From the issue of March 29, 2007.
Thanks for story on salamanders
To the editor:
I happened to pick up the South Brunswick Post today it’s been awhile since I read any newspaper due to my busy schedule. As I thumbed through it, your article about the salamanders caught my eye. I noticed the Web site and looked it up.
Potential salamander sightings tonight! My husband and I made a split decision to interrupt our normal bedtime routine and load all four girls into the van. He grabbed some flashlights and we were off.
We weren’t sure what we were looking for and I felt a little silly to not have the foresight to bring the six ponchos I had purchased. I did happen to have an umbrella in the car.
Though it was lightly drizzling, it was quite comfortable outside.
We soon met up with a group of salamander-sighters as we walked down White Pine Road. It was really nice to be hanging out with these strangers, each one of us watching out for the others’ kids as cars approached. Each one of us, sharing any new discovery.
We got really excited as the sound of the peepers got louder and louder. We saw some in the distance and some of the kids tried to catch them. As we explored the various puddles and other bodies of water, we kept our eyes peeled for the salamanders.
As we were heading back to the car, my youngest daughter, Samantha, noticed something moving in back of us.
"I see something moving."
I walked back with her and looked. It was a salamander! It was bigger than I expected and beautiful.
The girls can’t wait to come back next year and visit the salamanders. It was definitely a memorable experience.
Thanks!
Chris Rickle
Kendall Park
Agarwal brings fresh approach
To the editor
South Brunswick’s school board would benefit from the fresh ideas offered by Surabhi Agarwal. In particular, I am impressed with her ideas of involving local science experts in our students’ education and of developing renewable energy sources in our school district.
As a teacher in the Middlesex County Vocation and Technical High Schools, I have seen the benefit of using experts in business and industry to help train students in trade and technical skills. Our health technologies program partners with St. Peter’s University Hospital to offer students real world experiences in working hospitals. There, doctors and other health care professionals share their knowledge and expertise. Similar collaborations are successful in other trades and professions as well. Creating partnerships with the many scientific firms in South Brunswick could offer our students educational enrichment, as Ms. Agarwal suggests.
The concept of using solar power or other renewable energy sources in our school district is an exciting idea. I am sure our environmental science classes cover such topics. Isn’t it time we begin to practice what we preach? The initial investment in alternative energy can quickly pay for itself with savings on energy bills and has the additional benefit of helping to protect our fragile environment. What better lesson and legacy can we offer our children?
I commend Ms. Agarwal for thinking "outside the box" to find ways to make South Brunswick’s schools even better. It’s time for voters to think "outside the box" as well and take a fresh approach by casting their ballots for her.
Surabhi Agarwal has my full support for a seat on the board.
Jean E. Dvorak
South Brunswick
Santowasso deserves vote
To the editor:
Susan Santowasso has had a distinguished tenure of service as a special education teacher in the South Brunswick school system. She has demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism through her exemplary career and provided others with a standard of excellence that will prove difficult to match.
In her commitment to community service, she has participated for many years in the annual Women’s Leadership Conference. By being certain that numerous elderly residents are able to attend activities and have transportation to appointments, she has demonstrated an uncommon degree of public-spiritedness.
Her distinguished record of service, leadership and achievement stands as a model for serving people and makes Susan Santowasso an outstanding choice for election to the South Brunswick school board on April 17. I heartily endorse her candidacy.
Carolyn S. McCallum
Kendall Park
Agarwal offers fresh ideas
To the editor:
I agree with Surabhi Agarwal, who is running for the school board, that we all need to do our part in improving our environment.
Using solar energy in schools, switching to alternative fuel for school buses, reducing paper mailings are some great starting point. We would be setting examples for our children to take care of the environment they live in.
I have known Ms. Agarwal for over 10 years. As a professional and a parent of two school age children she has been actively involved in helping out in the schools and the community. She is very hard working and always looking for ways to bring improvements to the education system and the environment.
Anju Bagaria
Kendall Park
Outside the box with Agarwal
To the editor:
I am writing in support of Surabhi Agarwal, a candidate for school board.
This candidate has many new and different outlooks on the way that our school system could be altered for the better. She has what is needed to help the teachers, administration and parents, as well as we taxpayers to change and update our system to higher standards of both education and savings.
We need new ideas, new enthusiasm, new ways of looking at and trying ideas and methods to lower the costs and up the standards in our schools.
An entrenched bureaucracy can, after all, find it very hard to think outside the box, and that is what we need in these difficult times, new thinking. As both a parent involved with both middle and high school children, as well as a long time resident, Ms. Agarwal is committed to both the township and the schools.
We need new blood in our systems. Let us begin with this lady with the hope that we can see improvements in the future.
Evelyn M. Catoe
Kendall Park
Time for fresh face on board
To the editor:
I read with interest the letter from Surabhi Agarwal, one of the candidates running for Board of Education.
While it can be said that experience is very important, I feel it is time for a new, fresh, and much-needed perspective on the school board. If we always elect the people with the most experience, then, as Sen. Barack Obama pointed out early during his campaign, we might as well not have elections.
Surabhi Agarwal has some very interesting ideas for improving the school district that are definitely worth considering. She represents a new voice in the community, one that has not had much of a say in school board affairs. As a member of the Chinese-American community, I am glad that someone from the Asian community is running for this position. I think it is important that this community is represented especially in light of the changing demographics of this township.
Kevin Liu
Kendall Park
New candidate best for district
To the editor:
One candidate that stands out is Surabhi Agarwal and I am pleased to be able to write this letter of support for a person who is sincere, caring, and honest. I have known Ms. Agarwal for the past 15 years and have admired her great analytical skills and strong collaborative approach to solving problems.
I remember about 11 years ago, when a new housing development was scheduled to come up replacing the corn fields behind our houses, Ms. Agarwal assumed the leadership role, went house to house in that row asking people if they would be interested in buying a 50-foot strip of the farmland.
The proposal was turned down by the builder. So she again rallied neighbors to press upon the builder to clean up and fill the swale running adjacent to our backyards. The proposal was accepted with the help of the then Mayor Douglas Hoffman and we all now have a cleaner, leveled backyard.
Similarly, Ms. Agarwal took it upon herself to go to various basketball games in the district and approach parents to sign a petition to start a recreational basketball league for high school girls.
With her leadership skills and fresh new ideas I can assure everyone that she will provide the practical recommendations and policy guidance needed for a high-performing school district such as ours. She has the ability to bring people together to achieve the ambitious goal of providing our youngsters with quality education that develops skills and talents to the fullest extent.
That being said, she also has the exceptional ability to build warm caring relationships with the people on the other side of the age spectrum.
Research indicates that increased communication leads to increased achievement, and Ms. Agarwal, with her superior communication and collaborative skills, can motivate teachers, parents, students, and administrators to strengthen the link in the educational continuum.
I vigorously support her views for a greener, cleaner environment. We as residents of this town should encourage the schools as well as individual homes to adopt alternate sources of energy for our numerous school buildings. Alternate cleaner burning fuels for our bus fleet is an excellent idea amid the growing concern for the environment and increasing gas prices. It is important to support a safe and healthy environment for our children.
Ms. Agarwal has the capacity and intellect to help improve the curriculum, instruction, and assessment of our students. She is well aware of course-title inflation and grade inflation in other school districts and I am sure that she will work to bring a more level playing field for our students.
Enhancing teacher training programs is another one of her goals.
I am sure she would work hard to keep mounting expenses in check and help older residents of this township, just as she would work to support organizational structure and a school culture that promotes high expectations and fosters success.
Rita Masson
Kendall Park
Delgado, Tupe, Shah for board
To the editor:
The election process can create a feeling of powerlessness in individuals; the sentiment being that my one vote does not count. Given the past two presidential elections, it is easy to understand such a mindset.
However, we do have a powerful vote to cast every April. We vote on who will guide our schools for the next three years and our vote is one in 3,000, not one in millions. Your vote always matters and in the school board and budget elections, your vote is quite significant.
This April we have a large pool of good candidates to choose from and three who stand above the rest. When considering the impact they will have on the direction of our schools, the curriculum, future budgets and policy, Police Capt. Harry Delgado, Anna Tupe and Mahesh "Mac" Shah bring expertise, passion and commitment to the position.
Capt. Delgado has proven his leadership abilities and commitment to our children and township. He has risen to positions of leadership in his professional life just recently promoted to captain of the South Brunswick Police Department. He led the Board of Education as president for three years and has held numerous positions of leadership with the New Jersey School Boards Association.
Capt. Delgado’s knowledge and experience make him stand above the rest when weighing the need for our children to have a challenging curriculum taught by excellent teachers delivered in a safe environment.
Anna Tupe has dedicated her career to children as a school nurse. She first worked as a school nurse for children with special needs and now works for the North Brunswick Board of Education. Her knowledge of the unique needs of children who face special challenges makes her invaluable to the board.
Her devotion to children is apparent in South Brunswick; Ms. Tupe works on board committees, school fundraisers, PTA/O functions, the Women’s Leadership Conference Ms. Tupe walks the talk, a rare characteristic among many elected officials. By immersing herself into the fabric of South Brunswick’s schools, she has a unique insight into the issues at each individual school building.
Mahesh "Mac" Shah moved to South Brunswick and rather than settle into his new community and search for how it could serve him, he rolled up his sleeves and began serving his community. His dedication to decision making that reflects the community’s desires is apparent when you hear him speak about the issues he is asked to cast votes on as a South Brunswick Planning Board member. Raising two children, one who has graduated from South Brunswick public schools, Mr. Shah understands the need for maintaining a high quality of education. He will bring this commitment and passion to the Board of Education.
Your one vote counts; it shapes the direction of our schools. A significant aspect of that direction is dependent on the passing of the school budget. There is an increase, it will hurt and no one favors paying more. We feel the pinch each time we fill the tank in our car.
Supporting the budget allows us to fill a more precious tank the minds of our children this budget is designed to fulfill that obligation responsibly. On April 17, I ask you to join me in supporting Capt. Delgado, Ms. Tupe and Mr. Shah and to support the budget.
Carole O’Brien
South Brunswick
School board should be diverse
To the editor:
I’ve been a resident of South Brunswick for almost 30 years and went to middle school and high school here. So much has changed in that time, mostly for the good.
One of the positive changes is the increasing diversity in this township. I can remember being very uncomfortable in my skin during my first year in Crossroads School. There were probably less than 10 students of my ethnicity in the entire school population of 700 or so. Today, there might be 10 students of color in a given class.
I am glad that my son, who is now in Crossroads, can be comfortable with who he is and that he is supported by a wonderful, nurturing, and highly qualified faculty and staff that celebrates this diversity.
I am also encouraged by the fact that several Asian-Americans, including Surabhi Agarwal, are running for the school board this year. I believe it is important that the school board reflect the diversity of the school district and the township in general.
Ms. Agarwal’s letter to the editor clearly demonstrates that she has a keen awareness of the things that make our schools great and the things that can make them even better.
Viji Anantharaman
Kendall Park