Berkeley Heights Community Watch is now NJ 21st – here’s why…

Now welcoming content from all communities in New Jersey’s 21st District

Over the past year, the team has been discussing expanding the site.  

We’ve recognized that, throughout the state, there needs to be more space for diverse and independent voices to share substantial perspectives on essential topics. No space prominently features citizen-driven commentary on local government. These perspectives are often buried in the op-ed section to avoid controversy or drowned out by voices from monied political or corporate interests.  

As we’ve developed relationships with others in different communities throughout the state, we’ve realized that the issues connected to local government have the same fundamental source—an anemic local press too scared to challenge those who fund their pages with campaign ads and community social media forums controlled by these same interests that block out and shame folks who are trying to improve their communities and schools using hit teams that just pile on as a way of showing the community “this is what will happen to you if you speak up.”

This need became very apparent during our battle to reverse the OPRA overhaul. We noticed so much important, fact-based information scattered throughout various outlets in a way that undermined its potential impact.

As a result, we are opening up Berkeley Heights Community Watch to contributions from any resident in the 21st District, which includes: 

Berkeley Heights, Bernards, Bernardsville, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Dunellen, Far Hills, Garwood, Green Brook, Long Hill, Middlesex, Mountainside, New Providence, Peapack-Gladstone, Springfield (Union), Summit, Warren, Watchung, Westfield.

Content from state-wide organizations will also be accepted.

That said, we will continue to have contributors focused on Berkeley Heights and look to provide you with the same level of content about our community.

As a result of this expansion, we are changing the website’s name to “NJ 21st” – a reference to the communities within the 21st District that align with the site’s focus on local government issues.

All the old links will work, but our main domain will now be www.nj21st.com.

Elected representatives, candidates, and – most importantly – residents of these communities are welcome to contribute content.  

We will continue to be a non-profit, ad-free, free political speech space.

Our email address to submit content will remain [email protected], and we will continue to cover local issues connected to Berkeley Heights, NJ.

Let’s see what happens.