To the Editor,
I’m writing this letter in support of Shin‑Yi Lin’s bid for West Windsor council. This is my first public endorsement of a council candidate in my 33 years as a West Windsor resident.
I am a frequent walker, cyclist and runner, as well as a recently retired environmental scientist. As such, my top-of-mind concerns include our local and global environment as well as improving our local infrastructure so it is more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. If more of us could walk and bike on a safe and efficient network of dedicated paths, our carbon footprint would be reduced and healthy lifestyles promoted. Further, my heart aches to see the plastic litter which is now endemic along our streets and in our parks. This unsightly litter is washing into our streams, rivers and oceans and polluting even the most remote places on our planet. I believe reducing sources of litter including unnecessary single-use plastic bags is both overdue and a common sense step.
Why am I endorsing Shin‑Yi Lin? After my retirement this year, I opted to become more engaged at the township level regarding my concerns. I started attending monthly meetings of West Windsor’s Environmental Commission (EC), as well as a few council meetings. During these meetings I was able to observe Shin‑Yi’s active participation and work in supporting the single-use plastic bag ordinance as it progressed through the EC and was presented to the township council for consideration.
I also had a one-to-one conversation with her about her vision for raising the level of communication in township government to better manage our every-day government services while also taking local steps to address larger global environmental challenges that increasingly impact us here in West Windsor. Last, looking over her personal and professional profile at her webpage, my opinion was cemented that Shin‑Yi would be the exact professionally-qualified, energetic, intelligent, reasonable and motivated person that we need on West Windsor’s township council at this time.
D.J. Varner
West Windsor
