By:
UFREF thanks
volunteers
To the editor:
On Oct. 16, the Upper Freehold Regional Education Foundation (UFREF) held its first major fundraising event by participating in a joint venture partnership with the Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence (MTFEE) the "Fore the Kids" Fifth Annual Golf Outing & Dinner, which was held at Forsgate Country Club. It was a picture-perfect day and was extremely well attended.
The idea for this joint venture began a few months back when the trustees of the UFREF met with Laura Wittman, president of the MTFEE and a few of her fellow trustees, and they generously offered to share this signature fundraising event with us. From our early days as a fledgling education foundation, Ms. Wittman has been one of our biggest supporters and has served as the perfect role model. The experience afforded to us by Ms. Wittman and her team was priceless and we will always remember their kindness and generosity.
At the time of this writing, the net proceeds from this event have not been finalized, but half of the proceeds are to be credited to the UFREF for the benefit of Allentown High School students. While this was the first fundraising event for the UFREF, other future events will be designed to benefit the students comprising the Upper Freehold Regional School District.
Many, many thanks go out to all attendees, sponsors, volunteers and community supporters. Without you, your selfless dedication, tireless support and generosity, none of this would have been possible.
While this was truly a team- and community-wide effort, extra special thanks must go out to Barbara Nissinger, who served as the event chairperson representing the UFREF, as well as her incredible A-Team. Ms. Nissinger’s unbound energy, dedication, attention to detail, tremendous organization and interpersonal skills contributed greatly to the event’s success. Through hard work, sheer determination and an extensive support network, she was the Force that held it all together and kept us focused on moving forward.
There are so many people who gave of themselves, their time, their energy and their talents that I do not want to risk missing even one name but you know who you are. We are grateful for your contributions and are very much appreciative. Because of your efforts, our community and our children are better off today than they were yesterday.
Jim Derasmo
Acting President,
Upper Freehold Regional
Education Foundation
Residents need
to protect trees
To the editor:
I am writing to make Allentown residents aware of what has been occurring around town and the residents’ rights as property owners.
Last week, under contract to PSE&G, the tree service company, Asplundh, was in our neighborhood trimming trees near power lines. Much to our horror the crew was cutting C-shaped holes in the 40-foot oaks in our front yards.
We asked why they had not properly notified us. They had no answer. We asked to speak to the foreman in charge. There was none. We asked to see their permit. There was none. We asked to speak to the arborist advising them about proper cutting procedures. There was no such person.
We further told the crew that the trees had been trimmed by a certified arborist earlier this year at no little expense in order to help keep them healthy as they were showing early signs of the oak leaf blight disease and that it appeared that no one on the crew was taking any precautions to disinfect their equipment, thus endangering the health of any other tree they worked on. They could not tell us about precautionary measures they were taking.
We notified the Monmouth County Shade Tree Commission and were told that in order to work on any trees in the borough the crews must have in their possession permits signed by the commission’s superintendent. Residents may ask to see these permits and, if one is not provided, tell the crew to immediately stop work.
Furthermore, the homeowner must be properly notified in advance and have signed a permission form which the crew should also be able to show to anyone who challenges them. If no one is at home when Asplundh comes to ask permission, a hangtag should be left on the door for signatures.
Two days after stopping Asplundh from attacking our trees, four trucks were back on Probasco Drive working there. We can only assume that Asplundh and PSE&G know that by cutting through a neighborhood during the day, when most residents are at work, they will meet little resistance and once the damage is done there is not much one can do to fix brutalized trees.
After being alerted to this situation Mayor Stu Fierstein, borough attorneys and the Monmouth County Shade Tree Commission worked quickly to get a cease and desist order in place. We intend to proceed with efforts to protect one of Allentown’s great assets, its tree-lined streets. We urge borough residents to remain vigilant to such intrusions and to challenge any Asplundh crew working near their property.
Elizabeth Roselius
Allentown
Issue is money,
not location
To the editor:
My letter is in response to Morgan Nebbia’s response to my original letter about the school construction ("School construction hard for resident," Oct. 19).
I sympathize with her plight regarding what has happened to her neighborhood due to construction. I too would be upset if that happened to me. Some people call it progress, others call it devastation.
I would not have replied, but her last sentence stating, "… who has the morals and values to consider how devastating this construction will be …" struck me. I feel that it implies that I am on the side of the immoral and valueless. I do not feel that this situation has anything to do with morals and values. This has to do with where we will put the new school, if it is ever built.
Frankly speaking, I do not care where they put the school. My concern is with the time that they are wasting. If tomorrow they told me that they could get the school constructed sooner by putting it in my backyard, I wouldn’t have a problem. It has to be built somewhere.
If we started construction right now, the school would possibly be ready by 2008, one year behind schedule. I do not see that happening. We are already at critical mass in our schools, what are we waiting for? If we don’t build the school now, wherever it is, I probably will read that they are holding classes in the bathrooms in 2008, because the hallway space was already taken. My concern is with my children’s education, and hers is with her neighborhood.
We are both correct in what we want.
Arun Singh
Cream Ridge
Park problems
need attention
To the editor:
Is anybody looking? Does anybody really care? I care because we have a park that was highly publicized as a focal point for a New Egypt renaissance.
Publicized by our current Township Committee, Oakford Lake park has recently sustained over $90,000 dollars of damage and looks awful. The recent rains washed away much of the topsoil, grass, and other plantings.
Who is responsible? Who was not minding the store? Mayor Ron Dancer and township engineers should have taken measures to ensure the existence of correct drainage on Lakeview Drive prior to investing all that grant money on the park’s restoration.
I have lived here about 16 years and remember how proud we all were of the new gazebo. Then the waterfront pier was erected. Christmas trees were left each year in the park after lighting ceremonies. The gazebo looks awful. It has never been refinished or otherwise maintained. There is also evidence of vandalism in the park. There are new light fixtures with broken lamps. The much-touted steel pedestrian bridge there now bears an unsightly coat of rust. I always thought bridges needed to be painted or somehow protected against the elements. But I am not an engineer. Our taxes pay for one in the township.
The park looks like an overgrown lot with the geese, hindering strings still in place, and the flora allowed to wildly grow. What a mess!
The playground "wannabe" in this park now has just one baby swing. The other is missing, as is the fencing around the play area. That is a dangerous place for toddlers to play as they easily can run the few feet to the street.
Further down Lakeview Drive are the other "wannabe" park areas. Nothing has been done with them all summer long. They are basically empty, grassy lots next to the lake, with a few plantings.
Oh by the way, there is no public restroom in the Lakeview Drive complex.
So be forewarned. In short, all that investment money is just being wasted. Washed out park, overgrown park area, nearly vacant lots promoted as parks, rusting bridge, unsafe playground, vandalism, unmaintained gazebo. Did I mention the water fountain that doesn’t work? I cannot remember when it last worked.
Mitch Geier has made clear the danger this town is putting their police officers in by frequently maintaining a one-man police force. No back-up. Exxon just burglarized, business on Lakewood Road just burglarized, vandalism and damage to public property apparent. This administration is responsible for the maintenance and protection of public properties. This elected committee and mayor cannot shirk their duties and responsibilities. They may delegate much, but the bottom line is that they are the ones ultimately responsible.
I am tired of the same old bunch. I will vote for a change for Mitch Geier and Elizabeth Lane and so should you.
Stanley H Schaeffer
Plumsted
Smith voted
for America
To the editor:
This is in response to the letter entitled "Smith vote flouts habeas corpus" from Edward J. Zipprich of Red Bank, published in the Oct. 12 Messenger-Press. Torture was not and is not lawful. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R,4th) did not vote for torture. Mr. Smith’s vote was for America. No United States citizen would be denied the writ of habeas corpus. For those non-citizen enemies who attack and kill they should not have the same Constitutional rights.
Two giants of American history Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt exercised extensive executive power during exceptional times of crisis. Many legal scholars have debated the constitutionality of their actions. the writ of habeas corpus was denied to some citizens during their terms without legislative action. We survived their actions whether constitutionally right or wrong and America grew and prospered to greater heights following the Civil War and World War II.
I cherish the Constitution and those protections offered by the writ of habeas corpus and other protections to our liberty. To give the same rights to the non-citizen enemy is wrong.
Thank you, Mr. Smith for your vote to protect America. Shame on Congressmen Rush Holt and Frank Pallone for their misguided votes.
John Elder
Allentown
