To the Editor:

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore that Princeton is facing a full-blown crisis in its public school system (PPS), historically one of the top districts in the state. If its quality and reputation continue to drop and teachers/staff continue to leave, we will see declining property values and tax revenues, with fewer people and businesses wanting to come to or stay in Princeton. 

At the root of the crisis is a divisive superintendent, hired by the Board of Education (BOE) in July 2021. Unfortunately, the BOE seems to be taking the fall for their CEO’s ineffective leadership and expensive missteps. The few supporters of the superintendent and BOE who have spoken publicly have tried to minimize the voices of thousands of PPS parents and residents by calling them an insignificantly small group. In a May 24 letter, they even belittled them as “recent arrivals” — apparent anti-immigrant rhetoric we should not accept in Princeton.  more

To the Editor:

On Friday, May 26, I tried to take my wife to catch the train. There were barricades blocking the entrance to the Dinky station. I tried to enter the station parking lot but half of it was also barricaded, and the open half was packed with cars and trucks, many blocking in others. I suspect some were train customers and others Wawa customers. In the afternoon I went to pick up my wife — again the barricades and no space for the usual customers. What a mess.

The scene looked like there was an emergency safety event and the area had been cordoned off. Was it a sink hole, a bomb threat, an outbreak of Ebola? No, I discovered it was to reserve space for University alumni buses. At the times I visited, the cordoned-off area was empty, there were no buses.  more

To the Editor:

On May 24, the Town Topics published a letter from four Princeton residents where they openly ask the PPS superintendent and the Board of Education (BOE) members to “please accept our sincerest apologies on behalf of the Princeton community.”  This letter further stated that the community’s oppositions to recent PPS/BOE decisions were “the attacks, apparently led largely by non-residents and recent arrivals to Princeton.” This letter was indeed written very eloquently but was wrong, and insulting, in many ways.

First and foremost, why would taxpayers need to apologize to local elected officials and a particular public worker if they don’t agree with their decisions? By the same token, can I openly apologize, on behalf of Princeton community, to the mistreated public worker whose career and personal life were put on the line by the particular public worker, and blindly supported by the BOE?  more

To the Editor:

When they go low, we go high.

These past two months have been a blessing in disguise. Through the turmoil, I’ve met so many wonderful people and made amazing friends from all walks of life. I’ve decided to write this letter to address the feelings of those who feel offended by personal attacks, name calling, and the spread of misinformation. Unfortunately, people screaming the most about equity and inclusion are the ones that cast the sharpest stones and create exclusions far beyond what most of us have ever known. more

To the Editor:

I came to live in Princeton on July 1, 1999. I am from Ecuador.

In response to the letter published on May 24 signed by Shirley Satterfield, Miki Mendelson, Mary Robinson-Cohen, and Christopher Foreman Sr. [“Open Apology to the Superintendent, Princeton Board of Education Members,” Mailbox], I have a number of questions to ask.

Am I considered out of town because of my origin? Am I considered a new arrival or do my close to 24 years living in town meet the guidelines to be considered a member of Princeton community? more

To the Editor:

I am writing to express my solidarity with the outraged Princeton residents who, at a recent public forum, expressed their complaints about poor and even non-existent cell phone service in our town [“Residents Air Grievances at Special Work Session on Cell Phone Service,” May 24, page 1].

I just spent a solid hour on my front porch less than a half-mile from Palmer Square attempting to make an important call — only to be informed via a tiny blurb on my cellphone screen that I had “No Service.” At this point I’d say I endure this inconvenience about 20 percent of the time. Which prompts me to ask: Why should I pay for nonexistent service? Am I not entitled to a credit for — not poor service — but nonexistent service from Verizon? more

To the Editor:

On Friday, May 5, the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) held its Soirée Under the Stars benefit fundraiser at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton after a three-year hiatus due to COVID. This event drew 170 people and raised more than $77,000, which will support PBC’s award-winning Summer Bridge Program. Each year, Summer Bridge offers hundreds of students from Trenton and Newark a high-quality summer enrichment experience focused on social emotional learning, literacy, and STEM as well as outdoor experiences such as canoeing, kayaking, swimming, high- and low-ropes course adventures, and roasting s’mores over campfires, completely free of charge.

During the evening, PBC presented the 2023 Frank Broderick Award to John S. Watson Jr. and NJM Insurance Group with the 2023 Reverend David H. McAlpin Jr. Community Champion Award. To conclude the program, student speaker Issac Evans from Trenton spoke about how his experiences at the Center made him the person he is today. more

To the Editor:

On May 15, there was a public hearing requested by Mr. Frank Chmiel to persuade the Board of Education (BOE) to renew his contract. The statements from Dr. Kelley and Mr. Chmiel were so different that nobody can easily conclude from it without further investigation.

Here are several observations I made during this hearing:

1. Only two Princeton High School (PHS) staff members spoke in the hearing, who are both near retirement age. It means teachers are afraid of being punished by saying anything about Mr. Chmiel (either in support or not in support). more

To the Editor:

Dr. Carol Kelley and Princeton Board of Education members, please accept our sincerest apologies on behalf of the Princeton community, particularly those of us who have remained silent or have not aggressively challenged the tone, disrespect, and harshness of the opposition to your decision to remove the former high school principal.

After release of the reasons for termination and the former Principal’s recent public comments deriding the people he managed, we are now clear that you have been the persistent target of lies, rumors, innuendos, and threats in the effort to force you to reinstate your former employee. After hearing the superintendent read a detailed 20-plus pages regarding the reasons for your decision, we understood that 11 RICE notices alone revealed that many witnesses were involved in the investigations, evaluations, and responses to the documented behavior and performance of the former employee.  more

To the Editor:

In was great to see so many attendees at the town’s recent [May 6] meeting regarding the redevelopment of five Princeton Theological Seminary properties. I appreciate the acknowledgment that this is an important gateway to town and that the neighbors have been living with this uncertainty since 2018 — longer than all but one elected official has served.

Unfortunately, the meeting ran longer than scheduled, and I was unable to stay to comment. However, there are some clarifications that I feel are important to offer.  more

To the Editor:

I want to register at least one voice in favor of Sakrid Coffee Roasters’ proposed coffee roastery at 300 Witherspoon Street in advance of the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on Wednesday, May 24. The main concern that opponents have voiced is the potential smell produced by the industrial coffee roasting process. This is a reasonable concern, but one that can be allayed by actually visiting a modern roastery. I’ve visited several industrial roasteries around the country and also roasted beans in my own kitchen during the pandemic. In all these cases, I have found the smell of roasting coffee totally unobjectionable, and even pleasant.  more

To the Editor:

Growing up in Princeton, I was impressed with the town’s progressive and impactful environmental initiatives. I attended my first climate rally in Palmer Square when I was a sophomore in high school at 16 years old. Now, as a 20-year-old sophomore in college, my passion for environmental activism has only grown. Thus, when I heard about the Bridge Point 8 project warehouse proposal, I felt compelled to take action.

Not only will the installation of a 5.5 million-square-foot warehouse development congest roads with thousands of trucks, polluting our airways, but it will also destroy land home to endangered species and 160 acres of flood-mitigating wetlands. Especially with the advent of COVID, many people have found solace and peace in exploring the outdoors within their local community. We have a moral obligation and duty to protect our environment. We must also look out for New Jersey brick-and-mortar small businesses that have taken a hit due to the pandemic and the continued rise of e-commerce services. more

To the Editor:

The Princeton Parents for Black Children (PPBC) Executive Board commends the BOE for affirming its nonrenewal decision at Principal Frank Chmiel’s Donaldson hearing. The Board made the difficult but correct decision despite vocal but misguided opposition. We are saddened to see that decision underscored by the former principal’s and his supporters’ post-hearing words and actions.

This was not a “he said, she said” contest. Dr. Kelley’s well-supported statement of reasons was held to a higher legal standard than the response. It was supported by witnesses and complainants including Board members, teachers, students, and parents in numerous investigations and documented meetings over an 18-month period. His response was not subjected to fact checking nor cross-examination.  more

To the Editor:

Across Princeton, there is a great deal of enthusiasm among forward-thinking residents for creating more affordable housing and for mitigating climate change. During the May 6, 2023 roundtable on redevelopment of the lots on which Princeton Theological Seminary’s (PTS) Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley Gymnasium (TRW) campus formerly sat, Council President Mia Sacks said these two issues are national crises that would be irresponsible to ignore. This proposal addresses both issues.

Based on press reports and other sources, the expected proposal from the private developer to redevelop the TRW lots is likely to be a luxury apartment complex with an underground parking garage for over 100 cars. Most of the large old-growth trees would be removed, resulting in a significant negative environmental impact. By law, there will be a 20 percent set-aside for affordable housing. We expect the developer would request and receive a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) from the town, with taxpayers subsidizing the development. The rents for these apartments, with the exception of the few affordable units, are unlikely to be affordable for many who would wish to live in Princeton. Projections for the Thanet Avalon project indicate that the expected rent for a 727-square-foot one-bedroom apartment will require someone to be earning over $120,000 a year if the HUD guidelines on rent affordability at 30 percent of income are to be considered. This is more than twice the current salary of an experienced teacher or police officer and would freeze many out of living in Princeton. more

To the Editor:

While we appreciate community input on this and every topic, we believe PCRD’s recent proposal is incompatible with how the vast majority of affordable housing in New Jersey is created, funded, and maintained — and would impose a considerable financial burden of tens of millions of dollars on the taxpayers of Princeton.

The proposal, for 100 percent affordable (i.e., municipally-sponsored) housing, would require the financial backing of the municipality, including millions of taxpayer funds to purchase the property, to construct the housing, and to provide tax subsidies over time. Further, the low unit count would make it uncompetitive for state financing, causing Princeton residents to make up significant funding shortfalls.  more

To the Editor:

On Wednesday evening [May 24] at 7:30 p.m., via Zoom, the Board of Zoning Adjustment will hear a third presentation from Sakrid Coffee Roasters, LLC. Concerned neighbors feel that our air quality is threatened and ask every other concerned resident or parent of a Community Park School child to attend, listen, and voice an opinion.

Since the Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing on March 22, two new issues have surfaced that directly bear upon the inappropriateness of the requested variance to roast coffee commercially (process for additional “owned locations” and “for sale to others”) at 300 Witherspoon, which sits on the boundary of the Witherspoon-Jackson (W-J) and Community Park (C-P) neighborhoods. more

To the Editor:

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude for all the teachers and staff who have made a difference in my life.

I can remember my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Campbell, who always called me Dr. Carroll (my maiden name) and had a kind smile for me each morning. Even though I was just a child, she made me feel valued, seen, and important. I will never forget how much she inspired me to learn and excel in school.  more