By: centraljersey.com
On behalf of the family of the late Robert B. Immordino, I wish to publicly thank Bill Agress, Steven Groeger and the Lawrence Township Recreation Department for once again coordinating the annual Col. Hand Historic March Re-enactment.
When my father began the Col. Hand March in 1962 with a small group of seventh-, eighth-, and ninth grade students from the Junior Historians Club at Lawrence Junior High, he never imagined it would grow into an annual event, enjoyed by so many community members, scout groups, mayors and council members, and a growing number of re-enactors, which has endured for 49 years.
My father was especially thankful for and encouraged by his close friend Bill Agress’ continued interest in and devotion to the march, especially with Bill’s enthusiastic portrayal of Col. Hand beginning in 1981.
Our family is also grateful for the beautiful plaque and flagpole erected on the banks of the Shabakunk Creek at Notre Dame High School in memory of my father as the creator of the march, which was made possible through the generosity of Roma Bank and dedicated during the January 2010 march. It is a wonderful symbol of my father’s love of both Lawrence Township and of American history.
We are also especially thankful for the loving support of family members Clora Bilancio Acquaviva, Dean Acquaviva, Henry Montague, and Tim Montague, for representing our family at the 2010 and 2011 marches. They continue to keep my father’s spirit and commitment alive.
My mother, Jennie Bilancio Immordino, my sister, Roberta Immordino, and I look forward to joining the celebration of the 50th annual Col. Hand Historic March in January 2012 as Lawrence Township continues to observe my father’s vision of re-enacting and celebrating vital moments in local and national history through first-hand experiences.
Carolyn Immordino MacLeod Kent, Connecticut
Taxing nonprofits
To the editor:
As a former Lawrence Township Councilman, I read with interest a recent Lawrence Ledger article regarding a legislative proposal on taxing nonprofit institutions.
It stated: "If the bills were adopted, the Lawrence Township Public School District would receive $457,632 for the 2010-11 school year from The Lawrenceville School as reimbursement for the 28 children of faculty members who attend the public schools and who live in school-owned housing. This is based on the average per-pupil cost of $16,344 . . . derived by dividing the school district’s budget by the number of students enrolled. . . . Leon Kaplan, vice president of the Lawrence Township Board of Education, which has been pushing for the bills’ passage, said the issue is tax relief. The Lawrenceville School’s tax-exempt status means taxpayers are subsidizing the private school and its students in excess of $400,000, and ‘that’s not fair,’ he said."
The additional cost of educating those 28 Lawrenceville campus children almost certainly comes nowhere close to $457,632, 28 times the "average per-pupil cost" of $16,344. It could even be that the district expends no additional money for personnel because of them, depending upon their distribution within the schools, e.g., if their presence or absence would have no impact on the addition or subtraction of personnel. 28 children spread over 9 grades with a few sections per grade, i.e. possibly as few as one child per section, will almost certainly not trigger the need for additional sections requiring additional teachers.
Moreover, another Ledger article pointed out that more than 28 off-campus Lawrence children attend the Lawrenceville School having parents that pay municipal and school taxes but have no children attending Lawrence public schools.
The school taxes paid by those Lawrence families almost certainly exceed the actual additional or marginal cost of educating those 28 Lawrenceville campus children in Lawrence public elementary schools, and Lawrenceville School’s educating those Lawrence residents obviates the need for the district to expend anything on their high school education.
Tom Meagher Willow Road
