First Congregational Church of Westfield is pleased to host a free webinar on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 3 p.m. with special guest Patricia Dulinski, a local Westfield resident and family law practitioner. Attendees will be guided through the ins and outs of simple estate planning, including three essential documents: Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney and Living Will. During the presentation, Patricia will explain the importance of a Will for any person who owns property and/or has children. She will also discuss ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield High School shot put and discus thrower junior Maggie McCauley recently placed second in the Union County Championship meet with a shot put throw of 34-feet, 9-inches. McCauley, who also set a school outdoor record for shot-put with throw of 36-feet, 2.25-inches, is this week’s Ron Bansky and Associates Allstate Westfield Athlete of the week. Assistant Coach Sam Haimmon said that McCauley has shown steady improvement throughout the indoor season, putting in a lot of hard work, both in the ...

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ-- A mother/daughter relationship is one of the most important ties each will have in her lifetime.  Many women have difficult relationships with their mothers and daughters, even when they want good relationships.  A mother may wish her daughters happiness, yet --- from the point of view of her daughter, she acts quite opposite.  A mother may describe her daughter’s choices as failures criticizing her clothes, her music and friends. Understanding the relationship is critical to young adult girls and ...

While it wasn’t an easy decision, you finally came to the conclusion that you could use some extra help caring for your parent. But now you feel overwhelmed again with all the “what ifs.” Where do you go from here? First, take a deep breath; then read on for some helpful tips to navigate senior home care. Finding the right caregiver When you’re inviting a new caregiver into your parent’s home, it’s bound to introduce some anxious feelings. Knowing as much as possible beforehand can allay many concerns ...

Yes, we know. We dedicated an entire article recently explaining why your success (or lack thereof) has nothing to do with luck. We’re not reversing course. In fact, we’re doubling down. Success isn’t about luck in the truest sense of the word — success or failure brought on by chance. While there are outside factors that can contribute to the success of your business or your career, there is a lot you can do to help propel yourself and your company forward. That’s what we want to explore today. Think ...

Children have not been the only people learning online during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social media is full of photos and stories about how-to classes that people have taken during the past 13 months — knitting, wine-making, canning and painting come to mind. The group experience is still there and the students are safe, at a remote location.  Recently a group of novice watercolor painters Zoomed into “The Virtual Watercolor Workshop: How to Paint Flowers” presented by the founder of The Art Studio NY, artist Rebecca ...

People with atrial fibrillation (AFib) are five times more likely to have a stroke than the average person. In this Community Conversation, Atlantic Medical Group cardiologists Timothy Mahoney, MD, and Michael Katz, MD, answer your questions on managing AFib and reducing your risk of stroke. See all of Atlantic Health System's Community Conversations at: https://www.atlantichealth.org  

WESTFIELD, NJ -- Students in Holy Trinity start learning to write in cursive in the second half of second grade. As they progress through each grade level, cursive writing is used more than printing.  This year students from grades 3 to 8 participated in the 30th anniversary year of the Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest. Holy Trinity is proud to have two state winners, Natalie Isola, grade 3 and Caoimhe Gorham, grade 6.  Both students will now be entered into the next level to compete for the Grand National ...

It took several hours, eight traffic routes, 45 teachers and 12 staff members from the Westfield Public Schools and the Westfield Department of Public Works to deliver 387 signs to surprised and delighted Westfield High School seniors on May 10. The massive feat of organization and collaboration was the latest in a series of monthly surprises provided by the WHS Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) to celebrate the Class of 2021.  “We started in January and have provided a surprise to every senior monthly,” ...

Update: Watch Bo the Dog, Missing 10 Days, Get Reunited with His Family Have you seen Bo, who went missing in Plainfield on March 13? He is a male, black dog with some white coloring, he weighs 50 pounds and is 6 years old. Owners Craig and Sheila say Bo will be afraid, so please do not chase him. He was wearing a blue collar when he went missing, and he is microchipped. Posts on Scotch Plains-Fanwood Facebook groups indicate Bo has been spotted at the Scotch Plains YMCA, Shackamaxon and St. Bart's. If found, please ...

“All that glitters is not gold.”  — William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Bitcoin — A Primer “Fiat” is a term derived from the Latin meaning “Let it be done.” The US Dollar, like all major global currencies, is a fiat currency. This means the US government merely declared the dollar is legal tender as opposed to the previous standard of backing the currency with gold. The value of a dollar is determined by a host of intangible factors such as history, supply and demand, and ...

Congratulations -- you and your child have both done your parts. You’ve saved diligently in a 529 account, building tax-free money to pay for education.  Your child has studied hard and been accepted to a school where she’ll thrive. Now what? How do you connect the dots between that 529 account and paying the cost of your child’s education with tax-free dollars? Here, we focus on post-secondary education, with step-by-step instructions. Can you use the 529 at your child’s school? If ...

Information provided by Susan Massa Broker Associate, Keller Williams Realty Westfield, NJ, 908-400-0778. TOWN               ADDRESS                       STYLE                RMS     BRS             ...

The Union County Board of Commissioners encourages Union County residents to help keep County parks free of litter, by reducing their use of single-use plastic bags and other disposable plastic items. “Spring is in sight and visitors will be returning to the County parks and we are asking everyone to pitch in and help preserve the environment in our green spaces.  Plastic bags and straws are the most significant source of ocean pollution, so taking steps to diminish litter has a positive impact on our wildlife habitats and our ...

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application deadline formally changed from March 31 to May 31 when President Joe Biden signed the extension into law. The additional 60 days provided by the bill will greatly help small businesses, not-for-profits, and the CPAs that serve them complete existing PPP loan applications and file new ones. The extension act also provides the SBA time to address significant loan application process challenges, including confusing validation and error codes, delayed guidance, and changes to the PPP loan amount ...

Like it or not, the idea that “all politics is local'' is no longer reality. Instead, local government has been poisoned by the toxic political environment once confined at the state and federal levels. Local reporters used to be shielded from the national political discourse, in part because municipal elections typically don’t include Rs or Ds next to candidate names—and even when they do, as the saying goes: "There is no Democratic or Republican way to fix a pothole."    Read more here.

SAYREVILLE, NJ -- Brandon Bielak, a Sayreville native who played his high school baseball at St. Joseph High School (Metuchen), took the mound for the Houston Astros against the Yankees Tuesday evening in a hostile Yankee Stadium, where fans released their anger over Houston's sign-stealing scandal became public following the 2019 ALCS. Bielak had the thrill of pitching in the Bronx for the first time as a Major Leaguer, taking over in the 5th inning for former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. However, it was a ...

Once there was a small town consisting of only a few Jewish families. Between them, they had exactly ten men over the age of bar mitzvah. They were all dedicated people, and they made sure that they never missed a minyan. One day, a new Jewish family moved in to town. Great joy and excitement; now they would have eleven men. But a strange thing happened. As soon as they had eleven, they could never manage a minyan! When we know we are indispensable, we make a point of being there. Otherwise, "count me out." This ...

Although nothing can replace the love and support of friends or family, sometimes you need to grieve on your own. Here, we take a look at five grief apps that may help you understand death and the emotions you’re experiencing when adapting to life after the loss of a loved one. We have even featured a few apps that can help children handle their grief. My Grief Angels My Grief Angels is an app with the objective of creating a global community, for people to be there for one another during their difficult times. The ...

EDISON, NJ-- April is National Poetry month, and throughout the month second grade students at The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison read, studied and wrote various poems. Typically, the second graders hold a “Poetry Cafe” where they perform in front of a live audience of family members. However, due to COVID restrictions this year, the students took their performance to Zoom.   All students dressed up in either beautiful dresses or dress slacks, button down shirts and a tie, donned a face shield, so they could ...

After a year of isolation, remote learning and missed extracurricular activities, teens and young adults have more reasons than ever to gain a summer job.  According to the American Camp Association, the essence of camp is in the human relationships forged in a safe, caring and supportive environment. Being part of that staff team develops hands-on leadership skills and the chance to be a positive role model influencing the emotional lives of kids who have had anything but a normal year.   The Westfield Area YMCA has always ...

Is there enough inventory for the number of buyers fleeing to the suburbs? The answer is no. There are a number of reasons for this lack of available homes. Some potential sellers are concerned about the safety of showings. Others wonder where they will go if they sell their home. Or they are overwhelmed at packing up many years of “treasures.”  Just give me a call and I would be happy to help you navigate all your concerns!