A Message from Mayor Mahr
Dear Fanwoodians,
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American people mobilized to achieve the social distancing required to successfully limit the contagion of COVID-19. Even as we continue to grapple with the pandemic, the events of this past week have once again forced all Americans to examine our hearts and choose a path forward.
This time we face a crisis of values, a crisis created by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police. The American people have again mobilized, this time in a fight against the forces of injustice. I revile the violence that marred these protests, but to the credit of the majority of protestors, they were not silenced. Real change has already been achieved as seen in the decision to place criminal charges on all of the officers involved in the deadly incident.
I am proud of the American people as they bend our institutions towards justice and I am proud of the SPF and Westfield students who marched for equal justice yesterday. I am proud of the Black Student Alumni from our High School who have organized a “Call To Change” rally, tomorrow at Shady Rest. I am proud that all local leaders have come together to publicly declaim the brutality we all witnessed and particularly proud that the Scotch Plains and Fanwood Police Chief’s issued a joint statement decrying the outrageous use of force that killed George Floyd.
It is my hope that we do not waste the outrage but can channel this energy to reform and improve our system of justice.
Despite recent events though, we continue to function under the limits of social distancing, and today, the state reported another 864 COVID-19 positive test results, bringing the statewide total to 163,336. Union County currently has a total of 16,038 confirmed cases. According to the Westfield Regional Health Department, Fanwood’s number stands at 95 cases, with three new this past week.
In addition, the Governor had extended the Public Health Emergency for an additional 30 days. The move extends all of Murphy’s executive orders that remain in place to respond to the virus, such as his order for residents to stay home as much as possible. For information, please click here.
And as ever, whether during the pandemic or another time of need, we are here to help. If you need assistance with food insecurity, illness, or unemployment issues, please reach out at mayor@fanwoodnj.org.
– Mayor Colleen Mahr
Wear Orange: We Can End Gun Violence
On January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a high school student from the south side of Chicago, marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s childhood friends decided to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others, a tradition that has continued to this day.
This year, we will wear orange from home to keep our families and others safe. Together, we will honor the more than 100 Americans shot and killed every day and the hundreds more wounded. From Hadiya’s friends on the south side of Chicago to community organizers in Queens, to students around the country, we will come together virtually to wear orange and demand a change. In 2020, the 6th National Gun Violence Awareness Day will fall on June 5, the first Friday of the month. That will kick off Wear Orange Weekend on June 5-7, which will feature virtual events across the nation.
The Road Back Update
Today, Governor Murphy announced that we’re ready to start Stage 2 of restart and recovery and he laid out the following dates for various re-openings. The following businesses can re-open with strict adherence to the New Jersey Department of Health Guidance:
Effective June 15:
- Outdoor dining at restaurants can begin
- Non-essential in-person retail can begin
Effective June 22:
- Salons and barbershops can open
In the period to follow:
- Gyms and health clubs can open
A Statement from SPF Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation Committee
On the Death of George Floyd
At this difficult moment in our national life, it seems important for us to reintroduce ourselves, the Joint Committee for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. The Joint Committee was created by the mayors and councils of Scotch Plains and Fanwood, in partnership with the Board of Education, and Social Justice Matters – an organization of community members founded a decade ago to advance discussions on race in our communities.
We acknowledge that racism – structural, systemic, and individual – is not a new problem in our communities. The reprehensible actions of law enforcement that led to the death of George Floyd are shocking to some, but not to everyone. We cannot absolve ourselves by just condemning what has happened somewhere else.
The TRHT Joint Committee was organized to do the hard work in our communities to live up to the ideal of being the truly welcoming and inclusive towns that we imagine that we are, or would like to be.
We do not have the one magic solution to end racism, but we have been organizing to bring the tools that we know are effective – fostering conversations and actions that lead to us not only understanding each other, but reflecting on our own biases, unconscious or not, as well as the different experiences we may have, even in the same place and at the same time.
We will be scheduling open (virtual) meetings in the upcoming weeks – first a chance for people to air what they are feeling and seeing – a listening tour – which will be followed up with analysis and proposals to be shared for concrete action. These groups will be of limited size, so we can make sure to hear everyone’s voice. We are also planning paneled conversations with members of our committee to share the work we have been doing, and what we have learned of our own racism.
The work is hard, but we need to do it together. We invite you to join us in this hard work. This moment is tragic, but it is sadly not unique. We need to work to make this time the last, by committing to being vulnerable and honest with each other. Please join us beginning next week.
TRHT Committee
Mayor Colleen Mahr Councilwoman Erin McElroy Barker
Mayor Al Smith Councilman Roshan White
Superintendent Dr. Joan Mast Jill Jackson Jones
Rabbi Joel Abraham Rev. Susanna Cates
Leland S. McGee Amy Winkler
Sharon Stroye Stephanie Suriani
Joan Peters
SPF Scouts hold Food Drive Thru 6/13
Due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Cub Scouts packs and Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scout) troops will be conducting an SPF Scouting for Food Drive “Thru” on Saturday, June 13 from 9 am – 1 pm at Fanwood Presbyterian.
Fanwood Recreation Expands Online Summer Offerings
First, on the heels of their now sold-out World of Wizardry ONLINE Camp, Picasso’s Basement and Fearless Dragon Writers, in partnership with Fanwood Recreation, now offer a Make It a Mystery ONLINE Camp! Mystery-loving campers are invited to write stories, create art, and follow clues as they create mysteries and solve mysteries.
In an effort to keep student’s minds active this summer, Fanwood Recreation is offering the following ONLINE educational programs for the summer. Each of these classes will help prevent any learning slide due to at-home learning or the summer months and will make sure students are best prepared for the new school year: English Essay Writing ONLINE, ACT Boot Camp ONLINE, Study Skills Class ONLINE and SAT Boot Camp Online.
For more information and to register for these camps, please go to fanwoodrecreation.org. More ONLINE summer camps are still being added!
A Message from Fanwood Larder
After closing to the public to take email and phone orders on April 9, Fanwood Larder is excited to announce that we will be re-opening our doors on Saturday, June 6, at 9 am.
There have been lots of wonderful new additions in the past 2 months, including D’artagnan meats, Oceanbox seafood, and fresh mozzarella, ricotta and burrata from Antonio Mozzarella Factory in Newark, plus all the great produce and products you remember. And then there’s the tale of Daisy the Lardergator.
Curbside pick-up proved not only practical, but popular, so it will continue indefinitely. In addition to email and phone orders, look for online ordering to start in the near future. But what we are looking forward to most is seeing our customers, or at least their eyes, again soon.
See you at the Larder, and stay safe everyone!
Eva Pfaff
Founder, Fanwood Larder
