Englishtown residents must stand together against rail plan

I reside in Englishtown and strongly oppose the commuter rail. I find that many people are taking this issue lightly.

I don’t find this issue to be amusing. I am very concerned for the safety of my children and the quality of life. The rail is in my back yard approximately 50 to 55 feet with only a 6-foot fence. I don’t think it matters what type of fence is placed here; the safety of our families is at risk.

Just this past week a 1-foot tree branch came flying across the yard of a neighbor and through her family room, crashing her window. What if this were a commuter train derailment? What about the issue of the children on the school buses?

I feel as a taxpayer in New Jersey and a resident of Englishtown, we the people must be heard. All I read about is how good this would be for the commuter. Well, if they want to work in New York City and live in the suburbs they should have thought about their commute before they moved here.

My husband works in lower Manhattan. Before moving here it would take him 15 to 20 minutes to get to work; now he takes the car to Route 9 and commutes by bus. It takes him from 1 hour to 90 minutes to get to work.

This was a decision we made as a family whether we wanted to raise our children in Brooklyn or here and give them a better way of life and a better education.

What effects will diesel fuel have on us? On asthmatics? My son has bouts with asthma and the fear of having him suffer day in and day out is scary for us. What about sound? An 8-foot sound barrier only 50 feet from my back door will not do the job.

Please come by and see the issue the residents at Manor Estates are raising. Many of us have concerns and would like to know why our mayor, Thomas Reynolds, still can’t make up his mind when it is his town and people in his town that he should be concerned about.

Why is it that all the people in such a small quaint town haven’t shown their concerns together?

I must say I am very disappointed that when there is an issue that concerns our well be-ing, that many of the people who sit and talk and complain don’t come out to be heard.

If everyone would stand together as one community, may-be we can be heard. We are all in this together and all bought our homes from the same wonderful builder who never said this would be a commuter rail. We were not informed and we must stand together.

We are the taxpayers and not the politicians. They want the train; let them move here and see what it is like.

Joann Damante

Englishtown