Gabby Molina from Westfield has been named to St. Lawrence University's Dean's List for ...
Letters to the Editor
By NEIL R. BROWN
October 24, 2022
Dear Mr. Kean, Among the many important public policy questions you've been asked and have refused to answer during this campaign are your views on draconian changes to social security and Medicare being proposed by Republican Party congressional leadership. There are more than 100,000 social ...
Here’s a lesson plan for the educators comprising our Board of Education should they decide to partner with the Town Administration on the Edison Fields Project. Lesson #1 It’s OK to talk out of both sides of one’s mouth in order to achieve one’s goals. Westfield advertises itself as being a ...
I wholeheartedly support Amanda Como’s candidacy for Westfield Town Council. I have worked closely with and advised hundreds of NJ elected officials of both Parties on the county and municipal levels over the past 40 years. Those experiences have given me uniquely informed insight into the ...
October 18, 2022 Dear Westfield Public Schools Community, On August 30, 2022, the Board of Education approved the contracted services of The Madison Institute to facilitate our District through the Strategic Planning process. We are excited to begin this important endeavor which will bring ...
I am writing in support of Emily Root for Ward 1 Town Council. I have known Emily for several years and throughout that time she has always been a thoughtful, engaged member of this community. When I learned that she was going to fill my vacated seat on the Council, I felt confident that she would ...
Authenticity is an important part of local politics - we hope that the person who's elected from our neighborhood, our ward - is someone who can relate to the issues we might be having and can empathize with, assess and articulate those concerns in a local government forum. In Westfield's case, ...
Dear Editor, After viewing the town council meeting on Oct. 12, and liaising with several members of the town council, it has been made very clear that the majority of town administration are satisfied by CME’s report, as-is, without any adjustment. In my first letter, I pointed out the high ...
It’s been nearly 16 months since the Edison Field Project was first proposed to the Town Council. Back then, meetings were virtual, and COVID vaccines were still rolling out. Much has changed since then, but many elements of the project have not. The project still plans to install 50% ...
I have sat through one forum and two debates between Tom Kean Jr. and Tom Malinowski and every time I hear these words, or talking points, "Abortion on Demand," I am furious! Furious because this statement insults every woman in our district and in our country as a whole. This idea that women ...
As a Westfield resident with a house on Dudley Avenue, I am accustomed to occasionally having more cars on my street than other areas of town. In addition to being the home of Roosevelt Intermediate School, Dudley Avenue serves as a cut through between North Avenue and Mountain Avenue. Therefore, ...
I will be casting my vote for Amanda Como again this year. I believe if more residents exercise their right to vote, she will be our next Councilwoman in Ward 1. I’m not sure residents in our ward are aware of just how close she came to winning the last election. Amanda received 44% of the ...
In 2006, my wife Maria and I were looking for the right town to raise our newborn son and future family. We considered Westfield out of many towns in New Jersey for its small-town feel, vibrant downtown, and reputation for an excellent school system. Overall, we decided Westfield was the best place ...
In June 2021, the then President of the Westfield Board of Education regrettably allowed local politics to infect the proceedings of the Westfield School District. This contagion, otherwise known as The Edison School Multipurpose Fields Project, was memorialized in a letter of intent and joint ...
It’s an incredibly exciting time for One Westfield Place. After three years immersing ourselves in the community, HBC | Streetworks Development had the privilege of sharing our proposed plans for the redevelopment of the former Lord & Taylor building and town-owned parcels on the north and ...
Dear Editor, As a participant in a review call with CME Associates on July 12, I was thankful for an opportunity to represent town citizens like myself, and very hopeful for outside expertise to be applied to the research of this project - expertise that would be independently conducted and ...
I supported Amanda Como last November (and wrote about it), and I am doing it again this November too. I’ve voted Democrat for a long time. As someone whose expertise is in team dynamics and leadership development, the best team is not the team who is made up of people who all think, or in the ...
As a proud and committed Democrat who strongly supports Mayor Brindle, I’m proud to also support Amanda Como for Town Council (as I did last year) in Ward 1. I applaud Amanda’s perseverance and continued show of dedication to Westfield residents. Amanda is unflappable, kind, strong and thoughtful.
On Saturday evening we had a fire in the chapel of the James Ward Mansion. The Westfield Fire Department arrived within three minutes and the fire was extinguished. The fire and the sprinkler system activation caused damage and the second floor and atrium were flooded. I knew we had a wedding ...
It is my pleasure to endorse my friend and colleague, Emily Root, for Town Council representing Ward 1 this November. The attributes of a fellow speech language pathologist are ones that I know would be beneficial to anyone serving on our Town Council. Speech language pathologists are ...
When considering the proposed Edison Field Project, the Town Council, Board of Education, and residents should consider the total cost of ownership for the project. Both the town council and the board of education need to approve the project if it is to move forward as currently conceived. Town ...
At this week’s Town Council meeting, HBC | Streetworks Development, the owner of the Lord & Tayor site, presented their plans for the development of their property, as well as the North and South Avenue municipal parking lots. Branded as “One Westfield Place,” this potentially historic project ...
I hope everyone had a nice summer and settling into the new school year. Following is very important information regarding the future of Westfield. In November 2020, over my opposition, the Mayor and Town Council designated the North Avenue and South Avenue train station parking lots, together ...
In 1626, the Dutch paid the equivalent of 60 Dutch guilders (approx. $1,000 today) to Native Americans for the island of Manhattan. It is considered the worst real estate transaction ever, until possibly now. The Westfield Town Council is attempting to lease 6 acres of property behind Edison ...
Dear Editor, I was fortunate enough to participate in the summer program run by the New Jersey Workshop for the Arts. I was also able to receive the Youth Employment Grant from the NJWA, which was funded by the Westfield Foundation. The NJWA is an amazing nonprofit that gives music lessons and ...
To The Editor: My sister Juliette Clemens (who is the owner, her son Daniel Clemens, my grandson Michael Brand and myself Susan Brand plus the three dogs — Haley, Jeff and Shadow — want to thank all the first responders to the fire that destroyed our home last week. There are not enough words to ...
The cost of the Edison Field Project, which intends to install 6 acres of artificial turf and stadium lighting behind Edison Intermediate School, is estimated (by the Town) to be $9 million. The stated intention is that the Town of Westfield will issue a bond to cover the cost of this ...
We write this letter to correct any misrepresentations regarding the role of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) in the Prospect Street/Ferris Place redevelopment project. The Town asked HPC to meet with the developer regarding the plans for the Prospect/Ferris redevelopment because it ...
To Mayor Brindle and Council Members Contract, Dardia, Katz and Parmelee: With extreme disappointment do I address this letter to you, our elected representatives who chose to respond to ONE property owner while discounting the pleas of those 1,200 fellow Westfielders who asked you to consider ...
Dear Editor - I am writing to commend our town government for the smart, forward-looking development planned for the corner of Ferris and Prospect. Like many of you, I have been interested in seeing how this unfolded over the past couple of years to make sure it fits with my view of what we ...
In Re: Union County Deer Hunt: 229 Deer Harvested in 2021-22 Cull Dear Editors, I was disgusted by your use of the euphemistic term "harvested" in the article about the deer hunt, as if deer were some inanimate crop. Journalistic integrity requires you to be more honest about what is really ...
