To the Editor:

I am writing to support Jenny Crumiller’s candidacy for re-election to Princeton Council. As an elected official, Jenny has been a forceful advocate for the preservation of our neighborhoods, our environment, and our identity as a progressive and inclusive community. She understands the complexities of the issues that face Princeton and can be counted on to continue a record of smart and thoughtful service to her constituents.

Jenny’s interest in preserving Princeton as an affordable community with excellent public schools and a small town atmosphere started shortly after she moved here. I first met her in 1992 when she helped lead a grueling neighborhood struggle to save the residential character of Harris Road. The experience led Jenny to municipal politics where she has worked consistently to inform citizens of proposals that will affect them, intelligently vet development projects, and spend taxpayer dollars wisely.

Thanks to Jenny’s willingness to examine financial details, Princeton received a payment of $85,000 for its easement to the Post Office building instead of the zero dollars offered by the developer. Thanks to her leadership, Princeton is about to open a much-needed group home for the developmentally disabled. And, thanks to her persistence, Planning Board hearings are now televised. These are just a few of her accomplishments, many behind the scenes and unsung, during her term on the Princeton Council.

If Jenny has a weakness in electoral politics, it lies in her aversion to self-promotion. She would rather get the job done than worry about who gets credit for it. Her extensive community service and involvement with local nonprofit groups includes more than a decade of active service on the board of the Princeton Committee of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a creative effort to bring media attention to opposition to the 2003 Iraq war, and extensive collaborative work to help promote progressive policies and candidates.

Virginia Kerr

Jefferson Road