THOMAS H. PYLE
Balsam Lane
CARRIE STRASBURGER
DIANE GOLOMB
Co-Chairs, PHS 2006 Post Prom Party
BARBARA L. JOHNSON
WENDY L.J. McNEIL
KAREN R. FUCHS
Princeton Public Library Organizers for "Welcome Back Superman" Benefit
To the Editor:
The recent Township Committee discussion over library books is astonishing. Committeemen Hearon and Miller want a bond to fund $100,000 for book purchases, to help our Library amidst its current budgetary tightness. Last meeting, Mr. Miller even lamented that not funding the books would be a municipal insult to librarian Leslie Berger upon her installation as head of the American Library Association.
Several things are wrong here. First, it is bad financial policy to use a bond, a device for capital spending, for operating expenses. Second, the Committee has already raised Township expenses 8.9 percent, triple the inflation rate. Now it wants to pile this on top of that? Third, the Library must get its private fund-raising into gear, or live within its means like the rest of us. Unfulfilled fund-raising targets of Friends of the Library, as I understand, are why the Township has a whopping Library expenditure in the first place. The Township cannot always be funder of last resort for underperforming local agencies that don't fulfill their pledges.
Please, Township Committee, hold the line for us citizen taxpayers! In your last six budgets, all surpassing inflation by 300 percent, you have stretched us to the maximum, while your administrators carp that "there is nothing we can do." Here's something you can do: reject this ill-advised funding of operating expenses by capital means. Insist that all agencies live within their means. Place first in your minds not the well-meaning but inappropriate courtesy of honoring individuals by municipal spending supplementals, but the citizen taxpayers whom this one-party Committee mindlessly continues to abuse and take for granted.
THOMAS H. PYLE
Balsam Lane
To the Editor:
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Princeton and Cranbury communities for helping to make this year's Princeton High School Post Prom Party a huge success. More than 400 students attended the "Fire and Ice" festivities on Friday night, May 19 after the Junior-Senior prom, and a great time was had by all. Because of the generosity of the parents and community at large, we raised close to $10,000 and were able to attain our goal of providing a safe and fun party for the students.
In particular we would like to thank the following local businesses, corporations, and organizations for their contributions of money or gifts in kind: Abel Bagel, Alliance Homes, American Sew and Vac, ARI Products, Bath and Body Works, Chazzmatazz Formal Wear, Charmed by Claire, Chestnut Tree Books, Chuck's Spring Street Cafe, A. S. Cole and Sons, Corner House, Cranbury Arts Council, Cranbury Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Cranbury Lions Club, Cranbury PTO, Cranbury Township, Fedora Cafe, Forest Jewelers, Fowler's Gulf, George's Roasters and Ribs, Halo Farms, Hoagie Haven, lano's Restaurant, Image Photo, Jordan's, Kitchen Kapers, Kopp's Cycle Shop, Main Street, Mandalay Trading Company, McCaffrey's, Metropolis, Micawber Books, Mystique, Nail Spa, N.Y. Sports Club, Olive's, P.A.B Local No. 130, Panera, The Papery of Princeton, Piccadilly Pizza Star, A Place to Bead, Premier Video, Princeton University Store, Salty Dog, Small World Coffee, E.Y. Staats and Co. Haircutters, Teresa's, Thomas Sweet, Village Silver, Wegmans, Wild Oats, and Carla Wragge.
The success of this evening is due to the hard work and generosity of many people and we apologize for inadvertently omitting any names. Many thanks for all the support and hard work that went into making the 2006 Post Prom Party a special night for everyone.
CARRIE STRASBURGER
DIANE GOLOMB
Co-Chairs, PHS 2006 Post Prom Party
To the Editor:
The Welcome Back Superman benefit at the Garden Theatre on Tuesday afternoon, June 27, was both satisfying and successful. Nearly 300 adults and young people enjoyed the special preview of Bryan Singer's action packed Superman Returns in its only showing in Princeton, and several thousand dollars were raised for teen programs at the Princeton Public Library.
The management and staff of the Garden Theatre rose to the occasion magnificently. The lobby was decorated with huge posters of Brandon Routh in blue tights and red cape on every wall. Movie posters were also in every display case inside and outside the theatre. Larry Haber and Louise Stephens of Destinta Theatres, the organization that manages the Garden and theatres in Hamilton and elsewhere, were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly. Mr. Haber was especially involved and helpful in the planning and execution of this event.
Extra staff was hired, especially at the concession stand where teenagers in spanking white polo shirts popped popcorn and filled special Superman Returns containers so that every ticket holder could have a large popcorn and a soda courtesy of Warner Bros. and the theatre management. Operations Manager Sean Crean personally directed traffic at the concession stand to keep the line moving.
Mr. Haber, who encouraged us to have Library materials available, took it upon himself to pass out copies of the Library newsletter Connections to seated patrons to read while they waited for the film to begin. While the movie was playing theatre manager Rob Jefferson supervised staff in rolling up large and small Superman Returns posters provided by Warner Bros. for distribution after the film ended.
Frank Carroll, Warner Bros. vice president for distribution, came down from New York for this event, along with Nick Guadagno, who books movies into the theatres. Both were favorably impressed with the way things were going. And Grace Sinden, Bryan Singer's mother, who had put in a good word for us with her son that resulted in Warner Bros. giving us the film for a special benefit showing, was present along with her husband, grandchildren, and other family and friends to accept many compliments on her son's latest movie.
This was an event that appealed to Superman aficionados, several of whom came in Superman shirts or capes, and for whom it has been nearly 20 years since the last Superman movie. But, as a mother remarked afterwards, there are few (if any) benefits in Princeton where parents come with their children. And since the Princeton Public Library is all about being a resource for young people as well as grown-ups, this is also what made Welcome Back Superman satisfying as well as successful.
BARBARA L. JOHNSON
WENDY L.J. McNEIL
KAREN R. FUCHS
Princeton Public Library Organizers for "Welcome Back Superman" Benefit