Teenager says she misses the way Jackson used to be

I have lived in Jackson for my entire life. When I was younger I remember walking with my father. We would cross the street and walk the dogs along the edge of the woods. He would hold the leashes, I would walk by his side and he would tell me stories.

Now I am 18 and where we used to walk there is a housing development. Everywhere I look, trees are going down and buildings are coming up. I pride myself on living in Ocean County. We have deer. We have farmland. We grew up climbing trees. We are rural New Jersey. There was a sort of small town appeal.

I look around and see that we are turning into a typical economy-obsessed town. I understand that economy is a very important thing, but how much is too much? With all of the new housing developments going up, how long will it be until we are overpopulated and our schools are overcrowded?

Also, I am a giant fan of coffee and late night sandwiches, but seriously, how many Wawa's do we need? Hometown pharmacies are being put out of business by CVS and Rite Aid. Homemade ice cream is being run out of town by Coldstone and Rita's.

All of the things that once made us unique and special are dying one by one. Granted we still have Six Flags, which makes us different from other towns, but you can only stay excited about that for so many years. Eventually it becomes commonplace.

I am quite aware that not everyone shares my nostalgic sentiment. Perhaps I am the only one, but wouldn't it be nice to drive down the street and see a small girl walking a dog with her father instead of cement trucks?

Tracey Lattimer

Jackson