1. Mother Nature in all her fury
Hurricane Irene barreled through Middlesex County at the end of August, and North and South Brunswick suffered severe effects from the storm.
Middlesex County officials said South Brunswick was the hardest hit community for power loss in the county; 25,000 residents lost power.
All major roadways, including Routes 1, 27, 130 and 522, were rendered impassable at some point during the storm. Department of Public Works cleared 72 roads and removed nearly 300 fallen trees. There was long-term structural damage to the Friendship Road bridge, which was washed out.
The South Brunswick Police Department received 947 calls for assistance fromAug. 27 toAug. 31. To deal with storm-related problems, the South Brunswick Police Emergency Operations Center and Office of Emergency Management were required to operate for the longest period of time in more than 10 years. In addition, police officers were recalled to duty, and staffing levels were doubled. Around-theclock service was necessary to respond to power losses, traffic congestion and structural damages.
North Brunswick did not see damage as significant at South Brunswick’s, though residents of Deerbrook Village had to be evacuated and the township set up its first-ever shelter at North Brunswick Township High School.
Amy Cohen, Giovanna Branciforte, Debbie Druker and Dan Jolly were recognized by Gov. Chris Christie during a special ceremony in October in Trenton for their volunteer efforts.
There were no serious injuries in either town as a result of the storm.
What’s next: County officials indicated it could take months to replace the damaged Friendship Road bridge in South Brunswick.
The towns will now prepare for the winter storm season ahead.
2. S.B. can oppose proposed charter school
A state judge ruled against the Princeton International Academy Charter School (PIACS) in the charter school’s lawsuit against the South Brunswick School District on Nov. 16.
PIACS is a free public school that plans to provide Mandarin- English dual-language immersion, an inquiry-based curriculum framework following the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, and Singapore-style math instruction.
The school would be located at 12 Perrine Road and serve students from the South Brunswick, Princeton Regional and West Windsor- Plainsboro Regional school districts.
PIACS filed a lawsuit against the South Brunswick School District onAug. 10 after months of opposition to the charter school’s establishment within the town. In the lawsuit, the charter school claimed the three districts spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars intended for children’s education in their opposition efforts. They also alleged the districts spread false information about the school’s intentions. PIACS requested to be compensated by the districts in an amount equal to the public funds used against them.
However, an administrative law judge ruled last month that South Brunswick, along with the West Windsor-Plainsboro and Princeton school districts, can use public funds to oppose the charter school. The ruling said the districts have discretionary authority to oppose the charter school through zoning challenges, amicus participation, lobbying activities and public statements.
What’s next: The decision was sent to the Department of Education’s commissioner to be adopted, modified or rejected. If nothing is decided within 45 days, the ruling will automatically be upheld and become a final decision.
In the meantime, PIACS is undergoing hearings with the South Brunswick Zoning Board. Its proposed location at 12 Perrine Road is zoned for industrial use, so the school’s developer, 12 Perrine & Associates LLC, needs approval for a use variance. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 23.
3. Death of Osama bin Laden
Local residents reacted to the announcement that al-Qaeda leader and Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden had been killed in May in Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALs. Local officials and residents affected by the terrorist attacks almost a decade ago are reacting to his death.
This came just months before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when nearly 3,000 people were killed at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa., in addition to hundreds of first responders who have died or are ill. More than 600 New Jerseyans were killed that day.
What’s next: President Barack Obama kept his promised to remove troops from Iraq by the end of the year.
On a related note, the G.I. Go Fund, started by several South Brunswick residents, is committed to reaching out to veterans who have returned from military service, to help them restart their civilian lives.
4. The bells toll in North Brunswick
The North Brunswick Township Council approved an ordinance involving payment for pipe replacements at the Belcourt condominium complex, much to the dismay of the residents who live there.
The issue arose in 2005 in the Schmidt Lane complex because the polybutylene pipes installed during construction of 165 units in the 1980s failed due to erosion. In North Brunswick, the problem existed between the 8-inch cement-lined ductile iron pipe water main and the individual condominium unit internal plumbing systems.
Since the condo association could not afford to pay for the private improvement project, executive board members approached the township for financial assistance, since the township would be able to acquire money at a lower rate than the association itself.
After much discussion, the township agreed and replaced 145 service lines. Twenty of the units, all of which had been constructed in the early 1980s, were previously repaired.
Residents of the Hidden Lake development are now responsible for paying back a $2.25 million bond the township sold in August, which was originally purchased after discussions with the homeowners association in 2005. Each individual unit would be responsible for paying $13,600 in principal plus $5,600 in interest over the next 20 years.
What’s next: The township had initially sought assistance under the New Jersey Home Warranty Program, from state legislators and from Middlesex County, to no avail. Now township representatives are again asking Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblyman Upendra Chivikula to reintroduce legislation from 2006 that would have provided interestfree loans to replace the pipes; the bills did not move forward. The council would now like to involve other legislators, since this pipe problem affects developments across the state.
5. Happy holidays
South Brunswick became the second district in the state to mark Diwali as a school holiday.
The “festival of lights” is one of the most important holidays for Hindus, signifying the dispelling of darkness and victory of good over evil. During the biggest holiday in India, people are relieved from work and school for approximately five to seven days running up to the New Year’s celebration.
About 9,100 students are enrolled in the South Brunswick School District, a significant portion of whom are of an Indian background, so schools were closed on Oct. 26. Administrators were praised for their recognition of the holy day.
In North Brunswick, parents petitioned the school board to also make Diwali a school holiday because students either miss schoolwork if they take off, or they miss family time if they decide to stay in school.
What’s next: North Brunswick Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski said a draft of the school calendar is sent to the North Brunswick EducationAssociation and the administrators’association, a copy is then sent to the school board’s Student Services Committee, and then that committee makes a recommendation to the Board of Education. Typically, the approval for the following year is done in February.
6. Anti-bullying tactics
With the passage this year of legislation that sets protocols for how to handle harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) complaints, North and South Brunswick reacted with programs and initiatives to combat negative behaviors in schools.
The policy requires school districts to appoint a district-wide anti-bullying coordinator and anti-bullying specialists at each school. Any member of the school district is required to verbally report incidents of HIB to the principal the day of the incident; students, parents and visitors are encouraged to do the same.
Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick received a grant for the Positive Behavior Support in Schools (PBSIS) program, sponsored by the N.J. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs in collaboration with the Elizabeth Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Anew initiative is giving students coupons when they exhibit good behavior.
North Brunswick Township High School has followed suit with its “RISE Up!” [Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence] and “We are North Brunswick” mottos. Students participate in charitable and service learning projects within school confines.
Each elementary school has also put an emphasis on character education, understanding and tolerance.
In addition, the township at large is getting involved. Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski asked members of the Township Council to support anti-bullying efforts across the board. He asked for the support of township officials, law enforcement personnel, youth sports organizations, storeowners and other community leaders, and suggested establishing a task force that will work toward a community kickoff.
7. N.B. school board puts its energy into energy conservation
North Brunswick has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program as one of the leading districts in the country.
The district has had a four-year partnership with Energy Education Inc., a national energy conservation company that helps the district monitor its energy usage and cut costs.
In order to track energy savings, the district is using EnergyCAP, an independent third-party software product in compliance with the U.S. Department of Energy guidelines for the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol. The evaluations are based on consumption comparisons between the base period and the current billing cycle, meter by meter. Taken into account are changes in weather, building square footage and portable buildings, added or removed mechanical systems, new technology, and the length of billing cycles from month to month.
This year, the township school district received a symbolic check for saving over $1.6 million in energy costs over the past 34 months, The six schools, the board office and the transportation/maintenance facility have been labeled Energy Star efficient by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program. Plaques and decals are in public view at each building.
What’s next: North Brunswick will continue to save energy.
At the end of the fourth year of collaboration with Energy Education, the district will not have to pay any more fees.
8. Traffic report
The Route 1 bridge replacement project has reached substantial completion in North Brunswick.
Construction began in January 2009 between the Milltown Road and the Ryders Lane interchanges just north of the Route 1/130 interchange in North Brunswick. The $24.1 million project reduced the horizontal and vertical curvature below a structurally deficient bridge that traveled over an abandoned Conrail line, according to the NJDOT website. The proposed design replaced the fivespan bridge with a single span bridge and interconnected local roadways, removing severe curves below the bridge and improving accessibility to the adjacent businesses by building a bridge with a lower and shorter profile that will improve sight distance on Route 1.
The roadway was returned to the final traffic configuration in late August.
What’s next: Some minor electrical work, landscaping and project cleanup should be finished shortly.
9. Preserving history
After over four years of negotiations, the historic 192-acre Pulda Farm in South Brunswick has been preserved.
Records showthat the farm was originally owned by the Van Dyke family, some of the first settlers of South Brunswick, in 1652. The property was given to the family through an original land grant from King George III of England.
The farmis the only Van Dyke homestead remaining in the Davidson Mill Road area and is an example of a mid-19th century farmstead that has been relatively well preserved and has maintained a large portion of land for farming.
There is also evidence that shows a history of slavery on the farm, as well as slave quarters, which are still intact on the property.
The farm sits adjacent to Pigeon Swamp State Forest, Middlesex County’s only water supply with the state Department of Environmental Protection’s most protected status.
The purchase eliminated the potential for the building of 52 single-family homes, which would have impacted the school system and the local environment.
The total cost was $7.5 million. Both Middlesex County and South Brunswick Township contributed $2.5 million from their open space funds. The final third was funded by Middlesex County’s Green Acres funding. 10. Man sentenced for murdering his parents
Michael A. Maltese, 22, who was found guilty of pass ion/ provocation manslaughter in the death of his father and guilty of the murder of his mother, was sentenced Jan 21.
Maltese was sentenced to 64 years in prison for his crimes. He must serve a minimum of 85 percent before being eligible for parole.
Counting the time served while in custody, Maltese must serve around 42 years minimum. The maximum time spent in jail, figuring in custody, would be around 64 years.
Michael J. Maltese, 58, and Kathleen Maltese, 53, were individually strangled to death on Oct. 8, 2008, in their Maple Street home in South Brunswick. Their bodies were located two weeks later under a hill in the secluded Beech Woods Park in South Brunswick after Maltese brought police to the location.