Lack of debate says a lot
To the editor:
I have seen and been involved in a lot of debates over candidate debates during the past several years here in Millstone, but I have never seen candidates refuse to debate based on the excuse that the League of Woman Voters is a biased group. Pretty much everyone, including Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Libertarians, recognize that the LOWV sets the standard for non-partisan debate moderators.
As usual, Committeeman Elias Abilheira and Mayor Nancy Grbelja enthusiastically agreed to debate because they have proven records of accomplishment that they can be proud of. I can fully understand why candidates Bill Nurko and John Pfefferkorn don’t want to debate, they have horrible records, flip flop on the issues, are funded by developer special interests and quite honestly don’t want to be forced to answer the hard questions in public.
The simple facts remain, Mr. Abilheira’s and Ms. Grbelja’s records deserve your vote and they respect you enough to be willing to debate. Not the case with Mr. Nurko and Mr. Pfefferkorn, who have so little respect for you that they refuse to debate and insult you further by using the lame excuse that the LOWV are biased. It’s very interesting that during Mr. Nurko’s last campaign, he and his running mate insisted on debating the two rookie Republicans. How times change.
It is not the moderator’s fault that Mr. Nurko and Mr. Pfefferkorn have no answers to the hard questions like why they mishandled the town’s finances and open space program.
It is not the moderator’s fault that Mr. Abilheira can show how he moved dour tax dollars to earn better interest returns, changed our zoning to bring in the first real commercial ratables, and now has plans to save more tax dollars by going solar.
It is not the moderator’s fault Ms. Grbelja has worked hard to get COAH housing built and helped with our trail systems.
These things are just the truth. Ms. Grbelja and Mr. Abilheira deserve your vote because they respect you enough to be willing to debate the issues so that you can decide who the best candidates are.
Diane Morelli
Millstone
Warehouse issue needs more support
To the editor:
To date, unprecedented numbers of the public have taken precious time out of their busy schedules to attend Upper Freehold Planning Board hearings on the Rockefeller/IDI Group warehouse development plan. Communities United has worked diligently and tirelessly to reveal the truths about warehousing and its impacts on local communities. Expert testimony has been given that unravels the threads of the Rockefeller Group development plan. We have learned that the panacea offered by the Rockefeller/IDI Group is, in reality, no more than Pandora’s Box.
It will soon be time for the public to present their views and concerns to the Planning Board, and for the Rockefeller/IDI Group to answer up to the concerns expressed by the Planning Board, expert witnesses, and the public. However, it could be that many of the public have tired from what has been, at times, lengthy and tedious expert testimony. To that, I offer the following anonymous quote: "On the plains of hesitation, bleach the bones of countless millions who, at the dawn of victory rested, and resting died."
Please continue to attend these hearings, sign up to speak, and let the Planning Board know of your concerns about the warehouse development plan.
The next Upper Freehold Planning Board hearing on the Rockefeller Group warehouse development plan is scheduled to be held in the Allentown High School auditorium at 7 p.m., September 26.
Wayne R. Smith
Allentown
Softball league offers thanks
To the editor:
I am writing on behalf of the Upper Freehold Regional Men’s Softball League (UFRMSL) to express the thanks of our membership to those individuals who greatly assisted our organization with the recent construction of our new ball field. While this field has been designated with temporary status pending formal design of the land parcels now owned by Upper Freehold Township and dedicated for its’ future recreational needs, this field will provide an immediate and critical need for our league and its future survival.
UFRMSL is in its’ fourth year of existence and has grown rapidly to a membership of nearly 120 players virtually all of whom reside locally and are family men who do not have the time to travel to distant leagues to play softball. As such, it is apparent that our league fulfills a community recreational need while giving back nearly all of our excess operational revenue to various local community youth causes. Without proper fields on which to play, these needs could not continue to be met.
It is with deep appreciation that we wish to publicly acknowledge the following individuals for their efforts with this project: Committeemen Sal Diecidue and Bill Miscoski, who as liaisons to the Upper Freehold Township Recreation Committee, provided extensive constructive input into this process and guided our efforts to build this facility at league expense and without any direct cost to the taxpayer. Their insight into the array of issues, that needed to be addressed in order to make this dream a reality was particularly beneficial in guiding this process to its conclusion. At the same time their passion for the recreational needs of the community was, as always, deeply evident and much appreciated;
Committeeman David Reed for offering us the ability to utilize the portion of the land tract which he no longer needed for sod farming so that we could ramp up the process of building the field while also offering us technical advise and maintenance for the balance of this season;
Dan Caruso who volunteered his time, services, and expertise with the site layout;
And Stan Moslowski who provided the materials and services needed to construct the field in a fair and timely manner.
We feel this project is an example of how the community as a whole can benefit when its’ elected officials listen to, and are willing to work together with, community leaders to meet a specific need. The benefits are great and, as is the case here, the cost can be minimal.
Bob Diamond
President,
UFRMSL
Parade organizers say thanks
To the editor:
When Ron Dunster told us that he would like to see an event honoring the contributions the horse has made to the history of Allentown as part of the 300th Anniversary festivities and asked if we could help organize it, we were delighted to oblige. Having lived in this area all of our lives and seen the changes that are occurring, with housing developments growing where hay fields once did, and losing more and more areas where we’ve ridden our horses every year, we jumped at the chance to share our passion for our horses and our country lifestyle.
The horse community is a large one in this area and has been for a long time. We were glad to get a chance to put our horses in the spot light and show the community just how many of us are out there and at the same time include the community in our fun.
We sure hope that is what we accomplished. We all had a wonderful time and sincerely hope everyone who participated did as well; not only the horse people who braved early morning dreary weather to parade with us, but also the public who came out in wonderful numbers to support us and cheer us on.
We want to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to the Borough of Allentown and its public officials; the local police and sheriff’s department; all of our sponsors for their extreme generosity; and each and every volunteer who helped us make this a fun and safe event. We also want to thank the business community for putting up with the inconvenience.
Most of all we want to thank Ron Dunster for everything he did to make the event happen. Allentown is very lucky to have Ron Dunster. His passion, so obviously, is this community. He gives so much of himself to it. We were inspired by his efforts in all he does to make Allentown the best place in America to live.
In our high-tech, fast-paced world, we find it a rare gift to be able to step back in time, where life went at a little slower pace and the rhythmic, soothing "clip-clop" of horse hooves down the Main (Mane) Street of town were a familiar sound. We are so glad we could share our love for horses with our friends in Allentown. Yee Haaaaaa, we had a parade!
Rich and Debby Osborn
Kevin and Elaine McMinn
Official blasts candidate on debate
To the editor:
I regret that Township Committee candidate (and former Committeeman) John Pfefferkorn has so little respect for the voters of Millstone Township that he refuses to meet me in a debate to answer your questions about the future of our town and about our records.
His excuse, that he feels the League of Woman Voters are biased is even more insulting, as this was the group he insisted moderate his debate against Committeeman Bob Kinsey. A debate Mr. Pfefferkorn claimed he won.
A recent letter to the editor has hit new lows. In this letter he did not even attempt to stay close to the truth. I guess it is evident that the reason he will not debate is because he knows his record exposes him as a dismal failure as an elected official, so he must avoid a debate at all cost and try to deceive the voters with his false claims via letter and whisper campaigns.
By sticking to letters he can avoid the pointed questions the public would ask in a debate. By sticking to letters he can avoid answering the hard questions the press would present in a debate.
In a debate each of us would have to answer your hard questions, and stand up under your scrutiny. The press would call us on the carpet if our facts are not correct. In a debate we can not avoid the unpleasant questions as Mr. Pfefferkorn does in his self serving letters.
The simple fact is a person who has a strong record and has told the truth will always choose to debate. A politician who has a poor record and has lied to the residents will avoid a debate at all costs.
Mr. Pfefferkorn slammed Candidate Greg Bellotti for refusing to debate him in 2001. Mr. Pfefferkorn told the residents then that they should not vote for any candidate who refuses to debate. Here is one thing we agree on. You should never cast your vote for anyone who has so little respect for the residents and our time honored practice of public debates, that they will not bother to give you two hours of there time to appear for a debate.
Mr. Pfefferkorn shame on You. If there was any shred of character left from your past, it disappeared when you refused to stand before the people in a public debate. I will not waste anymore time responding to your letters full of lies and deceipt except in public where people can hear the truth.
Elias Abilheira
Deputy Mayor,
Millstone
Residents defend school officials
To the editor:
As residents of both Allentown and Upper Freehold we were deeply offended to read Ron Dunster’s unsubstantiated remarks in his letter about two women who have selflessly given themselves to the Upper Freehold Regional School DisTrict (see The Messenger-Press, Sept. 7). Both school board members Jeanette Bressi and Katherine Wolden have dedicated endless hours in researching all aspects of what makes an exceptional middle school. This is a school that will not only educate today’s children, but future generations as well. You can rest assured that Ms. Bressi and Ms. Wolden did not enter into this project lightly. There were months of research, meetings and negotiations to have the referendum in December 2004 passed.
Our schools are obscenely overcrowded. Class sizes have increased, classrooms are being used as overrun for cafeteria space, and computer rooms have all but slowly disappeared. Mr. Dunster, you have not experienced the overcrowding in our schools it has become a crisis situation. We implore you to visit the school; visit the cafeteria at lunch time, take a walk on the playground during recess, look into the storage space that now doubles for an office.
Fortunately, Ms. Bressi had the foresight several years ago, when first elected to the school board, to recognize the predicament we would soon encounter. She worked tirelessly to build a new school for the children of this community. It was under her skilled leadership that a $39 million referendum was passed to build this desperately needed school.
The addition to the high school and the addition to the current elementary/middle school is a testament to Ms. Bressi’s ability to accomplish what the school district needs. She temporarily put her fast track career on hold in order to accomplish all that was needed in order to move our district forward, and she always stated that she was working on behalf of all the children in the district. Ms. Wolden was an integral part of the passage of the middle school referendum. As a private citizen, Ms. Wolden worked with members of the community as well as members of the UFRSD Board of Education to ultimately pass the referendum to build the middle school.
Mr. Dunster, you are an active member of the community; you certainly understand what it takes to make things happen. None of these decisions were made in haste. They were made based upon accurate information, given by various professionals, after a land search which lasted close to eighteen months. The timing of the referendum enabled us to secure millions of dollars from the state from a source that is now depleted, thus saving every taxpayer when this school does open its doors.
Thank you to both Ms. Bressi and Ms. Wolden. We are grateful for your tireless efforts in serving the Upper Freehold Regional School District. We cannot imagine where we would be without your leadership.
Maryann and Rich Frisbie
Gordon and Cyndee Jonas
Tom and Dina Battaglia
Jim Cadigan
David and Cindy Bardwil
Kate Grossi
Sue and Stephen Cseplo
Tia and Rob McLaughlin
George and Christine Fallat
Monica Togna
Allentown
Robert and Tanya Cheff
James & Maria Derasmo
John A. Mele
Rick and Joanne Tobie
Cream Ridge

