Independence Day celebration proof Edison can come together

I hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July as much as I did. Here in Edison, it was a very proud moment for our township. Fireworks on Independence Day had returned for the first time in more than three decades. I know other towns have fireworks shows, but this was something different for Edison. There was The Happenings free concert at Lake Papaianni Park with people waving American flags and clapping their hands to the beat of the music. There was our Mayor Jun Choi calling for a moment of silence for the soldiers who have died in Iraq. It was a patriotic day, as it most likely is everywhere, but it had a different feel in Edison.

What I was feeling finally struck me as I listened to "God Bless America" as the fireworks illuminated the night sky, bursting and the falling over the lake. Here was one Edison Township - more than a couple thousand people of all different races and background, gathered together to celebrate all this country has to offer. The moment was the picture of one Edison, a place for all people, united in their pursuit of the American dream.

I know, in the newspapers, much as been made about the township's political atmosphere, but on this night it was about coming together. I thank the mayor, all the township employees and all the volunteers who helped make this event happen. With the world continually changing, evenings like that one at Lake Papaianni let me know my township is headed in the right direction.

Barbara Cortellino

Edison