37 minute read
And Input
Forum on Franklin Avenue Site Draws Design Ideas and Input A special meeting of Prince- further 80 units for more af- Avenue are the type that arton Council Saturday, October fluent renters who have other chitect and developer Joel 3, focused on the Franklin Av- options is not in the best in- Schwartz has been doing enue affordable housing site, terests of our neighborhood.” for 40 years. Trees, which drew more than 80 partici- Mayor Liz Lempert read the are currently in short supply pants. The virtual gathering petition aloud as part of the on Franklin Avenue, are key included a number of local de- proceedings. to making it work, he said. sign professionals with ideas on how the site might be built. One of the signature developments of Princeton’s current round of affordable housing obligations, the site includes the former parking lot for what used to be PrincAll of the schemes presented were for the larger, mixeduse proposal. Following presentations by the Princeton Housing Authority and the development company Community Investment Strategies, urban designer Tony Nelessen Schwartz also stressed the importance of placing power lines underground. He proposed a design with buildings on two sides and a park between them, based on the visual vocabulary of the surrounding neighborhood. eton Hospital, as well as two was the first to put forth some Architect and developer areas that represent Princ- ideas about how the site might Bob Hillier (a Town Topics eton’s first affordable devel- look. Nelessen designed the shareholder) calls his proposal opments dating from the late successful Robbinsville Town for the site Franklin Village. 1930s. The location borders Center and took inspiration The idea includes a variety the Witherspoon-Jackson and from the project for the Frank- of spaces that are green, and Harris Road neighborhoods, lin Avenue site. housing including flats, lofts, and is located close to the exact physical center of the municipality. The forum was held to give Council and the town’s planning director a chance to hear Architect Heidi Fichtenbaum focused on sustainability in her presentation, explaining the benefits of the passive house concept. Increasing climate change reand different types of townhouses. An amenity building on the Witherspoon Street corner could house either retail or crafts shops for residents. ideas from architects and de- quires a reduction in reliance A path leading to the back signers as well as members on mechanical systems, she of the project would go by of the community, many of said. Benefits also include re- what Hillier called “Philadelwhom are associated with duced maintenance, resiliency phia townhouses,” each with the organization Princeton in times of power outages, their own courtyard. Of the Future. A few days before the and lower energy costs. 160 units in the project, 70 forum, a petition signed by more than 120 residents of the streets surrounding the site was circulated, expressing opposition to the town’s proposal to build 160 units mixing affordable and marketrate housing instead of just 80 units of affordable housing. Marina Rubina, an architect and Witherspoon-Jackson resident, said the success of a project can be defined by how people react when walking by 20 years after it is built. “Would you or I be excited to go trick-or-treating here?” she asked. Mixed income projects would have a specific front door and individual street address. Half would have their own private green space. Architect Josh Zinder’s firm came up with two schemes, which he described as educational tools rather than defined projects. Both schemes “We thoroughly support afford more flexibility and scatter the affordable units building 80 units of court- more opportunity for design throughout the site, rather ordered affordable housing funding and low income tax than placing them in one on Franklin Avenue, and we credits, she said, offering cluster. Palmer Square’s older look forward to welcoming some options on how the proj- buildings were an inspiration new neighbors,” the petition ect might be financed. for some of the elements and reads. “However, we believe the town’s proposal to build a Projects such as Franklin materials and different townhouse types, some of which featured photovoltaic systems that come up and over the roofs.
Several community members commented on the designs. Rosemary Kelly, who lives on Witherspoon Lane behind the site, said she is concerned about density and noise. Sam Bunting, who does not live in the neighborhood, said he was puzzled by the residents who are opposed to building a mix of 160 units instead of 80 affordable units. “I would urge people to be openminded about the possibilities that are present on this site, and work with the nice ideas we saw on this project,” he said.
Harold Heft, a resident of Jefferson Road who signed the petition, praised the participants for some of their ideas and designs. But the idea of widening Franklin Avenue would result in more noise and pollution, and the scale of some of the buildings is too large, he said.
Resident Kip Cherry said there should be a stronger street presence than what some of the designs show, with more porches to connect with people walking by. She also expressed concern about the fact that the site backs into the Princeton Cemetery. “This is a very private place for people,” she said. “It has a lot of history. I think a lot more consideration needs to go into how tall buildings facing the cemetery will affect the experience of being there.”
In coming months, a subcommittee of Council members David Cohen, Mia Sacks, and Michelle Pirone Lambros will work on creating a consensus of design guidelines with the town’s planning staff and other stakeholders based
Police Blotter
On September 27, at 10:53 a.m., a resident of Berrien Court reported that she was dating a man online and then met him in person. He convinced her to give him money and took her Apple Watch while she was at work and then stopped responding to her.
On September 27, at 7:33 a.m., it was reported that three motorcycles were stolen from an unlocked shed on their property on Witherspoon Street. The motorcycles were locked together and the lock was cut. The value of the motorcycles is $24,215.83.
On September 26, at 12:56 p.m., a woman reported that a suspect used her personal contact information to open a U.S. Small Business Association Loan in the amount of $9,200. There was no monetary loss.
On September 22, at 3:54 p.m., it was reported that an external hard drive valued at $100 was stolen during a building inspection on Nassau Street.
On September 21, at 6:53 p.m., a woman reported that someone obtained her personal contact information and opened up a fraudulent debit card linked to one of her checking accounts. The card was used for transactions totaling $19,758. She reported this to her bank and major credit bureaus.
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Reaching Out to Greater Community to Help Save Life of Longtime Resident
To the Editor:
We are reaching out to the greater Princeton community to help save the life of a community volunteer, father, grandfather, friend, and 40-year resident, Aiden Doyle. Aiden has been diagnosed with AML, Acute Myleoid Leukemia, a rare cancer of the blood which interferes with the production of essential blood cells and platelets.
Aiden is under the care of the staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Department of Leukemia, and they have informed Aiden that he could possibly be cured with a stem cell transfusion from a matching donor. The ideal donor is between the ages of 18–44 years old and of northern Europe descent.
We will be on Hinds Plaza, Wednesday, October 14, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with Jair Thompson from the New York Blood Center and Bethematch.com, who has offered to provide up to 100 swab kits order to find a match. It is a self-administered COVID-safe cheek swab. You swab the left cheek in your mouth and then the right. It takes three minutes and is in a kit, so you can take the kit, walk to the side, take off your mask, and administer the kit, then put the swabs back in the kit and hand it in right on Hinds Plaza.
The Princeton community has a long history of helping those in need and Aiden, his friends, and family will be deeply grateful for your support. JACK AND DEBBIE MORRISON Colfax Road, Skillman EMILY AND JOHAN FIRMENICH Mountain View Road
Supporting BOE Candidates Davis and Tuck-Ponder For More Diversity, Equity
To the Editor:
At the very top of the list of things I consider most important in the upcoming BOE election is the ability for all candidates to grasp the fact that, along with many other integrated measures, the Board must work together to change the culture of not just the high school but the elementary schools as well.
The two candidates running independently that are most able to do that are Hendricks Davis and Michele TuckPonder. More diversity on the Board will certainly add to the discussion on equity and create greater balance and insight when dealing with sensitive issues on race and race-related matters.
Who is not familiar with Michele Tuck-Ponder’s long list of achievements over many years of selfless public service to others, and currently as the BOE vice president and chair of the Equity Committee? She has displayed independence, leadership, and a collaborative demeanor during her tenure. A former Princeton Township mayor and 30-year resident with two children that have gone through the PPS system, she sees problems not only as an administrator but also as a parent expanding her understanding of solutions.
Hendricks Davis is perhaps the most interesting of all candidates running, and unfortunately has gotten the least notice. Raised in D.C., he has been in the Princeton area
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since 1973 when he enrolled at the Princeton Seminary. Hendricks is a creative visionary whose passion for giving back and making a difference in the lives of others has a long and unique historical path. As ED of the Princeton- Blairstown Summer Program he brought experiential programs in social, emotional, and character development to schools in Princeton, Trenton, and Newark. As the president and member of the board of Advocates for Children of New Jersey he led a strategic planning process which intensified focus on the development of high-quality early childhood education, child nutrition, school meals programs, and other important efforts in building equity.
Working alongside Principal Bill Johnson at the middle school and Linda Maisel, Corner House director, Hendricks helped to start a program entitled Academic Success Today.
Hendricks also understands that during a time of social upheaval, institutional racism, and structural inequities that a BOE can only be made stronger and more accountable with constant and consistent engagement with the community it serves. He is not a business as usual guy or it is what it is ... he won’t acquiesce, succumb, or act sheepishly when it comes to making the right choices on behalf of the educational futures of all students in our schools, no matter where in town they leave from on their way to school in the morning. Hendricks understands, as hopefully all candidates do, that there is a real problem with the minority education achievement gap in our schools, but he is also acutely aware of the important distinction or difference between that gap and “rate of student growth,” which is a better and more accurate measurement of progress.
To have exceptional schools you must have an exceptional culture and environment for children to learn and for children to grow. Our BOE needs more diversity. PPS needs more diversity. Equity is not a buzz word, it must be backed up with action. Hendricks and Michele — a dynamic duo. LEIGHTON NEWLIN Birch Avenue
To the Editor:
I want to thank every School Board candidate for the upcoming election. Princeton is blessed with an impressive pool of well-qualified residents stepping up for public service.
I am giving one of my three School Board votes to Adam Bierman — a candidate pledged to maintaining Princeton public education excellence who has the courage, honesty, and credentials in equal measures to do so.
Over 36 years of living in Princeton, every School Board candidate has pledged that achieving education excellence is their No. 1 goal.
Adam Bierman is no exception; in addition, he is the candidate resolutely bringing attention to the wider community issue of: what is the cost effectiveness of School Board votes so far in improving educational excellence?
One such contentious decision highlighted by Adam is the superintendent-led School Board vote in 2018 to allow Cranbury — a town 8 miles away — to send their students to Princeton High School until 2030.
Superintendents leave Princeton as they all do and did for professional and personal reasons. They are not held accountable for the long-term fiscal consequences for residents who have made Princeton their hometown. What will happen to the Princeton property tax rate that is directly
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Adam Bierman has brought to light other similar School Board decisions — such as the recent vote to purchase Apple MacBooks at $3 million for all the students (2020 Princeton median household income is $229,201), while reducing staff by 3 percent and raising property taxes by the maximum allowed under law.
With Princeton taxes ever climbing, it has been wrenching to see longtime friends and neighbors driven away by unaffordability despite long rooted attachments to the town; more distressingly, our own grown children gave up moving back to Princeton with our grandchildren because the property taxes are simply too prohibitive for young families.
Princeton remains a small town of 30,000 residents, the outsized reputation of Princeton University notwithstanding. Adam’s well-articulated platform of ensuring education excellence along with fiscal accountability and judicious prioritizing within budgetary means reaffirms that it takes a village to bring up a child.
I believe that Adam Bierman, when elected to the School Board, has the courage, ability, and commitment that I lack to be accountable for making fiscally judicious longterm sustainable decisions to support continued education excellence in Princeton.
Adam Bierman impressed me initially as the host of his Breezing with Adam program on Princeton Community TV, interviewing many notable Princeton residents and showcasing local talents. Born and brought up in Princeton, Adam is a teacher by profession, following the public service foot steps of his father who had served on the Princeton School Board for several terms, with a mother who had taught at Princeton public schools for over 35 years.
Please join me in voting for Adam Bierman among your three choices of School Board member. SELINA MAN Patton Avenue
Supporting Johnson, Lemon, Hare, Plus Bierman for Board of Education
To the Editor:
I am writing as a PPS parent and private citizen, and not on behalf of or authorized by the Board of Education, of which I am an elected member.
I believe that we have an excellent opportunity with the Board of Education (BOE) election to advance student achievement for all children, restore trust in the Board, and make Princeton affordable again. The diverse “slate” of Paul Johnson, Karen Lemon, and Bill Hare, plus Adam Bierman, are uniquely qualified to advance these important principles.
These four candidates have outstanding backgrounds to fulfill the policy, planning, and oversight role of the Board — in a fiscally responsible way. They will prioritize spending on that which is most important for the academic excellence and student experience that we desire for all our children. The “slate” and Adam Bierman will work to expand and improve existing facilities first rather than construct or purchase expensive new facilities such as Westminster Choir College.
School taxes continue to increase despite very large net savings from school closures, and the schools now represent 49 percent of our property tax bill. Highlighted below are BOE spending decisions that I believe make our diverse community increasingly unaffordable without advancing our student achievement goals:
Voting to hire Milone & MacBroom (M&M) to plan another facilities referendum and potentially purchase the Westminster Choir College property after laying off teachers and staff in the 2019-2020 budget.
Voting to hire EPIC as construction manager for the $27 million facilities plan while ignoring serious problems with a previous facilities referendum at PPS that was overseen by EPIC. The $27 million referendum projects are now significantly over budget with delays and problems in completing construction projects.
Voting to spend $530,000 to construct an outdoor concession stand/bathroom at PHS despite referendum projects over budget that now must draw upon capital reserves to complete. Also, failing to provide the community adequate time to develop a lower cost option for the bathrooms.
Voting to purchase iPads, Chromebooks, or expensive MacBook computers for all students rather than the economically disadvantaged students who needed a computer. (I reimbursed the school district for the cost of a MacBook given to my child with a gift to the Princeton Educational Foundation.)
Voting to waste taxpayer funds on lawyers to develop a new board communications policy, aka a “gag order,” to reduce transparency and community engagement by individual board members.
Voting to increase taxes twice (operating and capital budgets) this year while residents were suffering from the adverse economic and health effects of COVID-19. In contrast, the municipality amended its budget to eliminate a property tax increase.
I hope that you will consider Paul Johnson, Karen Lemon, and Bill Hare, the “slate,” and Adam Bierman to advance student achievement for all students, restore trust to the Board, and make Princeton affordable again. The new Board of Education will select a permanent superintendent and needs to engage the community about future spending decisions as previous referendum bonds are repaid on February 1, 2022 and 2023. DANIEL J. DART Farrand Road
Past PTO Co-Presidents Support Behrend For Re-Election to PPS Board of Education question — question 3 — regarding postponing redistricting by two years when census results arrive late. This year, due to COVID-19, the results will be delayed. However, the quesTo the Editor: We are writing to support the re-election of Beth Behrend to the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education. We have tion is not asking you to decide what will happen this year, but rather, to amend the New Jersey constitution so that the effects of COVID-19 linger for generations. each gotten to know Beth, in part as past co-presidents of the There is no need to make a permanent change for a one-time parent teacher organization of several elementary schools in problem. Moreover, there are much better ways to permanently town, and have seen firsthand the dedication and aptitude align ourselves with the census, in particular, moving elections Beth has for this role. to even years (as is the case in 48 other states). Elections in Beth came to every meeting of the Parent Teacher Organization Council we attended. We were always impressed by how even years will be cheaper, increase participation, and allow redistricting immediately after every census, without delays. genuinely open she was to input, how thoughtful her questions Postponing redistricting to years ending with “3” (as is profor all of us were, and how much she emphasized the need to posed in question 3) has no advantages, but has considerhear from parents and teachers as part of School Board deci- able disadvantages as it dilutes the power of communities in sions, meetings, etc. She always clearly had the best interests areas of New Jersey that have grown the most since the last of students and families in mind as she spoke and as she set census. The nonpartisan Fair Districts New Jersey coalition priorities for her work and the Board’s agenda. (fairdistrictsnj.org), which has been working to reform New Importantly, we have seen Beth’s tireless commitment to improving our schools. She shows up, she cares, and she is accessible and responsive. As Board chair, her management of the Board is inclusive, allows for meaningful public input, and facilitates organized decision-making and governance. We need a leader like Beth who has worked hard and will continue Jersey’s redistricting process so it better serves the residents of our state, is urging a “no” vote on question 3. A vote for the amendment is a vote for further disenfranchisement of voters, especially in more diverse communities, who will be denied fair representation for two years. It will undermine redistricting for decades, and will help politicians, not people. to do so on behalf of all of our students. We need a leader who Please consider voting “no” so we can move away from will prioritize the right things as the Board makes critically gerrymandering and continue to work towards a fairer and important decisions about hiring a new superintendent and stronger democracy of the people in New Jersey. about navigating a global pandemic that poses challenges none YAEL NIV of us can really anticipate, and who, at the same time, will Franklin Avenue stay focused on advancing equity, and managing our schools’ capacity issues as the student population grows. Expressing Gratitude For Being Able to Vote; and In these turbulent and chaotic times, we need steady, effective, demonstrated leadership that will work hard for all Special Appreciation For Those Running For Office of our kids, and especially the ones who are most impacted To the Editor: by inequities. These are just some of the reasons why we are As I filled out my ballot this morning, I felt not only supporting Beth’s candidacy for School Board. Please join us gratitude for being able to vote, as I always do, but I also in voting Column M — Beth Behrend. felt special appreciation for those capable and dedicated ANNE THOMSEN LORD Princeton Kingston Road JONATHAN HODGES members of our community who have done so much for our community already and who are willing to continue to work for all of us by running for office. Dodds Lane We are fortunate to live among such wonderful LORI PESNELL neighbors! Monroe Lane FRANCESCA BENSON TARA OAKMAN Bainbridge Street Valley Road BOE Candidate Jean Durbin is Dedicated Proponent of Equity in School System Stephanie Chorney Was a Champion For Sustainability, Wellness, Schools, Community To the Editor: To the Editor: Princeton lost our leading sustainability and wellness
As a parent with children attending both Princeton Char- champion when Stephanie Chorney passed away after a ter School and Princeton High School, I am writing this brave struggle with cancer. letter to support Jean Durbin (Column L) for the Board of Education. An incredibly supportive role model for so many of us in her relentless efforts to make our school district a better
Simply put, Jean Durbin represents everything that’s good place for our kids, teachers, and staff, Stephanie was leadabout Princeton and you should vote for her. ing the sustainability and wellness charge back in the day
I’ve known Jean for over a decade. Of course, Jean is highly when those issues weren’t even on most people’s radars as intelligent and capable. She has the intellectual and emotional important topics that needed to be addressed. balance of someone possessing both social work and law de- She was a tireless champion and an outspoken advocate grees, and has generously volunteered her time and experi- for policy change and common-sense initiatives that we ence by serving as PTO co-president at Littlebrook, president could all do to benefit our district and community at large. of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, on From waste reduction and composting to improving the the Civil Rights Commission, as a fixture at Princeton Little food in our cafeterias and making our school gardens an League, and more. important aspect of the curriculum, Stephanie’s fearless-
But Jean actually has skin in the game because she has ness, uncompromising honesty, and ability to rally people children attending Princeton Public Schools! to come together helped everyone she knew to work harder
Who else better to represent parents in determining how and be stronger advocates themselves. to deal with both immediate and long-term effects of COVID As a driving force for positive change in our district, she in the schools, hiring the next superintendent, overcrowded inspired countless volunteers, and she made all of us better conditions, and facilities in need of immediate repair? because of her passion and selfless actions. She will be
Moreover, Jean is a dedicated proponent of equity in our sorely missed but would want us all to continue to work school system. She recognizes that our public schools must together to make our schools and community healthier continue to challenge and provide opportunities for all of our and more sustainable. students, from those most in need of assistance, to those in SANDRA MOSKOVITZ the middle, and to those who excel. Why is no one else talking Hamilton Avenue about this last point? Wouldn’t it be great if we had all of the money in the world Supporting Tuck-Ponder For Her Courage, to educate our children? We don’t, and Jean is fully aware of that. She will be a responsible steward of our tax dollars, guard against unnecessary and unreasonable expenditures, Experience, Fiscal Responsibility, Focus on Equity To the Editor: and help to maintain property values due to her ongoing ef- Our excellent school district faces many challenges, toforts at improvement in our school system. day and in the future. Two of the biggest issues — fiscal While a member of Princeton’s Board of Education does not dictate state or federal policy, I think Jean would be a welcome representative in that arena as well. For the time being responsibility and ensuring equity for all students — have been the hallmarks of Michele Tuck-Ponder’s tenure on Princeton’s Board of Education. however, we should all be grateful to have Jean volunteering During her three years on the Board, Michele has consisto serve us locally on the Board of Education. Please vote for tently and thoughtfully considered every budget and proJean Durbin (Column L) in this election. gram decision through the eyes of the taxpayer and the HARLAN TENENBAUM Spruce Street impact on our children, particularly those children who are too often marginalized. As a 30-year Princeton resident, former mayor and member of town Council, current memUrging a “No” Vote on Ballot Question 3 ber of the Princeton Housing Authority, current chair of the School District Equity Committee, and mother of two To Move Away From Gerrymandering children educated in PPS, Michele knows all too well these To the Editor: In less than one month, the election of our lifetime — already underway — will conclude. On our ballot are decisions that will determine everything from the fate of our democracy to how intersecting issues of fiscal responsibility and equity. She has brought this unparalleled experience to bear on our schools and their relationship to every aspect of our community. equitable our schools will be in the coming years. Please make Michele has demonstrated vigilant attention to responsure to vote, and to send your ballot in as early as possible sible planning for our children’s futures. She had the courso that any problems can be remedied before November 3. age to stand alone to vote against the $129M referendum The most secure way to vote is by using the drop-off box in the Princeton Municipal Building (400 Witherspoon Street), which is securely emptied every day. Voting at the polls on Election Day will be by provisional paper ballots, whereas mailed-in ballots will be counted starting on 10 days prior to November 3, so if you want your vote to be counted and tallied on November 3 — vote by mail and early. Importantly, your ballot includes a ballot measure because she believed there had not been sufficient investigation and consideration of the best possible utilization of existing space, expansion, and facility improvement. Ultimately setting aside this large referendum proved to be the wise path that allowed the district to focus on its absolute priorities with a smaller, successful referendum, while providing time to plan effectively and build the expertise to evaluate options regarding facilities improvements and needed expansions. 17 • TOWN TOPICS, PRINCETON, N.J., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020As her impressive judgement on the Board has shown, Michele knows that all such planning recommendations and decisions must be made within the context of our town’s educational strategy and goals for continued excellence in the future. Michele will continue to work to ensure that our facilities are the right facilities for developing the 21st century skills that all of our children need, regardless of their career and life goals. As we face both growth and our opportunity gaps simultaneously, every financial decision must be made through the lens of equity. That is why Michele supported the purchase of laptops for every student — because we needed to ensure that every student had a common device on a shared platform so that every student has equal access and opportunity to learn during this time of COVID and remote schooling. Michele Tuck-Ponder is the right person to make sure that every decision of the school district, financial and otherwise, will be made through that double lens of equity and financial accountability. LANNIECE HALL Edgerstoune Road KEITH WAILOO Prospect Avenue Noting That Raking Leaves is a
Viable Alternative to Leaf Blowers
To the Editor:
David Saul makes many excellent points in his letter (“Residents Should Consider Quieter, Less Polluting Battery or Electric Leaf Blowers,” September 30).
Two additional points: 1) Recent developments in battery-operated lawn maintenance equipment provide leaf blowers that are in fact capable of handling large properties. Many municipalities have switched to battery-operated equipment for their parks. Harvard University no longer uses gas-powered equipment for its large campus. So owners of large commercial properties will find that commercial-sized batteryoperated lawn maintenance equipment is available to meet their needs. 2) One does not need to use leaf blowers at all, even in the fall. Raking leaves is a viable alternative. After all, before the invention of leaf blowers, all leaf work was done with rakes. Raking can be done as fast as leaf-blowing, or even faster. In a letter to Town Topics a few years ago (November 15, 2016), a Princeton resident told of a race between his raking and three men with leaf blowers:
“One afternoon, I walked into my front yard with a rake in my hands at the same moment that, coincidentally, a crew of three yardmen drove up to the neighbor’s house across the street, armed with leaf blowers and a riding mower. It was a true Paul Bunyan moment, but even more extreme as it was three on one! The lawnmower and two leaf blowers attacked the neighbor’s yard as I dug in with my rake. The lawnmower kicked up tremendous dust in addition to the 100+ decibels of noise that all three machines contributed to the otherwise quiet air around us. When the mower was done, that operator started up the third leaf blower and began his work. They finished the yard, put away their equipment, got into the truck and pulled away from the curb … just as I raked the last rake-full of leaves onto the curb. One silent man vs. three internal combustion machines — a dead tie. But I still think I won the contest.” PHYLLIS TEITELBAUM Hawthorne Avenue
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Noting That Mail-In Voting Can Have Too Many Problems For Such a Crucial Process
To the Editor:
I knew there would be problems. My mail-in ballot came today. Here’s what happened. 1. Too many ballots: My house has two voters. We received three ballots. My daughter hasn’t lived with us for 15 years. Yet the Elections Board still deems her “active.” Invitation to fraud? 2. Which signature? I signed my security envelope with the “short-form” signature I’ve used all my 50-year adult life. Oops! I then recalled that the Election Board has on file my adolescent full-name signature from when I first registered a half-century ago. At the polling place, where I sign a registration book before voting, my previous signatures always prompt me to sign the old way. Now I’ll have to go to the Elections Board to get a new ballot. 3. Enclose ballot in security envelope? I then watched my son vote. After marking his ballot, he inserted the ballot and security envelope separately into the mailing envelope. That would have disqualified his vote. I corrected him. Will everyone follow directions exactly? 4. No poll workers? Previously at my polling place, the poll workers usually recognized me. They made sure I signed the register correctly, then gave me a numbered ticket. I gave the ticket to another poll worker, who escorted me to the booth. He attached the ticket to a string on the machine, which served as a check for the votes cast at that machine. By this scrupulous process, I felt better that my vote was properly registered and accounted for. Not so with this mail-in ballot. 5. No “challengers”? At polling places, both political parties typically muster poll watchers, or “challengers,” to monitor that the poll workers do everything right, another useful check. Again, not now. 6. Disabled? The directions say either to email the Election Board or go to the polling place on Election Day, where “you will be provided to an in-person accessible voting device.” Email the Election Board? Yeah, right. Go to the polling place? What if your disability is invisible, like a psychiatric disability? Will the poll workers be able to confirm your disability and permit the use of an in-person option? Would stigma attach to such a voter who would have to declare his mental illness to a poll worker? 7. Vote harvesting? Imagine an elder care facility. With its myriad papers and small print, this more cumbersome voting process will likely confound many residents. Will partisan vote harvesters take advantage of this? 8. Count oversight? How will this work? Who will oversee it? What is the chain of custody? Voting machine vote tabulators have traditionally made accuracy more certain.
Nope. I’m not a fan of mail-in voting, cooked up for COVID but likely to continue. Too many problems for such a crucial process. Bring back the old way, tried and true. THOMAS H. PYLE Balsam Lane
Respectfully Disagreeing With Argument For New Princeton High Restroom Facility
To the Editor:
I sincerely respect the research and passion of the young PHS graduates that submitted their letter (”Current and Former PHS Students and Athletes Express Support for Restroom Facility, Mailbox, September 30).
I enjoyed sports at PHS/college, too bad there is so much deferred maintenance. We had mold when I was at PHS in the last century. There is a new facility team in place, hopefully mold will finally become history.
I must respectfully disagree with their argument for halfmillion-dollar bathrooms on the PHS football field.
I see the spending of over a half a million dollars as another example of not prioritizing operating funds and of wasteful spending. Given the district’s limited funds, time sensitivities, and politics overall, I feel spending such a large amount of the budget sends the wrong message to students, staff, and the community.
The $2.9 million surplus, half of which are savings collected due to the pandemic, should be used for the expenses listed below, or given as tax relief to Princetonians whose finances have been devastated by the pandemic. The state’s uncertain economic situation could mean less funding in the future for public schools, and then, with this type of uncontrolled spending by the Board, all contributing factors can be very harmful to property values and cause our most vulnerable citizens to leave.
For the reasons stated above, I see the spending of over $500,000 on items such as bathrooms as an extravagant want, not an urgent need.
Some citizens claim building $500,000 bathrooms on the PHS field as an equity issue. I respectfully disagree again.
One reason being that male and female restrooms are located within close proximity to all students during gym classes. I do not see an undue hardship placed on students for the need to construct a new facility.
There are, however, some ongoing expenses or programs that could have benefited from these funds. Some of these include ionization filters, complete overhaul of the faulty HVAC system, training long-term substitutes on technical instruction, overtime for janitors going above and beyond to provide thorough sanitation of facilities, and we still have to see if the current $27 million referendum will go over budget.
Regarding the HVAC system specifically, we still have 20 years of deferred maintenance owed, as well as ongoing expenses that might be pushing approximately $1 million. It is for these reasons and others that the Board of Education needs leadership that will strive to get our spending under control and start spending within our means, instead of resorting to referendum after referendum and increasing our debt. ADAM BIERMAN Grover Avenue The writer is a candidate for the Princeton Board of Education
To the Editor:
I’m writing to praise the work of the non-partisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project and to promote their Redistricting Moneyball 2020 Map to those looking for concrete actions to revitalize our democracy.
While the presidential and senate races receive constant coverage, state legislative elections are also enormously consequential this year. After the 2020 census, states will redraw their legislative maps effective for the next decade. The details of this work vary by state, but in several states the process is controlled by the legislature. In states completely controlled by one party, this often leads to maps purposely skewed to the party in power. The severity of skew has increased dramatically with the advances in mapping software over the last decade — so called “gerrymandering on steroids.”
In a dreadful 5-4 decision the last term, the Supreme Court acknowledged that partisan gerrymandering is “incompatible with democratic principles,” but decided that it could not be resolved in federal courts. Effectively then, the next round of partisan redistricting will be unconstrained from any pretense of fairness.
The Redistricting Moneyball Map aims to counter this distressing trend. The map identifies six states currently under unified control (4 Republican, 2 Democrat) and grades the state legislative races most likely to flip the state legislature and give the minority party a seat in the redistricting process. This is enormously helpful as it focuses attention on the races that have maximum leverage to prevent partisan gerrymandering — hence the “Moneyball” name after the trend in baseball analytics for poor teams to maximize the effectiveness of their salary allotments to compete with rich teams. In the case of redistricting, the Moneyball Map identifies races that potentially provide the most democracy for your (political contribution) dollar.
Most helpfully, the Moneyball Map links directly to candidate websites. If you are inclined to make political contributions still in 2020 (make them soon), then visit the map. Pick a state. And then give to the top ranked candidates. Because state legislative campaigns tend to raise $100,000 to $200,000, compared to hundreds of millions in presidential campaigns, even small dollar donations can make an impact in supporting these candidates and rolling back the anti-democratic disease of partisan gerrymandering. ERIC SCHREIBER Stanley Avenue
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Town Topics welcomes letters to the Editor, preferably on subjects related to Princeton. Letters must have a valid street address (only the street name will be printed with the writer’s name). Priority will be given to letters that are received for publication no later than Monday noon for publication in that week’s Wednesday edition.
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“Flash Count Diary” is Subject of Oct. 14 Talk
Darcey Steinke and Susan Wheeler will be discussing Steinke’s book Flash Count Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life in a Library Labyrinth Livestream presentation on Wednesday, October 14 at 7 pm. This event is cosponsored by Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. To register visit crowdcast.io/e/darcey-steinkeand-susan.
According to Maggie Nelson, author of The Argonauts, “this elegant, wise, fascinating, deeply moving book is an instant classic.”
The New Yorker’s Sarah Manguso, writes, “I hope that Steinke’s book, which I consumed hungrily, will encourage a wave of work by and about women undergoing what is, quite literally, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Steinke makes the case that the inexorable slide away from fertility is a rebirth of agency, and her book is the fruit of the very creativity it describes.”
Darcey Steinke is the author of the memoir Easter Everywhere and the novels Milk, Jesus Saves, Suicide Blonde, Up Through the Water, and Sister Golden Hair. She has taught at Columbia University, Barnard, the American University of Paris, and Princeton.
Susan Wheeler is the author of a novel, Record Palace, and six books of poetry including, Bag o Diamonds, Source Codes, Ledger, Assorted Poems and Meme, which was shortlisted for a National Book Award. She is professor of creative writing at Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts.
Library and Labyrinth Presents Sean Carroll
The Princeton Public Library and Labyrinth Books are hosting a livestream program featuring awardwinning scientist, writer, educator, and film producer Sean Carroll, who will be talking about his book, A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You on Thursday, October 8 at 7 p.m. The program will be carried on crowdcast.io/e/ seancarroll-2/register.
A starred review in Kirkus describes the book as a “short, sweet, and scientifically solid view of life.” Writing in Scientific American, Scott Hershberger comments: “With conversational wit, Carroll encourages us to embrace the randomness of the world.”
Sean B. Carroll is vice president for Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Balo-Simon Chair of Biology at the University of Maryland. His books include The Serengeti Rules, Brave Genius, and Remarkable Creatures, which was a finalist for the National Book Award.
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