Letters to the editor

Build the new middle school now

To the editor:
   
I am a concerned parent in Upper Freehold Township. What is occurring in this town regarding the new middle school is a disgrace. The school referendum passed in December 2004, and still we have not put a shovel in the ground. Once the referendum was passed, the paper work should have been filed, but as I have read it was not. The voters voted, so why was the process not started or delayed? Someone from the committee please answer that?
   Changing the site? All of this is delaying the process more. They are talking of the Breza Road. Who is to say that they will sell the land back? Does anyone in their right mind think they will sell it back for the price they brought it for? And I would like to see how quickly all of those people who want the school put there, would still be adamant about it if we hand to buy the land for than $5 million. As far as the soil being contaminated, I am sure if I tested my soil in my back yard they would be there. Even if the land in Breza Road were to become available for the same, there would probably have to be remediation done there, at what cost?
   As far I see things, all that have been going on has been a well-organized delay tactic. The people who are getting hurt are our children. I moved here because it is beautiful and thought it would be a great place for my children to grow. I expect them to have not a good but great education. I understand that this township is in transition; we need to move forward.
   We need a school now! Enough with the politics! We delay and the cost of construction is escalating. By the time the township committee and Board of Education finds a suitable place that will keep people who do not want the school on Ellisdale Road happy, we will be able to build a shell of the middle school that we voted for.
   Every elected official is saying they are doing the best they can in this situation. Let’s hold them up to that. We can not change what are already happened, but let us see who from here on out takes the initiative to getting the school built. This issue is not going away, we are growing every day, and we will probably need more schools. We need to keep people in office who are actually looking out for our children and elect others who will do they same. If we do not than shame on us, and we then will have no right to complain about or schools. This is only my opinion, one concerned parent as to where we are going with our children’s future.
   
Arun Singh
Cream Ridge
Dems need reality check

To the editor:
   
This letter is directed not to all Democrats, but to the true wing-nuts in their party — the Michael Moore, Move On, George Soros and Daily Kos crowd.
   Through your immutable hatred of George W. Bush, you have become your own worst enemy, living in a September 10th world of vitriol, amnesia and denial. You remain sleep deprived, claiming President Bush stole the 2000 election, yet conveniently ignoring the media consortium that proved otherwise in April the following year.
   For not "connecting all the dots" in his first eight months in office, you blame Bush for the September 11th attacks, yet politely give Bill Clinton a pass for his eight years of air balls. The economy is strong, interest rates are low and the Dow is near an all-time high, yet you blame Bush for the NASDAQ not being at its Clinton-era, "ilosemoney.com" high of 5,000.
   You’ll be the first to blame the president for all future terrorist attacks, yet suffer vapor-lock upon learning of his monitoring of al Qaeda chat lines in order to prevent just this outcome. At cocktail parties you’ll swill white wine and express indignation at the "outing" of the Mata Hari herself, Valerie Plame, yet consider the New York Times’ exposure of the aforementioned terrorist surveillance program, "patriotism of the highest order."
   You claim to support individuals of all ethnic backgrounds, yet routinely savage Condoleeza Rice and any other minority that happens to be a Republican. You want Vice-President Dick Cheney indicted on murder charges for a hunting accident, yet ignore the indiscriminate killings of innocent men, women in children in inner cities throughout the United States. You claim to be the wing-man of the poor, the working class, yet sit idle while a privileged, bloated senator from Massachusetts belittles the son of Italian immigrants during Supreme Court nomination hearings.
   You correctly excoriate the President for his hapless response to Hurricane Katrina, yet ignore an impotent governor and pathetically embrace news reports of 10,000 deaths and Ray Nagin’s accusation of "babies being raped" in the Super Dome. The examples are endless. What’s next? It’s Bush’s fault for your double-bogey? It’s Bush’s fault because you’re overweight? It’s Bush’s fault for the dent in the Mercedes? George W. Bush is your lifetime put option because you have no visions, no plans, no ideas, and no strategies. But then again, you have Hillary.
   
Anthony B. Sanguinetti
Robbinsville
Borough Council Responds to critic

To the Editor:
   
As public servants, we applaud all those who volunteer to serve and we understand the sacrifices and the hard work that so often goes unacknowledged. We also understand that the public is quick to criticize mistakes and seldom offers praise for a job well done. However, as public servants, the obligation to the truth is paramount. The public trust is hard enough to gain without deliberately betraying it with misstatements and inaccuracies.
   As Allentown officials, we feel School Board member Jeanette Bressi’s comments regarding Ron Dunster’s letter beg for correction. Perhaps Ms. Bressi desired that we "be members of the land search team", but amongst seven elected officials, we can count only three meetings to which we were "invited". Of those three, none involved a landowner. As to Smart Growth meetings, we did attend one in January 2005, 14 months after the specific site referendum for Ellisdale Road.
   Ms. Bressi states that the Ellisdale Road site was selected "after an extensive search." If that were true, wouldn’t it be logical that reports would be available which document this "extensive search?" We have made official requests for this information — as have private citizens (under the Open Public Records Act) — with no information provided.
   As to the site having "met the criteria established by New Jersey Smart Growth," we refer Ms. Bressi to a follow-up letter to the January 14, 2005 meeting. This letter, addressed to the Upper Freehold Township Mayor’s Office, does not elicit her comment that "the Upper Freehold mayor and the New Jersey Department of Smart Growth have both acknowledged that the board sited the school in the correct location." In fact the letter outlines "… several proposed tasks that the Township might want to pursue to better facilitate its goals for the school site." These tasks refer to basic issues; how will staff and students enter and exit the school grounds, the waste water treatment plant needing a center designation and approaching the adjacent private developer for an easement to help the ingress and egress problems. If the site were in the correct location and the Township was on board every step of the way as Ms. Bressi implies, and all criteria had been met, why, at that point in time, would there be any reason to address such basic issues?
   The recent debacle concerning the pesticide problem took everyone (except for Ms. Bressi and sitting board members at the time of the referendum) by surprise. Allentown officials learned of the problem through the newspaper!
   Township officials were just as surprised. The township Planning Board took issue with the problem and incurred the wrath of board officials who were bound and determined to site the school on Ellisdale Road. The truth of the matter is, the elected officials of both towns made their positions clear at the June 28th Board meeting within days of learning of the problem. Allentown Borough followed up with a letter on July 25th outlining our objections. To our knowledge, this issue remains unresolved.
   We have responded not to fuel the fire of misstatements, but to state the truth. In the public arena, it’s all about integrity, trust and credibility.
   
Mayor and Council,
Allentown Borough
Deer hunt not doe-only

To the editor:
   
Contrary to what some township officials believe, the Millstone Township/United Bowhunters of New Jersey (UBNJ) deer hunt is not a doe-only hunt. The current program only requires the hunter to harvest one doe per season and then the hunter is allowed to take a trophy buck.
   Let’s use a little common sense here since a doe harvest is the key to reducing deer numbers. When a doe/antler less deer is bagged by a hunter; it equals 3 to 4 deer the following spring. The reason for this is the fact that most does will have twins and in some cases triplets in May the following year. It’s a proven fact the harvesting of bucks does little to reduce the herd.
   Furthermore, I think the township should notify residents whose property connects with the township Greenacres hunting locations such as on Backbone Hill Road and White Birch Drive.
   The hunt’s six month duration (September till mid February) is way too long. Why not plan the hunt for January and February like most management hunts run by state of New Jersey? This would further reduce hunter/resident conflicts.
   Lastly, it would be beneficial for the township to track the number of deer taken with this new program to justify if it is a worthwhile project and not just a trophy hunt.
Lou Green
Millstone
Board member answers criticism

To the editor:

   

Editor’s Note: The following letter was written by Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education member Christopher Shaw in response to a Sept. 28 letter by upper Freehold resident Thomas Battaglia entitled, "Board overlooked able candidate." Mr. Shaw’s views in this letter represent his own and not those f the board as a whole.

   
I appreciate Mr. Battaglia’s interest in my thought process during the vote between Doug Anthony and Robert Cheff for the open Board of Education position. As to your question regarding my interest in board issues, I can assure you that anyone who knows me or has given me the courtesy of a conversation, can attest to the fact that I place a great deal of importance in my role as a board member and the decisions I make for our kids. This was not a snap decision, but a process that included month’s worth of thought and research which led me to my decision. I have had the opportunity to know and work with both candidates for over a year. My decision was based on evaluation of the qualities that I thought would best serve the Board going forward.
   Unfortunately, since we have never met or engaged in a conversation, I found myself questioning the motivation for your harsh and negative letter regarding the Allentown position. I then came to learn that you are a resident of Upper Freehold, not Allentown. Your children attend private school, not UFRSD. You were the Treasurer for Committeeman Stephen Alexander during his first run for Township Committee in 2003 and your wife currently holds that position now. You also were one of the signers of a Sept. 21 letter supporting Jeannette Bressi, who campaigned heavily for both Mr. Alexander and Mr. Cheff. (and, by the way, campaigned against me during my 2005 run for the school board).
   Your letter represents precisely the type of political maneuvering the board needs to steer clear of at a time when so many of us are working together to solve the complex and serious issues facing our district. Having independent thinkers on the board is what I will vote for every time.
   Mr. Battaglia, I normally do not like to respond to letters or articles — but since yours was such a blatant attempt to manipulate the press for the interest of others and not for the children interests, I felt it was necessary to respond.
   
Christopher Shaw
Upper Freehold