scotch-plains-slash-fanwood

Letters to the Editor

March 14, 2023

Dear Editor: I’m writing this letter in support of the proposed turf and lighting project at Brookside Park. I have been involved in youth softball in Scotch Plains in various capacities since 2016 when I first served as an assistant coach for my daughter, Lena, with the recreation department. I ...

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Dear Editor: Our children were fortunate to play sports at the many athletic fields in Scotch Plains. They were also fortunate to enjoy nature in Brookside Park.  The Scotch Plains Parks & Recreation Master Plan 2021 identifies Brookside Park as the third most-visited park in town. (p.

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Dear Editor: I am a lifelong Scotch Plains resident and my family has lived here since the 1950s. I am proud to be raising my daughters here, and I enjoy being involved in various facets of the Scotch Plains Community as a mom, coach, educator, small business owner and volunteer. I am writing to ...

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Dear Editor: Over the past seven years, I have volunteered in some capacity with Scotch Plains Fanwood Soccer Club (SPFSC). In that time, I have attended numerous Recreation Commission, Town Council and Board of Education meetings as an advocate for new and improved recreational spaces for our ...

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Dear Editor: The purpose of this letter is to revisit a request I previously raised with our Recreation Commission several years ago. I requested having Automated External Defibrillators (AED’S) permanently installed/available at all Scotch Plains Township athletic ball fields. Needless to say, ...

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Dear Editor: Beverly Mills is a direct descendant of a slave, Friday Truehart, who was brought to the Sourland Mountains of Central New Jersey from South Carolina as a teen in the late 1700s to work the land. From her unique perspective, Mills relates the story of her ancestor in a two-part ...

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Dear Editor: There is a lot of positive discussion in town right now about our parks, recreation, and youth sports facilities. Residents have been sharing their thoughts about what the future should hold for these treasured public resources. Such public engagement is exactly how sound public ...

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Dear Editor, We reached a turning point in the 10-year plan to build a new library by breaking ground this week for the new facility. I was so happy to join members of our Council, the library trustees, Friends of the Library and our construction team in turning the soil to signal the start of ...

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Dear Editor: I live in Scotch Plains, a few hundred yards from the freight tracks that border our town.  What is Congressman Thomas Kean Jr doing to protect his constituents from an environmental catastrophe due to a train derailment? In Ohio, a freight train carrying highly toxic vinyl ...

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Dear Editor: As the son of a retired Chief of Police, one of the special honors of my time in public office so far has been the opportunity to serve as liaison from the governing body to the Scotch Plains Police Department. In that role, I routinely meet with our Police Department’s leadership ...

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Dear Editor: I would like to hear a public announcement from Congressman Tom Kean Jr of his unconditional support for the raising of the debt ceiling. To fail to do so is to play Russian roulette with my 401K, my Social Security, my Medicare - and those of the rest of his constituents. This ...

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Dear Editor: It’s 11PM on a Thursday Night, Do You Know Where Your School Board Is? If you are a resident of Scotch Plains or Fanwood, on January 19, 2023, your Board of Education had just finished making a series of blunders that resulted in an extraordinarily bad decision. In fact, this ...

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Dear Editor: I am tremendously proud of the vibrant group of active veterans who participate in the many programs and services the township offers throughout the year. We are directed by a strong Veterans Advisory Committee, appointed at the beginning of the year. The committee includes ...

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Dear Editor: New Jersey is experiencing a rash of car thefts not experienced since the 1980s, when vehicles were easily hotwired and sent off to chop shops for cash windfalls. Today, with the enormous advancement in anti-theft technology, including keyless ignition and engine immobilizers, one ...

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Dear Editor: The Scotch Plains–Fanwood School District recently prepared a draft for comment of the proficiencies for the June 2020 Comprehensive Health and Physical Education (CHPE) standards. The revised CHPE standards represent a substantial shift from the prior standards, entering deeper ...

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Dear Editor, Catholic Schools Week this year takes place January 29 to February 3. Holy Trinity School will host an open house on Jan. 29, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for grades PreK-2 through Grade 8. In 2019, Governor Murphy declared, during his signing of a proclamation honoring this ...

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Dear Editor,  Happy New Year to everyone! We ushered in 2023 on Monday at Borough Hall with our annual reorganization that saw the swearing in of Councilwomen Kathy Mitchell and Gina Berry. Congratulations to both of these dedicated public servants. It was with mixed emotions that I saw the ...

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Dear Editor: New Jersey is experiencing a rash of car thefts not experienced since the 1980s, when vehicles were easily hotwired and sent off to chop shops for cash windfalls. Today, with the enormous advancement in anti-theft technology, including keyless ignition and engine immobilizers, one ...

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Dear Fanwoodians, I hope you had a peaceful and joyous holiday! It was wonderful being with my family during Christmas and seeing so many of you doing the same this past week. One of the first things government does in the new year is to reorganize and welcome those elected in November. I ...

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Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! It’s a weekend of celebration and joy in our community and I hope you are able to spend it with family and friends. A reminder that you can still purchase luminaries benefiting the Rotary Club Saturday morning from 9am to 12noon. Our last Council meeting of ...

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Dear Editor: As we count our blessings this holiday season, my council colleagues and I want to take this time to thank our many volunteers who serve on our boards, commissions, and committees each year. Without the ongoing support from community volunteers, there is no way our township ...

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Dear Editor:   We are excited to welcome Santa to the streets of Fanwood Saturday, Dec. 17, on his annual door-to-door journey to deliver presents to our children. My heartfelt thanks to the volunteers of the Fanwood Fire Department and their families for organizing this annual event and to the ...

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Dear Editor: On December 7, flags in Scotch Plains were flown at half-mast until sunset to honor and remember the 2,403 Americans who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on what was supposed to be a calm morning in 1941. The brazen attack led to the United States ...

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Dear Editor, I so enjoyed meeting many of you at Sunday’s holiday celebration and tree lighting at the North Avenue train station. Our 130-year-old Norway Spruce tree was beautifully set aglow with brand-new lights. Thank you to the Recreation Commission for organizing the event and ...

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Dear Editor, A sure sign of the holidays is the arrival of Santa Claus to Fanwood! Join me this Sunday, December 4th, for our annual holiday event on the North Avenue lawn of the historic train station and library starting at 3:00 PM. Santa arrives to hear the wishes of our children followed by ...

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Dear Editor: At the last Council meeting, The Scotch Plains Township Council took action on the following matters that are designed to further improve the local quality of life. We set new procedures for our Fire Department to follow in anticipation of the arrival of a new ambulance ...

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Dear Fanwoodians, I urge everyone to make sure your vote is counted! Election Day is this coming Tuesday, November 8th.  You can still get your vote-by-mail ballot in. Here’s how. If you’re voting in person, here’s a map showing where your polling place is. It’s every American’s right to ...

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Dear Editor, I begin this week with an important announcement for some of our voters. Those of you who live in Fanwood Districts 6 & 7 (here’s a map) will vote at Forest Road Park on November 8th instead of the library. This is because the library is about to be demolished to make way for ...

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Following the harsh effects of Hurricane Ida in September 2021, I have heard from residents who say they have lived in Scotch Plains for decades, but whose homes and properties have experienced flooding only in the past several years. While the larger storms make the headline news, there are ...

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Dear Neighbor: Scotch Plains residents know that many parts of our community flood during extreme weather events or flash flooding.  This occurs despite the Township’s efforts to regularly clear brooks and sewers so that water stays far from private property.  Substantial work, however, remains ...

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