To the Editor:
North & South
Tie in Tolerance
Perhaps an open walled school produces open minded teenagers.”
A joke? Some kind of misguided attempt at sickly humor? Clearly, thought I upon reading the infuriating letter by Megan Gerity published in this paper’s November 30 issue, no one could actually believe that simple architecture could radically change the moral lenses of students from the same town..##M:[more]##
The idea that one school is morally superior in its dealings with race than the other is simply absurd. The letter spoke of “horrible stories based on how intolerant teenagers at North are not only on race, but with culture, religion, status, appearance, and sexual orientation.”
I have been a student at High School North for four years, and not once has there ever been any “horrible” incident involving race, culture, religion, status, appearance, or sexual orientation. The claim stating otherwise is simply a lie. Though I can’t claim to have as much experience with South, I’m just about positive that there hasn’t been any such occurrence at the open-walled counterpart either.
The fact is that both schools in the West-Windsor Plainsboro are amazingly diverse places. There’s a face for nearly every country around the world represented here in our towns. That’s something that simply does not happen in most other parts of the country or the world. To suggest that the grouping of students based on race is discriminatory is ridiculous.
Of course students of similar races gravitate towards one another. It’s human nature to surround oneself with people who share similar experiences, who were brought up with the same teachings and speaking the same languages. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with walking down the main hallway of High School North (Or South) and seeing an Asian group, a white group, a Hispanic group, a black group, or an Indian group.
These groupings are constantly shifting and combining, people of one group melding easily into another. Not once have I felt any kind of taboo by joining a group who didn’t share the cultural or racial background that I have. Not once have I seen any student turned away from a social gathering because of the color of their skin or the accent in their speech.
It’s quite possible that the response to Molly Kwon Brossman’s original letter was simply a misguided manifestation of the North-South rivalry that has risen to an unpleasant level this year after a brief spree of graffiti-related incidents. It did no good to soften these tensions, as students around North were buzzing with righteous anger at being accused of intolerance.
What to do now? Ignore the falsities of that letter and continue to enjoy the diversity of our high schools. After all, we’re the same people, just different colored clothing.
Tim O’Connor
North Class of 2008
Projected Growth Demands Planning
Several months ago, former mayor of West Windsor Mike Mastro wrote a letter to the News in which he discussed the possible negative impact a Transit Village would have upon completion.
He mentioned the increased cost to taxpayers due to increased costs to be borne by the public works department in personnel and equipment. This would also apply to the police department, to township and administration services, and to almost all services provided by West Windsor. What Mayor Mastro neglected to mention was that this dismal scenario will take place irrespective of whether there is a Transit Village or not because there is a fundamental problem facing West Windsor. The problem is that the population is growing and the land available for development is shrinking.
Last June the U.S. Census Bureau released new population estimates, which showed that West Windsor was the fastest growing municipality in Mercer County. Statistics showed that the township grew 20 percent since 2,”000 and that the population was estimated at 26,”279. Back in school, when we were taught the principles of compound growth, we learned that if you invest your money at 6 percent interest, it will double in 12 years. Populations also obey the principles of compound growth. If we assume that West Windsor’s population will grow at a modest rate of 3 percent, in 14 years there will be almost 40,”000 people here.
How do we meet this challenge of significant population growth? Sound, proper planning is critical and must be based upon planning fundamentals and not on political promises or personal judgments. The first of these planning fundamentals is to precisely define the problem(s) that have to be solved.
More parking space is not the problem, it is part of the problem. More housing, an attractive main street, a sense of place and desired amenities are not the problems, they are all parts of the problem. A proper plan will yield results that exceed the sum of the parts but only if the plan recognizes that the parts are contingent on one another and must be considered comprehensively. One need look no further than our neighbors in Hamilton who face a significant tax increase to see the results of poor planning.
In stark contrast, West Windsor has just been given an AAA bond rating, the highest possible, which will result in lower interest costs on general improvement bonds which, in turn, will result in lower costs to our taxpayers. In time, Mayor Hsueh’s stance on redevelopment will prove as successful as his financial policies. It pays to have a professional planner as mayor.
The next step in plan development is to define the variables that will impact your plan and determine what resources are required to deal with those variables. Town Council is to be congratulated for taking this step by voting the new $200,”000 bond ordinance to obtain further financial, traffic, infrastructure and legal advice. This is money well spent. The results will be interesting to compare with the original Hillier results to see where they agree or disagree.
Finally, the plan must be rigorously monitored via citizen driven oversight and maximum control, as allowed by statute, must be maintained. Only a plan as described above, in partnership with the state and within the 350-acre redevelopment area, has the possibility of solving our real problem which is the smooth integration of a growing population into the West Windsor environment and the creation of an equitable tax ratable base.
Al Lerner
Rainflower Lane
New Low Achieved In WW Politics
One of the areas that has most concerned me about the mayor/Hillier redevelopment plan is the financial projections. Based on what I could see, it looked like our average tax burden would increase $4,”000/year and those that parked in the contract lots would have our fees increased to over $2,”000/year. Especially with kids going to college and approaching college, $6,”000/year is a lot of money for my household. The mayor/Hillier projections clearly were missing costs, had no discussion of upfront costs and were fraught with enormous upside risk based on very rosy projections.
I was glad to see in August the township had decided to assemble a committee of our fellow citizens to provide an independent review of the project financials. The process took several months to complete, but finally the three committee members were selected. Who does our township select as a committee member — Cosmo Iacavazzi. Cosmo may be a great guy — I don’t know him. But, let’s look at his background – vice president and director of new business development for Commercial Property Network, former mayor of Hillsborough, current Pennington resident. Some might say that profile for a West Windsor financial committee member sounds like “the fox guarding the hen house.”
So let’s take a minute to assess this committee member selection — someone who doesn’t live in our town, doesn’t pay taxes in our town, can improve the quality of life in their town by diminishing ours, and is employed by a large development company that can profit from the redevelopment is going to guide and review decisions that will deeply effect our town. Is this really happening? Major decisions that affect our town are being reviewed and made by someone with zero “skin-in-the-game.”
Whatever direction the township redevelopment project takes, the most important component is that we all understand the financial impacts and risks of the project. There must be absolute transparency in this process. Whatever decisions are made will not please everyone, but if we reach township consensus based on accurate and comprehensive information, things have gone well. Clearly, the committee composition raises serious red flags.
We need to look no further than our neighbors in Hamilton to see what happens when that is not the case. Redevelopment decisions were made based on the developer’s best interests. The citizens and government of Hamilton would not be scrambling to cancel that redevelopment plan if their citizens had advance information that clearly enumerated risks, and that the associated financial projections were comprehensive and accurate. Let’s hope we don’t experience the same hardships. Mike Baxter
Landing Lane, Princeton Junction
Passing the Buck?
A Hunter’s View
This is in response to the November 30 article entitled “Passing the Buck.”
Douglas Opalski painted a picture very reminiscent of a Disney classic “Bambi.” A wonderful movie for children and adults alike. Now let’s get to the real world. Being an avid hunter for 40 years, and having family who still hunt, I take offense using a wounded deer story to get your point across that we are a wasteful society.
You state that the deer had been shot in the leg, Mr. Opalski, but shotgun deer season doesn’t start until December 3. Quite possibly the deer was hit by a car, which kill more deer in the state than hunters do. The real fact is the herds aren’t being thinned brutally, they’re actually growing — mainly due to sprawling developments and lack of hunters. This is causing widespread starvation in the population.
Also if we want to use quotes from the Bible and it’s exacting revenge, the good book says that GOD put all creatures on this earth for man to do with as he saw fit.
So if we want to do something green we should promote hunting and hunters who through their purchases of licences help the state maintain good healthy populations of wildlife. Next time we should leave the deer and insinuations about hunters out of an article about leaving the world better for the next generation.
Thomas LePrevost
Edinburg
Christmas Music
Every aspect of Christmas is embellished with music. Silent Night is probably sung in the vernacular the world over. With this carol a reverence compels us to be silent, less the commercial noises distract the true meaning of this blessed event. Ave Maria depicts the Blessed Mother as saintly and our guardian in times of tribulation.
The melody, be it Guonod’s or Schubert’s, generates euphoric emotions;we feel good about others and ourselves.
Come All You Faithful sends a clear message to bend our knees and pay homage to our savior. It is a wake-up call for those of us who neglected our faith and a boost for others to enhance their continued faith.
White Christmas brings warmth to family and friends with snow lighting our paths and a fireside to brighten friendships.This unseen love makes everything feel good — life is worth living
There are many more songs that encourage peace and good will.Which are yours?
Victor Opalski
West Windsor
Vote For Bill
(Richardson)
I invite my fellow citizens to learn more about Bill Richardson, the best qualified Democrat running for president. Bill has been the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, U.S. energy secretary, a seven-term congressman, and is currently the two-term governor of New Mexico. He is eminently qualified to be president, with significant domestic and international experience, in addition to his exceptional leadership skills.
Unlike his key rivals, Bill wants us out of Iraq now. He is tired of unfunded mandates that burden taxpayers, like “No Child Left Behind.” Bill has an aggressive energy plan to end our dependence on foreign oil, which will also bring us closer to beating global warming.
This election isn’t over; no votes have been cast. I believe strongly in Mr. Richardson, and I am running as a delegate for him in the 14th and 15th state legislative districts. We need a capable, experienced candidate who will end the Iraq war, as the American majority demands. In the next few months, the Richardson campaign will be holding open houses and other events throughout New Jersey. Watch and listen for the name: Bill Richardson.
Jack Greenberg
17 Prospect Avenue, Plainsboro
Traditions Thanks
On behalf of Plainsboro Township, I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the many community organizations, businesses, and volunteers that made the 10th annual TRADITIONS — the international showcase of festivals, holidays, and celebrations — such a success. Thanks to their generous contributions of time, talent, and financial support, this community event has grown into a model for inclusion and cultural awareness.
Combining discovery of similarities between worldwide celebrations as well as enjoyment and appreciation of cultural traditions, each year has brought an overwhelming positive response!
Our thanks to all who have made this unique event possible. It has become a “tradition” of its own.
Joanne Lupica
Director, Plainsboro Recreation
