| Westwood |
| | Recreation Director retires after 34 years
06/17/2008
As Jim Gwynne walked out of the Westwood Community Center this past Friday afternoon, he shut the door on a long career as the borough�s recreation director.
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| | Borough considers installing more efficient LED streetlights
06/17/2008
Borough officials met with a Texas based manufacturer of light-emitting diodes or LEDs last Wednesday to discuss installing a small number of LED streetlights in Westwood.
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 | WWII veteran honored
06/04/2008
Like many members of the "greatest generation," Nick Cosentino doesn't like to boast. The 87-year-old World War II veteran was awarded several battle stars and medals for his service in the Navy, but he would rather talk about other things.
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| | Landfill settlement could present problems
05/28/2008
While the future of Westvale Park is being discussed, the issue of settlement in areas of the former landfill has thrown a wrench in the plans.
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| | 'H' (hospital) zone ordinance passed
05/28/2008
An ordinance amending the zoning regulations in the 'H' zone (hospital zone) passed by unanimous vote at the May 20 council meeting.
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| | Historic commission members appointed
05/28/2008
The members of the newly created Historic Commission were appointed and sworn in at the May 20 council meeting.
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| | Budget adopted; municipal portion up $55
05/28/2008
The Borough of Westwood adopted its 2008 municipal budget Tuesday, May 20.
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 | Building to be torn down
05/21/2008
It has been more than two years since a fire ravaged the building at the corner of Third Avenue and Elm Street in Westwood, destroying what had been the Cup and Saucer restaurant, at ground level, and the apartments above it.
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 | Local building wins design award
05/13/2008
Standing outside his store on the corner of Westwood and Center Avenues, Parian Jewelers owner Mike Viola�s voice rings with excitement as he describes what life must have been like here in the first decades of the 20th century.
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| | Land swap approved by council
05/13/2008
After nearly three hours of discussion, the land swap between the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department and Palisades Land & Management LLC was approved at the May 6 borough council meeting.
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| | Alternative to sewer line repair explored
04/29/2008
The borough is pursuing an alternative solution to the repair needed for the exposed sewer pipe running along the Pascack Brook.
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| | Boro designated �Tree City USA�
04/29/2008
For the fifth year in a row, the Borough of Westwood has been designated �Tree City USA,� by the National Arbor Day Foundation and for the second year in a row, the borough has received a Tree City Growth Award.
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| | Borough has new ideas for intersection of 4th and Forest
04/29/2008
Westwood officials are investigating new options to slow down the traffic at the intersection of 4th and Forest avenues.
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| | Hospital zoning ordinance postponed until after closing
04/29/2008
The hearing of an ordinance revising the zoning use of the former grounds of Pascack Valley Hospital has been delayed.
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| | Westvale Park may be linked to Pascack Brook County Park
04/29/2008
Westvale Park may eventually be linked to the adjacent Pascack Brook County Park.
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| | Poppy sale begins May 1
04/29/2008
The connection between red poppies and America�s casualties of war was forged with a poem written in 1915 by a Canadian, John McCrea, M.D., who served in the Canadian Army in World War I.
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 | Is your heirloom trash or treasure?
04/15/2008
Jon Felz, a Woodcliff Lake native, retired New York police officer, and a member of the New England Antique Appraisers Association, has been conducting appraisals for RZM Fine Arts and Antiques in Pearl River, N.Y for many years.
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 | Crumb cake is star of Pancake Breakfast
04/15/2008
The Westwood Elks recently held its annual Pancake breakfast, featuring the "Famous Women's Auxiliary Homemade Crumb Cake."
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 | Building relationships one game at a time
04/15/2008
Since last November, members of the Westwood Police Department have been volunteering their time at the Westwood Community Center to play games with area children, building the trust they say is vital for good community policing.
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| | Borough budget introduced
04/09/2008
The Borough of Westwood introduced its preliminary 2008 municipal budget Tuesday April 1.
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| | Officer suspended without pay
04/09/2008
Westwood Police Officer Neela Maharaj has been charged with a violation of N.J.S. 2C: 20-25, a third degree offense, and has been suspended without pay.
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| | From intangibles to forensics
04/05/2008
Two Westwood residents are currently vying for a position on the Westwood Regional Board of Education.
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 | Diabetic child excels in sports, in life
04/02/2008
The summer of 2006 started off much like any other for Kevin Bonkowski, holding promises of mornings spent sleeping in, afternoons playing outside with friends, a trip to Mexico and, best of all, soccer practice.
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| | Brownies sell cookies to ship to soldiers
04/02/2008
Westwood Brownie Troop 1501?s leader, Lee Russo, had been looking for ways he and his scouts could remind troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan that they are not forgotten.
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| | Regional District introduces budget
04/02/2008
On Thursday, March 27 the Westwood Regional Board of Education introduced an approximately $46 million budget for the 2008/2009 school year, a total increase of 3.95 percent.
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| | Land swap ordinance introduced
03/19/2008
In an effort to move along the prolonged discussion of a land swap between the borough and Palisades Land & Management LLC, the council introduced an ordinance on Tuesday authorizing the exchange.
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| | Historical preservation commission to be established
03/19/2008
An ordinance was passed on second and final reading Tuesday night establishing a historical preservation commission. The commission will serve to enhance, preserve, and protect historically significant buildings and districts in the borough.
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| | Stop sign for Fourth and Forest
03/19/2008
The traffic signs at the intersection of Fourth and Forest will once again be changed.
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| | Well water to be tested to see if it’s safe to use for irrigat
03/12/2008
The water of a municipal well located in Westvale Park could one day be used to irrigate fields if tests show the water is safe.
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| | Adding teeth to state statute
03/12/2008
As the governing body looks for ways to “add teeth” to a state statute aimed at preventing the preferential treatment of campaign contributors, finding a balance between adopting more stringent rules that are both practical and enforceable is proving
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| | Education key in enforcing tree ordinance
03/12/2008
While the Borough of Westwood has had an ordinance governing tree removal on the books for close to three years, there is still a problem: the rules aren’t being enforced.
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| | Water pumps to be reinstalled
03/12/2008
The water pumps on Lafayette Avenue may soon return for another year of above ground testing.
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| | Police may be getting new laptops
03/12/2008
An ordinance was introduced at the Tuesday, March 4 council meeting to provide Westwood Police with new technology equipment.
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| | Board of ed. liaison to be appointed
03/12/2008
At the March 4 council meeting, Mayor John Birkner announced he would like to appoint a board of education (BOE) liaison to the council to aid communication between the two groups.
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| | Ever hear of Hubert Harrison?
02/27/2008
For Jeffrey Perry, Ph.D., the study and celebration of African American History is not limited to one month per year of special events, speeches and school assemblies.
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| | Official’s mother found dead
02/27/2008
The body of Joan Waneck, 69, the mother of Borough Council President Cynthia Waneck, was found dead underneath a car parked in front of Cynthia’s house, 137 Bramley Court, on Sunday, Feb. 24.
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| | Parking woes studied
02/27/2008
According to a study compiled by Desman Associates, a firm specializing in parking and transportation, the number of parking spots in Westwood’s downtown business district is more than adequate.
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| | Ordinance introduced to create historic preservation commission
02/27/2008
At the Feb. 19 mayor and council meeting, an ordinance was introduced calling for the creation of a historical preservation commission, which would enhance, preserve, and protect historically significant buildings and districts in the borough.
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| | Road improvements ordinance passed
02/21/2008
At the Feb. 19 council meeting an ordinance was passed on final reading allocating $250,000 in bonds for various road improvements in town.
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| | Ordinance passed to repair sewer pipe
02/21/2008
At the Feb. 19 council meeting, an ordinance was passed on second and final reading to approve funding for the repair of a damaged sewer pipe in the Pascack Brook. The pipe was damaged during last April’s nor’easter.
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 | Pets make it Valentine’s Day every day
02/12/2008
Valentine’s Day is traditionally an occasion to express one’s love to another – a partner, a friend, a relative. It may not be the only day such declarations are made, but it behooves one to do so, at the very least, on Feb. 14.
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 | Celebrating literacy and Black History Month
02/06/2008
While it is not rare for the library to be a source of inspiration and entertainment, it is hardly the place one expects to join in the singing of spirituals and be moved to tears by the reading of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream.”
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| | Parking authority meeting postponed
02/06/2008
The Feb. 11 parking authority meeting has been postponed until a later date, which is not yet known.
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| | Westvale Park improvements authorized
02/06/2008
The softball fields at Westvale Park should soon have improved infields and grass as well as new fencing along the base paths.
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 | Church celebrates a century of service
02/06/2008
In 1908 Westwood United Methodist Church, then known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church, opened its doors to its first parishioners in Odd Fellows Hall.
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| | Traffic solution receives verbal approval
02/06/2008
The ongoing discussion to alter the traffic lights along Broadway at the intersections of Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson avenues passed another critical milestone last week.
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| | New plantings for Girl Scout Park
02/06/2008
Girl Scout Park, the triangle of land that sits where Third and Fourth Avenues meet, may soon have a different look.
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| | Borough council introduces road improvement ordinance
01/30/2008
Some Westwood roads will soon be getting a makeover. The borough introduced an ordinance at the Jan. 15 council meeting allocating $250,000 to make various road improvements around town.
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| | Council considers land swap
01/23/2008
At the Jan. 15 Westwood Council meeting a presentation was made by John J. Lamb concerning a proposed land swap between Palisades Land & Management LLC and the Westwood Fire Department.
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| | Ordinances for health and rec. board alternates introduced
01/23/2008
Two ordinances were introduced at the Jan. 15 council meeting calling for additional alternates for the Recreation Board and the Board of Health.
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| | Parking Authority to present parking study on Feb. 11
01/23/2008
The Westwood Parking Authority will meet Feb. 11 to present its study on the town’s parking situation.
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| | Shade tree commission receives donation to plant trees
01/23/2008
At the Jan. 15 council meeting, Bruce Meisel of First Westwood Realty presented a check for $2,500 to the Shade Tree Commission.
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| | Volunteer page to be added to borough Web site
01/23/2008
The Westwood borough Web site, www.westwoodnj.gov will soon include a page where residents can find volunteer opportunities in town and a form to fill out to get involved.
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| | County says borough must wait for 90-day trail period
01/23/2008
The borough’s efforts to replace the yield sign currently at the intersection of Fourth and Forest avenues with a full stop were stalled last week when county officials told Borough Engineer Steven Boswell they think the change is “premature.”
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| | United Methodist Church receives centennial proclamation
01/23/2008
The Westwood United Methodist Church received a proclamation at Tuesday’s council meeting celebrating its 100 years of service to the community.
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| | Train depot hours to be extended
01/23/2008
At the Jan. 15 council meeting, the council discussed extending the hours of the train depot due to New Jersey Transit’s more frequent train service to the borough.
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| | Ordinance introduced to repair brook
01/23/2008
A bond ordinance to provide financing for the replacement and stabilization of a sewer pipe in the Pascack Brook was introduced on first reading at the Jan. 15 council meeting.
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| | Boro takes steps toward traffic solution
01/23/2008
The borough is moving closer to resolving the traffic issues on Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson avenues caused by the recent increase in train service.
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| | Sign change at Fourth and Forest avenues under discussion
12/26/2007
At the Dec. 18 council meeting, the mayor and council discussed changing the traffic sign at the intersection at Fourth and Forest avenues from yield sign to a full stop.
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| | Lights at rail stop to be changed
12/26/2007
In response to growing traffic concerns due to the recent increase in train service, the borough is working with New Jersey Transit (NJT) to synchronize the traffic lights on Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson avenues with the railroad schedule.
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| | Regulations for temporary storage containers passed
12/26/2007
An ordinance was passed at the Westwood council meeting Tuesday Dec. 18 amending a section of the Land Use and Development Regulations pertaining to the use of temporary storage containers, or “Pods.”
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| | Floor area ratio regulations passed
12/26/2007
An ordinance was passed at the Dec. 18 Westwood Mayor and Council meeting amending a section of the Land Use and Development Regulations Code regarding residential floor area ratios.
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| | Cats, kittens in need of a home
12/19/2007
Caring About the Strays, a non-profit organization that finds homes for stray, surrendered and abandoned kittens and cats, operates the C.A.T.S. Resale Shop at 80 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, to support that mission and to raise funds to establish a no-ki
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| | Referendum approved by large margin
12/12/2007
Westwood Regional District officials can breathe a collective sigh of relief after voters approved the bond referendum on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 1552 to 835.
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| | Bridging the cultural divide
12/12/2007
When Kin Yeung Law arrived from Hong Kong in August, he was not sure what to expect from life in the U.S. “I thought that America was just like [the movie] ‘American Pie,’” he says.
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| | State signs off on wall destruction
12/01/2007
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has granted approval for the demolition of the “Wall of Shame,” a 17-foot-long retaining wall located on Kinderkamack Road across from Irvington Street intersection.
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| | Easing train-induced traffic tie-ups
11/28/2007
Increased train action on New Jersey Transit’s Pascack Valley line has commuters smiling and drivers idling angrily at busy intersections in Westwood—but new stoplights may prove to be the key to creating a traffic pattern less likely to induce road r
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| | Preschool gets license extension
11/28/2007
The Westwood Community Center’s preschool program has received a six-month extension on its operation license following the completion of required soil testing on its site.
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| | Recreation director announces retirement
11/21/2007
Jim Gwynne, the recreation director for Westwood, has announced that he will retire on July 1, 2008.
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 | Jazzercise: toe tappin toodleloo
11/14/2007
Every Jazzercise class begins with a warm-up, so let’s get going! We’ll do some gentle movements and active stretches to get ourselves ready for the workout ahead! Preparing yourself for a workout of any kind is important.
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| | Hybrid cruises into patrol duty
11/07/2007
Being “green” is terribly fashionable these days, and the Westwood Police Department is now situated firmly on the cutting edge of trendsetting. In law enforcement, at least.
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| | State testing program puts preschool in peril
11/07/2007
As environmental tests at the Westwood Community Center continue, the future of the center’s preschool program remains uncertain.
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| | Council gives Jazzercise the boot
11/07/2007
The council decided at its work session last week to discontinue the Jazzercise program offered at the community center.
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| | Softball field will get new fence
11/07/2007
The “B” field at Westvale Park, used by the Westwood Softball Association, will be re-fenced in time for the 2008 softball season.
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| | Candidates vie for mayor and council seats
10/31/2007
Democrat John Birkner, Jr., and Republican John “J” Sciara compete for the office of mayor, and Democrats Wilhelm Auer and Thomas Constantine are up against Republicans Robert Miller and Ingrid Quinn for two, three-year council seats.
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| | Referendum will go to vote Dec. 11
10/24/2007
BOE officials are putting the newest and most Spartan project to vote on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The BOE voted to submit the rehabilitation and construction project to voters at its Oct. 4 meeting.
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| | Candidates reflect on, look ahead to flooding
10/24/2007
Vying for the mayoral seat is current councilman John “J” Sciara (Republican) and newcomer John Birkner (Democrat). Republicans Ingrid Quinn and Robert Miller will go up against Wilhelm Auer and Thomas Constantine in the fight for the council seats.
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| | Thomas Wanner launches write-in campaign to defend seat
10/24/2007
Evidently undeterred by a resounding loss in the April primary, Westwood Mayor Thomas Wanner has struck up a write-in campaign to defend his seat in the November election.
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| | Mayor and council candidates discuss expenditures
10/17/2007
In and out of the political realm, things are up in the air in Westwood. The borough’s state of flux will be reflected in the November ballots.
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| | Westwood: then and now
10/17/2007
In the early 19th century, the area now known as Westwood was called “Pleasantville.” A scattering of a few houses and farmlands, Pleasantville was a quiet, out of the way haven for urban families such as the Bogerts, a prominent New York City colonia
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| | Station seeks to put antennas on tower
10/10/2007
The cell tower near the municipal building may be sprouting a few new branches, if a proposal by Sirius Satellite Radio is selected by the borough.
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| | Montvale man survives heart attack
10/10/2007
Montvale resident Gordon Parker is saved by health club owner and ambulance corps members.
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| | Behind the scenes with clerks
10/03/2007
For some public officials, the changing of the guard doesn’t come with campaigns and heated elections. Such is the case for the municipal clerk, a low-profile but utterly essential civil service position.
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 | Keeping a family together through illness
09/18/2007
Westwood resident Stephanie McTigue tries to hold her family together while her husband, Tom, battles leukemia.
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| | Firefighters help rebuild in Katrina's aftermath
09/12/2007
He does not specify it in his recollection, but John Domville must have been sweating. The heat index was over 100 degrees, and he was furiously grouting a floor.
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| | More arrests mean more court time
09/12/2007
An increase in DWI arrests over the past three years is not so much an indication of skyrocketing bar tabs in the borough. Rather, it is further proof that "all the roads in the Pascack Valley lead to Westwood," said administrator Robert Hoffmann.
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| | Planning Board approves DLZ Realty’s application
09/12/2007
With a 7-0 vote by the borough Planning Board, DLZ Realty’s application for a 4,000 square foot office building was approved, assuring the destruction of the infamous "Wall of Shame."
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| | Department seeks interlocal agreement to use pistol range
09/12/2007
The Westwood Police Department seeks a temporary intralocal agreement to use another towns pistol range.
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| | Westwood Mayor and Council discusses how noise annoys
09/12/2007
The Westwood Council discussed changes to and enforcement of its noise ordinance.
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| | Pavers may become ‘paveresque’ downtown
09/05/2007
Due to complications the pavers on Westwood Avenue will cause in paving the road, municipal authorities are considering their removal.
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| | Company selected for Web site design
08/29/2007
The council passed a resolution last week to sign a contract with GovOffice, a company that specializes in Web site creation and management for municipalities.
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| | Tenure ordinance unanimously approved
08/30/2007
Despite earlier reservations, the council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance granting tenure to the superintendent of public works at Tuesday’s public meeting.
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| | Roller hockey league will get a home
08/30/2007
Warnings of potential rink sinking did not deter the Westwood Council from deciding to move forward with the paving of the new roller hockey rink in Westvale Park. The council voted unanimously to appropriate funds towards the project.
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| | For the love of the game (and kids)
08/30/2007
John Westervelt had three good reasons to sod Westvale Park’s "B" practice field. Two were about 50 inches tall and blond, and one was about five inches long and on his knee. "One kid blows out his ACL," said Westervelt, pointing at his scar, "that’s
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| | Department of Environmental Protection verdict: Wall, be gone!
08/30/2007
Westwood’s Wall of Shame, the basis for four years of political bickering, will be dismantled as per a ruling by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
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| | Outcry leads to ordinance amendment
08/18/2007
The protests of one dozen incensed truck owners resulted in the Westwood Council agreeing to amend a recently passed ordinance that restricts the parking of commercial vehicles in residential zones.
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| | Parking study sparks debate
08/15/2007
Westwood – The findings of a preliminary study on parking in downtown Westwood have sparked a he-said, she-said debate between the Parking Authority and several council members.
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