Letters

This letter is in response to the letter to the editor from Arlene Rosenthal ("Don't Waste Tax Dollars on Unnecessary Teacher Salaries") that appeared in the April 6 issue of the Sentinel.

I feel it is important to clear up some of the misinformation in Mrs. Rosenthal's letter regarding the nine-period day at East Brunswick High School (EBHS).

The nine-period day is a much-needed addition at the high school. There are 500 students (my child included) who opt out of lunch to take an elective they cannot otherwise fit into their schedule. Most electives are academic courses that the students will now have the opportunity to take. These electives often help our children in making decisions as to what they do or don't want to do later in life - having a child make these decisions while in college can become quite costly.

This change will benefit students on all academic levels, not just the very top or very bottom, of which the board is often accused. Athletes who come back from a game late or students who have to go to work directly after school can now add a study hall to their day to do tomorrow's homework or to get help with study skills.

Some students who need to take a remedial class (not only special education) have not had the opportunity to take electives, and they will be able to do so with this change. All band and orchestra students will now have a lunch period, not just a few minutes at the end of their band class to grab something quickly.

Carolyn Gregory

president

East Brunswick High School PTSA

Speak out for historic preservation

The members of the Jamesburg Historical Association have asked me to write this letter on their behalf.

On April 13 the fate of Jamesburg's third-oldest house, the 199-year-old Abraham Davison House, will be sealed. The house will be demolished, and three smaller houses will replace this stately 19th-century farmhouse. Gone too will be the stately trees, which date back at least a century, on the property. All this is perfectly legal because the current antiquated zoning allows it and because Jamesburg does not a historic-preservation ordinance.

This is not the first time that one of Jamesburg's historic houses has been destroyed. Not too many years ago the borough allowed the renovation of the pre-Revolutionary War Simon Van Wickle House on Forsgate Drive. Today, only a small portion of the house remains, hidden by the new additions, its historic value destroyed. In a few months, Johnathon's Grille, which dates back to the 1930s, and the Pergola Diner, will be replaced with a "cookie-cutter" bank building.

The destruction of our historic buildings will continue. With more and more businesses coming into Jamesburg, more and more of our historic buildings will either be remodeled or demolished. Our town can't afford to allow this to happen.

Jamesburg is a unique town. Unlike our neighbors, we have a real downtown, with unique storefronts. They are not "cookie-cutter." They are not "big-box stores." They are Jamesburg stores.

The Jamesburg Historical Association has worked tirelessly during its 27-year history to preserve and restore Lakeview, the historic Buckelew Mansion and Jamesburg's oldest building, dating back to 1685. Lakeview is owned by the people of Jamesburg. We are proud to be entrusted by them with its care. If it were not for the efforts of our founder, Bob Mendoker, Lakeview would probably have been demolished and replaced by a retail building, too. But Bob saw the need to preserve the home of our town's namesake and brought together borough officials and townspeople to acquire and preserve this majestic mansion. We carry on today in the footsteps of our founding members.

We choose to speak out about the fate of the Davison House because our charter, written by those founding members, demands that we also work to not only educate people about Jamesburg's rich history but also to see that our history is preserved.

Since the action of the Jamesburg Land Use Board on April 13 is supported by local zoning and ordinance, there is no legal way to stop the process. We can, however, encourage the people of Jamesburg to speak out in support of historic preservation.

There remain approximately 15 more historic houses in Jamesburg. As Jamesburg experiences growth and revitalization, how many of them will still be around in five or 10 years? The only way that we can be sure that they are still here for our children's children to enjoy their historic nature is to let our borough officials know that they must introduce and pass an historic preservation ordinance today so that we will not have to experience the destruction of another historic Jamesburg house.

The Jamesburg Historical Association is not against progress. We understand that the borough desperately needs ratables. However, we believe that commercial development and historic preservation can coexist and be beneficial for the borough if both goals are adopted by our borough officials.

So, Jamesburg residents, we ask you to join us in speaking out to preserve our borough's historic buildings. Let our borough officials know that we support their efforts to bring new ratables to town, but we ask them to save our history at the same time.

Ronald R. Becker

president of the Jamesburg

Historical Association

Jamesburg losing battle to preserve its history

Jamesburg is once again facing a crossroads in its history. With taxes and budget concerns at the forefront of its agenda, everything must be done to attract ratables and redevelop older areas.

While other towns have made historic preservation a priority, Jamesburg is losing the battle in its effort to preserve history. Jamesburg's third-oldest historic structure, the Abraham S. Davison homestead, which dates to 1807, is currently slated for demolition if the Jamesburg Land Use Board approves an application to place three houses on the property.

In order for Jamesburg to survive in the 21st century, we need to adopt a plan that encourages growth and progress while preserving our culture, heritage, and historic structures.

Most towns around Jamesburg are becoming "big-box store" towns, with strip malls dotting the landscape. Jamesburg is one of the few towns in Middlesex County that has a true surviving "downtown." However, with the influx of new businesses and the removal and conversion of some other properties, Jamesburg is losing its historical character, which currently separates us from the rest.

When people are traveling through New Jersey, do they want to visit a cookie-cutter strip mall town or a quaint, unique town? Jamesburg needs a way to identify itself so that our businesses can survive and compete against other towns. Jamesburg is very unique, and I do not believe everyone realizes the potential that Jamesburg has for the future. We want to create and foster a town environment that invites visitors and tourists to come back.

With that said, by losing the historic Abraham Davison homestead, Jamesburg is losing a large part of its heritage. The site is currently part of "A Walking Tour of Jamesburg," which highlights 30 buildings of historic importance in Jamesburg. A copy of the booklet is available at Lakeview Mansion for $1. The loss of the house will break up the landscape of Gatzmer Avenue, where many of the houses were constructed between 1890 and 1920.

The Davison house was moved from a location between Perrineville and Half Acre roads sometime before the Civil War. It is an important structure to Jamesburg. How can we lose a piece of property like that? It forms the backbone of the United States of America and is a fine architectural example of a colonial farmhouse.

Without a historic preservation ordinance, Jamesburg may lose other important historic structures, some of which exemplify the Queen Anne, federal, and gothic styles, all of which can be found in Jamesburg. Often, you do not know what you have until it is gone. If we lose these buildings, Jamesburg will just become another town lost in the maze of modern suburbia.

Thomas C. Bodall

Jamesburg Borough historian