| NEWS |
  
|
| FEATURES |
| ENTERTAINMENT |
  
|
| COLUMNS |
     |
| CONTACT US |
|
| HOW TO SUBMIT |
|
|
| BACK ISSUES |
|
|
Policies of Fish and Wildlife Division Encourage Deer Population Growth
LAURA
A. GOETZ
Hamilton Township
Community Volunteers Are Recognized For Enhancing Guyot Stream Walkway
S.
MOODY
Jefferson Road
U. PERNA
Harris Road
D. STARK
Henry Avenue
Borough Resident Tries to Imagine A Repaired, Repaved Jefferson Road
TOBIAS
D. ROBISON
Jefferson Road
Fence Needed Between University's Proposed Zoning and Its Contribution
BOB
RODGERS
Laurel Road
YMCA Directors Thank William King For His Eight Years of Leadership
JOHN
M. STAHL
Chairman,
Princeton Family YMCA Board of Directors
Policies of Fish and Wildlife Division Encourage Deer Population Growth
To the Editor:
While communities are trying to resolve human-deer conflicts, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is manipulating habitat to increase deer populations.
In New Jersey, habitat development and maintenance to benefit deer are conducted on 117 state-owned Fish and Wildlife management areas totaling over 295,000 acres, in every county. Habitat management is also encouraged on other public and private lands. Limited burning, wood harvest, and planting of various agricultural crops favored by deer increases the deer carrying capacity by increasing the quality and quantity of available food. Additionally, the Division encourages hunters to put out an estimated 2 million pounds of food (bait) annually to lure deer to their deaths.
Of the total acres, the vast majority (185,900) were bought by Green Acres Bonds between 1961 and 2004. Fish and Wildlife acquired 99,150 acres.
Organizations such as New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Natural Resources Council, and the Nature Conservancy partner with Fish and Wildlife in acquiring these lands.
Yes, every time we voted for open space, little did we realize that the money could be used to provide more land for growing more deer, and for hunting. In the Open Space Public Question, the use of the land is disguised with the word "active" recreation.
This came to my attention because now the hunters want the lands opened for Sunday hunting.
LAURA
A. GOETZ
Hamilton Township
Community Volunteers Are Recognized For Enhancing Guyot Stream Walkway
To the Editor:
The efforts to improve the public Guyot Stream Walkway between Moore Street, Harris Road, Jefferson Road, Carnahan Place, and Witherspoon Street continued for the ninth year during 2004.
The Township has promised significant enhancements to the walkway in the spring of 2005. These improvements will include new trees and plantings, plus resurfacing of the walkway and enhanced drainage to the area and stream bed. Although the Township Engineering Department has promised to avoid destruction of the plantings resulting from our community effort, no new planting was scheduled in 2004-05 until the area work is completed. Thus, the numerous shrubs and plants, regularly donated to the project by the Obal Garden Center on Alexander Road and the Belle Meade Coop on Township Line Road, were not accepted this past year.
Despite these planned upgrades to the area, the following Princeton residents have provided time, plants, or money in 2004 to make the area more enjoyable for all the community to use: Janet Arrington, Danuta Buzdygan, the Denards, the Kagays, the Lynches, the Moodys, Ted Nessas, P.M. Prendergast, the Weinsteins, an anonymous donor on Jefferson Road, Miki Mendelsohn of Hickory Court, the Gibneys, Jennifer Guy, the Rovira-Rodrigueses of Moore Street, Dennis, Madeline and Nick Stark of Henry Avenue, Robert Burns, Rosalie Green, Peter Lindenfeld, Umberto Perna of Harris Road, Jimmy Mack and Diana Perna of Carnahan Place, Sally Bond of Snowden Lane, Michael Bilginer of Chambers Street, and the Crumillers of Library Place.
We wish to publicly recognize these community members and the Township Engineering Department for their continued help. The community and neighbors will continue to enjoy the area after the promised Township renovations are completed this spring, and as nearly $750 worth of new shrubbery and ground cover to supplement their efforts are planted by the community volunteers.
S.
MOODY
Jefferson Road
U. PERNA
Harris Road
D. STARK
Henry Avenue
Borough Resident Tries to Imagine A Repaired, Repaved Jefferson Road
To the Editor:
I had a dream about Jefferson Road.
In my dream the Borough residents of Jefferson Road enveloped our houses, Christo-style, in beautiful billowing fabrics. Gentle pastels, bright pinks, blues and aquamarines. When our installation was complete, people came from all over to drive up and down the street, admiring the sight. And they were furious.
"Your street is in dreadful condition," they said. "How can you stand it?"
"We're used to it," we replied. "Jefferson Road has been a mess for most of 40 years. The thin repaving in 1980 was seriously damaged eight months later when the cable company laid its cables, and the following winter frosts returned it to a dreadful state."
"You said your installation was free to the public," they cried, "but it's not free. Now we have to buy shock absorbers and pay our chiropractors to fix our backs. It'll cost us. We're going to sue!"
In my dream, we're waiting to hear from their lawyers.
In my waking hours, I dream about the good repaving that the Borough's engineers have dangled before our eyes, these three years. When? When?
TOBIAS D. ROBISON
Jefferson Road
Fence Needed Between University's Proposed Zoning and Its Contribution
To the Editor:
Let's see if we get the connection: Mr. Martindell's letter (Town Topics, February 23) says the University must pony up to the Borough before it may even show up with its zoning change request. Sounds like good ol' "pay for play!"
He's got the two parts right:
1. Princeton University, like any other applicant, is entitled to a proper hearing and determination on its requested change, based on its compatibility with the zoning plan in relation to the neighboring community.
2. The University has a fair obligation to compensate its host municipalities (Borough and Township) for their costs of services rendered to the institution, whether by voluntary contribution or negotiated settlement.
But these twain are unrelated, and should not meet.
BOB RODGERS
Laurel
Road
YMCA Directors Thank William King For His Eight Years of Leadership
To the Editor:
We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank William F. King III for his leadership of the Princeton Family YMCA. At last week's annual meeting, the Board of Directors accepted Bill's resignation as chairman, a post he has held for the past eight years.
During this time, Mr. King has devoted countless hours inspiring and guiding the organization as it developed a strategic plan; established the South Brunswick Family YMCA; transitioned to a new CEO; quadrupled the funds raised to provide financial aid; worked through the crisis of the loss of United Way funding; enhanced board and staff diversity; strengthened relationships with the YWCA; and established community events such as Healthy Kids Day, Halloween at the YMCA, Swim with Santa, and SPLASH week.
His tenure as board chair has been a time of dedication to the ideal that the YMCA should be a place of peace, understanding, and gathering for our community.
Bill – thank you for making it so.
JOHN M. STAHL
Chairman,
Princeton Family YMCA Board of Directors
