ARTICLE: Garwood Needs A Mayor That Cares Like Jen Blumenstock

Prior to moving to Garwood, my family and I lived in Westfield for over 20 years. As my children got older, more free time became available and I searched for ways to get involved in making my new home town better. One of the first activities I got involved with in Garwood was its Green Team in 2019. This is when I first met the group's founder, Jen Blumenstock, and recall clearly being especially impressed by her and how extremely responsive and welcoming she was. I did not even know she was a Councilwoman until sometime after. Since then I have worked side by side with Jen on many of the Green Teams activities such as street clean-ups, tree plantings, Adopt-a-Pot decorations, as well as working Green Team booths at the Christmas tree lighting, Garwood Rocks, and the Halloween Trunk or Treat event. On every one of these occasions, Jen's enthusiasm, professionalism, and energy was apparent. What impacted me the most is how she always seems to be thinking of new ways to give back to Garwood and enhance this little town of ours.

I have read a multitude of articles bashing Jen who is a candidate for Mayor, as well as Marc Lazarow and Clarissa Nolde who are candidates for Council seats, and I am absolutely appalled. It seems people have forgotten that an election is not a death match; being adversaries should not mean being enemies. The common goal should be to make our town and community better. There have also recently been personal attacks inflicted by “a neighbor” (and surely not a political operative) who I have never once seen at a volunteer, charity, nor a town event. This "neighbor" seemingly has unlimited time to attack Jen online, in print, and in mailboxes and spew abhorrent negativity. Maybe all that energy can be used to do some good for this town to bring Garwood together like Jen does, rather than rip it apart.