Letters
Communities responded in hour of need

Sunday, July 17, was a devastating day for the communities of Jamesburg, Monroe, Helmetta and Spotswood. What turned out to be a sunny Sunday morning ended in a dark and scary evening. The flash floods that hit our area left unimaginable damage to houses and businesses, and, in some cases, obliterated years of hard work and memories.

However, I would like to publicly thank the countless emergency response personnel and individuals from surrounding communities who came to the aid of Jamesburg residents. Without their assistance, injuries or casualties may have resulted.

I would like to thank the fire departments and first aid squads from Jamesburg, Englishtown, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, the Fords section of Woodbridge and Plainsboro; the police departments from Jamesburg, Monroe and Edison; and all the other communities that came to Jamesburg’s assistance. I would also like to thank the Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management and Road Department, Jamesburg Public Works, Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L), Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), and the Central Jersey American Red Cross for their support and assistance.

These volunteers and emergency response personnel from surrounding communities were not obligated to come to Jamesburg, and I wholeheartedly thank each one for their generosity and professionalism during the entire situation and subsequent days.

I wish the very best for all affected in their efforts to rebuild.

Thomas C. Bodall

Jamesburg

Post office personnel grateful for turnout

All the employees of the South River post office, 44 Obert St., would like to sincerely thank the customers who came out to our Customer Appreciation Day on July 27.

On Monday, Aug. 1, we will have a USPS.com Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On that day, you can see a demonstration of how to use our Web site to perform such tasks as creating and sending personalized post and greeting cards, buying stamps, ordering shipping supplies, looking up ZIP codes, putting mail on hold and much more, all from the comfort of your home or office. Light refreshments will be served again as well, so please come and join us.

Qiana Montgomery

officer in charge

South River post office

Not fair to complain if you are not part of solution

I wish to respond to a few Spotswood residents’ complaints of frustration with the flooding conditions and lack of help during the storm on Sunday, July 17.

While so many residents were grateful for the help provided by the Spotswood Fire Department, there were a few who felt they should have had more personal attention during the 12-hour shift our volunteer firefighters gave to the community that day, even while a few firefighters suffered great losses and damage to their own property and their own families made due without them, as they were out helping others.

If there is a lack of manpower in the fire department, as these few residents stated at the recent Borough Council meeting, not one resident has taken up the offer to accept an application to help bolster the department ranks — yet they saw fit to complain about the problem. You can be part of the problem or part of the solution, but it seems unfair and unkind to idly stand by and complain.

Paid firefighters are always an option as opposed to volunteer firefighters, but do you want the additional tax burden? It sounded like some residents wanted their own personal truck and crew — we’re a small town, but not that small.

To our neighboring fire departments who assisted Spotswood, including Monroe, East Brunswick, Sayreville, New Brunswick, as well as the Middlesex County Emergency Management and Spotswood Emergency Management personnel and our own Spotswood police department and first aid squad, there are many of us who see and appreciate all that you’ve done to assist us residents during our time of need. Thank you.

J.M. Reyner

Spotswood

Choice is between MOM and increased traffic

For years the people of Middlesex County have heard a bevy of politicians tell them the reasons why the state of New Jersey and our local towns, such as Jamesburg, Monroe and South Brunswick, shouldn’t have the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail line.

Now that our growth has exploded, making Middlesex County the No. 1 county in population gains with the resulting traffic volume increasing at staggering rates (with devastating results at times), the passenger rail line known as MOM is needed more than ever. And, it would not surprise us that many in Middlesex County do support this, despite the claim by Middlesex County Freeholder David Crabiel that “Nobody here supports the train.”

To support my claim, a MOM informational table is set up at local community fairs. Along with the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers, I have gathered many pro-MOM signatures for passenger rail service for Jamesburg, South Brunswick and Monroe. Even NJ Transit acknowledges support for MOM in Middlesex County, based on study results.

Actually, the choice isn’t whether or not to build the MOM line — it’s a choice between the MOM line and worse car and truck traffic. To many of us living here, the answer to that question easily falls in the “no-brainier” category.

Daniel S. Kerwin

Jamesburg

board director

New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers