To the Editor:

Ari Meisel is a pillar of the community who will serve on the Board of Education with his trademark blend of efficiency and boundless energy.

Ari loves Princeton. Years ago, I asked him to name his favorite place he has ever lived. He quickly replied, “Princeton! You can’t beat the sense of community here.” He has embraced this town and he has become an integral part of it. As an EMT, as a PTO board member, and as a CARES committee member, he helps the most vulnerable, the most underserved, and the most sick and injured in Princeton. He also brings a parent’s perspective to the BOE as a father of five children, four of whom attend Princeton Public Schools.  more

To the Editor:

Planning for the future is very difficult to do. I would like to thank our mayor and Council for looking out for the entire community in initiating the purchase of the Westminster Choir College property from Rider University. As someone that served as an elected Township Committeeman/Princeton Councilman for 15 years and 10 years prior on Boards and Commissions, I am supportive when our elected officials look out for the interest of our residents.

The Westminster location is one of the most important developable land mass sites left in Princeton. With all the building of houses, apartments, condos, and townhouses, we are going to need more public facilities. I am sure we are going to need an additional school in the near future. Planning, planning, planning is everything.

I am asking that we all open our minds and try to understand this purchase of the Westminster Choir College site. Making difficult decisions in the beginning can save each of us a lot of additional taxes in the end. My plea is that the mayor and Council continue to do due diligence to make sure the residents have a super win. Let’s get behind this project and continue to watch Princeton become the best town to live in. We are so fortunate to live in Princeton.

Lance Liverman
Former Council President
Witherspoon Street

To the Editor:

Trust takes years to build, but it can be broken in a single moment. For many of us in the Princeton community, that trust was shattered last year when the Board of Education mishandled both the firing of Princeton High School Principal Frank Chmiel and the drama surrounding Superintendent Dr. Carol Kelley. These events exposed a lack of decisive leadership and a failure to address the concerns of the community.

The turning point for many of us came during Frank Chmiel’s “Donaldson” hearing. This was the Board’s chance to acknowledge that the situation could have been handled better, without explicitly apologizing. However, when only two out of 10 board members voted to reinstate Chmiel, it became clear that our voices weren’t being heard. Our concerns as residents and parents were ignored, and any remaining trust in the Board evaporated. more

To the Editor:
There are three precious spots open on the Princeton Board of Education. This year is extremely important. We need to find BOE candidates committed to hiring a superintendent who is invested in our district, not their own agenda, and also not temporary (we are grateful to the lovely temporary superintendents we’ve had in the past five years, but we deserve long-term investment). With so much change and turnover in this district (on all levels) we are missing the opportunity to form our own identity. The identity of our district should not come from how it wants to be perceived but should come from the needs of the kids. It’s not an agenda put upon them, but a collaborative development toward the future together.

Ari Meisel encompasses skills to help bring this district its identity. Ari should fill one of the three open positions.  more

To the Editor:

I am writing to voice my strong support for Chris Santarpio, a candidate for a seat on the Board of Education.

My family and I have lived in Princeton for over 14 years, and both our boys have been going to Princeton’s wonderful public schools since their first day of kindergarten. We were lucky enough to be districted for Community Park, where they both had phenomenal experiences in the Dual Language Immersion program. In the many years I’ve lived here, though, I have never seen someone make such a huge impact on our schools in such a short period of time as Chris.  more

To the Editor:

I write this letter in support of Ari Meisel’s candidacy for the PPS Board of Education. And before I’m accused of bias, of course I’m biased! Ari happens to be my very wonderful brother-in-law.
And it’s from this perspective that I write, because others will be able to compile paragraphs full of his accomplishments, his involvements, his tireless work ethic, his living embodiment — as a father of five — of the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” Everyone knows this about him. In fact, everyone knows Ari, period. He and my sister moved their family to Princeton almost a year after my husband and I got here, and yet within weeks of arriving, he was the one introducing people to us. It’s his personality. He’s a compulsively friendly, roll-up-his-sleeves kind of guy who gets in there.  more

To the Editor:
After spending years of participating and observing, I have decided to run for a seat on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) this November. It wasn’t an easy decision for me, being a first-generation immigrant, a parent, and a busy business owner. However, it is a step I feel compelled to take.

As explained on my campaign website (ShenweiForBoE.org), which has listed specific guidelines of my positions, I came to the U.S. in 2000 as a student. Immigration is never a simple process for anyone and settling down in a town like Princeton was no exception. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities this country and this community have provided us: The ability to live, raise a family, and become active participants in civic life. more

To the Editor:

Ari Meisel truly understands what it means to be a leader and pillar in the community. He leads by example and will always fight what he believes is right for his community and all that inhabit it. Ari possesses a unique understanding of business and organizational leadership and is an expert in efficiency and accountability.

What Ari will bring to the School Board is long overdue and a necessity as we navigate the future of Princeton school district and all that it offers its families and most importantly its students. Ari is meticulous and forward thinking, allowing him to understand that in all situations we can do better, and we can be better. He understands that things don’t have to appear to be broken to be fixed. Having been an integral part of the community for many years, Ari understands the deficiencies of our Board policies that lead us to falling short of the best for all our students and families. He is well invested in our school district as all his kids that are of school age attend the Princeton school system, something that is not often said enough.  more

To the Editor:

We are writing to express our strong support for Shenwei Zhao’s candidacy for the Board of Education (BOE) this November. We have known Shenwei since 2003, when we attended the same graduate school in Ohio. At that time, he had just left his job in Washington D.C. to pursue a Ph.D. in the Department of Communications. From the moment Shenwei arrived on campus, he started to help others.  As one of the few international students from China who have previously worked in the United States, he helped many students settle in. We still vividly remember him driving his 1990 blue Camry, towing the smallest U-Haul trailer he could find, and helping new students move in.

Shenwei worked as a teaching assistant in his department and later secured a research assistant position at Rutgers University. We lost touch for a while, but around 2011, a mutual friend helped reconnect us, as by then, we had all settled in New Jersey. At that time, we lived in a different town but were thinking about moving as our children grew older. Shenwei and his wife encouraged us to relocate to Princeton on the first day of 2017 due to its excellent educational resources. Seven years later, our daughter graduated from Princeton High School (PHS) and is now in college, while our son is a junior at PHS.   more

To the Editor:

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has filed for another facilities referendum, its fourth since December of 2018 when taxpayers approved a $27 million dollar referendum. Taxpayers were also asked to approve a $17.5 million referendum in January of 2022 and a $13 million referendum in November of 2023. The newest referendum, scheduled for a January 2025 vote, is by far the largest referendum in recent years expecting to cost between $85-89.5 million.

The Board of Education (BOE) says the $85-89 million referendum is needed to accommodate 220 new school- age children that will arrive from 1,100 new housing units that are scheduled to be built in Princeton over the next five years.  more

To the Editor:

I would like to introduce myself, Chris Santarpio, to the entire Princeton community as a Board of Education candidate. You may have seen my yellow lawn signs pop up around town recently. I chose the color yellow because to me this signifies positive energy, optimism, and sparking creativity. If elected, I will bring these qualities to the BOE.

My husband and I made Princeton our home in early 2020. We chose Princeton because of its vibrant and diverse community. I immediately became involved in the PTO as our son entered kindergarten at Community Park Elementary.  I am now serving my second year as PTO Co-President. I have also regularly attended Board of Education meetings, committee meetings, and PTO Council (PTOC) meetings (the PTOC consists of the district administration and leadership from all of the school-level PTOs within PPS, meeting monthly throughout the year). By serving in the PTO and attending these meetings, I became aware of the challenges facing the BOE and realized I could bring my skillset to help PPS thrive.   more

To the Editor:

Since I announced my candidacy for the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education over six weeks ago, I have had the privilege of meeting with dozens of community members, teachers, and administrators. Through these conversations, I have gained a deeper understanding of the diverse aspects of our district, and I am very excited to continue this journey.

My background is rooted in public service and community involvement. I have had the honor of serving as a volunteer EMT, providing critical support to our community during emergencies. Additionally, as the vice chair of the Princeton CARES committee, I have been actively involved in fostering a supportive environment for all residents, ensuring that the voices of our diverse community are heard and valued. In my professional life, I have focused on optimizing systems and improving efficiencies, skills that I believe are directly applicable to the challenges our school district faces today.  more

To the Editor:

Three years of construction noise. Two gas leaks requiring you to evacuate your home. Constant large construction vehicles navigating your narrow residential street, blocking traffic and interrupting your work or your sleep with backup alarms and other noise, starting at 7 a.m. Construction workers parking in front of your house, all day, every day, so that you and your other neighbors without driveways can’t park to unload groceries, or packages, or children. Damage to street trees. Standing water perfect for mosquitos. Loud talking or idling engines so close that you can hear details of the conversation and smell the exhaust as you sit in your living room.

The site, formerly a quiet duplex owned by the same family for decades, now has haphazard piles of construction materials in the front yard, set off by a temporary chain link fence that, after three years, seems permanent. Until this week, it had a sign pronouncing the arrival of new apartments for fall 2023. more

To the Editor:

In 2021, my husband and I moved our family of five to Princeton. After 13 years as an “Army wife” that sent us to North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and the United Nations in New York City, we chose Princeton in great part because of its reputation for excellent public schools. My kids quickly settled in, making friends at Community Park Elementary School and at soccer and hockey practices. I also settled in, connecting with other families on the sidelines, through CP’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), and at Cherry Hill Nursery School, which my youngest attended and where I’m now proud to serve as director. I began to understand both the great strengths and challenges that the Princeton Public Schools and the supporting community face to maintain their reputation for excellence and build even stronger schools.

I am running for the Princeton Board of Education because I care deeply about our students’ futures and the stability of the district, and I believe I have important skills and experience that can contribute to their success. As a former teacher and an education consultant (while my husband served the U.S. Army, I served in classrooms, schools and districts around the country as an instructional coach), I bring a wealth of experience in education technology, strategic planning, curriculum design, and educational leadership.  more

To the Editor:

Wow! Congratulations and thank you!

On Friday morning, August 9, at 6:45 a.m., we called the Princeton Police to report that a very large branch of an old maple tree had fallen and blocked the entire street in front of our house from curb to curb.

By 8 a.m. the only trace of the branch and many leaves remaining in the public right of way and neighboring properties was a bit of sawdust from the cutting of very large logs.

One hour and a quarter — an impressive job by Taylor Sapudar, Princeton’s arborist, and his specialized tree crew. A nice example of the benefits that we get for our tax dollars. When we told the story to some friends, they all said that wouldn’t happen in their towns.

Alice and Joe Small
Hawthorne Avenue

To the Editor:

Prayer in August

Let me know Summer before it is gone.
Let me share the high noon loveliness
Of wildflowers in country lanes
Where hedgerows are alive with the hum
Of bumble bees:
Study the deep green of summer trees
Reflected in shaded streams
Listen for the plaintive call
Of the mourning dove
Feel quiet contentment of cows
Grazing in peaceful fields
On drowsy afternoons.
Before it is too late
Let me walk barefoot in lush grass,
Breathe deeply the ripe sweetness of summer…
Grow dizzy from the breath
Of a hundred roses.

Kathleen M. Duhaime
Raymond Road

To the Editor:

I was both surprised and disappointed to learn that Princeton has no residential fire safety support services available to the community.

In a town that spends hundreds of thousands on consultants and unnecessary street renovations, to not have any community-wide fire safety services in place is embarrassing and unacceptable.

At the very least I’m certain the community would benefit from a periodic smoke/carbon monoxide detector inspection and replacement program. I was informed that such a program did exist at one time but was simply abandoned when the person doing the inspections retired. more

To the Editor:

We recently attended a Council meeting about housing development at the seminary. At that meeting, many members of the public voiced enthusiastic support for the project, but many neighbors cited concerns ranging from cutting down trees to changing the neighborhood character to the fact that only 20 percent of the units will be affordable housing.

While these are of course reasonable concerns, the fact is that the Council and Planning Board have been working on this for several years, and they have addressed many of these things already. For example, it would be wonderful to preserve every tree on site, but that’s not realistic, and our regulations require as many as possible to be replaced. Some might prefer if the project were 100 percent affordable housing, but that is not financially feasible, and anyway Princeton needs more housing of all types, not just deed-restricted affordable. Some residents worry about stormwater runoff, but in fact the law requires all stormwater to be retained on the property, meaning the development will likely improve the neighbors’ situation. more

To the Editor:

My wife and I have a 40-plus year appreciation of the special place that is Princeton and feel privileged to own a circa-1830 house in the Mercer Hill Historic District for the past 11 years. We have a deep respect for history and the firm belief that the historic buildings that comprise the rich fabric of this special town need to be honored and carefully preserved. Indeed, the longer a building survives in its appreciably original state, the greater the need for it to be protected against alteration. We are merely the stewards of a house and barn that are temporarily in our care. I would argue that institutional owners have an even greater mandate to be thoughtful stewards of their historic buildings, as they will surely have much longer periods of ownership. more

To the Editor:

I live on Alexander Street across from a group of houses owned by the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS). They have been the subject of several recent Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) hearings, as PTS is proposing long-delayed renovations to them. The houses were built in the 1830s in what is now the Mercer Hill Historic District (MHHD). A few of them are Steadman houses; Charles Steadman being considered the leading architect-builder of his era in Princeton.  It is HPC’s mandate to protect and preserve Princeton’s architectural heritage. Their documented renovation guidelines are that the owner save as much original exterior material as possible. If unable to save, then the replacement material should be the same as the original. (For nearby 44 Mercer Street, HPC gave an administrative waiver to PTS for the renovation of that house, allowing the complete removal of historic original wood siding, windows and window trim.) In conversations with PTS, the MHHDA learned of the initial plans to remove all the exterior wood and original windows and replace them with synthetic material and aluminum-faced replacement windows.  Based on this, the Association contacted HPC about the lack of compliance with HPC guidelines. (PTS has since modified its plans and will replace the siding with wood material.) more

To the Editor:

Many thanks to the couple who — several months ago and unbeknownst to us — quietly paid our dinner bill at Kristine’s.

We apologize for the delay, and wish to extend our profound gratitude for your kindness and generosity. Please be assured that we will not soon forget your wonderful and completely unexpected gift, and that we will “pay it forward.”

Ellen Saxon and Vince Peloso
Gordon Avenue, Lawrenceville

To the Editor:

When I was in third or fourth grade in Nassau Street School, we were taught a lot about Princeton. We took walking tours of various areas of the town, and were told of the historic significance related to them. I doubt we appreciated a lot of what Mrs. Taylor was telling us; but having had the privilege of living in and around Princeton for almost 60 years, a lot of that history became meaningful. more

To the Editor:

As leaders of Princeton Community Housing (PCH), a nonprofit organization developing and managing welcoming affordable rental homes in Princeton since 1967, we recognize that advocacy is an important part of our mission.

We have a housing crisis in this country. New Jersey alone needs 214,000 more affordable homes for extremely low-income households, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. There is also a dire need for more affordable homes in Princeton, as evidenced in part by the over 1,000 households on PCH’s combined waiting lists. Many of these households are young families starting out, people already working in town, and longtime residents who want to remain in their community. For these reasons, we support the goal of Princeton’s Master Plan to ensure that “Princeton will be a vibrant, growing, and welcoming community with a diverse mix of land uses that accommodate a broad variety of needs, housing ample and diverse enough to accommodate all who want to live here….” more

To the Editor:
Last Tuesday, a violent storm moved through my neighborhood, causing the street tree in front of my house to split in half, with half of the tree falling on my home.

I am writing to thank Officer Stoupas of the Princeton Police Department and the members of the Public Works Department for going above and beyond to ensure my safety during the storm. I am also extremely grateful to our arborist, Taylor Sapudar, and to Justin and his crew from Justin’s Tree Service for their prompt, courteous, and professional handling of the removal of the tree.

The staff of the Municipality of Princeton makes our community a great place to live.

Maryann Witalec Keyes
Franklin Avenue

To the Editor:

The term undocumented immigrant conveys an inaccurate and largely pejorative and derogatory condition, attributed to working class residents of Latin American origin who are presumed to lack formal authorization to reside in the United States.

There is a general perception that most of these workers and their families are subject to unceremonious deportation, that they can be arrested on sight, without a warrant, and that they have no protection under our civil rights laws. This became abundantly clear during the recent “visit” to Princeton of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posse of agents in several unmarked vehicles dangerously driving around town for hours looking for “egregious noncitizen criminals” using “targeted intelligence.” more