LETTERS

From the issue of May 25, 2006.

Go after parents for bomb scares
To the editor:
   South Brunswick High School has been in the headlines with three bomb scares in a short period of time.
   As a resident and taxpayer, I found out the cost of missed instructional time due to bomb scares.
   There were three scares, it cost approximately $10,000 per scare (one hour) of lost instructional time for a total of approximately $30,000 of tax payers money.
   Thirty thousand dollars of tax payers money was spent on the safety of students, teachers and support staff due to bad behavior of students, two of which have been caught and now in custody of their parents.
   The question remains, who is going to reimburse the school system the $30,000 for the taxpayers money for the loss of instructional time?
   This can be accomplished by the school system going after the parents of the students who have caused this problem.
   Gee, what a novel idea.
John G. Sullivan

Monmouth Junction

Remember the Edsel
To the editor:
   I understand we’re on a nostalgia kick lately. The car companies have definitely cashed in on the craze — look at the new Charger and the Mustang. But they’re not thinking about bringing back the Edsel. It was no good in the first place.
   Here in South Brunswick, somebody’s trying to resurrect the Edsel, Debra Johnson.
   While surfing the Web, I came across a report from the commissioner of health and senior services dated Sept. 20, 2003. In it, the commissioner ruled Ms. Johnson had called members of her staff "retard, moron, idiot, created expectations of gift giving, pitted one against the other, made racial slurs against a Jew, and complained about employees with children, stating she would never hire anyone planning to have children again, they take too much time off."
   There is much more. If you are interested go to the state Merit Systems Board and enter March 2004. You will see why I am writing this.
   We all make mistakes. Every time I turn onto the new Route 522 I can hear Kevin Bifulco saying what it was going to look like with these "must have" sound barriers. Ten years later, there is still no one using the major thruway, but we are stuck paying for these unsightly monstrosities.
   But what is in the report is no mistake; it’s the character of the individual. To bring back Debra Johnson would be a bigger mistake than bringing back the Yugo.
   It’s too bad Ted Cherry passed away. Now there is a retro mayor that I’d like to see brought back, kind of like the Camaro.
Karl Zimmermann

South Brunswick

Vote for incumbents
To the editor:
   The Democratic primary is June 6 and we are supporting Mayor Frank Gambatese and Councilman Chris Killmurray for re-election. Mr. Killmurray is running uncontested, but Mayor Gambatese is being challenged by Debra Johnson.
   Mayor Gambatese is hands down choice for mayor. Mayor Gambatese and Mr. Killmurray have accomplished much during the past several years. Mayor Gambatese spearheaded the effort to obtain funding from the federal government to improve Route 1, and he has vigorously supported the township’s efforts to preserve open space, as the recent Princeton Nurseries and Stanton property acquisitions demonstrate. In fact, more than 1,100 acres of open space have been acquired by the township in the last four years alone.
   New businesses, including The Home Depot and Bob’s Store, have opened in town and tax revenue from commercial ratables is increasing, which means that homeowners have less of a tax burden to shoulder.
   Mayor Gambatese, Mr. Killmurray and the other Council members have been successful in obtaining millions of dollars in federal, state and county grants and aid. Municipal taxes have been kept stable, which in our state is no small accomplishment.
   Elected officials earn respect by being courteous, attentive, fair and open minded. Mayor Gambatese and Mr. Killmurray possess all these qualities. On the other hand, last week Ms. Johnson disclosed that the state Merit System Board had affirmed findings that she had committed multiple violations of the state policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment in the workplace. That should cause anyone to be concerned over her ability to effectively serve as the mayor of our township.
   For all of these reasons, Mayor Gambatese and Councilman Killmurray deserve to be re-elected. We are urging all Democrats and independent or undeclared voters to support them in the Primary on June 6.
Anthony and Janet Campisano

Kendall Park

Pulda meeting was for real
To the editor:
   I recently read letters from people who purportedly support the preservation of the Pulda Farm in South Brunswick questioning the reports of public officials and our local papers following a successful meeting with the contract owner of the property.
   The meeting was attended by the contract property owner, his attorney, Mayor Gambatese and I, as well as Rene Jones from the state Green Acres program and Tim Brill from the state Farmland Preservation program. The meeting was commented upon at a recent Township Council meeting and several local papers picked up the story.
   Significantly, the contract owner of the property has submitted applications for potential preservation of this historic, approximate 200-acre farm to both the state Green Acres program and the state Farmland Preservation program. Officials from the Middlesex County open space program have been at prior strategy meetings between the three public entities involved and have been updated on the recent meeting.
   Surprisingly, the letter writers have questioned whether or not the meeting occurred. Not only did the meeting occur, but the applications for preservation of this historic farm are very real. Granted, there is still a lot of work to be done, but for the first time, there is reason to hope that one of the last, few remaining large parcels of open space, not only in South Brunswick but also in Middlesex County can be preserved from the development.
   The owner of the property, prior to contracting for development, had not responded to several letters from local officials and residents to consider preserving the farm. The residents of the East Village Association have done an excellent job of educating the public and pushing for continued efforts at preservation of this historic property.
   Local officials from South Brunswick, the county and the state have had several discussions and a planning meeting to try to convince the contract property owner to apply to the various programs available given the significant amount of public funding that will be necessary for such a large piece of property.
   The vast majority of residents in the Eastern Village Association have been supportive and I remain puzzled by those that would tie these difficult efforts at preservation of such a significant property in South Brunswick to a political letter-writing campaign. The local papers were performing a public service in reporting on the very real meetings which took place and the very real applications for preservation, which have been submitted by the contract property owner.
   We, along with those responsible residents who support preservation, will continue to work towards this effort. If anyone has any questions about whether or not a meeting occurred, feel free to give me a call since not only did it occur, but I was there and a great deal was accomplished by Mayor Gambatese, as well as Rene Jones from Green Acres, and Tim Brill from Farmland Preservation.
Christopher J. Killmurray

South Brunswick Township Council
Mr. Killmurray is running for re-election as a Democrat.
Gambatese committed
To the editor:
   Acquistion of open space is just one of Mayor Gambatese’s many accomplishments as mayor of South Brunswick.
   Our Open Space Preservation Trust Fund money is limited and Mayor Gambatese works tirelessly identifying and obtaining alternate sources of funds to meet our needs. He had obtained millions of dollars from the County and State.
   As the council liaison to the Open Space Advisory Committee since 1999, the year after the trust fund was established, he has been intimately involved in the search for and the evaluation of land suitable for preservation.
   Citizens, landowners, council members, staff and committee members identify properties for consideration. Over 50 properties have been evaluated and 12 of those that were recommended for purchase (over 800 acres) have been acquired.
   The open space committee’s 2006 recommendations include five properties as high priority, three a medium priority and six as low priority.
   When evaluating land for preservation we consider many factors, several of which are: location, suitability for passive or active recreation, zoning and soil type. Is it farmland that could be leased for farming? Is it an aquifer recharge area? Are there wetlands that should be preserved? Has the owner already received approval for development?
   Another important factor, do we have a willing seller? The purchase of more large properties with the purchase prices in the millions of dollars, as proposed by Debra Johnson, should not be considered at this time.
   Mayor Gambatese and the council are attempting to find funding for the purchase of the high priority, 192-acre Pulda/Van Dyke farm and to persuade the developer to sell it to the township for open space instead of building warehouses or homes. This property has been on the open space committee’s "recommended for acquisition" list for years, but the owner refused to consider selling it to the township. The mayor and Chris Killmurray are now negotiating with the developer.
   Through the efforts of Mayor Gambatese, 214 acres on the border of Plainsboro, previously owned by Princeton University and the Flemer family (Princeton Nurseries), has been preserved without cost to South Brunswick. Part of this land, including the historic, world renowned nursery land, are designated "Mapleton Preserve."
   Years of negotiations between Mayor Gambatese, local citizens, our township manager, the state Department of Environmental Protectionand Princeton University resulted in our acquiring this land.
   Princeton University received approval to build a first class hotel and conference center/office research complex on a Route 1 portion of their land. Two thirds of this complex will be on South Brunswick land, one third on Plainsboro land. When the complex is completed, it is estimated that revenues to South Brunswick could be several million dollars per year.
   This was a very important acquisition that would not have had this positive outcome without the vision, persistence and negotiating skills of Mayor Gambatese. Former mayor Debra Johnson opposed this acquisition and does not seem aware of the details since she stated that all of the development would be on Plainsboro land.
   Meetings have been held with our farmers and Farmland Preservation personnel to inform our farmers and encourage them to preserve their farms under the State and County Farmland Preservation program. Within the last three years, 311 acres of farmland have been preserved by five land owners. We thank these farmers for helping preserve our open space. This gives a picture of only one area of the accomplishments of our mayor.
   Mayor Gambatese spends 30-40 hours each week on township business: meeting with citizens, business men and women, members of our boards and commissions, officials of surrounding communities and our township manager. He communicates with our township manager without interfering with the manager’s administrative functions, and without arrogance, which has resulted in a smooth running township government.
   Mayor Gambatese’s opponent, former Mayor Debra Johnson, defied our township’s charter by giving orders directly to staff members disrupting township business.
   We need to re-elect Frank Gambatese so that he can continue the initiatives he is involved in to make South Brunswick an even better place in which to live.
Jane C. Synder

Kendall Park
Ms. Snyder is the chairwoman of the township Open Space Advisory Committee.
Party flier lacks integrity
To the editor:
   How sad to at last see the Middlesex County Democratic Organization’s flier attacking Debra Johnson’s character and integrity. This flier was not mailed to my house, so I am late in responding.
   I have spoken personally to Ms. Johnson several times regarding these issues, and I am convinced they are actually insignificant and result of misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
   What bothers me more is that the opposing campaign has lowered itself with these deplorable tactics. When politicians resort to name calling and personal attack, it becomes apparent that either their candidate or their platform does not have the strength and integrity to stand on its own merits.
   Why is it that there have been no public debates between candidates? Why are the issues only being discussed in the newspapers by letter-writing efforts and reporter’s individual interviews? Is this another example of the government in power feeling the desperate need to control the public’s access to enough open information to make an informed decision on this election?
   Slick campaign fliers cost money and lead me to the impression that there are "big bucks" behind the organized party. Despite recent denials, the county Democratic machine is at work, using its initials, "MCDO," as the only identity on the controversial flyers. We have seen this tactic before in South Brunswick, and I suspect, if it has any success at all, we will see it again.
   Elections can be ugly affairs or the beautiful expression of our freedom of choice. Why have the county Democrats chosen the ugly road for South Brunswick?
Jean E. Dvorak

South Brunswick

Politburo behavior
To the editor:
   Since the last Republican was voted out of office, our local government has started to resemble the Politburo.
   Debates, if any, are done behind closed doors and out of the public eye.
   When aired, dissent is minor and fleeting.
   Gone is the day when a lone Republican could act as our gadfly and bring things to light for the edification of all.
   Why bring this up? Mayor Frank Gambatese, true to his unstated (naturally) philosophy that the free flow of information is bad, has refused to debate ex-Mayor Debra Johnson.
   The reason given: It will provide the Republicans with ammunition.
   First off, what Republicans? The last time I looked, none have picked up the gauntlet.
   Second, what is Mayor Gambatese afraid of? If he can’t articulate and defend his ideas, perhaps he should be in another line of work. If he can, but won’t, this smacks of arrogance and a disdain for the electorate.
   Truth be told, the position of mayor in our township is a figurehead at best, yet I strongly recommend to my fellow voters that we deserve better.
Larry Zyontz

Monmouth Junction

Wife endorses husband for mayor
To the editor:
   Three and a half years ago I wrote and urged our community to elect my husband as mayor. He’d already been deputy mayor for five years but that wasn’t the reason.
   I’d watched him be mayor previously in another town and I knew he would do just as well in our new hometown, South Brunswick.
   Once again I am urging our voters to support Mayor Frank Gambatese in his bid for re-election. Once again he has proven to be a superior mayor.
   I’ve been trying to decide which of his accomplishments I am most proud and it’s difficult to choose. I’m leaning toward the fact that he’s been able to vastly improve our relationships with two entities: our neighbors, especially the mayors, and the business community, which had been keeping its distance from us. Yes, towns, believe it or not, do acquire reputations.
   His open-mindedness and his sense of fairness have made the difference. Through this, he has been able to attract businesses which add convenience to our lives and income to our coffers which, in turn, provides some relief to us property owners.
   But I am also proud that he wants to prevent our town from becoming an overcrowded, ill-planned "city."
   To this end, he led the downsizing of land parcels so that fewer homes could be built on them. He also did what no one had ever done before: initiated the Farmland Preservation program. An astounding number of farmers responded to that first meeting and, while all did not choose to participate in the program, we now have some of our farms preserved so developers cannot usurp them.
   As a leader on the Open Space Committee, he has made sure that we use our funds — and the county funds he’s been able to secure — to purchase land in every area of town so all of us sense that "open space" we talk about.
   I could go on and say how his skills in finance have kept municipal taxes much lower that they would have been but I’ll leave that to him, the accountant who told me once when our checking account was off by $300, "I’m used to dealing in millions where I round off that little bit."
   How many of us are so comfortable "dealing in millions?" Or reading a 4-inch-thick budget and picking out the tiniest detail? He can. And does.
   As I said before, I urge you to keep us in his good hands. He’s a good man in so very many ways.
   On June 6th, vote. There is no mayoral contest in November as the Republicans did not put forward a candidate by April. The June 6th Primary contest will determine who will be our mayor for the next four years. Unaffiliated voters or ‘undeclared’ as it used to be said, can declare ‘Democrat’ at the polls and return to ‘Unaffiliated’ status by filling out a simple yellow card gotten at the Clerk’s office after the election.
Ellen Gambatese

Kendall Park
Ms. Gambatese’s husband is running for the Democratic nomination for mayor.
Criticisms are not a smear
To the editor:
   I just had to laugh at the article about former mayor Debra Johnson that appeared May 11 in the South Brunswick Post, "Candidate defends record with state."
   One of the words she used was "evil." Anyone who knows the former mayor knows, and may even had been called that many times by her, apparently, when you are in disfavor with Ms. Johnson this is her "endearing" word for you.
   Also, I would love it if her campaign would directly quote what the democratic organization has used as a "smear." It was the state Opportunity and Affirmative Action Unit who Issued the report, not the Democratic Organization.
   As to her "integrity," Ms. Johnson had her campaign signs up way before the allowed ordinance date when she should have known better since she enacted the ordinance while she was mayor.
   This primary is not about name-calling or negative campaigning. Mayor Frank Gambatese can run on his record. He has been an effective mayor in South Brunswick for almost four years. He is readily available to meet with residents and is very concerned about keeping and continuing to improve the quality of life we enjoy in South Brunswick.
   Mayor Gambatese makes the time to meet with federal, state and other local officials; he was able to get funding for open space, transportation, improving the soccer fields at Harvest Woods Park, among other things.
   I urge you to support Mayor Frank Gambatese on June 6 and keep our community going in the right direction. Mayor Gambatese is a full-time, on-the-job, highly effective mayor and we need to keep him for another four years.
Jo Hochman

South Brunswick
Ms. Hochman is president of the South Brunswick Democratic Club.
Debra Johnson is a public servant
To the editor:
   I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to vote for Debra Johnson for mayor.
   I have worked with Ms. Johnson over the years on the South Brunswick Domestic Violence Task Force. She organized and participated in this program when she was mayor, and continued to volunteer when she was not serving as mayor. I found that she has a real heart for people and is dedicated to the service of others.
   I noticed her commitment to this initiative as well as her unwavering energy when it comes to programs that effect young people as well. She did this all while purchasing open space for us, keeping the taxes stable, and successfully managing our growth. She also volunteered in her church and helped take care of her parents, and continued to be a vital member of a closely knit family.
   I think that we all at times have had enough of politicians. I think it is time we put back in office a real public servant, Debra Johnson. Please vote for a better South Brunswick on June 6 and vote for Debra Johnson.
Clara Castillo

Kendall Park

A platform for the township
To the editor:
   I think it is definitely fortunate that there was no debate between myself and the current mayor. A debate offers the opportunity to hear each candidate’s platform and accomplishments. Fortunately, newspapers have given each candidate for mayor the opportunity to share viewpoints; however, I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts with you.
   South Brunswick is a dynamic, vital community. We are hard-working, thinking people who have developed a wonderful place in which to live and grow up. This is my hometown, and I have always attempted to be active here.
   I first ran for office and was elected when I was 28 years old. I had a successful administration that held the line on taxes, did not drain our surplus, developed and enacted our current open-space plan, re-zoned areas of town to reduce housing densities, developed commissions and activities that allowed for more community input, and enhanced the qualities of our community. I have been honored to be a founder of the South Brunswick Women’s Commission and the South Brunswick Township Arts Commission, as well as an active member on many community boards.
   One of the accomplishments I am most proud of was creating a government that was accessible to the people and allowed me to partner with you, in order to create a better South Brunswick.
   I would like to work with you again to develop bio-tech industry in South Brunswick.
   With regard to developing additional and new traffic calming efforts in town, many such initiatives began under my administration, but I have learned even more about speed bumps on residential roads in other towns and believe there are areas of our town that would benefit from this.
   Like many of you I commute and think that if North Brunswick is developing a train station, there might be opportunities to partner with them on that project to ensure our use of that train.
   Also, further consideration must be given to the widening of Route 1.
   The Community Center/Woodlot Park must be completely rebuilt so that it can again be a premier park that serves the needs of the growing South Brunswick community.
   Initiates should be put in place to make use of our empty warehouse spaces.
   The Fourth of July program should actually be held on July 4.
   A wide range of actions must be taken to bring South Brunswick back on track and would again like the opportunity to make that happen.
   Please feel free to call me at home at (732) 274-0032 to discuss these ideas with me further and/or share with me some of your own.
Debra Johnson

Monmouth Junction
Ms. Johnson is running for the Democratic nomination for mayor.
Council fights global warming
To the editor:
   I am so proud of our mayor and Township Council who passed a "Resolution in Support of Adoption of the US Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement."
   To my Knowledge, we are the first town in Middlesex County to take this stand. This means that our town will do its bit to support targets for reducing global warming pollution by taking appropriate actions in local operations to achieve the standards defined in the Kyota Protocol.
   Let’s all give them a round of applause, and then our strongest support to share their efforts to "act locally to achieve globally"!
Nancy Carringer

Monmouth Junction

Mayor deserves another term
To the editor:
   Serving on the Katrina committee, a South Brunswick volunteer group that has helped the people in D’Iberville Mississippi, I would personally like to vouch for current mayor.
   Mayor Frank Gambatese has given the committee advise and proven how one small town can help another, without any political influence.
   With all the negative press these days, between politicians, its finally nice to actually witness first hand how a mayor cares not only for his own community, but for other communities as well.
   Not only does he have my vote for being such a good humanitarian, but with his hard work and efforts the Mapleton Preserve acquisition demonstrates his stance of preserving vital land in our town.
Al Nardi

Monmouth Junction

Johnson is independent
To the editor:
   In the mail, I recently received an attack against former Mayor Debra Johnson, a person of faith, integrity and commitment. I looked to see who paid for this ad and found only in small print "paid for by the MDCO" — Middlesex County Democratic Organziation.
   Ms. Johnson is running as an Independent Democratic candidate for mayor and has her trust in the residents of South Brunswick to elect her mayor.
   In contrast, her opponent Frank Gambatese has put his faith and campaign in the hands of the Middlesex County Democratic machine.
   On June 6, a vote for Debra Johnson is a vote to put local governemnt control back into the hands of the residents of South Brunswick.
Dave Grant

Kendall Park

Gambatese, a man of action
To the editor:
   In planning to write a letter in support for the re-election of Mayor Frank Gambatese, the words and phrases that came to our minds were those of action.
   In four years, our Mayor has established and built relationships across a broad segment of the government and business sectors and with the people of South Brunswick.
   On issues of importance, he reaches out and brings people to the table. He listens, discusses their concerns, negotiates and seeks consensus.
   Mayor Gambatese is not easily discouraged. His constant pursuit of land for preservation has borne fruit during his tenure. Our park system has grown significantly for both active and passive pursuits. His determination (when others wilted) in pursuit of the Princeton Nurseries property has come to fruition because he was able to bring disparate interests and agencies together for the benefit of all parties. As a result, we now have the Kingston Preserve. This as well as Beechwood Park and other acquired open spaces can never be developed for housing or business.
   With all of his duties, the mayor is easily accessible to residents who need assistance or advice in solving a variety of everyday issue in dealing with municipal government operations. He is open to new ideas, listens carefully and responds to questions thoughtfully and thoroughly — and when he does not have an answer, he will try to find one.
   Frank Gambatese has the energy and the qualifications to be our elected mayor for another four years.
   We have lived in South Brunswick for more than 46 years and we believe Mayor Gambatese is the first mayor of South Brunswick who has regular office hours.
   For these reasons (and others too numerous to mention) we belive Mayor Frank Gambatese must be re-elected on June 6.
Dean and Sandra Behrend

Kendall Park

Campaign flier was among nastiest
To the editor:
   In the mail this weekend I received what had to be the nastiest piece of campaign literature I have ever seen. It appears to have been mailed to just about every family in South Brunswick.
   The piece was designed to not only discredit Debra Johnson’s mayoral bid, but to go one step further and bury her personally. It was distasteful and shows the character of the people who designed it. (Or will they all deny making the decision to produce it, as they did two years ago with the similarly distasteful piece they did on Ted Van Hessen?)
   It’s these kinds of pieces that discourage good people from running for office and turn voters off. In talking to a number of people about this flier, almost all of them said, "who needs this?" I hope the Democrat Party’s attempt to take out their competition this disgusting way backfires on them and stops these kind of campaign tactics.
   By the way, in reply to a previous letter writer about the county Democrats’ influence in South Brunswick — take a good look at the flier and see who paid for this piece of trash.
Dawn Smith

Monmouth Junction
Ms. Smith is the chairwoman of the township Republican Party.
Mudslinging is a disgrace
To the editor:
   Mudslinging is the last resort of a loser. What a disgrace.
   We need to hear positive positions and realistic plans for the future of South Brunswick, not negative, mean-spirited jabs at an honest well-meaning candidate who has the knowledge and experience to lead our township for the benefit of its citizens.
Meyer Ketosfsky

Kendall Park