MAYOR'S UPDATE:
WEEK ENDING JULY 8

I hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend! It was particularly meaningful here in Westfield as we unveiled the first phase of the Westfield Veterans Banner Program to honor our local heroes in partnership with the Westfield Veterans Fund, a locally established 501(c)(3) organization. Many thanks to Councilwoman Mackey for spearheading this initiative, and to the volunteers and donors who have made this first round possible, including the Westfield Historical Society, WPD Chaplain Keith Gibbons, and residents Jennifer Blasi and Robert Wendel.

Residents wishing to contribute to this project can donate at bit.ly/Westfield-Veterans-Banners. 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 through Veterans Day, and will then return annually each Memorial Day.

In addition, families of veterans wishing to sponsor a specific banner can follow the Town of Westfield and The Westfield Veterans Fund Facebook pages for enrollment details about this next phase of the program, expected in September.

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

ROAD PAVING UPDATES

Thanks for your ongoing patience with the significant utility work happening daily in multiple parts of Town that results in road closures and detours. The Police Department sends out a Nixle alert each morning with the detour and road closure information, so please be sure to enroll (text 07090 to 888777) if you have not already done so.

The good news is that the utilities are responsible for paving the roads once their work is complete, at no cost to taxpayers. According to Elizabethtown Gas, they expect the following roads to be completed before the weekend:

• Dorian Road (Trinity Place to Westfield Ave)
• Stoneleigh Park 
• Shackamaxon Drive (Rahway to Westfield Ave)
• Washington Street (Rahway to Summit)
• Westfield Avenue (Dorian to West Grove)
• Everson Place (entire length)
• Beechwood Place (entire length)
• Rahway Avenue (Shackamaxon to Washington)

In addition, they have begun milling work in the following areas, which will continue into next week, followed by paving:

• Kimball Avenue (North Chestnut to Kimball Turn)
• Canterbury Road (entire length)
• Canterbury Lane (entire length)
• Winyah Avenue (Canterbury Lane to Linden)
• Jefferson Ave (dead end to Saunders)
• Linden Avenue (Oak to East Broad)
• Baker Avenue (Oak to Winyah)

As a reminder, you can view road paving updates on our website, as well as on the Town’s social media pages. You can also receive this information directly by subscribing to Town Updates or on the Notices tab of the Westfield Connect app. 

FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATES

The Fire Department will host an Open House for the public on July 14, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM, where residents can view equipment demonstrations, see the firehouse and operations, explore the fire trucks, and talk with our first responders. Thank you to Chief Duelks and his team for organizing what will be a great community event.

In addition, Chief Duelks is introducing the Westfield Fire Department’s first ever Youth Fire Academy on August 22 and 23 for Town residents from the ages of 12 to 14. This is a free program run by the Westfield Fire Department, where participants will learn lifesaving skills and what it takes to be a firefighter. Space is limited, with applications closing on August 1. For additional information, please email fire@westfieldnj.gov, or call 908-789-4130.

POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATES

Chief Battiloro advises that there has been a recent increase in vehicle thefts and attempted vehicle thefts in the Westfield area, which included the theft of a Land Rover from a driveway on Lynn Lane on July 2, and the theft of a Porsche Macan from the parking lot of Nomahegan Swim Club on July 3. Both vehicles were unlocked with key fobs in them at the time of their thefts.

On the afternoon of July 7, there was an attempted theft of a vehicle parked on Harrison Avenue, which was also unlocked. As always, please lock your vehicles and remove your keys fobs, regardless of the hour of the day. In addition, Chief Battiloro reminds residents to never confront suspected perpetrators, but instead call the Westfield Police Department immediately via 9-1-1.

COVID-19

This week, Union County is showing moderate COVID activity and New Jersey has now aligned their transmission level map to mirror the CDC’s. The changes include providing an activity level per county (not just region) and considering the hospitalization rate and open ICU beds into the algorithm. 

This week, New Jersey saw a daily average of 2,420 confirmed cases (down from 3,845 cases four weeks ago and 3,621 cases eight weeks ago) and five average daily fatalities (down from 11 four weeks ago and 8 eight weeks ago). Statewide, New Jersey had an average of 884 hospitalizations this week, which is an 11% increase in two weeks. Overlook reports 17 hospitalized patients last week. The rate of transmission is currently 1.04. 

The local COVID activity level for Westfield is moderate. There were 283 cases reported during the month of June (down from 509 in May). Sadly, there were also two fatalities last month in individuals older than 75.

Similar to what we are seeing nationwide, New Jersey is also seeing an increase in BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants, with cases of BA.5 doubling in the past two weeks. The percent positivity is 15.92%, which is lower than the 40.83% we saw in January at the peak of the Omicron surge

Statewide, daily immunizations averaged 4.9K a day (down from 7.9K a day four weeks ago). 81.2% 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. 

During the month of June, 58 vaccinations were given by the Health Department, and they continue to provide vaccines through home visits, pop-up clinics, and  appointments. The department has also begun providing COVID vaccinations to those aged six months and up, with both Moderna and Pfizer being offered for this age group. Appointments can be booked online, or by calling 908-789-4070. The Health Department also distributed over 1,250 home test kits to local child care centers, senior housing authorities and residents in need. They will be distributing more as additional supplies are received.

In addition, this week New Jersey has reported nine monkeypox (MPX) cases. Yesterday, LabCorp began testing for MPX as well and it is anticipated cases may continue to rise. MPX is not believed to be as easily spread as COVID-19 and the risk to the general public is low at this time. More information on MPX can be found on the State Health Department's website. The Health Department will be closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to administer vaccinations to any identified close contacts if indicated.

PAINT BY THE POND

The Union County Board of County Commissioners, the Department of Human Services and the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, and the Town of Westfield invite Union County residents of all ages with special needs to participate in Paint by the Pond on Saturday, July 9, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Mindowaskin Park. Registration is available on the Union County website.

WELLNESS INITIATIVE

Our Health Department is sponsoring a Wellness Initiative for Senior Education for residents 60 and older who are looking for an opportunity to learn how to stay healthy and meet new people. They will cover many topics about the aging process and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The program runs every Tuesday at 10:00 from July 12 through August 16 at Westfield Memorial Library.For more information, or to register, call Amy Lewis at 908-789-4070, ext. 4080, or email alewis@westfieldnj.gov.

ONLINE ACCESS TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WITH YOUR LIBRARY CARD

Westfield Memorial Library is pleased to announce that you can now access The Wall Street Journal from your smartphone, tablet, or computer with your library card. This new service allows you to read the daily online edition of the newspaper, including articles, images, opinion pages, and advertisements from any device in any location that has Internet access. You will also have access to the WSJ archives back to 1998. This service can be accessed on the library's website.

BLOCK PARTY INFORMATION

It's block party season! Before hosting your neighborhood gathering, be sure to follow the Town's procedures to obtain all necessary approvals. You can find full details, as well as a fillable application, on our website.