To the Editor:

My friend and longtime colleague on the Planning Board, Tim Quinn, is running for a new term on the Princeton Council. He richly deserves to be re-elected. Many in the town are aware of Tim’s years of public service, first in and for the schools; secondly on the Planning Board; and thirdly on both the Planning Board and the municipal Council. Over the years in these roles, he has accumulated a deep understanding of the breadth of issues that face the residents of Princeton. My best knowledge of him comes from his involvement in the sometimes long and sometimes challenging — but always interesting — Planning Board meetings. He always shows up; he has always done his homework and thought seriously about applications; he listens; and when he speaks his calm, quiet voice is very clearly heard. Outside of the public sessions, he has worked with Board members and residents on master plan proposals and zoning initiatives, which have given him a context in which to consider the significant decisions to be made by Council.

Some people lead with strident voices. Others lead more gently, depending on the depth of their knowledge to analyze and persuade. To me, this describes Tim, whose knowledge of our town is wide and valuable to the rest of us. We can depend on his intelligent decision-making. I trust and admire him and urge you all to vote for Tim Quinn in the June 4 Democratic primary.

Gail Ullman
Maple Street

To the Editor:

The municipality appreciates and understands the concerns raised by neighbors. We have taken a number of steps to help mitigate these concerns including changing the scheduling so municipal and other agency vehicles do not fuel during the morning rush. There have been some violators of this policy, but we have taken steps to rectify the situation and do not expect it to happen again. In terms of the vehicles entering the facility from the wrong side, this is unavoidable as some vehicles have fuel tanks on the passenger side. more

To the Editor:

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to review and compare the positions and goals of the candidates for Princeton Council in the 2019 elections. Adam Bierman’s heartfelt and optimistic perception of Princeton’s directions and needs, and his willingness to examine the public’s questions and concerns, has, in my mind, elevated him above the other candidates.

So, Adam, I am writing today to express my support for your campaign and to let you know of my intention to vote for you in the upcoming elections and to share my beliefs in the benefits that your policies and abilities will bring to Princeton with my friends and neighbors.

I firmly believe that it will be truly beneficial for Princeton residents and those who work and visit here if you are elected.

Walter J. Krieg
Laurel Road

To the Editor:

The Friends of the Princeton Public Library held another successful Annual Book Sale May 10-12, and we were delighted to welcome booklovers from near and far. All the proceeds raised will help to expand the selection of books and other media in the library collections.

This event depends on the dedication and collaboration of many people. We would like to thank our colleagues and Friends at Princeton Public Library, and our wonderful volunteers who worked for months sorting and pricing thousands of books in preparation for the sale, and worked so tirelessly throughout the weekend.

Lastly, we would like to thank the Princeton community for generously providing us with book donations all year, and supporting our store and sales as loyal customers. To find out more about the book store and donating books, please go to www.princetonlibrary.org/booksales and check the website for details of our next sale.

Claire Bertrand & Jane Nieman
Co-Chairs of the Friends of the Princeton Public Library Annual Book Sale

To the Editor:

I have a question. Is it every American’s birthright to vote?

According to Socrates (translated from Greek) “Only those who had thought about issues rationally and deeply should be let near a vote.” In the mind of one of history’s greatest teachers and thinkers, mob rule threatens democratic society. Socrates knew that it would be easy for people seeking office to appeal to the mob’s desires and give easy answers to complex problems. Does any of this sound familiar?

In our system of government, every citizen is entitled to vote, and education is the only weapon we have against demagoguery. However, in the state of New Jersey, education is one of the most segregated institutions. Affluence, aka District Factor Groups, determine knowledge. Inside each school district, curriculum, teachers’ knowledge, and lesson plans are held captive. more

To the Editor:

Who doesn’t want to save on taxes? We all do. Nevertheless, I urge Princeton Town Council to fund Princeton Community TV for 2019 and beyond. I was dismayed to read in your recent article (Town Topics, April 24, pg. one] that the Council is considering eliminating funding for this invaluable resource.

PCTV, led by its dedicated executive director, George McCullough, does a phenomenal job of producing local programs, training and (perhaps most important) providing average local citizens with a “voice.” Over the years, this TV gem has welcomed female entrepreneurs, new authors, local vets, the unemployed, students, and scores of others who wish to share their knowledge or learn about TV programming. In short, it is a model of how best to educate, inform and motivate community members to make the world a better place.

For a tax of less than $8 per person PER YEAR, given the attack on our media today, is this really where we want to save money? I hope not!

Toby Israel, Ph.D.
Walnut Lane

To the Editor:

Ensuring that Princeton remains a diverse and inclusive community is the central challenge we now face. I am supporting Mia Sacks in the June 4 primary because of her compassionate and proven commitment to this challenge to our community.

Having served on Princeton’s Affordable Housing Board and as chair of Housing Initiatives of Princeton, I am acutely aware of the needs of our most vulnerable community members. Princeton’s varied neighborhoods have long provided homes and shelter to families from many backgrounds. That diversity is a major reason why so many of us were drawn to live here. more

To the Editor:

On May 11, Princeton Community Housing (PCH) hosted our 2019 Home Springs Eternal Gala at The Boathouse at Mercer Lake, in celebration of the work of our honorees who help make Princeton a diverse and vibrant community and in support of our mission to provide additional affordable rental homes in Princeton. I am writing on behalf of the trustees and staff of PCH to extend our sincere thanks to the Princeton community for supporting the Gala and our mission. more

To the Editor:

As a fourth generation African American Princetonian, I’m supporting Michelle Pirone Lambros for Princeton Council. She’s the only candidate with a real grasp of the challenges faced by the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood (where her own mother grew up). Her campaign has been inclusive and sensitive to the needs of the African American community and the undocumented Latinx we call our neighbors. Michelle knows this part of town is underserved, and is campaigning on issues like mixed use zoning that encourages more small businesses, like a grocery store and a laundromat on this side of town. She sees the need for the urgent care clinic we were promised when the hospital left. more

To the Editor:

Bank Street is the most deplorable street in Princeton.  The sidewalks are busted, uneven, and repaired with asphalt, the pavement is potholed and pitched. The curbs are deteriorated, the trees have been mauled. It has a mass of overhead wiring and cable hanging from wood poles, that primarily served the downtown, with sodium cobra-head riot lighting from the ’60s. It is the most distressed street in Princeton with some of the most deteriorated and unkempt properties at the bottom end. For years, since Mayor Marvin Reed, the borough, and now the town has promised it would repair and upgrade this street. Now for more than 20 years this street has been allowed to deteriorate while millions of dollars were collected in property taxes by the 28 lots on the street. Since we have owned our house we have paid over $340,000 in taxes. more

To the Editor

The first phase of the long-awaited Bank Street improvement project will begin this July. New Jersey American Water Company will be replacing water lines, and the work is anticipated to be completed by Labor Day. New sanitary sewer, curbs, sidewalks, and road pavement work will follow in spring/summer 2020. The project is being funded in part through a grant of $214,937 from the NJ Department of Transportation. The project is also supported via low interest loans from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the Infrastructure Bank. The extra approvals involved in receiving financial support from these agencies can often add time to a project. more

To the Editor:

Princeton will be a ghost town with empty store fronts if we as residents in and around town do not support our local merchants. Shopping locally is not just a slogan, it’s our civic duty if we want to live in a vibrant town with local shops and services that serve our needs.

The next time you start to press “A” for Amazon, ask yourself, “Could I buy this in town from a friendly shop owner who actually might help me make the right choice about a product?” It’s up to us to keep our stores open. If we don’t support them, they cannot survive. The closing of Pins and Needles was a wake-up call. Let’s turn it into a call to support our local merchants.

Kate Denby
Skillman

To the Editor:

I was very impressed with Michelle Pirone Lambros at the recent Princeton Council debate held at the First Baptist Church. On every topic, from Smart Growth to economic development, her statements were clear and direct. One did not need a degree in urban planning to understand what she was saying.

She was the only candidate to point out that the recent parking meter rollout should not have been done until we, the residents of Princeton, had the opportunity to examine the plan and given a forum for comment. It appears that Council had accepted the recommendations of consultants, without critical analysis by those who park in Princeton.  Another example of a recent Council decision that is having unintended consequences is the closing of the Terhune Road-Route 206 intersection and the “in-your-face” placement of the fueling station.

We need Michelle Pirone Lambros on Council for her voice of reason and measured consideration. She’s my kind of Democrat!

Lincoln Hollister
Ridgeview Road

To the Editor:

We residents of Princeton New Jersey pride ourselves that we live in a town that houses an elite university, culture, higher learning, and more. And yet, on one of the busiest roads in town, one where many people, residents and others travel every day, there is a “thing” that is dangerous, ugly, and unbecoming of our community. That “thing” is on Harrison Street. If one comes from Route 1 and goes west on Harrison Street, before crossing the bridge over Lake Carnegie near the MPH sign on the north side or right hand side of the road, there is a large wire trunk, hanging down, swinging in the breeze, with a black plastic bandana wrapped around the wire trunk. The black plastic looks like an ISIS flag. The wire trunk looks ugly and must be dangerous, just swinging there. If someone grabs or touches that trunk, they may be electrocuted. I am surprised that some township engineer, or some official from the electric company, has not corrected the situation. We are better than a “banana republic.” I ask the appropriate municipal engineer will place this wire trunk where it belongs. And correct a situation that is both ugly and dangerous. Thank you.

Howard W. Silbersher
Governors Lane

To the Editor,

On behalf of McCarter Theatre Center, we want to thank all who helped to make our Gala on Saturday, May 4, such a tremendous success! This year, Grammy and Tony Award-winning vocalist and actor Leslie Odom, Jr. performed for a packed-to-the-rafters theatre as the centerpiece of the evening. Our guests were treated to an extraordinary performance of beautiful songs and personal stories from one of the country’s biggest stars.

We would also like to thank our corporate sponsors: Bloomberg Philanthropies; City National Bank; Cure Auto Insurance; Glenmeade; Drinker Biddle; Mathematica Policy Research; Bryn Mawr Trust; Community Options, Inc.; McCarter & English, Attorneys at Law; Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design; PNC Bank; Stark & Stark, Attorneys at Law; Wells Fargo; and Saul Ewing, Arnstein, & Lehr.We also wish to thank them for their support in reaching our fundraising goal. McCarter is deeply grateful for their support and for that of many other corporate and individual sponsors who helped to make this event such a wonderful success. more

To the Editor:

I’m writing to express my strong support for Mia Sacks, in the June 4 Democratic primary for Princeton Council. Mia’s experience working in civil liberties, public health, and international human rights gives her a valuable perspective and unique set of skills to address the challenges Princeton faces. Her roles as a policy advocate for Human Rights Watch, as a Program Officer at the Soros Foundation, and as part of the senior communications team at the ACLU, have all trained her to think strategically about how to communicate issues and coalesce allies to support common goals. Most importantly: for Mia, human rights begin at home. This means that people, especially those most vulnerable among us, will be her priority — not any one sector of the community. more

To the Editor:

It has been clearly expressed by researchers and writers on the subject that the best thing seniors can do for their health and well-being is regular exercise. Both aerobic and resistance training are recommended. In a new study, reported in the Science section of the May 7 New York Times, it was shown that exercise may even improve brain function. The Princeton Senior Resource Center has a program which fulfills this important need. The class meets at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Participants pay $60 per month.

On April 24 we were informed that the Center was cancelling the class as of May 31. We are devastated. We urge those who support the Senior Center to reconsider this unconscionable decision and reverse it.

Ginger Lennon
Pardpe Road

To the Editor:

Sincere thanks to the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood Association for organizing the excellent Candidates for Council forum at the First Baptist Church on John Street May 4. (Town Topics, May 1).

The questions posed by the moderators were pertinent and the organization of the event was superb! The forum highlighted the differences between the candidates in their solutions (or lack of solutions) to critical issues affecting the community and provided the near capacity crowd with important and needed information!

Linda Sipprelle
Victoria Mews

To the Editor;

Beautiful spring is now upon us. The trees are leafing out, the grass is growing, the flowers are blooming. All is beautiful in that spring-like way!

I am wondering, though, what the legal limit is for noise. Leaf blowers have also become snow blowers, grass blowers. So while the noise from them used to be limited to a certain phase of the year, we now have those sounds most of the year. Trees are cut down and/or trimmed back. More noise and plenty of it. And how about mowers?

Beyond the noise, how about the environmental impact that these gasoline-powered machines use? How about the military interests we have around the world to support the gas and oil we use so that our grass can be short? more

To the Editor:

It was a curiously satisfying and energizing experience to attend the recent meeting on the composting program covered in Town Topics (May 1, pg. one), and observe residents, municipal officials, and staff enthusiastically exchanging ideas and information in order to solve an intractable, difficult problem: how to deal with … our garbage. Such are the times in which we live!

It was encouraging to hear that every effort is being made to restart the composting program. It would be worthwhile to invest extra funds to re-establish this same program, which might be expanded by using a per-bag trash disposal fee to encourage waste minimization and participation in the organics collection program. more

To the Editor:

We write as Princetonians, Democrats, and former mayors to endorse Michelle Pirone Lambros for Princeton Council. The last quarter century has brought Princeton to a crossroads. Transformations in infrastructure, public services, and housing challenge us to match our unique history with 21st century realities. We need to make the best decisions for all Princetonians, whether they descend from six generations or have recently arrived without official papers. To succeed, we need a Council with a breadth of experiences and talents. more

To the Editor:

Princeton has been our home for nearly five years. We feel fortunate to be represented by a mayor and Council that actively engages with all residents — even relative newcomers such as ourselves. Councilperson Tim Quinn was one of the first people in local government that we met after he was first elected in 2016. We could tell that Tim was no ordinary candidate. He treated us like he was our neighbor. He took the time to follow up with us, and invited us to upcoming town hall meetings. His outreach is what made Princeton feel like home. Tim is a genuine candidate who listens to all members of the Princeton community, whether they have lived in Princeton their entire lives, moved here recently to raise a family, or are calling it home for a short time in pursuit of a higher degree. more