Westfield Renames Traffic Circle In Honor Of Martin Luther King

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield's Town Council voted to rename the Route 28 Traffic Circle after Mayor Shelley Brindle's 9-year-old neighbor suggested naming it after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The new name of the traffic loop in Westfield is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Circle, as decided at Tuesday's council meeting. Brindle said her neighbor, Priyanka Hargreaves, inspired the change when she sent a note to the mayor, asking why the town did not have anything named after Dr. King.

Hargreaves is currently a third-grader at Washington Elementary School.

Westfield's Martin Luther King Association dedicated a monument to Dr. King on one side of the traffic circle in June of 2005, according to the resolution, which was passed unanimously by the council.

"We're really happy that this is happening," a representative from the MLK Association said. "It doesn't solve racism, but it's an important symbol ... I think it's a real tribute to a lot of the people who founded our organization and who, through all these decades in Westfield, have lived in this town and [are] African American ..."

Mayor Brindle said she was also happy with the renaming decision.

"I couldn't be more proud of this resolution," Brindle said. "I think I can speak for the council in saying that and [this] really [furthers] Westfield's commitment to inclusivity."

The full Town Council meeting can be viewed on Facebook.

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