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reader's forum

“Please Don't Sympathize With Me. Do Something

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(Editor’/ note The following two letters were sent to Ruth Fisher, president of Citizens Assn , for protection of fhp Environm«'nf. They ore from a very concerned mother and came In response to Ms. Fisher's letter in the May 5 Herald and Lantern, "Chemicals that Kill From Now till Fall." which called upon concerned readers to write Robert Hughey. Commissioner of the N.J. Dept, of En-

vironment/ Protection. ^ Dear Ruth Fishen: *

Enclosed is a copy of the letter I sent the commissioner Tf vou read it, you’ll find it self explanatory to

Sal might mtike a good example as to how these

mlnis.tered” toxic poisons has increased greatly in the past few years. My son has suffered the results of these safe chemicals. This is my sincere belief along with many other mothers’. I only hope that this fact can be proven by more tests, that will show without a doubt that these chemicals are a serious hazard to the living

beings that are exposed by them.

During my pregnancy, I was exposed to insecticides sprayed in Cumberland and Cape May Counties. My son Salvatore was bom in March I960 with several congenital defects. He was bom with extra fingers and toes

‘safely administered insecticides’ destroy little lives

thr way I feel I am really tired of getting the runaround by whoever I ask information of what effect that the chemicals have on the unborn Are there any other children bom like my son Salvatore in these two<ounty areas? I registered Sal before his operation to the Board of Health. They don’t seem to know anything. Please let me know some percentages of birth defects in our area I feel alone in this whole matter. Does Sal’s condition directly relate to the spraying? I think so. Please get back to me I can't understand why this is all happening. I’m starting to look at myself for the blame, even though I know better I guess that is what they want That is why they keep you in the dark What else is going to happen? Can this thing be fought. Let me know. I do what I can barring Sal’s condition. That is the least I can do. Sal might make a good example as to how these "safely administered insecticides" destroy little lives. Thank you. Jerri Steve*

and bones of the feet. He was operated on at Children’s - Hospital in April 1981 for removal of these. Three'days prior to these removals, they found he had a systolic murmer, diagnosed as pulmonary stenosis. I wasHold to come back in one year for a follow up checkup^b

Dear Commissioner: My concern for the spraying of so called "safely ad-

viewpoint

Political Posters:

Pollution; Solution

by Ed Harnett The perennial crop of political posters which blossoms throughout the area at election time has been much in evidence over the past few weeks. Even the most enthusiastic candidate and devoted partisans will admit that the garish signs don’t do much for the appearance of our roadsides and front yards. Indignant letters have been written about the tendency to let nature take care of removing the signs once the election is over — a slow and unsightly process, since few are truly biodegradable Now comes an interesting offer from William Deaver, Republican candidate for Middle Township Committee. IF HIS DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT. Charles Leusner. will remove his primary signs, says Deaver, he won’t add to the "visual pollution" by putting up signs of his own in preparation for the General Election contest. Deaver was unopposed in the primary. Deaver has even magnanimously offered to help Leusner tfith the task of getting the signs down. All this probably won’t'cut down on the poster pollution. Skeptics rhay wonder whether that was Deaver’s prime intention, since his proposal puts Leusner into a can’t win position IF HE AGREES, he'll lose the publicity value of his posters, which could aid him in the fall campaign. If he refuses, he is by implication guilty of defacing his nest with political pojlution And Deaver, the white knight who tried will be free to plaster the township with his own posters, presumably of the non-polluting variety. AVompromiso along the lines of the SALT treaty may be caHed for. Maybe Leusner could be induced to paint over half his signs and rent them to Deaver, thus giving equal exposure and maintaining the pollution level

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cape'mav t i f -v trkralu Puhliihfd EvfT> H’r<tnr«da> H> P.o. Bo* • TtwSoawavrl ariNN-aOon * A**l—. NJWm John H. Andrus 11 Editor Bonnie Relna General Manager & Advertising Coordinator DnrreU Kopp Publisher Corp HS3 All nghlt >•»•>*•«) AH (Kopatty ngMt lof anloa contentt n> Ihit publxolion tholl ba 'Ka fxopaiiy ol tha Saowova Co>p No poH Satan* may ba raptodwad withooi p««n wt.itan contanl DEADLINES News A Photos Thursday Advertising Friday - 3 p.m. Classified AdverUsing Friday - 3 p.m. i H7.3312 For News Or Advertising Information! NaHkar partklpaOaf ad»rrU»rr» nor Ihr puMNbrr* ol (hr MKHAl.tl AMI I.ASTERN will t* rrtpontlhla or llabla lor mMnformatlon. mttprinU. ivpo*rapbkal error*, air . In an« U«iif Thr editor reaefre* thr rl*ht to edit any latter or artkle* aubmlfted lor pdfellra-^-LANTERN ~

Children’s Hospital to see if there was any chaise. Sal’s operation was a success without any cornfM

ilica-

tidns with his heart, except that he was in pain from it. A baby one-year-old finds it hard to understand such an

cond opinion. Their diagnosis confirmed Children’s. He would have to have open heart surgery and a catherization, both very risky procedures. Did whoever allowed the spraying of these chemicals think of the risks that my son would have to undergo? How can anyone be that cold hearted to think of killing a bunch of bugs and not think of what it could be doing to the unborn. Babies have been born with a wide range of defects in Cape May area. Spina Bifida, bkby born with intestines outside of their bodies and who knows what else. This is only what I read in the newspaper. I wonder if there is any more Salvatores out there? Why isn’t this being stopped? Don’t tell me that facts are inconclusive or, you gave the sprayers guidelines to follow. They aren’t being followed. People are being exposed. Please don’t sympathize with me. Do something. I and many mothers only know one thing — our little babies could die or they are going to be in pain to correct what has happened to them (because of someone’s

greedy neglect).

It is about time we stop making excuses for big companies (or whatever) and start making plpns to have happy healthy normal babies in the future. Our chiWpn are the future, remember? \ Please start testing and taking these harmful insec-

. . oiy ticides

tell he hawn operation. He is a very happy little two- E^en if the test show a low percentage of defects, the year-old bAy. And so was I until I went back to >^.^^chiWren in that low percentage suffer just as much as if

Children’s Hospital on April 20, 1982.

They told me his condition is worse than they thought. He has what is called “atrioventiclilar canal.” which means he has a large defect in the septum that separates the chambers of his heart. He canrlot live with this condition unless he undergoes open-heart surgery. He also has to have a heart catherization to see how

long they can wait to give him his operation.

I took him to Deborah Heart A Lung Center for a se-

it were a high one. No life is that insignificant. Thank you very much for your time. If I can do anything please let me know. I'm sure my Salvatore would do anything if he were old enough. Let’s pray to God that he lives that long. And I’m sure, I’m not the

only one. that can help.

Jerrie Steves & Sal Barbera

Must Pursue Causes of Birth Defects

(Editor's note: As a result of receiving the letters from Sal’s mother, Ruth Fisher wrote the following letter to the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders): It is our hope that this poignant letter (see attached) will lead you to some action. We must continue to seek to find the causes of the recent cluster of birth defects. The promise that the inquiry into such causes would be pursued has been violated. The Cape May County Health Dept, clearly has dtone

It is our hope that this poignant letter will lead you to some action \

nothing and even now only proposes "something" to he^ included in the Comprehensive Work Plan. With a budget of 1900,000 yearly, something should have been included. We again submit our previous suggestions: That an assessment of all chemicals, known car-

cinogens, teratogens and other toxic substances that are being placed on the surface and in the air in this county be done. This is relatively easy and inexpensive compared to expensive water testing for which you have not been able to obtain funding. The tests previously done did not include testing for currently used chemicals anyway. The major utility Atlantic Electric Co. in the area has already demonstrated a willingness to cooperate. We ask that you contact all mothers of known birth defected children and all others interested in prevention that they may know and help one another and those yet unborn. Please set a date and notify the women identified by you two yehrs ago that an open public meeting will be held on this issue. The mother who wrote had to contact the hospital to register her child as having a birth defect despite the obviousness of the defect. Others may wish to know if they have similar afflictions. Many thanks, we remain hopeful that you will act on these suggestions. Ruth F/*her, president C.A.P.E

Mob Rule & Other Spray Side Effects

by Al^ed Nicholson Enough futility is already more Ahan enough. The public relations war agaitfct'gypsjii moths is waged to give instant childish grjltificatiojf to those who demand high visibility solutions: If only the nasty, wiggly caterpillars can be banished from sight, they'll be out of mind and the problems will all go away — whether the program does any good or not. Any consideration of horrendous damage caused is beside the point. Spraying is hastening the forces of dissolution by officially encouraging the most immature attitudes imaginable in any populace. The result is a sickening web of jingoism, materialism and anti-intellectualism bound to virulent misconceptions of what constmjlcs, rights and the American Dream. The indoctrinated attitudes of the majority who clamor for ever more spray are obviously, no longer subject to reason; therefore the rest of us are becoming subject to a thinly disguised form of mob rule. Even those in the Dept, of Agriculture who worked so hard to generate the caterpillar hysteria (for money and votes?) are now alarmed that it has gotten out of hand. Why? Because bacteriological control won’t work in an already pesticide-riddled’environment. PRUDENCE AND MORE DEMOCRATIC and cautious approach would suggest, therefore, that spray be limited to individuals who order it for their own properties. Why should there be spray in the vicinity of the Wildwood Water Works? . One can be«ubject to the turmoil of several attacks when individual orders for spray are combined with the general applications. For many who have similar experiences with their parallel consequences, the sight of the aircraft zooming the tree tips causes revulsion, thus fermenting hatred which in turn causes problems. This syndrome can only be worsened as more cases come to light of grotesque human deformities due to chemicals. The Constitution is very careful to protect the minority from roughshod tactics of the majority. Fear of mob rule appears to have eroded the judgment of elected and other officials who hide behind smoke screens....An obvious solution for them would be to say. Let those that want it have it on their own responsibility — if they are not afraid. Certainly elected officials must recognize that their primary jjHegience is not to the Extension Service. MOBOCRACY’S BEST PARTY LINE is: "The Spray is perfectly safe, you eat it on your vegetables every

day.” so to challenge this situation one has to have the • "facts". The Extension Service and the Dept, of Agrigulture will "explain" the spray to the hapless citizenry caught in the web of the system with its legions of political commisars and collaborators whose job or favor-seeking role it is to set forth the party line.... What is the essence? Essentially the wondrous diversity of life that was once here is being wantonly sacrificed ...the wonderous diversity of life that teas once here is

being icontonly sacrificed ■

to the adolescent American dream of swanfl suburbia — a segmented paradise free of insects, weeds, odors, which is tasteless and sterile in virtually every respect. This dream rivals the most destructive in history ; it feeds on itself the way the caterpillars consume the leaves, fueling the decay... In order to understand the savagery behind the dream, let us proceed to the landfill area of Middle Township. This is not merely to contemplate the garbage and the tree stumps strewn for miles around Dht rather to see the all out war against a land futher laid waste by chemicals. This is the nightmare phase, which enables us to understand who the real caterpillars are.... Alfred Nicholson writes froth Burleigh.

Informing Voters

by Joseph J. Link I am writing this letter jn an effort to seek your assistance in playing an active role in informing the voters on the three candidates Who are running for the Lower Township Committee seat. Hopefully the various news media cpn establish a forum for a series of public debates to be held throughout the campaign. Joseph Link of Town Bank is ah independent candidate for Township Committee. Editor's note: This newspaper will not Sponsor any debates, per se. among candidates. What we will do is provide space in our news columns for the candidates to express their views on the issues. Of course, our paid (Page 27 Please)