Smithers’ remark
was out of line
To the editor:
I am really disturbed by the implications of Township Committee candidate, Robert Smithers’, comments to The Cranbury Press last week on Cranbury’s Affordable Housing program.
His assertion that we need to "bring in residents who will contribute to Cranbury’s greater good," not "users and abusers" of township services who will be a "burden to the community," suggests to me that he has not actually gotten to know any of the residents who currently live in Cranbury’s affordable housing.
The value of people to the community is not dependent on their annual incomes or on where they live. Some of our affordable housing residents grew up in Cranbury and helped to create the community we are all anxious to protect.
As a board member of Cranbury Housing Associates, the non-profit organization which has built Cranbury’s affordable housing for the township (thereby saving residents from the massive development and exploding school population that would have resulted had the so-called "builder’s remedy" been used to fund the affordable housing required by the Mount Laurel decision), I am also truly concerned about a Township Committee candidate who would use the affordable housing program as a wedge issue to serve his own political aspirations.
Both Republican and Democratic Township Committee-people and mayors have worked to develop our affordable housing plan, with the common goal of building attractive units in keeping with other township architecture and minimizing their impact on taxpayer’s pocketbooks. Significantly, the work done by these people and CHA is now looked upon as a model for other New Jersey towns who want to address their own affordable housing needs while minimizing the impact on the existing community.
Leslie Spraker May
Cranbury
Doctor pay cuts
bad for patients
To the editor:
As of Jan. 1, your doctor will automatically receive 5 percent less for Medicare-related work.
I am mad and more important, my doctor is furious. My doctor feels that this 5 percent reduction is unfair and is the first of other 5 percent reductions during the new year. There is more to come.
How does this affect seniors? Very simple.
Doctors have bills and a life and are entitled to get paid. They will no option but to stop seeing Medicare patients. It is already starting to happen.
As planned by President Bush, Medicare will come to an end and the seniors will have to go to the higher-priced insurance companies. That means more money out of the senior’s pocket.
The senior can stop this threat in its tracks: vote.
It is common knowledge that the Republican Senate and Congress are in control of all the votes. They are a bloc and vote the way the president wants.
Break up this monopoly: vote.
I urge that we seniors remove the threat of losing Medicare and, yes, Social Security. Vote for Democratic candidates to bring some sense and reason to our government and guarantee that Medicare will continue to work for all of us.
Ed Goldman
Monroe
Vote for Stasi
and Smithers
To the editor:
As Election Day in Cranbury draws near, residents can exercise some amount of control over the quality of their life by coming out to vote for the candidates for Township Committee. These five members are advised by consultants and professionals but ultimately they place the votes that will or won’t institute the solutions needed to solve some of the problems that affect residents on a very personal level.
The next new group of committee members will have as one of their responsibilities the review of the township Master Plan, last examined in 1999. A copy of Township Planner Richard Preiss’ reexamination was completed in December and is available on the township Web site, www.cranburytownship.com.
Part of the 1999 plan recognized the need for changes to Cranbury’s circulation plan and highlighted pedestrian safety and traffic volume as a major problem. The 2005 reexamination makes it clear these issues are still a serious concern and that there is need for comprehensive improvement. The next committee needs to implement more of the suggestions and planning that were laid down eight years ago. Speed limits, traffic lights, crosswalks, sidewalks, road improvements, police presence, communication with the county regarding county road issues (i.e., Old Trenton Road), pursuit of county, state and federal grant money for improvements these are part of the solution and should be addressed by the traffic subcommittee and Township Committee.
Pedestrian safety and unsafe roadways are important issue. The Republican candidates have made their platform clear and strong. Traffic control and pedestrian safety are two of their primary concerns, issues raised by the residents they have met with. Win or lose they have said they plan to continue to work toward a solution to this serious problem.
I believe Diane Stasi and Rob Smithers are a dedicated, diligent and determined team. I have known Ms. Stasi in several capacities over the last nine years. As her co-worker at an affordable housing management company, I felt she was organized, thorough and responsible. As a committee member of the Historical Society’s house tour in 2003 and 2005, I was impressed by her commitment to the events, her endless energy and her enthusiasm for her job as co-chairperson. On a personal level, I have been impressed by her determination to restore three historical homes, her commitment to family and her dedication to public service in the community and her church. Diane Stasi has the professional and political background to intelligently make decisions about the future of our town.
Place your vote in November, consider the issues, help make a difference.
Louise Palagyi
Cranbury
Endorsement
neglected Panconi
To the editor:
The Cranbury Press was correct in its strong endorsement of Pari Stave and correct in its dismissal of Robert Smithers’ candidacy; but, based on the actual merits of the candidates, The Cranbury Press also should have endorsed Tom Panconi.
On Candidate’s Night, the candidates were asked which of the remaining undeveloped properties they would preserve and which they wouldn’t and what impact they felt developing rather than preserving properties would have on the school, traffic and services. Tom Panconi was able to talk intelligently on this subject. He also understands the importance and complexity of the issues concerning the Unexcelled Brickyard Road property. To be a viable candidate you have to understand these issues. They have been discussed in detail at multiple public meetings and are not some form of privileged information available only to Township Committee members.
Tom Panconi has also worked very hard during his tenure to meet and understand the individual needs of every family and business in town that he could meet. He is responsive as well as accessible. If you stop him when he’s out riding his bike or jogging you can expect him to follow through. And he is very conscious of the cost of any solutions he proposes not just for the town but the homeowner and business.
The Cranbury Press argues that we need another Republican on the committee for "political balance." Significant issues will have to be decided in the next three years including what to do about critical properties that are coming up for possible preservation or development and what should be done with the Unexcelled Brickyard Road property. Most of these issues will require four votes (a super majority) to take action. Cranbury has had recent experience with two committee members imposing their will on a majority of both the community and Township Committee. The town will have to act intelligently. There has to be a real vision for the future and not just a cost cutting mantra.
Tom Panconi and Pari Stave understand the issues and they will act decisively to address the community’s expressed needs. The Cranbury Press was right to strongly endorse Pari Stave but it clearly should have also endorsed Tom Panconi.
John Ritter
Cranbury
Johnson letter
was offensive
To the editor:
I found Glenn Johnson’s letter last week bashing the Republican candidates for Cranbury Township Committee arrogant and offensive. His tone was so bitter that the significance of his comments were lost. Mr Johnson totally turned me off to the Democratic Party of Cranbury.
I say this as a life long liberal Democrat. It was condescending to claim that Diane Stasi and Robert Smithers were unaware that Old Trenton Road is a county road. I’m sure that they are both well aware of this fact and its implications. We should not forget that this county road is located in Cranbury. Perhaps the candidates may have been unaware of the precise speed of the driver who "blacked out" (as Mr. Johnson said) while driving on Old Trenton Road. Yet, no one cannot deny their genuine concern for the safety of the residents of Cranbury.
The fact is that we desperately need to reduce the speed limits on Old Trenton, Cranbury Neck and Plainsboro roads. We need to make these roads safe for our children and adults to ride bikes, walk and cross the street with out being run down. Just because no one was hurt by the accident does not negate that people do speed excessively on these county roads the same roads that happen to be the front yards of many of our residents.
Don’t forget that a year ago a teenager was hit by a car and badly injured while riding her bike on Plainsboro Road. Ms. Stasi and Mr. Smithers get the big picture. It is too bad that Mr. Johnson was so caught up in venomous attack that he missed the point. Sadly he did the most damage to his own political party. He cast a very positive light on the Republican candidates he sought to put down. I wish all the dedicated candidates the best of luck on Nov.7.
Nancy Pavley
Cranbury
Smithers’ comments
are a telling sign
To the editor:
Robert Smithers’ comments about Cranbury’s affordable housing obligations in the Oct. 20 edition of The Cranbury Press under the heading Election 2006 have convinced me that he is not the right candidate for Township Committee. We need tolerant, open-minded, caring people who respect and will work for all members of the Cranbury community.
Isn’t there enough intolerance and fear mongering in Washington D.C. these days? There is just no reason to inject this into local elections. Mr. Smithers has failed at the most basic responsibility of a candidate for elected office, namely to know his constituency.
Mr. Smithers should get to know the people who currently live in our affordable housing. He would find some who are docents in our museum; others are Girl Scout Leaders. Some are children attending the Cranbury School or Princeton High School. There are also seniors, retired from various professions. With the rising cost of housing in New Jersey, even our own young people, who could be teachers in our schools, police officers or EMT professionals, might need the affordable housing program in order to live in our great town.
I am afraid that, if he were elected, Mr. Smithers would make decisions without the thoughtful care we have become used to with the present committee. Our incumbents, Pari Stave and Tom Panconi, are experienced committee members, do listen to their constituents and have good records on fiscal matters. We are fortunate that they are willing to serve us again for another term. I have no doubt that they are the best candidates for committee and I will be supporting them on Nov. 7.
Helene E. Hughes
Cranbury
Ms. Hughes is a board member of the Cranbury Housing Associates.
Diane Stasi
for committee
To the editor:
I agree with the Press that we have well qualified candidates running for Township Committee, but in my estimation Diane Stasi stands apart.
I have known Ms. Stasi since she moved to Cranbury, and rarely met anyone as obviously qualified to serve on the committee. From her first days in Cranbury, Ms. immersed herself in township affairs, joining organizations that do things for the township, working hard, committing enormous amounts of time, taking on leadership responsibility (Historical Society, HPAC), and following the goings on that she was not directly involved in with detailed interest.
She is solidly behind the things that are important to most people in Cranbury preservation of space and history, good schools for our children, keeping taxes down, a safe and attractive community, a commercial village that serves the residents, etc.
Adding to this are a natural intelligence about issues and people and personal candor that inspire confidence and trust. Cranbury would be extremely fortunate to have Ms. Stasi on its Township Committee.
Frank Marlowe
Cranbury
Robert Smithers
is a special person
To the editor:
It’s a special person that will stand up without hesitation when the call comes for civil service.
After Sept. 11, Robert Smithers volunteered for active duty assignment in the Army. He spent three years serving our nation and participating in counter-terrorism initiatives.
He recently returned from a one-year assignment in Iraq, where he helped the Iraqi people build their government by establishing and strengthening town councils in communities north of Baghad. Doing so required passion, unwavering commitment and a drive for collaboration.
Mr. Smithers now has five years off. While most of us would look forward to reclaiming lost leisure time, he has once again stood up and volunteered for civil service. This time it’s for our local community. The qualities that served him well in Iraq are the same ones we look for in our leaders here.
Mr. Smithers has consistently demonstrated that same passion, commitment and team spirit as a serviceman, as a professional and as a neighbor. We wholeheartedly endorse him to serve on the Cranbury Township Committee and encourage you to place your confidence in him on Election Day.
Neelu Agrawal
Sid Roychowdhury
Cranbury
Stasi/Smithers
comments upsetting
To the editor:
As a senior citizen living in one of Cranbury Housing Associates apartment complexes, I was very upset by the comments both Diane Stasi and Robert Smithers made at Candidates Night. They talked about "low, low-income" people moving into our community and how bad it would be for the neighborhood.
Who are more "low, low-income" than seniors? The remarks were bigoted and very distasteful to all. These comments made by Ms. Stasi and Mr. Smithers were repeated in their interviews for an Oct. 20 article in The Cranbury Press.
Mrs Stasi said, "Perth Amboy had very low affordable housing. High density low income." "That’s what’s in Perth Amboy, that’s what is in New Brunswick. We’re going to have it in Cranbury."
For the same edition, Mr. Smithers refers to the people who will inhabit the new "low, low-income" rental units as "users and abusers of social services." "We don’t want someone taking advantage of the system" and "is just a burden on the community."
The affordable housing laws were written to make sure that as comminutes develop they have housing opportunities for all economic groups. How can we expect the businesses in Cranbury to be successful if they can not hire people for the service jobs, which need to be filled in order to run a business? For Cranbury to be a viable community and not just a high-priced bedroom community we need to have a balance of people from all economic strata.
Obviously Pari Stave and Tom Panconi do not share the feelings of Ms. Stasi and Mr. Smithers as they approved the present housing plan. I believe Ms. Stasi and Mr. Smithers comments offended many people. They seem to be talking just to hear themselves speak and have no idea what it is like to live in the real world where there are some very good people who just do not happen to have a lot of money.
I sincerely hope that all voters will vote for Tom Panconi and Pari Stave.
Phyllis Bialor
Cranbury
Affordable housing
as election issues
To the editor:
As a 21-year resident of Cranbury and a member of the board of Cranbury Housing Associates for almost 20 years, I was appalled by the comments regarding affordable housing attributed to the Republican candidates for Township Committee in the Oct. 20 Cranbury Press.
My husband and I were attracted to Cranbury by its small-town feel and the socio-economic diversity that it then had. All income levels were represented in the school, on township boards and committees and in volunteer organizations. Soon after our arrival, however, the cost of housing in Cranbury began to rise to such an extent that lower- and moderate-income families were priced out of the market. I became involved with CHA in order to help insure that Cranbury would maintain a socio-economic mix.
Rob Smithers and Diane Stasi seem to be concerned that Cranbury will now suddenly be over-run with very low income people who will not contribute to the community. I find this view to be troublesome on several counts. First, Cranbury has always had residents who have managed to get by on very little money, including many who would qualify under the "very low income" guidelines. Some of these are long-time Cranbury homeowners. Others live in CHA housing. Senior village housing has provided apartments for people with very low incomes since 1989.
More upsetting to me, however, was Mr. Smithers’ assumption that a person of limited means would likely be a "burden on the community," or possibly a "user and abuser" of social services. Residents of affordable housing in Cranbury hold jobs, raise responsible children and contribute to the community in many ways. Among their ranks are class parents, Scout leaders, historical society docents, first aid squad and fire department volunteers, and members of township boards and committees.
Do some of them make use of social services? Probably yes, but so too do many higher-income people, and isn’t it wonderful that we are a wealthy-enough community that we can afford to help those of us who are in need?
It is my hope that Cranbury’s lower-income residents realize that most members of our community do not share these biases and misperceptions.
Elizabeth Silverman
Cranbury
Thanks from
local tax collector
To the editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Cranbury residents who expressed their support regarding Mayor Thomas Panconi’s statement, "he is considering if positions like tax collector should be part-time," in the Oct. 13 issues of The Cranbury Press.
This news came as a shock to me and my family. I had no idea that an evaluation was done, an updated job description or that it was even being considered to make my position part-time after 17½ years of being full-time. I do not know why I was the one singled out and this news has definitely caused much physical and emotional stress for me and my family. However, all of the support I have received from the Cranbury residents has certainly made me feel appreciated and less discouraged.
For more than 17 years, I have served Cranbury and its residents. I have come to love this town due to its wonderful people. Over the years I have gotten to know so many people and have made many friends. We have shared joys, sorrows, laughs and anger. I have enjoyed working for all of you. Thank you again, for all of your support now and through the past years.
I know my type of job, as tax collector, makes it easy for people to dislike me. However this has never happened in Cranbury. I have always tried to make my job as pleasant as possible and be as much help as possible. The Cranbury residents have made me feel that I have succeeded and I also thank you for that.
Kim O’Shea-McMurtie
Cranbury
Ms. O’Shea-McMurtie is the tax collector for Cranbury.
Look past
the main stage
To the editor:
For as long as Cranbury has been preserving farmland and acquiring open space, the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders has been our partner. Since 1990, the freeholders have given Cranbury more than $3.27 million for these purposes. There is no way a small township such as ours could have accomplished much without their help.
Recently, through the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, the freeholders helped Cranbury lease a new fire engine so our first-responders have the equipment they need to give us the protection we deserve.
Voters often focus on the bottom and top of the ticket and neglect the races in between. I urge Cranbury to vote on Nov. 7 for Jim Polos and John Pulomena for the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. They have earned our support.
Glenn Johnson
Cranbury
Mr. Johnson is the chairman of the Cranbury Democratic Committee.
Unfounded critique
of Smithers
To the editor:
With all due respect, I think your editorial comments directed at candidate Rob Smithers are misguided. Your harsh rhetoric can only be described to use your words as "blatant political campaigning" as you push your own agenda in the Cranbury election. For me the only thing "out of character in Cranbury" is your so-called endorsement editorial in which you launched into an unfounded attack on Mr. Smithers. It’s hard enough for both parties to attract talented candidates without your overly critical treatment of new candidates.
The fact is that Rob Smithers qualifies as an expert on Homeland Security. Our community benefits from his willingness to share his knowledge on safety and security. Are you such a cynic that you can’t recognize an open forum on security as a chance to get to know a new candidate and challenger? You are wrong to characterize a non-partisan talk on homeland security as underhanded scheming as you would like the Cranbury voters to believe.
Unlike you, I believe in the two-party system with open forums in which we can hear from new candidates with fresh ideas. Campaigning isn’t a dirty word. Candidates have an obligation to voters to promote their qualifications and communicate their positions. Parties should not be limited to one lone candidates night for fear of criticism by you if they show additional initiative.
In addition, Rob Smithers is professional and courteous. Trying to pin him as uncaring or unconscientious with regards to candid discussions about the impact of development and low-income housing just won’t stick. It’s your mischaracterization of Mr. Smithers that’s "uncalled for."
If campaigns only exist through your editorials and news articles, then how do we hear directly from the candidates and make up our own minds or is that the idea?
Susan Mavoides
Cranbury
Pork barrel alive
for freeholders
To the editor:
Isn’t it nice Cranbury is going to receive $480,000 from the county for parks and recreation? Isn’t it coincidental that it was announced just before election. Have you looked at your tax bill lately to see how much you are paying in taxes to the county? I’m paying $1,300. That’s almost as much as I pay in municipal taxes. Why are our taxes so high, pork barrel!
As Mr. Froehbieter said in his letter to the editor, if we did not apply for it someone else would get it. He is right, but that does not justify such expenditures on the part of the county. And did you know anything built with the money from the county can be used by anyone in the county?
And while we are on the subject of the county spending money, let’s talk about the bridge over Brainerd Lake to connect Liberty Way that comes out of the South River Road. The county is willing to pay for half of the $16 million. If that bridge is built, the residents of Cranbury Greene, Four Seasons, and Shadow Oaks should be aware that the Master Plan calls for the extension of Old Trenton Road across the field to connect with Liberty Way. It is my opinion this would substantially increase the traffic on Old Trenton Road where there are already speeding problems.
Somebody just has to stop spending money. The Democrats are just not fiscally responsible and should be replaced.
Jack Ziegler
Cranbury
Endorsing Stave
and Panconi
To the editor:
As residents of Cranbury for the past 37 years, we strongly support the re-election of Pari Stave and Tom Panconi to the Cranbury Township Committee on Nov. 7. In their combined nine years serving on the Township Committee, they have provided excellent leadership and decision-making on issues extremely important to the well-being of Cranbury and its residents.
Both Mr. Stave and Mr. Panconi have served as mayor and both are well-informed on Master Plan issues and the work of the planning and zoning boards. Ms. Stave and Mr. Panconi, along with the other members of the Township Committee, have successfully kept Cranbury’s municipal tax rate stable and, in fact, the lowest in Middlesex County.
Cranbury residents have clearly identified preservation of township farmland and open space as a top priority. Ms. Stave and Mr. Panconi, while serving on the Township Committee, have made farmland preservation a reality by actively working with Cranbury farmers and land owners to encourage participation in New Jersey’s farmland preservation program, while at the same time, working with Middlesex County to ensure that Cranbury receive a fair share of county and state funding for farmland preservation, open space, and recreation needs.
Cranbury’s recently dedicated police building is an accomplishment of which Cranbury residents can be proud. Our Police Department now has a headquarters adequate in technology and square footage to police needs with space to accommodate growth. In 2005, in response to citizen concerns regarding traffic and pedestrian safety in the township, the police were asked by the Township Committee to increase their focus on speeding on streets and roads in the township. Reports by the chief of police at each Township Committee meeting were instituted, and residents attending township meetings are well aware of the increase in number of speeding tickets issued as a result of the increased police effort.
In 2006, the Township Committee adopted an ordinance creating the Historic Preservation Commission thereby strengthening protection of buildings within Cranbury’s historic district and clarifying and simplifying the owner application process for approval of renovation or repair to structures within the historic district. Also in 2006, after substantial public discussion, an outdoor dining ordinance was adopted by the Township Committee in order to provide fair protection of both dining-establishment and resident rights.
Pari Stave and Tom Panconi bring to the Township Committee intelligence, dedicated leadership and a commitment to open-minded consideration of resident concerns about issues facing Cranbury. We urge residents to vote for Ms. Stave and Mr. Panconi on Nov. 7.
Don and Beverly Luck
Cranbury

