Township Council
fails residents
To the editor:
I must applaud the state Department of Environmental Protection’s actions regarding the recent discovery of unhealthy levels of contaminants in two wells in South Brunswick.
The DEP halted South Brunswick from issuing construction permits for projects requiring clean water until the problem is addressed and corrected. Our mayor and Township Council took issue with this.
What I, as a citizen of the township, take issue with, is that once again our Health Department has failed us. Why weren’t they making that recommendation as soon as the problem was discovered? Or did they consult with Donald Sears, the township attorney and no doubt a health expert himself, who instructed the Health Department to stay out of health issues? In my experience, proactively addressing health issues in the township has not been one of the strengths of our health officer, Steve Papenberg.
We can only hope that the state has caught on to what is going on in South Brunswick and they will continue to step in to protect the citizens from this Township Council, which feels that it does not answer to anyone. As I write this letter, I see that our crafty council has now decided to bypass the normal process of going out to bid for projects as large as this. Calling it an emergency situation, again, not because of the health of the citizens but because they can not get approval to issue construction permits, they will not go out to bid. Instead, they have selected a vendor who will expedite the project. I wonder how much that is costing us taxpayers?
Eleanor Raphel
Kendall Park
Prescription drugs
a real danger
To the editor:
It has been three and a half years since my son Jason died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that he was abusing. He was 19 years old and in college studying to be a pharmacist. If that isn’t ironic enough, as his mother, I had what I believed to be a safety net I work for a substance abuse prevention organization.
I began working at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Middlesex County, Inc. when Jason was 6 years old. At the time, the thought of substance abuse never crossed my mind as something that could hit home. Thirteen years later, it hit home in a way I never would have dreamed.
Since Jason’s death, I have worked to raise awareness of this issue. Prescription drug abuse has become a national epidemic that I continually attempt to bring back to the neighborhood. Telling Jason’s story my family’s story illustrates how pervasive this devastating phenomenon is. The recent news of Al Gore’s son’s arrest for possession of prescription drugs has brought this issue to the nation’s attention. It further illustrates how no family is immune to this problem.
Teens and young adults are abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs today at alarming rates. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that nearly one in five teens report abusing a prescription medication to get high; one in 10 has abused cough medicine to get high. Just as alarming are the attitudes and perceptions that perpetuate this behavior. Two in five teens (40 percent) believe that Rx medicines, even if they are not prescribed by a doctor, are much safer to use than illegal drugs. With the majority of teens (56 percent, or 13.4 million) agreeing that Rx medicines are easier to get than illegal drugs, teens see these substances as readily available highs.
Ease of availability, lack of knowledge, and misperception of their safety equals a prescription for disaster. This is why NCADD of Middlesex County, Inc. is presenting Rx for Solutions: National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month Town Hall Meeting.
On Wednesday, Aug. 15, Middlesex County College will host this timely event to help educate and raise awareness of the problem of prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse. More importantly, we aim to identify solutions and strategies to address this issue. State Sen. Barbara Buono will moderate a panel of experts who will shed light on the subject from a number of perspectives and audience members will be encouraged to join in the dialogue with questions and ideas.
I strongly encourage anyone with young people in their lives to attend this very important forum. They will gain valuable information that could save a life and will have an opportunity to lend their voice to the issue and contribute to the solution.
Dinner will be provided at 6 p.m., followed by the panel discussion from 7 to 8:30. Attendance is free, but registration is required by calling (732) 254-3344 or logging on to www.ncadd-middlesex.org.
Linda Surks
Coalition Coordinator
NCADD of Middlesex County
Special thanks
from YMCA
To the editor:
The South Brunswick Family YMCA hosted the third annual Membership Picnic this weekend. It was the first event held in our new outdoor pavilion. The members enjoyed a wide variety of food including hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, lamb biryani and chicken tandoori. The members enjoyed an afternoon of games including the moon bounce, soccer, sack races and T-ball as well as music by local DJ.
Recently, Costco and the Y joined together to offer a Corporate Membership program to all Costco employees. Costco heard about the Y’s Membership Picnic and offered to donate the food and drink a very generous donation. A special thanks to Costco for giving back to the community.
Again, Mary Powers was responsible for organizing another successful Y event under the leadership of Marilyn Marcin. Thanks to the Membership Department for the time and effort to arrange the successful and fun picnic.
Finally, the Y staff would like to thank to volunteer efforts of Claudia Beauregard. Claudia is always volunteering to assist with Y events and was recently recognized as the Volunteer of the Year in the Child Development Center.
Tom Libassi
Executive Director
South Brunswick
Family YMCA

