westfield

Candidate Statements

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 ...

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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 ...

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March 25, 2024

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 ...

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March 23, 2024

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 ...

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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 ...

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November 6, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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November 4, 2023

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 ...

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November 1, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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October 25, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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.

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September 10, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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September 3, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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July 3, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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June 9, 2023

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 ...

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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 ...

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April 19, 2023

Like many of our town residents, I haven’t paid too much attention to town politics over the years. I always figured that it involved mundane issues about budgets and ordinances and assumed that town governance would take care of itself out without impacting my life in any significant way.  All ...

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April 19, 2023

March 23, 2023

I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Westfield Board of Education. My wife, Lauren, and I have two daughters enrolled in the Westfield Public School District and I know firsthand the quality of our teachers and schools and the challenges that face the district.  I believe that school ...

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November 1, 2022

Dear Westfield friends and neighbors,   As we enter the last week before Election Day, I want you to know what a pleasure it has been meeting and discussing the issues of importance with so many of you.   I’ve lived in town and have been consistently serving our community for over 14 ...

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November 1, 2022