westfield

Letters to the Editor

March 18, 2024

Dear editors, I am writing to support, wholeheartedly, current Board of Education president Sonal Patel in her re-election efforts for Westfield’s Board of Education. As a longtime friend and fellow educator, I have witnessed Sonal’s respect for, and dedication to, the Westfield school system ...

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The Union County Manager has proposed a 1.75% tax increase. For the average Westfield resident, that is in excess of $325. Coming on top of last year's $500 school tax increase and the proposed $347 school tax increase, residents are looking at a total INCREASE of almost $1,200 a year. It is ...

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Another year and another “vote” to raise school taxes. The current proposal could weigh down taxpayers with an additional $347 on top of last year's $500 increase. How about finding ways to increase productivity or efficiency or eliminating wasteful spending programs? How long until Westfield ...

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Dear Editors, We are writing to express our enthusiastic support for Julie Steinberg as a candidate for the Westfield Board of Education. Our family has lived in Westfield for over 12 years. Our children grew up together, and throughout the years, we have witnessed firsthand her unwavering ...

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In the world of high school athletics, there are coaches, and then there are those rare individuals who transcend the title. In the realm of track and field, one such luminary shines brightly: Coach Chris Tafelski. In a sport that celebrates individual achievement, he has fostered a team culture ...

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I am a 25-year resident of Westfield, NJ and was absolutely appalled by the display by Mayor Shelley Brindle during this week's town council meeting. The mayor began the meeting by reading from a court document and sharing the details of the case brought by taxpayers to block the massive ...

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Dear Editor, I am a proud resident of Westfield and have called it home for eight years. We have a wonderful community full of some truly incredible people — people who make a difference in the world beyond our town. It’s been an amazing experience living here and developing relationships with ...

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A recent article highlighted: “S1253 would establish an elementary school wellness program that uses therapy dogs. Therapy dogs that have been trained and registered to a handler would provide ‘animal assisted therapy’ in classrooms. The program is a part of state initiatives to improve student ...

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Another year and another “vote” for higher school taxes. Last year, 9% of eligible voters passed a $500 per year increase and now they are back! Scheduling a vote in April instead of November is a deliberate tactic to force higher costs on the 91% of taxpayers who either voted against it or not ...

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I write in response to recent assertions made regarding the effectiveness of our council, particularly in addressing the concerning rise in home break-ins and car thefts within our community. The newly elected council members have diligently assessed the efforts made by the previous majority and ...

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The following is a brief excerpt of a three-page letter that was read to the mayor and town council on Feb. 13, 2024. I am a licensed professional engineer who is affiliated with the Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development. We have tracked over 20 large construction projects that have been ...

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Dear Editor,  I am writing to express my concern about the recent influx of illegal immigrants using towns like Fanwood, New Providence and Westfield as a pathway to the supposed “sanctuary” of New York City. It is evident that the Democratic administrations overseeing our communities, ...

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On Feb. 12, our newly elected Republican council members issued a press release for a crime bill without even giving their Democratic counterparts any advanced notice. If the legislation is so helpful, why wouldn't they solicit support for it? There does not seem to be any plan or desire on ...

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If you are a resident of Westfield, it is absolutely vital you review the Facebook Live Westfield NJ replay of the Town Council Meeting from Jan. 2, 2024. Our town has, in the past, been based on democracy. The current mayor has curtailed and even eliminated not only our residents' chance at ...

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A recent article on four crashes in Westfield cites inattentive driving as the cause. Well, that may be, but driving in Westfield these days, since the pandemic, has become a challenge. People no longer respect the hexagon red and white sign with the letters S T O P as a rule, but treat it as a ...

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Mayor Brindle's advocacy for one seat ride is directly opposite to her support of the One Westfield development. One Westfield will reduce parking space making it more difficult for commuters to get to the train. Even if you are fortunate enough to get a parking space, waiting to get into and ...

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As the dust settles on the November municipal election, the new question is what will be the impact for Westfield and its residents? With a 4-0 sweep electing new representatives, the voters signaled a strong disapproval of the mayor and council’s One Westfield Place (OWP) redevelopment ...

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“I’m afraid to tell my classmates I celebrate Chanukah,” a 7-year-old shared with her parents and then with me last week. “I’ve taken off my Star of David necklace,” a high school student confided. “I’ve changed my name on Uber to sound less Jewish,” a college student shared. “When I walk down the ...

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My brother James Ward and I spent last Saturday with our families dropping off turkeys to people who may not otherwise have been able to afford them. It’s a Thanksgiving family tradition that has grown over the years. We operate and manage apartments, including senior housing. Twenty-five years ...

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I recently attended a meeting at the home of Dorota Mani, alongside concerned parents and residents concerning the alleged AI deepfakes distributed at WHS. During this gathering, Mayor Brindle expressed the need for more police reports to investigate this issue. However, it raises the question: ...

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I would like to thank the residents of Ward 2 for electing me to town council. I am honored to have the confidence of your vote to represent and serve the Ward 2 residents as well as all the residents of Westfield. I would also like to thank my opponent, Ms. Erika Vargas-Garrison for running an ...

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I’ve practiced First Amendment law for more than a decade — first, in D.C. and now in New York. I’ve represented newspapers from New York to Australia. I teach media law at Fordham Law School and regularly publish scholarship on the history of the First Amendment. I believe deeply in that Amendment ...

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Citizens for Responsible Athletic Field Development (CRAFD) would like to thank the dozens of Westfield, NJ residents who helped us successfully petition for a referendum on the bond ordinance to fund the Edison Field Project in the spring of 2023.  We’d also like to thank the thousands of people ...

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I'm not interested in playing music or loud partying. But the surprising results of the recent election in Westfield echoed how I felt, and how I felt the majority of the citizens of this town felt, about the direction our administration was taking and the process that was being used. A small ...

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The outcome of the election for the Ward Four Council seat was the result of a lot of hard work over the past seven months. Getting our message out to voters required dedication and discipline from our campaign volunteers. I want to thank them, first and foremost, as I would not have been elected ...

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We are lifelong voters who have been voting since the 1968 Democratic primary, when we cast our ballot for Robert F. Kennedy. Since we moved here 32 years ago, we have crossed party lines locally to vote. We welcome the improvements that began in 2018, when a new administration took the helm ...

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I first met Councilman Scott Katz across the table at a dinner party in 2018. It was a large group having a robust discussion about the nation and the world, and Scott was lamenting that there needed to be more quality people in government. I told him if he wanted good people in government, he had ...

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What would Thomas Edison think of the sports fields project hatched by Councilman and Chair of the Public Works Committee, Scott Katz, along with the town’s recreation department, in consultation with the town’s private sports clubs, and supported and approved by our mayor and town council?  Mr.

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I have been a registered Democrat from the time I became eligible to vote. That changed when I encountered the Westfield Democratic Party led by Mayor Shelley Brindle. From Day 1 of her first campaign I have felt that much of her approach to governing has been disingenuous, and frequently ...

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I am proud to write a letter in support of Dr. Michael Armento, a candidate running for Westfield Town Council’s Ward 2. I have known Dr. Armento for over 22 years and I can assure you that he is a good man as well as a fine physician. Dr. Armento and I worked together at Children’s Specialized ...

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