To the Editor:

Lately, the news has been full of stories about the Colorado River running dry, and water shortages in Arizona. Climate change is partly to blame, of course, but these stories leave little doubt that a lot of the trouble is due to overdevelopment, promoted by a toxic alliance of greedy developers and corrupt politicians. Yet, in its own way, New Jersey (and the Princeton area in particular) is a mirror image of Arizona.

There are differences, of course. Arizona has too little water; we have too much underground water. Arizona is becoming a desert again; Princeton is becoming a swamp. Arizona has mainly Republican politicians, and New Jersey has mainly Democratic politicians, but in both states too many of them represent the interests of developers rather than the interests of ordinary citizens.

What causes water levels to rise? Climate change (and increased precipitation) is a factor of course. So is overdevelopment. It takes roughly two forms. The first involves rainwater, and it happens when a new development is built over a wider surface. A common example is when a Cape Cod cottage is replaced by a McMansion. There is less space where rainfall can be absorbed, and the resulting excess will tend to flow into someone’s basement. The second involves groundwater, and often it is even more destructive. It happens when a developer is allowed to dig deep into previously untouched earth, and groundwater is released (and will be continuously released) into neighboring buildings. A classic (and toxic) example is a multi-tiered underground garage. more

To the Editor:

Regarding “Many Princetonians Cheer Governor’s Proposal to Expand Liquor Licenses” [January 25, page 8], in George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, Oceania is a one-party state in constant emergency status. The government tries to control discontent with a Ministry of Truth, which alters history and combats what it considers misinformation with constant surveillance and lots of cheap gin.

The state of emergency (Executive Order No. 103) remains in full force and effect in New Jersey, and there are numerous state and local issues that weigh heavily on the citizens of New Jersey. In his first term of office, the governor successfully lobbied for “legal” marijuana and now he proposes greater availability of alcohol.

If we are going to continue on this Orwellian track, I would much prefer scotch.

Marc I. Malberg M.D.
Autumn Hill Road

To the Editor:

Princeton will soon begin delivery of new trash cans to over 7,000 households and is scheduling pickups of old cans later this spring. Some residents may be looking for alternatives to throwing out their old cans, especially as not all the containers will be able to be recycled. In any case, reuse is viewed as far more efficient than recycling. What follows is a list of reuse ideas.

Use as storage containers: Garbage cans with lids make great storage for a wide variety of materials, including open bags of fertilizer, animal food (keeps the food dry and the mice out), compost, or even leaves or brush waiting for pickup by the municipality.

Use as a transport container: Trash cans can also make great containers for transporting the free compost and word chips available to all Princeton residents from the joint Environmental Facility on the Princeton Pike to your yard.

Use as a tool caddy/storage container: Trash cans are well suited for storing long-handled lawn care equipment such as rakes, hoes, string trimmers, and the like. Since many trash cans also have wheels and handles, they can also be used to move these tools around to where they are needed. more

To the Editor:

For a community that prides itself on its public school system, the Valley Road building is a mystery. A painful eyesore that was, years ago, already reputed to be a “sick” building, it remains the home of the school district’s offices to this day. 

With construction (and destruction) in the name of improving the municipality’s good looks and way of life going on all around town, why has this particular location been so badly neglected?

Ellen Gilbert
Stuart Road East 

To the Editor:

An article in the New York Times last month enumerated some recent movies that were big hits in post-lockdown theaters: Top Gun: Maverick, The Woman King, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, among them.

But the article went on to describe the struggle at the box office of acclaimed but less spectacle-driven releases, such as Tár, Till, The Fabelmans, Armageddon Time, She Said, Eo, Women Talking, and many more. Said the writer, “Just a few years ago, those kinds of films would have at least doubled their current grosses. But the older audiences they rely on simply haven’t returned to theaters . . . .”

What many previously habitual moviegoers don’t realize is that, from a public health standpoint, cinemas in the Princeton area like the Garden and Montgomery are, sadly, the safest places to be. Those of us who continue to attend regularly most often find ourselves in nearly empty theaters.

How long can these cinemas stay in business? For movie lovers who savor independent and foreign films and documentaries, the Garden and Montgomery have been a blessing. I urge everyone to recall how exhilarating it can be to see exceptional films on a full-size screen in the company of a large audience that shares one’s anticipation and responses; why not try going back to the movies? more

To the Editor:

The Westminster Community Orchestra (WCO) would like to extend its thanks to the members of the Princeton community who attended our recent holiday concert and contributed to our annual collection for area service organizations. This year’s donations were divided between TASK, Arm in Arm, the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, and Cornerstone Community Kitchen.

Over the past 10 years, the WCO has been able to donate hundreds of dollars to worthy organizations, thanks to the generosity of our holiday concert audiences. We greatly appreciate the kindness and compassion of our concert attendees and look forward to supporting the important work being done in our community for our neighbors in need for years to come. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming concerts.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and musical New Year!

Dr. Ruth Ochs
Conductor, and the Members of the Westminster Community Orchestra

To the Editor:

Over the past few years, NJ Transit has been working on a plan for improving the rail line between Princeton Station and Princeton Junction (the “Dinky”).  The preferred design concept (“Alternative 1”) is a truly fantastic project! It proposes much more frequent light rail service with added bus service, as well as a bike and walk path alongside the light rail. 

The bike and walk path will allow for safe crossing of Route 1 as well as weekend strolls along a lush, green linear park right in the heart of Central New Jersey. I would love to ride my bike to the West Windsor Farmers Market on Saturday mornings!

The project has light rail and buses so that service can be expanded as the area grows in population and productivity. The extra capacity will be very useful if West Windsor and Plainsboro decide to extend the project eastward, connecting whole communities to economic opportunities. For example, many of the postdocs at the University live at Quail Ridge, Hunter’s Glen, or Fox Run Drive. more

To the Editor:

As suspected, the death of a landscaper after being struck by a car on Mercer Street occurred while the landscaper was in the roadway, blowing leaves into a pile for collection. There simply is no way for a landscaper to blow leaves into the street for collection without then having to step out onto the pavement to retrieve stray leaves and neaten up the pile. Hazard is inherent in loose leaf collection. The October 28 tragedy was waiting to happen.

It follows then that anyone who cares about public safety must also be questioning town yard waste collection policies that force workers, bikers, and joggers out into traffic. The hazard is multiplied on busier, higher speed roads.

At the same time, people such as myself who live on a busy street in town are poorly served by the current leaf collection policy. It’s particularly dangerous for us to pile leaves on the pavement. Our choices then are to either stuff them into awkward, small, single-use yard waste bags, or pile them on the extension — that narrow band of grass between curb and sidewalk. Leaf piles can kill grass, leaving ugly bare spots on roadsides. 

The awkwardness for homeowners is compounded by what town crews must do to pick up loose leaves along busy streets. I’ve seen caravans of three or four lumbering public works vehicles and five to six staff, blocking busy roads while workers rake leaf piles off the extension and onto the pavement so the giant claw can scoop them up and drop them into a dump truck. Many of these leaf piles are like fluffy pillows that could easily be stuffed into a compost cart rather than muscled about by giant vehicles. While some may feel reassured by this public display of service, I see rather a display of inefficiency and needless expense. more

To the Editor:

The Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) would like to highlight some of our accomplishments from this year and recent years past:

PEC supported data collection for the environmental resource inventory by establishing the Open Space Community Science Day event, which was held seasonally at Rogers Refuge and in partnership with the Refuge and the Princeton Public Library. The event was made possible by a generous donation from a previous commissioner in the name of his grandson, Cole Morano. Also related to open space, PEC supported the preservation of 153 acres —one of only two old growth forests remaining in Princeton.

In the last three years, PEC reviewed and provided recommendations for 32 development plans — including recommendations for the new Master Plan. PEC also provided 19 resolutions, letters, and memos related to state, county, and local issues.

Despite the pandemic and its lingering effects, PEC secured adoptions of the Backyard Chicken Ordinance, the Green Building and Environmental Sustainability Element, and several Sustainable Landscaping ordinance amendments.  more

To the Editor:

Three generations of our family having recently been enthralled by A Christmas Carol at McCarter, I read Donald Sanborn’s truly insightful review [Theater Review, December 14, p.17] in expectation of finding the words “wonderful,” “heartwarming,” and “magnificent.” Having somehow missed them, I write to add them here.

Thank you to the marvelous adapter and director Lauren Keating, to the uniformly superb cast, and to the virtuoso set designer — and everyone else involved! I only wish this could be shared with many, many more.

Happy Holidays to all!

Brian Zack
Hageman Lane

To the Editor:

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the local businesses that participated in the Princeton Perks fundraising program over the past two years — and to the many people in our community and beyond who purchased a Princeton Perks discount card. Thanks to your generosity, the Princeton Public Schools parent-teacher organizations raised more than $13,000 in 2022 and $17,000 in 2021. These funds allowed our organizations to continue to provide important enrichment programs, including aftercare clubs, as well as activities and materials for low income students. They were a light in the darkest moments of the pandemic when many of our schools’ traditional in-person fundraising events were impossible to hold. And we are full of gratitude.

Our schools are now returning to many of our pre-pandemic fundraising efforts, and so the Princeton Perks program will end on December 31, 2022. We hope it has been of value to you as it has been to our schools. You gave gifts to our children that will last a lifetime!  more

To the Editor:

The recent report from NJ Transit (NJT) on the Princeton Transitway Study is welcome news for our immediate regional area. If this project were not to continue advancing, we are bound to lose this treasured piece of infrastructure in operation for over 150 years and, apparently, the shortest rail line in the world!

Because of the obsolescence of the equipment in use (45-year-old Arrow III rail cars), the question is not “if” but “how and when.”

The Princeton-West Windsor area forms a vibrant, growing, diverse enclave that would greatly benefit from the development of this public transit axis to improve mobility and cohesion within our region, and our connectivity to the Northeast rail line. Residents and stakeholders should rally behind this project and be involved in guiding its eventual outcome. There is an online petition in support of this project at bit.ly/DinkyPetition which I encourage readers to support.

The NJT process has considered community input but could have done a much better job in its outreach and been more inclusive. Hopefully, that will be corrected going forward. NJT’s analysis has looked at technological, environmental, costs-benefits, ridership patterns, and equity factors in assessing various alternatives. more

To the Editor:

There was a gratifying turnout of nearly 100 at the December 10 Housing Justice Forum held at the Princeton Public Library (Town Topics Calendar, December 7). Attendees peppered knowledgeable panelists for solutions to the problem of providing equitable and affordable housing to the state’s residents. The event was co-sponsored by the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs in New Jersey with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Library’s Kim Dorman efficiently organized the event.

The panelists addressed discrimination in rents, sales, and purchases of housing resulting from the Jim Crow legacy and how zoning and onerous regulations were impeding construction of affordable housing. One of the speakers highlighted a past housing initiative success which could be used as a future template in addressing this issue. When George Romney became secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1968, he pressured predominately white communities into building more affordable housing and ending discriminatory zoning practices. He ordered HUD officials to reject applications for water, sewer, and highway projects from cities and states where local policies fostered segregated housing and dubbed his initiative “Open Communities.” Unfortunately, the initiative was scuttled by the politics of the day and resistance at the local level.

Linda Sipprelle
Commissioner, Princeton Housing Authority
Victoria Mews

To the Editor:

The good news is that the child poverty rate in Mercer County has been gradually declining over the last several years. A recent HomeFront presentation at Labyrinth Books showcased what they have been doing to provide housing and other supportive services that reduce poverty for children and families in Mercer County. In addition to their efforts and those of governmental and private groups locally and throughout the county, 2021 saw an even more dramatic drop in the child poverty rate. What led to this significant change was a short-term expansion of the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC).

With increased allotments, wider coverage, and payments distributed each month, the CTC helped cover such basic monthly expenses as food, rent, and utilities. As a result, it raised an estimated 89,000 New Jersey children from poverty and cut child poverty rates nationwide by over 40 percent.

When the expanded CTC expired a year ago, however, child poverty again rose. The watch words of HomeFront are “helping families break the cycle of poverty.” In order to do that we need the collaborative efforts of the federal and state governments, local municipalities, and the private sector. more

To the Editor:

NJ Transit recently released their final report of the Princeton Transitway Study, which proposed a couple different changes that the NJ Transit could make to the Dinky in order to increase its ridership numbers. The alternative preferred by NJ Transit would replace the current heavy-rail-only Dinky corridor with both a transit roadway — allowing buses as well as bikes and pedestrians to use the corridor — and a light-rail line. Furthermore, service frequency would be increased and new stations more accessible from town could be added.

In theory this sounds good; however, most of the service frequency increase would come from the buses — which would arrive every 10 to 15 minutes as compared to the light-rail’s 15 to 30 — and all of the proposed stations in town would be bus only and have the possibility to transport people directly to Princeton Junction without a transfer. Basically, NJ Transit is proposing to set up two services that transport people to the same place, but one — the bus — has frequent service near where people live and the other — the train — less frequent service where people do not.

If NJ Transit were to implement this design, the newly installed light-rail line would have less ridership than the bus, and potentially less than even the current Dinky service. NJ Transit would then ultimately decide that not having light-rail would be both easier and cheaper. Alternatively, they could build the roadway first and then realize that it would be a waste of money to create a competing rail line. Either way, Princeton would be left with a bus corridor, the least preferred alternative according to NJ Transit’s survey.

Clearly, rather than creating two parallel services, NJ Transit should either create two services that serve different goals — for example, a fleet of buses transferring people onto the Dinky as it is now — or create a single service. As residents find a bus-only solution unacceptable, the best alternative would be to extend rail service into town via a tram or streetcar (following the same route that NJ Transit wants to run buses on but with rails embedded into the roads); in addition to not being a bus, trams are generally agreed to be more efficient, environmentally friendly, and cheap in the long run than buses.

I am no engineer, and I am sure that there are issues with both these ideas, but whatever NJ Transit decides to do to the Dinky, they should not waste their money on creating two types of transit covering the exact same use case.

Vihaan Jim
Vandeventer Avenue

To the Editor:

The U.S. Postal Service has been hard at work preparing for the holiday season since January. Rest assured, we’re holiday-ready and well prepared to deliver fast and reliable service to every address in Kingston and across America.

USPS has made significant investments to ensure your holiday greeting cards and packages reach their intended destination on time. We’ve added 249 new package sorting machines across the nation which will allow us to process 60 million packages per day. This new equipment is part of $40 billion in new investments made under Delivering for America, our 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence.

Additionally, we have the space we need to manage all packages and mail when they reach us. We’ve strategically expanded our footprint by 8.5 million square feet throughout the country to augment space shortages at existing postal facilities and we’ve deployed new technology on our workroom floors to make sure we can track and move mail and packages quickly and to get them on their way.

The 650,000 men and women of the U.S. Postal Service pride ourselves on playing an important role in delivering the holidays for the nation. We’ve had more than 100,000 part-time employees convert to full-time positions since January 2021. And there is still time to join our team for the holiday season. Open seasonal positions are posted at usps.com/hiring.

Thank you for continuing to support the Postal Service. Our Kingston Postal Service Team  — Richard, Tari, Skip, and John — wish you a wonderful holiday season.

Richard Micallef
Postmaster
Route 27, Kingston

To the Editor:

I’m humbled by the support and warmth of so many neighbors across the community who shared my concerns. Even though I didn’t win, I stood up for educational principles widely shared by thousands of Princeton taxpayers, and I was able to raise public awareness about Princeton Public Schools’ declining math proficiency scores, falling national rankings, and our disappointing performance across multiple equity indicators. My platform resonated with 3,485 voters (count as of November 21) who are unhappy with the status quo, placing me just 4 percentage points behind an incumbent. I hope this in itself sends a strong message to all members of the School Board — to whom I wish nothing but the best. 

The Board of Education and PPS leadership have a tough road ahead. This school year’s theme is Healing, Helping, and Hope. I welcome the opportunity to learn more specifics about how those ideals translate into improving Princeton High School (PHS) math scores (51 percent math proficiency at PHS); lower chronic absenteeism rates (47 percent of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino American students are chronically absent from PHS, 58 percent of English language learners, and 63 percent of low-income students); and improve graduation rates for English learners, which dropped to 67 percent in 2020-21 from 88 percent in 2019-20. Furthermore, according to the consulting company hired by PPS, less than 20 percent of Latino PHS students feel that they belong, and less than 25 percent felt comfortable being themselves at school or that there was at least one adult who cared about them. 

As PPS leadership stated in last week’s letter to parents, every student deserves opportunities to be seen and to succeed. I couldn’t agree more. How will we get there? Our students deserve to see an action plan and a stakeholder communication plan. The current version of the district strategic plan does not address these areas of concern. How will we lift everyone up, as promised in the letter?

Dear parents and caring community members: I hoped to lead the way on the School Board to demand district transparency and leadership accountability that taxpayers and PPS students deserve. The thousands of votes I received prove there are many of you out there that want this too. It’s now up to everyone that cares to work together, speak up at meetings, and demand more.

Rita Rafalovsky
Library Place

To the Editor:

This Thanksgiving week, Princeton’s dog owners and the Princeton Dog Park Alliance want to offer their (belated) thanks to the Princeton Council. Last month, the Council unanimously passed an ordinance to establish future dog parks, launch a pilot off-leash program in Quarry Park, and plan for a temporary dog park in Community Park South.

We want to thank Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros and Council President Leticia Fraga, who had productive discussions with the Alliance. And we especially want to single out Councilwoman Mia Sacks for her leadership in bringing the ordinance to fruition. In addition to offering our applause and thanks, the Alliance stands ready to work hand-in-hand with the municipality on these dog-friendly endeavors. Dog parks are great for dogs and great for their owners. They help build community, which is another thing for which we can be thankful — all throughout the year.

Calvin Chin
Spruce Street

Leanne Hunter
Wiggins Street

Roger Shatzkin
Chestnut Street

The writers are members of the Princeton Dog Park Alliance’s Board of Trustees.

To the Editor:

Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP) held its annual Rent Party on Saturday, November 5 when our sold-out crowd of over 175 people gathered on a gorgeous night at the beautiful Updike Farmstead to help us “raise the rent” to assist low-income working families in our community. Through the generosity of our supporters — including the more than 80 event sponsors — HIP raised more than $90,000 which we will use to provide transitional housing with family-focused supportive services and emergency rental assistance to help individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity build toward a sustainable future. To learn more about what we do, please visit our website at housinginitiativesofprinceton.org.

We want to thank the amazing Rent Party Committee — Carol Golden, Kathleen Gittleman, Sue Cameron, Tamera Matteo, Lydia Pfeiffer, Tina Motto, and Wendy Kaczerski — who worked tirelessly to make the event so welcoming and fun! We were also so fortunate to work with Leanne Hunter of Updike, Emily’s Catering, and the fabulous Steve Johnson Band. Some of HIP’s staunchest supporters donated their services: Anne Fahey provided the beautiful invitations; Jammin’ Crepes, the delicious dessert; Kathy Klockenbrink, table decorations; and Emily Reeves, her photography.

We at HIP are so grateful to our whole community, which truly came together — neighbor helping neighbor — to ensure our community remains diverse and vibrant!

Liz Lempert
Chair, Housing Initiatives of Princeton
Mercer Street

To the Editor:

I write in support of turning the Dinky rail line into a vibrant transit corridor, with bike and pedestrian access, and a new dedicated bus route that extends well into downtown Princeton.

NJ Transit deserves credit for reviewing the corridor, seeking public input, and suggesting these very upgrades. Now, with so much competition for infrastructure funds, we need the support of elected officials — particularly at the state and federal levels — to make it happen.

There is already enthusiasm on the ground. Our group, the Friends of the Dinky Corridor, recently launched a petition that has garnered signatures from folks around the Princeton area. You can read more about the effort here: https://chng.it/6vdsTnRy.

As a resident of Princeton and a high school teacher in West Windsor, the existing Dinky line strikes me as a missed opportunity. My students have no safe way of walking or biking to Nassau Street, just a few miles from their homes.

It’s a missed opportunity for Princeton’s business district as well. Consider this: 800 units of housing are currently under construction as part of the “W Squared” development at Princeton Junction.

Those new residents will take one look at clogged Route 1 feeders like Washington Road and decamp to restaurants on their own side of the highway — and no amount of al fresco charm and artisanal ice cream is going to change their minds. more

To the Editor:

Barbara Herzberg, a brilliant, exuberant teacher and friend to many in the Princeton Community and beyond, died on October 24, 2022. 

Town Topics profiled Barbara several years ago in an article entitled “Princeton Resident Barbara Herzberg Shares Love of Theater and Teaching” (see towntopics.com/jul2606/stratton.html).

Another Town Topics article noted Barbara’s role as a founder and mainstay in Evergreen Forum — “From Islam to Wordsworth to ‘Genesis’: Evergreen Forum Celebrates 10 Years” (see towntopics.com/oct2010/other1.php).

Looking forward to more about Barbara.

Ellen Gilbert
Stuart Road East

To the Editor:

I read with profound sadness the obituary of Dr. James Litton in last week’s Town Topics [November 9, page 41]. In 1997, my 9-year-old son, Ben Donati, was brave enough to audition for The American Boychoir School and lucky enough to be chosen to sing under the guidance of Jim Litton. For the next four years, until he graduated, Ben learned fine musicianship and an accompanying stage presence which enabled him, together with his ABS friends, to perform both locally and throughout the country.

Jim taught Ben patience, good manners, and a love for music that continues to define Ben as an adult. As a parent who entrusted my young son to Jim Litton during those years, I was grateful back then for Jim’s sensitivity, humor, and graciousness, and I am grateful to Jim now, as I realize how his lessons have stayed with Ben all these years later.

Dana Liebmann
Pelham Street