To the Editor:
Fear Obscures Need For Legitimate Cuts
Enough with the scare tactics. Everyone in New Jersey screams about property taxes and the WW-P Board of Education should look into any legitimate way to keep costs down. If the New Jersey Education Association is so concerned, let THEM pay my proprty taxes.
As for “strangers in our schools” and the other slogans all over town: IF it got to outsourcing, you CAN do it with MY tax dollars because I have had enough. And IF it got to outsourcing, I would hope that contractors would have to have background checks and bonding.
Thomas Calabria
West Windsor
Biking Is Enjoyable
But Dangerous
West Windsor is a great area to live in. It has a great school district, a wonderful mayor, many serene parks, and the second largest train station in New Jersey for commuters. I personally like my town, and I take pride in riding my bike to the Aljons to get a slice of pizza or delicious garlic bread, or to the library to pick up some books or DVDs, or even to the train station to take a ride into Princeton.
I enjoy this, but the fact is that West Windsor has dangerous roads. Just look at North Mill Road, South Mill Road, or Clarkesville Road and look at the high speed limits, low police presence and dangerous risks pedestrians have to take to cross the street. Cranbury road going to Grovers Mill road has no sidewalk, forcing pedestrians onto the 50 m.p.h. speed limit roads. Wallace going toward Alexander Road is an extremely dangerous speedway during rush hour, yet there is no police presence at this time.
Has anything been done to make roads safer? Yes. There is, in fact, an organization known as the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance (WWBPA) that campaigns for safer roads. You can join this group. For more information go to wwbpa.org, the group’s website.
What else has been done? The West Windsor town government has completed a project known as the Dutch Neck Village Safety Improvements. This project was completed to lower the speed limits on Reed Drive, Oakwood Way, and South Mill Road. Also, following the 2005 automobile death of Rebecca Annito, the S curve that she died on was re-stripped and remodeled. Have these solutions helped? Yes, they did help, but have they really helped enough? No, they have not completely solved the the problem.
Several incidents have happened due to unsafe roads. On March 3rd 2008, an 18-year-old high school student, Christopher Dittrich, swerved off Route 571 and hit a tree, critically injuring himself. Dittrich was sober and wearing a seatbelt, and the airbag worked properly. Route 571 has a speed limit of 50 m.p.h., and it has many dangerous bends and turns, so this high speed limit should definitely be lowered by a significant amount especially on the route’s danger zones.
Jaquan Wilson, a 22-year-old from North Brunswick was killed in an accident on Village Road West, on January 15 2009. At the North Post Road intersection, his car smashed into a utility pole. The speed limit again is the problem and without doubt it has to be lowered from its 45 m.p.h., to 25 m.p.h. at this dangerous spot. I could keep going with West Windsor automobile deaths but I will not continue the depressing topic and get to the root of the subject. I will leave it to the reader to understand how pertinent the problem that we are dealing with is.
Now, after reading this editorial, please keep the WWBPA in your mind. Look at the website, maybe give some donations, maybe sign a petition, maybe just join the group. Anything you do with this group will help create safer roads. The more support the WWBPA receives, the less chance there is of innocent people dying. Keep safe.
Arvin Smith
Editor’s note: The writer is a ninth grade student at High School North.
Case in Point:
Pedestrian Is Hit
A West Windsor resident was hit by a car as he was crossing at the corner of Route 571 (Princeton-Hightstown Road) and Wallace Road at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 30. As was his custom, he was wearing a reflective vest to make himself more visible to motorists.
This intersection, near the train station in downtown Princeton Junction, is one of the busiest in West Windsor, and the safety problems there are well-known. The West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance recommended changes two years ago that would make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. These include adding crosswalks at all four crossings, repairing the non-functioning pedestrian-activated crossing signal, increasing overhead street lighting, adding “yield to pedestrian” signs at the four corners, and taking steps to reduce the speed of traffic (for more, see wwbpa.org). This same intersection led the list of those in West Windsor most in need of improvement, as presented by the WWBPA to the mayor, administration, and township council in January, 2009. It was also the focus of extensive recommendations presented following an educational walk on October 9, 2007. So far, we have seen essentially no changes.
The Township is planning an informational meeting on possible improvements to Route 571 between Wallace/Cranbury Road and Clarksville Road on December 15 at the West Windsor Municipal Center. These plans appear to be merely “concept plans,” so it is important that residents make clear that they want the right improvements made to this intersection.
Increasing pedestrian safety benefits us all. The benefits to pedestrians are obvious. For drivers, increased lighting and other safety measures on our dark roads can prevent the nightmare of realizing that you have just hit a pedestrian. Fortunately, this particular pedestrian suffered no neurological damage nor broken bones.
Sandy Shapiro
Trustee, West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliancewww.wwbpa.org
Editor’s Note: See page 1 for a report on the December 15 presentation by the county regarding proposed safety improvements to Route 571.
The incident that Shapiro references in her letter above occurred on November 30 just after dusk, according to West Windsor Police Lieutenant Patrick McCormick.
A 64-year-old Princeton Junction resident was struck by a car driven by a 56-year-old man from Lawrence as he was making a right turn from Wallace Road onto Route 571 eastbound, said McCormick. “According to the pedestrian, he was approximately a quarter of the way into the intersection when he was struck and knocked to the ground,” McCormick said. “He ended up in the seated position.”
McCormick said the victim claimed he did not call police initially because he needed to get home, and the driver of the car gave him a ride home. No ticket was issued because the report was not filed until the next day after the incident, McCormick said. Police took a report based on the fact that there was a complaint of pain involved.
“Unfortunately, both roads are heavily traveled, and most of the incidents that I’ve seen over the yaers occur at dusk, which is the worst time of the day when visiblity is the poorest,” said McCormick.
He advised pedestrians to wear reflective vests or clothing or to carry flashlights to make themselves more visible, and drivers to pay close attention. “People just don’t see the pedestrians,” he said.
Junior Women
Thank Donors
An Old German proverb says, “Charity sees the need, not the cause,” and that was especially true this past holiday season. The Princeton Area Junior Women’s Club and the Princeton Area Juniorettes have collected over $1,100 during the holiday season with the Wish Tree. In addition to the hundreds of presents we collected for the underprivileged children of this area, the PAJWC also collected donations of linens and clothing for multiple families we “adopted” through the Division of Youth and Family Services.
We would like to thank the generous contributors who have helped to make a huge difference in the children’s lives at DYFS and Anchor House. One of many contributors was Borhens Moving and Storage of Robbinsville. They have been helping the Princeton Area Junior Women’s Club for the past few years donating time and trucks to transport gifts to needy children. We would also like to thank MarketFair, MarketFair employees, and MarketFair shoppers for their continual support, as well as the Girls Scouts of both WW-P and East Windsor. Last but not least, thank you to the Caruso family for their generous and continued support for the past few years.
Mardana Naidu
Publicity Officer, Princeton Area Junior Women’s Club
Prevent Rx Errors
As an older New Jerseyan, I was stunned by the recent report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies stating medication errors are among the most common medical mistakes, jeopardizing the health of anyone who takes prescription drugs. Older adults take the most prescriptions of any age group so they are especially vulnerable.
As you read this, an important bill awaits state Senate and Assembly approval: S 409, sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew. The bill is designed to improve prescription medication error prevention and reporting among pharmacies.
Often referred to as the “pharma capital” of the U.S., New Jersey should set the gold standard in improving prescription medication errors and reporting. This comprehensive bill creates a “Medication Error Prevention Task Force” responsible for providing state guidelines for medication error prevention, pharmacy quality improvement, and consumer education programs.
S 409 would help pharmacies prevent such errors; I urge all state legislators to help in moving this legislation forward.
Marie Piper
AARP Volunteer, Plainsboro
