Letters to the Editor
By HOWARD A. TEICHMAN
October 16, 2025
To the Editor:I write in support of three candidates in the current election for the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education. Steve Singer, the current board president, and Jim Maloney and Kim Fajardo, newcomers to elective office, are all running independently of each other. However, many citizens ...
To the Editor: As our community experiences growing economic pressures and increasing polarization, we need leaders who are steady, principled and deeply connected to the people. That is why I am proud to support Emily Calistri in this election. A recent article titled “Bridgewater-Raritan Needs ...
To the Editor:It is often difficult to decide for whom to vote for the local school board because even if you read the candidates’ biographies, you rarely get a good idea how to distinguish one unknown candidate from another. However, this year there is one important issue that separates the ...
To the Editor:Imagine you are a shareholder in a company, with a CEO and a board of directors. The company is in a great location, with diverse assets and a clear mission.Now imagine that the CEO has failed to deliver a budget to the board each of the last five years on time. Not only that, the ...
To the Editor:We’re all getting weary of the contentious atmosphere that has characterized political discourse in this country lately. It’s distressing to see it now begin to infect local politics.In a recent letter to the editor of this forum, the writer criticized the Bridgewater Republican ...
To the Editor:The difference between the candidates for Bridgewater Township Council couldn't be clearer.The Republican slate includes two incumbent members of the rubber-stamp township council. When Mayor says jump, they ask: How high? While Councilman Pedroso sometimes votes against ...
To the Editor:Nobody likes to be deceived, irrespective of their beliefs. Our problems with partisan politics and the spread of disinformation in our school district started in 2022, when Mayor Matthew Moench launched his first campaign to mislead parents about school security, asserting that our ...
To the Editor:The Bridgewater schools face a grave threat, the "Transparency Excellence Accountability" group of candidates. This TEA is poisonous. These dangerous right-wing candidates are incumbent Lanfang "Lucy" Li and newcomers Ketrin Maxwell and Deanna Nye. Li has spent the last three years ...
To the Editor:Dear BRRSD Board & Leadership,We write to express our deep concern, frustration and disappointment with the ongoing inequities faced by Jewish students and families in BRRSD. Despite years of raising these issues, our community continues to be sidelined by decisions that force us ...
To the Editor:I was looking at the list of candidates for Bridgewater Township Council this year, and whose name do I see but that of Megan Moench. If this last name sounds familiar, it is because Moench is the sister of Mayor Matthew Moench. In other words, the current administration's long and ...
To the Editor:In this heightened political climate, so many voters are feeling unrepresented and independents are taken for granted. Independents have the numbers to shape elections, but they are iced out of primaries, buried by ballot design and big money from outsiders. It will take leadership ...
To the Editor:On Nov. 4, the voters of Bridgewater will select three members of the board of education, out of seven candidates. There is one unified ticket of three people who would be terrible board members, including one incumbent. They apparently believe that their religious beliefs should ...
To the Editor:I previously shared an example that should concern residents and taxpayers about our voices being heard and considered by the Bridgewater Township Council when it makes multi-million dollar decisions on our behalf.An example of this is the Camp Cromwell restoration initiative. As I ...
To the Editor:I’ve been attending the Bridgewater Township Council meetings for about the last six months to learn more about how our township is operating. Most of us do not have time to attend or view these meetings online - I’m fortunate to be at a stage in life when I finally do, and what I ...
To the Editor:Members of my community have expressed doubts surrounding the legitimacy of Team 303’s survey regarding transgender policy #5756 last school year. I would like to set the record straight.At the June 17 BOE meeting, resident and now BOE candidate Ketrin Maxwell used a plethora of terms ...
To the Editor:Bridgewater residents should understand that Mayor Matthew Moench’s administration has exhibited breathtaking incompetence when it comes to numbers.Evidence is easy to find, like the long overdue township budgets containing “#DIV/0” (divide by zero) spreadsheet errors and table ...
To the Editor:On May 13, 2025, the Bridgewater-Raritan board of education reviewed Policy 5756 and recommended that the “M” (mandatory) status be removed. This change was reflected in the district policy manual later in May, finally correcting the long-held misconception that this policy was ...
To the Editor:BOE meetings have been surreal in recent months. Anti-trans residents peddle false narratives with absolute cocksure hubris. They couldn't possibly care less about supporting evidence, acting as if their positions are above reproach despite a stunning level of inflammatory accusations ...
To the Editor:I’m reminded of the old satire where the Emperor parades through the streets naked, believing he is dressed in magnificent attire. The townspeople cheer and pretend to admire his clothing, afraid to speak the truth — until a child blurts out, “The Emperor has no clothes!” Some of us ...
To the Editor:When private citizens curate or manufacture false information, we can call it out as just another dishonest or misinformed opinion from the public. However, what if someone introduces him/herself as a “professional”? That’s where misinformation can be perceived as pre-certified with a ...
To the Editor:As we close out the school year and celebrate all the incredible accomplishments of our students, we want to take a moment to shine a light on the quiet victories. To the ones that may not come with medals, certificates, prizes or public recognition, but are just as important.To the ...
To the Editor:Me again—Jen, the Independent-turned-Dem, sharing my unsolicited opinion about the upcoming Democratic primary election.I think Somerset County voters should be thinking about these things as June 10 draws near: education, taxes, flooding, housing and development.Skateboarding may be ...
To the Editor:In a letter to the editor, Elissa Muller called out members of the community who oppose BRRSD transgender Policy #5756 as bigots for referring to teachers as “groomers.” About four days later, Jeff McNally wrote a letter which portrays the same people as simply expressing a ...
To the Editor:Discussion should avoid gaslighting and division.It’s deeply concerning to see how quickly people with differing views are labeled as “bigots,” “disgusting” or “immature.” Strong opinions are expected in community debate, but personal attacks and condescending attitudes are ...
To the Editor:On May 13, the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District’s Board of Education held its regular meeting, open to the public. It occurred to me after defending Policy 5756 for the third time in less than two months that there are people in our community who think that certain ...
To the Editor:One of the outcomes of Policy 5756 is to stop parents – loving or not – from discouraging their children from making a very significant and risky decision to transition. Over the last two months, I have heard almost all parents say they want to know if their son or daughter is ...
To the Editor:Something remarkable has been happening at BOE meetings lately. Of all the people making their case at the podium with regard to Policy #5756, it’s the students from our school district who stand out quite admirably. On April 29, BRRSD high school students from T.E.S.T. Team ...
To the Editor: When writing policies, consideration of the future matters.I attended both this month’s and last month’s Bridgewater-Raritan board of education (BOE) meetings, and during the public comment section, the dominant topic was Policy 5756. Whether people spoke for or against ...
To the Editor:Keeping information of a child’s gender confusion from their parents is not protecting children, but interfering with parents’ responsibilities, given by God and not the state. There might be many underlying reasons for a student’s confusion, but parents must be involved. Driving a ...
To the Editor:I watched the March 18 BRRSD BOE meeting online. I want to say that I go by the rule, live and let live. But when it comes to young students wanting to make permanent life-changing decisions, since when do we take a child’s decision over our own common sense? These cases should be ...