Gabby Molina from Westfield has been named to St. Lawrence University's Dean's List for ...
Letters to the Editor
By ANDREA RICHARDS
January 4, 2023
As a doctor, I see the development of a town a bit like plastic surgery — a little touch up here and there, done gradually over time and with restraint, and you end up a perky and revitalized version of yourself (disclaimer: I’m not a plastic surgeon!) Too much all at once and you become shockingly ...
To the Westfield Community — On behalf of myself and HBC | Streetworks Development, I hope your holiday season was filled with warmth, celebration and much-needed connection with friends and family. As we enter 2023, we continue to invite you to our Preview Center to share your voice and ...
Westfield Wonderland The holidays are over, but one song keeps playing over and over in my mind, especially when I think about the One Westfield Place overdevelopment project (with apologies to original songwriters and for rhythmic stretches). Crosswalks click, are you listenin' On the one ...
I believe in smart development and In fact, I’m not against logical well-planned growth. However, I’m also a Preservationist and I believe that proper growth must take into account a town’s character and historical context if they have it and Westfield, as one of the oldest towns in the United ...
Dear Editor, I’m a third generation Westfielder, and work as a consultant in finance. I’m writing this letter because I believe Westfield has a great opportunity to become a better town through the One Westfield Place PILOT, and am surprised to see some of my fellow residents opposing it. I know ...
Dear Editor: It is amazing that Westfield struggles with positive change today as much as it did 62 years ago when the Town Council met to take a vote on a controversial zoning change that would significantly alter the town. The Council was set to extend the business district some 600 feet west ...
When HBC | Streetworks Development came to Westfield four years ago, it was with tremendous optimism for the long-term value that our development would bring to this beautiful community. As a long-time landowner and placemaking developer with over 40 years of experience, we understand the process ...
Ever since “One Westfield Place” (the sales office run by the Streetworks Development team) was announced, the Mayor made a point to publicly invite all residents to visit them downtown. However, securing an appointment online was impossible. I tried three times and never heard back. Finally, ...
Westfield's Franklin School Cub Scout Pack 172 made cards and decorations for the troops serving both at home and overseas. The Cub Scouts are one of the many organizations and classes throughout Westfield, Cranford, Kenilworth & Scotch Plains-Fanwood that participated in making more than ...
Mayor Brindle, Town Council and BOE- As a taxpaying resident, I would like to request that the Edison turf field vote be made null and void. A majority of taxpayers were not represented in that vote. How could they be? The only council members/Ward reps, as far as I could see, that actually ...
Editor's Note: This letter was unpublished Friday, Nov. 4, at the request of the writer and replaced with this article.
As long-time residents of Westfield, we know there are many reasons why our town is consistently ranked among the “best places in New Jersey” to live and raise a family. We enjoy the quality of life that Westfield offers with its classic suburban town atmosphere. And a large part of that enjoyment ...
The Westfield Town Council and Streetworks have proposed a redevelopment plan termed One Westfield Place that encompasses both the 7 acres currently owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC: the former Lord and Taylor (L&T) building and its parking lots on both sides of North Ave and Clark St) as ...
For anyone supportive of the Edison Project, seeing communications from the Mayor, or following the town's webpage about the project, there's a distinct message being pushed — that PILOT payments coming from Westfield Crossing will pay for the majority of the Edison Project. The mayor has ...
Mayor Brindle, Members of the Westfield NJ Town Council and Board of Education Members, I read the Mayor’s Update dated Nov. 4. I have also heard the moving speeches from our student athletes. I get it; we need more athletic fields. After years of neglecting the school grounds which we have used ...
To the Westfield Community, This week, the FBI in Newark issued a warning of “credible information of a broad threat” to the Jewish synagogues in New Jersey. Thankfully, due to the efforts of our law enforcement agencies, this particular threat was mitigated, but unfortunately the level of ...
Over the past five years, I have taken a pragmatic approach to being your Mayor, focusing on solving problems, easing your tax burden, and moving our town forward. I am proud of my administration’s fiscal stewardship, delivering the lowest average tax rate in the Town’s history while maintaining ...
Open Letter to Mayor Brindle, Town Council and Westfield Board Education Please do not install any more artificial turf fields in Westfield. Plastic grass pollutes, creates heat islands, off gases methane and ethylene, contributes to more red tides and algae blooms, puts more micro plastics into ...
In February 2018, only a month into her term, Mayor Brindle canceled the Town’s proposed Tamaques Park field improvement plan, a proposal that would have renovated and added additional field space with lights to Tamaques Park. At the time, Mayor Brindle said she only needed a year to propose a new ...
I have been fortunate to call Councilwoman Emily Root my dear friend for over 20 years. Emily was my very first Westfield neighbor and my first friend in Westfield. But we share so much more. We both attended New York University graduate school and chose professions that help those in need. We ...
Six years ago, we came together to determine how we could push back against the worst impulses of the newly elected president and minimize the damage he could do to our country. Thankfully, we weren’t alone—we’d already gathered hundreds of likeminded, passionate neighbors on social media. How ...
I’m voting for Amanda Como on Nov. 8 to bring balance to the Town Council. Amanda brings unparalleled compassion and dedication to serving the Westfield community. More importantly, her independent perspective brings a needed diversity of opinion on the Town Council during this critical juncture ...
Voters in Westfield and especially those living in Ward 1, this is an important election. It is pivotal for residents to vote. Outside of our local elections, there are campaigns promoting this election as a way to “defend democracy.” To me, democracy is having a government where the power is ...
Although I’m a lifelong Democrat and haven’t missed an election since I’ve been able to vote, I really haven’t felt much need to dig into local politics. In general that’s because I’ve felt that my perspective on most Westfield issues was shared by my representatives. That changed when I saw the ...
I met Amanda last year when we were both running for council on the same ticket. Right away, I was impressed with her organization, knowledge of issues, and ideas. Amanda has been serving Westfield for over a decade, as a small business owner, coach and volunteer for various school and ...
Artificial turf field proponents often question why residents who are advocating for the creation of high quality natural grass athletic fields, designed and maintained for sports activities, have not suggested ripping up Kehler Field, Houlihan/Sid Fey and turf fields in surrounding ...
I’d like to share why I’m opposed to the Edison Fields Plan, a perspective I’ve formed over the past 16 months listening to Ward 3 residents, reading countless studies/reports, and talking to industry experts. I fully support the need for more field capacity in Westfield – but the best way to ...
As we head towards decision-making on a project that’s roughly one-third the size of the town’s tax levy, to turf and light 250,000 square feet at a middle school – the best decision makers would take a step back and ask their peers “what am I missing?” to avoid an echo chamber and group ...
I am writing to endorse Councilwoman Emily Root for Ward 1. Emily was unanimously appointed by our Town Council in April to fill a vacant seat, and I have had the pleasure of working with her as a colleague for almost seven months now. Emily is smart, thoughtful, compassionate, dedicated and ...
My young family made Westfield our home 45 years ago. We looked forward to putting down permanent roots here based on the town’s reputation, charm, city-commuter options and convenient downtown. So we took the financially terrifying plunge into our money-pit old house ideally located halfway ...
