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Main Street HP Hosts Annual Meeting Nov. 14 to Highlight its Initiatives for a Vibrant Downtown

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Please be advised that the Main Street Highland Park Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 6 p.m. at the Highland Park Senior/Youth Center, 220 S 6th Ave, Highland Park, NJ 08904. The public is welcome to attend to learn about and provide input to the strategies/initiatives for creating an exciting and sustainable Highland Park downtown environment. Main Street Highland Park (“MSHP”) is a non-profit community development organization that manages the downtown Business District for the benefit of the merchants, business owners  and residents of Highland Park. As a dedicated advocate for the downtown, Main Street leverages its budget resources and relationships on behalf of its constituent members to bring about change that would not otherwise be possible. Main Street Highland Park’s numerous programs improve the image of downtown Highland Park, focusing on its commercial assets, visual appeal, safety and desirability as a destination for business, for shopping, dining and fun. READ MORE

Filed under: Business, Local News

Election 2018 – an important uncontested contest for the future of democracy

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And the big winner was – democracy. Congratulations to Highland Park residents for voting in record numbers for midterm elections even though the local contests were uncontested. The political slugfest between incumbent U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and businessman Bob Hugin generated about 900,000 more votes than New Jersey’s last Senate race, according to preliminary data. While official turnout figures aren’t yet available, vote tallies for the top race on this year’s ballot already show a 48 percent increase in votes cast compared to the 2014 midterm elections. This year’s race, a Menendez victory, saw 2,767,892 total votes, with 98 percent of precincts reporting. READ MORE

Filed under: Local News

HP responds to anti-semetic horror with safety plans and “showing up for shul”

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The “horrible violence at the synagogue in Pittsburgh,” in the words of Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler is a week old but still very much present in the minds of many Highland Park residents. “We have been left with a heightened sense of vulnerability and concern for our safety,” she said. Highland Park Council is unable to offer the spiritual and emotional support, but is acting to provide support in the public safety arena. Councilwoman Elsie Foster-Dublin (head of the Public Safety Committee) and the mayor consulted with our Police Chief Stephen Rizco about the steps that can be taken to bolster synagogue security in Highland Park. As an immediate measure, the police have increased drive-bys at our synagogues at times when services are held. READ MORE

Filed under: Local News

Highland Park Matters: Mayor commits to shared services and tax stabilization

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Highland Park Borough Mayor Gayle Brill Mitler sends the following message to all members of the community

Tax stabilization is the number one priority of my administration, not an easy task in this era of reduced State and Federal funding. As residents, we expect local government to keep taxes as low as possible. And while we realize that things like police and fire departments, a myriad of municipal services, and infrastructure maintenance come with significant costs, we don’t want local taxes to increase any more than is absolutely necessary. I get that. Afterall, I am a Highland Park resident too. READ MORE

Filed under: Local News

Council Member Opposes Legalization of Recreational Marijuana, Supports Decriminalization

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Letter to the Editor

October 5, 2018

As a member of the Highland Park Borough Council, and as the father of two adolescents, I am concerned about the likely legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey and the possibility of marijuana being sold in Highland Park. I support the bill that State Senator Ron Rice has sponsored that would remove criminal penalties for small amounts of marijuana but would not create a system that would legalize marijuana in New Jersey. I understand that the New Jersey State Legislature is considering legalizing marijuana throughout the State with an opt-out provision for municipalities that want to ban marijuana sales. I am currently advocating passage of an ordinance that would prevent businesses in Highland Park from selling marijuana (medicinal and recreational) and marijuana paraphernalia due to the harm posed by marijuana and its active addictive ingredient, Tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), and the risks legalization of marijuana poses to adolescents. In an April 2016 article, You Can’t Deny Marijuana Is Dangerous For Developing Minds, Dr. Diane McIntosh, a psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, explained that marijuana “is not benign and there’s a mountain of scientific evidence, compiled over nearly 30 years, to prove it poses serious risks, particularly for developing brains.” She points out that smoking marijuana produces cancer causing toxins and chronic lung disease, and may lower one’s IQ, cause brain cell damage, mental illness, and motor vehicle accidents. READ MORE

Filed under: Letters to the Editor, Local News

One Matt H replaces another – Matt Hale fills term of Matt Hersh on Council

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Dr. Matthew Hale on July 18, 2018 was sworn in as a borough council member by Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Matthew Hersh. Replacing one Matthew H with another Matthew H was necessitated by Matt Hersh’s resignation from council in order to join Governor Phil Murphy’s administration as director of Communications for the NJ Board of Public Utilities. “Matt Hale is a tenured political science professor at Seton Hall University and is widely respected for his political commentary. Matt has chaired our Digital Data Task-force, and it is an asset to have him join Highland Park Borough Council,” said Mayor Brill Mittler, who added that Matt Hersh’s new appointment demonstrates that Highland Park talent is treasured in Trenton. “As for the council, many residents may not realize how much of a formidable commitment it is to join borough council. READ MORE

Filed under: Local News

Water/Sewer Charges for Residents Are Due to Flow Significantly Upward

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Water – a life-sustaining commodity that many take for granted – has gained a much higher profile in Highland Park in the past few days. Residents learned that a typical family of four can expect to pay an increase of $350 this year for the tap water they drink, showers they take, the dishes they wash and the toilets they flush. This increase comprises an annual hike in water/sewer rates and a one-time surcharge. The town is establishing a new rate schedule to address the water and sewer cost increases that were never passed on to Highland Park residents and businesses for the last seven years. This action is due to an administrative failure to increase residential and business sewer and water rates to correspond to the significant escalation of the water and sewer costs being billed to the municipality. READ MORE

Filed under: Local News