and proud to have received such strong support as a newcomer challenging two incumbents. I thank all those who showed their confidence in me with their vote.
I intend to continue working in the fields that so affect our children and grandchildren. All of us working together will help keep our community a strong, vibrant place in which to live.
Wendy Gansberg
Upper Freehold
