Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis Addresses NJ21st’s Questions on Education and Housing
As part of our election-year coverage, we’re inviting all General Assembly candidates to share their perspective on two high-priority issues for our readers: education and housing. We’re especially interested in understanding: ● Your approach to state policy on education and housing ● Specific legislative goals or proposals you support ● How your policies reflect the needs and concerns of residents...
Community Voices: Mountainside Resident on COPAA’s Advocacy for Students with Disabilities on Capitol Hill
Lisa Hernandez is a resident of Mountainside, NJ and member of the Board of Directors, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) There are approximately 240,000 students with disabilities in New Jersey who are eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) is an...
Response to “A Tale of Two Systems: Comparing City and Suburban School Districts in New Jersey”
The following email was received from Fred Buglione, M.A., M.Ed. – CEO for All In for Inclusive Education in response to “A Tale of Two Systems: Comparing City and Suburban School Districts in New Jersey”, and is being published with his permission I run an organization called All In for Inclusive Education (formerly the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education). We...
Parent Expresses Concerns on BHPSNJ Raptor System
The Following email to the Superintendent and the Board was received from Michael Leblond who is a resident of Berkeley Heights and a parent with children in our School District. Dear Dr. Feltre and members of the School Board, Last week, Dr. Feltre sent an email to parents regarding the Raptor Visitor Management System. A quick google of the Raptor...
Turf Fields and Tutoring: Who Gets What in NJ’s Broken System?
The real tax issue in New Jersey isn’t about funding critical services for underserved communities—it’s about the relentless churn of money between politicians and special interests. Take Berkeley Heights as an example: the Township received a $250,000 grant for a turf field, pays $30,000 annually to a public relations firm, and brought in over $2 million in PILOT payments—with not...
Journalism in New Jersey Is Under Attack—And Berkeley Heights Just Joined the Pile On
Arik Samson is a resident of Berkeley Heights and was a 2024 Candidate for BOE In a deeply troubling move for civic transparency, The New Jersey Monitor reported on March 21, 2025, that Governor Phil Murphy’s latest budget proposal would eliminate funding for the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium—a bipartisan initiative he launched in 2018 to support community-based journalism. Over...
Refocus the Referendum: Spend Wisely, Not Widely
The Following Community Voices article was received from Helen Gabara who is a resident of Berkeley Heights and parent of a child in the District The PR firm told the BOE during his presentation, that the way to get the public to vote for the referendum is to include “something for everyone.” That is lousy advice. The temptation would be...
Parent Acknowledges Improvements in Communication and Student Activities
The Following email to the Superintendent and the Board was received from Michael Leblond who is a resident of Berkeley Heights and a parent with children in our School District. Dear Dr. Feltre and members of the School Board, For a person to have credibility, they must be willing to acknowledge and highlight positive experiences and improvements instead of only...
Influence, Transparency, and Budget Priorities: The CMS Lease Hard Court Press and BHPSNJ Budget
Last year former elected representatives from local political machines and representatives from political organizations came out of the woodwork in creating chaos on the transportation issue. The year it appears they plan to do the same with the CMS lease agreement. Following a previous request, we submitted an OPRA request seeking correspondence between the Superintendent and the Mayor regarding the...
Berkeley Heights Resident Writes to Town Council On Continued Power Outages
Michael Leblond is a resident of Berkeley Heights Dear Mayor Devanney and members of the Town Council, I am writing to express my growing concern regarding the frequent power outages in our community and their negative impact on daily life. As a fifteen year resident of Berkeley Heights, I believe it is essential that our local government addresses the ongoing...
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