Did you know you can make the simplest changes to improve your finances?  Wills and estate planning – Amazingly, many individuals and families have a spouse, children, and substantial assets but an outdated or even no will at all. There are vast dangers in ignoring estate and probate law – failure to be proactive can have catastrophic results. Skilled attorneys and financial professionals can ask you the right questions and help you avoid these potential pitfalls.  An end to debit cards – Aside from ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — As the 2017-2018 school year comes to a close, the popular Ron Bansky and Associates Allstate Westfield Athlete of the week series highlighting student athletes at Westfield High School will pause for the summer. Located 502 East Broad St., the Ron Bansky and Associates Allstate Agency has been protecting local families and business owners for more than 15 years. Owner Ron Bansky, a Westfield resident, is known for the role he plays in the local community. He is a member of the Westfield Boosters ...

Learning to trust again after trust has been broken takes time, healing and work.  Trust can be broken in many ways including being cheated on, betrayed, lied to, left out, or a break-up. When someone breaks our trust, we no longer trust anyone.  This leads to isolation, loss, depression and unhealthy patterns in relationships.  On the other hand, others will find that someone and assign total trust in them as a way of repairing the hurt they have just experienced.  It is important to recognize that no one is perfect, we ...

On this week’s AtlantiCast, you’ll find some can’t-miss back to school tips for parents and students, learn about a new treatment for brain injury, see which Atlantic Health System medical center is the only one in New Jersey to make a new, national list, find out how to avoid “avocado hand,” and much more!  

Renowned breast surgeon, Rebecca C. Yang, M.D., has joined Atlantic Breast Associates at Overlook Medical Center and Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, part ofAtlantic Health System Cancer Care.  Dr. Yang, who is a board certified general surgeon and fellowship trained breast surgeon, joins Atlantic Breast Associates from her role as director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Lahey Medical Center in Massachusetts. As a full-time breast surgeon, Dr. Yang focuses exclusively on the care of women with malignant and benign ...

Big changes are in store for New Jersey’s workplaces, with dramatic legislation aimed at improving conditions for New Jersey’s workers. These changes include the enactment of New Jersey’s Equal Pay Act, a new law to help the unemployed, and passage of New Jersey’s Paid Sick Leave Act. Most likely one or all these laws will impact you or someone in your family. New Jersey’s Equal Pay Act Starting this month New Jersey will have the strongest pay equity law in the nation. Governor Murphy and the state ...

The Westfield High School Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the 2019 National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis next March, as part of the Music for All National Festival which organizers say “celebrates outstanding music-making by the nation’s finest high school and middle school scholastic ensembles.” “This is by far a momentous accomplishment for our instrumental music program,” says WHS band director Christopher Vitale.  “This is the first invitation for our school and we are only ...

Let’s see who wins and who may lose. We have all heard a lot about the new tax plan. Depending on your individual financial situation, you may have a positive or negative take on the tax bill. But how does it impact real estate? That also depends on a few things, like where you are buying a house, how much money you have, and what you intend to do with it. The new tax plan has had a negative response to the American dream by some real estate professionals & groups. But are these fears surrounding the new, lower cap ...

The heating and cooling system is one of the most important systems in a home, which is why the home inspection may include a detailed exam of this equipment. Here are common problems homeowners encounter: Filters:If filters aren’t changed regularly, air flow can become blocked, causing problems with heating and cooling functions. Leaks:Any leak can be a precursor to a larger problem, like a cracked heat exchanger, which converts fuel to heat. If the exchanger breaks, it can release dangerous gas into the air. A leak in the ...

Westfield attorney Greg K. Vitali, of the law firm Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., has been selected as a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America (“CLSA”). Vitali is a partner in the firm’s construction litigation group with an emphasis in the areas of commercial and construction law. A 1994 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, Vitali received his Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1997. Vitali regularly appears in the New Jersey Superior Court, the ...

‘Titus Andronicus’ roars with bloody revenge at Shakespeare Theatre By Liz Keill MADISON, NJ – “Titus Andronicus,’ considered one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest, torture-filled plays, nevertheless receives a spellbinding production at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Tautly directed by Brian Crowe, the tale of deception, betrayal and loss keeps its pulsating edge, clearly defined plots and counter-plots throughout. All the actors are superb.  Heading a large cast are Bruce Cromer as Titus, ...

Did you know…. there was a time when Chatham kids could ice skate from downtown Chatham all the way to Florham Park? And that a toboggan ride could last from the top of Fairmount Avenue down to Main Street and beyond? Those were the days! This was back in the early to mid-1900s. The Passaic River meandered through grassy meadows and woods on the north side of Chatham. The marshy flood basin surrounding the Passaic, the freshet, provided acres and acres of open space to skate on. Reportedly half the town could be found skating on ...

UPDATE: Owner found. ORIGINAL POST: Dog found in Kenilworth. Call 908-267-7178.

Name: Anna Mastroianni Years in Westfield: 16 Work: Owner Sole Fine Italian Shoes, 201 East Broad Street, 908-654-7800 Anna Mastoianni has filled some pretty big shoes in her day and not just because she’s the owner of the exquisite Italian shoe store Sole in Downtown Westfield. Turns out the Hollywood stunt double has a resume that would make your head spin, literally. “One of my first jobs was racing a cherry red ’57 Chevy and stopping just inches away from a mailbox for the daytime drama Another World,” ...

The latest Star Wars movie was a flop relative to expectations, but the epic drama of Global Trade Wars lives on.  Tariffs are terrible for you and me. If a tariff is placed on goods and services within a certain industry, companies will try to pass on the cost to the consumer by increasing prices. If unsuccessful, profit margins will be squeezed. A government’s attempt to be protectionist in the short term, ultimately becomes a tax and impedes consumer spending in the long run. How Did We Get Here? Attempting to forecast the ...

There were 18 homes sold from Aug. 5 to Aug. 12 in Westfield, Scotch Plains, Mountainside, Cranford and Fanwood: TOWN                  ADDRESS             STYLE                   RMS       BRS        ...

The 2019 New Jersey budget that Governor Phil Murphy recently agreed to contains changes and tax increases for businesses. The reforms are quite complex. A few key highlights: An increase in the income tax rate to 10.75 percent for taxpayers with income of $5 million and above Significant corporate business tax changes, including: A surcharge of 2.5 percent for the next two years (2018 and 2019) and 1.5 percent for the following two years (2020 and 2021) for corporations with income of $1 million or more A complicated ...

This week's feature will focus on TAPinto Paterson's franchisee, Steve Lenox. Find out how the current owner of a public affairs firm went from a former State Director for Senator Frank Lautenberg to a proud TAPinto franchisee for New Jersey's third largest city.   Q. When did you join TAPinto.net? I joined TAPinto.net in September, 2017.  Because TAPinto Paterson existed under previous owners the site was already live, allowing me to get more comfortable with content creation and ...

If you are facing your first holiday after an important person in your life has died, it’s not too early to come up with a plan. Watching others who are feeling thankful and are celebrating when we feel overwhelmed, lonely or sad can be very painful. Holidays force us to realize how much our lives have been changed by the loss of our loved one.    The first step in coping with grief at the holidays is to acknowledge that the first holiday season is difficult and then to prepare for it in advance by making specific plans ...

The last week of January marks Catholic Schools Week across the country.  It is a time to celebrate the unique traditions and academic excellence of Catholic schools.   Catholic schools allow parents to educate their children in a faith- based environment.   At Saint Joseph High School, the administration practices a holistic approach to education, nurturing not only the academic side of the scholastic experience, but tending to the spiritual, physical and emotional requirements of each young man. “We ...

Facebook recently announced it will be changing its feed and algorithms so that news from publishers and posts from businesses will be relegated in favor of posts about your neighbor’s cat.  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook is making these changes because he is concerned about his legacy and that of the company he founded. If Mark Zuckerberg is truly worried about his legacy and that of Facebook, casting legitimate news publishers and businesses into the abyss will only further tarnish ...

Who is more important, the Jew or the Jewish people? Is it Reb Yisroel or am Yisroel? In last week's parshah we read the first chapter of the Shema. This week, we read the second. Yet there are so many similarities between the two. In fact, certain sentences are virtually identical. Why would the Torah, normally so cryptic, be so repetitious? If one examines the text closely, a significant distinction between the two chapters becomes immediately discernible. The first chapter is in the singular and ...

The Westfield Area YMCA is proud to announce that Pamela Gedman, Chief Instructor of Gedman’s Black Belt Academy, has become the 2018 World Champion in Sparring in the Woman’s 40-49 year old 4th and 5th degree black belt division. ATA Martial Arts, the world’s largest organization dedicated to teaching martial arts to all ages, held its World Expo July 9-15 in Little Rock, Arkansas. During the Tournament of Champions held July 12-13, the Top Ten competitors in each division competed for the prestigious title ...