Patten shows ‘corrupt leadership’
To the editor:
Mayor Bob Patten’s classification of his wife as a Class A member of the Historic Preservation Commission further illustrates his destructive ego, ignorance regarding historic preservation and corrupt leadership.
It is silly and sad that the mayor has classified his wife as an expert in order to appoint her to the commission while avoiding the law that assures the HPC is a nonpartial, nonpolitical, independent organization. The Class A designation is reserved for experts who may not even reside in the municipality and for which the borough may pay a fee for their expert opinions.
These actions illustrate what has become a sad reality for our town our mayor makes up these explanations for his corrupt leadership, but what makes it most disturbing is that he and his ardent supporters seem to actually believe themselves. Any criticism of the mayor is characterized as a "personal attack" or "political," and the criticizer is labeled as "controversial" as the mayor’s groupies then lob barbs about the criticizer rather than taking corrective actions that would benefit the borough.
Kathy Patten claims that since her husband appointed her previously to the HPC, that experience makes her an expert HPC member. She also notes that she is a member of the Historical Society and that she was VP of her husband’s construction business. Rather than discuss how ridiculous these explanations are, let’s discuss what is missing. Where is the list of accomplishments? Not surprisingly, there aren’t any.
Kathy Patten now has the highest personal tally of five borough positions as ordained by her husband, the mayor. For years, she has been charged with garnering a historic designation for the John Bull sleepers (railroad). If Kathy Patten is an "expert," then the application should take less than 10 hours to draft. Instead, we are told to be thrilled with her service because she has good attendance at HPC meetings. Surely we could expect something more than a good attendance record like tangible achievements related to historic preservation?
Mayor Patten now states that he hopes to have a local designation of the Stockton historic district in 2007. Could you try to set the bar a little higher, mayor? How about a historic element with a strategic plan that involves the entire borough? How about leveraging the Historic Trust, Cultural Trust and transportation and other funding opportunities and establishing a strategic plan that links commercial, residential, historical, cultural and environmental revitalization efforts to fund and achieve real improvements for Hightstown’s residents?
Surely we can do more than to wake up Kathy Patten to take care of the "sleepers," or to recognize a local historic area for an already state and nationally listed historic district.
As predicted, Mayor Bob Patten will now act out of spite and in an effort to justify blatant nepotism, his groupies will lob their barbs, but by focusing public awareness on the lack of any accomplishments, hopefully they will now be motivated to accomplish something.
Dan Buriak
Hightstown
Kathy Patten great public servant
To the editor:
Kathy Patten is an exceptionally competent, educated and committed public servant.
Even since before her retirement, she has devoted most of her available time to serving and improving Hightstown. She cares deeply about the quality of life here, and meets each challenge with optimism and resolve. She is a slam-dunk qualified candidate for most of our borough committees, since she is widely versed in issues related to public policy, housing, immigration, and education.
A few people take issue with the fact that our mayor not only appointed Kathy to serve on a few committees, but that he married her first. That’s not corrupt, it’s smart.
Everyone who knows Kathy thinks better of Bob because he managed to win her heart. Yes, she’s the mayor’s wife. She’s also a capable and committed full-time volunteer, in a small town that needs all the help it can get. Hightstown is fortunate to have Kathy Patten at its service.
It’s discouraging that in this day and age, some people still dismiss a woman’s value when her husband recognizes her power. Then again, it hasn’t stopped Hillary Clinton, has it?
Amanda Porter
Hightstown
Squad offers its gratitude
To the editor:
On Sunday, Dec. 17, the East Windsor Rescue Squad District 2 held its annual holiday dinner for the senior citizens of our community. During the following week we made deliveries to needy families within our community, and at this time we would like to thank our many sponsors for their contributions which made both special projects a success again.
Thank you to Americana Diner and Restaurant, Chicken Holiday of East Windsor, Conair Corp. of East Windsor, FedEx Ground of East Windsor, Foodarama Supermarkets ShopRite, Foot Locker Foundation, Lee Turkey Farm, McCaffrey’s, Pickwick Village Cards & Gifts, Pressman Toy Corp. Russ Berrie Company of Cranbury, Sam’s Club of Freehold, Shiseido America Inc. of East Windsor, and Washington Street Family Dentistry of Toms River.
Cheryl Loeb-Cole
auxiliary member
East Windsor
Rescue Squad District 2
Genovese’s owners say thanks
To the editor:
Over the past several weeks many of our customers have been asking about the sale of our establishment. Folks seem truly saddened by the possibility of the restaurant moving on. While our business was on the market, this was never our intention.
Our intentions and dreams have always been to offer a place where people can relax and enjoy the family at Genovese’s. Ever year we would all vacation in Wildwood with our families, and every year we would talk about someday opening a restaurant. We always talked about our reasons for wanting to open such a difficult business, and it always came down to family.
We wanted to be different; we wanted to open a place where people could get to know the owners; a place where you are made to feel like family. We value the opinions of everyone that walks through our doors; this is your place as well as ours.
You will always find an owner on site, we are always happy to converse with our customers. Feel free to ask for Domenic, Janis, Victor, Teri, Eileen or Ed. We want to make this an experience that is enjoyable, a place where you want to return.
Once again we thank everyone for their concerns. The support we receive from the town officials, the local school district, other businesses, and our customers is very heart-warming. We would like to extend a happy and safe holiday season to everyone and we are looking forward to speaking to many of you in the future.
Victor and Terry Veltre
Dominic and Janis Genovese
Ed and Eilen Meyers
owners
Genovese’s Restaurant
Hightstown
Teacher salary info confuses reader
To the editor:
There is some serious obfuscation going on with regard to teacher salaries in the EWRSD.
This paper reported that the teachers were to receive 4.7-percent raises. Cynthia Braddock, the EWEA negotiations chairperson, wrote to say that some teachers only get a 2.8-percent raise as the raise was different for each step. Therefore, one can only assume the 4.7 percent amount was an average.
Ms. Braddock says that 48 percent of the teachers are at the top of the pay scale, Step 17. A previous article indicated that this level required both a doctorate and 22 years of experience. It’s hard to believe that almost half of the teachers have doctorate degrees, but I digress.
Ms. Braddock says "about half of our employees are receiving significantly less than the 4.7 percent." Since the average is 4.7 percent, that means that more than half of the employees are receiving significantly more than the 4.7-percent increase.
The public is being fed bits and pieces of the salary data by the school district and the unions. Why doesn’t the district simply publish the 17 steps so the public can see all the numbers? Are we not entitled to these data?
Rob Chadwick
East Windsor
Administrator raises raise some ire
To the editor:
I really don’t know why we have an East Windsor Regional Board of Education Department. hey sure do not look out for the taxpayers that elected them.
Why do we vote down the budget request that the Board of Education wanted and then turn around and give it to them anyway?
We paid good salaries to have our students get a good education. Why were so many of them (40 percent) flunking the state aptitude tests? f I got a rating like that at my job, I would be looking for another place of employment because of being fired. There is no accountability today.
A 15-percent raise is outrageous for the taxpayers to have to pay. If you never got a raise last year, that’s because the money wasn’t there. So now you go and tack it on to this year. Something is wrong here. I never got a raise in 2006 because my company never had it to give, and I know they are not going to double my raise this year.
Also it seems that the EWRSSA is getting no respect from the Board of Education and its negotiator Bob Laverty. How come we can find all this money for the administrators but not for the support team? The support team is just as important to the students and their education in East Windsor as our teachers and administrators of our school. If not then why are they there? Try to do the job without them.
Darrell M. Dunlap
East Windsor
Editor’s note: The Herald previously reported that new administrator raises range from 5 percent to 15 percent.
Sell Interstate 80 instead of Turnpike
To the editor:
In your editorial, you called for a public discussion about selling or leasing the New Jersey Turnpike to finance property tax relief. I’d like to jump right into this topic.
All of the problems with private ownership of the Turnpike will fall onto the communities that are along the Turnpike, East Windsor and Hightstown included. Why should we be financing property tax relief for the entire state? What will the rest of New Jersey be sacrificing to provide property tax relief for our area?
I have a better idea. Instead of selling the Turnpike, let’s sell Interstate 80 to finance property tax relief. The new owners can put toll booths on that road. Then the folks that live near I-80 can learn about the extra expense and traffic tie-ups at toll booths that we’ve had to suffer with all these years.
Marvin Gutkin
East Windsor
Borough councilman says thanks
To the editor:
Just a short note to say thank you to the voters of Hightstown. I can assure that Dave Schneider and I will work as hard as always for the next three years.
The votes Dave and I received tell us that the people of Hightstown like the direction we are going and would like us to continue to provide leadership toward a better Hightstown.
This year, I will work with the Economic Development Committee, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Memorial Day Parade, and wherever else I am asked to help.
Dave will work with the Police Department and contract negotiations as well as the Redevelopment Committee.
We must remind the people of Hightstown that their input is very important to the decisions we have to make. Please call or write us with your thoughts or ideas to help us make these decisions.
On behalf of Dave and myself, we say thank you and wish all a happy and healthy new year.
Larry Quattrone
Borough Councilman
Hightstown
