Saturday, May 11, 2013
A reader's commentary regarding the recent Berkeley Aquatic Club referendum.
To the Editor: A teenage boy asked his dad, “How did they win an election?” The father told his son, “The first thing is to be dishonest. Never admit the truth, or at least not the whole truth.” When asked to explain that, the dad said, “Well, if you have a traffic study that was conducted on a regular school day, and included an October holiday weekend, you never admit that the school day was part of the study. You only say it was conducted on a holiday weekend, and you say it repeatedly.” Being a bright child, the teenager then interjected, “But most of the families here have kids in sports on the weekend. Who ever goes away in October?” The father then continued to reveal the strategy. He said, “You release information which is not true…
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Residents overwhelmingly voted against a referendum asking the township to allow the proposed Berkeley Aquatic Center to use the local sewer system.
Residents of Berkeley Heights have made their opinions loud and clear: they are opposed to allowing the proposed Berkeley Aquatic Center to connect to the township's sewer system. Voters went to the polls Tuesday, casting 2,744 ballots against allowing the proposed BAC to hook up to the municipal sewer system. According to the results from the Township Clerk's office, 661 residents cast votes in favor of the BAC referendum. The Berkeley Aquatic Club proposal calls for the construction of a 51,000-square-foot building in nearby Warren, just over the Berkeley Heights border. The facility plans involve the construction of an approximately 51,940-square-foot building on 523,591-square-feet of land. It includes a swimming pool facility …
Monday, May 6, 2013
Warren resident opposes May 7 referendum in Berkeley Heights.
To the Editor: Please Vote NO in the May 7 Berkeley Heights Special Election. The last thing I want to see on the way into my neighborhood is a 1+ acre size building and a busy parking lot. We worked hard to purchase our house, an investment for our future. This commercial development is sure to squash our home values and desirability of the neighborhood. The proposed location for this humongous building is wrong in so many ways. Let me count the ways: 1. Emerson Lane neighborhood is a quiet tree lined residential area and has been for more than a century. This REALLY B-I-G building does not belong there. Vote NO on May 7 to preserve a family neighborhood. 2. There has already been one fatal accident at the intersection of Emerson Lane & …
A Berkeley Heights man says he will be voting against the Berkeley Aquatic Club referendum on Tuesday.
To the Editor: I am a Berkeley Heights resident and I am making sure I get out and vote NO on May 7. I am a home owner who lives very close to the proposed new BAC Warren Corporate establishment. I have been following the ins and outs of the so called "debate" over what is going on regarding the Warren BAC proposed site. 1) This election has absolutely NOTHING to do with swimming or allowing the BAC or anyone to build a facility of this sort. It has to do with building a large commercial complex in a residential neighborhood, and in turn seriously affecting the entire residential neighborhood. I read the article after article saying to vote yes because BAC has been great for the community, how Jim Wood is a great guy, how swimming …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
With the Berkeley Aquatic Club referendum less than a week away, several residents are voicing their support for the project.
To the Editor: I welcome the New BAC! More services for all ages, from a quality organization, in a state of the art facility, could only make our town more attractive and desirable to live in. Then it dawned on me that not only were these things true, but the slogan that the Stop the BAC campaign has been clinging to, should actually be BACK the BAC’s slogan. It would more accurately read as “Keep Taxes Low – Vote YES on May 7.” So much misleading information… It seems so difficult to weed through it. Here is one such example. I have read that the New BAC Center would be “as large as MetLife Stadium or a major highway department store.” I did a little research and found that the MetLife Stadium is over 2 million square feet and has a …
Thursday, May 2, 2013
A resident of a nearby town presents information regarding traffic concerns and the Berkeley Aquatic Club facility.
To the Editor: As an “out-of-towner” I thought that I would write to provide you (Berkeley Heights Residents) with potential information regarding the traffic concerns that have been raised with the new BAC facility to be located directly off exit 40 of Route 78. These concerns should have been alleviated by the traffic study but apparently this may not be the case. I have lived in a neighboring community for over the past 20-plus years and have done much travel within a 15-mile radius of the proposed location. As an “out-of-towner” that would be one of the many traveling to the facility, I think our travel methods would be a better perspective than current Berkeley Heights residents as we are the ones coming from these locations. First, I…
Friday, April 19, 2013
Another opinion on voting 'no' to the Berkeley Aquatic Club sewer hookup.
To the Editor: Voting NO on May 7 is very important for the taxpayers of Berkeley Heights. We are being asked to vote on a referendum which, if passed, will amend the existing Sewer Processing Contract to include a 51,000 sq. ft. commercial establishment, to be built in Warren, allowing it to tie into the Berkeley Heights sewer system. We’re referring to the proposed Berkeley Aquatic Club in Warren. Berkeley Heights and Warren already have an agreement under which Berkeley Heights will allow limited residential properties, but not commercial sewer hookups. The Berkeley Heights Town Council has listened to the pros and cons of this sewer connection request, and has voted against it, not once, but twice. The May 7 vote should not be viewed…
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sharing municipal services is the right thing to do.
To the Editor: The Berkeley Aquatic Club hopes to win an election on May 7th, 2013 that will bring them closer to their dream of building an Olympic swimming pool and facility just off I-78 at exit 40 in Warren Township. The issue in the election is permission to connect to the sewer system, a system under the control of Berkeley Heights. It is in fact an unusual election, but necessary. The membership of the Berkeley Aquatic Club owes a debt of gratitude to the citizens of Berkeley Heights who supported putting this issue to a vote. The chance to have this beautiful facility built for the use of the public still exists, because of the cooperation of the citizens of Berkeley Heights. New Jersey allows towns to share services for a fee…
Saturday, April 13, 2013
One contributor believes the BAC could become a source of revenue for Berkeley Heights.
- OPINION
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Saturday, April 13
To the Editor: On May 7 Berkeley Heights residents will be asked to vote on whether or not Berkeley Aquatic should be granted permission to tap into their sewage system. Many citizens simply believe that they have no interest in this issue; however, this issue impacts all Berkeley Heights citizens by creating an opportunity to turn an unused resource into revenue for the township. Berkeley Heights has surplus sewer capacity, that is not needed by Berkeley Heights existing sewer users nor by its future users, based on the Township’s own study and its projection of demand based on a 20 year build-out. The BAC connection allows Berkeley Heights residents to transform a very small portion of this untapped resource into a revenue maker, as …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Berkeley Aquatic Club sent 89 competitors to national event.
- SPORTS
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Wednesday, January 30
Eighty-nine elite athletes from Berkeley Aquatic Club competed at CeraVe Invitational Meet, one of the few long-course swimming events held in the United States during the winter. Held at Rutgers University from January 11 to 13, CeraVe is a meet with a long history, as Berkeley Aquatic Club has been hosting this meet for 22 years, with CeraVe serving as the sponsor for the past four. CeraVe has become synonymous with fast times and one that for years has attracted Olympic swimmers, which in the past have included Scott Goldblatt, Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones, Rebecca Soni and Katie Hoff, while this year’s meet featured swims by Olympic medalists Katie Ledecky, Lia Neal and Ian Silverman. Moreover, swimmers and fans alike were able to …
AG
10:53 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Paul and the Hansen Family - Thank-you all for your long standing history of defending the very principles that founded this country. Your military service and your families continued dedication to protecting the very freedoms that were so clearly demonstrated in these elections. It is an honor and a right that we freely voice our opinions and question the government's actions. This election and … more ›