Proud to be part
of celebration
To the editor:
Last month I attended Celebration on the Hill with the American Cancer Society.
I am proud to have been chosen to be part of this event and, certainly, it is something I will never forget. I learned a lot about how everything runs on Capital Hill and about the American Cancer Society.
I want to tell you now how impressed I am with Congressmen Rush Holt. I had known prior to the event he was one of the people I would be meeting with to talk about funding for cancer research.
I didn’t know how much time I would have with him so I prepared information I wanted to share about my son’s journey with brain cancer and stories of other children who have battled the same illness who are in my life.
I sent all the information to Congressmen Hold prior to our meeting. Being part of finding a cure and better treatment is so important to me. I have to try to bring some good out of the struggles my family and, especially, my son, has been through.
I want to share with everyone how impressed I was with Congressmen Rush Hold. He had taken the time to read everything I had written and remembered my son.
In the middle of our meeting, he stopped to ask about his recent health issues. He is a very kind and caring person. It is in my opinion he is an honorable man and definitely deserves our vote at election time.
In speaking with him for about a half hour, I could see his concern for the people of the State of New Jersey. He is truly a professional and honorable man.
Congressmen Hold is in the 12th district of New Jersey, and I strongly urge people to vote for Congressmen Holt.
East Amwell
South policies
hurting FFA
To the editor:
To the South Hunterdon Regional High School Board of Education: The South Hunterdon FFA Alumni Association is a local community group made up of former FFA members, South graduates, parents and other various supporters of the FFA.
Our mission is to support both the middle school and high school FFA chapters and, more importantly, to ensure the success of the agricultural education program at South Hunterdon.
The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. It is important to understand the FFA offers a variety of career opportunities in agriculture and its related agribusiness and agriscience industries, but is not limited to production agriculture and farming.
South Hunterdon Regional High School is known throughout the community and the region for its high-quality agricultural education program. South’s middle school and high school FFA chapters are one of the top FFA chapters in the state. In the past five years, they have won more awards and have had many top-placing teams.
The agricultural education program at South is a quality program because it has a balanced utilization of three core areas of classroom and laboratory instruction, supervised agricultural experience programs and FFA student organization activities and opportunities.
The involvement of the school administration and community in the planning and coordination of the program is essential to success.
FFA activities are an integral part of the agricultural education program all agricultural education students should participate in if they are to fully benefit from their enrollment in the program.
Last spring, four students at South Hunterdon placed first in the state at the Dairy Judging Competition held at Delaware Valley College, despite the fact South did not have an animal science program in place in its curriculum at the time. This was quite an accomplishment for South Hunterdon.
As supporters of the FFA program and agricultural education, the South Hunterdon FFA Alumni are very concerned with some of the new policy changes and rules put into effect this year by the school board and school administrators. Many of these new policies are having a negative affect on the agricultural education program at South Hunterdon.
First and foremost, we are extremely disappointed in the school’s lack of support in helping to organize and fund the upcoming FFA trip to Indianapolis to the National FFA Convention. More specifically, we are disappointed in the school’s decision to force the students and chaperones taking the trip to fly to the convention, rather than allowing the group to drive.
This decision has exponentially increased the cost of the trip. The increased cost to fly cannot be covered by both the chapter’s regular fundraising activities and the alumni’s fundraising activities.
The school administration has offered no significant assistance in covering the increased costs.
It is the hope of the Alumni Association the school board and school administrators, along with chapter and alumni fundraising activities, can work together to find a solution to help fund the trip and cover the increased costs.
Additionally, we feel future discussions need to take place to address some other issues and policy changes that are negatively impacting this program.
FFA Alumni
representative
Asks candidates’
stance on TDRs
To the editor:
As developers are faced with increased building restrictions in the Highlands region, their eyes are turned to other areas in the state not covered by the protections of the Highlands legislation.
Developers are looking for areas where they can transfer building rights from the Highlands. One area that appears to be on their agenda is West Amwell Township.
In effect, transfer of development rights comes stamped, "From their backyard to our backyard, need not be returned."
Dense development of the township will certainly happen if TDR is allowed.
The creation of a receiving area and the transfer of development rights not only allows areas of the township presently not suitable for development to transfer their building rights within the township but could also allow municipalities outside of West Amwell to transfer their rights into the township, resulting in much greater density than currently allowed by our Master Plan.
In a Feb. 24, 2005 interview, Committeeman Gary Bleacher stated his support for TDR and said he saw it as a "small sacrifice for the overall good."
Truth be told, for the good of a few, most will suffer. In the same article, former county planning director Caroline Armstrong stated implementing TDR "will require sewage treatment," and TDR would mean a community "grows faster than it might otherwise have."
Overcrowding of schools, congested roads and strained municipal services are only some of the pressures that would result, not to mention higher taxes to support these services.
As the campaign season unfolds, the candidates’ stand on TDR and the infrastructure necessary should be on voter’s minds. This election is not about national party policies but what West Amwell will look like in the future.
To date, Bill Corboy is the only candidate who has publicly stated he is against sewers, community wastewater systems and TDR in West Amwell.
West Amwell
Wants mayor to
look at Stockton
To the editor:
Now, as the election approaches, perhaps Mayor Dave Del Vecchio will look up-river at our neighbor, Stockton Borough, for some ideas on how to improve life for the residents of our city.
Mr. Mayor, consider, for example, that Stockton:
Picks up trash twice a week and accepts anything, from refrigerators to tree limbs.
Recycles plastic.
Removes snow from residential streets before it turns to ice!
Uses the State Police to patrol New Jersey highway 29 and has zero policemen on the payroll as opposed to Lambertville’s 11.
Asked the Mayor: Why 11 policemen?
"Because, if they’re doing their job, they stop speeders and that brings money into the city."
Why not recycle plastic?
"Too expensive."
Why not use alternate side of the street parking to allow snow removal on residential streets?
"The businesses come first."
I once mentioned to the mayor Stockton picks up garbage twice a week, and his response was "I’ll bet you a thousand dollars you’re wrong."
It’s time, Mr. Mayor, to look around, think a little creatively and serve the people who vote you in.
Lambertville
Rich responds
to criticism
To the editor:
I am running for West Amwell Township Committee.
I don’t normally respond to criticism, but I felt compelled to answer a letter submitted from Pat Masterson last week.
As anyone in the construction industry knows, most deals are sealed with a handshake. There are no contracts. If you misrepresent yourself or do not honor your commitments, you develop a reputation and are quickly discarded. My word is everything in my world.
For Ms. Masterson to question my integrity without ever speaking to me is troubling. We’ve never met, and she does not know me. Why would she do that? Ms. Masterson should have disclosed she is the treasurer for my opponent in this election.
Ms. Masterson said she was "not comfortable" because I am an executive of a large corporation. I would hope most of the citizens of West Amwell would welcome the expertise and experience a proven man in business can bring to the table.
Someone who always looks for ways to cut costs and generate additional revenue without raising taxes is an attribute, not a detriment.
Finally, the "Silvi Concrete Card." As Ms. Masterson phrased it, "the memory of what the township endured, both emotionally and financially, brings back all the horrors of those years."
Most of you reading this probably don’t know what she’s talking about. In the early ’80s, Silvi Concrete purchased 210 acres of land in West Amwell. Its goal was to establish a stone quarry to supply its concrete operations. An abandoned quarry already existed on the property so it seemed like a good match.
After several years of litigation, it lost their bid to change the zoning. The Silvi’s response? It let the land sit idle for more than 20 years. It paid its taxes and did not sell out to a developer, nor did it ever submit a development plan of its own to the township.
Silvi Concrete is not going to donate the property as Ms. Masterson suggested, but they have been in negotiations with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program since the early part of the year to sell the property to the state as part of Washington’s Crossing State Park.
This can be easily confirmed. I have no say or financial interest in the disposition of the property.
My only question to Ms. Masterson is why do you think it’s reasonable or even polite to suggest the Silvis’ donate its land when your family sold their property to a developer for what is now the 49-unit Orleans project in Mt. Airy?
West Amwell
Shapella supports
Bill Corboy
To the editor:
I am supporting Bill Corboy for West Amwell Township Committee in this year’s election.
He is the only local candidate who has said he will work to continue West Amwell’s recent progress toward preserving farmland, keeping out sewers and community wastewater systems and protecting environmentally sensitive areas.
Bill is someone who I will feel very comfortable sitting next to on Township Committee next year.
West Amwell is better off for the protections we have put in place in the last three years. Before that, our community was vulnerable to the kind of development that changed so many other towns in New Jersey and rarely for the better.
So many other towns realized too late they should have done things differently to protect what they loved about their communities. West Amwell is lucky to have been able to avoid many of those mistakes.
It is clear Bill Corboy’s opponent in this election, Toby Rich, will work with those who have opposed West Amwell’s recent progress every step of the way. Unless Bill is elected Nov. 7, the planning that is protecting the things we love about West Amwell will, in all likelihood, be abolished and negated.
This is a very important election for West Amwell. We are not going to get a second chance to avoid repeating other towns’ mistakes.
I encourage everyone who supported me in my successful election last year to once again vote for reasonable protections for our quality of life and cast your vote this time for Bill Corboy for Township Committee.
West Amwell

