Topics in Brief
A Community Bulletin

Mercer County Wildlife Center is seeking individuals who would like to volunteer their time caring for animals brought to the Hopewell Township facility. The 2010 volunteer orientation will be Saturday and Sunday March 20 and 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at the center, which is located on Route 29, approximately three miles south of Lambertville and 12 miles north of Trenton. Prospective volunteers need to attend only one of the two sessions. Center staff and volunteers care for native wildlife that are injured, ill, or displaced, and provide medical treatment and a temporary refuge to prepare the animals for release into an appropriate habitat. The center is staffed 365 days a year by one full-time licensed wildlife rehabilitator and two full-time assistants and receives more than 11,000 phone calls annually. Last year the center accepted and treated 2,144 birds, mammals and reptiles. Those interested in registering for either orientation session or needing more information may call Volunteer Coordinator Jane Rakos-Yates at (609) 883-6606 x103.

New Jersey Future Executive Director Peter Kasabach has issued a statement in response to the announced New Jersey Transit service cuts. “New Jersey Future understands the gravity of the state’s current budget crisis, and we recognize that hard choices are necessary to address the situation,” he said. “We believe, however, that placing this burden solely on transit riders, and not on the transportation system as a whole, sends the wrong message about New Jersey’s priorities and damages the state’s potential for economic growth. New Jersey’s extensive transit system is one of its greatest competitive advantages; it has been a key factor in attracting employers and residents to the state in recent years. Cutting service and raising fares on the system not only hurts riders, but also limits our ability to create long-term, sustainable economic growth in New Jersey.”