Letters-Aug. 30, 2007

Mayor worked

to exempt libraries
To the editor:
   After reading the article "City library could become part of county system" by Linda Seida, which appeared Aug. 16, we wanted to let your readers know Mayor Dave Del Vecchio has struggled mightily to address this issue for months.
   As soon as the Legislature’s new levy cap law was introduced, Mayor Del Vecchio saw the problems it would create for the City of Lambertville and the other New Jersey municipalities that maintain a local library.
   That legislation arbitrarily limits the amount of revenue school districts, counties and municipalities can raise through the property tax. It fails, however, to account for — let alone limit — increasing costs beyond the control of local elected officials.
   One of those costs is the state-imposed and enforced obligation that requires a municipality with a local public library to annually dedicate a sum equal to 33 cents per $1,000 of the total assessed value of all local properties to the municipal library.
   Taken together, the levy cap and the library funding mandate limit the investment local elected officials can dedicate to public safety, public health and other vital priorities.
   In future years, mandated library contributions could exceed the rate of growth of the levy cap. And that would compel actual disinvestments in other life-sustaining and life-enhancing local public programs and services.
   Mayor Del Vecchio worked with us to convince the Legislature and the governor’s office to include in the new law an exception from the cap for local library costs. He reached out to the New Jersey Library Association for support, and though the law was enacted without that exception, he continued to fight.
   Behind his leadership, we were able to secure sponsorship for bills to provide the exception, but the Legislature adjourned before action could be taken.
   Since then, Mayor Del Vecchio has led us into meetings with Gov. Corzine’s senior staff and with officials from the state Department of Community Affairs. But with the Legislature gone from Trenton until after November’s elections and with the prospects for favorable action, thereafter, extremely uncertain, Mayor Del Vecchio has had to consider workable alternatives.
   All true supporters of local libraries owe Mayor Del Vecchio a debt of gratitude. The people of Lambertville and municipal officials throughout the state need to know that.
   On their behalf, we thank him.

Bill Dressel
New Jersey League of Municipalities
Trenton

Cicchino children

are grateful
To the editor:
   We would like to take this time to thank everyone that was there for Nick "Pickles" Cicchino while he was sick and in his passing.
   We know he loved having the company for those that came to visit him.
   A special thank you to those who were there in his the last weeks. Your support for him was truly a sign of the great friendships he had.
   Thank you to the entire town that came out to support us in his passing.
   It was comforting seeing him get the respect he so richly deserved.

Nick Cicchino
David Cicchino
Patty Cicchino
Lambertville

Library had great

reading program
To the editor:
   What a busy summer we’ve had here at the library!
   The children’s summer reading theme was "Get A Clue at Your Library," and our young sleuths did an amazing amount of reading.
   Fifty-five children read 3,577 books! That’s almost one book for every resident of Lambertville!
   New this year to our summer clubs was the teen reading program. We had 15 young adults who kept track of their reading and turned in slips that were drawn for prizes from local businesses.
   In addition, the library hosted 35 summer programs, including storytimes, lunch bunches and special Wednesday night family events, which had a total attendance of 481 people.
   And that’s not counting our Potterpalooza event, which had more than 700 people in attendance.
   This September, Peggy Cooney, the children’s librarian at Lambertville Public School and myself will be co-hosting a reader’s breakfast at LPS. Any student who participated in any library summer reading program and has a certificate or parent note is invited to attend.
   Congratulations to the children of Lambertville for an outstanding summer of reading!

Jennifer Sirak
children’s librarian
program director
Lambertville Public Library

Helpline fundraiser

was success
To the editor:
   All of us at Hunterdon Helpline want to thank all those who helped make the 25th annual Antiques in August a success.
   In spite of the rainy weather, many came out to browse, and the volunteers who worked through out the day made our work a pleasure.
   ShopRite of Hunterdon County sponsored the concession stand again this year and made it possible to raise much needed funds. Joseph Colollilo’s ShopRite is truly the most generous business in Hunterdon County, and we thank them for their continued support of this very important fundraiser!
   It is because of the generosity of so many that Helpline has been able to serve Hunterdon County residents for 38 years.
   Thanks also to Denise Brown Kahney, Ron Roth, Tara Shepherd, Michelle, Wilma, Grace, Lisa, Ceil and Glenn Hopkins, Melinda, Kathy Owens, Jeff Carroll and Michael Carroll.

Jeanne Cassano
executive director
Flemington