LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Sept. 22
Meeting to address pedestrian issues
To the editor:
We are writing to let Princeton Borough residents know about a public meeting on Wednesay, Sept. 27, in the council chambers at Borough Hall, 1 Monument Drive, from 7 to 9 p.m.
At that meeting, consultants working for the New Jersey Department of Transportation will report on a study they have been conducting of pedestrian issues. The study, designed to improve pedestrian comfort and safety, will set priorities for crosswalk improvements across the borough. Comments and feedback from the public are crucial to the study’s success.
Over the past six months, consultants have completed a crosswalk inventory taking stock of the location, design and condition of all crosswalks in the borough, as well as locations where crosswalks are absent but needed. They have observed pedestrian and motorist behavior at key crossings in the borough to note places at which motorists are not yielding to pedestrians and pedestrians are not using crosswalks, and to identify locations where there is unmet pedestrian demand.
Working with the borough and with an advisory committee of borough residents, the consultants have attempted to evaluate what issues most concern pedestrians, especially pedestrians who are elderly or who have mobility limitations. We understand that they will be discussing the feasibility of certain traffic-calming measures including traffic signal retiming; of ordinances governing the maintenance, installation or replacement of sidewalks; and of campaigns to educate motorists and pedestrians alike.
Please come to the meeting Sept. 27 to give your feedback on what the consultants have done so far and to provide them with information they can use to improve the Princeton Borough Crosswalk Study. You know best the crosswalks you use regularly and the places where you feel unsafe crossing the street. Your input is essential in shaping a plan for the borough designed to make crossings easier and safer for pedestrians in years to come.
Sandy Solomon
Bayard Lane
Phyllis Teitelbaum
Hawthorne Avenue
Princeton Borough Traffic and Transportation Committee
Princeton
Library couldn’t do without its Friends
To the editor:
Forty-five years ago, there was a very quiet birth in Princeton.
The Friends of the Princeton Public Library were "born" on Sept. 16, 1961, to provide financial assistance to purchase for the library those things that were beyond the ability of the municipalities to support. Over the years, the Friends have provided funding for filmstrip machines, public photocopiers and author events, and continue to be instrumental in raising funds needed to purchase new books, audiobooks, movies and software.
Were it not for The Friends of the Princeton Public Library and their generous support, many of us would be unable to find the books we want to borrow from the library. In addition, the Friends support all of the wonderful programming that the community has come to expect from its library. Most recently, the Friends supported the inaugural Children’s Book Festival, an event that attracted more than 2,000 people to Library Plaza to interact with authors and illustrators and celebrate the importance of reading.
As the beneficiary of all the Friends do to support the library $200,000 annually, annual benefit, ongoing and annual books sale, the library store, staff development, library materials, and all the love, affection and dedication they have given to the library in the past 45 years on behalf of the Princeton Public Library staff, let me be the first to say "happy birthday" and many more.
The library cannot live on love alone; we need our friends. Thank you to our extraordinary Friends.
Leslie Burger
Director
Princeton Public Library
President
American Library Association
Witherspoon Street
Princeton
Fay, Birge backed in Montgomery
To the editor:
I am writing to urge Montgomery residents to vote for Brad Fay and Cecilia Xie Birge for Township Committee on Nov 7.
Brad Fay may be new to politics, but he’s been serving Montgomery in several important ways for the past few years. As a member of the township Landmarks Commission and of the North Princeton Developmental Center Redevelopment Concept Team, Brad already understands the workings of local government. As past president of the Van Harlingen Historical Society, he also understands what it takes to make things happen. He was a key proponent in getting a statewide preservation group to include NPDC on its Ten Most Endangered Historical Sites list in 2005. This year, he also organized a senior freeze workshop to help eligible seniors in Montgomery receive property-tax reimbursement from an under-publicized state program.
Before Deputy Mayor Cecilia Birge won her first term on Township Committee, she had contributed her financial expertise as a member of the Budget and Finance Advisory Committee, facilitating the advantageous refinancing of the township’s debt in 2003. As a member of Township Committee and liaison to the advisory committee, she has continued to use her skills to benefit Montgomery taxpayers, including the township’s recent debt consolidation. These measures likely will save taxpayers millions in interest payments over the long term. She is also instrumental in the township’s efforts to put into place new financial management tools, which allow the township to carefully invest in capital projects without significant tax implications. She’s been part of the team that has kept the municipal portion of our property taxes stable since 2002.
As our township faces the redevelopment of NPDC, the constant challenges of traffic management and the issue of property-tax reform, Montgomery needs the enthusiasm, experience and sound fiscal management that Brad Fay and Cecilia Birge bring to the table. I hope that you will join me in supporting Brad Fay and Cecilia Birge on Nov 7.
Sue Repko
North Shore Court
Montgomery
Pfeifer is right for job in WW
To the editor:
With plans to redevelop the train station area, West Windsor has embarked on a major effort to improve the quality of life for our residents and establish an important role for our township within our region and our state.
In order to ensure the success of this ambitious program, we need a good team player, not an "obstructionist," who can work with others to make good things happen. Barbara Pfeifer is the right candidate for the job. I urge progressive-minded people of West Windsor to vote for Barbara for Township Council this coming Nov. 7.
Paul Pitluk
Rainflower Lane
West Windsor
Caring, sharing helps kids in need
To the editor:
The citizens, organizations, small businesses and corporations of greater Mercer County have once again demonstrated their incredible capacity for sharing, caring and doing what matters to help people in our local community who are in need.
Thanks to the generosity of so many local individuals and companies, United Way of Greater Mercer County was able to provide backpacks and school supplies to over 400 children and youth this year. These donations not only gave children the knowledge that people cared about them, but also helped them to begin school on a positive note, with a real head start.
Local agencies that work daily to improve the lives of needy children and families in our neighborhoods helped to distribute the backpacks. Their efforts allow many children to experience the joy of knowing that someone cares about their education. This joint effort of collaboration between community agencies and local businesses demonstrates the power of bringing people together to accomplish so much more than any one could accomplish alone.
That is the idea behind today’s United Way Community Impact Agenda: to engage the community in focusing on our most pressing needs, to partner to come up with lasting solutions, and to produce results that change lives and neighborhoods. One of our priorities is to "Help Children Succeed," which includes getting them ready for school. Through this drive, 407 Mercer County children were able to begin school this year with a head start.
We all want a safer, healthier and stronger community but often do not know where to turn to help. United Way of Greater Mercer County’s Backpack Drive is just one example of how we bring people together to address a need. Together, we will create a more caring community. Together, we will make a difference.
UWGMC thanks its many partners for making this happen again this year.
Gene Marsh
Chair
Board of Trustees
United Way of Greater Mercer County
Princeton Pike
Lawrence

