By Peter Fiorilla on UNION
UNION, NJ — In a Union Board of Education debate that was, at times, riddled with tension and accusations of underlying partisanship, eight of nine candidates laid out their platforms during one of the election’s only public forums. Two unaffiliated candidates and two, three-person tickets took part in the debate, which was held in the […]
By Peter Fiorilla on KENILWORTH
KENILWORTH, NJ — It’s safe to say that three months ago, no one on the Kenilworth Board of Education had any doubt as to who would be this year’s superintendent, according to Gregg David, the board’s President. A whirlwind of events has changed that. A surprise exit by superintendent Scott Taylor, coupled with an immediate […]
By Peter Fiorilla on SUMMIT
City officials pleased as company aquires former Merck property
SUMMIT, NJ — The long-awaited purchase of land at 556 Morris Ave. in Summit, a campus space formerly owned by Merck, has been officially completed, according to city officials, ending a two-year process which leaves it in the hands of biotech giant Celgene. The space, which includes 850,000-square feet of administrative office space and 450,000-square […]
By Peter Fiorilla on CLARK
CLARK, NJ — One of the greatest challenges for treating mental illness, said Carolyn Beauchamp, president of The Mental Health Association in New Jersey, is the stigma so commonly attached with mental health issues. People shy away from what they don’t understand, according to Beauchamp, which is why labels like “crazy” or “scary” get tossed around, […]
By Peter Fiorilla on CLARK
CLARK, NJ — An online letter posted by Caleb McGillvary, an internet sensation charged in 2013 with the murder of a 73-year-old Clark man, alleges that local authorities have ignored evidence that he was defending himself “against a drug-facilitated sexual assault.” The letter, which was posted alongside a petition advocating due process for McGillvary, also known […]
By Peter Fiorilla on RAHWAY
RAHWAY, NJ — Members of the Coalition to Save Rahway River Park, spearheaded by residents in Clark and Rahway, are now distributing hundreds of yard signs reading “stop the stadium” at Rahway River Park, where grassroots opposition to the Union County proposal is gaining steam. More people are getting involved in the movement than ever before, […]
By Peter Fiorilla on UNION
UNION, NJ — Sixteen different singers, dancers and performers walked onto the dark stage at Union High School, each accompanied by an introductory video as they prepared for their role in the Union’s Got Talent showcase last week. The introductions informed the audience, which mostly filled the 750-seat auditorium, who they were, why they were […]
By Peter Fiorilla on SUMMIT
SUMMIT, NJ — Throughout the past year, from when the leaves first started falling until long after they’d grown back, staff members at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum were bombarded with the same, recurring question: Are the goats coming back? The short is answer is yes. A herd of highly popular eco-goats, now at 20 strong, will […]
By Peter Fiorilla on KENILWORTH
Union County Teacher of the Year looks to share grant project
KENILWORTH, NJ — Resting at one end of David Brearley Middle-High School, where there used to be patches of dead grass, is a serene pond and garden, built in the memory of a former student. Elsewhere on school grounds there’s a freshly finished greenhouse, which doubles as an outdoor classroom for science teachers. It’s a […]
By Peter Fiorilla on COUNTY NEWS
Three incumbent Democrats and three Republican challengers take questions from the press
UNION COUNTY, NJ — In anticipation of the nearby November election, the Union County Freeholders candidate’s public debate offered an illuminating look at county politics on Wednesday, Sept. 30, when Republicans and Democrats made their case to voters, answered questions from the media and offered rebuttals to each other, largely on party lines. The 90-minute debate, […]