To the Editor:

Candidates for the Princeton Board of Education will meet in a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Princeton Community TV on Wednesday, October 2 at 7 p.m. Monument Main, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton. Questions will be taken from the audience. Video of the forum will be broadcast on Princeton TV and posted at the League’s website www.lwvprinceton.org and on VOTE411.org.

The League is also planning forums for candidates for Princeton Council and the 16th Legislative District. Final arrangements will be made as candidates work out their schedules. Stay tuned: keep an eye on the League website and Princeton TV! You may send questions for the candidates to lwvprinceton@gmail.com. more

To the Editor:

My public life began when then Princeton Borough Mayor Marvin Reed appointed me to the Cable Television Committee in the 1990s. The first task of the committee back then was to establish a permanent studio to serve as a location where local residents could learn to shoot, edit, and cablecast local access programming. Using funds collected from cable fees and made available to the committee by the governments of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, we able to acquire equipment and secure a few rooms in the Arts Council Building to be the first home of Princeton’s TV30. more

To the Editor:

Mark your calendars! Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, and the polls will be open from 6 a.m. through 8 p.m. I write to provide Vote By Mail information and highlight the Democratic Party ticket in Mercer County.

You may apply for a Vote By Mail Ballot at the County Clerk’s office in Trenton, 209 South Broad Street, or by downloading an application at the NJ Division of Elections website at www.state.nj.us/state/elections.  Mail your completed application to the Mercer County Clerk (209 South Broad Street, PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650), up to seven days prior to the election or better yet, deliver it in person at the County Clerk’s office up until 3 p.m. on November 4. more

To the editor:

With the start of the school year, our thoughts turn to children’s learning and development. We know the importance nurturing children through reading and singing to them, engaging them in play with colorful objects, providing sound nutrition, and involving children in other activities that will enhance their early childhood development. That’s why I hope readers will join me in urging Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman to cosponsor legislation being introduced by Reps. Castro (D-TX) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA) that would bring early childhood development (ECD) to children all around the world. more

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Princeton Recreation Commission, I would like to thank our sponsors, volunteers, participants and Recreation staffers who made the 2019 Kids ‘Splash N Dash’ Aquathon a great success on August 18. Nearly 50 children, ages 7-14, participated in the Aquathon this year.

The support of our community sponsors allows us to run the Aquathon at a very affordable price to all interested children.  Special thanks to Princeton University, The Bank of Princeton, Ace Hardware, Princeton Supply, SpeedPro Imaging of Mercer County, and Baldino Brothers for their financial support, and to both The Princeton Police Department and Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad for their in-kind support and services.

I would like to acknowledge the huge volunteer effort that helped make the event a success!  Led by Princeton Recreation Team Member Vikki Caines, more than 50 volunteers marshaled the events alongside a host of Recreation staffers.  In addition, Princeton Recreation Commission Chair, Darius Young volunteered his DJ services to provide music for the event.

We look forward to the Kids ‘Splash N Dash’ Aquathon again in 2020!

Ben Stentz
Executive Director 

To the Editor:

I own a small nutrition business in Princeton, and I am the producer and director of a health promoting show on Princeton Community TV (PCTV) called The CogniDiet Healthy Lifestyle Show with Veronique. I have been doing this since September 2018. My show is aired twice a month.

I am passionate about health education and host medical and wellness experts, often local, to talk about issues ranging from how to prevent type 2 diabetes, to fatty liver, to the power of meditation. I had cognitive behavioral therapists, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, Reiki experts, healthy cooks, and cancer survivors on my show. They are an inspiration to the community. more

To the Editor:

Our society has been trained to believe that obtaining a high SAT score, getting into a great college, and, of course, making as much money as possible (greed), are the true signs of success. What society fails to recognize and more importantly teach, is empathy and compassion.

My daughter’s boyfriend, who is serving in the military, was eating in a Mexican restaurant on the West Coast. He is Puerto Rican and Guatemalan. He purchased his meal and sat down to eat it when two white people, a man and a woman, approached him saying “you need to go back to Mexico and die, you rapist drug dealer,” took his food, threw it on the floor, and left the restaurant.

What is happening at the border is a clearly reminiscent of what occurred in Europe in 1939. In the United States today if you have brown or black skin you are a target for hatred. History is clearly repeating itself here in the United States. more

To the Editor:

As a devoted reader of Stuart Mitchner’s weekly essays, I marveled at his “Celebrating Herman Melville’s 200th Birthday: The Word is Love” [Book Review, August 7]. Not only did he explain his happy obsession with Moby-Dick, he challenged Jill Lepore’s piece in the July 29 New Yorker by documenting Melville’s enduring marriage to Elizabeth Shaw. Further, Stuart cited the ultimate salute to Melville and the whale in Philip Hoare’s Moby-Dick Big Read of all chapters of the great work with gorgeous art and music which has received 10 million hits to date. This masterful essay was written by the only one of us among nine million residents of the Garden State to sport a MOBY license plate. Hats off to Stuart, long may he wave!

Scott McVay
Province Line Road

The writer, author of “The Last of the Great Whales” (Scientific American), formerly served on the U.S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission.

To the Editor:

The Sourland Conservancy recently held its 16th Annual Sourland Mountain Festival and will hold its 8th annual Sourland Spectacular bicycle rally on September 7. Through these events, plus free guided trail hikes and the popular Hopewell Borough Train Station Series of Sourland-centric talks and presentations, the Conservancy advances its mission of advocating for the protection of the region, educating the public on its nature and history, and providing resources to encourage stewardship of our natural world. I encourage residents of the Sourland region and those who live nearby to visit the Conservancy’s website (www.sourland.org) and Facebook page to learn more about the valuable work being done, how you can help, or simply enjoy what the Conservancy has to offer!

Daniel Pace, Trustee
Sourland Conservancy

To the Editor:

Pedestrians are becoming bold, and they should be. They are boldly speaking out at Council meetings and planning board sessions, demanding more and safer pedestrian crossings. They are, in some cases, joining forces with bicyclists to advocate for bike lanes that will give cyclists a safe alternative to sidewalks.

Bold is good. But there is one place where being bold is not good for pedestrians. That’s inside those zebra-striped walkways that mark designated pedestrian crossings. Inside those crossings, the ones often marked by signs proclaiming that motorists must yield to pedestrians, bold is not good. As they approach and enter those crossings pedestrians should be tentative, defensive, and wary. The law says motorists must yield, but it doesn’t say they will yield. more

To the Editor:

As the producer of Positive Energy, a local program produced through Princeton TV, I recently interviewed and covered the Princeton Pride Parade on Saturday, June 22, 2019. This event was historic as the first of its kind held in the heart of Princeton. As far as I know, I was the only television media to cover this event. The show is currently airing and the archived version will be housed on Vimeo and YouTube forever for all to enjoy.

The Princeton Pride Parade brought together local nonprofits, organizations, vendors, government officials, and other influencers to celebrate diversity and inclusion. This type of event needs and deserves as much publicity as it can get. more

To the Editor:

On Monday night the Mayor and Council (with the exception of Eve Niedergang) voted to spend 20K of hard earned taxpayer money to acquire a “donated” digester. The idea behind the initial investment is that it will allow the town to resurrect its curbside composting program. The initial program, unlike the current one being proposed, was designed as a pilot. The goals of the program were to reduce food waste and, more importantly, to serve as a model of a successful program that would eventually scale to composting for all residents and be duplicated by other towns in New Jersey. That program had the public support of the PEC, Sustainable Princeton, all of Council, the Mayor, local green activists, many residents, and myself. more

To the Editor:

Multiple studies have found that automobile-to-pedestrian injuries, and fatalities, occur most frequently within the crosswalk: not mid-block but within the crosswalk — those white-striped paths marking all traffic corners nationwide. We walkers assume this circumscribed passageway is not only a pedestrian privilege but also a pedestrian sanctuary. It is not. We drivers assume pedestrians are vigilant, deliberative, and judicious. They are not. Tragedies occur at intersections each year even within the greater Princeton area. more

To the Editor:

Air pollution threatens the sustainability of the environment and harms human health by causing multiple respiratory diseases. Transportation is the leading cause of air pollution, and as such, I was proud to see that Princeton passed a municipal resolution supporting increased electric vehicle usage. Electric vehicles are cleaner than petroleum fueled vehicles, resulting in fewer environmental impacts and health problems. The actions of the Princeton Council members result in better air quality in Princeton as well as throughout New Jersey. Environment New Jersey commends the Princeton Council members for their commitment to reducing air pollution and protecting human health. more

To the Editor:

I write to celebrate the Princeton Council’s recognition of the work of Shirley A. Satterfield in honoring her recently. No recognition is excessive in noting Ms. Satterfield’s history-minding and history-making efforts. She reminds everyone, with robust and consistent attention to the facts, of the history and culture of black people in Princeton.

Her additional contributions are to family, church, the full community, academia, youth, and social justice. I urge all of us, everyone, to renew attention to these concerns, especially in these combative times. Shirley, we say of you (according to Maya Angelou):

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.

Cecelia B. Hodges
Glenview Drive

To the Editor:

Thank you for capturing the tone of the room in your  report on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education’s proclamation honoring Dorothy Mullen [Princeton Suppers Program Faces a Sobering Future,” pg. 10, July 17]. It was an amazing tribute as the room was filled to capacity with people who have been touched by Dorothy. For more than two decades, our friend and leader “Dor” has climbed out on a limb, espousing once-edgy ideas about school gardening, healthy, unprocessed food and non-toxic environments as drivers of wellness and mental health — ideas that are now the subject of headlines in the mainstream press. more

To the Editor:

I am writing from London, England in support of Princeton Community TV. The station provides a valuable service and deserves to be supported. Here is why someone from England cares about Princeton Community TV.

I grew up in Princeton and attended Princeton High School, so have an affinity to the town. In 2017, I launched a book, which I co-authored, about the life-and-death decisions made by the early Antarctic explorers, called When Your Life Depends on It.

In the process of launching the book, through local connections, I met Dr. Joan Goldstein who runs a Princeton Community TV talk show where she interviews interesting people. I was immediately impressed by Dr. Goldstein and the Princeton Community TV staff that I met. I was thrilled that Dr. Goldstein invited me to appear on her show. more

To the Editor:

As a Princeton resident and taxpayer, I am writing in regards to the large building project that is currently underway on Route 206 between Terhune and Valley Road.

Currently, many roads or sections of road are badly in need of being repaved. To name a few: Witherspoon, Wiggins, Route 206 north of Cherry Hill Road, and Rosedale Road, among others. Typically our roads in Princeton are patched badly two or three times before they are finally repaved.

In my opinion, the new buildings and municipal gas station on Route 206 are a very unwise expenditure of our taxpayer dollars, especially considering how much infrastructure work is needed.

Debbi Roldan
Rosedale Road