Nicholas Aynilian has plans to build a pair of five-store strip malls at 39 and 40 Kinderkamack Road. The properties are designated for certain specific retail uses, but not the general retail use that Aynilian said will be necessary for the plan to be "economically viable."

Aynilian has asked the Westwood Zoning Board to grant a variance that would allow general retail use on the sites, but board Chairman William Martin said at a meeting Monday that he is not sure it would be appropriate to give the variance as the 2011 Master Plan Reexamination did not change the area's allowed uses.

The next hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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The Bergen County YJCC's Boost program for children with autism held a winter party Tuesday and thanked local student Kaitlin Jacob, who painted Boost's room at the Y and raised money for new furniture.

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Westwood and Washington Township students generally performed better in 2011 on the NJ ASK and HSPA standardized tests than in 2010, according to data released by the state Department of Education Wednesday.

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The Westwood Mayor and Council began working on this year's budget Wednesday. They went over 26 pages of budget items and revenue sources. According to Chief Financial Officer Ray Herr, the borough has approximately $2 million surplus from 2011 to put toward this year's budget.