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Now More Than Ever, We Must Celebrate What Makes America Great: Freedom

JAMES E. McGREEVEY
Governor

Resident Sends Nothing but Blessings To the New Parking Garage and Library

THERESE CRITCHLOW
Westcott Road

Arts Council Recognizes Supporters That Make Many Programs Possible

RANDI LUND
Events Coordinator
The Arts Council of Princeton

Arts Council President Strives To Build Community Through The Arts

WENDY MAGER
President, Arts Council of Princeton

Appreciator of Operatic Music Values Princeton's Own Talent

TED METH
Parkside Drive

Thanks Offered to Riders and Crew Of Princeton-to-Jersey-Shore Bike Ride

TIM PATRICK-MILLER, MD
Pediatric Group
Mount Lucas Road

Now More Than Ever, We Must Celebrate What Makes America Great: Freedom

To the Editor:

As we celebrate Independence Day, we must take time to remember the courage and foresight of our founding fathers, as well as the principles of freedom and liberty which they established to guide our nation.

The Declaration of Independence did more than declare our freedom from the tyranny of British rule. Without this important document, the American ideal would be non-existent. The principles we cherish that all people are created equal and are entitled to certain unalienable rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness never would have been established.

Today, these ideals are threatened by vicious acts of terrorism. These actions come from people who believe that the right to freedom only comes on a conditional basis. They believe that life is only the privilege of those who share their own narrow extremist beliefs.

As Americans, we are proud to live in a nation that stands for and defends freedom and liberty throughout the world. Now more than ever, we must remain steadfast and dedicated to our firm beliefs in a life free of the evils of oppression and tyranny.

On this Independence Day, I encourage all New Jersey families to celebrate the blessings of freedom that we enjoy, thanks to those 56 courageous individuals who signed the Declaration of Independence 228 years ago.

Happy Fourth of July!

JAMES E. McGREEVEY
Governor

Resident Sends Nothing but Blessings To the New Parking Garage and Library

To the Editor:

Blessed are those who labored so diligently on the new Borough parking garage. There will be a parking space in heaven.

As I had awaited, patiently, for the new garage to open, I drove into a spacious, well-lit, and clean open space. Courteous Borough attendants greeted me at the entrance and escorted me to the red button. The sweet scent of honeysuckle flowers near the open wall added to a delightful parking experience. The walk from the car to the library was sheltered. After an hour's visit to use the new computers and reference collection, a friendly library assistant validated the ticket. On to the garage again where the ticket was placed in the machine and emerged with a "Thank you and come again" voice from within. The attendant guided me to the exit. The ticket disappeared into the machine and the yellow guide arm ushered me into the driveway.

I have made several visits since May 17, and like Ms. Loralee Strauss, as she cited in her June 23 letter to Town Topics, I say come and use the new garage.

THERESE CRITCHLOW
Westcott Road

Arts Council Recognizes Supporters That Make Many Programs Possible

To the Editor:

I was proud to receive recently, on behalf of the Arts Council, a grant from the Rotary Club of Princeton. For the past two years, Rotary has supported the Arts Council¹s Summer Camp Scholarship Program. Each summer, we provide scholarships to underserved, economically disadvantaged children so that they may participate in our weekly Kids¹ Summer Art and Drama Camps, thereby enabling them to take advantage of the excellent arts instruction offered at the Arts Council.

We strongly believe that an opportunity to engage in the arts and to express oneself artistically can make an enormous difference to an underserved child at risk in this community. We sincerely thank Rotary for its significant and essential financial contribution to our Summer Camp Scholarship Program.

While thanking those who have committed their time, energy, and funds to the Arts Council, I¹d like to recognize several other organizations and individuals.

Included in the Arts Council's recent annual meeting was the presentation of awards to those organizations and individuals who went the extra mile in the past year to help the Arts Council fulfill its mission of building community through the arts.

The Corporate Award went to Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for its generous financial sponsorship of Communiversity. The Partnership Award went to the University Medical Center of Princeton, Nutrition Department, for providing hot, nutritious meals each week for the area homeless children who participate in the Arts Council¹s Arts Exchange Program.

The Foundation Award went to the Shepherd Foundation, the Bovenizer family, and Community Liquors for their extremely generous donations in each of the past three years to our Summer Camp Scholarship Program. Finally, the Catherine M. Kapoor Artist-in-Residence Award went to Libby Ramage for her dedication and enthusiasm as a teacher of children¹s art classes at the Arts Council and, during this past year, at the Princeton Nursery School through our Neighborhood Art Reach Program, funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

We would like to thank everyone again and acknowledge that while the Arts Council does many things, it cannot do any of them alone.

RANDI LUND
Events Coordinator
The Arts Council of Princeton

Arts Council President Strives To Build Community Through The Arts

To the Editor:

The Arts Council wishes to thank everyone involved in the process that led to the Planning Board's unanimous approval of our revised plan for the renovation and expansion of the Paul Robeson building. We are looking forward to the work that lies ahead of creating a revitalized arts center all Princeton can be proud of, and which will be a monument to the memory of Paul Robeson, one of America's greatest performing artists. As part of this work, the facade of the 1939 WPA building will be preserved and restored, and we will be mounting a permanent exhibit documenting the building's origins as a neighborhood African-American community center. We hope to accomplish this with the guidance and support of elders and historians from the historic neighborhood, and with the assistance of the Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood Association.

We understand that some of our neighbors have significant concerns about the potential impacts of the expanded building, and we intend to continue our dialogue with them, as well as following up on agreements we made prior to the approval. We want all of our neighbors to feel comfortable coming to the renovated and expanded Paul Robeson Center, and to feel that it fits comfortably into its residential setting. One thing everyone could agree on at the Planning Board hearing was a love for the arts, a feeling that transcends divisions of age, income, color, nationality, politics, and gender. That is the spirit in which we hope to move forward with our mission to build community through the arts.

WENDY MAGER
President, Arts Council of Princeton

Appreciator of Operatic Music Values Princeton's Own Talent

To the Editor:

The performance on Friday, June 25, of Purcell's opera, Dido and Aeneas, at Westminster Choir College's summer festival, under the direction of J.J. Penna, who played harpsichord continuo, was superb as it came to the emotional climax when Dido (Sarah Sensenig) sings, "Remember Me," to the expressive accompaniment of a baroque cello (Loretta O'Sullivan). Princeton is fortunate to have such elegance right at home.

TED METH
Parkside Drive

Thanks Offered to Riders and Crew Of Princeton-to-Jersey-Shore Bike Ride

To the Editor:

The 3-P and EasyRiders pedaled their hundred miles from Princeton to the Jersey Shore and back last weekend in their Benefit Bikeride for HiTOPS. We wish to thank all the dedicated riders and support crew, especially the former teen council members, Drs. Sachs, Denny, Weinapple, and Kay who joined us from the Anchor House Ride, and all the Princeton physicians who rode with us in spirit when their work schedules conflicted. We look forward to your company next year! Tremendous thanks to all my friends and sponsors, especially Mark and Tracy Johnson, Judd Henderson at Princeton Real Estate Group, Peter Mittnacht at UBS Financial, Tom Weeks at Fleet Bank, and Pete Callaway at NT Callaway Real Estate. HiTOPS, its Board and I also wish to personally thank the eight Princeton medical and surgical groups who supported us so generously at leadership levels, and our many physician peers and business friends who joined our century club--sponsoring the teen riders at a dollar a mile!

I also wish to thank Bristol Meyer Squibb for generously contributing more than $1700 to The Lance Armstrong Foundation while I trained for the ride. I must also thank Noah Dobin-Bernstein and family, who founded, organized and energized the ride. Lastly, I wish to give the greatest gratitude to the HiTOP Educators, the Teen Council, and all our local teens and families they effectively serve. Please keep up your important task of teaching and learning to be safe, healthy, and responsible. In support of the many parents and teens in their lifelong journey of proactively educating and protecting themselves, the 3-P (Physicians Passionate about Prevention) and E.A.S.Y. Riders ("Education About Sex for Youth") will ride again!

Please join us June 2005.

TIM PATRICK-MILLER, MD
Pediatric Group
Mount Lucas Road

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