The votes have not all been counted yet in the recent school board elections but, as ...
Candidate Statements
By JULIE STEINBERG
April 12, 2024
My name is Julie Steinberg and I am running for Westfield Board of Education. Mental health needs have sky-rocketed here as well as nationwide. Students and staff are overwhelmed and the full scope of the problem is still being assessed. Here in Westfield, we are lucky to have a district ...
By JULIE STEINBERG
April 10, 2024
Managing growth with costs is a concern I take seriously not only as a BOE candidate, but as a Westfield resident, home owner and taxpayer. As a financial services professional with more than 20+ years of experience, six of which were spent with a Big 4 accounting firm, I am not afraid of ...
By JULIE STEINBERG
April 10, 2024
By JULIE STEINBERG
April 2, 2024
My name is Julie Steinberg and I am running for the Westfield Board of Education. Many moons ago, I was a Director for my kid’s Jefferson Jubillee performance. We all had a great time dancing to Everything is Awesome from The Lego Movie. So many of the kids loved the theme because truly, ...
By JULIE STEINBERG
March 27, 2024
My Name is Julie Steinberg and I am running for the Westfield Board of Education, election April 16. As a parent, the point of entry into your child’s educational experience can be both exhilarating and terrifying. The excitement of the first day of school combined with the bittersweet ...
By JULIE STEINBERG
March 27, 2024
By JULIE STEINBERG, CANDIDATE FOR WESTFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION
March 25, 2024
Hi, my name is Julie Steinberg and I am running for the Westfield Board of Education. One improvement I would like to propose is to increase dual credit in our public schools. Dual credit is a policy that NJ and other states have been encouraging that allows students to: Earn high school ...
By JULIE STEINBERG, CANDIDATE FOR WESTFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION
March 25, 2024
By LINDSAY BEZALEL, CANDIDATE FOR WESTFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION
March 23, 2024
My name is Lindsay Bezalel, and I am running for the Westfield Board of Education. Eight years ago, my husband, JJ, and I moved to Westfield. We’ve had the pleasure of watching our boys Noah, age 10, and Ezra, age 8, thrive at Lincoln and now, Franklin Elementary School, both in the classroom ...
By LINDSAY BEZALEL, CANDIDATE FOR WESTFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION
March 23, 2024
By JULIE STEINBERG
March 20, 2024
My name is Julie Steinberg and I am running for the Westfield Board of Education. My husband and I have lived in Westfield for 12 years and raised two children, aged 15 and 18 today. Both of our children benefited from Westfield schools Jefferson, Edison, Westfield High School. My mom, a ...
Candidate Statement: Julie Steinberg, Candidate for Westfield Board of Education, Introduces Herself
By JULIE STEINBERG
March 20, 2024
By MICHAEL ARMENTO, MD FOR WARD 2
November 6, 2023
It has been an honor and privilege to run for town council and to be able to meet and talk with so many wonderful residents. I have developed a keen sense of what concerns many of the residents which includes the excessive development of our town, traffic, parking, safety, transparency and ...
By MICHAEL ARMENTO, MD FOR WARD 2
November 6, 2023
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
November 4, 2023
As an educator, union leader, and pastor, I understand what it takes to serve and enhance the quality of life for others. As a recent recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Voluntary Work this past August, I have renewed enthusiasm to volunteer my services to Westfield to ...
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
November 4, 2023
By MICHAEL ARMENTO, MD, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR WARD 2 TOWN COUNCIL
November 4, 2023
I have been a resident of Westfield for almost 30 years. I care deeply about the town that I have raised my two children in. I want it to progress while keeping the charm that it is well known for. This election is crucial for the future of Westfield. It has been said our platform is just about ...
By MICHAEL ARMENTO, MD, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR WARD 2 TOWN COUNCIL
November 4, 2023
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON, WESTFIELD WARD 2 COUNCIL CANDIDATE
November 1, 2023
Over the past six months, I've had the opportunity to knock on doors and speak with my neighbors about their concerns and ideas ranging from paving to public safety to traffic and congestion concerns to keeping our small-town charm. One thing that was made clear to me by my neighbors, is that ...
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON, WESTFIELD WARD 2 COUNCIL CANDIDATE
November 1, 2023
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
October 30, 2023
Over the last few weeks my heart has been heavy as I haven’t stopped thinking of the people and families affected by the horrific events in Israel. As an African American woman, the antisemitism experienced by Jews around the world and in our community is eerily familiar to me. I know what it feels ...
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
October 30, 2023
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
October 30, 2023
A local drone pilot recently shared aerial photos and video on social media of Westfield featuring the steeple of the Presbyterian church on Mountain Avenue. I agree with everyone who has seen the images and commented on how beautiful our town looks from the bird's eye view of a drone. But what ...
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
October 30, 2023
By TODD SAUNDERS (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 1), DR. MICHAEL ARMENTO (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 2), MICHAEL DOMOGALA (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 3) AND DAVID KIEFER (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 4).
October 25, 2023
During this week’s Town Council meeting, our Mayor responded to what she called “misinformation” from the Republican candidates running for Town Council. Putting aside for a moment whether it is appropriate for our Mayor to use her elected office to insert herself into the ongoing campaigns for ...
By TODD SAUNDERS (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 1), DR. MICHAEL ARMENTO (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 2), MICHAEL DOMOGALA (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 3) AND DAVID KIEFER (CANDIDATE FOR WARD 4).
October 25, 2023
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
October 16, 2023
As a Ward 1 Councilwoman who campaigned door to door last year, and again this year, I have spoken to hundreds of residents throughout the community. I can say the vast majority of people I have spoken with love living in Westfield and appreciate how fortunate they are to live in a town with a ...
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
October 16, 2023
By SCOTT KATZ
October 10, 2023
Thank you UNICO and the Italian American Club for co-sponsoring this event, and congratulations to Gabe Spera being named Grand Marshal. I am Scott Katz, acting mayor of Westfield, and I appreciate the opportunity to be here today representing our mayor Shelley Brindle and the town of ...
By TODD SAUNDERS
October 3, 2023
My name is Todd Saunders and I am running for Westfield Town Council in Ward 1. A neighbor today asked me why I am running for Ward 1 Town Council and my thoughts on One Westfield Place. With my commitment to transparency, I wanted to also share my answer here. - My family has been here ...
By TODD SAUNDERS
October 3, 2023
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
September 21, 2023
Stolen cars entering Westfield might as well have a license plate that reads “STOLN CAR” because that’s how obvious it is to our patrol officers. Over the past several years, the mayor and town council have invested in Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) technology which, as the name ...
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
September 21, 2023
By TODD SAUNDERS
September 21, 2023
My name is Todd Saunders and I am running for Town Council in Ward 1. The November election means more to me than just a Town Council election. To me, the future of Westfield is at stake. This town means so much to me. I promise to think critically and ask the hard questions regardless ...
By TODD SAUNDERS
September 21, 2023
By SCOTT KATZ
September 10, 2023
As your councilman and a candidate, I focus my energies in Ward 4 and the town of Westfield mostly on running the town and addressing your needs as residents. Now, I’d like to take a moment to tell you a little bit more about me. One of my interests is food and cooking, particularly barbecuing.
By EMILY ROOT
September 7, 2023
I hope everyone will have, or had a fantastic first day of school! Our kids have returned to college – our oldest to start her senior year at University of Rhode Island and our sophomore back to Michigan State University. It is that time of year, when kids of all ages are getting ready for ...
By EMILY ROOT
September 7, 2023
By SCOTT KATZ
September 7, 2023
Welcome back to another exciting school year in Westfield. As a dedicated councilman and a proud parent, I am thrilled to extend my warmest greetings to all of you as your children embark on a journey of learning, growth and community. Both of my children have had the privilege of attending our ...
By SCOTT KATZ
September 7, 2023
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON
September 3, 2023
Growing up, I loved going back to school. Of course, I loved the freedom and fun of summer, but there was always something special about reuniting with friends, trying on new sneakers, covering new books and returning to the structure of the classroom. I still feel that excitement now as my ...
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
August 1, 2023
I am running for Town Council with a clear vision: a thriving Westfield with high quality of life for all while continuing to hold the line on property taxes. Key to this vision is not only smart downtown development but also crucial small-scale improvements throughout our town, including ...
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
August 1, 2023
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON, WESTFIELD WARD 2 CANDIDATE
July 3, 2023
First let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July. While this is the time of year for BBQ’s, fireworks and parades, we should also remember what this holiday truly celebrates. It’s a celebration of us, of Americans and the great country we have all made together over ...
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON, WESTFIELD WARD 2 CANDIDATE
July 3, 2023
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
June 14, 2023
I remember as a little girl my parents would take my siblings and me shopping in downtown Westfield. I fondly recall walking past stores and restaurants and enjoying the ambiance of the community. Many years later, those fond memories led me to make Westfield my home. I chose to live in this ...
By DAWN NICHOL-MANNING
June 14, 2023
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON
June 11, 2023
My husband, Rob, and I have lived in Westfield for over 15 years, and are the proud parents of Maya, a seventh grader at Roosevelt Intermediate School. I grew up in West New York with my family who immigrated from Ecuador in the 1970’s in search of better economic opportunities and living ...
By ERIKA VARGAS-GARRISON
June 11, 2023
By COUNCILMAN SCOTT KATZ
June 9, 2023
It has been my honor to serve Ward 4 residents for the past four years on the Town Council, where I’ve worked with my colleagues to spearhead projects and initiatives that have moved Westfield forward. I joined the council at the start of the global pandemic which gave me a crash course on the ...
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
June 8, 2023
Since I was appointed to the Town Council last year, I have worked to earn the support and confidence of Ward 1 voters. I was honored when voters elected me to a one-year term in November, and it has been my privilege to serve for the past year. As I run for reelection for a full, four-year ...
By COUNCILWOMAN EMILY ROOT
June 8, 2023
By CHARLES GELINAS
April 20, 2023
My Pledge to Westfield My name is Charles Gelinas. I am running for Westfield School Board. From talking to teachers, coaches, parents, staff, counselors, therapists, community members and students this year, I am convinced we need to do a better job making sure everyone feels heard, and ...