Safety an issue for residents living near railroad line

As a resident of Heritage Drive, I was thoroughly appalled by Dorothy S. Peterson’s letter in the Aug. 16 News Transcript, where she sympathizes about the concern for our children but says people who buy houses near railroads and other "non-desirable" areas deserve what they get.

Ms. Peterson, if you knowingly bought a home near a small town recycling plant and then, for the "good of all people," they decided to start accepting toxic waste, would this be OK with you?

Yes, I knew I was buying a house near a railroad that runs a train twice a week. I accept this and, quite frankly, my 3-year-old twins think it’s great. I was born and raised in Englishtown and I knew what I was getting.

This is not a NIMBY issue. This is an issue of finding a plan that works for everyone. To call the residents here "a select privileged few" is a ludicrous statement and your kind of sympathy for the safety of my children I could do without.

Mary C. Deak

Englishtown