Your reporter’s article in the Hawk page 1 of the July 3 edition caught the same action of the mayor as I did as an attendee of that council mtg. The article noted that at the meeting, a resident read her poem, and our Mayor Blumenstock then announced, ……”(this poem) will be recognized as the offici...

As Cranford's youngest residents prepare for their summer break from school, the Cranford Police Department aims to partner with parents and the youth community to address two key safety concerns we have observed in recent months.Since January 2025, the Cranford Police Department has responded to ov...

I performed an OPRA request of Scotch Plains’ new and first ever tree ordinance. I found the new ordinance to be an interesting read. The thought that comes to mind is rules for thee, not for me. For years I requested Township Officials to implement a tree ordinance. My requests have always fallen o...

I paused my newly acquired internalized censor,whichwagsitsfingerwhenever I slip and say the “taboo” words: diversity, inclusion, or equity (DIE). A reflective pivot prompted me to wonder if that trio of words had DIEd, and is now replaced by uniformity, exclusion, and inequality.What happened to th...

I’m pleased to share that the Town of Westfield has once again prevailed in litigation brought by the Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development challenging the One Westfield Place redevelopment plan. This latest ruling affirms the previous court’s decision that the Town acted appropriately and...

Since I began my campaign for Mayor of Westfield, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what makes our town so special. At its core, it’s our deep sense of community. We are not only residents, but also neighbors and friends. We share spaces together, our kids play sports together, we dine toget...

Since Memorial Day, Westfield has celebrated so many facets of who we are as a community—from Pride and Juneteenth to honoring 150 years of service by the Westfield Fire Department. I’ve been reflecting on how these gatherings are a snapshot of what makes Westfield so special - a place where everyon...

We are very disappointed with the [Appeals] Court decision, as it did not address the merits of the One Westfield Place project or justifications for the taking of the Town’s train station parking lot areas, that we hoped the Court would consider given the lack of any meaningful consideration in 202...

Publisher, The San Fernando Valley (California) Sun/El Sol NewspapersThe United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering forAmerica Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. Da...

A collaboration with the Westfield High School Journalism Program