For some time now I have been thinking about writing a letter to the editor to help address some confusion about how municipal government works.After reading our new Councilman Kiefer’s letter in the Tap, I realized that, as we enter a new legislative year, now would be a good time.I was interested ...

There they go again! Santa Claus apparently paused his round-theworld trip a few weeks ago to hand out plenty of goodies to state and county government officials in the form of outrageous pay raises. Unlike the ugly sweater or the tacky knick-knack, however, we the people who pay those government sa...

2023 has been a remarkable year for new beginnings and significant accomplishments in Westfield!As I do every year, I’d like to take this opportunity to share what we accomplished over the past 12 months to reassure and remind taxpayers that your government and volunteer elected officials are workin...

Do you have a bucket list? What’s on your list: Exotic travel to see the Taj Mahal in moonlight or Bali for a stay in a tropical aerie? Does your list include daredevil adventures such as parachuting from a small plane, running a marathon, bungee jumping, or parasailing? Or dyeing your hair purple, ...

As we begin a new year full of hope and optimism, we are incredibly proud that New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage is now over $15 an hour. When we first began our work together in January 2018, New Jersey’s minimum wage was only $8.60 per hour. Today, thanks to the bill signed into law in February ...

A collaboration with the Westfield High School Journalism ProgramStop Competing, BringBack the Casual Music FanI have found myself too often in a situation where I am talking about music to someone, and suddenly I am forced to pick who my favorite artist is or what song I like the most. It isn’t the...

At the stroke of midnight Monday, we’ll ring in a brand new year, full as it always is with anticipation, resolutions, and more than a little mystery. This year, for many, it comes with more trepidation than usual, given the wars being fought abroad that feel so close to home. What will 2024 hold fo...

After dinner out with friends, one announced that she always re-enters her apartment building by taking the curved and not the straight walkway. “Why?” we asked with amused and perplexed expressions. “Because that’s the one I took when our condo purchase offer was accepted, and I’ve been happy livin...

STATE – New Jersey’s 50th governor and its only woman governor, Christine Todd Whitman stopped by campus Nov. 30 to talk to Brookdale Community College students.Gov. Whitman, who was elected in 1993 and served two terms before become administrator of the Environmental ProtectionAgency in President G...

There has been a recent increase in accidents in our local towns involving pedestrians, with two in less than a week in Westfield, one that took the life of a dog — our hearts go out to these people and their families.This time of year is particularly dangerous for drivers and for pedestrians alike....