To the Editor:

On behalf of the Sourland Conservancy’s staff, board, and members, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the residents, volunteers, businesses, and community partners who have dedicated their time and energy to restoring the Sourland forest. This week, we achieved an incredible milestone: planting 10,000 native trees and protecting them from deer browse this year alone. Together, we have planted over 50,000 trees and shrubs since 2020, a vital step toward healing our forest.

Our work couldn’t be more urgent. The New Jersey Forest Service estimates that our 90-square-mile region has lost more than one million trees in recent years to the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect. That’s nearly 20 percent of our forest devastated by a single threat. And the challenges don’t end there: overdevelopment, invasive plants, an overpopulation of white-tailed deer, and various pathogens all compound the damage. These threats impair the forest’s ability to filter our air and water, mitigate flooding, and provide food and shelter for wildlife — including the 57 threatened and endangered species that depend on the Sourlands for survival. more

To the Editor:

All anyone has to do is drive by historic Maybury Hill on Snowden Lane in Princeton to see the deer herd chomping away daily. They are now eating boxwood, azaleas, rose buds, acuba, and many other bushes and plants they supposedly hate. The organic sprays used to deter the growing deer population is essentially  pouring money into the ground.

Today we are spending more dollars on netting and a gardener to install. The dog barking and yelling at them is fruitless. Soon our lovely garden and grounds worked on for the last 25 years will be a desert. The deer live in the our woods and are now in the yard 2 pm.-7 a.m. They have learned that our three-acre property is most desirable since they can use the sidewalk to return home to the woods ( our property as well) and not cross in front of traffic.  more

To the Editor:

It is astonishing that taxpayers are being asked to support the shortfall (estimated at $48 million by the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development) that will eventually result from the proposed tax break being granted to Herring Properties for a gift in lieu of taxes for the “development” of the plot that belonged to Princeton Theological Seminary. This seems egregious,  especially since we are also being asked to approve a $89.1 million bond referendum in January to help Princeton’s schools.  Furthermore, this comes at a time when another group of schoolchildren, perhaps as many as 100 or more (a conservative estimate of incoming children is 150) is arriving — whom we are in effect subventing.

The reasons given in support of offering this break do not carry weight, especially the claim that the gateway into town will be enhanced.  How does the placement of a large development near the entrance to the borough adjacent to historic buildings and a historic district represent enhancement? Or the massive increase in traffic that will result, especially when people go to work?  As it is I can hardly cross Mercer Street to walk my dog during rush hours. I question the assumption that people will walk rather than drive to get the necessary items that they need to live, when the nearest shopping center is over a mile away. more

To the Editor:

I attended the school district’s presentation on the PPS Facilities Bond Referendum on December 9 (recording available on the PPS website) and was very impressed with the thoughtfulness of the district plan. I am writing to urge Princeton voters to approve all three Referendum questions on January 28.

Princeton will be welcoming many new students in the next few years. There are over 1,000 units of housing in the pipeline, with more to come. Meanwhile some of our school buildings are already over-capacity and outdated in design. And certain critical infrastructure, such as the HVAC system at PHS, is overdue for replacement. more

To the Editor:

Regretfully I cannot support the upcoming PPS referendum. As a lifelong resident whose father and youngest son both graduated from PHS, I wish I could. As a past coach in district, local business person, and having served on a neighboring school board many years ago, I can’t for numerous reasons.

First and foremost, holding a special referendum costs the tax payers extra as opposed to holding when voters are already casting their votes in an election. The reasons for this seem obvious, either poor planning or hoping that there will be a low voter turnout where the PPS can promote and push enough to pass it. Wasting tax dollars should never be rewarded.  more

To the Editor:

We are strongly in favor of the three components of the schools referendum, which is up for a vote on January 28. As parents at Community Park (CP) for many years and now at Princeton Middle School (PMS), we have seen the best of Princeton education, and also the worst of PPS’ facilities challenges. CP is a phenomenal community where the innovative DLI program complements PPS’s strong pedagogy and student support programming. But it has been bursting at the seams for years, with some faculty/student meetings occurring in repurposed maintenance closets. With significant new housing development nearby, the time is right is to expand CP so that new kids can walk to their neighborhood school, fewer families in town will need to be redistricted, and the DLI program can remain for those who choose it. CP’s proximity to the municipal parking lot and a large playground also make it a good candidate for expansion, but the issues of traffic circulation, secure access to the school, and maximization of recreational facilities need to be carefully considered as part of the planning.

PMS is a special, nurturing environment where a fantastic mix of arts and enrichment opportunities build on the strong core educational foundation. There too though, facilities are a barrier — the schedule is super complicated to squeeze every inch out of the overtaxed building, which will be increasingly inadequate as the student body grows and technological change requires new teaching approaches. Our kids have been fortunate to benefit from HVAC upgrades at their schools that have brought better temperature control, air quality, and environmental sustainability. PHS, on the other hand, still has ancient boilers that are surviving on duct tape and a dream.  more

To the Editor:

I am writing in support of the upcoming Princeton Public Schools referendum (January 28, 2025) which will approve raising money to alleviate crowding in many of the schools and update the high school HVAC system, and to encourage Princetonians to vote “Yes” to all three questions.

As a supporter of both public education and more affordable housing, I view the referendum as a moral good for our community. Expanding Community Park, Littlebrook, and Princeton Middle School will accommodate the predicted growth in the number of students in the district as well as current overcrowding and will also prevent more redistricting. The new classrooms planned for Community Park will allow more students living in that neighborhood to walk to school instead of being bussed elsewhere. Expansion of Littlebrook, where my granddaughter is a third grader, would allow the restoration of rooms for the school’s music and language programs. Changes to Princeton Middle School with close to 800 students, with nearly 900 expected, will prevent existing crowded conditions from worsening. The high school’s HVAC system was old and poorly functioning when our youngest child graduated in 2010, and 15 years later it has not improved. more

To the Editor:

The Westminster Community Orchestra (WCO) would like to extend its thanks to the members of the Princeton community who attended our recent holiday concert and contributed to our annual collection for area service organizations. This year’s donations were divided between Mercer Street Friends, TASK, Arm In Arm, HomeFront, the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, and the Rider University Food and Resource Pantry.

Over the past 12 years, the WCO has been able to donate thousands of dollars to worthy organizations, thanks to the generosity of our holiday concert audiences. We greatly appreciate the kindness and compassion of our concert attendees and hope to continue to support the important work being done in our community for our neighbors in need for years to come. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming concerts.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and musical New Year!

Dr. Ruth Ochs
Conductor, and the members of the Westminster Community Orchestra
Walnut Lane

To the Editor:

I write to you today in order to encourage my neighbors to support the January 28, 2025 Princeton Public Schools referendum.  Our town is growing quickly — well over 1,000 units will be added in the coming decade — and our schools must grow accordingly. The district has designed an efficient, strategic solution to handle growth while maintaining high quality.  The election allows voters to respond to three tiered questions (Question 1 must pass for Question 2 to pass, and both Question 1 and Question 2 need to pass in order for Question 3 to pass).

Question 1: Expands Community Park Elementary School and replaces Princeton High Schools’ end-of-life HVAC. Question 2:  Expands Princeton Middle School and strategic renovations at Princeton High School. Question 3: Expands Littlebrook Elementary School. more

To the Editor:

In 1837, Horace Mann laid out the definitions of public education in America:

1. Public Education for All: Mann believed that ignorance and freedom cannot coexist, advocating for universal education funded and maintained by the public.
2. Inclusivity: Education should be accessible to children of all social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds without discrimination.
3. Nonsectarian Approach: Schools should be free from sectarian or partisan religious influence, focusing instead on universal moral principles.
4. Democratic Ideals: Education should reflect the discipline and spirit of a free society, promoting democratic values.
5. Professional Teachers: Emphasized the importance of well-trained, professional teachers to deliver quality education.
6. Moral and Character Development: Schools should build character and values through structured regimens and discipline.

I write to encourage all of us to vote yes on January 28, 2025. As to No. 3, let us remember that the conversations between young Jemmy Madison and the Rev. John Witherspoon led to the Establishment Clause in our Bill of Rights. Our public schools are excellent and they matter!

Sheldon Sturges
Birdie Way

To the Editor:

Several of us retired librarians from the Princeton Public Library were happy to see your coverage of the current production of A Christmas Carol featuring Vivia Font [“Actor Appearing in A Christmas Carol Credits McCarter with Inspiring Her Career,” December 11, page 5].

She was sort of our institutional child as we worked side by side with her mom Elba Barzelato. We watched Vivia grow from preschool days through her graduate studies and many theatrical assignments to  become the  lovely professional actor she is. We are all the beneficiaries of her fine talent.

Mary Louise Hartman, MLS
James Court

To the Editor:

Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) thanks members of the community who came to the Mountain Lakes House last weekend to see and celebrate our photography exhibition, which featured selected photos from our ninth annual photography contest. The contest, entitled “Perspectives on Preservation,” encouraged people to explore the Greater Mountain Lakes Recreation Area more deeply, and to linger a bit longer within its over 400 acres of preserved public open space and farmland.

The exhibition is a sampling of what photographers found on their wanderings including wildlife, a broad community of plants, diverse landscapes, and vestiges of the ways this land has seen human occupation and use. The photos are an homage to a place — accessible by close to nine miles of trails — where the community can relax and recharge in nature, and where native wildlife and plants can flourish.

We are deeply grateful to REI Princeton for their continuous support of our photo contest, to the participating photographers, and to our judges, Jody Erdman, Tasha O’Neill, and Frank Sauer. Frank’s annual co-exhibition of photos from the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve and its surroundings is always a visual delight.

Our conversations with visitors to the show made clear that the Princeton community places great value on open space, and that the youth of our community are passionate about doing what they can to mitigate the impacts of climate change by helping to maintain and restore healthy preserved lands.

Fran Mcmanus
Jess Atkins
FOPOS Trustees

Jackie Halaw
FOPOS Program Coordinator
Mountain Avenue

To the Editor:

Every person who has an electricity bill in Princeton has an opportunity to reduce their energy bill and contribute to improving the environment.

Sustainable Princeton explains on their website how the Community Solar program works. Subscribers to the program receive a financial credit [dollars] on their PSE&G utility bill.

This works for anyone, especially if one’s home or apartment is shaded or otherwise unable to add solar energy panels. One such approved providing company offers a 31 percent discount on one’s energy bill just for enrolling.  more

To the Editor:

When asked why we love where we live, there’s been one consistent No. 1 answer: We love the Princeton Public Schools. As parents of three children in the system, we are eternally grateful for the world-class education they all receive, and as parents we continue to remain dedicated to our public school system. We love that our kids’ classrooms are filled with diverse points of view, students from all over the country and the world, and that it truly feels like a safe space of inclusion.

In order to properly welcome in additional students, as well are uphold the quality of education for our existing students, it’s imperative that we pass all three questions in the January referendum.

Mitch and Ashley Henderson
Princeton Kingston Road

The writers are parents of two Community Park students and one Princeton Middle School student.

To the Editor:
We are lucky to live in a community that values high quality public education. In the service of this value, I urge my fellow Princetonians to support the January 28, 2025 public schools referendum.

This special election presents voters with three tiered questions. Question 1 provides funding to replace the end-of-life HVAC system at Princeton High School (PHS) and to expand Community Park School. Question 2 expands our painfully crowded Princeton Middle School (PMS), and reconfigures parts of PHS to improve functionality. Question 3 will fund much-needed new classrooms and expanded common areas at Littlebrook School. Question 1 must pass in order for question 2 to pass, and both 1 and 2 must pass in order for question 3 to pass. more

To the Editor:

I wish to thank volunteers from the Princeton Police Department, who once again assisted and served meals at the Thanksgiving feast held at Harriet Bryan House on November 22. This well-loved tradition, attended by senior residents of Elm Court and Harriet Bryan House as well as staff from Princeton Community Housing (PCH) and its trustees, is made special by the participation of these essential community partners.

In addition to the delicious food catered by Parker, there were foot-tapping tunes provided by musician Carmen Marranco — and even some dancing! It was a joyous afternoon. We were reminded of how generous our community partners are, and why our gratitude for their service lasts all year long.

Margaret Griffin
Board of Trustees
Princeton Community Housing
Patton Avenue

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Princeton Garden Theatre, we would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Princeton Community for your unwavering support over the last 10 years. While The Garden has been a part of Princeton for more than 100 years, it’s only in the last 10 years we’ve been a nonprofit committed to celebrating all aspects of film. The Garden thrives because of your enthusiasm, attendance, and love for the art of cinema.

We are especially grateful to our members for their commitment to sustaining our historic theater. Member support allows us to continue offering a unique movie-going experience that celebrates the magic of both classic and contemporary films. more

To the Editor:

Two items have recently been discussed by Council for consideration and have elicited public commentary: replacement of the public kiosks on Nassau Street and the renovation of Hinds Plaza.

The notion to convert the somewhat quaint kiosks into a mini–Times Square seems superfluous and a poor aesthetic choice if the intent is to reduce clutter and enhance efficiency of message posting. Glaring neon signage will distract both pedestrians and drivers and will require computer-driven control systems to operate messages. Will pedestrians be more informed by scrolling advertisements and announcements? Persons who currently read postings on the kiosks are unlikely to be attracted to yet another digital screen in order to be informed about local events and interests. more

To the Editor:

I am very dissatisfied with the plans for digging up and changing Hinds Plaza [“Council Hears Report From Consulting Firm on Revitalizing Hinds Plaza,” October 30, page 1]. Why fix something that isn’t  broken? The trees are healthy and mature, there are beautiful engravings, and plenty of moveable chairs and tables to eat lunch at.

“The plan also includes removing the mature trees from the plaza. The Princeton arborist states in the proposal that the trees in Hinds Plaza are not healthy. Bill Flemer, of Princeton Nurseries, said in a letter to Town Topics [Mailbox, November 13] that he believes they are mature and there is no reason to replace them. more

To the Editor:

Hinds Plaza is undeniably a cherished and iconic community space in Princeton, a sentiment I feel confident my Council colleagues share. All physical infrastructure, however, requires maintenance and upkeep. Our Engineering Department has identified several issues that must be addressed to ensure the plaza’s longevity and functionality. The recent Council work session was part of a nearly year-long process that included a public open house and survey to gather community input, regular steering committee meetings, and a thorough review of several design alternatives. After the initial concepts were introduced at the work session, Council received many questions regarding the project’s process, scope, and rationale, which I’d like to address here.

Taking a long-term approach to fiscal responsibility — addressing these issues through routine, cost-effective maintenance — will be less costly than allowing problems to compound over time. The need for this project stems from the deteriorated condition of the pavers and concrete, as well as an inadequate stormwater management system that channels rainwater directly from paved surfaces to Harrys Brook. The proposed redesign follows new regulations requiring improved water quality controls through green infrastructure.   more

To the Editor:

Thank you for bringing our attention to the Harrison Street Corridor concept plan that was presented to Princeton Council on November 12 [“Council Hears Report on Harrison Street Corridor,” November 20, page 1]. I am glad that pedestrians and cyclists are getting a high priority in planning. While I am at various times, driver, cyclist, and pedestrian, it is hard to consider the needs of all three simultaneously. The concept plan seems to manage this particularly well by proposing separate lanes for bicycles and increasing the sidewalk coverage around the Princeton Shopping Center area. While the “road diet” (reducing four lanes to two) sounded strange to me at first, I realized that Route 206 is one lane in each direction, and that works most of the time.

The plan proposes that the section of Harrison along the shopping center be divided into car lanes, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks in both directions. Pedestrians will find the sidewalks on both sides of Harrison at the shopping center to be a life saver.

The driver in me applauds a traffic light at Route 206 and Ewing Street. Roundabouts at Bunn, Terhune, Valley, and Nassau may help relieve car and truck congestion, and cyclists will be directed to more peaceful roads to avoid much of Harrison Street. Slowing traffic at the D&R Canal will be very helpful to runners, walkers, and cyclists, since the flashing lights are not visible around the sharp corner heading north.

While I am feeling positive so far about the plan, some questions remain in my mind. Will roundabouts have pedestrian crossing lights? Will cyclists need to become pedestrians to safely enter and leave the roundabouts? I find roundabouts to be intimidating as a cyclist, since many drivers are not happy when a bicycle occupies a full lane. Are the new apartments surrounding the Princeton Shopping Center fully considered in the traffic data? I am looking forward to hearing more about this large and complex plan.

Alice Macnow
Bunn Drive

To the Editor:

The kiosks on Nassau Street are the everyman publicity system. No matter how small or poor your organization — at the least you can afford a poster on the kiosk.  It may be primitive, but the kiosks are a physical manifestation of the first amendment right to speak in public. Kiosks present ideas to the random people who walk the street. Someone sees a poster on the kiosk and takes action. That is valuable.

Remove the kiosk and you silence those least able to speak. The idea that you will replace the kiosk with something “digital” is a slap in the face to everyone who does not use a smartphone.  You are pushing out the paper era while lots of people can’t read a digital kiosk.  more