Archive Mailbag By People Staff Published on December 10, 2012 12:00 PM Share Tweet Pin Email SUPERSTORM SANDY “My heart goes out to those who lost their homes, loved ones, memories and so much more in the storm” Julie Crotty Aurora, Colo. Your staff rose to the occasion for this issue of the magazine. I have never read such poignant reporting on any disaster. The stories brought me to tears because I could actually feel the horror that those poor folks experienced. Thank you, People, for personalizing this tragedy. Dorothy Ungerleider Encino, Calif. Your excellent coverage of the storm, especially the astonishing eyewitness accounts, should remind all Americans of what matters most in life: healthy family members and friends living in houses that aren’t in shambles. Those of us fortunate enough to have that should count our blessings this holiday season. Melissa Miller via e-mail It was heartbreaking to read about the devastation that the storm wreaked upon Breezy Point, Queens. Here in Homestead, Fla., many of us survived Hurricane Andrew, and we understand what it’s like to go through a disaster like that. So we have a moving van parked at City Hall, and we’re filling it up with supplies for Breezy Point. This is our small town’s way of paying back, and the outpouring makes me proud of our community. Bennie Butler Homestead, Fla. The residents of Staten Island are truly amazing! Despite so much destruction, they picked themselves up and helped one another. They suffered terribly but they still have hope and spirit to spare. Those resilient people have set an example that we can all learn from. As a former Staten Islander, I am overjoyed to see the tremendous effort being made. New York’s forgotten borough just may be the strongest one. Carol Scalise Methuen, Mass. REVIEWS It is disappointing that you chose to cover Kirstie Alley’s new memoir. How could a woman who claims to love the men in her past embarrass them, and her ex-husband, with such inappropriate disclosures? I feel especially sorry for Patrick Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi. Her husband deserves to be remembered for his courageous fight against pancreatic cancer, not as a chapter in Alley’s little black book. Laura Miller White Pigeon, Mich. PASSAGES I applaud Sharon Osbourne for taking preventive action and opting for a double mastectomy following genetic testing. I made a similar choice 13 years ago after being told I needed a mastectomy and decided to have a double. In today’s world, women need to be informed, know their options and follow their instincts. Melissa Bollschweiler Las Cruces, N.M. THERESA STRADER I met Theresa Strader when I was looking for an addition to my fur family after putting my 16-year-old dog to sleep. I saw Annie on the rescue site, and it was love at first sight. Now I thank Theresa and her volunteers every day for the joy Annie has brought to my home. Hopefully someday there will be no more puppy mills. Lanette Duncan Golden, Colo. UPDATE | PICKING UP THE PIECES “No one lives here,” says Police Chief Thomas Boyd of Seaside Heights, N.J., noting that the town has been without power since Superstorm Sandy and has so much water damage it’s uncertain when people will be able to return to their homes. But fellow Garden Staters are holding fund-raisers and sheltering the displaced residents, offering holiday dinners and Christmas toys as well. Troopers from Maryland, Alabama and Louisiana also helped tear down the boardwalk so it can be rebuilt by summer. “Seaside Heights is the heartbeat of the Jersey Shore,” says Boyd (left). “People are looking to help, and I think it’s phenomenal. It makes me proud to be an American.”