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P tg ijfs f0 frm- , s r ° \‘ "feJiCER . \
An Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the People
of Hightstown and East Windsor
158 — NO. 2 HIGHTSTOWN GAZETTE, MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
SEPTEMBER 2005 Price: Thirty-Five Cents
BROADWAY CLASSIC ‘BYE BYE BIRDIE’ COMES TO KELSEY THEATREPucker
up for “one last kiss”
and let the fun begin. “Bye Bye Birdie” starts off the 2005- 06
season at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre on Sept.
16.
This celebrated homage to early rock and roll and life in small
town America is presented by The Pennington Players on Fridays and
Saturdays, Sept. 16, 17, 23, and 24 at 8 p.m., and Saturdays and
Sundays, Sept. 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 2 p.m. (Due to the show’s
expected appeal, matinees have been scheduled for both Saturdays
and Sundays.) Kelsey Theatre is located on Mercer s -west Windsor
Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.
An opening night reception follows the Sept. 16 performance to
give the audience a chance to enjoy refreshments with the cast and
crew.
The hilarious plot swirls around rock and roll superstar Conrad
Birdie, who has been drafted into the army. As a publicity stunt,
Birdie’s manager arranges to have him visit the sleepy town of
Sweet Apple, Ohio, to bestow his one last kiss as a civilian upon a
lucky fan. Chaos ensues as Sweet Apple residents cope with life in
the spotlight.
With a musical score that boasts some of Broadway’s most well
known numbers - “One Boy,” “One Last Kiss,” “Put on a Happy Face,”
“Baby, Talk to Me,” and “A Lot of Livin’ To Do” - this production
by The Pennington Players will give a whole new generation of
theater goers an opportunity to experience an American theater
classic.
Starring in “Bye Bye Birdie” are: James Petro ofLawrenceville as
Albert Peterson; Melissa Marschner
Starring in the Pennington Players' production of "Bye, Bye
Birdie" are, left to right, Holly Eaton of Somerset as Doris
MacAfee, Michaela Tomcho of Hamilton as Kim MacAfee, Jay Harris of
East Windsor as H arry MacAfee, and Alex Hernandez of Hamilton as
Conrad Birdie. The production comes to MCCC's Kelsey Theatre Sept.
16-25.
of Monroe Township as Rose Alvarez; Jay Harris of East Windsor
as Harry MacAfee; Holly Eaton of Somerset as Doris MacAfee; Andrea
Cartagena of Cranbury as Mae Peterson; Stephanie Delaney of
Newtown, Pa., as Gloria Rasputin; Jesse Girard of Lawrenceville as
Randolph MacAfee; Alex Hernandez of Hamilton as Conrad Birdie;
Michaela Tomcho of Hamilton as Kim MacAfee; Tess Ammerman of
Allentown as Ursula Merkel; and Keenan Westcott of Hamilton as Hugo
Peabody.
Other featured performers are James Zimmerman of Hamilton as
Harvey Johnson; Shane Courtney of Hamilton as Fred; John Boccanfuso
of Yardville as Carl; Heather Wiese of Titusville as Alice; Caitlin
Tierney of Princeton as
Debra Sue; Laurel Johnson of Lawrenceville as Nancy; Jennifer
Jacob of New Hope, Pa., as Helen; Samantha Chapman of Princeton
Junction as Margie; Christine Jackson of Philadelphia, Pa., as
Penelope; Michael Schiumo of Clarksburg as the mayor; Kristina
Mancini of Ewing as the mayor’s wife; Cheryl Kurtz Mills of
Hamilton as Mrs. Merkel; Debbie Ryan of Robbinsville as Mrs.
Johnson; Gem Perkins of Morrisville, PA, as a reporter/stage
manager; and John Russell of Mercerville as a reporter.
Dancers and other ensemble cast members include: Elizabeth
Bartlett of Hamilton, Adam Carlitz of New Hope, Pa., Mark D’Zurilla
of Titusville, Elizabeth Deamer of Hamilton, Alessandra Farina of
Hamilton, Erica Graff of
Hamilton, Kimberly Konczos of Hamilton, Adrienne Kubiak of
Trenton, Hannah Mills of Hamilton, Taylor Mills of Hamilton, Kevin
Palardy of Doylestown, Pa., Brent Rivers of Robbinsville, and Ben
Walker of Bordentown.
Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for
students and children. Free parking is available next to the
theatre.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseyatmccc. org or by
calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-584-9444.
Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible and provides assisted
listening devices upon request.
For a complete listing of adult and children’s events, visit the
Kelsey webpage or call the box office for a brochure.
HIGHTSTOWN MEMORIAL
LIBRARY HAS HOT SPOT
The Hightstown Memorial Branch of the Mercer County Library
System has become the seventh to be equipped as a wireless Hot Spot
for Internet access.
Wireless Internet access is provided to the general public free
of charge and is available throughout the building to anyone who
has a wireless- ready notebook computer or handheld device. The
wireless Internet is available tor use anywhere in the building,
and wall accommodate up to 24 patrons at a time. Library Director
Ellen Brown points out that the wireless Internet also can be used
by groups giving programs within the library.
The Hightstown Branch joins the Hickory Corner, Hopewell,
Lawrence, Twin Rivers and West Windsor Branches in receiving the
connection free of charge through the Comcast Cable in the
Classroom program.Washington Township Library has been connected
through the generosity of Cablevision.
HOW TO REACH THE GAZETTE
While the Hightstown Gazette transitions into the future, a
temporary telephone has been set-up, 609-443-6464. An e-mail
address has been established, hightstowngazette @earthlink.net. We
suggest using either of these means of communication to reach the
Gazette efficiently.
http://www.kelseyatmccc
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Neighborhood housing repair funds availableLow- and
moderate-income
Hightstown homeowners may be eligible for up to $16,000 for home
repairs through the Hightstown Neighborhood Housing Repair
Flind.
The borough created the program to assist its residents, many of
whom live on fixed incomes, are long retired, and have been, in
some cases, lifetime residents of the borough.
For many eligible residents the repairs funded through the
program can often create a substantial difference in a resident’s
quality of life.
“Our hope is to help our residents be safer and more comfortable
at home.,” said Hightstown Mayor Bob Patten.
He expressed a desire to help people continue to live in town
rather than move out when repairs become financially overwhelming.
“We’d like to keep residents here, in Hightstown, where their
family and friends five around them.”
Homeowners whose total household income falls within certain
income guidelines may be eligible to participate in the program.
For example, homeowners with a household size of two and maximum
income of $50,867 may apply for funds for home repair as a no
interest (zero percent) six-year forgivable loan. No monthly
payments are required and.
if the homeowner maintains the title of the home and continues
to live in the home for a six year period following the program’s
repair or rehabilitation work, the loan is forgiven without any
cost to the homeowner.
Eligible home repairs range from fixing or replacing the roof,
electrical system, heating system, plumbing, sanitary sewer and
water connections.
The program even includes repairs that help to weatherize homes,
repair foundations and improve accessibility for residents with
disabilities.
Hightstown’s program has already enabled more than 25 homeowners
to make much-needed repairs.
Hightstown resident Marita McDonald heard about the NHRF program
through a member of the Hightstown Borough Council. The second
generation to live in her circa 1890 Hightstown home, McDonald and
her family were no strangers to the upkeep of an aging home.
“The roof began to leak, the outside cellar doors had rotted,
the foundation was cracking and the upstairs bathroom was suffering
from the leaking roof,” explained McDonald.
The familiar challenge the McDonalds faced was “to be able to
get things fixed without costing a fortune.”
McDonald’s experience typifies what other eligible residents can
expect. The Hightstown Borough NHRF program administrator, Corinne
Markulin of Community Grants & Planning, East Windsor, walked
her through the process of applying for funding. Once approved, the
program handled sending out requests for estimates from qualified
and licensed trade contractors based on the type of work required.
McDonald was able to choose the contractor that met her criteria
and funding budget.
After repairs were completed, the pro
gram’s licensed inspectors ensured that the work was done
properly. “I don’t see how you can ever go wrong by participating
in this program,” McDonald said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
McDonald was pleased to report that the contractors that
replaced her leaky roof and repaired her rotting bathroom wall were
“...wonderful! They worked fast and left absolutely no mess to
clean up! I don’t know why anyone would say no.”
A concise three-page handout, available through Hightstown
Borough Hall or Community Grants & Planning, the administrators
of the program outlines all the information homeowners need in
order to determine their eligibility to participate in the
program.
Residents should call 609-371-1937, ext. 17 for more
information. Rinds are also available for rental units. Landlords
should call the program administrator for additional information
regarding the terms for rental units.
Licensed contractors interested in providing services for
participants should contact Community Grants & Planning at
609-371-1968. Select qualified, licensed and insured contractors in
electrical, plumbing, heating, construction and other trades are
given an opportunity to preview and bid on projects throughout
Hightstown.
Panter resolution to fund cleaner air passed by AssemblyThe
General Assembly has
passed legislationAssemblyman Michael J. Panter co-sponsored to
make significant improvements in the quality of New Jersey’s
air.
This resolution, SCR- 113/ACR-228, would call for a change to
the state Constitution to dedicate annually funds for air pollution
controls. The measure would alter the current corporate business
tax (CBT) revenue dedication
to fund diesel vehicle retrofits.Diesel exhaust is a gaseous
mixture containing more than 450 different components, including
vapors and fine particles. More than 40 chemicals in diesel exhaust
are considered toxic air contaminants. According to the American
Lung Association, exposure to this mixture could result in cancer,
exacerbation of asthma, and other health problems.
“Last year, fine particle pol
lution claimed more than 1,000 New Jersey fives and sent
thousands of residents to the emergency room for respiratory and
asthma-related ailments,” said Panter, D- Monmouth/Mercer. “Diesel
vehicles are one of the most dangerous sources or air pollution in
the state. Cleaning them up will bring a huge improvement in the
quality of fife for all New Jerseyans. It is imperative that this
state begin to take strides toward cleaning its air and ensuring
its children can grow up in a safe and healthy environment.”
The resolution’s co-sponsor, Assemblyman John F. McKeon,
D-Essex, noted that health hazards exist for citizens even as they
walk down the street.
“Due to our own state’s lax air quality controls, and prevailing
winds from the West blowing in Ohio’s smoke and smog, New Jersey’s
air quality is suffering,” said McKeon. “We need to act now to
tackle this problem, beginning with regulating the pollution within
our own borders. It is unacceptable that air pollution has been
allowed to climbed to such levels that walking down the street
has become a health hazard.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that New
Jersey’s air violates health standards under the “Clean Air Act.”
The EPA estimates that particulates, microscopic specks of dirt,
dust and chemicals, are a problem in 13 of New Jersey’s 21
counties.
Currently, the state Constitution dedicates 4 percent of the
annual CBT revenue for environmental purposes, including:
• Paying costs for the remediation of hazardous substance
discharges;
• Providing funding for the upgrade, replacement and cleanup of
underground storage tanks;
• Providing loans and grants for the remediation of hazardous
substances; and
• Providing $2 million annually for an underground storage tank
inspection program, and nonpoint source pollution programs and
watershed planning
and monitoring.Of this amount, one-sixth is
dedicated to water programs, one-third for underground storage
tanks and remediation of brownfields, and one-half for state-funded
hazardous discharge cleanups.
Under the Panter-McKeon measure, the Constitution would alter
that allocation formula by reducing hazardous site cleanup funding
from 50 percent to 33 percent and using the additional 17 percent
to provide grants for air pollution control equipment and diesel
engine retrofits.
After January 1, 2016, any unexpended amounts dedicated for air
pollution control would be returned to state funded hazardous site
cleanup.
The amendment also was sponsored byAssemblymembers BonnieWatson
Coleman, D-Mercer, and John Wisniewski, D- Middlesex.
The Assembly passed the measure 74 to 5. It was filed with the
Office of the Secretary of State.
PUBLICATION NO. 244880
J itg l jfs tn ii i t t (H azefEstablished June 30, 1849
GEORGE P. DENNIS, Editor and Publisher, 1912-1955 PFC. GEORGE
FOSTER DENNIS, Killed in Action,
September 11, 1944MAY S. DENNIS, Publisher, 1955-1965
W. PALMER DENNIS — KATHRYN S. DENNIS, Publishers
Entered as second class matter at Hightstown, New Jersey post
office under the Act of Congress of March 3,1879. Published
monthly.
SEPTEMBER 2005Postmaster: Send address changes to the Hightstown
Gazette, P.O. Box 359, Hightstown, N.J. 08520.
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Replace that spotted August lawn with a living butterfly
meadow!
Lawn grasses are “cool-season” plants that look great in spring
and fall, but are almost impossible to care for during summer heat.
Lawn grasses cannot tolerate drought, heat or high humidity.
During mid-summer, grass blades and roots become stressed,
succumbing to insects, fungi and dehydration.
Watering encourages the fungi, insects and crabgrass, which are
specifically adapted to prosper during these “dog-days” of
August.
Engaging the crabgrass, grubs, chinch bugs, mildews and molds,
will cost a fortune in herbicides, pesticides, fungicides,
fertilizers and water.
Even when this chemical assault is successful, which is rare,
walking on the lawn is not advisable for fear of breathing and
absorbing these biocides. If a big thunderstorm hits, all those
chemicals end up in the nearest stream, slowly poisoning the
critters — exactly what warning labels tell us to avoid at all
costs!
There is another option!
Michele ByersTHE STATE W E’RE IN
Convert a significant portion of your landscape to a warm season
grass and wildflower butterfly meadow!
Choose the sunniest area of your yard, where grass is nearly
impossible to maintain, and plan a perennial wildflower meadow.
There are numerous native plant nurseries that sell hardy plugs of
native, drought- tolerant grasses and wildflowers. Native seed
mixes specially designed for dry, sunny soils are also
available.
Be sure to use some of the most drought-tolerant, long-lived
perennial species that attract
butterflies and birds, such as blazing star, black-eyed susan,
butterfly milkweed, purple cone- flower, yellow coneflower, tall
coreopsis, New York ironweed, New England Aster, fireworks
goldenrod and little bluestem grass.
Be patient, as some species bloom in the first year, others take
two or more years to come into their full form! Use native shrubs
as a backdrop or border, such as viburnum, witch-hazel, winterberry
and inkberry hollies, sweet pepperbush, Virginia sweetspire and
oak-leaf hydrangea.
Of course, if you have deer, you’ll have to protect the woody
shrubs.
While planning and ordering your plants, start to prepare your
site. Don’t just abandon your lawn; it would take years for the
“sod” of your lawn grasses and weeds to yield to wildflower
species, and the result would likely be invasive alien weeds.
The first step is to rototill your lawn in mid-August, as if you
were digging a new vegetable
garden. Wait two weeks, sprinkling the area if it doesn’t rain
at all, to allow grass and weeds to resprout! Then rototill again
around Labor Day, further killing resprouts and exhausting the
weedy seed bank.
Wait another two weeks and a rain shower or two.
If grass and weeds persist, consider using an herbicide just
once to reduce the weed and grass competition.
If the herbicide is needed, apply a light spray of vegetation
killer around September 15.
Or, rototill a third time to avoid herbicides.
By early October you are ready for one last rototill regardless
of your approach.
There should be almost no resprouts and the soil should be
slightly uneven and well-tilled.
Now plant all the seeds and plugs that have been assembled from
various catalogs and nurseries.
After planting, lightly rake the new meadow to get good
seed/soil contact, being careful not to injure any grown plugs
or
larger plants. Never fertilize the meadow as native wildflowers
don’t need it, and fertilizer just encourages typical lawn
weeds!
Cover the site with a fine layer of salt hay, which is free of
weed seeds, to protect the site from excessive erosion during the
winter. Then just sit back and watch the meadow develop!
There may be a real need to hit the meadow with a weed-wacker
every second Thanksgiving or so, in order to keep trees and other
woody plants from taking over the site.
But other than that, your work is done. From now on during
August, enjoy goldfinches and butterflies while neighbors are
emptying their wallets to the lawn care industry!
I hope you’ll contact me at [email protected], or visit
NJCF’s website at www.njcon- servation.org, for more information
about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural
resources.
Michele Byers is executive director of the New Jersey
Conservation Foundation.
Leaders in community service to be honored by CASCThe Community
Action Service Center,
Inc. will host its fifth annual Community Activist Awards Gala,
a fundraising event set for 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 at the
Ramada Inn on Monmouth Street in East Windsor.
This year’s honorees include The Peddie School, recipient of
Community Activist Award; Hightstown Borough Police Department,
recipient of the Civic Activist Award; and McGraw-Hill Companies,
recipient of the Corporate Activist Award. A special memorial will
be dedicated to the late Dr. Harold “Skip" Cox, Jr.
“Our honorees have been chosen for
their commitment to improve the quality of life in our
community, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at
this year’s gala,” said Lydia Santoni- Wiliiams, CASC executive
director. “Skip Cox was a great friend to this agency and a
treasure of our community.”
Last year’s honorees were Mathematica Policy Research, Corporate
Activist Award; the East Windsor Township Police Department &
PBA 191,Civic Activist Award; and Susan Brown, Community Activist
Award.
“This has become a successful event through the generous support
of the com
munity,” added Santoni-Williams, notingthat sponsorships,
advertising space and tickets are available for purchase.
Additionally, donations of gift items and services are being sought
for the event’s popular silent auction.
Since 1967, CASC has been helping residents of eastern Mercer
County build and maintain self sufficiency.
Through its program of Family Supportive Services, CASC offers
direct assistance and community partnerships that address health
and development, as well as basic needs such as food, shelter, and
an affordable childcare option during
the summer months through an academic enrichment day camp
program.
“With the help of the community, we provide people in crisis
with a ‘hand up,’ rather than just a hand-out,” said
Santoni-Williams.
Tax-deductible contributions to the Community Activist Awards
fundraising gala are essential to CASC’s ability to continue
serving its neighbors in need. Healthier people have healthier
families; stronger families build a stronger community.
For tickets, donations or additional information, call CASC at
609-443-4464 or e-mail [email protected].
InfoLine provides information to county residents on
servicesHightstown and East Windsor resi
dents will now be better able to access the menu of services
available to them through a new Web site spearheaded by the Mercer
County Department of Human Services, County Executive Brian M.
Hughes has announced.
The service, offered through the Info Line of Central Jersey,
represents a public-private partnership between Mercer County
government and the United Way of Greater Mercer County.
The web site, available at www.info- line.org, will provide
information about a broad range of social, health, employment,
financial, and educational services.
“Mercer County residents deserve one- stop shopping when
searching for the
services available to them,” Hughes said. “This partnership will
provide that link and enables us to reach our goal of providing
more responsive and open service to county residents.”
Info Line has received a grant from the New Jersey District of
Kiwanis International Foundation to support the initial year of
service for the web site, and the County will provide ongoing
funding going forward to ensure that every resident of Mercer
County has access to information. Mercer County is providing $1,500
for the startup of the site and expects to contribute $3,500 in
each ensuing year.
Info Line of Central Jersey is the only comprehensive,
countywide information and referral service for all residents
of
Middlesex County, Mercer County, and Franklin Township in
Somerset County.
The county’s 211 service, administered by Info Line, provides
consumers with a one-stop point of access to a toll-free telephone
service, and by providing local access through on-site outreach
sites
across the county.The county’s library system will make
the information available to patrons via their internal network,
as well as through a link on their website. The website is
supported by Sphere LLC and can be accessed directly at
www.info-line.org.
Gazette thanks library and community for supportThe Gazette
gratefully acknowledges the staff of the Hightstown Memorial
Library
for providing us with access to the Internet through its
wireless network for the publishing of the August and September
issues of the newspaper. To paraphrase an old adage, we offer that
it takes a village to raise a newspaper. That said, we also thank
our Hightstown friends and neighbors for their well-wishes and
support as the Gazette continues into the future.
mailto:[email protected]://www.njcon-servation.orghttp://www.njcon-servation.orgmailto:[email protected]://www.info-line.orghttp://www.info-line.orghttp://www.info-line.org
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Discovery of distant planet offers hopeBy ERIC QUINONES
The discovery of a new planet by astronomers from institutions
worldwide, including Princeton University, offers greater hope that
researchers can eventually find planets that are closer in distance
and size to Earth.
The new planet is one of the most distant ever discovered, at
roughly 15,000 light years from Earth, and is about three to five
times the size of Jupiter. It is the second planet discovered in
the last year through a method known as gravitational microlensing,
which allows astronomers to detect changes in the brightness of a
star if a planet passes before it.
While both planets found in the past year are estimated at a
similar size ad distance, researchers believe the technique will
lead to the discovery of smaller planets closer to Earth.
Scientists are eager to study these Earth-like planets to
understand their chemical makeup and to determine whether they
might support some form of life.
“Gravitational microlensing is the only technology available
today that may allow a detection of Earth-mass planets,” said
Bohdan Paczynski, the Lyman Spitzer Professor of Theoretical
Astrophyics at Princeton University and cofounder of the Optical
Gravitational LensingExperiment (OGLE) with Andrzej Udalski of
Warsaw University.
Paczynski noted that the two recent discoveries, as well as
expected future findings by OGLE, will help inform the work of NASA
as it tries to determine the probability of locating planets
comparable in size to Earth around nearby stars. One of NASA’s main
goals over the next decade is to obtain images of such planets
through a program known as the Terrestrial Planet Finder, he
said.
“Before they spend several billion dollars, they should know
whether anything could be found,” Paczynski said. “In the best
case, we should eventually be able to find several
planets as low-mass as Earth, but very far away. Statistically
speaking, if there are others far away, there should also be nearby
planets.”
Gravitational microlensing occurs when a massive object in
space, such as a star or even a black hole, crosses in front of a
star shining in the background. The object’s strong gravitational
pull bends the light rays from the more distant star and magnifies
them like a lens.
The newest planet discovery came after Udalski noticed in March
that a star located thousands of light years from Earth was
starting to move in front of another star that was even farther
away, near the center of our galaxy. A month later, when the more
distant star had brightened a hundred-fold, astronomers from OGLE
and another group, the Microlensing Follow Up Network (MicroFUN),
detected a rapid distortion of the brightening. The new pattern
indicated that a planet was around the star in front.
Because the method allowed the scientists to monitor the light
signal with near-perfect precision, it could easily have revealed,
an even smaller planet, said Andrew Gould, professor of astronomy
at Ohio State and leader of the MicroFUN collaboration.
“If an Earth-mass planet was in the same position, we would have
been able to detect it,” Gould said.
The collaborators have submitted a paper announcing the planet
to Astrophysieal Journal Letters and have posted the paper online.
The researchers have secured the use of NASA’s Hubble Space
Telescope to examine the star that the planet is orbiting.
OGLE finds more than 600 “microlensing events” per year using a
telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile (operated by
Carnegie Institution of Washington). MicroFUN is a collaboration of
astronomers from the United States, Korea, New Zealand and Israel
that picks out those events that are most likely to reveal planets
and monitors
them from telescopes around the world.
Other institutions involved in the project include:
theHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Universidad de
Concepcion in Chile, University of Manchester in the United
Kingdom, California Institute of Technology, American Museum of
Natural History, Chungbuk National University in Korea, Korea
Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Massy University in New
Zealand, Nagoya University in Japan and the University of Auckland
in New Zealand.
The OGLE collaboration is funded by the Polish Ministry of
Scientific Research and Information Technology, the Foundation for
Polish Science, the National Science Foundation and NASA. Some
MicroFUN team members received funding from the National Science
Foundation, Harvard College Observatory, Korea Science and
Engineering Foundation and Korea Astronomy and Space Science
Institute.
Effort to enroll m ore children in insurance programsState Sen.
Joseph Vitale (D-
Woodbridge) and New Jersey Human ServicesCommissioner James M.
Davy joined members of the Covering Kids and Families coalition and
New Jersey’s hospitals in West Windsor recently to launch a
“Back-to-School Campaign” to add more children to the state’s
health insurance rolls.
“Making sure children are ready for the new school year involves
many different things: backpacks, pencils, new sneakers. It also
involves making sure children are covered by
health insurance. A child can’t learn if she has a vision
problem. Healthy children learn better. It’s as easy as that,” said
Davy. “The Department of Human Services is grateful to have
partners committed to the same noble purpose work of bettering a
child’s life. And now signing up for NJ FamilyCare is as simple as
ABC.”
The Back-to-School initiative includes a number of outreach
events and enrollment fairs over six weeks at sites across the
state with help from the New Jersey Hospital Association’s 112
members.
The goal is to increase enrollment in the NJ FamilyCare program,
which offers free and reduced-cost health insurance to qualified
children.
And beginning Sept. 1, the program will be expanded to eligible
parents under new legislation sponsored by Sen. Vitale.
“Children have to first be healthy in order to succeed in school
and everything else in their lives,” said Sen. Vitale. “Today, we
want our message to be clear to every parent in New Jersey:
Affordable healthcare is now available for all of your
children.”
New Jersey is home to more than 223,000 uninsured children, and
studies show that these kids could face more illnesses and
classroom difficulties, such as increased absenteeism, than
children with regular access to healthcare services. It’s estimated
that as many as 170,000 of those children could qualify for NJ
FamilyCare coverage.
Today’s event is part of a nationwide Covering Kids and Families
effort coordinated by
the Princeton-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The
foundation works with coalitions in all 50 states to enroll more
children in health insurance programs.
An estimated 8.5 million children in the United States are
uninsured, yet most of them are eligible for free or low-cost
coverage.
“Maintaining good health and a good education are essential for
our young people’s growth and development,” said NJHA President
Gary Carter. “Our hospitals will be partners this fall in spreading
the word and helping enroll children at health fairs and other
community events.”
Research from the American College of Physicians shows that
uninsured children are 70 percent more likely to go without care
for common childhood ailments such as sore throats and earaches
than kids with insurance. These conditions are often the cause of
students’ school absences.
In recent years, more than 100,000 children have signed up for
NJ FamilyCare, but many
families may still not be aware that they could qualify,
especially those with parents who work.
Children in a family of four earning about $68,000 a year may
qualify for NJ FamilyCare.
Larger families with higher incomes may also be eligible for
free or low-cost coverage. Sen. Vitale recently sponsored and
helped pass legislation to expand the program’s eligibility and
identify renewable funding sources, including additional federal
funding, to make the program accessible to more New Jerseyans.
NJ FamilyCare offers comprehensive coverage similar to private
health insurance programs. Covered services include doctor visits,
prescriptions, X-rays, lab tests, hospitalizations, emergency
medical care, mental health services, eyeglasses and basic dental
services.
Families can call the toll-free number 1-800-701-0710 or log on
to the Web site at http://www.njfamilycare.org to learn more about
NJ FamilyCare.
Salute to the 70s is theme for third annual Hightstown community
fairThe Third Annual Community Fair, “Celebrate Communities —
A Salute to the Seventies,” is set for Saturday, October 8 from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Street, Hightstown. Rain date will be
Sunday, October 9.
The event will include costume and dance contests, puppets and
clowns for children, a Chili Cook-Off Civil War re-enactment,
crafts, food, civic groups, musicians, and an auto display.
Call 609-443-6536 for more information.
http://www.njfamilycare.org
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CURRENTS _ ' ■
Reimagining the debate on public transportationBy MICHELLE
BRANTLEY
Special writer
To successfully address chronic transportation problems,
citizens and policymakers need to reframe the way we think and talk
about transportation, Anne Canby, president of the Washington,
D.C.-based advocacy group Surface Transportation Policy Project
(STPP), told approximately 35 people as part of the Bloustein
School of Planning and Public Policy’s Alan M. Voorhees
Distinguished Speaker Series.
Canby, who directs research and advocacy efforts for the
organization with the goal of improving the nation’s transportation
system and previously served as Commissioner of NJDOT, described a
lack of leadership at the federal level, with an overemphasis on
highways to the detriment of public transit systems.
“Growing congestion, an unacceptable number of deaths and
injuries in accidents, disinvestments in communities, almost no
travel options, and a high cost for the public sector and families”
all characterize a transportation system that is currently
“hurting,” Canby said.
For eveiy dollar the federal government has invested in
highways, only 2.5 cents have gone into public transportation
during the last two and a half years, Canby emphasized.
“People are being pushed out of transportation because of the
price of gas, and we’re giving them nowhere to go.” Yet at the same
time, “the U.S. Transportation Secretary is going around the
country trashing Amtrak and begging for it to be destroyed.”
“We never honestly invested in it to begin with,” Canby
said.
In contrast with an ineffective federal government, New Jersey
policymakers are recognizing the market for development around
public transit, Canby said. She praised the NJDOT for linking the
transportation decision-making process with the land use
decision-making process and for instituting planning grants that
encourage community partnerships on transportation issues.
“The New Jersey Commissioner is so far out in front of where
most DOT heads are in the U.S.,” Canby said.
Crucial changes that need to take
"We shouldn't talk so much about congestion because it leads to
the wrong answer. We need to find new
frames and have a good set of indicators we pound out there.
When we frame the issues
(differently), people think of transportation in a different
way."
ANNE CANBYPresident, Surface Transportation Policy Project
gweMwaw*' w rtH Tim n -vir-'"- t.- J*,', , vplace are a linkage
of transportation and land use planning and a mentality that
focuses on planning rather than on individual projects, she
said.
In the past, there has been little focus on the
“interdisciplinary nature” of transportation planning, with little
interaction among the housing, health, education, and
transportation communities, Canby noted. There have also been
insufficient efforts by members of the transportation community to
reach out to the individual communities their decisions impact.
Canby described the “D.C. mentality,” which she views as
insufficient, as focusing on giving citizens “reasonable
opportunity to comment” on projects. “This doesn’t translate into
collaboration. We need early engagement. We need to go out and
listen to people’s concerns and work together for an answer that
addresses a much broader array of needs.”
Focusing on individual projects rather than on an overarching
vision diminishes planning efforts, she added.
To promote an interdisciplinary approach, members of the
transportation community need to frame issues in ways that draw in
other communities, Canby emphasized. This could involve focusing on
the impact of increasing gasoline prices and the increasing
incidence of asthma and obesity.
“Transportation is a contributory factor to obesity. We have
designed physical activity out of our lives.” Walking is currently
the most dangerous form of transportation in the country, she
noted.
Emphasizing the connection between transportation and health
issues could
also be focused around health care costs. For example, an
important question to ask is what the effect on health care costs
would be if, through sound transportation policy, we could reduce
the incidence of asthma.
The transportation community has talked about safety for years,
yet has almost nothing to show for it, Canby said, noting that
nearly 800 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2003,
the most recent year for which data are available.
Environmental issues and global warming are other factors rarely
addressed by the transportation community, Canby said.
“We shouldn’t talk so much about congestion because it leads to
the wrong answer. We need to find new frames and have a good set of
indicators we pound out there. When we frame the issues
(differently), people think of transportation in a different
way.”
Congress received the most criticism from Canby because of its
focus on privatization, limitations on the structure of federal
programs, and “total aversion to new revenue.”
Private companies are brought into the transportation planning
process “to get the public out of the way,” Canby said, citing the
Trans Texas Corridor proposal as an example.
Core federal programs that have a large degree of flexibility
are being replaced with “narrowly defined new programs that take
away flexibility,” Canby noted.
In many cases, the federal government funds projects at five to
ten percent of their total costs, resulting in
states feeling obligated to provide the remainder of needed
funding by taking money from core programs, she added.
Several factors could force necessary changes in how we view
transportation, including the price of oil, frustration with
congestion, lack of affordable housing, immigration, and an aging
population, Canby said.
“All these are out there, but are not pulled into a forceful
story that gets people thinking about transportation.”
Especially important is “the need to get our existing assets
into a state of good repair,” Canby emphasized. “We need to take
care of what we have. That will attract private capital. We need to
create a stable and reliable stream of funding and revisit it on a
periodic basis.”
Building partnerships between the public and private sectors is
crucial, she said. “If we go too far on the private side, we risk
marginalizing the planning process and cutting out
shareholders.”
Canby urged bringing the revenues currently managed by toll
authorities into the public realm through the creation of a
transportation trust fund.
She also suggested strengthening local road networks to avoid
having everyone on the state roads. Currently, “everything feeds
into the state highway, making it a mess.”
Progress in transportation reform can be measured by
establishing specific goals and tracking them, Canby emphasized.
“We need to measure and be very visible of what we measure. For
example, what percentage of our jobs are within a half hour of
transit?”
A desirable goal is to require that a certain percentage of
housing and jobs be within walking distance of a good transit
system, she said.
Strong leadership, ways to tell a different transportation
story, new partnerships and alliances, and setting clear goals will
lead to “a transportation system that has profound benefits for our
communities,” Canby emphasized.
To promote this goal, STPP is working with more than 500
organizations with vastly different backgrounds. “The diversity of
people who join with us on these issues is one of our great
strengths,” Canby said.
Mercer County receives Green Acres funding for open space
purchasesMercer County Executive
Brian M. Hughes announced recently that the State of New Jersey
has approved $1 million in Green Acres funds for open space
acquisitions.
“I applaud the State, Acting Governor Richard Codey, and the
Legislature for their contin
uing commitment to protecting open space,” Hughes said. “My
administration has made these types of acquisitions a priority
since day one, and we look forward to using these funds to continue
this important public good.”
The award, detailed in a let
ter from Department of Environmental ProtectionCommissioner
BradleyCampbell, will help defer the costs of significant open
space acquisitions such as the Braghelli property in Hamilton
Township.
The county is reimbursed for
projects at 50 percent of the certified fair market value.
Through the use of bonds and grants, the County has already
leveraged the $30 million collected over 13 years to purchase land
worth $190 million. The county’s tax has directly saved 12,995
acres
from development. Today, Mercer County boasts 26,274 acres of
preserved open space and farmland.
Last year, Hughes called for a ballot question asking Mercer
County voters whether they wanted to add another penny to the
county’s open space tax.
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I F lR S T G O V gov l
Codey signs order to help preserve
Revolutionary War sitesActing Governor Richard J. Codey
signed an executive order that will help preserve hundreds of
historic Revolutionary War sites across New Jersey and enable the
state to better educate future generations about the nation’s
heritage.
“New Jersey played a critical role in the American Revolution,”
Codey said. “Nowhere in the 13 colonies was the cost to civilian
population greater; nowhere was the suffering of the troops
greater; nowhere was the price of liberty more dear than in New
Jersey.
“We must preserve our Revolutionary War sites,” Codey continued,
“so we can continue to teach our citizens about one of the most
important chapters in our nation’s history.”
The order declares New Jersey as a Crossroads of the American
Revolution and designates a Crossroads of the American Revolution
State Heritage Area. The area encompasses 213 municipalities and
all or portions of 14 counties in central New Jersey, with branches
to the north and south connecting the area to New York and
Pennsylvania. The following counties are included in the state
heritage area: Bergen, Camden, Hudson, Hunterdon, Passaic, Morris,
Essex, Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Burlington,
and Gloucester.
The designation is expected to assist in the passage of a
measure pending in the House of Representatives that would
establish a National Heritage Area in New Jersey. That measure is
sponsored by Congressmen Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-ll) and Rush Holt
(D-12). It is identical to legislation sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jon
S. Corzine (D-NJ) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), which passed the
Senate last month.
Corzine said Codey’s executive order brings critical attention
to the important and historic role New Jersey played during the
American Revolution.
“The executive order furthers our efforts in the Congress to
establish National Heritage Areas in the state to help preserve our
Revolutionary War sites,” Corzine said. “The battles that took
place in New Jersey during the American Revolution shaped our
nation’s history. We must protect the places that commemorate those
patriots who fought and died to establish a
country that values freedom and individual rights.”
There are nearly 300 sites in New Jersey with direct ties to the
American Revolution, including battlefields and historic
headquarters. Among the landmarks are Washington’s Crossing, the
Old Trenton Barracks, and the Princeton, Monmouth and Red Bank
battlefields. On the federal level, designating a Crossroads of the
American Revolution National Heritage Area would authorize $10
million in funding to assist preservation, recreational, and
educational efforts by state, county, and local governments, and
private cultural and tourism groups.
Frelinghuysen said he is hopeful the House will consider the
legislation in the near future.
“With more Revolutionary War battles fought in New Jersey than
in any other state, it is only right that our state receives the
recognition it deserves,” Frelinghuysen said. “A National Heritage
Area will raise the profile of New Jersey’s historical importance,
boost efforts to preserve more open space, and in time, enhance our
state’s tourism industry as more people visit New Jersey to re-live
our nation’s struggle for freedom.”
National Heritage Areas create significant economic
opportunities, increasing regional tourism by highlighting historic
sites and cultural events. The Crossroads of the American
Revolution project will have a significant impact across New
Jersey.
“An important part of New Jersey's future is its past,” Holt
said. “By providing this historic theme, Governor Codey helps bring
together the goals of education, historic preservation, land
preservation, and tourism to lead to a vibrant future for the
region.”
Cate Litvack, executive director of the Crossroads of the
American Revolution Association said Codey’s executive order will
help this and future generations protect and appreciate the natural
cultural and historic resources of New Jersey’s significant
Revolution War heritage.
“The designation of a Crossroads of the American Revolution
State Heritage Area is historic,” Litvack said. “It gives us a
cohesive framework for telling the important, interrelated stories
of how New Jersey and its citizens contributed to the birth of our
nation.”
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