Dear Editor:
I am sorry if anyone thought I was disrespecting our residents when I wrote about drug deals witnessed near the gas station on 19th Street. Let me tell you, I have received an ear-full this week, “Are you calling us dealers?” This feedback is important. Clearly, the dealers were not from Weehawken, but they bring their trade onto our streets. The Mayor has failed to make it clear that dealers are not welcome here.
I am just a concerned father. Why are the streets with the greatest concentration of families so vulnerable? We’d like to see Park Avenue focused on families–not liquor sales. A town that can’t talk about tough realities has got a big problem. As a dad, I am frustrated that we have public resources available, but our Town Council does not ensure that every street enjoys Weehawken’s advantages.
I haven’t lived in the Shades, but I know it is a close-knit community with a proud history. I have great regard for your families. I recently volunteered hundreds of hours in Weehawken High School as the parent of an eleventh grader. Some of the most committed kids in Godspell live in the Shades. I cherish them, and I can’t bear how they have been disenfranchised. Yes, their playground was renovated. Any administration could oversee upkeep during our country’s greatest economic boom ever. But we have over 2000 young people in this town, many beyond the age of playing on a swing set. What do we have to offer them?
Our community has suffered under the Mayor’s divide-and-conquer tactics. I want to thank Weehawken Township employees who have been nothing but gracious in the face of such tension this spring. My family continues to get nothing but the quality care our school and street personnel always give. There is a lot of love in our school’s halls. The staff knows every kid’s name and always vigilantly greets strangers. Why would we want to change that?
WIN candidates are running because of unmet needs. We appreciate you sharing your concerns: even when the conversation gets heated. We want to put the town back in Town Council. Our candidates are ready to listen and to serve.
Sean Baldwin
Campaign Manager
Weehawken Initiative Now, WIN Back Weehawken