So, you started a business to blaze your own path. Headstrong, excited and full of ...
Letters to the Editor
By COUNCILMAN ROC WHITE
April 19, 2024
Dear Editor: As we work toward creating an even more compassionate and understanding community, I am pleased that there is substantial news to celebrate during National Autism Acceptance Month, marked each April. Later this year, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will begin allowing ...
Dear Editor: This week, the Borough Council and I said thank you to the many volunteers who serve on our town commissions and boards. We have 21 men and women who have been volunteers for ten years or more doing important work on the Board of Health, Library Board of Trustees, Environmental and ...
Dear Editor: Every year on April 12, I am proud to join in the national celebration to support organ and tissue donation by wearing blue and green. It is my opportunity to help spread awareness in Scotch Plains for Donate Life Month, a dedicated period each April to raise awareness about organ, ...
Dear Editor: As we celebrate Easter this Sunday, we are appreciative of the blessings of family and friends. The start of April, which begins on Monday, is also the beginning of Volunteer Appreciation Month. I thank our volunteers on the Rescue Squad and Fire Department for helping to keep ...
Dear Scotch Plains Residents: It is with great enthusiasm that I announce my intention to seek re-election as Mayor of Scotch Plains Township and I’m proud Councilwoman Ellen Zimmerman will once again be my running mate. Since taking office, we have worked tirelessly to implement policies and ...
Dear Editor: Since last fall, the Scotch Plains administration, directors, and chiefs have been focused on identifying big picture needs to present to the Township Council for consideration and potential adoption in the 2024 Capital Budget This is a detailed process involving internal ...
Dear Editor: As a Gulf War veteran, I was very pleased to learn the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is now providing health care services to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service. Beginning this week, they will now be able to enroll in VA health care – ...
Dear Editor, We are celebrating Women’s History Month this month, highlighting women who make our town great. I am very proud to be one of the many women mayors in Union County, supported by a majority female Council. Spring begins on March 19 and that means the start of our events ...
Dear Editor, Every March, we dedicate the month to celebrating the achievements of women throughout history and their ongoing contributions. Women's History Month serves as a vital reminder of the often-overlooked roles women have played in shaping life in Scotch Plains and beyond, as well as a ...
Dear Editor, As a resident of Scotch Plains for the past 25 years, I am proud of the power of our community. I have found comfort in knowing my neighbors will always look out for my family, as I will always look out for theirs. As Police Chief Jeff Briel wrote in his January 11 message in ...
Dear Editor, Last week I attended a meeting on the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education’s plans for a bond referendum. The bulk of the bond would be used to acquire 330 South Avenue, Fanwood, for a new SPF school due to a significant increase in students. This would be the first public ...
Dear Editor, Many of us will be enjoying a three-day weekend to observe President’s Day. The holiday falls on our regular Council meeting day, normally held on the third Monday of the month, so this month’s meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20. Council meetings are open to the public and ...
Dear Editor, Last week, my colleagues and I held the 2024 Budget Workshop. This public meeting provided another important opportunity for the governing body and residents to hear directly from the leaders of the town’s various departments about budgetary needs in the upcoming fiscal year. As ...
Dear Editor, Celebrating the beautiful diversity of our community starts with celebrating our deep multicultural history. My colleagues and I are committed to celebrating local history so that Scotch Plains continues to serve as a shining example of what it means for people of all races, ...
Dear Editor: February marks the annual observance of Black History Month in our country and in our community. Together, we delve into the rich tapestry of experiences, achievements and struggles of the Black community. It is a time to better understand the Black experience through history; from ...
Dear Editor: Under the guise of inclusion, our schools organized a professional development book club using a book originally entitled The Scar of David, written by Susan Abulhawa, who later renamed it “Mornings in Jenin”. An alert teacher questioned the book choice and made their experience ...
Dear Editor: I am writing to you as a concerned resident of Westfield, New Jersey, and a dedicated volunteer for the NJ Be SMART campaign, a public education initiative aimed at preventing child gun deaths and injuries by promoting responsible gun storage. In the wake of the recent gun ...
Dear Editor, Our area experienced a powerful storm Tuesday night into Wednesday that produced strong winds and flooding Tuesday night into Wednesday. Our Emergency Operations Center was activated at 4:45 pm. The borough experienced some minor flooding as the storm intensified around 11 pm. Our ...
Dear Editor: Sixty seconds. That’s the amount of time it would take you each night, before you go to bed, to make sure your house and property are secure. Use those 60 seconds to ensure your vehicles are locked, your ground-floor windows and doors are secure, your exterior lights are on and ...
Dear Editor: There is something special about this time of the year. The new year is a rebirth, a time to recharge, set goals and focus on what is most important for ourselves, our families and our community. I am proud to be submitting my fourth annual “Mayor’s Message,” which our town ...
Dear Editor, Happy New Year, everyone! Looking back on 2023, I saw a year of real growth and success for our town. We saw groundbreaking for our new library and major progress on the exciting new mixed-used project SOHO at Fanwood Station on South Avenue. The annual Santa Parade delivered a ...
To Our Scotch Plains and Fanwood Families (and beyond): We know that our students, teachers, and families are not just connected to our local community – you are part of a worldwide network of family, friends, and loved ones. In times of conflict, no matter how far away, we know that every ...
Dear Editor: By now, many of you have seen the communications from Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District and Scotch Plains Township that a number of drawn and etched swastikas were found at Terrill Middle School yesterday (Wednesday). Last night, I spoke with SPF Schools Superintendent Dr.
Dear Editor, This holiday season, I am grateful for the faith that the residents of Scotch Plains have placed in my colleagues and me on the Township Council to guide Scotch Plains on its path forward. Together, with our Township Manager’s office, the various chiefs and department leaders, ...
Dear Editor: In some areas of our community, when word of heavy rain is predicted, there is immediate dread. We have neighborhoods prone to floods, despite the ongoing efforts of our public works personnel to regularly clear brooks and sewers so that water stays as far from homes as possible.
Dear Editor: Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish citizens! At this very fraught time for many who have families and friends in the Middle East, I wish for a speedy path to peace for all those suffering in Israel, Gaza and elsewhere. Our Menorah lighting is set for Sunday evening at 5 p.m. on the North ...
Dear Editor: There are always many reasons throughout the year to visit downtown Scotch Plains and support our small business owners. But I would have to say the holiday season is when our downtown really shines. Scotch Plains is planning terrific seasonal events at the Alan Augustine Village ...
Dear Editor: I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend! We have so much to be thankful for here in Fanwood, including our vibrant downtown. This Saturday, join me in supporting our downtown merchants, restaurants and services for Shop Small Saturday. Kick off your holiday ...
For the past 14 years, it has been a true privilege to get to know the soldiers of the 102nd Cavalry, as well as their loved ones. I have also had the honor of working alongside some of the most dedicated and compassionate volunteers I have ever met. The Headquarters of the 1-102nd Cavalry ...
Dear Editor, I want to express my thanks to everyone who supported me for re-election as Mayor. It’s been my honor to be your mayor for 20 consecutive years. I look forward to four more years of service to our fabulous town. Congratulations to Councilmen Anthony Carter and Jeff Banks on their ...
