west paterson has changed its name to woodland park

[theskyisthelimit]

I never in my life thought this would happen. Heart breaking to someone like me, 4th gen, who planned on staying, not increasing our property value and fleeing before the next K.Hov condos go up. Get a map of West Paterson- See Woodland Ave? Coincidence? Not in my book. I am 4th generation here in West Paterson. This little town has always been to me a private oasis that outsiders didn't know about, and I liked it that way. We were a small community where people knew whose son, daughter, mother, brother you were by your last name. This town has always had genuine people in it, a real family community where you send your kids next door to borrower the cup of sugar because you are in the middle of baking and would rather not run to the store, and that is a page from my own book. Your neighbors never looked at you weird for it because you've known each other your whole lives, and after all, there WAS this great sense of community. This debate has ruined that for me. We are divided. The condos brought out of towner's who stay in their little projects, with all their amenities and lack of backyards. These are the same projects that DESTROYED OUR WOODLANDS - ACRES & ACRES OF THEM!UGGGH!THE IRONY! It was West Paterson when the first bulldozer came to level the trees 20 some odd years ago , and for me it will always be West Paterson. We were a great little town with so much heart, and i just feel like that wasn't good enough for some. If a name change makes people feel better about the place they live i QUESTION THE INTEGRITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL. People of West Paterson fight for our name to stay the same for so many reasons, but it's always from the heart. Where does the drive to change the name come from? Is Woodland Park in your heart like West Paterson is in mine? I wanted to raise my kids on the same morals and values I had aquired here as a child, a respect for nature, for our town, for Garrett Mtn, for our Neighbors, a love of West Paterson, a desire to preserve it's integrity. I can't say this is the same town I grew up in, or my mother grew up in, or my grandmother. My grandmothers closest find still lives across the street, and my neighbors are still the same people who went to high school with my mother, and sisters. Yet, the division is clear, and that breaks apart the heart of a community. It certainly did mine. I know some will find so much joy in my heartache, and that is sad and only further enforces my feelings of the breakdown of what used to be our beautiful little community.

[contachster]

Originally Posted by Marc Paolella

Paterson should fight back and rename itself East Woodland Park.

-Marc

Now that would be hiarious!