Learn About Nature!

This is bad news for Baristaville...a call to the DMV confirmed the Label Street vehicle inspection station in Montclair will close on June 22. The nearest alternate locations, increasing our carbon footprint, are in Newark, Seacaucus, Wayne, and Lodi.

Thanks to Rondo64 for the tip:

I was told they service approximately 3,000 vehicles per month...which seems like a lot! Alternative stations would be Newark, Wayne or Secaucus...all with possible wait times of up to an hour. And, that when they closed Ridgewood the DMV waited until the 11th hour before they made the info public. Apparently, the employees were told 6 weeks ago, but were advised to not tell anyone.

Just in the nick of time, the court ruled against redistricting voters in Montclair's fourth ward. Stay put. You're not in the third ward, after all...at least not for today's municipal election. Is that less confusing? From Montclair township website:

ATTENTION FOURTH WARD VOTERS

Notice: 5/12/08

As of this afternoon, the Superior Court of New Jersey has nullified a notice given two weeks ago to certain voters in the 4th Ward that they had been moved to the 3rd Ward. As a result, these voters will continue to vote in the 4th Ward. This order affects only approximately 164 voters residing at the following locations:

* 262-292 Bloomfield Avenue (even numbers)
* 2-58 Elm Street (even numbers)
* 2-48 Gates Avenue (even numbers)
* 1-17 Hawthorne Avenue (odd numbers)
* 1-15 (odd numbers) and 2-16 Union Street (even numbers)

Anyone with any questions regarding this may contact the Office of the Township Clerk at 973-509-4900.

You decide, Montclair. It's election day, and the polls are open today until 8pm...If you need to review the list of candidates, and who's playing on which team, click here.

Can't remember your designated polling station? Click here and fill in the blanks.

Baristanet will be on the scene at the municipal building tonight as the results come in - and making the rounds at the three slate parties. Check back with us tonight to find out who's celebrating. In the meantime, anyone care to look into the crystal ball?

Steve from Tierney's Tavern sends the following retro-cool invitation...

along with this message...

Continue reading "Streams Of Whiskey At Tierney's" »

Pssst. Please don't tell Tom Biro that there's only one job for a groom when it comes to the wedding. That is: show up with a ring.

Tom, who you may know as our all-around tech guy, is tying the knot next June. Since working 22 hours a day is not quite enough for him, Tom's just launched Groomify, the coolest go-to place on the web for husbands-in-training.

Groomify advises grooms not to go for the cellphone-bearing cake toppers (shown) and has advice for handling the notoriously naughty Best Man speech. It also includes engagement ring suggestions and wedding party videos, as well as features decoding the language of the modern American female.

Quick, Tom. Here's an exercise from husband-to-be boot camp. When she asks, "Do I look fat?" you say...

Continue reading "Get Your Groom On" »

You may have heard today's news that the most popular baby names in the US last year were Emily and Jacob. Well, Baristaville is home to baby-name expert Pamela Redmond Satran, so we tapped her for a list of what she thinks our most popular baby names are. She believes our active reproductive members would choose Emma over Emily, with second and third girl names going to Ava and Sophia. As for the boys, Satran thinks there are little Jacobs, Ethans and Williams coming home to those great big blue stork signs down the block.

Here's Satran's complete Baristaville Top 10 Baby Name list. It's not based on Social Security records, but the name maven's expert opinion. Besides, we couldn't pass up a list that included "Biblical but fresh" Nathan or Jack, the "Volvo station wagon of names."

(Baby image from Pam's Baby Name Bible website, copyright Pete Kellers, Factory Direct Design.)

Continue reading "For Baristaville, It's Emma and Jacob" »

The Montclair town council asked* Superbowl champion David Tyree to be Grand Marshal at this year's July Fourth parade, but the man is busy. A previously-scheduled commitment in Florida will prevent the wide receiver from basking in local glory at this year's big parade.

In Tyree's place, the July Fourth committee has decided to honor ... (drumroll eyeroll please) ... Montclair State University, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Montclair State, by the way, is gearing up for its commencement ceremonies, including the main one at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands next Friday, May 23. Dancer and "Sex in the City" alum Mikhail Baryshnikov will receive an honorary degree, as will Governor Corzine.

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, will receive an honorary degree and address the graduates in the school of business next Monday night, May 19, at 7 pm.

Continue reading "David Tyree Susan Cole for Grand Marshal" »

Mayoral candidates, At-Large candidates, ward candidates. We've seen you out in the rain at the train, working to get out the vote. Here's one more chance to connect with Montclair residents and get your message out. In the jump, are questions from readers not covered in our mayoral candidate interviews here. Pick any one and share your vision for Montclair.

Candidates -- feel free to post answers in comments or send them here for us to post for you.

Continue reading "Get Out The Vote Here" »

Mother's Day read more like a Stephen King novel, or perhaps something out of the CIA torture book, for a Morristown woman who clung to life in a hospital, while her husband was sent to jail and charged with trying to kill her.

The husband, 29-year-old Kleber Cordova, called 911 Friday morning saying that he'd found his wife naked and unconscious in the bathtub. But the couple's 8-year-old daughter told the police otherwise. She'd seen her father try to drown her mother, who was wearing black pants and socks. Sure enough, police found a plastic bag containing black pants and socks in the trunk of the family car.

Police managed to resuscitate the woman and find a pulse. Sunday, she was in critical condition and he was sent to Morris County Jail. Bond is set at $1 million.

Full story at NJ.com.

It was a little chilly for Mother's Day, but today's weather will have you wishing you appreciated it more. According to Weather.com, it currently "feels like" 39 outside. In addition to today's 100 percent chance of rain, there's a wind advisory. And in Baristaville, that means dead wood falling from high places. (And we're not talking about the town council.)

The official wind forecast after the jump. Meanwhile, if you see anymore major trees down, send us a cellphone pic.

And by the way, the NJ Transit train schedules just changed.

Continue reading "Cold, Wet and Beware Falling Branches" »

Continue reading "What I Want For Mother's Day, More Or Less." »

My almost-5-year-old son threw sand at me yesterday. What's worse, he did it right in front of our neighbors. He didn't want to go home, and that was his rebellion. Later, he got me flowers -- or, at least, he got my husband to buy me flowers. He picked out the color: "Pink. I think Mom will like pink, Dad."

In his preschool-age mind, there was no contradiction between these two events. From where I stood, it was much more complicated. As is most of motherhood.

As we pause on this day ...

Continue reading "Mother's Day 2008" »

One day left... got that Mother's Day gift wrapped and ready?

Here's a cool gift option, if you're still shopping: Glen Ridge-based artist Tiffany Ludwig teamed up with Pittsburgh-based artist Renee Piechocki to create "Trappings," a multimedia project asking more than 500 women and girls across the country a simple but loaded question: "What do you wear that makes you feel powerful?"

Some of the answers...

Continue reading "Mom Power" »

Attention Baristaville Biker Dudes and Biker Chicks:

Rev it up today tomorrow at Liberty State Park, where the “FREEDOM RUN” to benefit 9/11 responders is happening.

Over 2000 motorcycles are expected to roll past “Ground Zero” on Saturday, May 10, in a line stretching five miles. The tribute rally and fundraiser is organized by FealGoodFoundation.

To register call 201-843-6930 or log on to www.FealGoodFoundation.com.

Continue reading "Get Your Motor Runnin'" »

Route 23 in Wayne just got a lot more interesting...if you're into wine, specialty beer and food. I happened to spot Gary's Wine & Marketplace as I was heading to Ski Barn (now in the former Treasure Island location). When I went in expecting to find another (ho-hum) discount grog shop, my mouth dropped.

Gary's is a gleaming 24,000 square foot warehouse-chic gourmet extravaganza. The showroom is anchored by an oval granite-topped wine center with a flat screen TV showing wine country videos of places I wish I lived. At 3pm, we were invited to taste five California wines - a Sauvignon Blanc, three Cabernets, and a Syrah. Free wine tasting, we found out, is a daily event, and sometimes the winemaker comes along for the ride.

What else you can find besides 3,000 wines: charcuterie, 200 kinds of cheeses, gourmet chocolates, vinegars, Gary's own EVOO, for $19.95 a liter that you can refill, Tuscan style, from a vat in a pretty bottle. There's a full deli and vitrine of prepared specialty foods, books for the oenophile, gifts made from recycled oak wine barrels, even cigars.

Open for three weeks, the official grand opening is tomorrow, Saturday. They'll be pouring wines and serving food all day long, while a Spanish guitarist strums away.

Glen Ridge will be buzzing tomorrow. The Arts Festival and Eco Fair is an all-day, outdoor party for the whole family.

Eco-wise, there are more than 25 exhibitors scheduled. You can test drive a Smart Car, meet composting worms, see local bees and their keeper, and chat with a "green" architect. Art-wise, check out the work of professional artists and craftspeople, as well as cool creations made by local students. The Porch Daddies, GRHS musicians and the Gas Lamp Kids will all be on hand to keep the crowd entertained.

Traffic-wise, Ridgewood Ave. will be closed from Bloomfield Ave. to Lincoln St. from 7am 'til 5pm, so plan accordingly. Right now, weather.com is predicting a bit of rain late in the day.

For more weekend happenings, including special Mother's Day events, check out our Calendar.

Just a reminder: Get that pile of letters off your desk today, and save a few pennies. Postal rates increase next Monday.

Starting on May 12, a one-ounce, First-Class U.S. stamp will cost 42 cents and rates for other postal services will also go up.

Postage rates will be adjusted every May—a schedule that’s consistent with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. So if you're like me, who can never remember how much postage to stick on a regular envelope, you might want to stock up on the "Forever" stamp.

It's a good deal - no matter what the future first-class postal rate is, you can use this stamp - forever. Maria, over at the Watchung Avenue post office in Montclair, reminded me to to buy them now for 41 cents each. On Monday, the Forever stamp will also cost an extra penny.

Incredibly, no one was seriously injured after a three-car crash last night - in which a Jeep flipped over into the path of another car – at the busy Montclair intersection of Watchung and North Mountain Avenue around 8pm.

The driver of the small sedan that the Jeep smashed into was taken to Mountainside Hospital with high blood pressure.

An eye-witness told Baristanet last night an incident she saw on nearby Upper Mountain Avenue just minutes earlier may have lead to the pile-up.

I was in my garden digging holes for plants when a Jeep heading north, side-swiped a parked car, ripping off the side mirror. The driver of the car, who was on the phone, gave chase, I assume to get the license plate of the Jeep, because he flicked his high beams on. I saw the Jeep turn down Bellevue. The next thing I hear is this tremendous crashing sound. I walked down to the corner of North Mountain and Watchung and saw the Jeep lying on its side.

Continue reading "3-Way Crash In The Night" »

The Salvation Army's new 29,000 square-foot community center, "The Citadel," will soon dominate the street scape on Montclair's Trinity Place. The roof is on, walls go up next week, and the center is scheduled to open in September. At last night's "Raise The Roof" party, visitors dropped by to walk through the structure, serenaded by the Salvation Army Band.

Major Alastair Bate tells us they intend to open a free trade coffee shop on the premises, supplied by this Montclair family...

Check out the architectural rendering, after the jump.

Continue reading "A Citadel Grows In Baristaville" »