I am writing in response to David Reese's letter to the editor, "Suburban jewel town loses its luster" [Sept. 1, South].

In his letter, Mr. Reese states, "while neighboring municipalities continue to invest and grow, Mt. Lebanon stagnates and seems to be slipping as a community of choice." He uses examples of the lack of investment in the community and the lack of civil discourse operating in our municipality.

I would like to offer an alternative point of view.

As Mt. Lebanon was founded in 1912, the following investments can be considered recent in our business district: Municipal leaders have built a new Public Safety Center, renovated our historic municipal building, constructed Clearview Commons Park with its water feature and lawn, renovated the South Parking Garage, and installed a comprehensive signage program. All of this investment has inspired renewed use, including First Friday celebrations, and has resulted in a low vacancy rate.

As a result of these investments, our business district is as vibrant as ever. Municipal investment has also been catalytic with the private sector as evidenced by the hotel under construction.

As for the future, municipal leaders just added new investments to repair our stormwater system and are contemplating new municipal recreation fields.

The school district has also invested heavily. The district has renovated all seven elementary schools and two middle schools. Last year, the district invested in state-of-the-art field turf at the stadium. The school board has also provided leadership to spend the full amount of the state-mandated maximum of $113 million on the renovation of the high school. Although the design process is not finalized, the result has the potential to be a stellar project, and one of the most expensive high school projects in the region.

All of the building projects mentioned above will have a 40- to 50-year life span, ensuring that the municipality will be well-served for a long time to come.

I share Mr. Reese's concerns about the lack of civil discourse not only in Mt. Lebanon, but also in American society. One need only look to our elected officials in Washington to see how often people talk at each other, not with each other.

Mr. Reese uses examples of uncivil tones in local blogs in our community. I would suggest that blogs have some similarities to cable news channels. Each is influenced by the personality of the author. Just as there are cable news channels some people would prefer not to watch, so, too, they can choose to avoid those blogs that are not civil. However, the right of free speech is one of the foundations of a strong community.

DANIEL ROTHSCHILD

Mt. Lebanon

What did you want to be when you grew up? Sadly, 20 percent of the more than 40,000 children being treated for cancer in the United States will not get the chance to realize their dreams.

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which honors these warriors and the more than 270,000 childhood cancer survivors. Gold is the color of the awareness ribbon for all childhood cancers.

Every day, two classrooms full of children are diagnosed with cancer and begin their journey of treatment and recovery. Tragically, one child out of five who is diagnosed with cancer will die from the disease. My niece, Emily, was one of them.

Cancer remains the leading cause of death for children under the age of 15 in the United States.

By the time cancer is diagnosed in children, it has often spread. Treatment is aggressive and often leads to long-term side effects -- diagnosis of another cancer, a chronic illness or another life-threatening illness before they reach adulthood.

Every advancement in curing childhood cancer has come through research. Medical research tells us that with proper funding levels, childhood cancer can be conquered.

What can you do? Tell your friends and family about childhood cancer and the need for greater funding, donate blood or platelets, volunteer at a local hospital, write to your legislators telling them to support funding for pediatric and young adult cancer research and wear a gold ribbon this month to support all the children in the battle of their lives.

LISA LIZUN

Bethel Park

I have been a resident of Bethel Park since 1965 and am aware of the memorial outside the library honoring veterans of Bethel Park. My deceased husband's name is on that memorial.

I have read newspaper articles regarding the proposed veterans memorial park in Upper St. Clair. I have a friend who lived in Upper St. Clair and proudly served in the U.S, Marine Corps in and during the Korean War. I called the Upper St. Clair Municipal Building to inquire if the names of the Upper St. Clair veterans would be placed on a memorial.

I was informed that "no, only the names of the large donors." I then discussed what was done in Bethel Park and was told, "We may consider that at later time."

Really? Who are we honoring ... the veterans or the wealthy people of Upper St. Clair.

ARLINE L. FOX

Bethel Park

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All letters are subject to editing and will be verified before being published. Only one letter from an individual will be published every three months.

First Published: September 15, 2011, 9:30 a.m.