Women’s Crisis
thanks sponsors
To the editor:
Tuesday, May 16, was the second annual Women’s Crisis Services golf outing at Beaver Brook Country Club.
More than $17,000 was raised, which will enable our agency to continue to provide children’s services, safe and confidential shelter, legal advocacy and counseling free of charge to victims and their families from Hunterdon County.
On behalf of the Women’s Crisis Services, I would like to thank the 80 golfers that braved the non-stop deluge and the hole-in-one sponsors, James Toyota and Flemington Car and Truck.
Thanks also go to hole sponsors Alman Group, Coca Cola, Unity Bank, Gelfond Benefits, Nowell Amoroso Klein Bierman P.A., Yardville National Bank, Spartan Financial, Gouldin & McCarthy, N.T. Callaway Real Estate, Gebhardt & Kiefer, McConnell Group, Commerce Square, Dresswell’s, Global Press Sales, Sergeantsville Feed & Grain, Beardsworth, 1st Capital Mortgage and Teamlink.
Thanks to our prize sponsors, Beardsworth Group and Skip Richards, for their generous donations and the many businesses that contributed door prizes.
And to all of the ad sponsors, a heartfelt thanks. Know 95 cents out of every dollar raised goes directly to client services.
A thank you to our volunteers, the North Hunterdon Regional golf team members Christa Spengeman, Kara LaSpada, Taylor Meurer, Emily Jones, Steven Fortunato, Mark Zanelli, Derrick Weagen and the indefatigable Greg Korab.
Also Maryanne Rydell and Kelly Danielson from Hewitt Associates and Tom Pappas of Flemington, N.J.
This was a board-sponsored event. A big thank you to the Women’s Crisis Services board members Lynda Benson, board chairwoman, Maureen Wachter, event co-chairwoman, Chris Venditti, Lynn Marra, Pat Warner, Donna Beardsworth, Elizabeth Griffin and Marisa Jaffe.
Thank you also to Nancy Connor, executive director of the Women’s Crisis Services, for her help.
So again, thanks to all for their support and know the money raised will allow your friends and neighbors to become survivors of domestic violence.
board member and
event chairperson
Lambertville
Molnar’s wife
asks support
To the editor:
My husband, Tom, is running for re-election to the West Amwell Township Committee.
I am writing to ask your support for his candidacy and to tell you a little about Tom. We will be married 27 years next month so I think I know him better than anyone else.
Tom is a great teacher. He teaches automotive technology in Burlington County. He has been a teacher for more than 30 years.
He loves trucks and cars. He drives a Saturn because it is good on gas, but would prefer to drive an antique Dodge Power Wagon. He owns his grandfather’s 1941 Chevy and hopes to restore it when he retires.
Tom loves music, which is different than most. He listens to bluegrass and Irish tunes, but loves Burton Cummons lead singer from Guess Who.
The radio in his car is usually set on WDVR. He loves blueberries and peanut butter and riding a tractor around our three acres of land. He adores our two teenagers and rarely says no to anything they need or want.
It was announced at the township volunteer dinner this past Friday evening there were 50 Township Committee meetings during 2005, a record I might add. Tom only missed one of those meetings.
He also attends Planning Board, General Development Plan, Open Space, school board and Parks and Recreation meetings throughout the year. To say the least, he is rarely home. He is so active because he loves this town and wants it to stay beautiful and rural for as long as possible.
If while campaigning, Tom is not able to reach your home, it is not because he did not want to talk with you, but he is very limited on time due to township business.
If you want to speak with him, please feel free to call our home at 397-6203 or e-mail Tom at [email protected]. He cannot perform miracles, but he is always interested in knowing how residents feel about their community and how to better govern the township.
Please make the effort to come out June 6 and vote Republican to re-elect Tom Molnar to the West Amwell Township Committee. He works tirelessly for the residents and will continue to do so in the future. Thank you.
West Amwell
Guinea fowl halt
Lyme disease
To the editor:
Five years ago, as part of the overall effort to reclaim and restore Lambertville’s Mount Hope Cemetery from its former state of abandonment, the volunteers of the Cemetery Association decided to acquire a small flock of guinea fowl to help control the problem of deer ticks on the cemetery property.
Guinea fowl, which are similar in size and appearance to small turkeys, are known to seek out and eliminate deer ticks and other harmful insects.
Prior to acquiring the guinea fowl, there were two instances of Lyme disease among our volunteers. In the time since we acquired the guinea fowl, there have been none.
Since dogs also are very susceptible to Lyme disease, the guinea fowl are also protecting local neighborhood pets from this disease.
We have recently been informed of a series of complaints from residents in the cemetery neighborhood that the guinea fowl have occasionally been wandering off the cemetery property into private yards. Serious concern has also been expressed that the guinea fowl may be able to spread avian flu.
To prevent the birds from wandering off the cemetery property, we have been letting only two of the four guinea fowl out of their house at a time. Because they are by instinct flocking birds, the two that are out will not range very far from the two that remain confined, unless they are frightened by a dog.
Therefore, we request all dogs be kept out of the lower portion of the cemetery property where the guinea fowl are usually located. If you should happen to encounter the guinea fowl when you are walking your dog in the cemetery, please head in the opposite direction.
We are hopeful that this plan will solve the problem of the guinea fowl leaving the property. But if it does not, we will have no recourse other than to ban all dogs from the entire property. At present, dogs are welcome on the cemetery property in the company of their owners who observe the Lambertville leash law.
Also, to allay any concerns about the possibility that the guinea fowl might possibly contract or spread avian flu should this ever become a problem in our area in the future we are going to have the guinea fowl vaccinated with a vaccine that will completely eliminate this possibility.
If there is any chance of contracting Lyme disease from being in the cemetery, we will have to bring the volunteer efforts to a halt. Lyme disease is a real and potentially debilitating illness that has affected more than one million Americans.
Unfortunately, the Cemetery Association does not have sufficient funds to regularly spray the entire 7½-acre property to prevent the spread of deer ticks.
This spring, Mount Hope Cemetery has benefited from the efforts of a group of students from South Hunterdon Regional High School under the direction of their teacher, Karen Scheetz. These students have been assisting the Cemetery Association by photographing and documenting the many headstones in Mount Hope Cemetery that have fallen or become damaged by erosion over the past 150 or more years. The documentation that results from these efforts will enable the Cemetery Association to begin the long process of repairing and restoring these historic sculptures.
If there were any chance that these students would be exposed to Lyme disease, it would be irresponsible to even allow them on the property.
Last month, in the April 20 edition of The Beacon, there was a large photograph of Mount Hope Cemetery as it looked some years ago when the property was abandoned and overgrown. If our volunteer efforts cease, this will most certainly happen again, and it will happen very quickly, along with a commensurate drop in property values in the Mount Hope neighborhood.
For those who are expressing concern, please remember that Lyme disease is a real health problem in our area now, whereas avian flu is not.
Here are some facts about avian flu. The source is Dr. Dalius Briedis, director of clinical infectious diseases at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, associate professor of microbiology and immunology and a researcher in molecular virology at McGill University in Montreal, from March 30.
The H5N1 bird flu has so far been found on only three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. There haven’t been any cases so far in the Americas.
A pet bird would only catch the virus if it were exposed to infected birds.
Most do not get this kind of exposure and, therefore, aren’t likely to be infected. Waterfowl are more likely to become infected than other birds since the virus is in bird feces that is dispersed in water and ingested by waterfowl.
99.99 percent of humans working with infected birds have not been infected.
The virus has not yet mutated to allow it to spread easily among humans. It isn’t clear how likely this is to happen.
Bird flu invades the human body when someone inhales or ingests bird feces.
So far, it appears a large amount of the bird feces must penetrate very deeply into a human lung to cause disease. Simply getting a small amount into the throat or nose appears not to be a significant risk for developing illness.
Dogs are not susceptible to avian flu.
Rodents can catch bird flu, but it is their respiratory secretions that transfer the virus. People rarely ever get close enough to mice or rats to inhale their sneezes.
There has never been a documented case of bird flu among ruminants such as cows, sheep, goats, deer, elk and moose.
However, pigs are potentially susceptible. It is advisable to keep away from sneezing hogs.
Any questions or concerns regarding this matter can be directed to Mount Hope Cemetery Association at 397-5675 or [email protected].
president
Mount Hope
Cemetery Association
Lambertville
Molnar says
‘enough is enough’
To the editor:
I have lived in West Amwell Township since 1962.
Over the last 44 years, I thought I had seen just about everything. So many times in the past we have seen West Amwell’s officials say one thing in public and then go behind closed doors and do something else.
It made it very easy to get discouraged about our local government.
Then, finally, Tom Molnar came along and said enough was enough. Mr. Molnar has started to clean up things in West Amwell. He has held people responsible for their actions.
Mr. Molnar has finally given the silent majority in West Amwell a voice.
Mr. Molnar deserves our support June 6. As a longtime resident, believe me when I say we don’t want to go back to the type of government we had before.
West Amwell
South class size
surprise in report
To the editor:
The biggest surprise in the report card of the State of New Jersey for South Hunterdon High School, without any doubt, is the average class size.
The average class size as noted in the report for South is 9.4. This compares with an average class size in the rest of the state of New Jersey, which reads 19.2.
The number of 9.4 is indeed so out of line that one wonders if it was misstated. Could it be the number was lowered in order to justify the need for additional classes?
To turn it around, would the need for additional classes and, therefore, the referendum evaporate if the class size in South would be brought up to par with the state average?
This would ask only for the state average. Class size of 25 and more do exist in the state of New Jersey, but only state average class sizes are expected.
Since the teachers are well qualified and extremely well paid median salary $60,406, the highest in Hunterdon County they can surely handle a class size that is average for New Jersey.
All efforts at the school level should be undertaken to bring the class size up to par with the rest of New Jersey, which would be 19.2 instead of 9.4 at South.
With lowering the administrative cost at South, which is presently equally high, and increasing the class sizes, the budget of the high school can easily be cut significantly and improve the education.
The residents of West Amwell turned down the budget of South. Only the financially better off voters of Lambertville and Stockton can afford and voted for the budget like the one presented on April 18, 2006.
West Amwell
Leary family
grateful for help
To the editor:
We would like to thank all of the people who came out to support both the hoagie sale and spaghetti dinner benefits.
We are overwhelmed by all of the generosity.
I would also like to thank the businesses and people who donated food, gift certificates and money. A special thank you to the people who donated their time and worked so hard for both benefits.
This has been a very hard time for us and our family, but with all of your support and prayers, you have made this much easier.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Lambertville
Resident endorses
Tom Molnar
To the editor:
I am writing to endorse Tom Molnar for re-election to the West Amwell Township Committee.
Tom is currently our mayor and is doing a wonderful job.
I met Tom through his wife, Susan, who I worked with for many years. It was Tom and Susan’s recommendation my husband and I move to West Amwell Township six years ago.
Along with Tom and Susan, we lived in a fast-growing community in Mercer County. We wanted to live in a town that could provide us with a rural and undeveloped setting. We chose West Amwell Township, a beautiful community that we have made our home.
Tom works very hard to keep our township rural, and I know he will continue to do everything in his power to keep out major development. Unless you have lived in a town, which becomes overburdened with development, traffic, larger schools and police forces, etc., you cannot fully appreciate the need to work so hard to maintain what we have here in West Amwell.
Tom is the candidate who appreciates the small town appeal, and I know he will work tirelessly to maintain the rural character of the community.
Please come out June 6 and vote to re-elect Tom Molnar on the Republican ticket for West Amwell Township.
West Amwell

