I’m willing to admit publicly that my golf game needs a little work. (OK…maybe even a lot of work!) Sometimes I think that mini-golf is more my speed…it certainly was this weekend! On what turned out to be a picture perfect Saturday, Westfielders young and old alike came to the Hyatt Hills Miniature  Golf Course in Clark to support the 5th Annual “Mini-Golf Madness”, a fund-raising event for the Westfield United Fund.

In Westfield, Charity Often Begins At Home.

As my daughter and I played our round, we couldn’t help being struck by just how many sponsor signs there were throughout the course. Local businesses and individual families seemed to come out in droves to get behind this fund-raiser. (TheTownBroker.com was proud to be one of the many sponsors for this event). Westfield United Fund Board member and Mini-Golf Co-Chair Kimberly Benou told me that throughout the day, there were about 200 players who contributed $10 each to play.

Between player fees and sponsorships, the event raised nearly $5000 for the Westfield United Fund’s member organizations. How cool is that?!

The Westfield United Fund is a true grassroots agency. It has existed since 1937 with a mission of helping support those organizations that have demonstrated their support to Westfield residents. It’s Westfielders helping Westfielders, and it’s pretty special. The member organizations to tremendous work, and they always need our support.  As they like to say “your gift goes far, but not far away”.  In fact, the member organizations of the Westfield United Fund touch the lives of 2 out of every 3 Westfield residents.

Think about that for a moment…2 out of every 3!

So a special shout out goes to everyone who helped make the “Mini-Golf Madness” event a success. And thanks to the Westfield United Fund and their member organizations for helping to make Westfield such a great place to be!

OK…it was only for a few hours. But those of you who know me know that outside of selling homes, cooking is my other real passion!The Top Chef team from Bavo TV’s show of the same name have hit the road again. And Westfield is their only NJ stop on the tour. So naturally, I took a break from my day to check this out!

Top Chefs Duarte and Merriman Give Demonstration & Answer Questions

Bravo TV set up their tent and stage in the Lord & Taylor parking lot on North Avenue, directly across the street from the store.  Chefs Ariane Duarte (Season 5) and Ashley Merriman  (Season 6) gave several cooking demonstrations throughout the day, and answered questions about their experience of being on the show.

I caught the 12 noon demonstration. The tent was packed and people seemed just as interested with the chef’s experiences on the show as they were with the recipe at hand.

Clearly, these were people who watched the show, and were very interested in the “drama” it offered week after week.

“Did you think the producers captured your personality accurately in the show, or was there too much left out in editing?”  “Did you get to try the other contestant’s dishes?”  “Did you agree with the judges decisions or do you think they had biases?” It was a really fun and interesting way to spend an hour on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Downtown Westfield. As I crossed the street and headed back to my car, I had a short interaction with the Westfield police office directing traffic. “You better make sure they send you some samples” I said. “The food is terrific”

If you hurry, you might still make the next demonstration at 3pm!

What is Red Day, you ask? The acronym R.E.D stands for Renew, Energize and Donate. It is a service iniative that Keller Williams Realty created to help give back to our communities. All Keller Williams associates in the United States and Canada are asked to donate their time on Thursday May 13, 2010 and help to renew and energize their communities.

Keller Williams Agents Plant Rose Bushes for Westfield Project.

Here in Westfield, the team from Keller Williams Premier Properties donated and planted rose bushes at North Avenue entrance to the Westfield Train Station. As crowds gathered to watch the festivities, many people commented about how much they enjoyed seeing the roses going in. “Thank you all so much. I will enjoy these all summer!” one woman called out as she headed into town to have lunch with friends.

With over $1 Billion in sales since our opening 5 years ago, Keller Williams Premier Properties is one of the fastest growing real estate companies in the area. Last year, Keller Williams Realty passed RE/MAX International to become the 3rd largest real estate franchise in the entire United States. This is serious growth at a time when the economy leads many real estate brokerages to downsize and close their doors.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you achieve success in today’s real estate market, please give me a call. In the meantime…spend a few moments enjoying these pictures from Red Day 2010!

One of the things that makes “in town living” so much fun is the street fairs! Every year, our towns put on a variety of events that provide fun for the whole family. Today was Cranford’s turn!!

Cranford Street Fair and Craft Show, 2010

I had the pleasure of handing out balloons to kids of all ages at the Keller Williams booth located at North and Alden street. I got to greet friends and neighbors, and had a LOT of fun! (And a LOT of sun…OUCH!!)

The short video below provides a brief glimpse into the day’s festivities. If you didn’t make it this time, be sure to catch the next one. I’ll try to keep you posted on the dates!

Enjoy…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Beginning TODAY, the state laws change regarding pedestrians in crosswalks. Previously, drivers merely needed to yield for pedestrians. Starting today, they need to come to a FULL STOP…or face SERIOUS fines and points. This is no April fool’s Joke!

Yesterday, I needed to mail a letter. It was about 5:30pm…the height of the afternoon rush. I stood at the crosswalk in front of the Scotch Plains Post Office on Park Avenue for several minutes before I found a driver willing to obey the yield sign and let me cross. Most drivers simply sped by…oblivious to the “yield to pedestrians” sign in the middle of the street.

Now I realize that it’s sometimes tough to tell whether someone is waiting to cross.  No NJ driver wants to look like a chump and actually stop for someone who doesn’t REALLY want to cross the street. But starting today, we need to take that chance…

Union County Streets Can Be Dangerous For Pedestrians

When you live in towns like ours, it’s fun to “get out and walk“. But historically, our streets haven’t been too friendly to pedestrians. The graphic below is pretty startling. It represents pedestrian fatalities in the county between 2006 – 2008. Blue markers indicate an adult victim, aged 16 to 59. Green markers indicate a child victim, aged 0 to 15. Pink markers indicate an older victim, aged 60 and up.

And this is only for 2 years! I know of several fatalities in my town which came after 2008, and didn’t make the list.

Pay Attention, Save A Life.

In the end, we all need to be a little more alert to what’s happening out there. Our streets can be busy and chaotic. We can ALL be guilty of too much “multi-tasking” behind the wheel…myself included. I don’t want to see any more map markers…and I know you don’t either. Pedestrians need us to be watching for them.

And starting today, failing to do so will cost you…big time!

They’re creepy and their kooky, mysterious and spooky. They’re all together ooky. But to those of us in Westfield, hey…they’re family!

Do you remember these words to the theme song from the 1960’s TV sitcom The Addams Family? (OK… so maybe I’m giving away my age.) But I remember watching this show as a kid. Then, in the 1990’s, there was the movie. And now in 2010, a new Broadway musical is about to open starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth! And all of this is the inspiration of Westfield’s very own native cartoonist, Charles Addams.

“A Is For Addams” Tribute Scheduled

A very special local tribute is going to be paid in town to Charles Addams on Monday, April 5th beginning at  1pm. Members of the Westfield Board of Education, The Downtown Westfield Corporation, The Westfield Historical Society and The Charles Addams Art Scholarship will unveil six large wooden letters that spell out the name ADDAMS. Each of the letters will be decorated by the children in the Westfield school system.

Mr. Addams was an artist for The New Yorker Magazine. A Westfield native and 1929 graduate of  Westfield High School, he drew over 1,500 cartoons. Some of these drawings were the inspiration for The Addams Family. According to his Wikkipedia page:

“That house at 552 Elm Street (now a local landmark), and another on Dudley Avenue that police once caught him breaking into, are said to be the inspiration for the Addams Family mansion in his cartoons. He was fond of visiting the Presbyterian Cemetery on Mountain Avenue. One friend said of him, “His sense of humor was a little different from everybody else’s”.

Addams died in 1988, but his legacy lives on. The “A Is For Addams” event is a celebration of Mr. Addams life, and a recognition of what a terrific artist he was!

For more information about the event, contact: Ron MacCloskey, founder of The Charles Addams Art Scholarship, at 732-925-6089 (cell).

I have to admit, I really didn’t expect last weekend’s nor’easter to be as bad as it was here in NJ. In fact, we threw a 50th Anniversary party for my folks in the middle of the storm! (Who knew we’d need to plan a rain date?!) Many of our friends and neighbors suffered terrific property damage due to the high winds and flooding. But as I walked around the yard gathering fallen branches, I started thinking about the people of Haiti and Chile. Now that’s a clean-up job!! I honestly can’t remember a time in my life when I’ve witnessed so many serious storms and natural disasters, all coming so close together.  All in all, we’re still pretty lucky.

Westfield Residents Continue Their Support in Haiti and Chile

One of the things that makes our communities so great, is the character and heart of our neighbors. When devastating earthquakes ravaged Haiti in January of this year, many local residents immediately stepped up to help.  But life marches on, and it’s easy for us to forget how many people still need our help all around the world…

With this in mind, members of The Presbyterian Church in Westfield are gathering items to make Hygiene Kits for Haiti and Chile. Items will be gathered locally, and with the assistance of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, will be distributed to victims of crisis and natural disasters in both Haiti and Chile.

Many of the needed items are things that we have buried in our linen closets. Or, if we travel for business, we get more of these items than we could use on every trip. Please consider making a donation of the essential items to help those less fortunate than ourselves around the world.

Over the course of the next four weeks, items will be collected according to the schedule below:

• March 21- Nail clippers (no metal files or emery boards please)
• March 28-Wide tooth combs and band aids
• April 4- Toothbrushes in original packages
• April 11-Washcloths and Hand Towels

Donations can be brought to the church each Sunday, and placed in one of the bins located in the narthex or Parish House. A collection box is also located in the mailroom for donations made during the week. If it would be easier for you, simply contact me and I’ll come by your house and pick up your donations.

At the end of the collection period, members of the church will assemble the kits and send them on their way.

The Presbyterian Church in Westfield is located at 140 Mountain Avenue, Westfield, NJ. 908-233-3424.