Letters to the Editor, Oct. 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Oct. 6

New trail will provide better access to woods
To the editor:
   
On behalf of the Board of Friends of Princeton Open Space, I write in response to your brief report (The Packet, Oct. 3) of the Planning Board’s approval to subdivide out .8 acres from a 3.2-acre lot on Cherry Hill Road, in order to provide better access to John Witherspoon Woods.
   Currently, the only direct access to John Witherspoon Woods is a trail from Stuart Road that requires a challenging climb through a boulder field, and a trail from Cherry Hill Road that runs along the edge of a private lot through a wetland. Pursuant to the subdivision, a seven-space gravel parking area will be created that will be accessed from Cherry Hill Road, the wetland trail will be eliminated and a new trail will exit from the parking area.
   The Friends of Princeton Open Space believe this will provide much-improved access to one of our more beautiful natural areas, including a beautiful stream with waterfalls after a good rain. The trails in John Witherspoon Woods, which our board members laid out, connect to those in Mountain Lakes Preserve, Community Park North and Mountain Lakes North. A map of them can be linked to from our Web site, FOPOS.org.
   We wish to thank members of the township and Planning Board staff for their help and technical support on this project, as well as the landowners who are selling the .8 acres and the immediate neighbors for working with us. We particularly thank Township Engineer Bob Kiser and Arborist Greg O’Neil for their efforts (including finding a way to locate the parking area so as to avoid cutting any large trees). We also thank our members and other donors who provided the funds to purchase the property; we are donating the purchase price to the township.
Wendy L. Mager
President
Friends of Princeton Open Space
Cherry Hill Road
Princeton
Board appointment process is clarified
To the editor:
   
Michael Huey’s letter to the editor (The Packet, Sept. 29) saying that I blocked his "ability to participate on the Cable TV Advisory Board" is flawed. I do not have the power to block the other four members from appointing him.
   I called several people in July, one of whom was Mr. Huey, because they had volunteered for the Cable TV Advisory Board and the board was having trouble getting quorums for meetings due to four vacancies. I wanted to make sure they were still interested before speaking with the mayor about the urgency of filling the four vacancies on the board and the availability of those volunteers.
   The mayor surprised us with two names only at the last minute for the Sept. 18 meeting (plus one "walk on") without advance notice.
   I had not had a chance to consult with anyone about the appointments. Moreover, there were other volunteers who are interested in the board. I thought that council should learn why the mayor had selected each of these people, rather than someone else.
   Apparently, the other four members of council agreed that we were not fully prepared to exercise our obligation of "advice and consent" because we needed to finish our homework. The unanimous decision was to defer the Cable TV Advisory Board appointments until our next meeting.
   The decision to defer action on the these appointments had nothing to do with Mr. Huey individually. I had found Mr. Huey to be eminently qualified.
   Mr. Huey, as a lawyer, should know the definition of "advice and consent." The other members of council will be confronted with the question whether this affects their perception of his qualifications.
Charles Morgan
Member
West Windsor Township Council
Birchwood Court
West Windsor
Pfeifer only choice in West Windsor
To the editor:
   
Which Township Council candidate will be more effective to make West Windsor a better place to live? Right now, this township is in an envious stage, and we have all the right ingredients to become the best and unique in the tristate area. Our elected officials today can make a real difference.
   There are about 1,000 acres of land ready to be developed — 350 around the train station and 650 acres of Wyeth property. How these properties are developed will define our future for many generations to come. Let us not squander this opportunity. There are people who are afraid of any change. Status quo seems to be a safer road for them.
   I have no doubt that Barbara Pfeifer, with her dedication and business background, is our only choice to help us realize the township’s full potential with a long-term vision. Barbara Pfeifer has never been shy to fight for the right causes. Hanging on to the status quo can cause serious implications for generations to come.
   I have lived in West Windsor for more than 50 years, and I want my grandchildren to be more proud of my town. We need to elect Barbara Pfeifer as a council member who will work for the sole benefit of the residents. The party politics have no place in this small township.
   Status quo no. Progress yes. Vote for Barbara Pfeifer on Nov. 7. Our future depends on it.
John Rosko
Pinflower Lane
West Windsor
Closing ball field was over-reaction
To the editor:
   
Two weeks ago, it was brought to the attention of the Montgomery Township Committee that the township had used road millings (which, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection, contain various harmful materials and by New Jersey law cannot be used in a loose fashion) to cover a parking lot at McKnight Field and along Rock Brook and Hollow roads.
   The day after the committee was made aware of the problem, the township closed McKnight Field, causing the cancellation of some baseball games. According to a letter signed by the mayor, the township experts spent some time discussing what to do. Nowhere did they mention that the DEP was contacted that day.
   I made one phone call to the DEP and asked specifically about closing the ball fields. I was told by the DEP it was not necessary. The township’s disproportional response caused a needless cancellation of baseball games. The administration lacked the expertise to know that the material should not have been used in an improper fashion in the first place, and then compounded the problem by not asking the proper authorities once the township was made aware of the problem.
David M. Bekus
Hunt Lane
Montgomery
Birge, Fay bring experience to office
To the editor:
   
As parents of three young children, we are urging residents of a wide range of needs to vote for Cecilia Birge and Brad Fay for Montgomery Township Committee on Nov. 7.
   As deputy mayor, Cecilia Birge has aptly demonstrated her commitment and passion to improving our community. As a member of the Township Committee and liaison to Budget & Finance Advisory Committee, Cecilia has used her extensive financial background to focus on the township’s recent debt consolidation. With these efforts, it is anticipated that Montgomery taxpayers will save millions of dollars in interest payments over the long term. Cecilia has played a major role in implementing new financial management tools, which allow the township to carefully invest in capital projects without significant tax implications.
   Cecilia has been part of the team that has kept the municipal portion of our property taxes stable since 2002. Cecilia is dedicated to representing the interests of the community at large. We have been impressed that Cecilia has the capacity to entertain differing opinions and make sound decisions. She thinks through long- and short-term implications of the situation at hand. It is in our opinion that Cecilia is an asset to our community and we would all continue to benefit by re-electing her.
   Brad Fay is an energetic, warm (if not very tall), committed team player. Brad brings an important perspective to the Township Committee. As a member of the township Landmarks Commission and of the North Princeton Developmental Center Redevelopment Concept Team, Brad understands the issues our township is facing. As past president of the Van Harlingen Historical Society, Brad also possesses a great understanding of what it takes to make things happen.
   Brad was instrumental to getting a statewide preservation group to include NPDC on its Ten Most Endangered Historical Sites list in 2005. This year, Brad also organized a Senior Freeze Workshop to help eligible seniors in Montgomery to receive property-tax reimbursement from an under-publicized state program.
   The next few years will be important ones for our township. As we focus on the redevelopment of NPDC, the Hillsborough "bi-pass" and the ongoing issue of property-tax reform, Montgomery needs broad representation, critical thinkers, passion and responsible fiscal managers. We hope that you will join us in supporting Cecilia Birge and Brad Fay on Nov. 7.
Jennifer and Ben Haftel
Belle Glades Lane
Montgomery
Fay has demonstrated leadership abilities
To the editor:
   
Having the pleasure and honor to serve closely with Brad Fay in the Van Harlingen Historical Society in Montgomery Township for three years, I am delighted that he has chosen to move on and seek election to the Montgomery Township Committee in the upcoming November vote.
   Brad is a consummate organizer, creative problem solver and tireless worker. During his two years as president of the historical society, he recognized the fading opportunity to save Skillman Village from total decay and neglect at the hands of the state. While the township had been in negotiation for years to acquire the site, I believe it was not a coincidence that the state moved to finalize the deal with the township shortly after Brad’s splendid and thorough report on the historical need to save the village buildings was submitted.
   With the society, I observed Brad as a savvy, fiscally responsible fundraiser, an astute negotiator of construction projects, who kept meetings on track and yet allowed time for all views to be heard. He took the lead in coordinating the society’s joint involvement with the Rotary Club in the Harvest Fair. Under his tenure, the 1751 Gulick House — the society’s headquarters — was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. He is a man of careful planning and execution.
   I am confident that when Brad Fay is elected, Montgomery Township will improve considerably as a community as a result of his efforts.
John Waltz
Dead Tree Road
Montgomery
Wilson straddling both sides of bypass
To the editor:
   
Regarding the recent letters to the editor related to the Hillsborough Bypass (The Packet, Sept. 29), I must completely agree with Hillsborough resident Steve Cohen that Montgomery Mayor Louise Wilson is playing both sides of the fence. She cannot get elected freeholder without the many votes of Hillsborough. They have many more voters than Montgomery. Louise Wilson will and does whatever she has to do to get votes. This bypass is her coup de grace. She promises whatever she needs to get your vote.
   She does not and has not listened to the concerns of Montgomery residents. She states over and over that this is a Montgomery issue, not just a Pike Run issue. In reality, she has divided the community by making it a Pike Run issue. Her response in a town hall meeting — that we knew about the bypass when we bought our homes — shows her lack of empathy.
   Do the residents of Belle-Mead Griggstown Road realize that this bypass as designed puts much more traffic through their roads? Do they realize this is going to be a four-lane highway on a residential road? I would think not. Their local streets will become bypass bypasses.
   What happened to the mediation that was in the 1992 agreement signed by John Warms and Bob Kress? Mayor Wilson told Pike Run residents that the township had invoked our right to mediation back in May of this year. Why was the mediation demand dropped? Mayor Wilson keeps waiting on good-faith efforts of Hillsborough and the state Department of Transportation. They do nothing in good faith and we trust neither party. They have an agenda and it is bypass at all costs, no matter the effect on other residents in neighboring towns. In a recent Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, the DOT talked about their "new attitude," preferring small and doable projects over behemoths like the bypass. Yet when my husband asked the same DOT representatives to renounce the original bypass proposal, they never even gave him the courtesy of a response. The DOT cannot be trusted.
   As for Will Minggia’s letter, is he confused? How, in good conscience, could Mr. Minggia have written this? It is worth noting that the DOT alternatives study document was received some time on Thursday, Sept. 28. Mr. Minggia’s letter appeared in this paper on the 29th, and we presume the submission deadline was the 28th or earlier. I contend that Mr. Minggia didn’t even open the "alternatives" document before writing to this paper. I call into question what his agenda was in writing this letter. Has he been promised something by the Democratic Party for this shameless cheerleading?
   I am issuing an open challenge to Mayor Wilson. If you want our votes for freeholder, I challenge you to lay out exactly what your opinion is on each of the "alternatives" and what you plan on doing to support your position if you are elected? This may be the only question and answer that can unite Hillsborough and Montgomery. Anyone who votes for you without having a clear, concise answer to this question is being misled.
Sherri A. Kurtz
Pike Run
Montgomery
Wilson keeps her head, and her integrity
To the editor:
   
Many Rocky Hill residents keep a wary eye on the doings of our sprawling northern neighbor, Montgomery Township. We have always considered the people our neighbors and friends, but have cautiously watched the township grow exponentially and, with it, the clout of a hefty township budget. We had ample reason to be concerned that Montgomery might well encroach on our small borough’s borders when it came to traffic issues and, even more frighteningly, business expansion.
   In the past five years, we’ve noted that township Mayor Louise Wilson has managed to keep a watchful eye out for us, as well as Montgomery. Issue after issue, she has been mindful of the concerns of the citizens of our borough without cost to her constituency. She guided a more managed growth philosophy, was able to work with an extensive spectrum of agendas and personalities, and has continued to thoughtfully weigh each concern as it arose. From shared sewer lines, mutual traffic lines, and beyond political lines, she has proven to be a good listener and a straight shooter.
   Whether she’s chairing a contentious meeting or sitting on the baseball bleachers among us other parental factions, Ms. Wilson keeps her head, her sense of humor and her integrity.
   That’s why this Rocky Hill resident is encouraging the rest of us to vote for Louise Wilson as freeholder for the county to which both Montgomery and Rocky Hill belong. She understands the concerns of the largest communities and continues to respect the needs of the smallest boroughs. She’s exactly what county government should be about: fairness, long-term planning and a respect for the people who call Somerset County home.
Jane Oakley
Montgomery Avenue
Rocky Hill
Walkers ‘take a bite’ out of diabetes
To the editor:
   
Although this past Sunday, Oct. 1, began with torrential rains, the skies brightened and the sun came out by the time the annual Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk to Cure was to begin. For the second year, the "Montgomery Cougars Take a Bite Out of Diabetes" team had a tremendous showing.
   As parents of one of the team captains, we want to thank all of the people in town (and the many who travel from out of town) who supported our cause — a cure for juvenile diabetes. Although final pledges and numbers are not in yet, the team is nearing a total of $15,000, over 85 percent of which will go directly to research for a cure.
   We especially would like to thank our family, friends and neighbors who were there, rain or shine, and who have supported us. Thank you to Montgomery Township Committee running mates Brad Fay and Cecilia Birge and Somerset Freeholder candidate Mayor Louise Wilson for reaching out to our team and lending support to the children of our town. Most important, thank you to our six team captains: Cole Fenton, Gabrielle Gatti, Katie Kochis, Tara Mears, Lindsey Rosenthal and Erik Schwarte. They are the reason that we will continue to raise money and awareness every year — until there is a cure.
Lauri and Jess Rosenthal
Black Horse Run
Montgomery