MAYOR'S UPDATE:
WEEK ENDING MAY 20

Thanks to everyone who joined us on Sunday for the Westfield Mental Health Council’s inaugural Walk for CAKE (compassion, acceptance, kindness, and empathy) and Mental Health Fair in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m grateful to the many volunteers and to WMHC liaison Councilwoman Linda Habgood who made this happen, and to Bovella's, Cinnaholic, Farinolio, Kirsh Bakery, Victoria's Cake, and ShopRite for providing the treats. It was particularly gratifying to see so many high school students in attendance. What a terrific event to support being a stigma free community!

This week is National Public Works Week, which recognizes the importance of public works in our communities. Here in Westfield, we are extremely fortunate to have the level of professionalism and dedication exhibited by our Department of Public Works, led by Director Greg O’Neil. Our DPW is charged with the responsibility for keeping the physical resources of our municipal government functioning. From leaf collection, to road maintenance, to repairing broken sewer mains, and making sure that park facilities are clean and usable, the DPW impacts the lives of Westfield's residents on a daily basis. During times of emergencies, such as storms or blizzards or any other crisis, our dedicated DPW employees put in many extra hours, often at night, on weekends or on holidays, to keep the Town of Westfield operating safely. The department is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and consists of four divisions: The Roads Division (led by Supervisor Eugene Watkins), the Parks & Fields Division (led by Supervisor Rich Eubanks), the Downtown Division (led by Supervisor Craig Gibson), and the Forestry Division (led by Supervisor Rob Kosciolek). I’d like to extend my thanks on behalf of the entire Town Council for the tremendous job they do for the community.

As a reminder, the Town Council will meet on Tuesday. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

PIZZA WITH THE POLICE

NEW SERVICES FOR SENIORS

Thanks to Lifelong Westfield for hosting Tuesday’s “Meet the Chiefs” event with Police Chief Battiloro and Fire Chief Duelks. Participants were able to learn about two new programs available to seniors in the community:

• File of Life Form: This form, completed on a voluntary basis, details a senior citizen’s current medications, health conditions, allergies, insurance, and emergency contacts, and is hung on the resident’s refrigerator for Police, Fire, and EMS to easily access in the event of a home-based emergency.
• Fire Safety Inspections: Seniors can register to have a home fire safety inspection conducted by the Fire Department, where they will identify any potential fire safety hazard improvements that can be made.

For additional information, or to participate in these programs, please contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 908-789-4145 or fireprevention@westfieldnj.gov.

PRIDE MONTH

June is Pride Month! Join us on Thursday, June 9, at 5:00 PM, to raise the Pride flag at Town Hall. We will then walk to the rainbow crosswalks with our participating middle and high school students, and gather for a photo as we have done the past few years. I’m looking forward to celebrating the inclusive spirit of Westfield -- all are welcome to attend!

HPC COFFEE AT THE KIOSK

Come for the coffee, stay for the history! Join members of the Historic Preservation Commission this Wednesday, May 25, from 7:00 - 9:00 AM for free coffee at the South Avenue train station in celebration of National Preservation Month! They will be highlighting the recently restored news kiosk among the Town's recent preservation successes. Special thanks to George Garcia, manager of Kiosk by Boxcar, for donating coffee for the occasion. 

Dating to 1893, the Union News Company kiosk is believed to be the last of its kind still in operation and serves as "a physical remembrance of a time when newspapers controlled the flow of information throughout the United States and the railroad controlled the country’s mobility,” according to the historic designation report.

TOUR DE WESTFIELD

Our resident community biking event, Tour de Westfield, is back for its second year! Save the date for Sunday, June 12, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, for activities that include a three-mile family bike parade led by the Westfield Police Department, a WPD Bike Safety Rodeo, the Tour de Tots for younger children on tricycles, and the Bling Your Bike contest. This year we are featuring a new activity for our more adventurous bikers called the Tour de Tricks, where children nine and older can learn how to jump a curb or see a wheelie demonstration up close. Jay's Cycle will also be on hand to perform safety checks on your bike

Entertainment will be provided by The Spinners, and food for purchase will be available from local businesses. Based on last year’s turnout, we are expecting a great day! Advance registration will be required – look for more information soon from the Recreation Department.

Thanks to the Recreation Commission & Department for organizing this event, in collaboration with the Westfield Police Department, Green Team, Bicycle Advisory Board, BRAKES Coalition, and Downtown Westfield Corporation. 

COVID VACCINATION CLINIC 

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine booster for children ages 5 to 11. All children in that age group who received their second shot at least five months ago are now eligible to receive a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The Health Department will be hosting a COVID vaccination clinic on Thursday, May 26, from 3:00 - 6:00 in Town Hall, where they will be offering these boosters, as well as first and second doses to those eligible.

INFO SESSION ON THE OPIOID CRISIS

Thanks to the Westfield Mental Health Council and the Municipal Alliance, in partnership with the Rutgers Interdisciplinary Opioid Trainers, for hosting an informative session about the opioid crisis in New Jersey. Each year, roughly 3,000 people die from a suspected drug overdose in New Jersey. Learn about this crisis, how addiction is a brain disease, and the science behind medications for opioid use disorder. This event will be held on June 1 at 7:00 PM, and you can register here. 

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

Please join us for the return of the Memorial Day Parade on May 30, run by the Martin Wallberg American Legion Post 3. Registration for those who wish to march is open on our website through Wednesday, May 25. 

The Grand Marshall of the parade is First Sergeant Joseph W. Toomey, a 34-year member of the NJ National Guard and currently the 1SG for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Regiment of the 102d Cavalry Squadron, located in Westfield. 

Here are the event schedule details:

• 8:00 AM: All parade participants to line up at the east end of Lord & Taylor
• 9:00 AM: Memorial Day traditional solemn ceremony in Monument Circle
• 9:45 AM: Parade begins down East Broad Street and proceeds left onto Euclid Avenue, ending at Mindowaskin Park
• 11:30 AM: Memorial Day service at Fairview Cemetery (1100 E Broad Street)
• 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Picnic with live music and entertainment at the American Legion Hall (1003 North Avenue)

For additional information, contact James McDonald at jamesmc150@gmail.com or 612-910-4100. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Joe Mindak at 201-410-8282 or joe@finnconnective.com.

DWC LEADERSHIP

At Wednesday night’s DWC Board meeting, Executive Director Bob Zuckerman announced his resignation, effective June 3, to accept a position as Executive Director of the Red Bank RiverCenter as his family relocates to Asbury Park. I would like to thank Bob for his professional insight and many valuable contributions during his tenure at the DWC. Bob began his job at the DWC in March of 2020 – the worst time imaginable, as the pandemic forced the closure of many downtown businesses for an extended period of time. He immediately got to work, serving as an important liaison between our businesses and the state and federal government to explore and communicate all funding options and available resources to keep our local businesses afloat. As we slowly came out of the pandemic and saw businesses re-open, he played an integral role in the execution of Open Quimby – providing additional outdoor dining and retail space, as well as community programming, to drive increased foot traffic at a critical time for our business community.

Now, two years later, we are in the midst of what is clearly a positive trajectory in our downtown, with more than 30 new openings and expanded businesses this year – representing a broader diversity in dining, retail, and professional services. Bob and the entire DWC Board are to be commended for laying the groundwork over the last two years for this revitalization, which is only just beginning. 

DWC Chair Lew Kimble will be forming a committee to conduct a formal search for a new Executive Director, with additional details coming shortly. In the meantime, I am proud of what the DWC has accomplished under Bob’s leadership in partnership with the Town, and am grateful to Bob for his ongoing dedication – I wish him all the best in his new endeavor!

GRETA'S RUN

I hope to see you at Greta’s Run on Sunday, where I’ll be kicking off the 5k! There’s still time to register – whether you run, participate in the Memory Walk, Wheelchair 5k, or even virtually. The event will feature food, music and local vendors cheering on the walkers and runners at the finish line, with all proceeds supporting Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss. Full info, including the route map where streets will be closed from approximately 10:00 - 1:00, can be found on their website. 

FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK

I was thrilled to be invited to Heather Bloch’s Readers and Leaders STEAM class at Franklin School this week where I had the opportunity to read “Grace for President” as well as a proclamation in recognition of Food Allergy Week. The students drafted the proclamation themselves as part of their curriculum, and we talked about what it means to be “a good food allergy friend,” and how everyone can play a part in raising awareness of an issue that affects so many.

CROSSING GUARDS

As you know, labor shortages and COVID infections from this latest wave continue to present challenges across geographies and industries, and unfortunately our crossing guards are no exception. As a result of these factors, as well as off-duty personal injury cases impacting staffing levels, the Town must once again temporarily reduce the number of crossing guard posts in order to preserve sufficient police staffing levels for ongoing public safety needs and any unanticipated emergencies.

Current available resources will be focused on the posts with the highest pedestrian volume, which are those closest to the schools. As a result, the following posts will be unstaffed the week of May 23:

• Elm Street/Walnut Street
• East Dudley Avenue/Lawrence Avenue
• Kimball Avenue/Mountain Avenue
• Boulevard/Clifton Street
• Boulevard/Park Street
• Boulevard/West Grove Street
• Central Avenue/Cambridge Road (HAWK Light)
• Clifton Street/Central Avenue/Sycamore Street
• Scotch Plains Avenue/First Street

We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause, and we remain in ongoing contact with All City Management Services (ACMS), who manages our crossing guard program, as they continue to train new recruits to fill some of these vacancies as quickly as possible.