EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is an email DowntownBarnegat.com received for publication regarding the Chamber of Commerce and their controversial relationship with the Twp. Committee, and the struggle of a local hero trying to earn a living. DowntownBarnegat.com would be happy to post any response from Chamber of Commerce.

This is an email I sent to the Jersey Guys on 101.5 after they featured Dee'z on their program as a result of the recent "media frenzy" concerning her Hot Dog Truck. I would hope that you could publish this so the people of Barnegat are as proud to have Dee and Dee'z a part of Barnegat History as I am.

Thank You, Mark M

Good Morning

I heard your radio show last week when you guys talked about Deez Dogz. You said you were going to be following this story and I wanted to send in some comments about that and hope that you can shed some light on this person for things that no one really knows about her. I know of her from our neighbors on Brook Street and wanted others to know too.

FACT
On 9/13/2001 Dee reported to work. It was at ground zero the former World Trade Center. Dee was a grief therapist for a company that lost 62 people in the terrorist attacks. She went from Barnegat NJ to NY everyday for the next 7 months to help the surviving victims learn how to deal with life again. At the one year memorial service paying tribute to their friends they have lost during the attack, they invited Dee and her husband. The victims paid a special tribute to their "new found friend" Dee for helping them survive the hardest time in their lives.

FACT
DURING the Hurricane Katrina disaster Dee and her husband rented a huge truck, went into their own bank account and went to all the local grocery stores to buy up all the water they had to take to the people effected by this disaster. Dee's husband drove down there with thousands of dollars worth of water for the victims. During his ride there your radio station and several others heard about his trip and started making announcements of area drop off points where people could donate items including water, food, clothing ect. St Mary's church in Barnegat paired up with them and donated a generator as well as other items. Dee's husband delivered the water, turned around, got an even bigger truck filled it and made a second trip all within 5 DAYS. 2 trips to New Orleans to help people!

FACT
This Thanksgiving Dee and her niece wanted to do something for "her community" so she paired up with the Barnegat food pantry and got a list of names for several Barnegat residents that were unable to afford Thanksgiving dinner. She went over to the folks at the Barnegat Rec center and asked if they could use their facility to cook dinners and have the town residents or anyone in need to come and have a Thanksgving dinner with other people so they did not have to spend the holiday alone. They gave out over 100 dinners to local residents that would otherwise not have had a Thanksgiving at all. This was all done with her money and the help of her niece and a few friends and volunteers.

FACT
Christmas time 2008 Dee decided that her and her niece would again ask the food pantry what is usually lacking in the Christmas baskets ginen out to town residents that don't have much of a Christmas. They were told...."a personal touch". Dee and her niece with the help of a few fiends again approached the Barnegat rec center for their kitchen. This time they made thousands of christmas cookies, bagged them in christmas paper and brought them over to the food panty to be distributed to the town residents that were coming in for food baskets. This added the personal touch they needed! she also took many items that she had in her store which consisted of dolls and other cute little items along with hundreds of things her and her niece bought from the dollar stores to make up packages for the kids christmas.

FACT
On Christmas morning 2008 Dee called the Barnegat Nursing home. she was asking if she could bring presents over for the residents that really did not have much of a Christmas ahead. Again her, her niece and her sister went over and distributed items to not only every resident at that facility but to each person working that day. Nurses, Nurses assistants, housekeepers and cooks. she told them that even though they were working they also deserved a Christmas morning. Not too many people I know will give up their own Thanksgiving Day or Christmas morning with there own families to help strangers in their town. The same town that is trying to close her down.

FACT
Last week called the president of the Chamber of Commerce. She wanted to find out were to send her money to join. She spoke with the president. THE MAYORS WIFE. She was told she was not welcome to join until after her "situation" was resolve. Dee is a business, she has a permit from the town of Barnegat to sell food, She has a permit from the Board of Health to sell food and yet she was denied joining the Chamber of Commerce. THIS IS AGAINT THE LAW. ANY BUSINESS CAN JOIN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Dee's hearing is on April 14th. I know I, along with many town resident, will be there to support her. Can you guys help her too?