|
|
Vol. LXIII, No. 50
|
|
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
|
|
|
|
Vol. LXIII, No. 50
|
|
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
|
JOE CAUCHI
North Harrison Street
TOM HAGEDORN
Chestnut Street
KAREN ANDRADE-MIMS
Executive Director, UIH Family Partners
Trenton
POLLY BURLINGHAM
ALEXANDRA RADBIL
MARIE RICKMAN
CURTIS HELM
BARRIE ROYCE
Princeton Borough Shade Tree Commission
To the Editor:
I walk along Nassau Street almost everyday from Witherspoon to Harrison Street and am always annoyed at the amount of litter I see outside our fast food and cafe outlets. There are some places where I see young people sitting on benches provided by the town and allow their food to fall on the sidewalk with no attempt to clean up. On occasions I have seen kids “shoot hoops” with their litter in the garbage bins provided and if it misses there is no attempt to pick it up and place it in the bin.
We should have more respect for our premier street, and if the authorities cannot impose any fines on the individuals then the fast food or cafe outlets should be responsible for keeping their share of the sidewalk clean. The cleanliness and hygiene of our town reflects on all of us and ultimately reflects on the value of our town as a whole.
JOE CAUCHI
North Harrison Street
To the Editor:
As a strong advocate for public schools and having worked in public higher education for the past 15 years, I was appalled to read in “School Board Hails Local Heroes; Opposes Future Charter Schools” (Town Topics, December 2) that the Princeton School Board unanimously opposes all “current applications and future applications” for charter schools in Princeton.
The foremost goal of the school board should be to provide the best possible public education for Princeton children. To succeed, the board must evaluate all proposals for improving public education with an open mind. By preemptively declaring their opposition to any future charter school applications, the school board has acted in a manner that diminishes the education that the district provides.
The data regarding the current Princeton charter school supports this analysis. The charter school is oversubscribed with many more children wanting to enroll than can be accommodated. As parents of a three-year old, my wife and I have begun to think about the school choices ahead of us. We have heard some wonderful stories about the Princeton schools, but we have also learned from other parents that the traditional schools have problems, some of them serious, and that not all children thrive in them. Charter schools offer an alternative option, within the public school system, for these children.
Charter school applications should be closely scrutinized, but to reject all applications a priori is to display a closed-mindedness that we would not want to see in our public school graduates, let alone school board members.
TOM HAGEDORN
Chestnut Street
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Board and staff of UIH Family Partners, and especially the in-need and vulnerable children and fragile families we serve, I would like to thank all who participated in or otherwise supported our 150th Anniversary Celebration Gala, “Bridging the Past with The Future.” This special event was held November 21 at the Trenton Country Club. We appreciate all who wished UIH Family Partners well at this significant milestone in our history and assisted us in raising much-needed funds that will be used toward the fulfillment of our mission — to build effective families through innovative and culturally sensitive programs for parents and children.
Special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, Educational Testing Service, and to Fulton Financial Advisors/The Bank; Samsara Foundation; and TD Bank for their sponsorships. Thank you, too, to all who purchased tickets; donated to or supported our silent auction; placed ads in our Commemorative Program Book; or made contributions in honor of the agency’s sesquicentennial. And congratulations to the soirée’s honorees: Cecilia Zalkind, Esq., Executive Director, Association for Children of New Jersey; Eleanor V. Horne, Vice President, Social Investment Fund at ETS ; and Dick Greenfield.
For 150 continuous years, longer than any other nonprofit in New Jersey dedicated to the welfare of children, UIH Family Partners (formerly known as Union Industrial Home for Children) has worked to address such issues, and to build strong parents, resilient children, and effective families. We are gratified by our colleagues, collaborators, and stakeholders who share the vision of a better, safer world and a healthier, brighter future for all children, and who work toward that goal. We invite others to join in this vital effort.
To share ideas, discuss practical suggestions for strengthening children and families, or learn more about UIH Family Partners and its programs, please call me at (609) 695-1492, ext. 117 or write to kandrade-mims@uih.org.
KAREN ANDRADE-MIMS
Executive Director, UIH Family Partners
Trenton
To the Editor:
The Princeton Borough Shade Tree Commission would like to invite all Princeton residents to become a mighty tree, branch, twig, or even a single leaf! You can become an important part of maintaining the health and longevity of the Princeton urban forest by participating in the Tree of Light fundraising initiative. Each level of giving is represented by the names of various tree parts. Our goal is to raise the $7,000 needed to implement the first stage of our State approved Five-Year Plan. The funds will go towards making a GPS inventory of all Princeton trees, which is necessary to ensure the ongoing care and maintenance of town trees, as well as for the pruning and removal of dangerous trees.
As 2009 comes to a close, the Princeton Borough Shade Tree Commission would like to thank all area residents who have given generous donations anonymously since our Tree of Light fundraising kick-off event during Communiversity. We would also like to thank the following families and individuals, who through their generous donations have also become a part of our Tree of Light: Chris Mather, Cheryl Gursky, Anne Seltzer, Alison Lahnston, Nancy Greenspan, Kevin Wilkes, Jim and Pat Hyatt, Susan Wilson, Jeanne LaPlaca, Jenny and John Crumiller, Andrew Koontz, the deTuro Family, The Alchemist and Barrister Restaurant, Wendy Benchley, and Mayor Mildred T. Trotman. We are also thankful and appreciative of the help and partnership of the Princeton Parks Alliance in our fundraising effort.
More information on the Tree of Light fundraising initiative can be found under “The Mayor’s Announcements” at the Borough’s web-site, www.princetonboro.org. All donations may be sent to Polly Burlingham, Chair, Princeton Borough Shade Tree Commission, 28 Scott Lane, Princeton 08540. Please write “The Princeton Parks Alliance” as the check recipient, while also listing the Princeton Borough STC on the subject line. Remember, all donations are tax deductible.
POLLY BURLINGHAM
ALEXANDRA RADBIL
MARIE RICKMAN
CURTIS HELM
BARRIE ROYCE
Princeton Borough Shade Tree Commission