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Community Corner

New Columnist is all About Town

Welcome to "About Town," a new column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what the town's talking about. Check in often, because we will be updating often. And if you see something...say something

Good morning Westfield! I am Lori Kaplan (Koslowsky is my maiden name), the new About Town columnist for Westfield Patch.

John has already filled you in on what About Town is all about. He did a great job last week getting the column up and running, but there's a new Blue Devil in town and now we're really going to have some fun!

So, just to show you my Westfield chops, I will tell you a little bit about me:

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I've lived in Westfield my whole life. My father, Dr. Seymour Koslowsky, is a dentist here in town. He's been working in Westfield since I was two.

 I  went to Franklin Elementary, Roosevelt and graduated from WHS —Go Class of '87!  I did leave Westfield for a few years — and I am a proud alum of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Life in the mountains was awesome, but I came back east as quickly as I could. I worked as a paralegal for years at The Money Store Investment Corporation doing Small Business Administration loans and I hated it!

Find out what's happening in Westfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But I love being married to my husband, Joel Kaplan, who works at Wells Fargo here in town. While we have a "mixed" marriage — he's from Scotch Plains — we are extremely happy (probably because I talked him into crossing town lines!). We have three kids, Jake, a freshman at WHS; Max, a sixth-grader at Roosevelt, and Lily, a third-grader at Franklin. I have to confess though. The kids are active in many things — mainly lacrosse, soccer and basketball —  and I have been active in the PTOs here in town. Our two Maltese dogs keep us busy too!

I love to shop — and shop some more, dine out, and do anything with and for our kids. I also love to scrapbook, run and exercise. Did I mention that I love to shop? I occasionally get paid to shop! I do some partime work for Jim Rose Jewelry in Springfield. I fill in for him and I get to accompany Jim to the Javits Center twice a year to do the buying at the jewelry-and-accessories show. How great is that?!

I have always kept in touch with my friends from the Class of 1987, as well as many other Westfield residents — old and new! I am thrilled to have the chance to write About Town and keep you all up to date about the people, places and things that you're all talking about. And while I may be pretty tapped into what's going on around here, I need your help to keep all of Westfield up to date on what their friends and neighbors are talking about! Well, here goes!

FRANKLIN KEEPS GREENING

The town's "green team" may keep meeting, but the Franklin School green team is out in action. The team, part of the school's PTO, will be marketing their reusable stainless-steel water bottles in the first days of school. Decorated with the Westfield school's green logo, the PTO is offering a 12 oz. lunch box size and the new 18 oz. size.

The green team will be out selling the water bottles on Monday and Tuesday before and after school by the first-grade door.

MUSIC TO OUR EARS!

You couldn't walk around MusicFest in Clark this weekend without seeing someone from Westfield! The annual concert brought many from town over to hear the bands, ride the rides and enjoy the scene. The evening hours saw many high school students, fresh from watching the Blue Devils' football team crush Scotch Plains, came to eat and hang out, while families dominated the afternoon hours, including a group of Westfield firefighters and their families in the early evening.

Westfield resident Viera Bigosinski was out volunteering at the fair for the tent for the Union County Medical Response Team, a group of volunteers which assists at emergenecy scenes and other medical responses. The group is looking for more volunteers, including non-medical professionals. Her husband, former Councilman Tom Bigosinski, and their children, David and Luke, were also spotted in the crowd.


MY BROTHER'S FASHIONABLE GREEN THUMB 

If it's early September, it must be Fashion Week in New York City! I can't help but brag about Jay Koslowsky, one Westfielder who's taken center stage. In the spirit of full disclsure, I must to confess that he's my brother (hey, I could have hidden behind my maiden name, right?). But my pride aside, this guy is, to borrow from Project Runway, fierce!

 

Jay's getting a lot of press for his mix of food and fashion this week; he's been highlighted in the print media— NY Daily News, NY Post and Wall Street Journal, as well as in Patch —  for the way he searches local green markets to find inspiration for his collections and keep things local and organic.

He showcased his new designs during a show at Essex House last week. Congratulations!

FRANKLIN GIVES THE PACKS OFF THEIR BACKS

The Franklin School green team has gone into overdrive. They are collecting used backpacks all this week to give them new life helping a child in need. Backpack collection boxes will be set up in the school all week so drop off your used backpacks.

Remember to hang on to at least one per child, the teachers won't stop giving out homework.


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