Letters
Family thanks public for granting wish to visit Los Angeles

Thank you for your Feb. 2 article “Teen tours behind the scenes in Hollywood” regarding my daughter’s “wish,” or Starlight Starbright Foundation-sponsored travel to Los Angeles following her successful treatment for leukemia.

Drew’s smile in the photo accompanying the article — which is now my favorite — will always be contrasted in my mind by the worn look on Drew’s face caused by the debilitating physical, emotional and mental effects of chemotherapy and other medicines when she was undergoing treatment. Drew’s courage dealing with this was inspiring as was the devotion of her mother and her sister, Jill, in constant care of helping her through this ordeal.

The kindness of the professionals in health care and in the community, our friends, volunteers, and of complete strangers who helped Drew and our family, will never be forgotten.

Dr. Kamen and his staff at the New Jersey Cancer Institute and those at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital — both world-class institutions right here in New Brunswick — were a constant source of confidence that Drew was getting the best care available and they delivered. Sue Pillet was as much a sister to Drew and friend to our family as she was Drew’s nurse.

Dr. Robert Rimmer, superintendent of North Brunswick Schools, and Mary Jones, Drew’s guidance counselor and “guardian angel,” fought for Drew and provided flexibility for her to continue her education under these extreme circumstances.

Our dear friend, Linda Lynch — the kindest person on earth — routinely checked in and dropped by with dinner. Susan Joseph and Rich Thigpen — just regular people who volunteer their time to the Starlight Foundation — were responsible for making Drew’s dream come true, as they have done for many others. There were so many acts of kindness by complete strangers who only wanted to put a smile on a sick kid’s face. How do you thank these people and other friends, doctors, nurses, teachers, staff, all too numerous to mention?

As unique and personal as the trip was to Drew, there are other children who are now going through the most painful and traumatic experience that anyone could ever imagine, as are their families.

If you would like to help them, please consider a donation to the Starlight Starbright Foundation or one of the many children’s cancer charities affiliated with New Jersey Cancer Institute. It would truly be an act of kindness that could never be repaid.

Mike Templeton

North Brunswick

Warehouses are a product of consumer demand

After reading Greg Bean’s column (“In Warehouseville, the hits just keep on coming,” Feb. 2), may I ask what you are doing on Davidson’s Mill Road if your commute involves travel from East Brunswick to Freehold — obviously you and thousands of other central New Jerseyans (myself included) are avoiding rush-hour travel on our tax-revenue-funded interstate highway system.

I do not share your blame regarding South Brunswick’s Planning Board decisions. The warehouse industry would not be here if the demand for consumer goods wasn’t so in demand. This congestion discussion should also make mention of the 5,000-plus residential building permits recently been issued by many central New Jersey communities, supplying even more demand for household items that are foreign produced and delivered via containers to area ports of Elizabeth and Newark, and from there distributed via said warehouses to our many retail stores, of which we also drive to!

Darryl Stephenson

Resource Realty of

Central New Jersey

Edison

Not every foot of So. Brunswick needs to be developed

South Brunswick residents must stop the warehouse madness that has taken hold in this town. The Eastern Villages Association needs the help of all South Brunswick residents in their fight against the destruction of their quality of life. Our mayor feels if you don’t live near it, don’t worry about it. Well, many residents live west of the turnpike and do have to travel east for whatever reason and must go through warehouse alley. They, too, have to use the overcrowded, narrow, truck-filled roads created by all the warehouses, so we do worry about it.

The association’s concern over flooding caused by the runoff from these asphalt acres with their huge buildings is something to look at fully. How much water can these swampy areas and ponds hold — just what nature intended for them to hold, and then they spill over? I don’t think the added runoff is going to help them. Our mayors thought swamps are supposed to hold water. Good grief — give me a break. What kind of thinking is that?

Ratables — just what are the ratables from these warehouses? 2005 — a 1 percent growth. How many of these buildings are empty? Fill them first before you think of maybe building more. Also don’t forget — build it, rent it, then go to court and get your rate lowered. I think that’s happened.

What’s wrong with seeing trees and open fields when you travel in South Brunswick, the way it used to be? Not every foot of South Brunswick needs to be developed, Mr. Mayor and Planning Board.

Robert Kish

Kendall Park