MAYOR'S UPDATE:
WEEK ENDING JUNE 3

Today is Gun Violence Awareness Day, which comes at a particularly difficult time, as our country grapples to find common ground policy to put an end to the mass shootings that continue to plague communities as a uniquely American problem. While there is much work to be done in Congress to pass common sense gun reform legislation, the work starts with each of us. This morning, I was joined by Chief Battiloro as I signed a proclamation recognizing National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Westfield, and encourage you to attend a rally in Summit this afternoon to demand federal action on this issue. You can find the details about it here.

Please make your voices heard by contacting our representatives and, if you can, consider donating to Everytown for Gun Safety, or go to their website to find information on specific action you can take to end gun violence. 

On a separate note, I’d like to once again thank all those who participated in the Memorial Day events on Monday. After a two-year hiatus driven by the pandemic, it was a great day for our community to come together and honor our fallen heroes. I’m very grateful to all those who made it possible, and you can read my full remarks from the ceremony here.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

FARMERS MARKET

THE WESTFIELD VETERANS BANNER PROGRAM

The Town of Westfield is proud to partner with the Westfield Veterans Fund, a locally established 501(c)(3) organization, to introduce the Westfield Veterans Banner Program, which will honor local veterans with banners displayed in Downtown Westfield.

Phase 1 of this program is expected to begin on July 4, when the first 30 banners will be displayed on poles adjacent to Monument Circle, along East Broad Street, North Avenue, and South Avenue. The service details for these initial 30 veterans have been identified and verified through the resources and cooperation of the Westfield Historical Society. 

Community sponsorship opportunities are now available to fund the cost of the banners. Donations can be made directly to the Westfield Veterans Fund. The suggested donation is $125 (the cost of a banner), although any amount is appreciated and helps the Westfield Veterans Fund make these banners a reality for the community. 

The banners are expected to remain on display from July 4 through Veterans Day, and will then return annually each Memorial Day. In the coming months, a submission process will be made available, where residents can provide service information about additional veterans to be included in subsequent phases of the program as it continues to grow.  

Thanks to Councilwoman Dawn Mackey and to resident volunteers Jen Blasi, Joe Mindak, and Robert Wendel for their work on the Town’s behalf to assist the Westfield Veterans Fund with this important community effort.

PRIDE MONTH

Happy 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 to celebrate the inclusive spirit of Westfield. 

Thanks to Judy and Jeffrey Rust for donating Pride flags to distribute to all participants walking from Town Hall to the rainbow crosswalks.

COVID-19

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, all regions in the state are currently in high levels of COVID activity.  

The state’s average for daily confirmed cases is down 19% from a week ago, but still up 36% from a month ago. The rate of transmission is currently .96 as this most recent wave appears to have peaked. Union County had an average of 226 daily cases reported during the past two weeks, up from 173 a month ago. Statewide, New Jersey had 928 hospitalizations reported yesterday, which is the highest number in three months. Overlook Medical Center reports 26 hospitalized patients with COVID for the week of May 26 – up from 13 reported a month ago.

For the month of May, there were 509 COVID cases reported in Westfield (up from 294 in April). The pediatric cases can be broken down as follows:

• Under age 5: 32 cases
• Ages 5-9: 40 cases
• Ages 10-14: 58 cases
• Ages 15-19: 24 cases

In addition, 66 residents age 65 and older tested positive this month. 

Statewide, daily immunizations averaged 7.9K a day (down from 12.2K a day four weeks ago). Currently, 80.8% of all New Jersey residents age five and older are fully vaccinated. Additional breakdowns of vaccination statistics by location and age group can be found on the NJ COVID-19 Dashboard. 

This week, the Health Department will be pre-ordering vaccines for those under five, as they anticipate being able to start immunizing this age group by the end of June. They have also distributed home test kits to all child care centers. 

During the month of May, 113 vaccinations were given by the Health Department, and they continue to provide vaccines through home visits, pop-up clinics, and appointments (schedule at westfieldnj.gov/vaccine-appointments or by calling 908-789-4070). 

TOUR DE WESTFIELD

Our resident community biking event, Tour de Westfield, returns on Sunday, June 12! Join us 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 is required (and is filling up quickly).

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. 

PRIMARY ELECTION

New Jersey’s Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 7. Registered voters can participate in three ways:

• Vote By Mail 
• In-Person Early Voting
• In-Person on Primary Election Day

For details on each option, refer to the attached graphic, or visit unioncountyvotes.com.

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL

After a very successful first session in April, the newly formed Girls Flag Football league will host another mini camp on June 5 from 11:00 - 12:15 in Tamaques Park, where girls can become familiar with the sport – no prior knowledge or football experience necessary.

Started by residents Kelly and Dave Hantman, with assistance from Jamie and Chip Parks, as well as many others, Girls Flag Football will have its inaugural season this fall for girls currently in grades 1-6 (grades 2-7 in the fall of 2022). 

Please reach out to Kelly Hantman with any questions, or to discuss volunteering or sponsorships. For additional information, visit the PAL website.

PIZZA RUN

The DWC’s Pizza Run is back for its 20th year on Monday, July 18! Registration is open for this favorite downtown summer tradition at downtown.westfieldnj.gov/pizza-run-2022.

ROAD WORK

As you can see, our utility companies are very busy completing infrastructure upgrades in several areas of Town, which often cause detours in order for them to complete their work safely. While these detours can certainly be an inconvenience – especially when we’re seeing the gas, water, and electricity companies all working at the same time – the good news is that they will be required to pave the roads they dig up as part of the 2019 ordinance we adopted. 

We will continue to provide updates as they are made available to us in order to help minimize the inconvenience. To stay up to date on road work and related detours, be sure to subscribe to Nixle alerts by texting 07090 to 888-777. 

MEMORIAL POOL OPENS THIS WEEKEND

It’s opening weekend at Memorial Pool, and our wonderful staff is ready to kick off another great season! As a reminder, the hours for June 4 through June 22 are 4:00 - 8:00 on weekdays, and 10:00 - 7:30 on weekends. From June 23 through September 5, weekday hours are 12:00 - 8:00 (kiddie area opens at 10:00 AM) and weekends are 10:00 - 7:30.

Thanks to a very enthusiastic response from the community, membership is now filled to capacity for the season. If you are interested in joining the wait list, visit our website.

CROSSING GUARDS

As labor shortages and COVID infections continue to impact our crossing guard staffing levels, the Town will continue to focus its current available resources on the posts with the highest pedestrian volume, which are those closest to the schools. As a result, the following posts will be unstaffed for the week of June 6:

• 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, as we preserve sufficient police staffing levels for ongoing public safety needs and any unanticipated emergencies. 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.