sparta

Letters to the Editor

February 29, 2024

As an owner/operator of a working farm and animal sanctuary in North Jersey, I am deeply disappointed with the cleanup of the Passaic River, which has been polluted for decades due to various industrial and commercial activities.  Seven years after the EPA selected a clean-up plan, and the agency ...

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Thursday night at the Sparta Board of Education meeting, Board members debated the increased legal spending they’ve been responsible for. Board Member Kaitlin Gagnon presented facts to the Board regarding the massive legal spending increases over the last few years. Ms. Gagnon pointed out that ...

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To the Editor:  I am writing about the application for the apartment building behind the Burger King  I respectfully request a traffic study of Sparta Ave during the hours that children are transported to school and the hours that the children are returned to their homes.  Please do not ...

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Word is that Tom Collins, the pro-developer Planning Board attorney, will be asked to prolong his 42-year gig at the Planning Board and continue his role as Pied Piper of Sparta—leading the Board in dulcet tones to wherever he sees fit. To call this possibility ‘disturbing’ is more than an ...

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The Planning Board cannot renew their attorney on Wednesday.  Tom Collins has been in that job for 42+ years.  That’s enough. While he may have institutional knowledge that is unsurpassed, he also, at least recently, has put together a record of behaving unprofessionally. When the council ...

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On December 20, 2023, the Sparta Planning Board approved the application for a Veterinary Urgent Care facility that needed several variances for that approval.  The proposed building is too large for the property.  According to regular practice, the Zoning Board would have had to approve the ...

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Dear fellow Republicans, It is with heavy heart that I make this statement in light of the email Sen-elect Space's handlers sent out at 8:51 AM this morning.  First, anyone who is familiar with the Parker Space gang knows he does not write his own emails based on his personal educational ...

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My term as mayor is coming to a close.  It has been an immensely rewarding experience, and I am grateful for the residents of Sparta for placing their trust in me.  I am honored to have served. During a recent meeting with a Sparta Cub Scout Pack I was asked what I am most proud of this year as ...

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“Because people don't understand we're the only country in the world that thinks art is a luxury. Everybody else in the world understands that art is an essential part of the quality of life.” – Steven Van Zandt The blues ecosystem is dependent on the collaboration of non-profits, venues, fans, ...

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At Tuesday night's Town Council meeting or at the following meeting they will be voting to hire a planning board attorney.  There has been talk that they are considering re-hiring Planning Bd. Attorney Tom Collins. Tom Collins MUST NOT be re-hired. There are many reasons why he should not be ...

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Dear Sparta Township Voters, I am writing to offer my wholehearted endorsement of my childhood friend LeeAnne Pitzer for the Sparta Township Board of Education. Having known LeeAnne since our early years, I can confidently attest to her exceptional dedication and competence in giving back to ...

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Jen Grana and Legal Fees Jen Grana and her slatemates of Wood and Gagnon have complained of rising legal fees.  In addition to Grana spending over $24,000 of district funds on legal complaints, she voted in the very attorney she is complaining about in the second year of her 3-year term. She ...

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My name is Lindsey Paradiso. I’m 21, queer (gender-fluid and pansexual), neurodivergent, and a lifelong Sparta resident, currently working as a pet sitter and life coach, and graduated from Sparta High School in 2020. I’m writing this letter as a member of the Sparta community, to urge my fellow ...

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School board elections are next week. Please take the time to get to know what the candidates stand for. In this world that is torn with divisions, it is crucial that we go back to the basics - a family unit that promotes values; a family that shares its values and passes them on to its ...

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To drum up support for the Byram Municipal Building Bond Referendum, residents were delivered an "information flyer” that omitted the excessive bond amount and the excessive size of the buildings.  Omitting these prominent facts was intentional and not an accident.  After all, the best propaganda ...

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I’m writing this quick note in support of LeeAnne Pitzer for the Sparta Board of Education.  I am a Sparta senior citizen – I no longer have children in the school system, but I did, and I am a taxpayer - and given that a big piece of our Sparta taxes goes the school budget, I think my opinion and ...

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Congratulations Sparta, on turning this year’s nonpartisan BOE Election into the biggest possible partisan s***show imaginable. It’s hard to keep track of where anyone stands on the actual issues which impact our bottom line, what with the constant sniping, personal attacks and overwhelming focus ...

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I've had the privilege of knowing Christina Longo-Keiling since 2008, and I've always admired her as both a friend and a leader. During our time working together, where she served as Charge Nurse and Clinical Coordinator, Christina exhibited qualities that made her stand out. She was consistently ...

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Chad Wood is running for Sparta Board of Education along with Grana and Gagnon. I want someone with more life experience than someone who just graduated high school in June of 2023. Has he ever balanced a monthly checking account statement let alone an $80 million+ dollar budget? Do you ...

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In our town, recent articles and social media communications have drawn attention to a concerning trend of negative behaviors and disruptive energy at Board of Education meetings. It's essential to address these issues and bring back decorum to these meetings. That's why I'm casting my vote for ...

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Dear Editor, Serving on the BOE is not for the faint of heart.   Witness one of the monthly meetings and you will understand what I mean.  Our duly elected representatives, who voluntarily serve our community, are often berated and subject to personal attacks and sweeping generalizations about ...

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The loudest rhetoric this election season is the hateful, misunderstood noise surrounding parental rights.  Over the last few months, we’ve shifted topics from “book bans”, budget, to sex education and the involvement of parents.  It's been assumed that any indifference to Policy 5756 pegs you as ...

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Sparta resident of 16 years here. Like many, the extraordinary reputation of the school system was a major factor in our decision to reside here, newly married with plans on raising children in the future. Our family has two students who attend Sparta Public Schools, a 7th & 1st grader. The ...

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This letter is in support of LeeAnne Pitzer, #4 on the ballot, for re-election to the Sparta Board of Education.  LeeAnne is committed to ensuring the best education possible for all the students of Sparta.  It is LeeAnne’s desire that the education of all students occurs in a positive and safe ...

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Dear Editor, I write to express my strong support for Bob Meara as a candidate for the Sparta Township Board of Education. As a parent of school aged children in Sparta Schools District, I want the best educators, administrators, and board members who are dedicated to achieving the best ...

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Dear Editor, I write to express my strong support for Bob Meara as a candidate for the Sparta Township Board of Education. As a parent of school aged children in Sparta Schools District, I want the best educators, administrators, and board members who are dedicated to achieving the best ...

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As a parent of children who will soon be in the Sparta school district and ally of educators and administration in this town, I am uneasy about this upcoming election for more reasons than I can count.  -Rallying teachers and administrators, whose salaries and benefits make up 80% of our budget, ...

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Gagnon and Grana took $6000 from the NJEA last year during their failed campaign for the Sparta Board of Education. I don’t want Sparta Board of Education members taking money from the NJEA and then sitting across from the Sparta Teacher’s Union negotiating a contract or handling ...

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Recently, Kaitlin Gagnon posted a campaign statement titled “Sparta: Headlines For All the Wrong Reasons”. What she failed to mention in her statement, is that she has been actively involved in contacting many of the news outlets to draw attention to our district board meetings.  So why the need ...

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I recently read a letter to the editor that commented about members of the public “disrupting” recent board of education meetings. I had watched that meeting via live stream, as I watch most, and this letter encouraged me to share my thoughts on the behaviors taking place at the board of education ...

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