Articles
My Pizza Race Experience
Appeared on Patch.com--view original
On Wednesday night, the scene on Broad Avenue was surreal. The constant motorcade of sports cars, SUVs and minivans that flows through Central and Broad was cut off by the police and their yellow-planked barricades. The downtown blocks of Westfield, so often frequented by the prim, proper, and polite, now gave way to a group of runners, over two thousand strong. The day -to-day social mores were tossed aside with the emptied water bottles. They sweated and spat, used storefronts as stretching posts, and cursed under their breaths as race time was postponed.
I myself stood among the herd, awaiting the start of my second summer race. After a strange false-start due to the officials marking the starting line, I was off. The start of a race is not unlike being at a rock concert, a tightly pack crowd jostling for position, each individual attempting to find a clean view.
Just a quarter mile into the race, I realize that this is not just another 5K. I had left behind the flat terrain of Broad Avenue for the hilly north side, whose streets seem to wind skyward. I, a Cranford native, am not used to inclines. Our hills are relegated to our parks, thankfully hidden away from runners and stick-shifts.
At mile two, I want to admire the crisp Americana, the hodgepodge of families standing at curbside, the gentle arch of the sprinklers' spray, the exclamations of children as they point at the passing crowd, but instead I discover a stitch on my right side. It starts as a small sparkle of pain but quickly blossoms into a vivisection. I begin making noises associated with women in labor or salt-mine workers, attracting strange looks as I lurch through my fellow runners.
By the third mile, I've pushed through the remainder of pain and begin to trouble-shoot. How can someone, who logs 15 miles a week in distance-running, be reduced to a gut-grabbing, sweat lathered, shame of a being? I realize, its most likely my nutrition. My high-school track coach had always recommended that his runners eat a small bit of junk food so they had calories to burn throughout a race. In hindsight, he would have most likely frowned on a lunch of pizza bagels, and a beer the night before.
I cross the finish line at a pedestrian 29:05. I make my way to free water and am amazed to discover I still have a sense of hearing as I turn off my music. Finally, with a half-hour of fitness logged in the books, what better way to finish off the strange night than with a delicious piece of free pizza.
Students and Parents Educated Against Subtance Abuse Dangers
Appeared on Patch.com--view original
Each day, three teens in the United States die from drinking and driving. Kids who start drinking before the age of fifteen are five times more likely to become addicted later in life. Alcohol kills more teens every year than all other illicit drug use. It was statistics such as these that George Pizzo brought to life for his audience.
"Losing a child is not something you get through. It is something that stays with you forever," said Pizzo, after giving a slideshow of his daughter Amber who was killed by a drunk driver four years ago.
Since her death Pizzo has created The Amber Pizzo Foundation to offer solace to victims of vehicular crimes while supporting local programs that are committed to saving lives.
Pizzo's presentation was one of three that took place at Westfield High School on Wednesday night as part of Stir It Up, an alcohol awareness event meant to educate both students and parents on the dangers of underage drinking and drug abuse. The event was open to students and parents from the high school and the town's two intermediate schools.
"We hope to plant seeds tonight that will blossom into change," said Peter Renwick, principal of Westfield High School.
While Pizzo's talk applied to all members of those in attendance, school counselors Meredith Mazzarese and Colleen White focused on a parent's role in combating alcohol and drug abuse.
"The single most important thing to do as a parent is to get your values out there as soon as possible," said Mazzarese as she fielded questions. She gave tips on prevention ranging from strict adherence to curfews to building a strong support system through family dinners.
One of the common themes touched upon throughout the night was the importance of parental vigilance in fighting alcohol abuse among teens.
"If the message is I'm going to pretend I don't know what you're doing, then that's what they'll learn," said Mazzarese. Remarking upon the various statistics mentioned throughout the night Pizzo said, "If it's not your statistic that's great; . . .but keep your eyes open. "
Carol Berger, an assistant county prosecutor, hosted a discussion with two recovering addicts, Ryan and Robin, both of whose addictions to gateway drugs spiraled out of control.
"If you told me when I was smoking pot at thirteen that I going to be a heroin addict, I would've called you crazy." Overall, the participants gave an air of hope to a night filled with cautionary tales, "I live in my own apartment, I own a car, . . .I am the one now, who people come to for help." said Ryan.
Students found this presentation to be the most effective. "This one relates more to us. . .I feel like we learned a lot, like how drugs can destroy your life," said Oria Alexander. "This one was more influential."
Said Natalie Lopez. "I learned a lot about the consequences."
Parents gave a mixed reaction to the overall event. When asked if the event was helpful one mother said, "No, because what do we not know?" She further explained "it did help focus your mind on what to look for."
Deli Thrives in Residential Neighborhood
Appeared Patch.com--view original
Outside the clamor of Westfield's downtown, amid the houses that surround Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on Prospect Avenue, sits Prospector's Deli.
It's a family-owned business, run by the mother and daughter team of Jo Rapuano and Dina Vieira, who believe a loyal customer base, a good location and a variety of food has allowed them to build a successful business. The family operates the only business on what is a residential street with the exception of the school.
The business originated as a farm store when the surrounding area was farmland. In the time since the rolling fields have given way to residences, a deli took over from the farm store.
The Rapuano family has owned the store since 1982, renting it out to various groups, who also used the space as a deli. It was during this span of time that the store gained a reputation of being an unfriendly environment for children.
"I was given a lifetime ban as a kid for not buying anything within three minutes of being in the store," said Tom Basta, a longtime Westfield resident and Franklin School alum said of his childhood in the 1980s.
Since the Rapuanos began their own business in 1994, the family has reinvigorated the shop with their own personal touches, making it friendly for the kids of Benjamin Franklin Elementary to grab an after-school snack. The children are one of the prime sources of Prospector's clientele, the others being landscapers and construction workers, who stop by for their daily lunch, finding the ample parking space accommodating for their large trucks and trailers. However, it is more than location and parking spaces that has allowed the deli to succeed for the past fifteen years.
"The food's great. They give really good portions," said Rae Cauley, a five-year patron of the deli.
The food is prepared and cooked fresh each day by Rapuano over a simple four-range stove that any customer would recognize from their own house. The menu offers twenty-two different kinds of sandwiches, ranging from the super Italian to the liverwurst and Swiss. They also offer a variety of sides including the famous Prospector's Potato Salad. It's a dish so delicious that one former Westfielder, who moved halfway across the country, still calls in to order up to five pounds, to be delivered to her home in Chicago.
It is the quality of its products and overall friendliness that has made Prospector's an integral part of Westfield, so much so that Basta, who lives with his self-enforced lifetime ban of the store, still has kind words for the business.
"It's a great piece of Americana, it's one of the best parts of town," he said.
Summit Provides Free Shopper Parking Downtown
Appeared on Patch.com--view original
Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., a cat and mouse game takes place between the white lines of Westfield's parking lots. Shoppers scurry from restaurants and storefronts in order to escape the yellow-thirty-two dollar parking tickets doled out by the Westfield Police. Those who wish not to pay, park a half-mile away at the library or take the risk of leaving their car in a lot where businesses threaten to tow non-patrons.
Six miles away in Summit, a town not unlike Westfield, the game does not exist. In an effort to make shopping a more pleasurable experience, Summit has two lots in which shoppers are given two hours of free parking year round. The free parking policy was implemented in 2000, under then Mayor Walter Long who said, "To attract shoppers, I think you do need free parking."
Besides the free lot parking, Summit also offers free fifteen minute street meters for those patrons who are making a quick pick-up at a deli or coffee shop. The free 10 minute meters Westfield had were recently removed and replaced by a computerized meter box as part of the South Avenue streetscape project.
A downside of the two-hour parking is that in Long's opinion, "it still requires the same amount of parking enforcement," as there was with paid parking.
While Summit has been promoting the free parking for shoppers concept for a number of years, there has been discussion of changing it. In recent months, Summit Mayor Jordan Glatt and other officials in the Hill City have talked about restoring costs on the shopper lots. Prior to the free lots, the shopper lots had staffers working in booths taking money as drivers exited the lots.
Parking enforcement, which includes officers, clerical assistants, and supervisors, cost the town of Westfield $205,486 in 2007. This money would then have to come from the gross amount of money which will have been earned from parking meters, ($1,035,000 in 2007) which will in fact be lowered due to the two-hours of free parking given to shoppers.
Westfield gets more money from meters than ticket enforcement. The primary reason for parking enforcement is to encourage turnover.
"You need enforcement to create turnover which is best for downtown businesses so that they're customers have convenient parking," said Councilman Mark Ciarrocca, who developed much of the town's parking policy in his previous role as chairman of the Council's public safety, transportation and parking committee.
One of the ways in which Summit has garnered more money from parking has been to create more parking spaces.
"One of the best things we did was build a 500 car garage," said Long of the commuter parking deck at the intersection of Broad Street and Summit Avenue which was built among some controversy during the 1990s.
Summit also has a parking deck on Springfield Avenue in the city's downtown. This deck is aimed at shoppers and employees of downtown businesses. Shoppers also park in the free lots along DeForest Avenue. The commuter and employee lots cost money for parkers.
The option of a parking deck was first proposed by former mayor Greg McDermott over five years ago. The deck proposal, which still generates controversy when mentioned, was voted down in a contentious public referendum in 2004. The long term financial implications of constructing the deck were cited as the main reason by deck opponents.
Ciarrocca noted, "We are always looking for opportunities to increase parking capacity," however, "with this economic environment municipalities have trouble creating funds for such projects."
It should be noted that there is some free parking on the outskirts of the town's center as well other lots where free parking becomes available on certain days for certain hours.
