Letters to the Editor, Nov. 21

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Nov. 21

A model of enduring human spirit
To the editor:
   
Many of you know William "Billy" Rieszer, a local icon for over two decades in Princeton Borough and Township. Residents, business people and those just "passing through" have certainly witnessed him sweeping the sidewalks, planting flowers, ushering folks into the local Starbucks or just cruising down the streets on his electric scooter.
   For the past few weeks, however, those streets and sidewalks of Princeton have not been graced with his presence and many have wondered where Billy has gone and whether or not he will return to his post with his shiny red leaf blower.
   Please know that after a near brush with death, Billy is doing well. He has been moved to his temporary home in a local nursing facility, is recovering well and is adjusting to the next phase of his life. While his long-term future is still uncertain, Billy is looking forward to something he hasn’t done in 20 years — sitting down for a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, surrounded by people who will care for him.
   Therefore, on his behalf, I would like to thank the countless individuals, known and unknown to Billy, who have kept him going against great odds over the years: the town vendors who gave him food and shelter; the pastor and staff of Saint Paul Church who set him up with his first set of wheels; those generous persons who provided scooters No. 2 and 3; the gentleman who paid his rent for years; the local police and EMT professionals who got him out of scrapes; the residents who gave him rides and delivered the broken-down scooter for repair; and finally, the residents of Redding Circle and the staff of the Princeton Housing Authority, who vigilantly watched out for him and saved his life earlier this month.
   If not for all of you, this man, who, 56 years ago had his life radically changed by an intoxicated driver, would have certainly experienced a life full of tragedies instead of blessings. Please keep Billy in your prayers this holiday season and always, as he now turns a different leaf in his life. He has been an example to all of us of the enduring human spirit.
Jennifer Hinton
Pastoral Associate
Saint Paul Church
Nassau Street
Princeton
Roundabouts will worsen traffic woes
To the editor:
   
While Route 206 through the Princetons can often be congested and frustrating, proposed roundabouts will just make things worse. Other than the few locals who will eventually master them and visitors from the United Kingdom who are used to them, others will simply be overly cautious, confused and ultimately cause an increased number of collisions.
   Whoever thinks that roundabouts will speed up traffic probably never tried navigating the old Somerville or North Brunswick roundabouts (or "circles," as they were called in those days, before they were eliminated to increase traffic flow) or the existing one in Trenton.
   Even the worst drivers can negotiate predictable traffic lights. Why turn back the clock and create what other municipalities have decided doesn’t work?
Barry L. Goldblatt
Andrews Lane
Princeton
Darfur atrocity impels ethical people to act
To the editor:
   
Attending last April’s Darfur rally felt like an obligation, a way to take action. But in its wake came a feeling of helplessness, that the real work needed to be done by a government with other things on its mind. And so it went, a sense of guilt, of embarrassment when Darfur made the newspaper, of despair in the political process.
   An experience last week renewed my own motivation to take action. My rabbi, Adam Feldman of the Jewish Center, inaugurated an interfaith community effort to end the genocide with a Darfur Day of Action at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, by listening to policy experts and visiting the Holocaust and Darfur exhibits.
   Viewing the Holocaust exhibits in light of the current situation in Darfur turned out to be a brilliant juxtaposition. For me, the images of piles of emaciated, often naked corpses shoveled into burial pits represented the same dehumanization of the individual we have seen in Darfur, where villages are being burned to the ground, house by house; people wantonly murdered; and now millions displaced and often starving in overpopulated camps. As both a Jew and a human being, the Holocaust obligates me to take action. As Rabbi Annie Tucker, assistant rabbi at the Jewish Center, expressed it, "The museum hammers the message that we suffered genocide ourselves, and for that reason we have the responsibility to prevent it happening to other people."
   The museum’s exhibits raised another issue relevant to both the Darfurian genocide and the Holocaust — why doesn’t knowledge of atrocity always impel otherwise ethical people to act? The Rev. Dave Davis of the Nassau Presbyterian Church mused that, as somewhat of a Calvinist, the sinfulness of humanity does not surprise him, yet the museum still affected him powerfully. "The breadth and magnitude of the exhibit forces us to encounter it in a way that history books do not," he said. It caused him to wonder, for the first time, how much people in this country and the world knew about the Holocaust during World War II and yet chose not to respond. "Themes in the exhibit surrounding the lack of response to human suffering struck me as timeless," he said. "Darfur becomes the starkest example currently in the world."
   Princeton High School senior Dan Weisman put our predicament about Darfur less philosophically and more bluntly. In each of the CNN clips — from 2004, 2005 and 2006 — at the museum, President Bush and his cabinet members would acknowledge what is happening in Darfur and assert that something needed to be done. "All the news stories are interchangeable, and nothing substantive happens," he said. "It’s the same officials saying the same things."
   We will meet soon to develop concrete actions to take as a community. As the Rev. Davis said, "We need to recommit ourselves to politics in a democratic way, where voices that are expressive of concern and rage about Darfur matter."
   If you are interested, contact Rabbi Feldman at [email protected] or call the Jewish Center at (609) 921-0100.
Michele Alperin
Robert Road
Princeton
Marine shows true leadership
To the editor:
   
As the member of the Spirit of Princeton Committee who coordinated the recent Veterans Day ceremony in Princeton, I was admiring the stirring photograph of the Marine color guard at that ceremony on the front page of your Nov.14 issue, taken by your staff photographer Frank Wojciechowski. Then, I realized it held a hidden story illuminating United States Marine Corps leadership.
   As a retired Marine reservist, I am familiar with the emphasis the Marine Corps has always placed on leadership. The Marine holding the American flag is First Sergeant Ruffino Mendez. A first sergeant is a very high-ranking sergeant indeed: for instance, an infantry battalion of about 1,000 Marines normally rates one first sergeant. He would be the senior enlisted man in the battalion and would not usually be found on guard duty.
   On this past Veterans Day, because his unit is understaffed, and to honor area veterans, there is First Sergeant Mendez, proudly carrying the flag of his country. Well done, First Sergeant Mendez.
Brooks Dyer
Lieutenant Colonel
United States Marine Corps Reserve (Retired)
Ridgeview Road
Princeton
Freeholder campaign was a great experience
To the editor:
   
Running for office is a humbling experience, win or lose. My experience this year as a candidate for Somerset County freeholder was no exception. I lost, fair and square, to strong, experienced and personable Republican candidates. I wish them the best in their service to Somerset County.
   The freeholder campaign was a great experience. I traveled all over the county, met a lot of terrific people and learned about local challenges from Franklin to Far Hills. The campaign focused on issues, and I believe people are better informed now about what the freeholders do, how they do it and how much they spend.
   I am deeply grateful to the people of Montgomery for their support throughout the campaign and on Election Day. On countless drives home from the campaign trail, I would cross into Montgomery, open my window to the sweet fresh air and breathe a sigh of relief.
   I live and serve in a community that is as lovely as it is strong and vigorous. I consider it a privilege to do so, even as the Township Committee, municipal boards and committees and the community as a whole continue to grapple with issues of historic importance: the cleanup and transformation of Skillman Village; the ongoing battle for tax relief and reform; the imperative to prevent a senseless and indefensible 206 Bypass design; and the struggle to manage growth wisely and conserve our abundant natural resources.
   With so much on Montgomery’s plate, and with the stakes so high, it is more important than ever that the Township Committee listen carefully to the views and suggestions of all residents, reaffirm our unequivocal commitment to good government including wise investments and financial best practices and effectively communicate with the people who have entrusted us with governing and safeguarding the township. This I will continue to do, to the best of my ability.
Louise Wilson
Mayor
Montgomery Township
Hollow Road
Montgomery
Plainsboro candidates thank voters for support
To the editor:
   
We would like to thank the residents of Plainsboro for their continued support. We take seriously the recommendations made to us during our door-to-door visits, and can assure all residents of our commitment to listen carefully, consider the various aspects of each issue and continue working for the future of Plainsboro.
   In our new term, we remain committed to those principles that have made Plainsboro a great place to live and look forward to working with everyone in our community to enhance the quality of life in our township.
Ginger Gold Schnitzer
Committeewoman
Elsie Drive
Neil J. Lewis
Deputy Mayor/Committeeman
Bradford Lane
Plainsboro
Channel change unfair to consumers
To the editor:
   
Comcast has arbitrarily decided to discontinue offering Channel 4 out of New York as part of its basic cable TV service for West Windsor. WNBC is now available only as a digital channel. This is to force viewers to pay more money for their Comcast service. The additional cost to customers to move to digital service is quite substantial, and for many residents is unaffordable.
   Comcast has a service monopoly in West Windsor. Yet I have been informed that the township government has no control over this huge, uncaring utility. Even the state Board of Public Utilities is impotent on this matter. Comcast does what it pleases and cares only about increasing its bottom-lineprofit.
Raymond J. Ryan
Cardinalflower Lane
West Windsor