Ed, I am 88 years old. I remember when Hauptmann was executed at the state prison for the Lindbergh baby. At the precise moment when they executed, all the lights in Trenton dimmed a little.

Lights Out

It took so much juice back then because the killers were more evil and harder to fry. These days our killers are just a little evil — that’s why we’ve decided to let them live.—Ed. Note

Ed, the option is this: Corzine’s a jackass. I hope some of these people kill their families, see how they feel. Now put that in your stupid paper, will ya?

I. Rate

Easy on the paper, buddy. Anyway, many BackTalkers (too many to print) expressed the same sentiment: If any of the politicians who voted to abolish the death penalty had their own daughters raped and murdered, they’d sing a different tune.—Ed. Note

I’m disgusted at the glee on the faces of Corzine and other as they abolished capital punishment. Who speaks for little Megan? If I were to give any of these gleeful politicians a punch in the nose, they’d want to exact the max punishment. I mean, what hypocrites.

Left Jab

Speaking for Megan are her dad, you BackTalkers and a majority of citizens in this state. The problem is, who’s listening?—Ed. Note

Morning, Ed, it just really sickens me to see these politicians smiling in the paper about what they’ve done with regard to the death penalty. I can’t imagine what a parent or a loved one who had someone killed must feel about it. It must be terrible. Tell me, what has Ambrose Harris done that he should be living the rest of his life on the taxpayers? If they’ve been tried fairly and the evidence is irrefutable, I’m sorry, it may not be a deterrent, but if you kill them at least they’re not gonna kill again. My heart and prayers go out to those families. I just can’t imagine that anguish.

Wise Scowl

Most of us can’t imaging that anguish. Especially not those smug self-congratulators riding high on their righteous mission.—Ed. Note

Ed, especially at this time of year it’s nice to acknowledge generous acts of kindness. I was recently treated to a display of love and caring by a most generous group of employees of the county of Mercer who unselfishly provided an abundance of assorted items in the form of a care package to my son, Ryan, who is serving 15 months in Iraq. My heart overfloweth. Many many thanks to you all and those who give open-handedly now and throughout the year.

Grateful Mother

Love, kindness and generosity come naturally to humans when we come up for air from the rat races of our lives. Spread the love, people. There’s plenty to go around.—Ed. Note

Yeah, I was just wondering, when you have seven state troopers that are accused of raping a girl, usually they put the guys’ names in the paper and everything else, but they don’t put the woman’s name in. What do these troopers do, wear skirts or what? They have their separate blue curtain. It’s done differently for them. The state police would put his name in if he weren’t a trooper. I think it’s pretty stupid. So they better start wearing skirts on the job, too.

Trooper Scooper

A blue curtain could be sewn into a nice skirt. Remember “The Sound of Music”?—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I’m calling about the dog on Beatty Street. If the local animal control is not giving any assistance, they should contact the SPCA. We do have an active SPCA in the area. One of the high officers lives in Bordentown. Please look into the SPCA because they will come out and they will do something. The New Jersey SPCA number is (732) 247-0433.

Dog’s other best friend

Now you have two options to help dogs in distress.—Ed. Note

About the dog on Beatty Street that has no shelter or food and is chained to a fence — call Joey Miller, the cruelty investigator for the City of Trenton Bureau of Animal Control. His phone number is (609) 989-3253. When I saw a dog that was being mistreated, I called animal control and Joey Miller came out within five minutes.

Dog’s best friend

The same advice goes for anyone on any street where a dog is being tortured.—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, it would help small animals if you would deliver this message. There is a very large hawk in the area of Ewing Township near Parkway School. It could possibly fly away with a small animal or a kitten; it is that huge. So put your small animals on a leash. It’s been around for a while. And you can’t shoot them; there’s a $10,000 fine.

Hawkeye

Sounds like it’s time for National Geographic to film on location in Ewing. A cheetah chasing an antelope has nothing on a giant bird flying off with a sweater-wearing Shih Tzu in its claws.—Ed. Note

Ed, I would like to express my on gang activity. Cops want to try to clear up the streets. Well, if 20 guys are gathered on the corner at 3 in the morning, would that constitute them hanging out or should there be a curfew? Most likely they’re not doing anything productive and legal at that time. They want to clean up the streets from drugs and crime and gang activity, but the cops in the city of Trenton and Mercer County allow the gangs to have meetings at the police stations and at certain schools. Is that legal? If they’re trying to rid the streets of crime, they need to rid the society of the cops that allow these things to go on in their cities. Cops turn their heads when they see people standing on the corner selling drugs. How can people live without being in fear if they have to wonder what we’re paying our tax money to when we pay for these cops?

Street Sense

Are you implying the cops are corrupt, inept, or both?—Ed. Note

Ed, it looks like we have a Democratic legislator from Mercer County who thinks we should make it illegal for a gang thug to recruit kids for gang life. What we need is the death penalty for some of these gang members who go out and murder, rob, rape and commit more crimes. But I guess she agrees with Shirley Turner to abolish the death penalty. I guess the gangs are here today, and the people who should get the death penalty will live on us, the taxpayers, and our children and their children. These items are too big for 100 persons to vote on. It should be the New Jersey taxpayer voters. It will never happen, I guess. People like Watson Coleman and Turner have made me an independent voter.

Indie Penn Dent

The joys of a representative democracy ...—Ed. Note

I’m wondering why these state troopers aren’t at least charged with official misconduct and suspended without pay until formal charges are filed against them. I see everyone else gets charged with official misconduct except New Jersey State Police. Is the state afraid of their union? They were aware a girl was being sexually molested and no one did anything about it. They’re supposed to be police officers 24 hours a day, yet nothing was done. That’s grounds for official misconduct.

Mr. Conduct

Union or not, there’s no way Bocchini wanted to deal with the “nightmare” of clashing with the state police machine. He relies on them every day. And now the alleged victim’s story will be up against the word of seven troopers, who protect each other according to sacred unwritten code and who have had weeks now to align their stories. —Ed. Note

I’m tired of hearing about racism in BackTalk. All I’m interested in is that we don’t take Christ out of Christmas. It’s a holy day, not a holiday. If the banks give out envelopes that you give as a gift of money, and they only say “Happy Holidays,” I’ll do what I did and give them back and say “This is not a Christmas envelope.” We’re having everything taken from us, Catholics and Christians. If I go in a store and they don’t wish me a Merry Christmas, and they say “happy holidays,” I’ll turn around and walk out of the store.

Peace and Joy

Hope you enjoyed your “holiday” more than your miserable time preparing for it. And have a wonderful termination of the calendar year. —Ed. Note

Trenton’s homicide numbers are at an all-time high. So Shirley Turner introduces a bill to eliminate the death penalty, which has not been enforced in more than 40 years. The bill was passed by Democrats in Trenton and was signed by Gov. Corzine. Everyone in New Jersey should cut out the list of how they voted in the Dec. 14 Trentonian on page 5 and put it up on your refrigerator and remove every politician from office next election. These people in Trenton can’t even balance a budget, even though the law requires it. We do not need new laws in New Jersey. We need to enforce the laws we have.

Voter’s Guide

You get a room full of lawmakers, it’s kind of tough to keep them from making laws. They think it’s their job or something. Maybe they should be forced to eliminate one law for every new one they cough up. —Ed. Note

Ed, I thought New Jersey was stupid when they put a law together that would take somebody’s license for not paying child support. That way they can’t get to work, they take their plumbing license so they can’t work, and/or put them in jail. If they don’t have a license, they can’t get the work and have to pay more money to get to where they need to go, money they can’t give their children. Does that make any sense whatsoever? And the guy who wrote the bill, he’s under scrutiny; they claim that he’s a crook. New Jersey, you gotta start thinking. Ed, you gotta help them think.

Adult Support

It’s hard to side with deadbeat dads, but you’ve got a point. Let’s see, how to “help them think” ... They say blueberries are good for the brain.—Ed. Note

Ed, this is message is for Bordentown City Police Commissioner James Lynch and chief Matt Simmons. Please stop writing articles in the newspaper asking the citizens to help with crime. Why don’t the police and you just do your job and protect us? People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, Mr. Lynch. Don’t forget about the Bordentown Yacht Club and your little episode down there. Happy New Year.

Allie Gations

Oooh, such intrigue. —Ed. Note

Ed, I’m really surprised they’re playing politics with drug dealers and users. Bonnie Watson-Coleman, I guess she wants to keep her friends and relatives out of jail. But nobody mentions giving a break to people that get stopped by the German Gestapo roadblocks for having a few drinks and running over that little .08 number that a senile senator put in there. So we’ll give the drug dealers a break. I think the people down in Trenton oughtta have their heads examined.

Tipsy

Somebody call this guy a cab.—Ed. Note

Ed, now that the cowards in the statehouse are in favor of repealing the death penalty, will it be a problem if I get jury duty and tell the judge I am not in favor of convicting anyone of a crime?

Former Democrat

A kinder, gentler juror. Sensitive to criminals. Just like our lawmakers. —Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, regarding the death penalty that the voters in this state never got a chance to vote for or against. All of a sudden you can’t vote for anything now that the Democrats are in charge. It’s like that dictator Corzine, whatever he wants, those Democrats follow right up his backside. He stinks, all Democrats stink in this state, and as far as Shirley Turner, her brain is flawed, not the death penalty. And this state stinks, and I have to work here for two more years. I can’t wait to get out.

D. Pressed

Glad to know you see light at the end of the tunnel. Keep your head up, buddy. —Ed. Note

I’m calling about your page 6 girl in the Dec. 14 issue — I guess ya’ll will put anybody in because she is super, super ugly.

Supermodel

She’s got a little Tori Spelling thing going, but a nice smile, flat stomach ... what do you look like?—Ed. Note

About that incident involving five state troopers and a 25-year-old girl, I say it was her own damn fault. She’s was old enough to know that when you play with fire sometimes you get burned. When she left that bar with five men who had been drinking, what did she think she would get, Oreo cookies? Of course those troopers where wrong also, but I believe a woman draws the line when it comes to sex. These women who are barflys deserve what they get. I am a woman, and I would never meet a man at a bar. There are so many other ways to meet eligible men. They can take a study course at college, join a church group, volunteer their services at some group for a worthy cause, and so on. I say all five troopers and the girl should just forget about it, because they were all drinking, they were all wrong, and I hope that girl learned a lesson.

Church Girl

A woman does draw the line. If she says “No,” that’s drawing the line. We don’t know what happened there that night, but no one deserves to be raped, no one, not even slutty drunk girls who offend your goody-goody sensibilities.—Ed. Note

Ed, I see Annette Lartigue’s life was threatened. This definitely is bogus. Two weeks ago she was in the police department applying for a gun permit. I assume she’s tactfully substantiating her reason for carrying a weapon by saying her life was threatened. Who’s gonna threaten her? If she was threatened she would’ve been gone a long time ago. I’m gonna cut out this article and send it to the NRA, because if she gets a gun permit, everybody else oughtta be able to carry one, too.

Disarming Charm

She has every right to carry a gun if she obtains a permit. She doesn’t need your approval or anyone else’s.—Ed. Note

I am so angry about the release of Antonio Petrecca. He murdered his child, he injured his mother-in-law, he attempted to kill his wife. I mean, how guilty do you have to be? The man was crazy. I have friends that were there at the time he did these crimes. He should never have been let out. He destroyed a young boy’s life at 3 years old. I can only hope there’s somebody out there who will just take him out, because he doesn’t belong in regular society. There’s nobody standing up for this little boy, who doesn’t have a life anymore. He took a brick to the skull of a 3-year-old baby boy and killed him. I don’t know how they can predict he’s never gonna do something like that again.

Voice of Reason

The experts say this nutjob has recovered. I share your skepticism.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, when did they change the law in New Jersey about having a license plate on the front and the back of your car? I see people every day with only one license plate. What do they do with the other one, keep it as a keepsake or use it on their other car?

On Patrol

No, you get one gold-plated and wear it around your neck as a pendant.—Ed. Note

Ed, I’d like to know how Hamilton mayor-elect Ed Bencivengo can live in a residence for persons who are 55-and-older when he is only 53 years old. Only he and his wife live in this house, and neither one is 55. I thought there was a law against this and I’d like to know the answer.

Age Matters

Ahh, the “residency issue” spreads to Hamilton.—Ed. Note

Ed, I’m calling about Hamilton’s defeated $81 million school referendum. I’d like to thank The Trentonian for printing articles on the budget and I’m glad the seniors turned it down. Hamilton has a school budget and should live by it. If repairs have to be made, do it within that budget. We are seniors who cannot afford these taxes anymore.

Old School

I’m with you in spirit, and $81 million is way over the top, but you can’t flat-fund a school system into oblivion without having to build something at some point. Otherwise you’d still be in a one-room schoolhouse.—Ed. Note

Ed, I just want to say thank you very much to New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. I just got a dividend check for $592. In today’s world, where else can you get back that much money? I think they deserve thanks for the work they do and for such a big dividend check right before Christmas.

Happy for the Holidays

And where else can you find positive comments about the insurance business? BackTalk is the place of good cheer.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I just wanted to comment on “leftovers spark riot.” Eddie (Baldassari) should have known better. When you have to bring your own food to an event, that should have been a red flag that most likely they couldn’t even afford to be there in the first place. So why was he so surprised that they fought over the food?

Gourmet

Hey, don’t blame Eddie for giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. He can’t rule out every customer who isn’t rich enough to afford his fine food. —Ed. Note

Ed, I just heard the state is putting the highway rest stops up for bid to be named after the highest bidder. Man, is there nothing that’s not for sale in New Jersey?

Sales Manager

Apparently you can’t buy an execution anymore if your life depended on it.—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I’m responding to one of your writers who wrote a while back that people graduating with master’s degrees in education don’t want jobs. Well, I have a master’s in education administration, and I’m dying for a job. Whoever wrote that article is full of bull. It took me 15 years to get those papers, so I wish you’d print my side of the story. It’s very offensive to me, downright slanderous, after working hard and spending thousands of dollars to read that. I read your paper often, and I’m looking for something that has my part of the story, and then I’d say you’re not biased.

Would B. Principal

Maybe you could head up a charter school in the city. Eh, on second thought ...—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I don’t know why they are messing with Santiago and the mayor to move into town. I’ve been a Trenton employee for 20 years and I know from experience that half the city workers live on the outskirts and don’t abide by the residency rule. I’m talking about hundreds. Clean up the whole city, not just Santiago and Palmer.

Resident Expert

Or we could start with the highest-paid, highest-profile violator and go from there.—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, about Santiago’s residency issue, I worked for the city of Trenton in parks and recreation for 10 years, and I had a house in Trenton and Hamilton. They fired me on the spot for not living in my house in Trenton. So they should do the same thing to Santiago if he doesn’t want to move to Trenton.

Ranger Rick

You sure you weren’t fired for doing the waddle-waddle quack-quack dance?—Ed. Note

Ed, I see they’re talking about saving the ducks out on the island. What about all the people whose houses were torn up out there? They want the buyout; give us the buyout and do what you want to save they ducks. When is the buyout coming? Let the ducks go — they can make it in the water!

Duck Hunter

You can have your buyout if you learn to do that waddle-waddle quack-quack dance from the ’80s McDonald’s commercial.—Ed. Note

Ed, being the owner of four female dogs — my “kids” — I want to relay this message to parents whose kids are asking for dogs for Christmas. Parent, please think twice about this. Puppies are like infants, it takes them about three weeks to settle into a new home. There are so many throw-away pets after Dec. 25. If you can’t handle the responsibility, leave the puppies in the pet stores for the people who really want them. Happy holidays to everyone.

Puppy Love

I’ll add one thing: If someone says he DOESN’T want a dog, don’t buy him one anyway!—Ed. Note

Ed, I see we’ve got another farce going on in New Jersey — seven troopers suspended because one woman is claiming they sexually hit on her. This is really ridiculous, a 25-year-old college student! What is she, a professional student? Living on Monmouth Avenue and just goes to school? At that age she should be out of college and getting a job. She’s trying to make some easy money, I guess, trying to sue the State of New Jersey and the troopers.

Judge Mental

So, every adult-age college student is a loser? Some people take time after high school to travel or work or serve in the military or just get their you-know-what together. Let’s not write off a large and diverse group of people because you’re not creative enough to come up with a more clever sweeping generalization. I’m sure you can find a better way to disparage a woman you’ve never met.—Ed. Note

Ed, I’m calling about “black on white.” First, please don’t call yourself an African-American woman. If this call did come from an African-American woman, you are truly a very sad and ignorant person. No doubt back in the day of my great-great-grandparents, you would have worked in the big house. I bet you go to church every Sunday, don’t you? BackTalk is a cesspool for racism and you just jumped into the pool. How sad; I feel sorry for you. You need a history lesson, not American history but a true history lesson. This is from a black woman.

Speaking My Mind

About the “cesspool” comment”: We’ve been careful to screen offensive racist comments in recent months, because you’re right, the racism was out of control. You’d be appalled by some of the stuff that never gets in. But don’t be so sure that BackTalk comment wasn’t from an African-American woman.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I just noticed some area gas stations are now posting dual prices on their signs. There’s a station on Route 1 that is doing this. The lower price is for cash only. Credit cards are charged extra. So, be careful!

Gas Saver

Old news, but it’s worse than that. The ones that aren’t posting two prices are doing the same thing. So, be extra careful.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, you think the police department in the city of Trenton is messed up, well you oughta check out the water department. Very soon you may not be getting any water because there’s not enough operators to operate the filtration plant. Severe shortage.

Sippy Cup

We hear the employee who was suspended for peeing in the water supply is back on the job. Get him enough beers and he can solve your water shortage single-handedly. Or maybe he needs two hands.—Ed. Note

Ed, this letter is for Mr. and Mrs. Kanka. Let’s get rid of these politicians of the State of New Jersey who voted against the death penalty. They have never gone through what you and I have gone through, someone murdering our children. Let’s start a campaign and vote these politicians out of office in the next election. If they don’t want to listen to the voters, they don’t need to be in office, period.

In Mourning

Your task is to keep the death penalty vote fresh in the minds of the voters. Outrage has a way of giving way to apathy over time.—Ed. Note

Ed, I see in the newspapers that most New Jerseyans were in favor of the death penalty, so I wonder why it wasn’t put up for a vote by state residents. I guess it’s because our spineless politicians decided they are the ones who control. I thought they were elected to represent the people, but I guess all they do is represent their own agendas.

Unrepresented

Pretty much.—Ed. Note

Hello, Ed, I just wanted to tell the Hamilton Board of Education that if they can really justify how we should spend $2.8 million for three artificial football fields when the schools only play about four or five games a year on their own field, then I will be willing to change my vote next time. If the fields are in such bad shape, maybe they ought to look at the person who is in charge of maintaining the fields and finding out what the problem is. Come on, people, it’s only four or five games for crying out loud! Thanks, Ed, for letting me get this off my chest!

Sharpe Cleats

But the new turf is so sweeeet! Isn’t the added footspeed worth $2.8 million? It’s good for at least a couple touchdowns a year.—Ed. Note

Ed, about those troopers who are accused of raping that girl, why are they suspended with pay? Is that a reward to give themselves time to straighten themselves out? That’s pretty good; you’re being rewarded for screwing with a little girl.

Victim’s Advocate

The troopers have had a week now to get their stories straight. —Ed. Note

Ed, I’m talking about “black on white.” That was an excellence response, but I doubt think there’s any African-American woman that silly to write something like that. I doubt an African-American woman wrote that because, if she did, she’s totally ignorant to the history of Trenton and the fact that crack cocaine came around 1980. We didn’t have crack cocaine when Mayor Holland was around. That’s what makes it suspicious that an African-American woman wrote that. However, I must admit there are some white and black folks, who, as Malcolm said, if you don’t know your history, you don’t know that much at all. African-Americans should read the book called “Breaking the Curse of Willie Lynch.” You should read it too, Ed.

Historian

I’ll add it to my reading list. Thanks.—Ed. Note

Ed, you need to publish the names of every politician who votes for the elimination of the death penalty. That way we can vote them all out of office in the next election and repeal whatever they did.

House Cleaner

See yesterday’s paper. Page 5.—Ed. Note

Hello, Ed, on Dec. 9 I visited a church in South Trenton and observed a man sitting in the back, punching a girl of 10 or 11 three times in her head. Three other men grabbed him and dragged him out of the church. I stayed there throughout the whole incident, and at no time were the police called. I took a picture and I’d like to know what I should do? I think the pastor or men who dragged that man out of the church need to be brought up on charges. The girl was no more than 9 or 10, and I noticed a big knot had formed on her forehead. Please let me know what direction I should go; I don’t want to let this go. If he beats that girl like this in church, I can only imagine what he does at home behind closed doors. And the woman who was sitting beside him, she never opened up her mouth, never said anything. Evidently she’s afraid or she’s being beaten herself.

The Witness

So the police “weren’t called”? Do you have access to a phone? Call them with your story. —Ed. Note

Ed, was it just me, or did anyone else notice that big front-page picture of Santiago last Saturday? It looks like he’s got a great big chunk of cocaine up his nose. Take a look at that picture! And look at his eyes, it looks like he’s all skied up.

Nose Picker

Nope. Didn’t notice.—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I read that Santiago says he can’t afford to move back into Trenton. Let’s see, he gets a $100,000 pension every year, plus a $135,000 meal ticket from Trenton, and a stipend of about $50,000. Boy, that’s $285,000. I guess living in Stirling in a 5,400-square-foot mansion takes a lot of his money. So that’s probably the reason why he can’t afford to move into Trenton, where there is no crime. Tell him that I feel his pain.

Accountant

That’s the beauty of the civilian police director position. He can still be officially “retired” from being a police chief so he can collect a pension and a salary.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I know you have lots of important stuff to print, but my neighbor and I need your help. For the last six months or so, a man has been walking around our Klockner Road neighborhood (across from CVS) and Brockton Court, stealing The Trentonian off the lawns. He was caught a couple of times, but he still picks up the paper and walks toward Hamilton with this attitude “so call for another one.” This is very nerve-wracking, and one of these days someone is going to let him have it. We can’t keep paying for the paper and not get it. Maybe you could let this dumb dweeb know we are all on to him and he will be caught. Meanwhile, I will get up at 5:30 a.m. with my flashlight and keep peeking through the window until I catch him.

Dweeb Catcher

There is no more heinous crime than stealing a Trentonian! His day will come. —Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, this is Mary at Tender Hearts reminding your readers if they want to help us out for Christmas, we have one more week before we do the baskets and we can still use meat. We’d certainly appreciate the help. We also have a special request. We’re looking for a book called “Sunbonnet: Filly of the Year” by Barbara Van Tuyl. If anyone has a copy or can tell us where we can get a copy, we’d be very happy. Call us at (609) 890-3517.

Love Me Tender

You heard her. They need meat. Who’s gonna step up?—Ed. Note

Ed, I hope they don’t pass that Family Leave Act because the same people who are late every day, use all their sick time, vacation and personal time are the same ones who will be taking time off under this Family Leave Act. And they will have the same relative who dies every year so they can get their days off. So for the rest of us who have to go to work every day, I hope they don’t pass it.

Picture of Health

And they’ll probably have someone die or fall ill right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Or every Friday. Or Monday. —Ed. Note

APPLETON, Wis. - A police officer didn't buy the story offered by two men who were seen in the early morning hours, walking out from behind a local restaurant that was burglarized the night before.
The officer found they had some interesting gear with them — channel-lock pliers, a screwdriver, other tools and a flashlight.
No problem, they told the officer, explaining they were going to help a friend fix a toilet.
But the officer said they couldn't give a last name, phone number or address for the friend.
According to police, the officer also found a large crowbar stuck in a snow bank and footprints in the snow leading to back doors of several businesses.
The two men, one 19 and the other 18, wound up booked into Outagamie County Jail on Wednesday for possession of tools that could be used for burglary.

BERLIN - A man nearly died from alcohol poisoning after quaffing a liter (two pints) of vodka at an airport security check instead of handing it over to comply with new carry-on rules, police said Wednesday.

The incident occurred at the Nuremberg airport on Tuesday, where the 64-year-old man was switching planes on his way home to Dresden from a holiday in Egypt.
New airport rules prohibit passengers from carrying larger quantities of liquid onto planes, and he was told at a security check he would have to either throw out the bottle of vodka or pay a fee to have his carry-on bag checked as cargo.
Instead, he chugged the bottle down — and was quickly unable to stand or otherwise function, police said.
A doctor called to the scene determined he had possibly life-threatening alcohol poisoning, and he was sent to a Nuremberg clinic for treatment.
The man, whose name was not released, is expected to be able to complete his journey home in a few days.

ROXBURY, Conn. - Karaoke can be scary, but threatening? A school custodian's impromptu after-hours karaoke performance prompted a police response when a teacher thought she was being threatened over the loudspeaker.

State police say the teacher at Booth Free School barricaded herself inside a classroom Wednesday when she mistook someone singing a Guns N' Roses song over the public address system for a threat.
She was working after hours and thought no one else was in the building. Then she heard someone say over the loudspeaker that she was going to die.
Six troopers and three police dogs showed up and found three teenagers, one of them a custodian at the school, who had been playing with the public address system.
Police say one of them sang "Welcome to the Jungle" into the microphone. The song contains the lyrics "You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die."
The teenagers were cuffed for about 15 minutes while police investigated. They didn't realize anyone else was in the school at the time. No charges will be filed, said state police Sgt. Brian Ness.

DETROIT - Words to live by, from a warning label on a small tractor: "Danger: Avoid Death." That warning was selected Wednesday as the winner of the 11th annual "Wacky Warning Label Contest," sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch. The contest is part of an effort to show the effects of lawsuits on warning labels.
Kevin Soave of Farmington Hills, a Detroit suburb, won the $500 grand prize for submitting the tractor's "Danger: Avoid Death" label.
The $250 second place was given to Carrianne, Jacob and Robby Turin of Greensburg, Pa., for a label they found on an iron-on T-shirt transfer that warns: "Do not iron while wearing shirt."
Richard Goodnow of Lancaster, Mass., earned the $100 third-place prize for a label on a baby stroller featuring a small storage pouch that warns: "Do not put child in bag."
Contest organizer Bob Dorigo Jones says the silly labels reflect how broken America's civil justice system is.
"Predatory lawyers know they can file ridiculous lawsuits against innocent product makers and blackmail them into a cash settlement — even in cases in which a user has ignored common sense," Dorigo Jones said in a statement Wednesday.
Honorable mention went to Cyndi LaMonde of Traverse City for a label on a letter opener that says: "Caution: Safety goggles recommended."
Ann Marie Young of Fillmore, N.Y., took the second honorable mention for a warning she found which cautions users: "The Vanishing Fabric Marker should not be used as a writing instrument for signing checks or any legal documents."

Ed, I’m calling about the legislation to do away with the death penalty. Basically, anyone on death row now should be grandfathered under the old law. They should be given their sentence. Anyone convicted after the new law is passed should get life with no parole. But those convicted before the new law, tough luck, buddy. See you in the next life.

The Grandfather

I think we can get some Democrats to go for that.—Ed. Note

Ed, the person who called in about Ambrose Harris and Jesse Timmendequas is absolutely right: These people should be put to death. It’s the gutless governors we’ve elected; we have the law but they won’t use it, and that’s a shame. Ambrose Harris cannot be rehabilitated; he’s an idiot and he has killed while in prison. I was a corrections officer at the county jail where Harris raped two inmates. He’s a disgrace. Timmendequas told another corrections officer that he would get his kid if they let him out. They are taken care of with taxpayers dollars because of our gutless governors. The Trentonian should go after these officials and make them do what we pay them to do, and that’s execute the law.

No Life

So it’s not that those against the death penalty believe it’s wrong to kill, it’s that they’re too “gutless” to get it done?—Ed. Note

Ed, this is a response for “Black on white.” I am also an African American and I say her comment, at least in part, was right on the mark, bull’s eye. I’ve been wanting to say what she said for the longest time. Trenton not only needs a white mayor, Trenton needs a borderline white supremacist. Trenton needs a mayor that’s not going to kowtow to all the local black church and ethnic civic groups. Trenton needs a mayor that is going to do whatever is necessary to keep the town’s name and citizenry respectable. Renaming or reverting the street names is a bit much, though.

Oppress Me

What the...? A “borderline” white supremacist, huh? Would such a mayor encourage racial profiling, ignore hate crimes, appoint no blacks to any positions of consequence? Is that really what you want? And why is it out of the question to have a black mayor who doesn’t kowtow to church and civic groups?—Ed. Note

Ed, about Santiago’s residency ruling, Mayor Palmer said a group of people want to return to the old days and acts of cronyism on the police force. I for one would vote for the old days when crime in Trenton was not nearly as bad as it is today. Trenton was a much safer place in the old days, long before Santiago came to town and certainly before Palmer took over. I believe both of them are afraid to move into the city for fear of being victims of gun violence. I’m sure we have qualified people on the police department to take over the director’s job. Move on, Joe.

Bye Bye

You don’t need to choose between cronyism and increased crime. You have both. —Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, Mayor Palmer, you are making me throw up. The only way to give Santiago a waiver is to wave goodbye. What strong leadership does he give except deception? Yes, we are the laughing stock of the state, not so much from Santiago but you! Take a look around and see what you did to this city. You don’t drive down every street in Trenton; it is a total disgrace. You can’t get out of this one, the slums. Council, stand your ground. Don’t give up. No excuses. Palmer, you will be setting a precedent when all the police personnel can move out of Trenton for one reason or another. You can’t stop them, and what’s good for one is good for another.

Pep Talk

Is there a way to put the director on “waivers” and see if another team in the league picks him up?—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I just saw The Trentonian’s Dec. 7 front page with Director Santiago being afraid to move into Trenton. Amazing! Isn’t he the same guy who just claimed that, according to their statistics, crime is down and they don’t have a gang problem in Trenton? Yet their police director is afraid to move into the city. Humph! Gotta wonder who knows the truth of what’s going on.

Resident Expert

He’s not that afraid. He could always station a cruiser or two or three outside his residency 24 hours a day. It’s more that he can’t be bothered to move here.—Ed. Note

Ed, on Vince Zarate’s article, about Gov. Corzine outsourcing, getting a British transportation consulting firm. There’s no one in New Jersey who could do that consulting work? Unbelievable. If that was a Republican, there would be hell to pay, but it’s New Jersey, “perfect together.” They even drive on the wrong side of the road. They’re consulting us on our transportation? Unbelievable.

Yankee Doodle

But they’re such masters of the roundabout.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, in case the people who subscribe to Cablevision of Hamilton want to know why their bill is higher this month, they sneaked a $3 increase on us for the Family Cable, along with the corresponding taxes, without any prior notification. We need another cable company in Hamilton to make it more competitive! Cable companies are getting as bad the politicians, ripping us off!

Target Viewer

They’re ripping you off, and their product is rotting your brain. Read a book.—Ed. Note

Hello, Ed, why are they so worried about Police Director Santiago living in Trenton? Maybe they need to make Mayor Doug Palmer move into Trenton with his wife and kid because he does not want to send his kid to Trenton Public Schools.

Mover and Shaker

Not sending his kid to Trenton schools is one of the mayor’s better decisions. The problem is that he and Mr. Lofton can’t bring the schools up to Palmer’s standards for his own child. (This BackTalker asked to be signed “Palmer Hater.” I think we’ve used that one already.)—Ed. Note

Ed, the Hamilton Township resident who called in about voting “no” to the new school stated the teachers make $28 an hour. That’s cheap! The teachers in Trenton make $40 an hour for everything from supervising students eating breakfast to an after-school tennis club.

School Payment

Trenton teachers need that extra cash to replace “toxic” supplies such as Elmer’s glue that get stolen by raiders in the middle of the night. —Ed. Note

Ed, Please tell Gov. Corzine — who I will not vote for again and who I hope loses the next election — that I’d like him to spend an hour with Ambrose Harris at Trenton State Prison and then say goodbye to the death penalty. Tell Jeff to go there, too. The animals we have in jail, I’m sick of feeding and paying for them with my tax dollars. I’m 68 and I’ve worked all my life since age 14. Don’t I deserve something? I’m tired taking care of people who don’t deserve it. I want the death penalty. I want Ambrose Harris dead and buried some place. Jon Corzine, thank God we only have you for four years.

No Mercy

The governor and Ambrose in a cell together. Now there’s a good premise for a sitcom.—Ed. Note

Ed, I just read about the Trenton Makes World Takes bridge. I lived in south Trenton in the ’50s, and when I was a kid we used to call it, What The World Refuses, Trenton Uses.

Rhymin’ Simon

Good one.—Ed. Note

Ed, I’m a lifelong resident of Newark, and living in Willingboro for the past couple of years. I read your paper a lot and want to comment on gang activity in Trenton. I believe you are wrong in publishing everything the Bloods gangs do in your paper; it gives them as means of power and it makes people more and more afraid of them, which they notice. If you know anything about Newark, there’s way more Bloods and crimes up there, but they don’t publish it in the paper every time a Blood member does something because it just gives them more power in the streets.

Head in the Sand

Are you sure they don’t ignore gang news up there because it’s gotten so bad that it’s not news anymore? You can blame the messenger all you want, but we’re not going to ignore what’s happening down here. —Ed. Note

Hello, Ed, I just received a telephone solicitation from the New Jersey State Police, noting my donations have been down. I thought they were not supposed to do that. I told them to send me some paper, and I will consider my donation. What I am going to do is pass it on to you.

Phone Shy

What, you want me to give them some money?—Ed. Note

Hello, Ed, I’m a senior citizen living in Bordentown Township resident. I went to pay my tax bill at the municipal complex and there was a police officer standing guard. He told me they work there five days a week, eight hours a day. No wonder my tax bill is so high. Put these guys back on the street where they belong. I’m not paying money for them to protect a building. Who’s running that department, Barney Fife?

Andy Griffith

Off the street, on the street — I’m getting dizzy.—Ed. Note

Ed, all this talk about putting Trenton’s police on the street is very unwise. They would need to wear full body armor. It’s not like the old days when people, especially teenagers, didn’t carry guns. Today it’s a whole different world. You can’t expect the police to get out of the car without feeling they might get shot. We’re in a different age. When I came out of the military 30 years ago I was offered the chance to work as a police reservist for two weeks a year and once a month, and get a pretty nice check. If our cities are that bad, under attack by gangs, why not call in the reserves and station them on every corner? Make them earn that check.

Street Soldier

How about a compromise? Scooters — with bullet shields. —Ed. Note

Ed, about the religious practice of Santeria, anyone who works in a dentist’s office can tell you that the only safe place to store mercury is in your patient’s mouth.

Rinse

We’re worried about not eating too much tuna fish because we might get a few parts per million of mercury, and people are injecting the stuff into their bodies!?—Ed. Note

Ed, I don’t think anybody realizes what it means to be a law enforcement officer. I was a corrections officer for many years and had to move out of my area because I couldn’t live with the same people I had to order around inside a prison. These people hold a grudge against you when they get back out on the streets. Your family is affected. It’s good for law enforcement to live far away from the places they have to govern. I understand why Santiago doesn’t want to live around these hoodlums. I don’t want to live with them either.

Safe Distance

Trenton cops don’t have to live here. But Santiago does. It’s the law.—Ed. Note

Ed, this is for L.A. Parker. I grew up in Chambersburg. I loved the city when I was growing up as a boy and I do give a rat’s ass. I am a white male in my mid-60s and it disgusts me what’s going on. It is Santiago and Mayor Palmer who don’t give a rat’s ass about Trenton. All they care about are their perks and their pensions. We need some black leaders who can tell the black people to raise their children, not just have them. It breaks my heart to see what’s happened to our wonderful city. I grew up in the best environment possible in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Look what’s happened to our town. I agree with your past article a couple of weeks ago, but not this latest article.

Trenton Native

L.A. cares deeply about this city, too, even if you don’t see eye to eye.—Ed. Note

Ed, The Trentonian’s Nov. 28 front page made more sense than any front page I’ve seen in a long time. If you (Santiago) don’t live here, stop talking s--- from the sidelines because you don’t even know us and truly have no vested interest, probably selfish interest. Everybody who sees what’s going on in our community needs to live here and work for it.

Pride of Trenton

Maybe you should invite him over for dinner and charm him into accepting Trenton as his home.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Trenton will be collecting winter coats, gloves and hats for the local children in the area. Anyone interested can bring their donations to the school at 175 Girard St.

Warm Soul

Dig through those closets! It’s cold out there.—Ed. Note

Ed, why isn’t the mayor living in Trenton? We have so many problems living in Chambersburg, it’s unbelievable. Both Santiago and Palmer should live in Trenton and see what it’s like to live here and get mugged and beat up!

’Burg Dweller

Living where you work gives you a feel for the area’s problems and a firm stake in solving them. But Santiago’s supreme compassion and skill make up for anything lost by not having him live here. Right?—Ed. Note

Ed, Trenton public schools have changed their outlook on middle schools and in most cases eliminated middle schools in favor of placing those students back in an elementary school setting and calling the school K-8. Unfortunately, all the elementary school children see is disorder, vulgar language, violence and sexual misconduct. This is not the example these younger students need to see, especially when they start to copy this behavior.

Innocence Lost

They’re helping the little kids learn the alphabet. “F” is for f---, “B” is for b---- ...—Ed. Note

Ed Note, About your headline “Scumbag politicians steal $1 bilion,” isn’t there a way we can bring in the federal government to investigate the corruption taking place in New Jersey? And if anyone’s convicted of wrong-doing, can’t we send those people to jail? Why should the people of New Jersey lose a billion dollars just like that because we have crooked politicians. Something must be done. We all can’t move out of the state.

Stuck Here

The feds would spend as much as you’re losing trying to track all this down.—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I enjoyed the article about “scumbag politicians.” I found it to be right on. However, I think the ban on dual office-holding needs to be broader. A lot of local councilmen and committeemen are also solicitors in neighboring towns. Their buddies reward them with these jobs, and then they overbill or engage in unnecessary litigation which ultimately costs the taxpayer. So dual office-holding should also apply to these solicitor posts. I think that would help eliminate some corruption and lower taxes for us.

Investigator

It might eliminate some corruption. Then you’re only about 5,000 more baby steps away from solving the problem.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I know we came up with the slogan, “Trenton Makes, The World Takes,” but it really ought to be, “In New Jersey, you pay to play.”

Bridge Player

Maybe they can squeeze it onto the license plates, too, if there’s room next to “The Gangster State.”—Ed. Note

Ed, about that “budget for corruption.” If we know about these characters, why isn’t the prosecutor putting them in jail? If they had to pay back the money they took, we wouldn’t need to sell the turnpike.

Punisher

Then double the money with a “corruption tax” on every dollar recovered. —Ed. Note

OK, Mayor Palmer, you can keep your non-resident, political hack buddy Santiago with his bogus crime statistics that make you and him look good on paper, his half-assed Orwellian future policing policies and his Gestapo undercover attack units. We who actually live in Trenton know that crime has only increased under Santiago’s watch despite what the watered-down statistics say. But Doug, will you still be able to stay as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors after the real residents elect a new mayor next election?

The Riddler

A fine rant. —Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I have said for the past 80 years or so, we have one of the smallest states in the union, and we have (and have had) some of the worst scumbag politicians who steal, misappropriate, or misuse taxpayers’ money. Nothing will happen to some of these politicians or CEOs because they are a club or a band of people who run New Jersey, or the country. There are some legislators, senators, governors, doctors, judges, lawyers and big business people in this club. One billion is stolen a year from taxpayers and nothing will happen. A slap on the wrist.

Observer

The scale of corruption is so huge that it almost becomes a joke — like funny money to the average taxpayer. And it’s gone on so long that it’s tradition.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I’m read that only one main storm hit the U.S. this year, and it was a minor storm at that. So, no major hurricanes. I’m glad to see these three-minute showers I’ve been taking are now paying off. God bless you, Al Gore.

Zestfully Clean

Those are Nobel Prize-winning showers you’re taking. Now go put some masking-tape X’s on your windows. Next hurricane season’s gonna be a doozy!—Ed. Note

Ed, I hope you print this before Hamilton Township’s election for a new school. I’d like all the residents to vote no for a new school. Instead they need to ask our school board to do what’s necessary to get rid of all the illegal students in our school system that live in Trenton or wherever and come to Hamilton Township. We need to cut out free breakfasts and lunches we give out to people who are not eligible. I know families that own businesses and live in big houses, yet their kids are getting free meals. We need to cut out tutoring after school from 3:30-6 p.m. at Greenwood and Kuser schools, where we pay our teachers $28 an hour. No learning going on there. They also get a free pizza party every Friday; another waste of money. We take these kids to play golf for free, but we pay. Again $28 an hour for the teachers. The kids get nothing out of playing golf in elementary school. Let’s force our school board to do what’s necessary to eliminate wasteful spending. If we get rid of the illegal students and eliminate overcrowding we won’t need another school and hopefully our taxes will go down.

Accountant

You can throw all the cash you want at a broken system and it will still be broken. —Ed. Note

Ed, My husband recently found a bracelet near Ace Hardware Store on Route 33. It has an inscription on the back. If the owner can tell me the what the inscription says, I’ll gladly give it back.

Finder

Call here if it belongs to you.—Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I laughed at Santiago’s statement that he hasn’t called the State Police into Trenton because they have to be trained. Santiago was run out of the State Police for being incompetent. All he has to do is ask the State Police to come in, they don’t have to train them. Their presence alone would stop some of the crime, just by driving around the streets. Santiago doesn’t want to clean up Trenton, he just wants his paycheck and two retirement pensions. I feel sorry for you people in Trenton. I just moved out.

C. Ya

Don’t feel sorry for us. What we lack in competency, we gain in entertainment. Capt. Sleepy alone is a constant source.—Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, according to a recent Trentonian article, Councilwoman Lartigue told Director Santiago “It’s time to put your foot down.” I believe she should mean (this) in the form of foot patrols. Santiago has all the stats and knows when the crimes are being committed. Put the foot patrols in the neighborhood at those times. Bring back the old-time beat cops.

Down with Beats

By the time the stats go through the spin machine, the cops on foot will get dizzy finding the right spots.—Ed. Note