Residents Urge Congressman to Co-Sponsor Background Check Bill

NJ Residents for Action Against Gun Violence say Leonard Lance should publicly promote King Thompson Bill.

As members of New Jersey Residents for Action (Against Gun Violence), on April 5 we received a letter from Congressman Leonard Lance stating that he supports “closing gun show loopholes, and tightening the background checks on gun sales as well as toughening the penalties against gun trafficking and straw purchasers.”  We are happy to see that Congressman Lance favors these measures, but when  asked specifically if he supports the current bi-partisan King–Thompson House bill on background checks in the House Of Representatives, which encompasses all the very measures he says he supports, his Chief of Staff Todd Mitchell had this reply, “How this is best accomplished should be left up to the relevant committee of jurisdiction – in this case…

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Letter: Shore Thankful

Bike Drive organizers thank everyone who helped support 'The Shore Thing – 2nd Wave, Bike Drive.'

On Sunday April 28th we brought over 300 bicycles to the Jersey Shore for kids impacted by hurricane Sandy.  With the help of Sandy Family Match, we were able to match up bicycles to kids in need in the Monmouth Beach and Union Beach area. They are now able to have fun riding their bikes to school and can get back to normal. Thanks to the generosity of so many people in our community we were able to do this in a short amount of time.  It was hard to keep up with all the phone calls, emails and bikes showing up in our driveway. Not only did people donate their bikes, but many gave gift cards and donations. Seventy-five new helmets were donated by Susan Driscoll of Mountainside Children’s Hospital as part of the B Hard Headed program to …

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The Silent Majority Must Find Its Voice on Gun Control

Politicians at every level of government have been debating gun control and looking for answers.

Hours before community residents gathered at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield to hear a panel discussion on common sense gun control, a five-year-old in Kentucky picked up his rifle, which he had received as a gift the year before, and shot and killed his two-year-old sister.  This illustration of senseless gun violence was chilling and served as a stark call to action for the hundred or so concerned citizens that had come out to hear community leaders talk about gun control. Politicians at every level of government have been debating gun control and looking for answers. The mass murder in Newtown, Connecticut, which took the lives of 26 people, including 20 little children, has raised the issue and demanded that government take action.  The …

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Letter: Resident Supports PSE&G's Energy Strong Plan

John D. Luerssen says project will upgrade systems and create new jobs as well.

Six months ago Westfield was dealing with the struggles associated with Sandy’s aftermath. While the destruction from this Superstorm was devastating for some, all of Westfield was impacted in one way or another. Schools and many business were forced to close, gasoline was difficult to find and a great many of us sat without power for days. With its Energy Strong plan, PSE&G – our electric distribution company – wants to upgrade its systems to protect against storms like Sandy. Yet some consumer lobbying groups are against the plan. It surprises me just how quickly certain people have forgotten how much harm Sandy, not to mention Hurricane Irene and the freak October 2011 snow storm the year before, caused us all. PSE&G says it can make …

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Patch Reader Questions Police Blotter Item

Resident says carelessness should not be categorized as theft.

This letter to the editor pertains to the following Westfield Police Blotter item:  April 18: A Westfield resident reports being the victim of theft. The victim states that she left her iPhone at the Westfield Diner and an unknown suspect stole the phone, valued at $320. I'm sure a lively debate would ensue should I question how a woman that left her cell phone at the Westfield Diner can go to the PD to report a theft.  Maybe she finds solace by ignoring her carelessness and, instead, characterize the finder as a thief. Over the years of reading both Patch and the Leader I have read countless similar reports of incredibly trusting people who filed CMA reports to police as though they mitigate the loss of personal property from UNLOCKED …

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Autism Awareness Month

Westfielder Shares Poetry in Honor of Autism Awareness Month

Westfield parent shares emotional journey of raising a son with autism.

The author of the following poems, who wishes to remain anonymous, asks that readers "willingly be part of the village that helps raise those with autism and other special needs….the rejection and reaction can make the difficult rise to a level too much to bare." Let Go and Let God…June 2009 We’ve all heard, “Let Go and Let God.” With Little Johnnie* that is what I am learning to do About the name(s) of what to call why he struggles with We might have a different view. But that I cannot change the fact that he struggles, I must accept as true. God knows that we have egos, so what I think he decided to do, is leave much of the day to day detail, up to me and you….. Now therein lies the irony Although we have no control over his destiny, the…

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Letter to the Editor: Support of PSE&G Initiative

The following letter to the editor was submitted by a Westfield resident.

To the Editor: As the thunderstorms rolled in last night, my thoughts turned back to Super Storm Sandy. As a 29-year resident of Westfield, I have never seen such destruction as that blown in by Sandy. About 90 percent of the town lost power. Sitting in the dark with no heat or electricity for six days was not pleasant. While I applaud PSE&G for restoring power as quickly as they did after this devastating storm, we need to take steps to protect against the next Sandy. Thankfully, PSE&G has come up with a plan to strengthen their electric grid called Energy Strong. They are ready to make major investments that will harden their systems against damage and reduce the impacts of the more frequent storms we are experiencing. The steps outlined…

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Candidate Haas Would Join Mayors Against Illegal Guns if Elected

Haas attended 'Guns in a Civil Society' and applauds effort to "have a calm, informative, and useful discussion in our community about this issue."

To the Editor: On March 20th I attended a forum, “Guns in a Civil Society,” sponsored by the Peace & Justice Committee of Holy Trinity and St. Helen's. The forum featured two speakers. Former Mayor Thomas Jardim spoke about the constitutional right of gun ownership while the Rev. Robert Moore of the NJ Coalition for Peace Action spoke about the religious context for dealing with gun violence.  The speeches were followed by a discussion with people voicing their views about various approaches to preventing gun violence. I applaud this group’s effort to have a calm, informative, and useful discussion in our community about this issue.  According to a fact sheet distributed by the Rev. Moore, over 1,000,000 people have been killed by guns in …

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Union County Means Business In 2013

The county will host a series of business networking events in the coming months.

The following is a monthly column submitted by Union County Freeholder Chairwoman Linda Carter. Despite the explosive growth of Internet-based social media in the business sector, there is still no substitute for getting out, meeting people and exchanging ideas face to face. Those personal experiences can make all the difference when you are looking to start or grow a business.  That’s the driving force behind our Union County Means Business (UCMB) series of networking events. The Freeholder Board began UCMB last year as a way to help local business owners and managers connect with useful resources and programs, especially ones that are available through local, state and federal agencies. It was such a great success that we are continuing …

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FedupLiz

7:34 am on Friday, April 5, 2013

Amen and not soon enough   more ›

NJ Residents for Action Against Gun Violence Say NJ2AS Members Sought to 'Embarrass' Them

Group says efforts to sabotage their work only strengthens their resolve.

NJ Residents For Action Against Gun Violence would like to clarify for the public any confusion surrounding the gun advocate group which showed up at our peaceful protest at Leonard Lance’s office. We have learned that this group  is represented by NJ2AS --  New Jersey Second Amendment Rights Association based out of Manahwkin, NJ, a town that is not in our district and has nothing to do with our district. We have also learned that they purposely staked out our protest ahead of time for the sole purpose of trying to sabotage us and in their words according to their website  “embarrass” us. We were there to represent the public sentiment of the 7th district for our demand for sensible gun legislation on a federal level for the public safety…

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